Article on all-time "Dream Team"

Wow. These are the types of articles I as a baseball fan devour. That it comes from SI's Tom Verducci is icing on the cake, as I am most fond of his expertise and writing style among sports writers.

Tom Verducci's All-Time Dream Team.

My very quick takes:

1. What a freakin' phenomenal list by Verducci. It is hard to argue with most of his selections or his rationale.

2. Glad to see my all-time favorite player, Christy Mathewson, in Verducci's starting rotation on the all-time "Dream Team."

3. Obviously, with a list limited to 1 starter and some reserves, many great ballplayers will be left out. And, someone who I think is undeserving is on the list: Alex Rodriguez. He is the best ballplayer of this generation, no doubt. I hope he breaks the all-time home run record, in which case Verducci, in 2020, will resurrect this list. But I think it is too soon to place A-Rod in such company.

4. I nearly spat up my breakfast upon reading one SI reader bemoaning the fact that Nolan Ryan wasn't on the all-time list. He was a good pitcher who was blessed with incredible longevity. More strikeouts (5,714) than anyone. A game-best 7 no-hitters. And, of course, he put Robin Ventura in a headlock and punched his lights out in 1993. But he is not an "all-time" great when compared to Walter Johnson, Mathewson, Lefty Grove, etc.

Still, I have some objections:
A. Bill Dickey or Yogi Berra (perhaps) over Pudge Rodriguez as the reserve catcher. Many reasons for this, among them the fact that Pudge, to quote my friend Hugh, used to "look like the Incredible Hulk" due to alleged/probable steroid use.

B. Brooks Robinson should be a reserve infielder. 16 consecutive Gold Gloves and the moniker of "The Human Vacuum Cleaner" at the hot corner warrant inclusion here. He came close to 3,000 career hits and had a lot of homers for a third baseman.