Week 2 Dream Team Rosters

Boston Red Sox 2006ish- Dream Team

Lineup:

CF-  Jacoby Ellsbury................Tris Speaker

RF-  Mookie Betts...................Mookie Betts

SS-  Nomar Garciaparra..........Nomar Garciaparra

DH-  David Ortiz.....................David Ortiz

LF-  Manny Ramirez................Ted Wiilliams

1B-  Adrian Gonzalez..............Jimmie Foxx

3B-  Adrian Beltre...................Wade Boggs

C-  Jason Varitek....................Carlton Fisk

2B- Dustin Pedroia..................Dustin Pedroia

Bench:  J.D. Martinez, Kevin Youkilis, Xander Bogaerts, Johnny "Looks Like Jesus, throws like Mary" Damon, Brock Holt

All-Time Bench:  Carl Yastrzemski, Rico Petrocelli, Dwight Evans, Tony Conigliaro, Jim Rice

Rotation:

Ace-  Chris Sale

#2-  Jon Lester

#3-  Josh Beckett

#4-  Curt Schilling

#5-  Daisuke Matsuzaka

Bullpen:  LR:  Tim Wakefield!, MR:  Matt Barnes, Junichi Tazawa, SU:  Koji Uehara, Craig Kimbrel

Closer:  Jonathan Papelbon

New York Mess 2006ish- Dream Team

Lineup:

C-  Henry Blanco

1B-  James Loney

2B-  Justin Turner

3B-  Eric Campbell

SS-  Omar Quintanilla

LF-  Jason Bay

CF-  Matt den Dekker

RF-  John Mayberry Jr.

DH-  The Ghost of Bobby Bonilla

Bench:  Lastings Milledge, Jordany Valdespin, Carlos Gomez, Fernando Martinez, Ike Davis.... despite the many, many other options, I have to cut it somewhere lol

Rotation:

#5-  Shaun Marcum

#5-  Philip Humber, chosen #3 OVR in 2004 directly after Justin Verlander

#5-  Jason Vargas

#5-  Daisuke Matsuzaka

#5-  Livan Hernandez

Bullpen:  LR:  Matt Harvey, again. only player on both the Mets and Mess lol, 

MR:  Frank Francisco, Jenrry Mejia (at tone time, the only player to get a permanent ban from MLB for thrice failing a PED test

SU:  J.J. Putz (3.08 ERA/1.15 WHIP in career, 5.22 ERA/1.64 WHIP with NYM), A.J. Ramos (2.78 ERA/1.23 WHIP with Miami, 5.59 ERA/1.63 WHIP with NYM)

Closer:  Edwin Diaz.  Some guys just aren't meant for NY, smdh

Notes:  I had more fun coming up with this list than the actual dream team lol.  I have many more guys I could have chosen, but I figured I would save some of the fun for others lolol

Toronto Blue Jays  2006ish- Dream Team

Lineup:

SS-  Jose Reyes

CF- Vernon Wells

3B-  Josh Donaldson

RF-  Jose Bautista

1B-  Edwin Encarnacion

2B-  Aaron Hill

DH-  Adam Lind

C-  Russell Martin

LF-  Melky Cabrera

Bench:  Alex Rios, Troy Glaus, Troy Tulowitzki, Lyle Overbay, Justin Smoak

Rotation:

Ace-  Roy Halladay

#1.5-  David Price  (His time with the team was too short, but it was meaningful.  So just a mention here)

#2-  Marcus Stroman

#3-  J.A.  Happ

#4-  A.J. Burnett

#5-  Mark Buehrle

Bullpen:

LR:  Casey Janssen, MR:  B.J. Ryan, Darren Oliver, SU:  Brett Cecil, Ken Giles

Closer:  Roberto Osuna

Notes:

The Blue Jays' run of offensive dominance helped to create a strong lineup for the 2006ish- Team.  As far as the lineup goes, putting in Reyes over Tulowitzki was not something initially expected, but Reyes's speed and relative (to Tulo) health with the club set him apart.  Lineup spots 2, 3, 4, 5 can be ordered essentially in any of those spots, although I probably would not hit EE 2nd.

Although I mostly got to watch Halladay with the Phillies, his dominance was clear.  I would always sim right through facing him while playing The Show.  I just couldn't hit him, now imagine what it would be like in real time.  After Doc and Price, the closest they have come to an ace, spare for Aaron Sanchez's one good year, or Marco Estrada's two above average years, is Marcus Stroman.  Following Stroman are three veteran SP to give the rotation stability and L-R balance.  The Bullpen had three strong candidates to close in "the good" Brett Cecil, Osuna, and Giles.