if HOF started today - First Five

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Posted By: steve

Babe Ruth
Ty Cobb
Walter Johnson
Willie Mays
Lefty Grove

Ruth, Cobb & Johnson are easy choices. The other two - Mays because of both longevity and position, ie. centerfield. Grove - pitching wins championships. Honus maybe #5a. Had Aaron been a centerfielder, then yes. No rings for Teddy. Gehrig played easy position, not necessarily his fault. Ryan gave up too many walks. Koufax career too short. Then there is Satchel, no way to really tell.

Steve.

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Posted By: john/z28jd

If the Hall started today id start from the beginning of baseball and elect the most deserving players,breaking down the eras and making sure everyone who should be there is. The first election would be pre-1871 people(give or take on the year) and then id go from there. It annoys me that theres 19th century players who are so deserving who barely if all get mentioned except on this forum

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Posted By: joe brennan

Along with your 3 I have to include Cy Young. 511 wins. I know it was a different game back then but 511 wins is still 5111 wins. Hank Aaron could get a strong look for the 5th. Although he wasn't completely dominate in his time, his career #'s are very impressive.

In Rememberance of James W. Brennan Sr. 1924-1982. Dad, thanks for everything you did for me.

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Posted By: jay behrens

Ruth
Bonds
Johnson
Grove
Johnson

Just to stir things up

Jay

I love pinatas. You get to beat the crap of something and get rewarded with candy.

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Posted By: Mark L

Ruth
Wagner.
Cobb.
Johnson.
Williams.

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Posted By: peter chao

Jay,

So you think Walter Johnson is underrated, is that why you included him twice in your top 5.

I suppose you meant Matty.

At one time Barry Bonds had a legitimate shot at being among the top 5 of all time. Now he's out in purgatory somewhere.

Peter

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Posted By: Bill Stone

In my mind the names that most people associate with the game of baseball would include
1) Babe Ruth
2) Mickey Mantle
3) Joe Dimaggio
4) Ted Williams
5) Lou Gehrig
They would be my first five.

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Posted By: jay behrens

I meant to put Grove at 5

Jay

I love pinatas. You get to beat the crap of something and get rewarded with candy.

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Posted By: drew

Hi John

How about these guys from the 1870's.

Spalding
O'Rourke
Stovey
G.Wright
D.White

Drew

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Posted By: Mark Evans

Steve's initial post makes sense to me. Having started following baseball in the late 50s, if there is to be but one post-War representative, Willie Mays is the correct choice in my opinion. Mark

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Posted By: john/z28jd

Drew,Id elect H.Wright and Spalding in the first election and give much thought to other guys such as Jim Creighton,Al Reach, Dickey Pearce,Candy Cummings,Ross Barnes, George Wright and pioneers like Chadwick and Cartwright. O'Rourke,White and Stovey would be in the next era class

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Posted By: jay behrens

Cumming shouldn't even be on the radar for HOF consideration anymore. There has been enough research done now to disprove the Cummings invented the curve ball.

Jay

I love pinatas. You get to beat the crap of something and get rewarded with candy.

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Posted By: Joe_G.

Ty Cobb
Babe Ruth (same #1 & #2 as in 1939 - HOF got that right)
Walter Johnson
Cap Anson
Honus Wagner

Best Regards,
Joe Gonsowski

<edit> - I also like John & Drew's picks, great selections !

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Posted By: john/z28jd

Jay,actually Cummings had a 145-94 record in professional baseball but was a star pitcher before professional ball ever started.Even if he didnt invent the curve,he still mastered the pitch and was a star because of it and thats why i mentioned him.

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Posted By: Jerry

Mathewson
Johnson
Ruth
Gehrig
Cobb

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Posted By: John H.

I can't for the life of me understand how Mantle and DiMaggio can be placed on a list ahead of Henry Aaron.

My top five are:

Ruth
Cobb
Johnson
Aaron
Williams wins a multiple player tiebreaker because he's my favourite player of all time. Not to mention that he would have had around 700 homeruns, 2,400 RBI's and a .350 batting average if not for the five years he lost to WWII and Korea.

John

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Posted By: Ken W.

How about righting the wrong the first year out:

Josh Gibson
Satchel Paige
Rube Foster
Martin Dihigo
Buck Leonard

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Posted By: Max Weder

Great post KW; just what I was thinking

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Posted By: anthony

john kruk
steve sax
billy ripken
pete rose jr
mike krukow

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Posted By: Shanon

Here we go.....



GROUP A

Bench
Morgan
Rose
Perez
Sparky


GROUP B

Duke
Pee Wee
Hodges
Robinson
Campanella

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Posted By: Sean Coe

1.Babe Ruth
2.Willie Mays
3.Walter Johnson
4.Satchel Paige
5.Ty Cobb

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Posted By: steve

1. Pete Rose
2. Joe Jackson
3. Barroid Bonds
4. Sammy "corkie" Sosa
5. misc. Cobb era players

In Cobb's bio with Al Stump, Cobb mentions couple times of shady doings with other players/teams.

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Posted By: Jason L

perhaps consider McGwire, Palmeiro, and Hal Chase

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Posted By: Jay

Ruth
Cobb
Hornsby
Anson
Jackson

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Posted By: John Kalafarski

The five greatest players of all time on my list:
1. Babe Ruth
2. Ted Williams
3. Ty Cobb
4. Willie Mays
5. Honus Wagner
6. Mickey Mantle
7. Joe Dimaggio

These seven you could throw a small handkerchief over. To make ten I would add:
8. Walter Johnson
9. Josh Gibson
10. Lefty Grove

although I like to give pitchers their own list. There. I like my list best.

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Posted By: T206Collector

1. Ruth
2. Cobb
3. Mathewson
4. Grove
5. Johnson

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Posted By: John S

Anson
Cobb
Wagner
Ruth
Johnson

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Posted By: Marty Ogelvie

1. Ruth
2. Cobb
3. Aaron
4. Mays
5. Gehrig

martyOgelvie
nyyankeecards.com

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Posted By: Jason L

Babe Ruth
Ty Cobb
Honus Wagner
Cy Young
Jackie Robinson (find me someone else who could have done what he did!)

Next 5:
Hank Aaron
Rickey Henderson
Christy Mathewson
Nap Lajoie
Warren Spahn

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Posted By: peter chao

Jason L.,

I like your pick of Rickey Henderson for the second five. The greatest lead-off hitter of all time and a major disruptive force on the basepaths. If only he didn't hang on so long, it got pretty embarassing.

Peter

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Posted By: Peter Spaeth

The very first post is the best list I have seen. My only possible substitution would be Matty for Grove.

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Posted By: Jason L

it did get to be a bit long-in-the-tooth there towards the end...I actually think Rickey is a very underrated ballplayer.
He was fast and disruptive, not a bad hitter, and he was entertaining - I think he was the first ballplayer to begin talking about himself in the third person!
I was very surprised to see where he ranks on some of the all-time lists when he finally hung up the spikes...runs, walks, SBs, etc...

When his plaque is hung, I honestly think he will be a unique addition to the Hall.

Perhaps that would be another list of interest: Most uniquely-talented HOFers - or uniquely exceptional (in no order)
Rickey Henderson
Babe Ruth
Ozzie Smith
Jackie Robinson
Nolan Ryan
Walter Johnson
of course, this is an almost indefensible sort of list to put together

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Posted By: Andrew

1. Ruth
2. Cobb
3. Wagner
4. Johnson
5. Williams

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Posted By: Scot Reader

Since it is the Hall of FAME--not the Hall of STATS--why not enshrine those who are the most famous? In other words, ask your wife who should be in. Here's my "pop culture" list of the first 15 inductees:

1. Babe Ruth (John Goodman movie + candy bar)
2. Lou Gehrig (disease + recent Alcatel ad)
3. Jackie Robinson (color barrier)
4. Henry Aaron (fairly recent player + people THINK he has a candy bar)
5. Joe DiMaggio (Simon and Garfunkel song + Marilyn Monroe spouse)
6. Ty Cobb (Tommy Lee Jones movie)
7. Ted Williams (war hero + recent cryogenics mess)
8. Cy Young (major annual award)
9. Willie Mays (Terry Cashman song)
10. Mickey Mantle (ditto)
11. Duke Snider (ditto)
12. Honus Wagner (famous baseball card)
13. Abner Doubleday (Doublemint gum ad SAID he invented baseball)
14. Roger Maris ("61" movie)
15. Roy Hobbs (Redford movie)

Would be in but for moral turpitude:

Pete Rose (fairly recent player + gambling mess)
Joe Jackson (Kevin Costner movie + John Cusack movie)

Honorable mention:

Johnny Bench (Krylon paint ads--"No runs, no drips, no errors!")
Wade Boggs (Hair club for men)
Reggie Jackson (Failed candy bar)

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Posted By: Jason L

But
Jim Palmer (Jockey ads, and more recently, some financial planning ads)

oh, and don't forget Yogi Berra (for all his Yogi-isms)

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Posted By: Cobby33

Scot-
Don't forget the reference to "Say Hey Willie" in Fogarty's "Centerfield."

P.S. For that matter, DiMaggio and Cobb as well.

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Posted By: Ed

Merkle
Snodgrass
Branca
Buckner
The fan from Wrigley that blew the pennant

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Posted By: Ken W.

Steve Bartman, I think was his name.