Best "B" Team Ever: All-Stars Whose Last Name Starts with B

The Houston Astros for nearly two decades were affectionately known as the "Killer B's" because nearly half of their lineup consisted of guys such as Bagwell, Bell, Berkman, and Biggio. I created my own killer B's baseball team featuring only players whose last name begins with the letter B. My "B" team all-star squad consists of many Hall of Famers and record holders.

Since I had several outstanding players at one position, I decided to place my "B" team in the American League. That way one of those players could serve as my DH.

First Base - Jeff Bagwell: The lifelong Astro certainly had the weirdest batting stance of any of his fellow B's, but Bags could definitely hit from it. He had outstanding power and a high batting average, a combination that only Albert Pujols could surpass.

Second Base - Craig Biggio: Had he remained a catcher, Biggio could not have made this all-star team. As a second sacker, though, he stands out. He did not have nearly as much power as his fellow Astro teammate above, but he hit for average. He was also one of the best lead off hitters of his era.

Shortstop - Ernie Banks: Mr. Cub had tremendous power for a shortstop, finishing with over 500 career homers.

Third Base - George Brett: The Hall of Famer could do it all for the Royals. He had a lot of power, but he always hit over .300. In fact, he flirted with .400 for much of the 1980 season, finishing at .390.

Outfield 1 - Barry Bonds: The son of another worthy outfielder, Bonds is the career home run leader with 762. He also consistently led the league in on-base percentage, intentional walks, and most homers in a season. He also won a batting championship and stole over 500 bases during his days as a Pirate and Giant.

Outfield 2 - Lou Brock: This Hall of Famer was the stolen base king for many years as a Cardinal. He is also a member of the exclusive 3,000 hit club.

Outfield 3 - Yogi Berra: I had to stick the Hall of Famer out here, even though he was primarily a catcher. He was one of the great Yankee leaders, hitting for power and average.

Catcher - Johnny Bench: The Hall of Fame Reds backstop was a perennial All-Star and always near the top in home runs. He was named league MVP, partly because of his offense, but mostly because of his reputation as a stellar defensive catcher with a great arm.

Designated Hitter - Don Baylor: He spent time with many different teams, a stark contrast to his "B" teammates. (All but one or two spent their entire careers with just one team). In spite of the change in uniforms, Baylor managed to hit for average and amass over 300 career homers. He also led MLB in being hit by pitches until "B" brother Craig Biggio passed his mark.

Pitcher 1 - Bert Blyleven: This should-be Hall of Famer was a great pitcher for some bad teams. In spite of playing for also-rans of his era like the Pirates and Twins, the Netherlands native still won almost 300 games. His most outstanding stat, though, is his career strikeouts. Most hurlers in the Hall right now don't have nearly as many Ks as this current colorful Twins broadcaster.

Pitcher 2 - Three Finger Brown: The painful nickname did not harm his ability to pitch, since he had 239 wins and 2.66 ERA.

Pitcher 3 - Chief Bender: Pitching for the Athletics, Phils, Orioles and White Sox, Bender amassed 212 wins with a 2.46 ERA. (His low ERA let him edge out Vida Blue for a spot in my three man rotation.)

Relief Pitcher - Steve Bedrosian: The Braves closer was a perennial All-Star and a frequent presence on TBS each night in the ninth during the 1980s.