MLB Greatest Generation fanbase (born 1901 to 1927)
~MLB Players active between 1909 and 1935~
- C Mickey Cochrane (48.2 fWAR)
- 1B Lou Gehrig (93.5 fWAR)
- 2B Rogers Hornsby (130.1 fWAR)
- SS Honus Wagner (46.5) fWAR)
- 3B Frank Baker (59.8 fWAR)
- LF Al Simmons (62.2 fWAR)
- CF Ty Cobb (133.2 fWAR)
- RF Babe Ruth (168.4 fWAR)
- SP Walter Johnson (110.5 fWAR)
- RP Firpo Marberry (4.3 fWAR)
MLB Biggest Snub(s): CF Tris Speaker (130.7 fWAR), 2B Eddie Collins (118.9 fWAR), SP Pete Alexander (96.5 fWAR), 2B Frankie Frisch (75.0 fWAR), CF Oscar Charleston (Negro Leagues), OF Cool Papa Bell (Negro Leagues), SS Pop Lloyd (Negro Leagues), SP Bullet Rogan (Negro Leagues)
That’s an imposing lineup that includes some of the all-time MLB greatest players who ever played. Of course, we’ve had 100 years of legends being told about players like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and Lou Gehrig, so they’ve become larger than life. Perhaps 100 years from now, fans will look back at Mike Trout with the same reverence we have for these impressive players.
Looking at the MLB position players, second base features two players, Rogers Hornsby and Eddie Collins, with more than 100 fWAR and a third with 75 (Frankie Frisch). At shortstop, five players finished between 45 and 50 fWAR during this period. I bumped Honus Wagner from fourth to the top of the pack because he’s Honus Wagner. The starting year of 1909 eliminated many of his great years.
On the mound, both Walter Johnson and pitching snub Pete Alexander were incredible, winning over 770 games between them during this period. Firpo Marberry is technically the reliever on this team, but Old Pete would be more than willing to enter the contest in relief if needed. In one of the most memorable moments of his career, Alexander entered Game 7 of the 1926 World Series and struck out Tony Lazzeri with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh to preserve a 3-2 Cardinals’ lead. He then retired six of the final seven batters to close out the victory.
If this were a real-life team, it would be interesting to see how Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth got along as teammates. I’d expect there would be some fireworks between them. Cobb would resent the megastar Ruth with his unrefined approach to the game. Ruth would laugh it off and have another hot dog and a beer.
The snubs list for this generation could make up a whole other team of greats, including some of the best Negro League players to ever play the game. Joe Posnanski recently drafted a lineup of Negro League players with Negro Leagues Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick. Rogan, Charleston, Lloyd, and Bell were all picked in the first four rounds.