Top 30 Pre-WWII Players

[ullmandds]

Ruth is my #1! Cobb is #2. If cobb could pitch...then it'd be close!!!

[SushiX37]

Cobb and Wagner should be 1 and 2. Ruth ahead of either of them is a mistake. I may even put Matty and Cy Young ahead of Ruth.

Rich

[sbfinley]

Ruth-Cobb-Walter Johnson then everyone else. If DiMaggio was eligible I'd have him top 10. I'd probably have Ed Delehanty up there to, he was Gehrig-like during a dead ball era.

[Clutch-Hitter]

Originally Posted by SushiX37

Cobb and Wagner should be 1 and 2. Ruth ahead of either of them is a mistake. I may even put Matty and Cy Young ahead of Ruth.

Rich

Rich,

If you weren't kidding, how could you possibly reach that conclusion? It would be a reach to throw Babe out of 1st slot in an all-time context IMO. Very interested in hearing your thoughts.... Thanks

[Clutch-Hitter]

So, you're one of two coaches picking teams and all these guys are lined up waiting to be picked and all are in top form...you decide to bypass Ruth? Who would do that? For one of the slap hitters? Very interesting and a good topic. Thanks

[conor912]

Yes, I will take a great, fierce all-around player over a great power hitter any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

[GregMitch34]

People not picking Babe #1 surely are joking. Hell, he'd bat cleanup and then come on and pitch the final 3 innings to save the game for Matty.

[conor912]

Originally Posted by GregMitch34

People not picking Babe #1 surely are joking. Hell, he'd bat cleanup and then come on and pitch the final 3 innings to save the game for Matty.

No way. I'm calling foul on this one. Babe didn't become the power hitter we know until after his pitching prime was over. He was never a force of both at any one time. You can't have it both ways.

[Clutch-Hitter]

Originally Posted by conor912

No way. I'm calling foul on this one. Babe didn't become the power hitter we know until after his pitching prime was over. He was never a force of both at any one time. You can't have it both ways.

Babe led his team in HR's during his pitching years and with far fewer AB's, I think. In any case, Cobb would have to be considered...that is by the second coach when it's his turn to pick

[Mrvintage]

1. Babe Ruth
2. Ty Cobb
3. Rogers Hornsby
4. Nap Lajoie
5. Christy Mathewson
6. Walter Johnson
7. Lou Gehrig
8. Honus Wagner
9. Jimmie Foxx
10. Cy Young

[SushiX37]

Originally Posted by Clutch-Hitter

Rich,

If you weren't kidding, how could you possibly reach that conclusion? It would be a reach to throw Babe out of 1st slot in an all-time context IMO. Very interested in hearing your thoughts.... Thanks

I wasn't kidding at all. Most of my reasoning has already been written here by others. Ruth is a solid third in my book. I do like the idea of splitting pitchers and hitters too. If we did that, Cy Young would edge Matty...but not by much.

Great topic! It's been fun to follow.

Rich

[wolf441]

My one comment would be that had the color barrier been broken thirty years sooner, we might be talking Oscar Charleston as the greatest of all time.

[SushiX37]

Originally Posted by wolf441

My one comment would be that had the color barrier been broken thirty years sooner, we might be talking Oscar Charleston as the greatest of all time.

If that were the case, my money would have been on Josh Gibson. The landscape of baseball would have been VASTLY different if that was the case. Could you imagine Satchel Paige in his prime pitching to some of these guys!? By the time he made it to the majors he was an old man...regardless of how old he "claimed" to be.

Rich

[conor912]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

Ruth is my #1! Cobb is #2. If cobb could pitch...then it'd be close!!!

No way. I will give Ruth the "pop-icon" edge, but if I'm fielding a team, I'm taking Ty #1 every time.

[E93]

Originally Posted by conor912

No way. I will give Ruth the "pop-icon" edge, but if I'm fielding a team, I'm taking Ty #1 every time.

+1
JimB

[Clutch-Hitter]

Originally Posted by E93

+1
JimB

Ruth was a crack fielder...

[MMarvelli]

Quotes found in Baseball Almanac:

"(Ty) Cobb is a prick. But he sure can hit. God Almighty, that man can hit." - Babe Ruth

"(Ty) Cobb would have to play center field on my all time team. But where would that put (Tris) Speaker? In left. If I had them both, I would certainly play them that way." - John McGraw

"The Babe was a great ballplayer, sure, but (Ty) Cobb was even greater. Babe (Ruth) could knock your brains out, but (Ty) Cobb would drive you crazy." - Tris Speaker

"The greatest name in American sports history is Babe Ruth, a hitter." - Ted Williams

"If I'd just tried for them dinky singles I could've batted around .600." - Babe Ruth