ATBATT's All-Time All-Stars Center Field

Hey everybody,

This post closes out the fielding positions for my blog's take on the '76 Topps subset "The Sporting News All-Time All-Stars".   That final spot is Center Field.

For those of you who have been following this thread of posts, you well know that I've had some tough choices to make in my selections.  This one was just as tough, but in a completely different way.

You see, the type of Dodger fan that I am would ordinarily demand that I choose former Dodger Kenny Landreaux before I choose some dang giant for my All-Star team.

However, the type of baseball fan that I am demands that I choose only the best players for the squad.  So, ignoring the insignia on his cap, but not his abilities, I choose for Center Field, some dang giant...

Believe me, I wanted to choose somebody else.  My first emotional choice was Duke Snider - I think you know why.  My second choice was the card-collecting world's favorite son, Mickey Mantle.  But the more I checked the stats, the more Mays kept separating himself from that crowd. 

I don't have any original cards from Mays' playing days because they're so durn expensive, and of course, I don't really collect cards of giants.  That said, if a card came my way by trade, or if I came across a great card for a great price, like the one above, I would certainly jump on it.

In the same week that we celebrate the legacy of Jackie Robinson, get a gander at this card.  15 years after Jackie broke baseball's color barrier, the N.L. Home Run Leaders card is stacked with African-Americans and one Puerto Riqueno. 

Speaking of Willie and the bat, he retired as a lifetime .302 hitter and third in home runs behind only Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth.

A true 5-tool player that I'll gladly accept on my team anytime, the Say Hey Kid, Willie Mays.

THANKS for reading, everybody!