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Originally Posted by packs
Tarik Skubal is currently 8 - 3 for a Tigers team with 34 total wins.
But my pick for greatest living player is Rickey Henderson. When people talked about Willie being the greatest living player, it was the combination of his 5 tools that gave him that title.
I don't think there's another living player with the five-tool talent of Rickey Henderson. Every generation there's another Mantle, Griffey, Trout, etc. but there will never be another Rickey Henderson. Lots of speed in the world but you still need four other elite skills to get to where he was.
I also disagree with Bonds. Greatest living player doesn't mean best stats or most awards. It means the greatest player that all other players should show deference to in recognition of their abilities and career. I really don't see an argument for anyone showing deference to Bonds. If his stats indicate he's better than Mays, why wasn't it argued he was better than Mays while Mays was still living?
I guess what I'm saying is, if you reduce greatest living player to stats and math, then how did Willie Mays end up as greatest living player as long as Bonds is alive? I think it's because those aren't actually the terms people look at the greatest living player in.
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I don't know that I would consider Rickey Henderson to be a 5-tool player if you are using the idea of 5-tools as being hit for average, hit for power, running, fielding and throwing. Rickey clearly had running covered, but he only won a single gold glove, and I don't remember anything being written about his throwing arm being anything special. He was also a career .279 hitter with 297 home runs. While Rickey was clearly a great player, I don't think 5-tool player really describes him.