RHP Nolan Ryan - got to see him pitch at old Tiger Stadium when I was a kid in the early 90s. He was magnificent. Still dominant into his mid-40s, just incredible.
LHP Rube Waddell - the stories about him are legendary, I'm endless fascinated by him. And when he actually felt like pitching, he was the best in the league.
C Josh Gibson - the Babe Ruth of the Negro Leagues, career .374 avg with multiple .400 seasons, it's a travesty he never got to play in the majors.
1B Carl Yastrzemski - I freaking love this guy, his 73 "Mutton Chop Yaz" is one of my favorite cards. And one of the best hitters of all time, 67 triple crown. A feat no one accomplished again until Miggy in 2012.
2B Lou Whitaker - I just attended his number retirement ceremony at Comerica back in August, and being able to yell "Loooooooooouuuuuuuu" for the first time since I was a kid brought tears to my eyes. He meant so much Tigers fans.
SS Alan Trammell - Lou and Tram were the greatest 2B/SS duo in history, they have every meaningful record. I got to meet Tram at a card show when I was a kid in the 80s, and I still have the picture displayed in my man cave.
3B Harmon Killebrew - I think they should call him "the Logo" like the NBA does Jerry West. Come on, look at the MLB logo and tell me that's not the Killer in his classic stance locked and loaded ready to unleash on that hapless ball.
OF Bo Jackson - my favorite player to watch as a kid, both in football and in baseball. When Bo wielded a bat, it was like a medieval executioner preparing to behead a criminal. And I've still never seen anyone approach his cannon arm, throwing guys out at home from the outfield at will. That awful injury he suffered in the Bengals game robbed us of possibly greatest pure athlete of all time, in his prime.
OF Rickey Henderson - the most exciting baserunner I've ever seen. I tried to emulate him in little league, but yeah, not so much. Ha! It's not that he was the fastest runner exactly, but his instincts were just incredible. And as a leadoff man, he could hit with power. I saw him hit his share of dingers over the years. I loved that he stayed in the league for so long. He was one of those guys who was there in my earliest baseball memories in the mid-80s, yet was still in the league into my 20s. An institution of the game.
OF Mickey Mantle - I watched as much of him as I could on video tape growing up, and was fascinated by him. They used to play this tv show from the 50s/60s in reruns on Saturday mornings called "Home Run Derby," and seeing him hit and crack jokes and his whole personality, I just idolized him. My buddies and I would play homerun derby in the lot down the street, and I always wanted to be Mantle. His presence still loomed large over the game then, and when he passed in 95, all of us baseball obsessed kids felt it. Nowadays, you can watch entire games on youtube which is awesome. Seeing him in the early 50s is really a sight, so much speed down the base path. Like just about everyone in the hobby, I love the Mick, and that's that.
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