The Best of the Best: My All-Time Baseball Team

This is more than a dream team, and more than a fantasy team; this team is the team I believe is filled with the best possible players at each position from the past to the modern day.

Each of the starting eight positions on the field, a starter, and a closer are all accounted for here in a team that would be breathtaking to watch.

Please keep in mind this is just my opinion, as I know there are people who are going to agree, disagree, or just laugh it off; regardless, I would like to share this with the Bleacher Report community.

The starting catcher, from the New York Yankees, Yogi Berra.

Berra won three MVP awards and has 10—count them, 10—World Series rings.

No one has played in more World Series games then Yogi, and everything just went right for this guy. Doing what he did, surrounded by the talent that he was around, he was a very unlikely star in baseball, but proved to all comers that he was the real deal.

"He'd fall in a sewer and come up with a gold watch." — Casey Stengel

The starting first baseman, the Iron Horse of the New York Yankees, Lou Gehrig.

Gehrig was an amazing story in baseball, a guy I know I would have loved to see play. It was unfortunate that he was taken from the world and the Yankees early, but he didn't let that bother him and went out on top.

Commonly referred to as "Biscuit Pants" by his teammates, Gehrig was a two-time MVP and a Triple Crown winner of 1934.

"He could be counted upon. He was there every day at the ballpark bending his back and ready to break his neck to win for his side. He was there day after day and year after year. He never sulked or whined or went into a pot or a huff. He was the answer to a manager's dream." — John Kieran, The New York Times

The starting second baseman, Joe Morgan of the Cincinnati Reds.

Morgan is my choice here, when some would go with Eddie Collins or maybe Rogers Hornsby.

A two-time MVP and a five-time Gold Glover, Little Joe was one of the best players of his generation.

Morgan was the first player ever to have 200 HR and 500 SB to his credit.

The starting shortstop, Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees.

Now a third baseman, Rodriguez was a can't miss prospect as a shortstop for the Seattle Mariners in the '90s.

Alex Rodriguez, known to some as "A-Rod," is well on his way to breaking a lot of hitting records but continues to catch flak, as he hasn't won a World Series title.

Still, Rodriguez has a few good years left and still has a chance to cement his place in the history of baseball as one of the greatest players of all time and win a few rings.

"If he stays healthy, I'm sure he'll have a crack at hitting 800 home runs." — Derek Jeter on Alex Rodriguez, 2007

Starting at third base is a Brave, Eddie Matthews.

It was a tough choice because I wanted to go with Mike Schmidt, but Matthews was such an amazing hitter and never won an MVP, finishing second in MVP voting twice.

In 1953, Matthews was edged by Roy Campanella, who had the season of his life during what just happened to be one of Matthews' best seasons.

Eddie Matthews was a few stats and a few rings away from being one of the greatest players ever, but it just didn't happen for him. However, he is still an amazing player and who I would want at third.

In 1967, Matthews hit his 500th home run in style, off of a future Hall of Famer, Juan Marichal.

Starting in left field is not Barry Bonds or Stan Musial—it is Ted Williams.

The Splendid Splinter was indeed a splendid player.

A two-time AL Triple Crown and a two-time AL MVP, Williams hit over .400 in 1941, which hasn't been done since. Actually, under the current modern rule on sac flies, he would've hit .412 that year—remarkable.

Joe DiMaggio played spoiler that year and had his 56-game hitting streak and won the MVP, but that doesn't take anything away from Ted Williams.

"They can talk about Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb and Rogers Hornsby and Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio and Stan Musial and all the rest, but I'm sure not one of them could hold cards and spades to Williams in his sheer knowledge of hitting. He studied hitting the way a broker studies the stock market, and could spot at a glance mistakes that others couldn't see in a week." — Carl Yastrzemski

Starting in center field is probably the best player to ever step onto a baseball field, Willie Mays.

Mays beat out some tough company for this position in Center: Ty Cobb, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, and Ken Griffey Jr. to name a few.

Willie Mays is the greatest player most say they have ever seen.

A 12-time Gold Glover and just an angel in the outfield, literally. He was just amazing. I have never seen him play, but from the highlights I've seen, it is sure exciting to watch.

"I don't know why they call me that. I don't ever get excited. I just play my game and let others get excited." — Willie Mays in 1957, when told he was considered the most exciting player in the game.

In right field, no question, the Great Bambino, Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees.

Sure, Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson were great hitters, but could they pitch too?

The man with 714 home runs stood at the top for a long time until knocked off by Hank Aaron and then passed by Barry Bonds later.

The Sultan of Swat played in 10 different World Series.  He hit 60 home runs in 1927; he hit 14 percent of all home runs in his league that year. For a player to hit 14 percent of all home runs today, he would have to hit over 300 home runs in one season.

"I stopped telling people stories about how great he was, because I realized no one believed me." — Hall of Fame pitcher and Ruth teammate Waite Hoyt.

The starting pitcher, probably the greatest right-hander of all time, Walter Johnson.

Some would say that the Cy Young award could easily be named the Walter Johnson award, and I would agree with that.

The hard-throwing Washington Senator, Johnson was feared by many hitters. 

Walter Johnson is the only pitcher to win 20 games and bat .400 in the same season.  He was just a great ball player.

Johnson threw 38 1-0 shutouts and probably would've won more games but lost by that same score 24 times in his career.

He and Christy Mathewson were the first pitchers inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The man closing it down is Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees.

Rivera's cutter made him famous, as he continues to close games for the Yankees today.

He has saved 30 or more games 10 seasons and 50 twice.  He also has an amazing 0.77 ERA in 76 postseason games thru 2007.

The game is nearly over when he comes in regardless of the situation.

"Pretty much, you think the game is over when he comes in. You know you have to turn it up a notch if you want to have a chance. That, or you have to hope his cutter cuts so much that he walks us or hits us." — Johnny Damon

So there you have it, my All-Time baseball team.  Take it for what it's worth.  I wouldn't disagree with most other people's opinions because it is a tough choice at a few positions.