Poll - Greatest Living Player

[calvindog]

The problem with just relying on stats is that they’re cold and don’t take into account the intangibles that make players great. I watched a thousand Yankees games when ARod played with Jeter, and while I wasn’t a Jeter fan I couldn’t help but acknowledge his winning plays and his clutch at bats compared to ARod. I wouldn’t go as far to say Jeter was a better player because ARod’s numbers were so huge, but this is at least a valid question, despite the huge numbers disparity.

Koufax is the postwar pitcher most people would choose to start one game you had to win. He pitched hurt and on little rest, he completed games and he came up huge in the WS. But it was really a five year period — just the greatest five year period in modern times. I suppose it depends on how you define greatness for him: can a five year period be enough? Or do you take in the entire career when deciding? I’d have to say the former for the same reason I favor Koufax’s greatness over Don Sutton’s.