VLB Classic Division Preview

1965 Los Angeles Dodgers (Dead-Ballers)

What this club lacks in offense it more than makes up for with great defense and some of the best pitching in baseball history. But the Dead-Ballers (so-called to distinguish them from the much different 2017 Dodgers team that will play in the Modern Division) aren't entirely useless with the sticks. The outfield corps will be relied upon for most of the heavy lifting, with speedy center fielder Willie Davis flanked by Tommy Davis and Ron Fairly.

Don Drysdale / Tommy Davis / Sandy Koufax / Maury Wills

But their offensive fortunes rest with the igniter at the top of their lineup, "The Mouse That Roared,” shortstop Maury Wills (.286, 94 stolen bases). A typical Dead-Ballers rally may consist of Wills beating out an infield hit, stealing second, moving to third on a fly ball and scoring on a wild pitch. That such a rally would often prove to be the entirety of the team's offense on a given night would be a major problem for just about any team, but not this one.

"The Left Arm of God" has a lot to do with that. Perhaps the most dominant pitcher over a five-year period in Major League history, Sandy Koufax won his second of three Cy Young Awards in 1965, posting a 26-8 record, 2.04 ERA, and 382 strikeouts in 335.2 innings of work. But opponents are far from off the hook once they've taken their medicine from Koufax, with a second ace in Don Drysdale (23-12, 2.77), and lefties Claude Osteen and veteran Johnny Podres rounding out the rotation. If you somehow knock out one of these starters, the Dead-Baller bullpen, led by Ron Perranoski (2.24, 18 saves), Bob Miller and Jim Brewer, is on hand to provide lock-down relief.

1970 Baltimore Orioles

Boog Powell / Brooks Robinson / Frank Robinson

This squad was at the heart of a near dynasty that saw Baltimore represent the American League in the Fall Classic four times in a six-year span. They swept the Dodgers in 1966, dropped to the Miracle Mets in ‘69, and were on the losing end of a seven-game thriller with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1971. These O’s, who topped the Reds in the Fall Classic, are one of the most balanced teams in this league, having excelled in all aspects of the game, leading the American League in runs scored, fewest runs allowed, and finishing second by a percentage point in fielding.

The pitching staff is led by 24-year-old righty Jim Palmer (20-10, 2.71) and lefties Mike Cuellar (24-8, 3.48) and Dave McNally (24-9, 3.22). Contributing greatly to their success is a left side of the infield that ranks among the best defensively in baseball history, with perennial Gold Glover Brooks Robinson manning third base and “The Blade,” Mark Belanger at shortstop. Scoring runs is no issue either, with AL MVP Boog Powell (.297, 35, 114), Frank Robinson (.306, 25, 78), and Brooks Robinson (.278, 18, 94) presenting a formidable heart of the order.

1975 Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati’s “Big Red Machine” is in the running for the best team ever to take the field, winning their division by 20 games and outlasting the Red Sox in one of the true Fall Classics. They feature arguably the best catcher of all time in Johnny Bench (.283, 28, 110, plus his eighth straight NL Gold Glove Award), perhaps the best second baseman in history in 1975 NL MVP Joe Morgan (.327, 17, 94, 67 SB, Gold Glove), and the all-time Hit King in Pete Rose (.317, 7, 74, 112 runs scored).

The Big Red Machine's "Great Eight"

That would be enough to make this a great team, but their riches hardly stop there. The Red’s position players were known as the “Great Eight,” without a weakness among them. First baseman Tony Perez (.282, 20, 109) and slugging left fielder George Foster (.300, 23, 78) would be enough to power an offense on their own. The Big Red Machine manufactured over 100 runs more than their nearest NL competition with these precision lineup parts.

And their air-tight defense is further fortified up the middle by Gold Glovers in shortstop Dave Concepcion and center fielder Cesar Geronimo. If there’s a weakness to be found on this team it’s their lack of elite pitching. But it’s a corps that is deep in solid consistent performers, in the rotation and the bullpen, serving as more than enough to make this team one to fear.

1986 New York Mets

One of the more colorful teams competing in this VLB season is the ‘86 Mets. The talent of a pair of troubled prodigies is at the heart of things: 24-year-old right fielder Darryl Strawberry (.259, 27, 93, 28 SB) and 21-year-old phenom Dwight Gooden (17-6, 2.84, 200 K) provide a core that is deftly supported by a band of veteran winners.

Darryl Strawberry / Dwight Gooden

Catcher Gary Carter is the glue that holds things together. “The Kid” handles the pitching staff and the opponents’ running game as well as any catcher to put on the gear, while also providing key offensive production (.255, 24, 105). First baseman Keith Hernandez (.310, 13, 83) is also one of the best ever to play his position, and young center fielder Lenny Dykstra (.295, 8, 45, 31 SB) provides a spark at the top of the lineup.

Add in the pitching and you have a team to be reckoned with. Behind Gooden, the rotation is top-shelf, with Ron Darling (15-6, 2.81), Bob Ojeda (18-5, 2.57), and Sid Fernandez (16-6, 3.52) giving them ace-quality work on a daily basis, and Roger McDowell (3.02, 22 saves) and Jesse Orosco (2.33, 21 saves) providing a potent righty-lefty bullpen punch.