Baseball's Greatest Living Player...who is it?

[ksabet]

I am with the Bonds crowd. Doesn't matter to me. He was light years better than the other 80% of players who also cheated during this era. We judge Ruth against his contemporaries why not Bonds as well considering they all cheated.

[GoldenAge50s]

Being an "old school" type guy who grew up idolizing Mickey Mantle & the players of the late '40's & '50's, I am beginning to think Mike Trout may turn out to be one of the greatest of all!

He reminds me of a young Mickey w/ all the tools, BUT, none of the frailties that beset Mantle.

This kid may break ALL the records before he's done.

[tbob]

1. Willie Mays
2. Hank Aaron
3. Bob Gibson
4. Yogi Berra (and not Johnny Bench who gets all the hype but Yogi was CLUTCH).

[poorlydrawncat]

Originally Posted by ksabet

I am with the Bonds crowd. Doesn't matter to me. He was light years better than the other 80% of players who also cheated during this era. We judge Ruth against his contemporaries why not Bonds as well considering they all cheated.

I feel similarly Lance Armstrong. They're both scumbags and I can't root for them, but you can't deny that they were once-in-a-generation athletes with or without the cheating, for the reason you mentioned.

Although I'm more impressed by Ruth because his contemporaries probably took better care of themselves than he did (I know everyone smoke and drank, but Ruth took it to another level and gorged himself on food to boot). I'll never understand how he was so much better than everyone else around him.

[Hot Springs Bathers]

1. Mays
2. Aaron
3. Berra
4. Seaver
5. Koufax
6. Schmidt
7. F. Robinson
8. Maddux
9. B. Robinson
10. Ryan

[jerrys]

1. Mays
2. Rose
3. Berra
4. Aaron
5. Seaver

[tjb1952tjb]

Willie could do it all, albiet he hung on a year or two too long (Mets).

[pokerplyr80]

1. Mays
2. Bonds
3. Aaron
4. Rose
5. Griffey, JR

I'm a little biased with the Griffey selection as he was my favorite as a kid, but he sure had a beautiful swing. It seemed almost effortless. He wasn't bad in the field either.

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by poorlydrawncat

Although I'm more impressed by Ruth because his contemporaries probably took better care of themselves than he did (I know everyone smoke and drank, but Ruth took it to another level and gorged himself on food to boot). I'll never understand how he was so much better than everyone else around him.

Ruth, of course, was great, almost certainly the greatest of all time. But he also played in an era of few minorities and no black players at all. "Everyone else around him" excludes a significant segment of the population.

[prewarsports]

Ruth also played in the pre-expansion era so he faced the best pitchers in baseball regularly. Considering how few teams there were he missed facing a handful of great black pitchers, no doubt, but he faced great pitchers all the time. Now the best pitchers are spread out over 32 teams and only pitch every fifth day. How many times a year does Mike Trout have to face a teams ace?

Best living player, my vote:

Ken Griffey Jr. By far the biggest casualty of the steroids era and ranked the number one player of all time during much of his career ahead of Aaron and Mays.

[poorlydrawncat]

Originally Posted by Bored5000

Ruth, of course, was great, almost certainly the greatest of all time. But he also played in an era of few minorities and no black players at all. "Everyone else around him" excludes a significant segment of the population.

True! Very good point. And very depressing.

[Jdoggs]

Mays is the best.

[tedzan]

Originally Posted by poorlydrawncat

Although I'm more impressed by Ruth because his contemporaries probably took better care of themselves than he did (I know everyone smoke and drank, but Ruth took it to another level and gorged himself on food to boot). I'll never understand how he was so much better than everyone else around him.

It's amazing how certain myths regarding Babe Ruth are so often repeated. Well here is the real story......

At the end of the 1925 season, Babe Ruth was considering calling it quits. He played only 98 games in 1925. He had a mediocre season, and at age 30, weighed 254 lbs.
So that December, he sought out professional help by going to a Physical Fitness Gym. He started a rigorous fitness regimen at Artie McGovern's NYC gym (Artie was his
personal trainer). In 6 weeks, Ruth lost 44 lbs and his physical condition had improved to the point where he said "he felt like 20 again".

Ruth's performance 1926 proved that his physical conditioning really paid off. He played in 152 games....BA = .372....HR = 47....RBI = 145....SLA = .737

He continued this physical conditioning regimen for the remainder of his BB career. This transformation also brought about a renewed optimism; and, from 1927 - 1933
his career performance was equal to (or better than) his playing days when he was in his 20's.

Prior to Ruth's physical fitness program, his numbers were......

1918 - 1925

BA = .350

HR = 300

RBI = 905

After starting his physical fitness program, his numbers are......

1926 - 1933

BA = .341

HR = 377

RBI = 1161


TED Z
.

[ZenPop]

MAYS. WILLIE MAYS.

...obviously.

[obcbobd]

Surprised by the lack of support for Frank Robinson. Does he lose out by not playing his career for a single team and not in a big market?