Baseball's Greatest Living Player...who is it?
In 1969, Joe DiMaggio was voted Baseball's Greatest Living Player. In honor of Joe DiMaggio's 100th birthday (Nov 25, 2014), I lay out a case for Baseball's Greatest Living Player being Derek Jeter.
http://jasoncards.wordpress.com/2014...living-player/ Personally, despite my analysis, I would still vote for Hank Aaron. Nonetheless, my analysis was more in the spirit of who would actually win. Take a look if you're a Joe D. fan, a Jeter fan, or just a fan of really long, half-baked analyses of baseball stats. And then chime in. Who do you regard as baseball's greatest living player? |
Derek Jeter is special but Hank Aaron is in a league by himself. If you discount the Bonds embarrassment, Aaron owns 2/3 of the career triple crown. Even if you subtract his homeruns he still has 3000 hits. If he had been a Yankee we wouldn't even consider this question.
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Today I learned I share my birthday with Joe Dimaggio.
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I would rank these as the greatest living players:
1.) Willie Mays 2.) Hank Aaron 3.) Johnny Bench 4.) Ken Griffey, Jr. 5.) Mike Schmidt 6.) Frank Robinson Bonds would have been second if he hadn't cheated. |
Tough to say but this is my humble guess
(1) Aaron (2) Mays (3) Griffey Jr. (4) Maddux |
greatest
hank aaron.
unequivocally. all the best, barry |
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Mays.
then Aaron. Derek Jeter? Please. And I like Derek Jeter a lot. On the pitching side one could make a case for Seaver. |
Aaron or Mays. Either answer works for me.
Greatest living pitcher I'd go with Koufax or Pedro or Big Unit. Bonds Clemens etc.; sorry no cheaters allowed. |
Mays then Aaron and would have to think some more to rank the next 5 or 10. In the mix would be Frank Robinson, Mike Schmidt, George Brett, . . . .
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Mays without a doubt. Can you be considered the best alive if you were never an MVP? (Jeter)
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I was just about to say... What about pitchers? Sandy Koufax.. The real Mr. October!
Nolan Ryan... Who is going to catch his numbers? How about Cal Ripkin? Remember the streak? |
Mays, no question.
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At no time was Joe DiMaggio the greatest living player.
My vote for now is Hank Aaron. |
No mention of Banks??? :confused:
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Is Ted Williams head still alive?
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Aaron, Mays, Bonds, Koufax, Maddux, Robinson, Bench, .... There are many greats still living. Would probably be hard for me to squeeze Jeter into the top 20.
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Willie Mays,
I agree Joe D was never the best living player. Jeter has never been the best current short stop let alone best living player. Frank Robinson, Mike Schmidt, Hank Aaron, and Pete Rose all get honorable mentions. |
Say-hey!
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Nolan Ryan would make my top 5 list. Just wanted to get his name in the tread.
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Also I would agree that Joltin Joe never deserved that title. After Ruth died the torch passed to Old Cy and then to Mays -- though it certainly looked like Mantle for a few years there. So anyway, it's Mays. And if it isn't Mays (which it is) then it's Trout. Jeter doesn't sniff the top 10.
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Aaron
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Everyday Players:
1. Mays 2. Aaron 3. F. Robinson 4. Schmidt 5. Brett/Bench Pitchers: 1. Koufax 2. Seaver 3. Maddux 4. R. Johnson 5. Martinez |
Aaron or Mays
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Aaron, followed very closely by Mays. At no time will Jeter ever be considered the greatest living player, even if he lives to be 90 years old.
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For hitters, and probably overall, I say Mays over Aaron by a nose.
For pitchers I say Maddux and Randy Johnson need to be in the conversation. Many of you will get mad at this, but I don't think Koufax is in the conversation for best living player. He was absolutely incredible for 5 years and decent for the rest of his career. 5 years does not make one the best living player and we can't count what would have happened if not for the shoulder issues at the end. |
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Mays a slight edge over Aaron. As hitters...they could be equal. Mays missed most of '52 and all of '53 to the Korean War...otherwise would have had greater career numbers. The deciding factor for me is that Mays has 12 gold gloves and Aaron with 3.
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Mays then Aaron. Jeter not in top 10.
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Hitters: Mays & Aaron
Pitchers: Koufax & Ryan |
Greatest Living Baseball Player
I'll go with Hank Aaron.
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I'd say mays and Aaron for hitters .... Probably Koufax and Pedro Martinez for pitchers (Maddux, unit , Seaver )right there also...
I wouldn't put jeter in top 10, and I'm a huge Yankees fan and jeter was probably the favorite player I watched. I don't think jeter would have been a thought for anyone just a few years ago , especially before he had 3000 hits. |
Bonds
Mays Aaron ARod Griffey jr |
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1 Mays
2 Aaron 3 Joe Morgan 4 Schmidt 5 Bench Bonds would be #2 if you can get past the steroids. |
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Mays
Koufax Aaron Berra Schmidt Mariano |
Willie Mays,
Hank Aaron - close 2nd Ricky Y |
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Frank Robinson is the most underrated great living player, for sure, but for my money, it's only Aaron here.
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It is Barry Bonds.
I know I know.
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Which living BB player has been in 14 World Series, and has 10 World Series Championship rings ?
And, he played a major role in his team's success for 19 years. There isn't any better measurement of a player than this. In my book its......YOGI BERRA http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...Tx52Bx53Bx.jpg http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...nYogiBerra.jpg Cooperstown 2012 TED Z . |
1.Aaron - .305/755HR/3771Hits
2.Mays - .302/660HR/3283Hits/12 Straight Gold Gloves 3.Rose - .303/4,256Hits/Head of Big Red Mavhine 4.Ripken - 2,632 consec games/431HR/3184Hits/Title/MVP 5.F. Robinson - .294/584HR/2943Hits/Triple Crown 6.Berra- 3x MVP/10x World Champ *Musial would have been #3 last year **RIP Tony Gwynn '14. .338 batting average deserves consideration if alive. I don't see Koufax in the top five pitchers. Gibson, Seaver, Ryan, Maddux, Johnson and Martinez are still kicking. Even a case could be made for Palmer, Carlton and Glavine. |
Got to be mays as best living player
I wouldn't have jeter on this or almost another list, I understand the love affair with him being on the Yankees and playing with such a great team that won a lot. This would be my list of guys better than jeter who are still alive & im sure im leaving guys off too. 1. Mays 2 . Griffey 3. Aaron 4. F. Robinson 5 . Schmidt 6. Brett 7. Bench 8 - Rose 9 - Berra 10 - Ripkin 11. gwynn 12. ichrio 13. pujols 14. banks 15. Eddie Murray 16. McGriff 17. Ricky Henderson 18 - Chipper jones 19. David Ortiz 20. bagwell 21. Vlad gurrero 22. Miguel Cabrera 23. albert bell (roids?) then you have pitchers 1. Koufax 2. Martinez 3. Seaver 4. Maddux 5. R. Johnson then you have the roid guys bonds arod maybe piazza Sheffield Clemens etc - etc |
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