Best teams of the 1970s and 1980s

[tklem321]

Originally Posted by Curve Ball Dave

While I wouldn't argue with the '87 Twins, a good case could be made for the '70 Twins.

The Twins were another team I dithered on and looking at it fresh I think you're right. I probably put too much emphasis on winning the WS. The 1970 Twins won 13 more games than the '87 team.
Looking at the ELO ratings at fivethirtyeight.com -- for whatever they're worth (https://fivethirtyeight.com/features...ording-to-elo/) -- they have the '70 Twins as the third best in franchise history. They've got the '87 Twins as the 26th best Twins team. This one looks like a good substitution and the exact reason I started this thread. Thanks!

[Pirates]

The 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates, I think were better, than the 1979 Pirates.
I saw both teams play in person. Clemente is the difference.

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

I always reckon a decade or century ending after the end of a year ending in 0 and them beginning in years ending in 1. Technically speaking, the 21st Century began in 2001, not 2000, for example. So if you really wanted to do a 1970s and 1980s scenario, I'd start with teams from 1971, and close out with teams from 1990, at the latest. But that's me. Of course, it's your choice here which teams you choose to use. CD out.

[tklem321]

Originally Posted by Pirates

The 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates, I think were better, than the 1979 Pirates.
I saw both teams play in person. Clemente is the difference.

That one I would say is too close to call. They both won the WS (both 4-3) and their W/L records are nearly identical (1979 team won 1 more game). And their record in the East division is identical 54-36. Team batting average .274/.272 and team ERA 3.31/3.41.

[BleedBlue]

I have very fond feelings for the 88 Dodgers and they're a solid choice. Might also want to consider the 74 team that won 102 games, the 77 version that lost in the WS and was the first team to have 4 players hit 30+ HRs and the very solid 85 team that might have won the pennant if Lasorda would have walked Jack Clark.

[tklem321]

Originally Posted by BleedBlue

I have very fond feelings for the 88 Dodgers and they're a solid choice. Might also want to consider the 74 team that won 102 games, the 77 version that lost in the WS and was the first team to have 4 players hit 30+ HRs and the very solid 85 team that might have won the pennant if Lasorda would have walked Jack Clark.

I think you're probably right on the '74 team being the correct one. This is another case of me leaning too heavily on winning the WS in '88. Replaced! Thanks.

[tklem321]

I've started looking at doing lists like this for other eras. These lists won't have my arbitrary cutoff of 1988 but will be based on some other chronological breakdown, possibly a 5-era list by Bill James. I'll probably post the first one tomorrow or Sunday.

[jeffw3000]

Originally Posted by tklem321

Thanks everyone. Regarding not using the '89 Giants, it's simply because I wasn't paying attention to baseball after 1988. I'm familiar with a lot of the players on the '71 team. The '89 team is mostly a blank to me. I admit it's arbitrary but one of the reasons for playing this is to see all the guys I used to have on my baseball cards growing up.

I think the '71 Giants were much better team than the '89 Giants. That '71 team was loaded. You had McCovey and Mays in the hall. Yes Mays was 40 but he still led the league in OBP. Bobby Bonds was very good in those early years. Pitching you had Perry and Marichal, also in the hall. That team was really loaded. even guys like Henderson and Dietz had very good seasons.

The '89 Giants had some talent. Clark had a very good year. One-hit Wonder, Kevin Mitchell, had his big year, but when go past that they don't look as strog. They did have a pretty good pitching staff, with Reuschel, Robinson, and Garrelts with his best year, and in the pen Lefferts, Bedrosian, and nearing the end of his hall of fame career, Gossage. I just do not feel they were deep like the '71 Giants with 2 position players in the hall and 2 pitchers in the hall.

As far as '71 or '79 Pirates. I agree it is kind of a toss up. As a Pirate fan I remember those years well. I would probably prefer the '79 team becauase I think the pitching was better in '79. The pitching was good in '71, but our pitching in '79 was incredible. Especially the bullpen. The offense was probably better in '71 with future hall members, Clemente and Stargell having really good years. Sangy hit over .300, Oliver, Hebner, Robertson all having good seasons. Even Davalillo and Clines were good off the bench. Thing is in '79 you had that great pitching, and while not as good as '71, maybe, you still had pretty strong offense. Stargell won MVP, but he was much better in '71. Parker, Madlock had strong seasons. Garner, Moreno, Foli had probably their best seasons ever. Nicosia had his best season platooning at catcher. Milner had a great season off the bench. if the '79 Pirates had made the trades for Madlock and Foli before the season started they surely would have won 100+ games that season.

[Curve Ball Dave]

Originally Posted by BleedBlue

I have very fond feelings for the 88 Dodgers and they're a solid choice. Might also want to consider the 74 team that won 102 games, the 77 version that lost in the WS and was the first team to have 4 players hit 30+ HRs and the very solid 85 team that might have won the pennant if Lasorda would have walked Jack Clark.

'74 Dodgers is a good call.

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

After looking at various numbers related to both seasons listed as possibilities for the Cardinals, I'd have to go 1982 instead of 1985. Oberkfell was likely better than Pendleton was three years later at third, for example, both hitting and defense-wise. 1985's Cards had to basically go with a bullpen-by-committee, I believe. While the 1982 Cards had Sutter in their bullpen. Granted, it may be a tougher choice on which team to pick here, but I'd have to go with 1982 in this case for the Cards.

Besides, I'd like to see how the 1982 Cards would match up with the 1982 Angels, especially if the DH is not present at all in this scenario, and if four-man rotations are the rule more than the exception here. They would have met in the Series had not Milwaukee come back from two games down, I believe, after all. Dekinger or no Dekinger, the 1985 Cards didn't win the World Series, sorry to say, for multiple reasons, I'm sure. Therefore, I say that the 1982 Cardinals team is the better choice for them here, and that's not the only reason I am picking them here, even considering my favorite player of all-time was part of that team, to be completely honest with you all here.

I think I really started following the Cards around 1982, and not just those Cards, but the football ones, and also the Sixers and Blues around that time as well. I don't remember anything related to baseball or other major sports before around that time frame, at the present time, at least, but I definitely do remember being so happy when the Cards won that Series, for sure. CD out.

[tklem321]

Thanks everyone for the comments. I think the list is really solid now and much better for everyone's contributions. After several suggestions for these, I'm adding the 1971 Pirates, 1975 Red Sox, and 1982 Cardinals as alternates. I don't want to go overboard with alternates for every team but these 3 seem justified.