Your favorite player of all time

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Posted By: Chris

My favorites are Matty, Honus, Lajoie, Delahanty, Mike Kelly, Jimmie Foxx, and... Bugs Raymond.

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Posted By: Mike

Pre war - Foxx. I would love to have seen a few of his long shots....

Post War - Koufax. Can anyone comprehend how good he would have been without the pain? The same could have been said for Mantle also.

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Posted By: T206Collector

There's only one Christy that I know at all
One Christy that I ever saw
He's the one who discovered the fade-away ball
And he pitches for Muggsy McGraw...

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Posted By: Scott T

Pre-War: Amos Rusie
Negro League: Oscar Charleston
"Modern": Nate Colbert



Scott

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Posted By: Rich Klein

Was going to Use EOM but was not allowed to post without some text. So here is some text

Jimmy Wynn and Cesar Cedeno

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Posted By: Josh K.

A couple of favorites (too hard to pick one over the other):

Grover Alexander
Walter Johnson

Now, if you had asked me about my favorite card, well that would be a different player altogether.

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Posted By: Paul

Pre war- Babe Ruth/Ty Cobb (cant decide between the two)
Post war- Tom Seaver

Hey Troy, I was living in Michigan when Fidrych was playing, & I agree that he was something fun to watch. Also, a great pitcher.

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Posted By: Chad

Of players I've seen play, Rickey! was the most fun. Pete Rose was my first ever favorite player, tho. Talk about picking a winner...

Favorite vintage players would be Matty from white baseball and Rube Foster from black baseball.

--Chad

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Posted By: Chris Counts

It's nice to see so many vintage collectors list Pete Rose as a favorite player ... he was always one of mine. Here are my favorites ...

Honus Wagner, Pie Traynor, Pepper Martin, Dizzy Dean, Enos Slaughter, Pete Reiser, Stan Musial, Frank Robinson, Vada Pinson, Pete Rose

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Posted By: Jason

1) Ozzie Smith is the first player that really brought my attention to baseball. Outstanding talent, way above-average person and ambassador of the game, and he didn't disappoint when I introduced my 3 year old son to him at Cooperstown last year, lighting the fire for a new generation

2) Kirby Puckett. Again an outstanding player, rags to riches story from my hometown Chicago, infectious smile and attitude that reassures you that this is a game that's fun to play, and a "baseball name" like I had never heard the likes of before! Not to mention an invaluable demonstration that a guy built like me could make it to the majors. I am truly fortunate to have met him at Cooperstown last summer.

3) I have adopted my father's favorites: Eddie Mathews and Roy Campanella. The stories he has of their impressions upon him as a boy have stuck with me.

4) Lee "Jeep" Handley. My cousin played for Cin and Pit in the 30s and 40s. He led the NL in SBs in 1937 (with a whopping 17!), and it was documented that Jackie Robinson was quoted as crediting Lee with being the first player in the major leagues to wish him well upon his promotion to the majors. He was also a bit of a competitor, apparently getting tossed from games for aggressive behavior. He got tossed from a game at Wrigley during the only time my grandfather was able to make it to see him.

5) Just to round out a top 5, would be Rickey Henderson. I met him at a card show when I was young and brought a drawing I had done of him. He was great, complimenting me on it, asking me if I had traced it (I hadn't), signed it, and said to keep it up. That could have gone much worse, but he was really very nice.

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Posted By: Judge Dred (Fred)

BABE RUTH - Sultan of Swat - the greatest beer guzzling, hot dog chowing, homerun hitting, pitching maniac to play the game!

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Posted By: davidcycleback

My favorite players are Ty Cobb and Robin Yount (I grew up a Brewers fan).

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Posted By: Rhys

Pre-war--- Louis Sockalexis
During my childhood--Jay Buhner
Current--Ichiro

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Posted By: eric p.

current: alex rodriguez and roger clemens.
growing up as a kid: al oliver, rickey henderson and nolan ryan.
prewar: casey stengel, ty cobb and babe ruth.

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Posted By: dennis

pre war "home run" baker, as a kid nellie fox and now paul konerco.

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Posted By: Jim T

I am with David on Robin Yount. He doesn't have the numbers that some of the all-time greats have but his approach to the game puts him among the all time-greats in my book. Of course I might be a little biased, growing up near Milwaukee in the 80's.

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Posted By: bob d

Player I saw (really grew up with) - Yaz

Player I read about (bigger than life) - Babe Ruth

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Posted By: George Altemose

My least favorite player of all time (excluding game throwers and steroid users) was Roberto Clemante. He was a constant crybaby, always whining about not receiving enough credit for his great accomplishments. In 1960, Clemente was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who won the World Series on Mazeroski's home run. That year, Dick Groat, their shortstop, was selected as the MVP of the National League. The graceless Clemente, in a show of team spirit, refused to wear his World Series ring. Instead, he always wore his All-Star ring, because that symbolized an award that was based on his personal accomplishments, rather than those of the team. What a hero.

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Posted By: Gilbert Maines

Wow George, I've never previously heard anything but accolades
for Clemente. Thank you for sharing an opposing view. My favorite
unfavorite player is Whitey Ford, who demanded and achieved
treatment as a prima-donna. It always seemed to me as if his
start had to be rescheduled because of the threat of rain,
an ill wind, or the fear of it, unfavorable karma, or some
other triviality.

Now it is true that I am not a fan of the Yankees, and am
particularly tough on Mantle, but this guy really ticked me
off with his antics. Now I recognize that his stats speak volumes,
and he is quite an accomplished pitcher, much like Clemente is
also an accomplished player. I guess that not everyone can be Hank
Aaron.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

My least favorite player of all time is Bucky F. Dent. Nobody else comes close.

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Posted By: B Kasel

Pre-War it's Lou Gehrig, growing up it was Dale Murphy.

My personal collection - http://s47.photobucket.com/albums/f176/fkm_bky/

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Posted By: jims

Growing up in St Paul, a Dodger farm club, and living across the river from Mpls., a Giants farm club I became an ardent Dodger fan and died many times in the early fifties in the month of October. Duke was my favorite. He even spent a few short months in 47 with the Saints. For my birthday a few years ago, my son had a repro jersey of the 47 saints specially made, I think by Mitchell and Ness. He sent it out to Snider and had it signed " best wishes Jim, Duke Snider"

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Posted By: J Levine

Vintage Player: Sherry Magee/Richie Ashburn
Growing up: Bob Boone/Steve Carlton
Current: Ichiro/Puljos

Joshua

PS Vintage and still playing would be my father (62 years old and still pitches and plays third base in a fast pitch 30 and over leauge!)