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 “Some of Fred Lieb’s All-Star Selections” Photo Gallery
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Part Two of Paul Doyle’s Posts on Baseball “Scribes.”

As some of you will remember, in Part One in his two part series on baseball scribes, Paul Doyle featured Hall-of-Fame sportswriter, Fred Lieb. Today, he takes a chapter from Lieb’s classic book, Baseball As I Have Known It, and presents Lieb’s personally selected All-Star teams from four different eras.

Well, as baseball history buffs, this is right up our alley! So feel free to comment one way or another. You can either agree or disagree with Lieb’s selections. But keep in mind: Lieb actually saw these guys play over his 70 years in the game!

Fred Lieb’s All Time First 100 Years All-Star Teams

Fred Lieb closed the chapter of his classic Baseball As I Have Known It, published in 1977 with his “All Time All-Star Teams.” He selected four teams from 1876 to 1975 in eras 25 years apart. This was 1977, and Fred had personally seen all the players selected for his last three teams and maybe some from the 1876-1901 era.

He presented them with the closing line of “Let the Arguments Begin.” There is a gap of 42 years since the book was published and 44 since the “ballot box” closed.

In making his selections, Lieb allowed for two catchers, one utility infielder and outfielder, and eight pitchers. The only exception he made in any era was a tie for first baseman in the 1926-1950 era, with a dual selection of Lou Gehrig and Bill Terry. He acknowledged that Gehrig had the edge in every batting statistic except lifetime average (.341 to .340), but considered Terry the greatest fielding first base man he ever saw, with the possible exception of George Sisler, and (remember Bill Gutman’s article of last week) Hal Chase with the disclaimer “when Hal was giving his all.”

Without further ado, here are the selections:

1876-1901

1B—Fred Tenney

2B—Nap Lajoie

SS—Bobby Wallace

3B—Jimmy Collins

UIF—John McGraw 

LF—Jesse Burkett

CF—Hugh Duffy

RF—Willie Keeler 

UOF-Billy Hamilton

C—Buck Ewing

C—Mike “King” Kelly 

P—Cy Young, Hoss Radbourne, John Clarkson, Tim Keen, Pud Galvin, Mickey Welch, Amos Rosie, Bob Caruther

1901-1925

1B—George Sisler

2B—Eddie Collins

SS— Honus Wagner

3B—Frank Baker

UIF—Rogers Hornsby

LF—Ty Cobb

CF—Tris Speaker

RF— Babe Ruth

UOF— Henry Heilmann 

C—-Roger Bresnahan

C—Johnny Kling

P—Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Grover Alexander, Eddie Plank, Jack Chesbro, Mordecai Brown, Ed Walsh, Rube Waddell

1926-1950

1B—Lou Gehrig/Bill Terry

2B— Charley Gehringer

SS—Joe Cronin

3B—Pie Traynor

UIF—Frank Frisch

LF—Ted Williams

CF—Joe DiMaggio

RF—Stan Musial

UOF-Paul Waner 

C—Bill Dickey

C—Mickey Cochran 

P— Bob Feller, Lefty Grove, Carl Hubbell, Ted Lyons, Dizzy Dean, Red Ruffing, Dazzy Vance, Waite Hoyt

1951-1972

1B— Gil Hodges

2B— Jackie Robinson

SS— Pee Wee Reese

3B—Brooks Robinson

UIF—Joe Morgan

LF—Hank Aaron

CF—Willie Mays

RF— Roberto Clemente

UOF—Mickey Mantle

C—-Yogi Berra

C—-Roy Campanella

P—Sandy Koufax, Warren Spahn, Bob Lemon, Early Wynn, Whitey Ford, Robin Roberts, Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal

Wow. It’s pretty hard for us – from our 21st century vantage point – to argue with much of this. The only other editorial comment Lieb made in the book was that he thought Tom Seaver, Johnny Bench and Catfish Hunter merited consideration for the 1951-1975 era, but only if each could have “two or three more good years”  then they would be considered for the 1976-2000 team. Lieb was a tough taskmaster!

So, the beauty of being a baseball fan is to come up with your own lists and counter argue with any selection you might disagree with. And while you’re at it, try to further Lieb’s footsteps and pick the next 25 year era from 1976-2000. Lieb used his own eyes and the traditional statistics to make his selections, but in doing so he may have germinated a future phenomenon – WAR, except in this case, it’s the “War” between fans picking their own choices, maybe even over a cold one somewhere!

Paul Doyle (Posted by Gary Livacari) 

Photo Credits: All from Google search

Information: From Baseball As I Have Known It, by Fred Lieb

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