The NY Mets All-Time Team

(originally posted 12/30/08 on Preaching to the Choir)

The New York Mets have been in existence for parts of five different decades now, beginning with most of the 1960s and continuing on through this present decade that ends in 2009. (Or 2010, depending on your definition of what constitutes a decade. For the purposes of this discussion, though, decades run from 0-9.) In any case, that's a significant batch of history.

Over the course of the next twelve months, I will be announcing the all-time greatest Mets by position for the first five decades of their history, as chosen by my companion site The New York Mets Hall of Records. The calculations used to make these determinations are recorded elsewhere and are way too complex to bother with here; if you need to know, post a question in the "comments" section. Suffice it to say that they utilize traditional statistical measures and are balanced by more advanced calculations like linear weights, and they align pretty solidly with medium-level metrics like OPS+ and ERA+.

Beginning next week, I will start with 1960s third basemen, followed each week decade-by-decade until we reach the present, then following that up with a post for the Mets' all-time third sacker. Then we'll continue with 1960s shortstops, and move on from there.

Disclaimer: I didn't factor defense into the equations, and for the purposes of this exercise it didn't really seem to matter all that much. Unless you consider Rey Ordonez to be the Mets' all-time greatest shortstop, that is. Which he isn't.

I hope this creates a little bit of interest in the older players, as well as provoking some conversation regarding the selections. If you disagree with some of the choices, that's fine--just be ready to back your arguments with something of statistical substance, not merely your feelings.