Baseball's Greatest

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Posted By: Sean

In your opinion what ur top 10 best baseball players of all time overall

1. Babe Ruth
2. Lou Gehrig
3. Ty Cobb
4. Christy Mathewson
5. Stan Musial
6. Honus Wagner
7. Mickey Mantle
8. Hank Aaron
9. Joe DiMaggio
10. Ted Williams

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Posted By: Anonymous

not bad, but I do not agree with a few of your choices.Its always hard to choose all time because of position players and pitchers, but here I go.
#1 Babe Ruth (what he did with the bat is incredible, but to be a dominant if not THE dominant left hander of his time, is ridiculous
#2 Willie Mays (one of the first five tool players)
#3 Aaron (not only one of the best, but consistency as well)
#4 Walter Johnson (dominant pitcher and hit .235 for his career, not bad for a pitcher)
#5 Ty Cobb (mean old bastard, but an incredible talent) The Georgia Peach is maybe the best hitter of all time.
#6 Ted Williams, the only major leaguer to miss time because of WWII and the Korean conflict. The last .400 hitter and one of the only hitters that could challenge Cobb as best hitter of all time. He was surgical with his bat.
#7 Wagner was am incredible ballplayer and his card is the white rabbit of the hobby. But because of his card and being overshadowed by players and personalities such as Ruth and Cobb, his numbers are lost to the sands of time. Wagner batted .60 points higher than the league average throughout his career (this includes his last five years, where he was clearly over the hill). Slugging percentage was .115 points higher. Stole 722 bases and had an incredible glove
#8 Alex Rodriguez, to put numbers into perspective, his average is only .35 points higher than the league average. having accomplished so much at such a young age is incredible, without ballooning biceps and growing craniums. His combination of speed, power and overall hitting is incredible. I am sure people will argue, but he has an servicable glove and has switched postions, from SS to third base.
9. Lou Gherig (skill and class) imagine how we would talk about him if there was no Babe Ruth.
10. #7 (The Mick) speed, power, glove, broken body, switch hitter, hung over all the time and still number 10. imagine what he would have been had he taken care of himself and Joe D did not call him off a ball in the outfield.

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

I'd put Wagner first.

Players who saw Cobb, Ruth and Wagner ranked Wagner the best. I figure they know more about that stuff than I do from my chronological perspective, so I believe them and put Wagner first. If you read what the old players thought, and believe them, Wagner first.

Hardly anyone looks at it that way, and figure they know better and rate them differently. I used to think Cobb was the best ever. But that was when I based the decision on what I thought.

Thoughtful of you to have Mr. Musial up there, Sean.

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Posted By: Anonymous

My reasoning is all star pitcher (and a lefty at that, just look how lefties are coveted) and the man who revolutinized the game offensively, has to be #1.

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Posted By: Sean

No i raised stan musial because he's my favorite player of all time

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Posted By: Chris Mc

In no order as they are baseball to me, Walter Johnson, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams, Joe Dimaggio, George Sisler, Stan Musial, Christy Mathewson, Willy Mays

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Posted By: ItsOnlyGil

I will go with the Wake, verbatim.
I'd like to see Ol' Satch in there, after Young.
And toss the Mick, he don't belong with the big boys.

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Posted By: Larry

1. Babe Ruth
2. Martin Dihigo (6 foot 3 inch, 210 pound Cuban who could play all 9 positions and did so. One of the greatest hitters and pitchers of all time. Defeated Satchel Paige in their only pitching duel)
3. Ty Cobb
4. Walter Johnson
5. Honus Wagner
6. Rogers Hornsby
7. Lou Gehrig
8. Ted Williams
9. Joe DiMaggio
10. Johnny Bench

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Posted By: jay behrens

Need to do it by position, otherwise you end up with a bunch of OFs and 1B.

C- Gibson
1B- Foxx
2B- Hornsby
SS- A-Rod
3B- Schmidt
OF- Ruth
OF- Cobb
OF- Musial

RP- Johnson
LP- Grove
RP- Hofman

Jay

The richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least.

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Posted By: Wesley

For the same reasons given by Frank, I would rank Wagner number one. On the "Glory of Their Times" CD, there seemed to be a concensus among the players interviewed that Wagner was by far the best player they have played with or against. When Wagner's contemporaries say he was the best they have ever seen, I think this has to hold a lot of weight.

1. Honus Wagner
2. Babe Ruth
3. Willie Mays
4. Ty Cobb
5. Cy Young
6. Walter Johnson
7. Oscar Charleston
8. Martin Dihigo
9. Roger Hornsby
10. Barry Bonds

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Posted By: Cobby33

Wes- Great call on Bonds. Definitely higher than several others mentioned.

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Posted By: Ed Ivey

ruth
cobb
matthewson
thorneberry
dimaggio
foxx
williams
mantle
mays
A-Rod

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Posted By: jay behrens

If I go with top 10 pure offense then it goes like this for me:

1 Ruth
2 Williams
3 Bonds
4 A-Rod
5 Wagner
6 Cobb
7 Musial
8 Mays
9 Hornsby
10 Foxx

I don't know the Negro Leagues well enough to make good judgement calls on them, but I would guess Charleston, Gibson and Dihigo belong on the list somewhere.

Jay



The richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least.

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Posted By: peter chao

Where's Rickey? A unique talent, his stolen base records may never be broken. The Mick is also a unique talent. There will never be a player with as much power from both sides of the plate. Koufax is also a unique talent, there will never be another lefty so dominant over 5 years. All three belong somewhere in the top 10. Satchel also belongs, there will never be another player discussed in such awe by contemporaries. Don't know enough about Dihigo to say.

Oh yes, Wagner because he could play all the positions well.

Peter C.

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Posted By: Paul

I never thought I'd see the day when anyone listed an all time team that didn't include Wagner at shortstop. Jay just did, and I'm starting to think he was right to do it.

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Posted By: jay behrens

Peter, Koufax is one of my bugaboos when it comes to what defines a great player. I have a serious problem calling someone an all-time great when for the first half of their career they were barely a .500 pitcher.

For me, the all-time greats are the ones that did it for the vast majority of their career, players like Ruth, Cobb, Johnson, Mathewson, etc.

I think there is room in HOF for players like Koufax and others with great peak performance but lackluster numbers for the rest of their career, but I would never consider them for all-time great status. That should be reserved for those that were great their entire career.

Jay

The richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least.

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Posted By: Ron

I can't believe I'm seeing A-Rod's name on the same list as Ruth, Cobb, DiMaggio, Williams and the like at this stage. Would need to see how he finishes his career first. Maybe in a few more years...

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Posted By: jay behrens

You have DiMaggio on your list. He didn't exactly finish his career, per se. At the end of this year, A-rod's career will have been 2 years longer than DiMaggio's. Instead of sticking around to generate numbers or more make more money, he decided to leave the game early. Imagine if Jim Rice had done the same thing and didn't have that horrid finish to his career. He'd be sitting in the HOF right now.

If A-rod walked away from the game right now, I'd still consider him the best SS of all-time. Even if his career collapses like Rice's did, I'd probably think the same since I still think Rice belongs in the HOF. He goes in under what I call the Koufax Rule, if you dominate for 5 years, you get in. Until Barry Bonds, there wasn't a hitter around more feared than Rice was in his prime. Even back to the late 60s, I don't remember any hitter being as feared as Rice.

Jay

The richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least.

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Posted By: Paul

Rice should make it into the Hall this coming year.

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Posted By: Al C.risafulli

1. Babe Ruth
2. Willie Mays
3. Barry Bonds

after that, for me, things get murky and I get wishy-washy. Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston, Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Alex Rodriguez, Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio and Hank Aaron all fight for the last 7 spots, I guess. As much as I love him, I'm not sure Mickey Mantle makes my top 20.

-Al

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Posted By: steve

Satchel Paige - reading his autobiography - many incredible stories - biggest gate draw of all time - longevity - never heard so many such stories of anyone else, except perhaps Ruth.

Starting a team, I'll take Ol' Satch as first pick.

Dominant, Dominant, Dominant !!!!!!!

Steve

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Posted By: Phil Garry

From the same era, I think Dave Parker was comparable to Jim Rice and he gets no recognition from the HOF voters at all. I'm sure the drug scandal has a lot to do with that also, but what about Parker's playing ability?

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Posted By: Jerry Rucker

• Babe Ruth
• Ty Cobb
• Christy Mathewson
• Walter Johnson
• Honus Wagner
• Lou Gehrig
• Rogers Hornsby
• Hank AAron
• Willie Mays
• Tris Speaker

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Posted By: ps

1. Ruth
2. Mays
3. W. Johnson
4. Wagner
5. Cobb
6. Bonds
7. Williams
8. Musial
9. Grove
10. J. Gibson

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Posted By: jay behrens

Parker wasn't feared like Rice was. He also wasn't a dominant hitter like Rice. Parker had a nice career, but HOF doesn't come to mind when I think of him, just like I don't think HOF when it comes to Palmiero even without the steroid scandal.

Jay

The richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least.

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Posted By: Danny Grimes

1) Babe Ruth
2) Walter Johnson
3) Ty Cobb
4) Ted Williams
5) Mickey Mantle
6) Willie Mays
7) Cy Young
8) Yogi Berra?
9) Warren Spahn (LHP most wins)
10) Lou Gehrig

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Posted By: PAS

I agree on Parker, but it seems hard to overlook 500 plus HR and 3000 hits even if they were accumulated in Texas and Baltimore.

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Posted By: Darren

Babe Ruth.

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Posted By: peter chao

Bench had a better arm than Yogi Berra. Either Bench or Josh Gibson need to be in the top 10, considering the difficulty of catching, there needs to be at least one catcher among them.

Peter C.

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Posted By: leon

The greatest player ever and the greatest year he had.....and a very, very rare card.....

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Posted By: Marc

No offense to anyone, but I just cannot consider any players from 1980 until now as anywhere near the top 10 of alltime. With all the steroids, HGH, supplements, etc., it just isn't fair to compare todays athletes to the past. Without steroids, HGH and any kind of nutritional supplements - ARod, Clemens, Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, Palmeiro, etc. would not have come even remotely close to the numbers they produced. Anyone who doesn't see this just isn't considering everything.

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Posted By: peter chao

Marc,

Of course the numbers count and so does fairness, what do you do with somebody like Arod? Bill James likes to wait 5 years before fully evaluating a person's career. That would be a good idea with Arod.

Peter C.

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Posted By: Darren

Nice card, Leon!

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Posted By: leon

Another board member and I fought tooth and nail for it....I thought you would recognize it....Sort of like when a few board members show cards I sold them and miss sorely....( though I am not sure you miss it )

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Posted By: steve

Assume for a moment that the object is to go through a theoretical season with a teamful of all-time greatest players. Then eventually to win the World Series.

Big time pitchers usually shut down big time hitters. That said, the first four choices for my "Greatest" team would be the best 4 to the rotation starting pitchers.

My pitchers would shut down the likes of Ruth, Gehrig, Mays and the gang.

1. Satchel Paige
2. Walter Johnson
3. Lefty Grove
4. Nolan Ryan

Heck, your hitters could be looking at shutouts every night.

Pitchers may very well be the Greatest players.

Steve

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Posted By: John Kalafarski

1. Ruth (every time I see the Babe hit one out on film it's a high pitch; what happened to the strike zone?)
2. Ted (I was lucky to see @ his last 7 years. He might've been #1 if he had that short Yankee Stadium porch to shoot at.)
3. Ty (It's really hard to compare dead ball era players with live ball ones. When I was a kid, he was the standard answer for # 1.)
4. Willie (Such power for a small guy; enthusiasm a joy to watch.)
5. Honus (Stange body for a great athlete.)
6. The Mick (The last great player. He was so good a right handed batter that the Yankees considered having him not bat lefty.)
7. Joe D (Ten World Series in 13 years. The greatest team leader ever?)
8. Stan the Man (Killed the Bums who then named him "The Man".)
9. Tris Speaker (Played a very short center field.)
10. Gehrig (Huge thighs and butt.)

Pitchers (A different breed)
1. Walter
2. Grove (Interesting how the top two threw almost exclusively the heater.)
3. Grover (What if he were sober?)
4. Pedro (At his peak, I've never seen better.)
5. Koufax (If you saw him, you wouldn't have believed how helpless the batters were.)

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Posted By: Darren

Hey Leon,

I kinda miss it.

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Posted By: Phil Garry

Without steroids entering the picture, I'm sure Palmiero would have gotten into the HOF within the first few years of eligibility.