Who is the greatest BB player you ever SAW?

[quinnsryche]

I figured why not start another Battle Royal. The only stipulation here is YOU, not you're dad or granddad, has to have seen him play regularly in your lifetime. Don't tell me you saw Babe Ruth's last at bat so therefore he's the greatest. I am just curious to hear who the board members think is the best of all time. Is it Mantle, Mays, Clemente, Rose, DiMaggio, Ripken or someone else? Incude a story, remembrance or scan of his (your favorite) card. Please limit any opinions to playing only and not "he was nice when he signed my 500 HR bat"! I'm only 44 so mine is a bit more recent: Chicago White Sox 1st baseman/dh Frank Thomas. I don't believe he was on steriods and was the most fearsome hitter I have ever seen (Pujols is a close second).
Edited: Let's try and keep it to 1 player, it's makes the arguments more interesting and anyone can list off 10 HOF'ers. I want this to be your choice of the BEST.

[canjond]

I will qualify mine by points in their career. For example, I can remember watching Griffey in the '95 wild card series against the Yankees. Game 5 was amazing to watch, even as a Yankee fan.

Seeing both Jeter and A-rod play back in the late 90's, early 2000s. Watching Clemens pitch in the mid-2000s. Those were the best players I ever watched in person.

Ted Williams
Willie Mays
Mickey Mantle
Bob Gibson
Roberto Clemente
Sandy Koufax
Whitey Ford


Bruce Dorskind
America's Toughest Want List
bdorskind@dorskindgroup.com

[Tcards-Please]

"Greatest BB Player We Ever Saw Play "

The question was the greatest player YOU, not a "we" question.

For me it was:
1. Hank Aaron
2. Nolan Ryan
3. Pete Rose
4. Greg Maddux

I know we were only supposed to pick one, but wasn't able to see the first three at the beginning of their career. Was able to follow Maddux from beginning to end.
r/
Frank

[howard38]

It's also supposed to be just one player so I'll go with Barry Bonds.

[Robextend]

There are a few I can choose, but for me, no one was better to watch then Ken Griffey Jr. in his prime.

Roberto Alomar and Greg Maddux were incredible as well.

[SmokyBurgess]

Hank Aaron.

Saw him several times, but only observed him hit one homer. (July 3, 1970).

[Mark]

I saw Mays play, but he was past his prime. The most impressive player whom I saw when he was at his best was Clemente.

[ChiefBenderForever]

Kirby Puckett

[CMIZ5290]

Originally Posted by howard38

it's also supposed to be just one player so i'll go with barry bonds.

leaded or unleaded?

[bcbgcbrcb]

For one season, Eric "The Red" Davis in 1987.

[quinnsryche]

I can't believe anyone would put Bonds, Sosa, A-Rod or any of the other roid cheats on the list of best ever. What a shame we are so forgiving.

[ChiefBenderForever]

Kirby Puckett was my favorite, but did see Hank Aaron when I was 5. Saw the greatest current player Derek Jeter several times. Caught a foul ball pitched by Johan Santana/ El Duque duel ( greatest thrill at a game ever ! ) and probably saw the last walk off home run Cal Ripken ever hit his last year at Camden yards !!

[base_ball]

Hitter: George Brett
Pitcher: Mariano Rivera

[sox1903wschamp]

George Brett: Lived in KC from 75-92 and he was lights out most notably from 75-80. Killed the Red Sox and many others.

[mr2686]

this was a tough one. I saw Mays, Aaron and Clemente, but all at the ends of their careers...but they were still the best out there so that's kinda scary. I saw some great pure hitters like Brett and Gwynn through their whole career make hitting look easy. I saw Brooks Robinson who in my opinion is the best fielder I ever saw, but If I was to pick one player that I've actually seen in my lifetime as the best player I ever saw I'd have to pick Pujols. He's a monster.

[rdixon1208]

Greg Maddux

[WWGjohn]

Best pitcher I saw was Koufax and the best hitter, Pujols. I saw Musial at the end of his career as well as Brock and Banks, but Albert is awesome.

John

[slipk1068]

Tony Gwynn. As a Met fan, seemed like he was on base every at bat against us.

Dwight Goodens 1st few years were impressive but I would have to give Maddux as my choice for pitcher

[chaddurbin]

bonds...he was so much better than anyone else. closest thing to babe ruth in our time.

[CMIZ5290]

I remember vividly as a youngster listening to my great- grandfather. He was a baseball fanatic and one of the greatest experts in the game. He told me numerous times, hands down, the greatest ever was ty cobb.

[mark evans]

Willie Mays. Although I grew up a Yankee fan and idolized Mickey, Mays was simply the best.

[Tabe]

Gave this some more thought and my answer is Alex Rodriguez. Pujols and Bonds would be right behind but I think A-Rod's defense puts him over top of the other two.

Tabe

[Kenny Cole]

Bonds. You can talk about steroids all you want, but he was so much better than everyone else, even the other juicers, that it wasn't even close.

[esd10]

the greatest player i have ever seen is ozzie "the wizard" smith i had seen him play in person and he was so graceful on defense the greatest shortstop in my oppion

[SteveMitchell]

Given the limitations of the question, I cannot list TED WILLIAMS because I only saw him play a few times and exclusively on a grainy, black and white 1950's TV whose horizontal hold often failed.

So, for hitters I would go with Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle and Ken Griffey, Jr. Had A-Rod not been involved with steroids, he would get my nod because (especially) when he was younger, he was talented and hustled on everything . At DH, none has equalled Edgar Martinez.

Among pitchers, Sandy Koufax in his prime was virtually unbeatable but Warren Spahn remained great twice as long as Koufax. Today, Cliff Lee reminds me very much of Koufax. I never saw Bob Feller but he was still pretty good twenty years after his retirement. In the end, I'll go with Spahnie!

[mayx2]

I say Clemente.


Lou

[btcarfagno]

I am most likely taking someone like Pujols for granted. But growing up in the 70's and 80's, the only baseball I got to see all the time here in Jersey was Met and Yankee games. As a fan of the NL in general, and a Yankee hater in particular, it pains me greatly to admit this. But the best player I ever saw was Donnie Baseball circa 1984-1988. I am sure there were a bunch of others during this time, I just did not see them often enough to say they are the best "I ever saw".

To me, Mattingly was the only player I have ever seen that would make me stop whatever I was doing because he was at the plate.

Tom C

[tedzan]

I saw Ted Williams play (at Yankee Stadium and on TV) from 1947 - 1960. As a Yankee fan, I still got a thrill when Ted would hit a HR
into the RF upper deck at the Stadium. After all it didn't really matter, as the Yankees would win the Pennant, anyhow.







I saw Satchell Paige pitch (when the Yankees played Cleveland or the St Louis Browns) from 1948 to 1953. He was certainly exciting
to watch. It's too bad we didn't see more of him.


1949 LEAF......(one of the top 10 cards in my collection)





I saw Mickey play many times at Yankee Stadium (and on the TV) from 1951 - 1968. He was the best there was in the post-WWII era.
What I consider really amazing about Mickey is.....he was a shy teenager from a small town that arrived in the "Big City"; and, stepped
into the footprints of a tremendous Yankee legend....and, succeeded beyond all expectations.

I can think of only one other ballplayer in the modern era with that distinction....Can you name him ?







TED Z

[Peter W Thomas]

Left fielder right after ted no ted but pdg.

[tedzan]

Yaz grew up in a small potato farming town way out in Suffolk County, Long Island, NY. He stepped into Ted Williams footprints in LF,
and the rest is BB history.

I met him briefly up in Cooperstown in 1989 at his HOF celebration event. A really fine gentleman.

TED Z

[dougscats]

Barry Bonds on steroids. He was in another league.

Ditto for Sandy Koufax, for those 5-6 years.

[Kenny Cole]

Koufax pitched the first game I ever saw in person. It was his last year in the majors and I was five years old. I had no clue what what happening, but I remember watching all those Giants batters flailing away and hitting nothing but air. He went 9 innings and pitched a shutout. It was awesome, I was hooked, and he was my hero from then on out. He still is.

Until Barry Bonds came along, I never thought I would see anyone who approached Willie Mays as an all around baseball player. Bonds was better. Steroids or not, he was so good it was scary.

Kenny Cole

[Rickyy]

I narrowed it down to someone who I actually saw on tv and play live...pre roid Barry Bonds...his first year as a SF Giant..wow...he hit for power, avg, ran like a deer...great at cutting off balls in the outfield..and though not a great arm...he was pretty accurate thrower.. I did get to see Willie Mays, play but unfortunately he was at the end of his career...

someone I wish I could have seen play...Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Stan Musial.