If you win BSers 2016, which 5 ATG players would you add?

So when the Lotto jackpot gets near record levels do you and your significant other fantasize, however briefly, about what you would do if you won?

Well, with the recent announcement from Mighty Mouse that the Barnstormers 2016 winner gets to add 5 players of his choice to the ATG player set, we have the equivalent of winning the SOM lottery!

No, you can't quit your job yet, but which players would you add? 5 is such a small number so if you can't decide, it's OK. List 'em all here.

I would choose from the following players:

1949 Ted Williams .343 43 159 .490 .650 - Talk about winning the lottery, wouldn't it be great to have a bullet proof Ted Williams who could field his position in the post WWII player set? Well, here you go! The Splendid Splinter played in a career high 155 games and had a career high 730 plate appearances, meaning that he would be bulletproof for the only time in his career for online Strato purposes. He also led the league with 43 HRs and 159 RBI, surprisingly the only time in his illustrious career that he topped the 40 mark in HRs. He hit a cool .343, missing out on his third consecutive batting title, losing to George Kell .34291 to .34275, less than 2 ten thousandths of a point, in one of the closest batting races ever. Teddy Ballgame barely missed winning his third triple crown, but led the league in many offensive categories, including walks (162), OBP, .490; SLG, .650; OPS. 1.141; OPS+, 191; and had a career high 368 total bases. He was rewarded with his second and last MVP for his efforts.

1968 Willie Mays .289 23 79 .372 .488 - At 37 years of age, father time had begun to take his toll on the great Say Hey Kid, but even at his advanced age in the year of the pitcher, Mays put up good enough numbers to rank among the league leaders in most offensive categories. Mays played in 148 games and won his last Gold Glove. While perhaps not as good as his other cards, wouldn't it be great to have a very good Mays card in the expansion set?

1971 Hank Aaron .327 47 118 .410 .669 - Like a fine wine, Hammerin' Hank just got better with age. While other stars showed noticeable decline, at 37 Hank was still going strong. The pre-steroid era all time career home run leader posted career highs in home rums with 47, OBP at .410, SLG at .669, OPS at 1.079 and OPS+ at 194! All this, plus a .327 BA! All this offense and he could still field his position very well. It is one of Aaron's best seasons, and easily his best expansion era season.

1973 Willie Stargell .299 44 119 .392 .646 - One of the most feared hitters of his time, at one time Stargell held the record for longest home run in nearly half of the NL parks. HOF pitcher Don Sutton once said of Stargell "I never saw anything like it. He doesn't just hit pitchers, he takes away their dignity." In perhaps his finest season, in 1973 Big Willie cracked the 40 HR barrier for the second and last time of his career, leading the league with 44, led the league with 119 RBI, led the league in SLG at .646, led the league in OPS at 1.038 and led the league in OPS+ at 186, all career highs. Although his size and lack of speed limited him defensively, he was a sure handed OFer with a big arm.

1998 Albert Belle .328 49 152 .399 .655 - When the White Sox signed Albert Belle as a free agent prior to the start of the 1997 season, fans drooled at thought of pairing him with future HOFer Frank Thomas. But Belle slumped in 1997. In 1998, Belle bounced back big, especially in the second half of the season to have arguably the finest offensive season in White Sox history. Playing in all 163 games, he set team records in extra base hits with 99, which led the league, HRs with 49, RBI with 152, SLG at .655, which led the league and total bases with 399, which not only led the league, but was a career high. He also led the league in OPS at 1.055 and OPS+ at 172. While generally a poor fielder, his bat will win a lot of games and he will give the sorely lacking expansion era White Sox a much needed lift.

1926 Johnny Mostil .328 4 41 .415 .467 - The fleet footed Mostil was generally regarded as being among the best defensive center fielders of his era, and legend has it that he is the only center fielder in major league history to catch a foul ball for a put out! The diminutive Mostil had a short, injury plagued career with the White Sox, but emerged as a star in 1926,when he batted lead off with a career high .328 BA and had a career high .415 OBP. He led the league in stolen bases for the second year in a row with 35 and led the league in HBP for the second year in a row with 10. Mostil parlayed his fine season into a second place finish in AL MVP voting, ahead of Babe Ruth!

1970 Luis Aparacio .313 5 43 .373 .404 - Long before Ozzie Smith, Little Louie was generally regarded as the finest fielding shortstop in baseball of his era, and arguably the best fielding shortstop in baseball history. Despite his usual batting average of around .260 and OBP of about .310, he batted lead off and led the league in stolen bases his first 9 seasons and finished with more than 500 career stolen bases. in 1970, the White Sox were by far the worst team in baseball, losing 106 games, but Aparicio's play stood out like a sore thumb. Not only did he hit .313, easily the highest BA of his career, but he hit a career high 29 doubles and had career highs in OBP at .372, SLG at .404, OPS at .776 and OPS+ at 114. He capped off the season by winning his 9th and final gold glove at shortstop, a record at the time. He would make a fine addition to the talent starved expansion era White Sox.

1968 Tommy John 10-5 1.98 1.038 - Poor Tommy John gets no respect. He leads all modern day pitchers NOT in the HOF with 288 wins except for steroid tainted Roger Clemens. He pitched 26 big league seasons and was the first to come back from the ground breaking surgery that bears his name, but he still can't get in the HOF or even get a decent online Strato card. He's renowned for pitching 26 big league seasons (2nd only to Nolan Ryan) surviving on guts, guile, cunning, moxie, heart and a fastball that couldn't break a pane of glass. In 1968, John was having his best season for a mediocre White Sox team and was 10-5 with a career low 1.98 ERA with about a month left in the season when hot headed Tiger Dick McAuliffe charged the mound after a 3-2 pitch sailed over his head. In the ensuing melee, McAuliffe'drove his knee into John's left shoulder, separating it. John was out for the season. Not only did John have a career low 1.98 ERA, but he also had a career lows in WHIP at 1.038 and 6.9 hits per 9 innings. John only pitched 177 innings in 1968, but there are numerous lesser pitchers with cards for their best season, so why not Tommy John?

1980 J.R. Richard 10-4 1,90 0.924 - Nearly every baseball fan knows the story of J.R. Richard, who for a short time, was one of the most dominant pitchers of his era and was the most imposing and feared presence on the mound since Bob Gibson. From 1976 through 1979, he was one of the top pitchers in the National League, amassing a 74-51 record with 1,044 strikeouts in 1,125 and two-thirds innings and a 2.89 ERA. Only Steve Carlton won more games during that four year period in the N.L. Big, strong and with a near 100 MPH fastball, Richard was off to the best start of his career when a near fatal stroke derailed his season and his almost certain path to the HOF. Richard had complained for weeks in advance to management that something wasn't right, but he kept pitching well and was branded a malingerer, until he was felled by the stroke. Richard eventually recovered, and made a valiant comeback attempt, but his skills were gone and he never pitched in the majors again. He later was discovered living under a bridge in Houston, was rescued and now serves as a minister and motivational speaker. In 1980 he had career bests in era, 1.90, WHIP 0.924 and hits per 9 innings, 5.1. If Babe Adams gets a card for just 130 innings, Richard should get one for his 113 inning stroke shortened season.

1981 Nolan Ryan 11-5 1.69 1.121 - Owner of perhaps the best arm in major league history, Nolan Ryan pitched a record 27 seasons, throwing a record 7 no hitters and amassing a record 5714 strikeouts, a record 2795 walks and a record low 6.6 hits per 9 innings on his way to 324 wins and the HOF. 1981 was a strike shortened season, but Ryan thrived, compiling a career low 1.69 ERA and allowing a league low of just 6.0 hits per 9 innings. He gave up only 2 HRs all season, for a league low 0.1 HRs per 9 innings and his walk rate of 4.1 per nine innings was well below his career rate of 4.7. Because of the strike, he pitched just 149 innings, buts that's no reason to deny issuance of a card for what was arguably his best season.

OK, what cards would you consider choosing if you won Barnstormers 2016?

OK, what cards would you consider choosing if you won Barnstormers 2016?

Thanks Bernie for the timely topic. I'm going to pull the legs of the SOM gods and see if I can make this available to the 2015 winner too. We are getting reasonably close to crowning the Champion.

And while it's fresh in my mind (at my age, the mind is going fast) I'd like to give some recognition to the one who actually pitched this idea to me (to pass on to SOM) - Outta Leftfield a.k.a. Tom. So everyone, if you think this is kinda cool, thank Tom and SOM.

MM

OK, what cards would you consider choosing if you won Barnstormers 2016?

I like your choices...

All great choices. However, as a METS fan I have to first and foremost put Mike Piazza on a METS card.

...after that, I'm good.

Two players cards I would love to see would be the 1958 Rocky Colavito ,he was 25 and was one of the most promising players in baseball he hit over 40 HR and also hit over .300 that year. He had 14 assist in the outfield and seemed like he was on his way to the HOF. His subsequent years were very good but eventually he comes up a little short of the HOF players of his era but that season of 1958 was a great one. The other player card I would like to see is another near but not quite HOF player Tino Martinez 1997, what a great season for Tino arguably the MVP of a great Yankee team that year and the best year of a very good all round player. Bill

Hate to say it but I probably would let somebody else pick. Maybe run a post to suggest.

I have a slightly different take on adding players: I'd far rather see cards for players who are NOT represented or under-represented (say, like Mickey Vernon or Cass Michaels) than more cards for those who are over-represented. Willie Mays has five seasons already. Why do we need a sixth? Aaron has four and Nolan Ryan, Tommy John, Aparicio and Williams three each. I wouldn't mind seeing a second Mostil card, but would balk at a third card for J.R. Richard, Belle, Stargell and Colavito.

I know this is named All-Time Greats, but we have just about all of the All-Time Greats represented already, and most of them more than once. Particularly for low-cap and franchise leagues, it would be nice to have the greater variety.

I'd like to see the 2010 Josh Hamilton card. Can't stand the guy, but it's a great card.
Also 1928 Jim Bottemly

I also like all of BDWard's choices, especially the 1971 Aaron!

Bernie as always you come strong with knowledge. I do however have to poke you about Johnny Mostil finishing ahead of the Babe in the 1926 MVP voting. The Babe was actually ineligible as he had won the 1923 award and there was a really DUMB rule until 1928 that you couldn't win the award twice. By all accounts the Babe should have 8 or 9 MVP's, step aside Barry.

R

Not sure what 5 I would pick. But as I read through that list could not help thinking the Ryan, Richard, John cards would make nice additions for those teams trying to field a full 5 man non-* rotation.