The All-decade Team

Who were the stars of the '80s? Certainly Mike Schmidt, who hit 313 homers in the decade, and Rickey Henderson, who had stolen 836 bases through Sunday, deserve that distinction. But the real star of the '80s—the Man of the Decade—was not a player but a manager: Whitey Herzog. In the '80s, the task of putting together a winning team became more complex than simply buying up a bunch of big names a la George Steinbrenner. Herzog understood that better than anyone. When he took over the Cardinals in June 1980, they were in last place. Since then he has led them to three World Series, the most for any team in the decade. And his previous creation, the Royals, won three division titles and the American League pennant twice.

That said, here are my selections for an all-1980s team, with Herzog, naturally, at the helm:

FIRST BASE
Eddie Murray ( Orioles, Dodgers)
He has led the majors with 996 RBIs (through Sunday).

SECOND BASE
Ryne Sandberg (Phillies, Cubs)
In a class by himself.

THIRD BASE
Mike Schmidt (Phillies)
The best ever to play the position. Even better than Wade Boggs, who has the highest average for the decade (.352).

SHORTSTOP
Ozzie Smith (Padres, Cardinals)
Though only a .261 hitter, he dominated like no one else.

LEFTFIELD
Rickey Henderson ( Athletics, Yankees)
With his steals, on-base average (.404) and slugging (137 homers), the best decade for a leadoff man ever.

CENTERFIELD
Robin Yount (Brewers)
Forget his .305 average or his 80-plus extra-base-hit seasons in '80 and '82. Yount plays the way you dream your son would.

RIGHTFIELD
Dale Murphy (Braves)
With his 308 homers and five Gold Gloves, he edges out Dave Winfield, Dwight Evans and Andre Dawson.

CATCHER
Gary Carter (Expos, Mets)
A probable first-ballot Hall of Famer. But you could also make a case for another Cooperstown candidate, Carlton Fisk.