The Baseball Scholar

1970s All-Decade Team

Dave Franks
3–5 minutes

Major League Baseball during the 1970s usually brings a few things to mind: The Big Red Machine, Charley Finley’s Oakland A’s and those uniforms, Earl Weaver and the Baltimore Orioles, and the beginning of free agency. The 70s was the last decade in which baseball ruled the American sports landscape. Some of the greatest careers in the game’s history ended and a few others began. We said goodbye to Willie Mays and Hank Aaron, and we were introduced to George Brett, Robin Yount, and a skinny slick fielding shortstop named Ozzie Smith.

With the culmination of so many great careers the decade saw many career milestones reached. Seven hitters, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Al Kaline, Pete Rose, Lou Brock, and Carl Yastrzemski all joined the 3,000 hit club. Ernie Banks, Harmon Killebrew, Frank Robinson, and Willie McCovey all joined the the 500 home run club taking the total from eight to 12. While no pitcher collected their 300th career win Bob Gibson and Gaylord Perry did strikeout their 3,000th batter.

  • Catcher, Johnny Bench

    • Age: 22 – 31
    • Years: 1970 – 1979
    • Teams: Cincinnati Reds
    • MVP: 1970, 1972
    • All-Star: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979


    Johnny Bench Batting Statistics
    WAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    58.8 1,435 5,229 792 1,396 264 18 290 1,013 56 24 687 896 .267 .349 .491 .840

  • First Base, Dick Allen


    • Dick Allen Batting Statistics
    WAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    23.5 883 3,111 508 882 153 19 174 575 69 25 472 705 .284 .377 .513 .889

  • Second Base, Joe Morgan


    • Joe Morgan Batting Statistics
    WAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    66.9 1,458 5,139 1,005 1,451 275 47 173 720 488 105 1,071 517 .282 .404 .455 .860

  • Third Base, Mike Schmidt


    • Mike Schmidt Batting Statistics
    WAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    50.1 1,084 3,713 674 947 183 31 235 666 117 54 689 958 .255 .374 .511 .885

  • Shortstop, Toby Harrah


    • Toby Harrah Batting Statistics
    WAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    31.5 1,275 4,413 625 1,151 176 20 128 560 160 69 640 522 .261 .355 .397 .752

  • Outfield, Willie Stargell

    • Age: 30 – 39
    • Years: 1970 – 1979
    • Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates
    • MVP: 1979
    • All-Star: 1971, 1972, 1973, 1978


    Willie Stargell Batting Statistics
    WAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    37.8 1,255 4,399 718 1,261 253 19 296 906 6 8 595 1,100 .287 .374 .555 .928

  • Outfield, Reggie Jackson


    • Reggie Jackson Batting Statistics
    WAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    51.2 1,440 5,129 833 1,410 270 24 292 922 183 85 677 1,247 .275 .363 .508 .870

  • Outfield, Reggie Smith


    • Reggie Smith Batting Statistics
    WAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    44.7 1,286 4,646 776 1,355 247 39 225 750 80 43 621 669 .292 .374 .507 .881

  • Starting Pitcher, Tom Seaver

  • Age: 25 – 34
  • Years: 1970 – 1979
  • Teams: New York Mets
  • Cy Young Award: 1973, 1975
  • All-Star: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978


Tom Seaver Pitching Statistics
WAR G GS W L ERA IP CG SHO SV R ER BB SO SO/9 WHIP
67.3 348 345 178 101 2.61 2,652.1 147 40 0 843 768 741 2,304 7.8 1.073

  • Starting Pitcher, Bert Blyleven

  • Age: 19 – 28
  • Years: 1970 – 1979
  • Teams: Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers, Pittsburgh Pirates
  • All-Star: 1973


    • Bert Blyleven Pitching Statistics
    WAR G GS W L ERA IP CG SHO SV R ER BB SO SO/9 WHIP
    58.2 353 350 148 128 2.88 2,624.2 145 39 0 949 841 711 2,082 7.1 1.161

  • Starting Pitcher, Gaylord Perry

  • Age: 31 – 40
  • Years: 1970 – 1979
  • Teams: San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres
  • Cy Young Award: 1972, 1978
  • All-Star: 1970, 1972, 1974, 1979


    • Gaylord Perry Pitching Statistics
    WAR G GS W L ERA IP CG SHO SV R ER BB SO SO/9 WHIP
    59.4 369 368 184 133 2.92 2,905 197 36 1 1,088 942 758 1,907 5.9 1.142

  • Starting Pitcher, Ron Guidry

  • Age: 24 – 28
  • Years: 1975 – 1979
  • Teams: New York Yankees
  • Cy Young Award: 1978
  • All-Star: 1978, 1979


    • Ron Guidry Pitching Statistics
    WAR G GS W L ERA IP CG SHO SV R ER BB SO SO/9 WHIP
    20.7 116 91 59 19 2.49 752.1 40 16 3 234 208 221 652 7.8 1.090

  • Starting Pitcher, Jim Palmer

  • Age: 24 – 33
  • Years: 1970 – 1979
  • Teams: Baltimore Orioles
  • Cy Young Award: 1973, 1975, 1976
  • All-Star: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1978


    • Jim Palmer Pitching Statistics
    WAR G GS W L ERA IP CG SHO SV R ER BB SO SO/9 WHIP
    54.6 355 352 186 103 2.58 2,745 175 44 2 883 787 861 1,559 5.1 1.142

  • Relief Pitcher, Bruce Sutter

  • Age: 23 – 26
  • Years: 1976 – 1979
  • Teams: Chicago Cubs
  • Cy Young Award: 1979
  • All-Star: 1977, 1978, 1979


    • Bruce Sutter Pitching Statistics
    WAR G GS W L ERA IP CG SHO SV R ER BB SO SO/9 WHIP
    15.2 240 0 27 22 2.33 390.2 0 0 105 121 101 115 418 9.6 1.014

  • Relief Pitcher, Jim Kern

  • Age: 25 – 30
  • Years: 1974 – 1979
  • Teams: Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers
  • All-Star: 1977, 1978, 1979


    • Jim Kern Pitching Statistics
    WAR G GS W L ERA IP CG SHO SV R ER BB SO SO/9 WHIP
    14.2 256 12 42 35 2.72 539 0 0 75 188 163 276 499 8.3 1.306

  • Relief Pitcher, Rollie Fingers

  • Age: 23 – 32
  • Years: 1970 – 1979
  • Teams: Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres
  • All-Star: 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978


    • Rollie Fingers Pitching Statistics
    WAR G GS W L ERA IP CG SHO SV R ER BB SO SO/9 WHIP
    16.1 640 29 84 85 2.89 1,219 3 1 209 438 391 353 973 7.2 1.141

    Honorable Mention

    13 responses to “1970s All-Decade Team”

    1. Avatar
      Anonymous

      We didn’t say goodbye to Yaz in the 70’s. He actually played four years into the 80’s — and made two more All-Star appearances…

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    2. Garry Harris Avatar
      Garry Harris

      I grew up watching 1970s Baseball. The first half and the second half have different players so ts hard to create a best team of the 1970s.

      C Johnny Bench, Thurman Munson. then Gary Carter, Ted Simmons, Manny Sanguillen, Carton Fisk
      1B Tony Perez, Willie Stargell. then Lee May, George Scott, Steve Garvey .
      2B Joe Morgan, Rod Carew
      3B Mike Schmidt, George Brett, Ron Cey, Bill Madlock, Graig Nettles… The first half was Brooks Robinson and Sal Bando
      SS Dave Concepcion, Bert Campaneris
      LF Pete Rose, Carl Yastrzemski
      CF Cesar Cedeno, Amos Otis, Al Oliver
      RF Reggie Jackson, Bobby Bonds, Rusty Staub, Dave Parker, Dave Winfield

      DH Hal McRae

      Every team went at least three deep with quality starters.

      SP Steve Carlton
      SP Tom Seaver
      SP Jim Palmer
      SP Gaylord Perry
      SP Fergie Jenkins
      SP Vida Blue
      SP Nolan Ryan
      SP Don Sutton
      SP Bert Blyleven
      SP Phil Niekro
      SP Tommy John
      SP Catfish Hunter
      SP Luis Tiant
      SP Frank Tanana
      SP JR Richard
      SP Dennis Leonard

      RP Rollie Fingers
      RP Rich Gossage
      RP Tug McGraw
      RP Mike Marshall
      RP John Hiller
      RP Sparky Lyle
      RP Bill Campbell
      RP Kent Tekulve

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    3. Scott Perry Avatar
      Scott Perry

      It’s almost impossible to disagree with having Bench on top for catchers. One of the all time greats. However, as runner up I’d have to pick Thurman Munson, Carlton Fisk or even…. Jim Sundberg (based on his defense).

      By the way, love the site. Keep up the good work!

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      1. Dave Franks Avatar
        Dave Franks

        Scott, I’m glad you enjoy the site. The 70s, unlike a majority of decades, produced several great options to backup Bench. I wouldn’t argue with any of your alternatives except Jim Sundberg. Because I never saw Sundberg play and nearly all of his value is defense I’d pass on him.

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    4. Avatar
      Anonymous

      Steve Carlton? Not even an Honorable Mention?

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    5. Darl DeVault Avatar
      Darl DeVault

      For the pitchers, are they in order of accomplishment? If so, they are out of order because wins are all that counted to the men who played the game. I have interviewed them.

      Difficult to understand your rankings.

      You might want to check out the man who led MLB in wins from 1967 to1980.

      Ferguson Jenkins had 251 wins in that period while throwing the only six straight 20 wins or more seasons since Warren Spahn. Warren Spahn would tell you wins are the only stat that counted, everything else was details.

      Jenkins is still the only Ranger with 25 wins. Guidry had one 25-win year and only three 20 wins or more seasons in his whole career. How could Guidry be mentioned in a best of the decade when he did not play the full decade?

      Have you ever interviewed any of these pitchers, or talked to anyone who ever batted against them?

      Difficult to fathom some of your choices except perhaps you enjoyed watching them in postseason play. That is called pro-postseason bias. Those stats do not count for their careers and yet your choices are heavy postseason play.

      And yet you left off Steve Carlton, that is strange.

      Again, during his major-league-best 14 seasons from 1967 to 1980, Jenkins’ 251 victories led Steve Carlton (four Cy Youngs, MLB’s second-most career strikeouts) with 246 wins and Tom Seaver (three Cy Youngs) with 245. Gaylord Perry (two Cy Youngs) won 244 games and Phil Niekro was fifth with 227. Jenkins had even greater margins over future Hall of Famers Jim Palmer (three Cy Young Awards) and Nolan Ryan (most MLB career strikeouts).

      Good Luck

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    6. Gunnar Avatar
      Gunnar

      I think I would put MCovey at first base and maybe Keith Hernandez. Sure he’s known for his defense but if you look back he had some quality seasons hitting, 1979 he tied Willie Stargell for MVP. Not that Dick Allen isn’t good. Anyway love the site keep it up.

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    7. Avatar
      Anonymous

      Rod Carew at 2B over Joe Morgan

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    8. Matthew Avatar
      Matthew

      All Time 70’s Team

      LF Lou Brock
      DH Rod Carew
      2B Joe Morgan
      3B George Brett
      CF ?????
      RF Reggie Jackson
      1B Willie Stargell
      C Johnny Bench
      SS Robin Yount

      P: Tom Seaver, Jim Palmer & Steve Carlton

      All of these are HoFers. Yount played six seasons in the 70’s even though he wasn’t an AS until the 80’s. It’s sort of like how we use Pete Rose in the 60’s at 2B. At CF I couldn’t find a HoFer, but there was Al Oliver, Cedeno and Geronimo who were great during this time. Everybody has Jackson, Morgan. and Bench on their list. I know Rose was player of the decade for the 70’s but I have him in the 60’s. He played LF for part of this decade, and 3B for part of this decade, then moved to 1B on the last year of this decade.

      Very tough team to beat with the pitching this decade. Other pitchers to input as you did, Jenkins, Perry and so on.

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    9. Bo Hiers Avatar
      Bo Hiers

      I’ve just looked at the All-Decade teams from the 50s, 60s and 70s, and I’ve yet to see Hank Aaron mentioned. Is this some kind of a joke?

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    10. Avatar
      Anonymous

      Bobby Bonds was the only player in that decade to have 850 runs scored and 850 RBI’s.
      How you can leave him with no honorable mention is beyond me. He was top 10 in almost every offensive stat including home runs and stolen bases. He was also a very good defender.

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    11. Avatar
      Anonymous

      Gene Tenace is bad enough but naming him as a catcher — when he didn’t even play 1000 games at catcher and effectively was a second-string to Ray Fosse on the Oakland teams of 1973-74 — is absurd. Or maybe it’s a typo and misspelled Thurman Munson.

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      1. Dave Franks Avatar
        Dave Franks

        Between 1970-1979 Tenace logged 5,200 innings at catcher and 4,200 innings at first base. The numbers are per Baseball-Reference https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/tenacge01.shtml

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