MLB Dream Team: Outfielders & Designated Hitters

While studying Child Development in college, I discovered that I have "anal retentive" tendencies... which means that sometimes I pay too much attention to certain detail. More specifically... I'm a neat freak... and love to organize & sort things, which is why sports cards is the perfect hobby for me.

So, when I decided to start this blog, I knew I wanted it to be structured and organized. As a result, you'll often notice many of my posts are part of a series. Here are few of my personal favorites:

Blog Trade - A series which shares and documents trades I have made with fellow bloggers.

Flea Market Finds - A series of posts where I share my purchases from local flea markets.

I Love the 80's - A series that shows off items of personal interest from my childhood.

Sports Card Busts - A series that displays my personal collection of top 5 draft busts from the four major sports.

Set Showcase - A series where I showcase some of my favorite sets in my collection.

Hidden Treasures - A series of posts that catalogs the discovery of hidden treasure within my collection.

And of course there's my MLB Dream Team series, which gave me the opportunity to blog about my favorite baseball players. But unlike the other series... this one is coming to an end, because after today, I will have covered all of the key positions in baseball. If you're interested in reading my first two posts from the series, click the appropriate links:

Part A - Manager, Catcher, & Pitchers

Part B - Infielders

Part C - Outfielders & Designated Hitter

Okay... I've stalled long enough. Here's the final part of my MLB Dream Team series... in which I share my favorite outfielders and designated hitters of all-time.

Left Fielder - Rickey Henderson

One of the most exciting players in the game during the 80's and early 90's... and he played in Oakland for most of those years. He's one of the greatest leadoff hitters in MLB history and arguably the greatest Oakland Athletic to take the field. I can still picture Rickey leading off of first base... feet spread apart... hunched over... fingers dangling... waiting for the right moment to take off and steal second base.

Honorable Mention - Bo Jackson

Center Fielder - Kirby Puckett

Puckett was my American League version of Tony Gwynn. He was a chubby ball player, with a great personality, who was loyal to his team, and could hit for average. My only regret is that he wasn't drafted by the A's or the Padres.

Honorable Mention - Ken Griffey Jr.

Right Fielder - Tony Gwynn

Tony Gwynn isn't just one of my favorite baseball players... he is and always will be... my all-time favorite baseball player. If you're interested in a more detailed explanation... click here.

Honorable Mention - Ichiro Suzuki

Designated Hitter - Frank Thomas

The Big Hurt was one of the best hitters during the 90's and I was excited that he played on the A's twice in his career. It was tough not putting him at first base on my team, since that's the position I associated with him for the majority of his career. But it just wasn't possible to put Will Clark at DH, so thankfully... Frank's flexibility solved my dilemma.

Honorable Mention - Edgar Martinez

I really enjoyed building this team and writing these posts, but as Porky Pig likes to say... "That's all folks!". One of these days, I'll go back and see if I need to make any revisions to the roster. Until then... maybe I'll build my NBA Dream Team or NHL Dream Team next.

Okay... you know the routine. It's your turn.

Which players would make up your dream outfield and who would be your designated hitter?

Happy Monday everyone... have a great week... and until next time... sayonara!