The Athletic's MLB Quarter Century Team Is Garbage For One Specific Reason

Picking a quarter-century team for any sport is difficult, because there’s an endless number of combinations you could come up with that will inevitably leave someone snubbed.

But if you come up with criteria for how you choose your members of the squad, you need to be consistent. Jayson Stark of The Athletic was not, and it ruined the validity of the team he assembled. 

Before diving into what bothers me about it, here’s the team Stark put together.

Personally, I think this is a solid team. Do I think Pablo Sandoval should have gotten a spot instead of Adrian Beltre? Yes, but that’s a song for another time - and Beltre is solid.

However, the hot corner is a hot topic for another reason.

Stark chose Beltre over Alex Rodriguez, who was inferior to A-Rod in many statistical categories. However, the reporter did not include Rodriguez because of his PED use.

"Then there’s A-Rod. What the heck," Stark wrote. "One of the greatest players of modern times. But another two-time PED scoundrel who tarnished so many of his on-field accomplishments."

Hold on a sec. I get that A-Rod was a scoundrel and an unlikeable player. But how did Stark look past Bonds’ past to let him on the team?

Jayson Stark left Alex Rodriguez (left) off The Athletic's MLB All-Quarter-Century Team because of his PED history, but Barry Bonds (right) was included. That makes zero sense. (Getty Images).

While Bonds never admitted to taking steroids, there was a lot of evidence to suggest he did. He has missed out on his chance to go to the Hall of Fame because of this. So, if you’re going to fault Rodriguez, Bonds should face the same treatment. There are plenty of other left-fielders to choose from.

You’ve got to be consistent when choosing these teams, even in something as nuanced and opinion-driven as picking a quarter-century team. Otherwise, it loses all its credibility.

Staying away from steroid users altogether could be a smart move too.