[EMSoccerCoach]

ALL-DECADE TEAM

This was a tricky one. Do I go with the six best outfielders, or do I make it 2 in left, 2 in center and 2 in right? I decided to go with two at each position, because I think that's how it should be done, since that's how you would build a team. Of course, that leaves many guys out, as outfield has been a deep spot, particularly centerfield.

I could go on and on about the outfielders here. There are up and comers, from 2018 rookie stalwarts Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle, young guys ready to take the next step like Dave Parker; injury-plagued stars who have shown signs but have yet to really break out, like Ty Cobb; and veterans who many believe still haven't reached their peak, like Stan Musial.

One guy who misses the cut strictly by virtue of the 2-per-slot format, though, deserves special mention.

Tris Speaker was the #4 overall pick by the St. Louis Tides in the November 2013 amateur draft. The Tides had come off a 68-94 inaugural campaign, being one of the four expansion teams to join the PBL in 2013. They hit .247 that first season. They went to .267 in 2014, with the rookie Speaker roaming center. He hit .360 before a torn hamstring ended his season in July. He came back to hit .363 the next season, then .376. He got some help from Rusty Staub and Duke Snider to lead the Tides to division crowns the past three seasons. He's a four-time All-Star, has won three batting titles and was named Southern League Outstanding Hitter in 2016.

And yet he has the unfortunate position behind the most dynamic player in PBL history, and perhaps its greatest surprise. But first, to left...

Starting Leftfielder

Willie Stargell (Memphis Strummers, 2013-2018)

When "Pops" debuted in 2013 after being selected 10th in the November 2012 draft, he put on an explosive display. In mid-June, Stargell was batting .348 with 17 homers and 69 RBI, a 1.019 OPS leading the league by a mile. He then tore his labrum making a diving play, ending his season. All he's done since then is average .286-33-113 and make three All-Star teams. Perhaps most impressively, he had to take over the face of Memphis when the guy up next left town...

Career Batting Stats

Year/Team/League	Age	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	R	BB	HP	SF	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	VORP
2013 Memphis - PBL	23	61	244	85	15	0	17	69	39	20	3	3	48	0	1	.348	.400	.619	1.019	33.8
2014 Memphis - PBL	24	156	615	194	36	3	31	116	106	71	2	10	118	0	6	.315	.383	.535	.917	56.4
2015 Memphis - PBL	25	141	525	145	29	0	26	118	87	77	5	3	98	6	2	.276	.372	.480	.852	40.0
2016 Memphis - PBL	26	134	504	135	15	3	32	111	80	82	3	4	100	5	1	.268	.371	.500	.871	39.2
2017 Memphis - PBL	27	146	541	143	19	1	33	107	85	82	2	5	117	2	4	.264	.360	.486	.846	32.7
2018 Memphis - PBL	28	158	598	180	19	1	43	112	108	101	5	2	164	7	10	.301	.405	.552	.957	59.6
Total PBL		796	3027	882	133	8	182	633	505	433	20	27	645	20	24	.291	.381	.521	.902	261.7

Starting Centerfielder

Oscar Charleston (Memphis Strummers, 2009-2016; Los Angeles Idols, 2016-2018)

For all the superlatives cast upon Dan Brouthers earlier, the title of best player in PBL history still stays reserved for this man. Three Southern League Outstanding Hitter Awards, three Gold Gloves, the alltime leader in OPS (.966, forty points better than Brouthers, who's second), postseason hits (54), OBP (.427) and the only VORP over 600 (606.2), an AVERAGE VORP of more than 60 a season. He's the single season record-holder for average, batting .397 in 2010; the single-season record holder for runs, scoring 146 in 2013; and leads or is second in several other categories. Memphis dealt Charleston in 2016. He had hit only .279 in 2015, his OPS dropping to .832 from 1.054 the year before. When he started 2016 batting .279 again with an .821 OPS, the Strummers thought he was done. All Charleston's done is win two titles with Los Angeles, averaging a .900 OPS over the 2 1/2 seasons. He may never repeat the brilliance of his first six seasons, but it's doubtful anyone else will either.

Career Batting Stats

Year/Team/League	Age	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	R	BB	HP	SF	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	VORP
2009 Memphis - PBL	21	161	643	232	57	7	22	133	133	79	6	6	97	29	15	.361	.432	.574	1.006	82.0
2010 Memphis - PBL	22	134	526	209	37	12	26	101	107	81	5	4	51	19	10	.397	.479	.662	1.140	103.6
2011 Memphis - PBL	23	157	610	206	32	11	32	105	119	101	4	5	77	19	14	.338	.432	.584	1.016	76.5
2012 Memphis - PBL	24	146	580	214	34	6	25	114	114	82	1	3	89	20	10	.369	.446	.578	1.024	82.0
2013 Memphis - PBL	25	156	608	204	41	9	19	109	146	106	5	7	85	17	22	.336	.434	.526	.960	68.1
2014 Memphis - PBL	26	98	360	123	35	5	15	78	75	80	4	4	34	26	19	.342	.462	.592	1.054	57.9
2015 Memphis - PBL	27	155	598	167	30	13	16	110	94	90	11	9	67	26	24	.279	.379	.453	.832	31.2
2016 Los Angeles - PBL	28	96	373	118	24	7	15	60	72	60	5	6	47	19	17	.316	.412	.539	.951	34.3
2016 Memphis - PBL	28	57	215	60	14	4	4	37	32	37	0	1	26	8	13	.279	.383	.437	.821	7.8
2016 Total - PBL	28	153	588	178	38	11	19	97	104	97	5	7	73	27	30	.303	.402	.502	.903	42.1
2017 Los Angeles - PBL	29	144	527	143	28	5	13	73	102	105	5	6	81	30	20	.271	.393	.417	.811	23.6
2018 Los Angeles - PBL	30	112	454	146	23	4	19	57	98	82	1	0	82	22	22	.322	.426	.515	.942	39.1
Total PBL		1416	5494	1822	355	83	206	977	1092	903	47	51	736	235	186	.332	.427	.539	.966	606.2

Starting Rightfielder

Sam Thompson (New Orleans Knights, 2009-2014; Arizona Sandmen, 2015-2018)

The mark of 125 RBI has been reached 16 times in PBL history...four times, it's been on the strength of Sam Thompson's bat. While the RBI is an overrated stat, for certain, it does tell a story to some degree. Thompson finished second to Charleston in the Outstanding Hitter voting all three times Charleston won the award before earning the honor in 2013. He was part of New Orleans' first three championship teams, batting .330 with 4 homers in 25 postseason games. He regrettably missed two postseasons with Arizona, suffering an oblique strain on the next-to-last day of the 2015 season, and breaking his hand in September of 2017. A nine time All-Star and three-time Gold Glover, Thompson is one of the PBL's true greats.

Career Batting Stats

Year/Team/League	Age	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	R	BB	HP	SF	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	VORP
2009 New Orleans - PBL	25	161	636	216	36	7	42	143	109	70	1	4	73	10	4	.340	.404	.616	1.020	91.6
2010 New Orleans - PBL	26	152	612	186	33	1	37	132	113	54	5	5	63	7	1	.304	.362	.542	.905	57.2
2011 New Orleans - PBL	27	157	658	200	41	8	38	110	108	43	6	3	66	8	5	.304	.351	.564	.915	59.9
2012 New Orleans - PBL	28	157	652	191	40	4	29	113	106	49	6	6	65	4	3	.293	.345	.500	.845	46.4
2013 New Orleans - PBL	29	156	600	184	37	3	40	137	106	58	4	6	57	12	4	.307	.368	.578	.947	67.6
2014 New Orleans - PBL	30	137	509	140	31	2	19	90	70	43	1	7	49	9	7	.275	.329	.456	.784	22.7
2015 Arizona - PBL	31	147	567	155	32	1	29	87	78	66	0	6	36	12	7	.273	.346	.487	.833	39.7
2016 Arizona - PBL	32	154	604	168	38	1	30	128	99	56	1	9	33	14	4	.278	.336	.493	.829	43.2
2017 Arizona - PBL	33	120	467	139	35	2	20	86	71	46	0	8	49	8	8	.298	.355	.510	.865	40.5
2018 Arizona - PBL	34	157	620	170	36	1	29	109	85	54	1	8	67	17	8	.274	.329	.476	.805	37.0
Total PBL		1498	5925	1749	359	30	313	1135	945	539	25	62	558	101	51	.295	.353	.524	.877	505.7