Homegrown case closed

I caught some of MLB Network's 30 in 30 on the Phillies this morning. This year, the network selected an all-time team of homegrown talent. I like that twist; for example, it was interesting seeing an all-time Yankees team without Babe Ruth in right field.

But this dimension had some curiosities in the Phillies lineup. I figured the infield would be the current team plus Mike Schmidt at third. Nope. Ryan Howard and J-Roll made the cut with Schmidt, but not Chase Utley. It was Ryne Sandberg. At this point, I can accept a spirited debate over which of these two has had a better career, but on a list like this, Utley's seven dominant years that occurred in a Phillies uniform should far outweigh the 13 games Sandberg played for Philly.

I was actually more surprised when they got to closer: Ricky Bottalico, whose sixth slot on the all-time Phillies save list is in serious danger, providing Brad Lidge is able to convert six more. But the network quickly noted that Mitch Williams wasn't homegrown and neither were any other notable Phillies closers.

Out of the top 10 - Jose Mesa, Steve Bedrosian, Williams, Tug McGraw, Ron Reed, Bottalico, Lidge, Turk Farrell, Jack Baldschun and Billy Wagner - only Ricky Bo and the Turk were homegrown.

Out of curiosity, I checked the Red Sox list. They have a much better quality of homegrown closers on their list, but not that many more names. The top three - Jonathan Paplebon, Bob Stanely and Dick "The Monster" Radatz - are homegrown, but the last seven are not - Ellis Kinder, Jeff Reardon, Derek Lowe, Sparky Lyle, Tom Gordon, Lee Smith and Bill Campbell.

I guess good closers don't grow on trees.

Off the top of my head, and without verifying who is homegrown, here's my prediction for the Red Sox team: C-Carlton Fisk, 1B-Mo Vaughn, 2B-Bobby Doerr, 3B-Wade Boggs, SS-Nomar Garciaparra, OF-Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice, SP-Roger Clemens, RP-Papelbon. We'll see how close I am on March 11.