{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}} {{Use American English|date=May 2026}} {{Short description|Chosen by popular vote of fans}} In 1999, the '''Major League Baseball All-Century Team''' was chosen by popular vote of fans. To select the team, a panel of experts first compiled a list of the 100 greatest Major League Baseball (MLB) players from the 20th century. Over two million fans then voted on the players using paper and online ballots.<ref name=AllCenturyTeamBaseballAlmanac>{{cite web|title=All Century Team|publisher=Baseball Almanac|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/limc100.shtml|access-date=November 28, 2011}}</ref>
The top two vote-getters from each position, except outfielders (nine), and the top six pitchers were placed on the team. A select panel then added five legends to create a thirty-man team:<ref name=AllCenturyTeamBaseballAlmanac/>—Warren Spahn (who finished #10 among pitchers), Christy Mathewson (#14 among pitchers), Lefty Grove (#18 among pitchers), Honus Wagner (#4 among shortstops), and Stan Musial (#11 among outfielders).<ref name=AllCenturyTeamBaseballAlmanac/>
The nominees for the All-Century team were presented at the 1999 MLB All-Star Game at Fenway Park.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1999-07-14 |title=All-Century team ballot |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-all-century-team-ballot/168246535/ |access-date=2025-03-18 |work=The Tribune |page=B3 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Preceding Game 2 of the 1999 World Series, the members of the All-Century Team were revealed. Every living player named to the team attended.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sullivan |first=T. R. |date=1999-10-24 |title=Greatest of the Greats |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-worth-star-telegram-greatest-of-the/168246573/ |access-date=2025-03-18 |work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |page=5C |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
==Selected players== [[File:Gehrig cropped.jpg |thumb|Lou Gehrig received the most votes of any player.]] {|class="wikitable" |+Key |* |'Legends' chosen by select panel |- |** |Player still active in 1999 |- |ö |Player is deceased |- |style="background:#ffb;"|† |Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame |}
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" |- !Player!!Position!!Votes |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Nolan|Ryan}}<sup>†</sup>||Pitcher||992,040 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Sandy|Koufax}}<sup>†</sup>||Pitcher||970,434 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Cy|Young}}<sup>†ö</sup>||Pitcher||867,523 |- |{{sortname|Roger|Clemens}}**||Pitcher||601,244 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Bob|Gibson}}<sup>†ö</sup>||Pitcher||582,031 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Walter|Johnson}}<sup>†ö</sup>||Pitcher||479,279 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Warren|Spahn}}<sup>†ö</sup>*||Pitcher||337,215 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Christy|Mathewson}}<sup>†ö</sup>*||Pitcher||249,747 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Lefty|Grove}}<sup>†ö</sup>*||Pitcher||142,169 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Johnny|Bench}}<sup>†</sup>||Catcher||1,010,403 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Yogi|Berra}}<sup>†ö</sup>||Catcher||704,208 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Lou|Gehrig}}<sup>†ö</sup>||First baseman||1,207,992 |- |{{sortname|Mark|McGwire}}**||First baseman||517,181 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Jackie|Robinson}}<sup>†ö</sup>||Second baseman||788,116 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Rogers|Hornsby}}<sup>†ö</sup>||Second baseman||630,761 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Mike|Schmidt}}<sup>†</sup>||Third baseman||855,654 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Brooks|Robinson}}<sup>†ö</sup>||Third baseman||761,700 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Cal|Ripken Jr.}}<sup>†</sup>**||Shortstop||669,033 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Ernie|Banks}}<sup>†ö</sup>||Shortstop||598,168 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Honus|Wagner}}<sup>†ö</sup>*||Shortstop||526,740 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Babe|Ruth}}<sup>†ö</sup>||Outfielder||1,158,044 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Hank|Aaron}}<sup>†ö</sup>||Outfielder||1,156,782 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Ted|Williams}}<sup>†ö</sup>||Outfielder||1,125,583 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Willie|Mays}}<sup>†ö</sup>||Outfielder||1,115,896 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Joe|DiMaggio}}<sup>†ö</sup>||Outfielder||1,054,423 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Mickey|Mantle}}<sup>†ö</sup>||Outfielder||988,168 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Ty|Cobb}}<sup>†ö</sup>||Outfielder||777,056 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Ken|Griffey Jr.}}<sup>†</sup>**||Outfielder||645,389 |- |{{sortname|Pete|Rose}}<sup>ö</sup>||Outfielder||629,742 |- |style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Stan|Musial}}<sup>†ö</sup>*||Outfielder||571,279 |}
==Pete Rose controversy== There was controversy over the inclusion in the All-Century Team of Pete Rose, who had been banned from baseball for life 10 years earlier. Some questioned Rose's presence on a team officially endorsed by Major League Baseball, but fans at the stadium gave him a standing ovation. During the on-field ceremony, which was emceed by Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully, NBC Sports' Jim Gray questioned Rose about his refusal to admit to gambling on baseball.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q1excEhov4YC&dq=pete+rose+transcript+jim+gray&pg=PA20 |title=Pete Rose transcript with Jim Gray |isbn=9780240807317 |accessdate=December 1, 2022|last1=Schultz |first1=Brad |year=2005 |publisher=Taylor & Francis }}</ref> Gray's interview became controversial, with some arguing that it was good journalism,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2004-08-06 |title=Top 10 Most Embarrassing TV/Radio Interview Moments |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/scorecard/08/05/interviews/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040814111816/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/scorecard/08/05/interviews/ |archive-date=2004-08-14 |website=Sports Illustrated}}</ref> while others objected that the occasion was an inappropriate setting for Gray's persistence.<ref>{{cite news |author=Everson |first=Darren |date=October 27, 1999 |title=Chad Shows No Curtis-y To Gray After Game-winner |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/1999/10/27/chad-shows-no-curtis-y-to-gray-after-game-winner/ |access-date=2025-03-18 |newspaper=New York Daily News}}</ref> After initially refusing to do so, Gray apologized a few days later.<ref>{{cite news |author=Solomon |first=George |author2=Sheinin |first2=Dave |date=October 27, 1999 |title=Gray's Apology Is Not Enough for Players |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/baseball/longterm/1999/playoffs/worldseries/articles/gray27.htm |newspaper=Washington Post |page=D1}}</ref> On January 8, 2004, more than four years later, Rose admitted publicly to betting on baseball games in his 2004 autobiography ''My Prison Without Bars''.
==See also== *Major League Baseball Centennial All-Time Teams *Major League Baseball All-Time Team, a similar team chosen by the Baseball Writers' Association of America in {{by|1997}} *Latino Legends Team *''DHL'' Hometown Heroes (2006): the most outstanding player in the history of each MLB franchise, based on on-field performance, leadership quality and character value *{{section link|Baseball awards|United States}} *List of MLB awards *Team of the century *National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== *[http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/mlb_history_moreinfo.jsp The MLB All-Century Team] *[http://static.espn.go.com/mlb/news/1999/1023/129008.html All-Century Team Vote Totals] from ESPN.com *[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004Y509 All-Century Team DVD] from Amazon.com *[http://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/limc100.shtml All-Century Team Information] from Baseball Almanac
{{MLBACT|state=expanded}} {{Major League Baseball on NBC}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:All-Century Team}} Category:1999 Major League Baseball season Category:Major League Baseball trophies and awards Category:History of Major League Baseball Category:Awards established in 1999 Category:1999 establishments in the United States