Best outfield of all time?

[TigerNation]

What team in your opinion had the greatest outfield of all time? My vote goes to the 1915 Tigers.

The outfield consisted of Bobby Veach in left, Ty Cobb in cneter, and Sam Crawford in right. The league batting average was only .248 that year, but Cobb hit .369 with 99 RBIs and 144 runs, Crawford hit .313 and drove in 112 runs, and Veach hit .299 with 112 RBIs. The three Detroit outfielders ranked #1, #2, and #3 in total bases and RBIs. The outfield has been ranked the greatest outfield of all time by baseball historian Bill James.

[brett]

The only one that I can think of coming close was the '41 Yankees.

OPS+
Cobb: 185
Crawford: 134
Veech: 142

Dimaggio: 184
Henrich: 136
Keller: 162

[Chickazoola]

No love for the 1894 Phillies Outfield?

Sam Thompson .407, 141 RBI, 177 OPS+
Billy Hamilton .404, 192 Runs, 158 OPS+
Ed Delahanty .407, 131 RBI, 159 OPS+

And 4th OF Tuck Turner hit .416 in 339AB

I'll take that one in a walk.

[Otis Nixon's Bodyguard]

Those are all good choices. I'm not saying they were better, but Cleveland had a great OF in the mid 90s:

1994 Indians:
LF - Albert Belle - .357/.438/.714, 193 OPS+, 36 HR, 101 RBI, 3rd in MVP voting
CF - Kenny Lofton - .349/.412/.536, 60 SB, 105 R, 4th in MVP voting
RF - Manny Ramirez - .269/.357/.521, 17 HR, 2nd in ROY voting

1995 Indians
LF - Belle - .317/.401/.690, 177 OPS+, 50 HR, 126 RBI, 2nd in MVP voting
CF - Lofton - .310/.362/.453, 54 SB
RF - Ramirez - .308/.402/.558, 31 HR, 107 RBI, 12th in MVP voting

1996 Indians
LF - Belle - .311/.410/.623, 158 OPS+, 48 HR, 148 RBI, 3rd in MVP voting
CF - Lofton - .317/.372/.446, 75 SB, 132 R, 11th in MVP voting
RF - Ramirez - .309/.399/.582, 33 HR, 112 RBI

Belle and Lofton both made the All-Star game all three years and started it together in '95 and '96. Manny made the team in '95. At that point I'd have never believed he would have a better career than Belle.

The Pirates also had a pretty good trio of Bonds, Van Slyke, and Bonilla. Bonds and Bonilla finished 1-2 in the MVP voting in 1990 and 2-3 in 1991. Bonds was always good, but Van Slyke and Bonilla seemed to come through in different years.

[sturg1dj]

this is not the best, but it does intrigue me



1968 Detroit Tigers

LF - Willie Horton
CF - Mickey Stanley
RF - Jim Northrup

with Kaline in and out because of injury and Gates Brown available to pinch hit

thats 5 outfielders you could play

[Blackout]

1894 phillies had 3 guys hitting .400

but they still didnt win their pennant

[Victory Faust]

The Expos outfield of the 80s wasn't the greatest by any stretch, but I was always intrigued by the outfield of Raines, Cromartie and Dawson.

I also thought the Boston outfield of Rice, Lynn and Evans was a crackerjack unit.

And the Cubs' unit of '29 was tough: Hack Wilson, Riggs Stephenson and Kiki Cuyler.

But my vote for All-time best goes to the 1894 Phillies.

[jjpm74]

What about the 1927 Yankees?

Player      Ag   G   AB    R    H   2B 3B  HR  RBI  BB   SO   BA    OBP   SLG  SB  CS   SH  SF  OPS+
Earle Combs 28  152  648  137  231  36 23   6   64  62   31  .356  .414  .511  15   6    2  12  142
Babe Ruth   32  151  540  158  192  29  8  60  164 137   89  .356  .486  .772   7   6    0  14  226
Bob Meusel  30  135  516   75  174  47  9   8  103  45   58  .337  .393  .510  24  10    2  21  136

[hellborn]

I wonder if those '94 Phils benefitted from the "OPS+ expansion" that I suspect occurs in big hitting eras, but I don't think that they can be beat for star power.
I'd go with them, although I don't know anything about the defense of Sam or Ed. Hamilton was a top notch CFer, wasn't he?

[Iron Jaw]

this is not the best, but it does intrigue me



1968 Detroit Tigers

LF - Willie Horton
CF - Mickey Stanley
RF - Jim Northrup

with Kaline in and out because of injury and Gates Brown available to pinch hit

thats 5 outfielders you could play

I remember Mickey Stanley moving to shortstop for the 1968 World Series after Al Kaline became healthy again (and Al had a heck of a World Series against the Cardinals:dismay. Mickey played short about nine times during the regular season. The Tigers used Ray Oyler, Dick Tracewski and John Matchick at short, but those couldn't hit their own weight. Mickey actually did a pretty decent job at short. Catcher Bill Freehan said that Stanley was the best "athlete" on the team.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

Had Speaker still been with the Sox in 1919, I'd say Ruth, Speaker, and Hooper. But he wasn't. So I'll go with Cobb's crew. Rickey, D. Henderson and Canseco back in the day wasn't bad either.

[Seamhead]

This isn't the greatest outfield of all time, but I remember when the A's trio of Rickey Henderson, Dwayne Murphy and Tony Armas got a lot of publicity as one of the best ever.

[Dodgerfan1]

For sheer offensive statistics, they weren't among the best, but for overall play, the Cardinals of the late '30s / early '40s had some great outfields. At various times, there was Slaughter, Musial, the vastly underrated Terry Moore (IMO) in center, Medwick and Harry Walker.

[willshad]

A nod should be given to The Red Sox of the 70s..who had Rice, Evans, and Lynn all come up at the same time and play together. Too bad Evans didnt really get going until the 80s, because that could have been the best outfield ever if he was as good in the 70s as he was in the 80s.

[Captain Cold Nose]

This isn't the greatest outfield of all time, but I remember when the A's trio of Rickey Henderson, Dwayne Murphy and Tony Armas got a lot of publicity as one of the best ever.

Sports Illustrated did a nice cover story of the three at the time. I can't remember which one, but either Murphy or Armas was giving Henderson a hotfoot.