Baseball's Best Lineup "S" Stars

The letter S, in spite of representing "satisfactory" on a kindergartner's report card, has many negative connotations. An S on a road sign warns of an upcoming dangerous curve. A drawing of a snake, one of the nature's most detested creatures, often resembles the letter S.

Of course S also has its admirable qualities as well. The greatest superhero to arrive from Krypton has it emblazoned to his chest. In baseball the letter represents a sacrifice, indicating that a player gave up his at bat in order to bunt a runner to the next base.

Speaking of baseball, the sport has many superheroes who, like Superman, start their names with the letter S. Here is a lineup of the best players whose last names start with S.

First Base - Willie Stargell: "Pops" was a fan favorite all over, not just in Pittsburg. He had tremendous power, and his MVP season led the Pirates to the 1979 World Series championship.

Second Base - Ryne Sandberg: "Rhino" put up excellent numbers for a middle infielder in the 80s and early 90s, and he led the Cubs to several division championships.

Shortstop - Ozzie Smith: "The Wizard" was not an offensive threat, but his dazzling defense, acrobatics and his postseason play for the 1982 Cardinals earned him a plaque in Cooperstown.

Third Base - Mike Schmidt: The guy who manned the Phillies hot corner during their 1980 World Series Championship season, Schmidt won numerous home run titles throughout the 70s.

Catcher - Ted Simmons: The greatest switch-hitting catcher of all time, Simmons succeeded in both leagues. He provided a high average and above average power for both the Cardinals and the Brewers, leading Milwaukee to the AL pennant in 1982.

Outfield 1 - Al Simmons: There were obviously no holes in the swing of "Bucketfoot Al." He crushed 307 home runs and finished his career with a .334 batting average while playing mainly with the Athletics and White Sox.

Outfield 2 - Gary Sheffield: Sheff possessed one of the quickest swings ever, hitting for both average and power. His career numbers, especially his 500 home runs, should guarantee him a place in the Hall of Fame.

Outfield 3 - Duke Snider: The Hall of Famer led the Dodgers to perennial postseason appearances with a very productive bat. He hit over 400 home runs and had a career batting average just three points shy of .300.

Designated Hitter - Sammy Sosa: The once-loveable Cubs slugger is the only player to have three consecutive seasons with at least 60 homers.

Pitcher 1 - Warren Spahn: The Braves legendary hurler won 363 Games, fanned over 2500, and posted an ERA just a notch over 3.00.

Pitcher 2 - Tom Seaver: Tom Terrific led the Mets to their improbable 1969 World Series Championship en route to winning over 300 games, striking out over 3600, and allowing just 2.86 runs per nine innings.

Pitcher 3 - Don Sutton: The long time Dodger was a bulwark on the mound in the 60s and 70s. He won 324 games and struck out more than 3500 batters.
Relief Pitcher - Lee Smith: The Cubs closer of the 80s amassed 355 saves and averaged a strikeout per inning.