It’s the draft you always wanted to see!
VAVEL’s Stevie Larson and Aidan Thomas formed teams, drafting 25 players each from the history of baseball - Negro Leagues included. They drafted rosters, formed starting lineups, and then, at the end, they simulated the best ‘Best of 7’ series of all time, with stars like Willie Mays facing great pitchers like Nolan Ryan.
PART 1 - The Draft
Round 1
Team Larson: Babe Ruth
Team Larson takes the man widely regarded as the best hitter of all time. The first real power hitter in baseball, Babe Ruth, with 714 home runs to his name, goes 1st overall in this special All-Time MLB Draft.
Team Thomas: Walter Johnson
Team Thomas goes to the mound for their first pick, taking early 1900s Washington Senators’ hurler Walter Johnson, nicknamed ‘The Big Train’ completes the first round.
Round 2
Larson: Satchel Paige
Team Larson takes Negro League great Satchel Paige with his second-round choice. Paige, a pitcher who did have a brief MLB career, was absolutely dominant in the Negro Leagues and is rewarded here, going third overall.
Thomas: Willie Mays
Team Thomas takes Mays, one of the better all-around players in history. With a lethal combination of speed and power, Mays led the San Francisco Giants to a World Series title in 1954. He goes fourth overall in this draft, and the first outfielder out of a stacked stockpile of outfielders to be drafted.
Round 3
Larson: Honus Wagner
Team Larson snags easily the best shortstop option in the draft pool, taking Wagner fifth overall. Wagner, the Pirates’ great shortstop, is widely regarded as the best shortstop ever, especially since steroids have marred the career of Alex Rodriguez, whom many thought would prove to be better than Wagner.
Thomas: Lefty Grove
Team Thomas goes back to the mound to take one of the most dominant southpaws of all time, selecting Grove with his 3rd round selection.
Round 4
Larson: Cy Young
Team Larson goes with Young - hey, 511 wins, he must have done something right. Young is the second pitcher Larson selects, after 2nd round pick Satchel Paige.
Thomas: Lou Gehrig
Had it not been for his death, caused by the disease now named after himself, Gehrig might have gone even higher than 8th overall in this draft. However, Gehrig’s shortened career left him limited time to prove himself as one of the best players of all time. However, he did put up fantastic numbers, and Team Thomas takes Gehrig in the fourth round.
Round 5
Larson: Ty Cobb
Team Larson makes his first outfield pick, selecting the malicious but talented Ty Cobb of the Detroit Tigers. Cobb, well-known for spiking opponents, was surely an all-time great with spectacular speed, and he goes ninth overall here.
Thomas: Christy Mathewson
Team Thomas makes his second pick from the Giants in the first five rounds, this time taking their best pitcher in franchise history. Mathewson, a spectacular right-handed hurler, rounds out the Top 10 in this draft.
Round 6
Larson: Ted Williams
He hit .400. He hit for power. He is regarded by some to be the best hitter of all time. Team Larson takes Ted Williams, the Boston Red Sox great, in the 6th round.
Thomas: Roger Hornsby
Though it is less publicized, Hornsby did hit over .400 three times in his career. Team Thomas grabs the first second baseman of the draft, 12th overall.
Round 7
Larson: Greg Maddux
Team Larson makes his 3rd pitcher selection, selecting Greg Maddux, the great Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs'. Maddux makes possible a surprisingly early appearance, going 13th overall.
Thomas: Joe Dimaggio
The Yankees’ outfield great may have been expected to be taken earlier but Team Thomas is happy to snag Dimaggio in the 7th round. With Willie Mays already on the roster, Dimaggio may be moved to a corner outfielder slot.
Round 8
Larson: Josh Gibson
Team Larson goes back to the Negro Leagues picking up Gibson, who may have been considered the best catcher of all time, had he been given a chance to play in the majors. Instead, Gibson spent a career in the Negro Leagues, where he built up a career average of close to .350, which would have placed him as the best hitting catcher in MLB history.
Thomas: Warren Spahn
“Spahn and Sain, then pray for rain.” Team Thomas takes the first half of the legendary duo Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain, popularized in the famous saying regarding the pitching staff of the Boston Braves. Spahn is taken ahead of his legendary teammate, going in the 8th round.
Round 9
Larson: Jackie Robinson
Team Larson picks up his third player who spent time in the Negro Leagues, taking the man who broke the color barrier in Jackie Robinson. Robinson played only a decade in the big leagues, but he demonstrated a great combination of speed and occasional power.
Thomas: Yogi Berra
With Gibson out of the draft pool, Team Thomas takes possible the next best catcher available. Though there is debate over who is better - Johnny Bench or Berra - Thomas makes his choice clear here, selecting Berra 18th overall.
Round 10
Larson: Harmon Killebrew
Team Larson makes a power selection with his tenth round selection, picking up hard-hitting first baseman Harmon Killebrew, the Minnesota Twins’ slugger.
Thomas: Grover ‘Pete’ Alexander
Team Thomas rounds out the first ten rounds by adding another arm to his roster, this time in the form of Grover ‘Pete’ Alexander, who goes 20th overall in the draft.
Round 11
Larson: Chipper Jones
Larson selects a more modern-day player, taking recent retiree Chipper Jones. The Atlanta Braves’ franchise player of much of the last couple of decades is the first third-bagger picked up, going in the 11th round.
Thomas: Mike Schmidt
Team Thomas responds to Larson’s pick with a third-baseman pick of his own, taking slugger Mike Schmidt. The Philadelphia Phiilies’ Hall of Famer goes 22nd overall and makes it 11 rounds complete in the All-Time MLB Draft.
Round 12
Larson: Nolan Ryan
Larson picks up an ace pitcher in Nolan Ryan, the all-time leaders in no-hitters. Ryan, who possesses a whopping 7 no-nos to his credit, is a solid addition for Larson midway through the draft.
Thomas: Hank Aaron
Team Thomas rounds out his starting three outfield looking solid with Dimaggio, Mays, and now Hank Aaron, who hit 755 home runs. Aaron, whose home run record stood until the steroid-powered Barry Bonds bashed his way to 762 dingers, completes Thomas’s outfield, going 24th overall.
Round 13
Larson: Bob Feller
Team Larson picks up his second straight pitcher, this time going to Cleveland fireballer Bob Feller. The selection of Feller marks the halfway point of the draft.
Thomas: Randy Johnson
Team Thomas picks up a dominant and intimidating pitcher in Randy Johnson with this selection. Johnson, well-known for his frightening ‘sneer’ as well as killing a bird when a bird flew into the path of his fearsome fastball, goes 26th overall.
Round 14
Larson: Mariano Rivera
Team Larson makes a call to the bullpen, picking up the best closer in MLB history in Rivera. The Yankees’ great retired in 2013 and he was the last man to wear the #42 of Jackie Robinson before it was retired.
Thomas: Cal Ripken Jr.
Team Thomas finally makes his shortstop selection, 11 rounds after Larson picked up Wagner. Thomas deems Ripken the next best shortstop available and picks him above other options, including The Captain, Derek Jeter.
Round 15
Larson: Tom Seaver
Team Larson makes his fourth straight pitcher selection, going with the New York Mets’ great hurler in Tom Seaver. Seaver was part of the 1969 ‘Miracle Mets’ squad that shocked the Baltimore Orioles and the rest of the baseball world by winning the World Series.
Thomas: Dennis Eckersley
Team Thomas makes his first bullpen selection in Round 15, going with converted closer Dennis Eckersley. Eckersley was a starter before reluctantly becoming a closer. He later said, “I would never have resisted becoming a closer...had I known how good I was at it!”
Round 16
Larson: Bert Blyleven
Team Larson makes probably a surprise pick in Blyleven, who might be the least recognizable name on this list. That’s not to say Blyleven doesn’t deserve his due. The Hall-of-Famer enjoyed a 22-year career with a few teams, including the Twins and the Pirates. Best known for his vicious curveball, Blyleven goes 31st overall here.
Thomas: Stan Musial
‘Stan the Man’ becomes Team Thomas’s first bench player, going in the 16th round. Already possessing a Hall-of-Fame outfield, Thomas picks up Musial for some great insurance off the bench.
Round 17
Larson: Bob Gibson
Team Larson goes with yet another pitcher, his sixth straight hurler. This time, he takes the dominant Cardinals’ hurler Bob Gibson, who a key cog in several great St. Louis teams, particularly their 1967 World Series winning squad, when he defeated the Boston Red Sox three times in the World Series.
Thomas: Hoyt Wilhelm
Thomas makes another bullpen selection with Hoyt Wilhelm. Wilhelm is a very worthy pick to back-up Eckersley and take the set-up man role. The great knuckleballer played for nine teams in 20 years.
Round 18
Larson: Old Hoss Radbourn
Team Larson reaches deep into the depths of baseball history for this pick, grabbing Charlie ‘Old Hoss’ Radbourn, whose 19th century stats are quite incredible. The 678.2 innings he hurled in 1884 are the second best ever for a single season. He won 301 games in just 11 seasons.
Thomas: Johnny Bench
Thomas picks up another great catcher in Johnny Bench. Bench is slotted to back up Berra, giving Thomas probably two of the best catchers that ever lived, probably behind Josh Gibson, the Negro Leaguer that would have been a Hall-of-Famer.
Round 19
Larson: Roberto Clemente
Team Larson finally selects a position player, going with the Pittsburgh right fielder, Roberto Clemente. Clemente, who died tragically in a plane crash, recorded precisely 3,000 hits in his career.
Thomas: Trevor Hoffman
“It’s TREVOR TIME!” Team Thomas takes the beloved San Diego Padres’ closer Trevor Hoffman, who will likely take a relief role behind Wilhelm and Eckersley on Thomas’s roster.
Round 20
Larson: Rod Carew
Team Larson takes the versatile Carew, who played over a 1,000 games at both first base and second base during his career. The great Twins hitter goes 39th overall, in the 20th round of the draft.
Thomas: Jimmie Foxx
Thomas makes another first baseman selection, bringing in Foxx to back up Lou Gehrig. Foxx hit 534 home runs over his 20-year, 4-team career.
Round 21
Larson: Derek Jeter
After being passed over in favor of Ripken by Thomas earlier, Derek Jeter is selected by Team Larson to back up the Hall-of-Famer Honus Wagner at the shortstop position. Jeter will almost certainly be a Hall-of-Famer himself, once he becomes eligible.
Thomas: Roger Clemens
Team Thomas takes fireballer Roger Clemens, who set the record with a whopping 20 strikeouts in one game. Clemens, who pitched for both the Red Sox and the Yankees, among other teams, is the seventh starter selected by Thomas, so his power arm may be used in relief, rather than in the rotation.
Round 22
Larson: Tony Gwynn
Team Larson takes outfielder Tony Gwynn who will back-up his already loaded outfield. Gwynn is a fairly modern player - compared to most in this draft - but his power bat will be helpful off the bench for Larson.
Thomas: Frank Thomas
Thomas takes designated hitter Frank Thomas late in the draft. Though Thomas was a feared hitter, seen in his nickname 'The Big Hurt' the fact that he was a designated hitter probably kept him down in this draft, but he goes here in the 22nd round.
Round 23
Larson: Tris Speaker
Team Larson picks up another outfielder in Tris Speaker, who, along with Gwynn, will provide great insurance off the bench behind his starting trio of outfielders.
Thomas: Sandy Koufax
Team Thomas picks up Koufax, who was absolutely dominant in his prime. Though his career may have been shorter than others, Koufax was better than every other pitcher at his best, which earns him a selection late in this draft.
Round 24
Larson: Jim Thome
Team Larson goes with Thome for his designated hitter nod, picking up the slugger who only recently retired in 2012.
Thomas: Rickey Henderson
Thomas picks up the speediest man in the history of baseball in Rickey Henderson, who is the only major league baseball player to have stolen over 1,000 bases. The speedy outfielder is the fifth outfielder picked up by Thomas.
Round 25
Larson: Kirby Puckett
With his 25th and final pick, Team Larson takes outfielder Kirby Puckett, the sixth outfielder that completes a backup outfield trio of Puckett, Speaker, and Gwynn.
Thomas: Mickey Mantle
Finally! Many probably expected Mantle to go earlier but both Larson and Thomas showed preferences to other outfielders. Finally, Mantle becomes the 12th outfielder selected and is the final player, 50th overall, to be selected in the draft.
Part 2 - The Series
Finally the teams of Larson and Thomas face off in the best ever baseball series, with the best stars of all-time going at it! To do this, we selected the best year of each player on the roster, and input them into a roster on whatifsports.com. We then simulated the games, with no tampering of lineups or fixing of games. The following results were generated purely by the computer.
Game 1 - Team Thomas 6 Team Larson 0
Pioneered by Walter Johnson's complete game shutout, Team Thomas shuts out Team Larson in Game 1. Lou Gehrig hits a home run and Mickey Mantle, who gets the surprise start, knocks a dinger of his own.
Game 2 - Team Thomas 9 Team Larson 5
Joe Dimaggio steps up for Team Thomas, collecting four hits and 3 RBI in Team Thomas's 9-5 victory. Hank Aaron gets three hits for Team Thomas, which scores six runs in the final three frames. Ty Cobb has four hits for Team Larson, with an RBI and a stolen base.
Game 3 - Team Thomas 7 Team Larson 5
Roger Hornsby plays a key role as he delivers a bases-loaded, bases-clearing double in the eighth inning, bringing victory yet again to Team Thomas. This game was a battle of bullpens, as neither pitcher went into the eighth inning. Hoyt Wilhelm got the win for Team Thomas, while Satchel Paige took the loss. Hornsby and Gehrig each rack up a trio of hits, while Honus Wagner tallies three base knocks of his own.
Game 4 - Team Thomas 19 Team Larson 8
In a messy slugfest, Team Thomas uses explosive innings to top Team Larson 19-8, ending the anticipated series in a 4-game sweep. Hornsby leads a 22-hit parade for Team Thomas with four hits and two home runs. Willie Mays, Lou Gehrig, and Hank Aaron combine for 10 hits, two home runs, and 6 RBI. Bert Byleven and Greg Maddux give up 18 of the 19 runs for Team Larson, who does score 8 runs off of Warren Spahn, with help from a 2-hit, 3-RBI performance from Ted Williams.
Stevie Larson contributed to this article.