PITCHERS:
16 Pitchers are selected, based on highest career WAR. If there isn't a bonafied relief pitcher (a pitcher who started less than 50% of their games) inthe top 16, tean the highest rated true Reliever will be selected and put into the 16th slot instead, despite the lower WAR rating.
Additional relief pitchers may also be added. They must be taken in order of WAR, and will take the place of the next lowest ranked starter. IMHO, in terms of resognizing a player's "greatness" (which is different from his "value") I believe that using WAR tends to favor starters over relivers a little too heavily. So based purely on my own subjective opinion, I've decided how many relief pitchers I thought each team should have on a case by case basis, based on how they ranked and who I thought was more deserving than the starter they would replaced. This is the sole area that's not 100% objective.
POSITION PLAYERS:
Position players are selected based on career WAR, and selected such that each team has at leats three qualifying players at each position. To qualify at a position, a player must have (1) been the teams starter at tha tposition for at leats 1 year and (2) have player at least 162 games at that position (or 154, prior to 1961.) Despite the fact that they may be occyping a certain position slot, the player will still be listed according to the qualifying positions they played the most.
Example: Craig Biggio occupies a Catcher's spot on the All-Time Astros, but will be listed as 2B-C-CF, since he played 1,989 Games at 2B, 428 at Catcher and 363 Games the the Outfield, with the majority (255) in Center. He was eligible at at each one of those positions, having played more than 162 games, and having been the team's starter at each for at least 1 season, but was put in the Catcher's lot due to there being preferable alternatives at 2B and OF than whomever would have ended up as the 3rd Catcher. Biggio was therefore put at Cather to make room for another Second Baseman.
DESIGNATED HITTERS:
A Career Designated Hitter can still be selected, assuming they have sifficent WAR.
A DH who still qualifies at a position, but who played more games at DH will be listed at the Position first, DH secondary. A player who does not qualify at any positions will take a slot at their secondary position and be listed as a DH first, with their position secondary. However - only ONE of either (not each) of this type of DH is allowed on a any team.
Examples:
Edgar Martinez (All-Time Mariners) is a 3B-DH. He qualified at 3B and played 564 Games there, but played 1412 Games at DH.
By contast David Ortiz (All-Time Red Sox) does not qualify at any position. Since he played 116 Games at 1B, and no other position beside DH, he will be treated as a First Baseman but listed as DH-1B. And as it works out, his WAR is sufficient to grab the third-string FirstBaseman's spot on the team.
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