Geographical All-Stars

[Fman99]

I think I'll take Nebraska.

Of the 102 MLB'ers in history to hail from this state there are quite a few names of note. Hall of Famers include Richie Ashburn, deadball star Sam Crawford (2961 career hits) and chicken-eating dork Wade Boggs. I put Boggs up there as the best of the position players.

The two pitchers that jump off the page for Nebraska are Grover Cleveland Alexander (373 career wins) and Bob Gibson. I'll ignore contemporary bias and pick Alexander here, who might've won 400 games had he not missed a season and a half due to WWI.

Notable Mets from NE include a late-career Ashburn and Todd Pratt.

[Fman99]

Next up is Oregon.

There have been 115 MLB players born in the Beaver State (snicker). Recent players and notables include:

Danny Ainge
Scott Brosius
Jacoby Ellsbury
Scott Hatteberg
Brian Hunter
John Jaha
Dave Kingman
Dale Murphy
Johnny Pesky
Richie Sexson
Harold Reynolds
Aaron Rowand

The list of pitchers is less elite and includes just one player who won more than 122 games, that player being Mickey Lolich.

Best pitcher: Lolich
Best player: Open to debate between Kingman and Murphy, but Murphy had the better overall numbers and won back to back MVP awards.

Notable Mets include Lolich, Kingman and Wally Backman.

[Guest Iubitul]

Valadius wrote: Who do you think is the best player to come out of Connecticut, Iubitul? I'm going with Roger Connor, who held the all-time home run record before Babe Ruth. A case could also be made for Jim O'Rourke. The crop of pitchers is pretty thin, though. That's pretty cool that your teacher played in the majors!

I'd have to go with Mo Vaughn - he was on hell of a hitter in Boston. As for pitchers, I would have to go with Steve Blass.

[Valadius]

I'll take my home state of New Jersey.

For a relatively large state with a relatively large number of players, New Jersey's crop of talent is surprisingly thin, especially at pitcher.

Among position players:

Johnny Briggs - OF
George Case - OF
Sean Casey - 1B
Rick Cerone - C
Doc Cramer - CF
Mark DeRosa - 2B/3B/SS
Doug Glanville - CF
Kid Gleason - 2B/P
Goose Goslin - LF/RF
Billy Hamilton - CF
Jeffrey Hammonds - RF
Bill Haselman - C
Frankie Hayes - C
Charlie Jamieson - LF
Derek Jeter - SS
Mike Jorgensen - 1B/OF
Eric Karros - 1B
Elliott Maddox - OF/3B
Joe Medwick - LF
Dots Miller - 1B/2B
Joe Orsulak - OF
Hardy Richardson - 2B/OF/3B
Johnny Romano - C
Billy Shindle - 3B
Joe Stripp - 3B
Mike Tiernan - OF
Jeff Torborg - C
Hal Wagner - C
Earl Williams - C/1B
Eric Young - 2B

New Jersey can put together a rotation of:

Don Newcombe
Al Leiter
Andy Messersmith
Johnny Vander Meer
Al Downing

With the following pitchers in the bullpen:

Ron Perranoski
Joe Borowski
Dan Miceli
Rawly Eastwick
Joe Black

The starting lineup for the New Jersey team:

Billy Hamilton CF
Derek Jeter SS
Joe Medwick LF
Goose Goslin RF
Eric Karros 1B
Frankie Hayes C
Hardy Richardson 3B
Eric Young 2B
Don Newcombe P

With the following bench players:

Sean Casey
Johnny Romano
Mark DeRosa
George Case
Johnny Briggs
Billy Shindle
Doc Cramer

The greatest New Jerseyan Met, by far, is Al Leiter. For best pitcher, I'm going with Don Newcombe. The best position player and best overall player, in my opinion, is Goose Goslin, who barely edges Joe Medwick.

[Fman99]

Next up is Arkansas.

Of the 148 MLB players to be born in Arkansas there are quite a few notable names. On the hitting side:

Lou Brock
Pat Burrell
Willie Davis
Torii Hunter
Travis Jackson (Hall of Famer who I had never heard of)
George Kell (HOF)
Kevin McReynolds
Rick Monday
Brooks Robinson (HOF)
Arky Vaughn (another HOF'er)

Looking at the pitchers, another few names jump out at me.

Dizzy and Paul Dean
AJ Burnett
Ryan Franklin
Preacher Roe
Johnny Sain
Lou Warneke (won 192 games and had the great nickname "The Arkansas Hummingbird")

Mets from Arkansas include Wes Gardner, Jeff McKnight, Kevin Lomon, Ellis Valentine, McReynolds, Sammy Drake, Tom McCraw and Jesse Gonder.

Best hitter: Lou Brock
Best pitcher: Dizzy Dean
Best Met: McReynolds