Create an All-Star team comprised of players that you have personally seen in action (meaning at the ballpark, not on TV). Here is mine (I have been going to baseball games since 1984, I am currently 35):

1B - Mark McGwire (bench: Keith Hernandez, Don Mattingly, Pete Rose in '86 but way past his prime)
2B - Ryne Sandberg (bench: Roberto Alomar, Robison Cano)
SS - Derek Jeter (bench: Ozzie Smith, Omar Vizquel, Jose Reyes, Nomar)
3B - Mike Schmidt (bench: ARod, David Wright)
C - Mike Piazza (bench: Gary Carter, Jorge Posada)
OF - Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Ricky Henderson (bench: Darryl Strawberry, Dave Winfield, Andrew Dawson, Dale Murphy)
SP - Roger Clemens, Dwight Gooden, Randy Johnson, David Cone, Orel Hershiser (too many for bench)
RP - Dennis Eckersley, John Franco, Mariano Rivera

If you were talking "in person" as in "out on the town" my only two would be Dennis Martinez (getting lap dances at the Crazy Horse when I was a bouncer) and Jim Thome at The Executive's Den out on E 185th.

Here's some of the best older names I've seen, mostly in Cleveland and Pittsburgh:

Tom Seaver
Catfish Hunter
Mickey Lolich
Jim Palmer
Rich Gossage
Denny McClain
Rollie Fingers
Rod Carew
Brooks Robinson
Carl Yastremski
Lou Brock
AL Kaline
Roberto Clemente
Hank Aaron
Johnny Bench
Gaylord Perry
Willie Stargell
Dave Parker
...and Super Joe Charboneau

Gardens35;783804 wrote:Here's some of the best older names I've seen, mostly in Cleveland and Pittsburgh:

Tom Seaver
Catfish Hunter
Mickey Lolich
Jim Palmer
Rich Gossage
Denny McClain
Rollie Fingers
Rod Carew
Brooks Robinson
Carl Yastremski
Lou Brock
AL Kaline
Roberto Clemente
Hank Aaron
Johnny Bench
Gaylord Perry
Willie Stargell
Dave Parker
...and Super Joe Charboneau

Awesome. Being much younger my list would be:

1B Albert Pujols
2B Roberto Alomar (easy one)
SS Derek Jeter
3B Alex Rodriguez
I'm just going to name 3 OF
OF Ichiro Suzuki
OF Ken Griffey Jr during prime
OF Manny Ramirez
SP Roy Halladay
SP Roger Clemens
SP Randy Johnson
RP Mariano Rivera (hearing Enter Sandman at old Yankee Stadium as he walked in still gives me goosebumps right now thinking about it).

C - Pudge, Posada, McCann (eventually will be here)
1B - Pujols, Thome, Giambi
2B - Roberto Alomar, Alfonso Soriano, Lou Whtaker, Cano
3B - Chipper, Rolen
SS - Barry Larkin, Jeter, Omar
OF - Ichiro, , Griffey Jr, Andruw Jones, Manny
DH - Edgar Martinez
SP - Maddux, Smoltz, Glavine, Pedro, Clemens, Hudson, Jim Abbott
RP - Rivera, Billy Wagner, John Rocker
Manager - Bobby

in person: the Big Red Machine in the mid 70s. only 4 times, but I think every one of them was an All-Star. I met Don Gullett when he was in a Christmas parade in Logan, he pheasant hunted on a classmate's farm.

Daytona Cubs: saw Ryne Sandberg a couple games while rehabbing an injury. P Kerry Wood was real good when he was a rookie there.

Braves: Chipper Jones grew up near me, a co-worker was his little league coach. Also been to many spring training Braves games at Disney over the years.

I'm younger but here it is:

1b McGwire, Thome, Eddie Murray, Miguel Cabrera, Pujols
2b Robbie Alomar, Jeff kent (but he doesn't belong with Robbie)
3b ARod, Ripken, Chipper
SS Jeter, Omar, Nomar
LF Manny, Bonds, Sosa
Cf, Lofton, Griffey Jr, Andruw Jones
RF, Ichiro, Vladdy, Belle
C Pudge
SP Sabathia, Clemens, Glavine, Lee, Smoltz, Maddux, Pettite, Beckett, Big Unit, Lester, I saw a bunch of teams when I was real young, but don't know who starter on the mound.
RP Hoffman, Rivera, Mesa
Dh would have to be Edgar or Eddie Murray, who I also saw at first.

BR1986FB;783395 wrote:... Dennis Martinez (...

...had one of the greatest lines ever while going through a streak where he wasn't getting much run support.

"You never lose when you throw a shutout."

Need to add Nolan Ryan and Frank Robinson