NY Mets: Tom Seaver, Mike Piazza, Gary Carter, and John Franco.
Defense: I could have easily picked another slew of players for the Mets. Could've gone with Captain America David Wright or Gooden or Straw or HoJo...but, nope, these guys are the Mets for me. Seaver is a legend and Piazza will eventually end up in the Hall. It'll only be a matter of time. Carter was an awesome player and a great dude. RIP, Gary. But, to me the man that typifies the Mets the absolute most is John Franco. The venerable pitcher was everything the Mets were about. To me, he IS the Mets. No offense to Keith Hernandez or Mookie or...
Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos: Vlad Guerrero, Tim Raines, Dennis Martinez, and Ryan Zimmerman.
Defense: For the Nats I had to dig into their old Expo days. Vlad could hit anything. He could hit the nutsack off a gnat with a chopstick. Seriously. I saw it. Actually, I didn't but he sure was a great hitter. Tim Raines, at that time, was the fastest man alive. It's a shame he isn't in the Hall yet. Maybe with time we will realize just how awesome he was. El Presidente pitched for-freaking-ever. I think he was 56 when he pitched his last game. Finally, I had to give some love to the current Nationals and tip my proverbial cap to Zim. Good player. Good glove. Good bat.
Atlanta Braves: Hank Aaron, Chipper Jones, Greg Maddux, and Tom Glavine.
Defense: No defense needed here. The greatest home run hitter of all time...that one's easy to defend. The face of the franchise for a billion years (Larry Chipper Jones) and one hell of a third bagger. And possibly two of the greatest pitchers of any generation. Seriously, this Mt. Rushmore was ridiculously easy to compile.
Philadelphia Phillies: Steve Carlton, Mike Schmidt, Robin Roberts, and Chase Utley.
Defense: For a team so entrenched in history, coming up with a Mt. Rushmore for the Phils was a bit difficult. Sure, Carlton was an easy pick. Just amazing stats in an amazing career. One of the best pitchers of all time. Schmidt, if you had to pick one player, just oozes Philly crimson. Easily the all-time face of the franchise. One dynamite player, too. No other Phillie is more loved, for sure. Roberts is another HOF'er that deserves to be up there. Utley, while this may be a little controversial, has played at a high level for a very long time in Philly. Except the last few years which have been riddled with injury.
Miami/FL Marlins: Kevin Brown, Mike Lowell, Derek Lee, and Hanley Ramirez.
Defense: I can't totally defend any of these. With such a young franchise, it's kind of hard to pick who should be on their Rushmore. But, Kevin Brown was the first really good pitcher that played in South Florida. He was surly and kind of rough but he was a good pitcher. Lowell might be the best loved Marlin. Not flashy, not overly talented...Lowell just got the job done. He was gritty and I like that. Lee made his name in FL with his bat. He was the pure hitter, for sure. A good guy, too. I had the pleasure of meeting him once and he was super nice. Hanley has made his money in LA but he cut his teeth with the Marlins. He's a hell of a ballplayer and deserves a spot up here. Honorable mention goes to Giancarlo, who, in a few years, might become the best player to ever done the teal pinstripes.ON DECK: AL East
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