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Best baseball player of all time? [W:74]

JC Callender

JC Callender

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I got this idea just now from posting on 11Bravo's "Best Wide Receiver..." thread. I say Babe Ruth as he not only had ridiculous hitting stats, esp. compared to other players at the time, but also probably could've been a HOF pitcher.

RuthBabe.jpg
 
JC Callender said:
I got this idea just now from posting on 11Bravo's "Best Wide Receiver..." thread. I say Babe Ruth as he not only had ridiculous hitting stats, esp. compared to other players at the time, but also probably could've been a HOF pitcher.

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ken Griffey junior was always my favorite, but i dont think i could argue he was better than ruth
 
The Iron Horse. Lou Gehrig
 
As Vin Scully said in this his retirement year, "The Say Hey Kid" .
 
Babe Ruth however he essentially played against inferior talent with the best players playing in another league. Saying Ruth is the greatest player of all time is like Sadaharu Oh is the greatest baseball player. So I'll go with Barry Bonds.
 
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Best baseball player I''ve seen in my lifetime was Ken Griffey Jr. He could do it all.

Reading about and talking to people I'd have to give Ted Williams serious consideration for best ever, at least best hitter ever. He hit 521 HR's and missed what? 4-5 years of his prime because he fought in 2 wars? And a On Base % of almost .500?

Pretty damn good.
 
Bucky said:
Babe Ruth however he essentially played against inferior talent with the best players playing in another league. Saying Ruth is the greatest of all time is like Sadaharu Oh is the greatest baseball player. So I'll go with Barry Bonds.
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Fair enough, but I don't know how many black players would've been beating Ruth's stats when most white players couldn't come close. Hank Aaron never had more than 47 bombs in a season, yet Ruth had 59 in 1921, second place was 24, all while hitting .378. 1921 American League Batting Leaders | Baseball-Reference.com
 
SenorXm/Sirius said:
Best baseball player I''ve seen in my lifetime was Ken Griffey Jr. He could do it all.

Reading about and talking to people I'd have to give Ted Williams serious consideration for best ever, at least best hitter ever. He hit 521 HR's and missed what? 4-5 years of his prime because he fought in 2 wars? And a On Base % of almost .500?

Pretty damn good.
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I have seen Ken Griffey in person as well and he was great. From a untrained eye it appears he was hot-dogging it but in reality he just made it look really effortless.

I would say Barry Bonds is better because a. He didn't strike out as much and drew more walks b. He was smarter on the base paths c. injuries derailed Griffey's career.

The only advantage Griffey had over Bonds was defense.

As good as Griffey was, he only had a WAR above 9 once in his career, never above 10. Mike Trout has had a WAR above 4 times already in his career.
 
JC Callender said:
How was he better than Ruth? Which, btw, were there ever two better players on the same team in any sport?
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Gehrig a 7 time all star, holds a triple crown, 184 RBI's in one season, played in 2,130 consecutive games (He played every game for more than 13 seasons, despite a broken thumb, painful back spasms, and a broken toe. X-rays taken late in his career, showed Gehrig's hands had 17 different fractures that had healed while he continued to play), at least 100 RBI's and 100 runs in 13 straight seasons, collected 400 total bases in 5 seasons, one of only 2 players to collect at least 500 doubles, 150 triples, and 400 home runs in a career, stole home 15 times in his carer.

And lets just remember his career was cut short due to ALS.
 
Not to disparage other selections but I would say Willie Mays--the 5 tool player.


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Completely impossible question to answer IMO. You can discuss positions, batting, base running...etc...but overall best?
 
TheDemSocialist said:
Gehrig a 7 time all star, holds a triple crown, 184 RBI's in one season, played in 2,130 consecutive games (He played every game for more than 13 seasons, despite a broken thumb, painful back spasms, and a broken toe. X-rays taken late in his career, showed Gehrig's hands had 17 different fractures that had healed while he continued to play), at least 100 RBI's and 100 runs in 13 straight seasons, collected 400 total bases in 5 seasons, one of only 2 players to collect at least 500 doubles, 150 triples, and 400 home runs in a career, stole home 15 times in his carer.

And lets just remember his career was cut short due to ALS.
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In 1997 the Mariners had Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr, and Randy Johnson all on the same team.

If you wonder why they never won a WS, well they traded Jason Variety and Derek Lowe for Heathcliff Slocum. Oh, trading away Tino Martinez and Jeff Nelson to the Yankees for Sterling Hitchcock didn't help either.
 
Bucky said:
I have seen Ken Griffey in person as well and he was great. From a untrained eye it appears he was hot-dogging it but in reality he just made it look really effortless.

I would say Barry Bonds is better because a. He didn't strike out as much and drew more walks b. He was smarter on the base paths c. injuries derailed Griffey's career.

The only advantage Griffey had over Bonds was defense.

As good as Griffey was, he only had a WAR above 9 once in his career, never above 10. Mike Trout has had a WAR above 4 times already in his career.
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Yes, injuries derailed Griffey. But Bonds had 'help' to stay healthy and actually get better as he got older. As far as we know Griffey never used any 'help'.

So 'prime' of their careers, overall I'd give it to Griffey.
 
TheDemSocialist said:
Gehrig a 7 time all star, holds a triple crown, 184 RBI's in one season, played in 2,130 consecutive games (He played every game for more than 13 seasons, despite a broken thumb, painful back spasms, and a broken toe. X-rays taken late in his career, showed Gehrig's hands had 17 different fractures that had healed while he continued to play), at least 100 RBI's and 100 runs in 13 straight seasons, collected 400 total bases in 5 seasons, one of only 2 players to collect at least 500 doubles, 150 triples, and 400 home runs in a career, stole home 15 times in his carer.

And lets just remember his career was cut short due to ALS.
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Babe also had over 500 doubles and 136 triples, but 221 more bombs! And Babe pitched for 5 seasons. Gehrig's toughness, consistency, and longevity are admirable traits, but the stats aren't as impressive as Babe's imo.
 
For the sake of discussion...Pet Rose

Rose, a switch hitter, is the all-time MLB leader in hits (4,256), games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053), singles (3,215), and outs (10,328).[SUP][1][/SUP] He won three World Series rings, three batting titles, one Most Valuable Player Award, two Gold Gloves, the Rookie of the Year Award, and also made 17 All-Star appearances at an unequaled five different positions (second baseman, left fielder, right fielder, third baseman, and first baseman). Rose won both of his Gold Gloves as an outfielder in 1969 and 1970.
 
VanceMack said:
Completely impossible question to answer IMO. You can discuss positions, batting, base running...etc...but overall best?
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Yep, 100% agree. Different positions. How do we rate pitchers vs. hitters? Different eras.

But it is fun.
 
VanceMack said:
For the sake of discussion...Pet Rose

Rose, a switch hitter, is the all-time MLB leader in hits (4,256), games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053), singles (3,215), and outs (10,328).[SUP][1][/SUP] He won three World Series rings, three batting titles, one Most Valuable Player Award, two Gold Gloves, the Rookie of the Year Award, and also made 17 All-Star appearances at an unequaled five different positions (second baseman, left fielder, right fielder, third baseman, and first baseman). Rose won both of his Gold Gloves as an outfielder in 1969 and 1970.
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Pete Rose shouldn't even be in the conversation.
 
SenorXm/Sirius said:
Yep, 100% agree. Different positions. How do we rate pitchers vs. hitters? Different eras.

But it is fun.
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Yeah. I decided to play...I offer Pete Rose as the greatest all around ball player in the history of American baseball.
 
Bucky said:
Pete Rose shouldn't even be in the conversation.
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But he IS in the discussion...and thats a mighty quick judgement from someone that blindly defends the GOAT.
 
Ty Cobb.
 
VanceMack said:
But he IS in the discussion...and thats a mighty quick judgement from someone that blindly defends the GOAT.
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He never hit 20 hr's in a season and he is the greatest of all time? LOL
 
VanceMack said:
Yeah. I decided to play...I offer Pete Rose as the greatest all around ball player in the history of American baseball.
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I'm in my 60's. so again going by who I saw,When he was healthy. I go with Griffey. I remember seeing Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays, but they were both at the ends of their careers when I saw them.

Greatest pitching for a single year? Pedro Martinez, 1999 Red Sox. Dwight Gooden, 1985 Mets. Steve Carlton, 1972 Phillies.(he won almost 1/2 the games the Phillies won for that year).. Ron Guidry, 1978 Yankees.. And there's more.

But I think what Carlton did in 1972 is the best I ever personally seen. 27 wins on a team that won 59 games total. Amazing.
 
AliHajiSheik said:
Not to disparage other selections but I would say Willie Mays--the 5 tool player.


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And boom goes the dynamite. Best player EVER.
 
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