Best Defensive Ball Clubs

[Orioles5]

As you can tell by my user name I would choose the Orioles of the late 60's and early 70's. I know the Cardinals of the mid 80's was also known as a great defensive team. I would like to hear members opinions on who they consider the best defensive ball clubs.

[9RoyHobbsRF]

As you can tell by my user name I would choose the Orioles of the late 60's and early 70's. I know the Cardinals of the mid 80's was also known as a great defensive team. I would like to hear members opinions on who they consider the best defensive ball clubs.

I thnk the 1993 Giants had 3-4 gold glovers and 1-2 others that were previous gold glovers and still capable
yeah C 2B 3B and LF GG plus Will Clark at 1B who was a GG in 1991 and Willie McGee a former GG as a CF playing RF

there was a manager back in the old days (McKennie? or Southwick) that was famous for playing three SS in the infield at 2B SS and 3B and had very successful teams with very good defenses

the 70s Reds had 4 gold glovers at the key defensive postions C 2B SS CF

the 2000 Mets (I think, maybe 1999) was supposed to have a super defensive IF

[Jackaroo Dave]

Bill McKechnie's Pirates had HOF shortstop Rabbit Maranville at second, Glenn Wright at short, and Pie Traynor at third. they also had Charley Grimm at first and Max Carey and Kiki Kuyler in the outfield.

His Reds had Lonny Frey at second,who had played short (and third) with the Dodgers and Cubs, Billy Myers at short, and Bill Werber at third, with Eddie Joost on the bench. They also had the great defensive first baseman Frank McCormick, and Harry Craft in the outfield. (I saw Craft make a great catch in an old timer's game in I think 57.) On the other hand, they had Lombardi behind the plate.

I'd toss in Frank Chance's Cubs, with Kling catching, Steinfelt at third, and Jimmy Shekkard in the outfield, just based on the difference between their pitchers' era with the Cubs vs elsewhere.

Al Lopez's White Sox I think must have been terrific defensively with Lollar, Fox, Aparicio, and Landis up the middle.

And Stengel's Yankees were good, too, with Rizzuto--Richardson, McDougald, Clete Boyer, Mantle, and Woodling/Bauer.

But these are just guesses and recollections. I'd really like to hear some data-based views.

(edit: I would think that team fielding would be much more amenable to rigorous analysis than individual fielding. You could start with which teams had the highest Defensive Efficiency Rate (= 1 - BABIP) and refine.)

[KHenry14]

You'd be very hard pressed to find a better defensive left side of the IF than the Orioles Belanger and Robinson. Add in Grich at 2B, and Powell at 1B, and that's a darn good IF. And with the graceful Blair in CF and F. Robby in RF, those Orioles teams could pick it as good as any team.

[dgarza]

As you can tell by my user name I would choose the Orioles of the late 60's and early 70's.

The Orioles were probably strongest once the 60s turned into the 70s.

Brooks Robinson was there from the beginning.
The early 60s were strong enough, with Robinson, Jerry Adair, and Luis Aparicio.
But once the changing of the guard happened in the mid-60s, we started to see the seeds of the great 1968-1975 Orioles defense, which was mainly Robinson, Belanger, Grich, and Blair, with a few other scattered good years by capable players like Merv Rettenmund and Davey Johnson.

[dgarza]

Boston Beaneaters at the end of the 19th century were very strong as well.
The 1895-1900 teams included Fred Tenney, Bobby Lowe, Herman Long, Jimmy Collins, Hugh Duffy, and Chick Stahl.

[dgarza]

I'd toss in Frank Chance's Cubs, with Kling catching, Steinfelt at third, and Jimmy Shekkard in the outfield, just based on the difference between their pitchers' era with the Cubs vs elsewhere.

These Cubs were a classics defensive team. Tinker, Evers, and Chance get most of the press, but they were just half the story, Johhny Kling, Harry Steinfeldt, and Solly Hoffman (and even Jimmy Sheckard at times) were the other half of the defensive tale.

[dgarza]

the 70s Reds had 4 gold glovers at the key defensive postions C 2B SS CF

From 1971-1975, these Reds had plenty of glovework going on. (Honestly, by 1976, they were mostly pop in the bat; their defense was fading fast.)
But in the 1st half of the 70s...
C - Johnny Bench
2 - Joe Morgan
SS - Dave Concepcion
CF - Cesar Geronimo
OF - people tend to forget Pete Rose actually had some really good years in the OF, and George Foster started of pretty strong in the beginning (it didn't last)
3 - Denis Menke is forgotten today, but he played 3B from 1972-1973; he was probably the Big Red Machine's best defensive 3B (and was actually good)

[pheasant]

I like the NY Mets from 1999. Robin Ventura was incredible at 3rd base(one of the best defensive 3rd sackers ever) while Alfonzo and Ordonez played great D as well.

[ConnieMack]

The 1978 thru 1980 Phillies had 5 multiple Gold Glove winners on D. Plus Pete Rose at 1B, decent Glove, but got by on more hustle and being in the right position than straight D.

Mike Schmidt - 3B
Larry bowa - SS
Manny Trillo - 2B
Garry Maddox - CF
Bob Boone - C

[dgarza]

I like the NY Mets from 1999. Robin Ventura was incredible at 3rd base(one of the best defensive 3rd sackers ever) while Alfonzo and Ordonez played great D as well.

That was a great IF. The heart of that team's defense started in 1996 with Ordonez, Alfonzo, and even Bernard Gilkey (although I don't think he was around by 1999).

[Dude Paskert]

From 1971-1975, these Reds had plenty of glovework going on. (Honestly, by 1976, they were mostly pop in the bat; their defense was fading fast.)
But in the 1st half of the 70s...
C - Johnny Bench
2 - Joe Morgan
SS - Dave Concepcion
CF - Cesar Geronimo
OF - people tend to forget Pete Rose actually had some really good years in the OF, and George Foster started of pretty strong in the beginning (it didn't last)
3 - Denis Menke is forgotten today, but he played 3B from 1972-1973; he was probably the Big Red Machine's best defensive 3B (and was actually good)

Griffey was a good OFer, too.

Those 80's Cards were the best I saw...Whitey basically had glove men, mostly with speed, everywhere except for Clark at 1B. I didn't think Coleman really had great basic fielding skills, but he was so fast that it didn't matter too much...plus they had McGee for CF, so Vince could stay in left. Don't remember if David Green (before Clark) was much of a fielder, but I remember him being pretty mobile for a 1Bman.

[dgarza]

The 1978 thru 1980 Phillies had 5 multiple Gold Glove winners on D. Plus Pete Rose at 1B, decent Glove, but got by on more hustle and being in the right position than straight D.

Mike Schmidt - 3B
Larry bowa - SS
Manny Trillo - 2B
Garry Maddox - CF
Bob Boone - C

This is a great find!

I actually think we should extend this back to 1974.

I'd drop Rose, but from 1974-1980, they had it zeroed in on defense :
P - Jim Kaat
C - Bob Boone
2 - Dave Cash, Ted Sizemore, Manny Trillo
SS - Larry Bowa
3 - Mike Schmidt
CF - Garry Maddox
RF - Mike Anderson, Bake McBride

We also have the more recent Phillies (2005-2009). I don't think they are as strong as the 1970s Phillies, but they are pretty impressive historically.
C - Carlos Ruiz
2 - Chase Utley
SS - Jimmy Rollins
3 - Pedro Feliz
CF - Shane Victorino

[dgarza]

The Cardinals had several key periods of defense. It wasn't just the 80s.

1883-1889 as the AA St. Louis Browns
C - Pat Deasley, Doc Bushong, Jack Boyle
1 - Charlie Comiskey
SS - Bill Gleason
3 - Arlie Latham
CF - Curt Welch
RF - Hugh Nicol

1985-1991
C - Tony Pena, Tom Pagnozzi
2 - Jose Oquendo
SS - Ozzie Smith
3 - Terry Pendleton
CF - Willie McGee
OF - Milt Thompson

To a lesser degree 2005-2010
C - Yadier Molina
1 - Albert Pujols
SS - Brendan Ryan
3 - Scott Rolen

[Nimrod]

The 1950`s Dodgers weren`t exactly chopped liver with the leather!Hodges,Robinson,Reese,Cox,Campanella,Snide r,and Furillo.