Who is the greatest BB player you ever SAW?

[Wite3]

Hmm...for pure talent Puljos and Maddux and Carlton and Schmidt.

For pure toughness and a player who played hard...Mickey Hatcher. He played with limited talent (although more than 99.9 % of the population) but with great drive and desire and intelligence. That makes a great player to me.

Mickey Hatcher was standing on second when a small looping single was hit into left. As he rounded third, he started shouting "Cut, Cut" and the third baseman thinking it was the pitcher calling it, cut the throw off and Hatcher scored. SMART baseball.


"I would rather be the worst player in the major leagues than never play in the majors at all" --Mickey Hatcher

[novakjr]

I'm still relatively young at 31 and from Cleveland, so I might seem a bit biased. I've seen alot of games. Frank Thomas was great. Ripken was my all time favorite, but not the greatest. Seen all the modern greats come in and out of Cleveland to play against the Indians. Used to go to at least 1 Pirates game a year back in the late 80's-early 90's. Bonds and the early 90's Bucs were fun to watch.. All that being said, honestly, watching the mid-90's Indians teams were more that I could've ever asked for. Well, a World Series Championship would've been nice. Manny, Thome, Murray, the Alomar Brothers, Lofton, Vizquel, Winfield, Matt Williams and Jeff Kent(half-season), Albert Belle, Hershiser, Dennis Martinez, Jack Morris, this could go on forever..

Anyways, Robbie Alomar was just beautiful to watch play, and probably the best all-around player. Vizquel and Alomar as a combo might be the greatest defensive duo ever.

I also wanna add, as brain dead as Manny can be at times, you just can't beat watching him bat in the play-offs(especially when he was with Boston). It didn't matter what count, what pitch, what game situation, nothing fazed the guy. I guess it was just his idiocy, and he didn't know any better, but you just couldn't put any pressure on the guy. I honestly think the guy could be swinging a broomstick, while you have a defense full of naked centerfolds shooting guns at him, and pitching a golf ball at 100 mph, he'd still get a hit.

[Zach Wheat]

Probably Mantle...one of my favorites.

[glynparson]

The answer is Bonds plain and simple. Cheating has and always will be part of baseball. We dont seem to hold it against all the greenie users. We talk about the Prewar guys like their immortals, when they only played against a percentage of the countries best athletes and essentially none from around the world. Also I saw Bonds play A LOT in Pittsburgh and to say that pitchers didnt fear him then is total B.S. revisionist crap. He was a jerk yes did he do roids yes. but guess what the rules stated you couldn't use them but also gave no punishment for using them so was it even really cheating? Where do you draw that line? Andro? Creatine? Protien Powder? Hell lifting in general all are performance enhancing that's why their done. I would hold it against Bonds if I did not think the overwhelming majority of Pros including many Good guys, see Andy Pettite, used the stuff. Should kids idolize him hell no, they shouldn't have before he ever injected anything, but the guy could flat out play. And you can even make the argument he was a better player, all around player that is, before he bulked up.

[vintagehofrookies]

Originally Posted by 49leaf

Bar none the most dominating player i have ever seen is Jose Canseco. Ask any player who was in the league from 87-90 and they will agree. He was a one man wrecking crew , the players had never seen anyone who could hit run and propel his team to win. Do I agree with the roid use, well they were all on it the last 23 years and Jose was the best.

I 100% agree and couldn't have said it better! Along with Canseco, Vladimir Guerrero was the best player I have ever seen.

[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.