andruw jones is the greatest CF since willie mays discuss

Steib's a better choice than Gullett: great/dominant for six seasons, strong for another four (with one awful season between), finished at 32.

RF for the Andruw team: Tony Oliva. 42.6 WAR by the age of 32, .313/.361/.507 (mostly through the pitcher-dominated '60s), three batting titles, coming off eight straight seasons where he got MVP votes. He gets hurt and barely plays in '72, then he becomes one of the pilot DHs, where he has three decent but not especially distinguished seasons. Retires at 38, but he was essentially finished at 32.

Oops--Alex already mentioned him.

Giambi's career arc is a lot more like Thome's than Andruw Jones'.

Nobody mentioned Dick Allen yet. He had his last great season at 30, his last good one at 32, and was finished at 35.

Dick Allen is a poster-child def. but I think a large reason he did not get consideration was also because he was not well liked (although shortened career def. did not helped). His offensive #s are amazing for that period.

Albert Belle
Jim Wynn (also lost a ton of HRs to Astrodome most likely...)

Then you got the really big dudes that were good until they hit their 30s. They are pretty similar to guys like Killebrew or Thome, except they flat lines where those two were still productive into their mid-late 30s.
Richie Sexton
Frank Howard
Mo Vaughn
Ted Kluszewski
Ralph Kiner (still got in the HOF though...)

I like Belle for LF. My team:

C: Munson
1B: Dick Allen (there's a paradox in picking someone like Allen over Mattingly--Allen probably should be in the HOF, and therefore, at least for me, he becomes less Andruw-like than Mattingly, who clearly falls short--but Allen nonetheless fits the profile well)
2B: Knoblauch
SS: Nomar
3B: Troy Glaus (very solid till he's 31, 300 HR and 38.0 WAR, then he's finished; Rolen and Bando and others were clearly better, but I think their declines were more normal than sudden)
LF: Belle
CF: Andruw
RF: Oliva

Starters: Gooden, Sam McDowell, Messersmith, Stieb
Closer: Robb Nen

Manager: Joe Schultz

I just want Joe Schultz as my manager no matter what. He has nothing whatsoever to do with Andruw Jones.

Jody Davis is a pretty good catcher for a list. The Cubs just wore that dude down to a nub and his back went bad.

I'd frame the argument differently, but I don't think Andruw Jones belongs in the HOF either.

http://www.billjamesonline.com/andruw_of_center_field/