If you were starting a team today......

[tedzan]

The decades old question.....who was a better Centerfielder ?

Willie, Mickey, or the Duke (Snider) ?

In my opinion, since in during my youth I saw all three of them play, they were all great.

Duke Snider was one of the most gracious ballplayers that I ever met. And, you have to check-out the story Pete Rozelle tells about the Duke (when
they were classmates at Compton High (California) in the 1940's.

Willie, unfortunately is not the nicest guy you want to meet, nowadays. And, this is a shame to his many fans who have idolized him for many years.

And, Mickey....GOD Bless his soul.


OK, here is the quiz.....what is remarkable about Mickey which sets him apart from Willie and the Duke in terms of achievement ? ?


TED Z

T206 Reference
.

[Bigdaddy]

Originally Posted by tedzan

OK, here is the quiz.....what is remarkable about Mickey which sets him apart from Willie and the Duke in terms of achievement ? ?


TED Z

T206 Reference
.

Ummm...he drank more beer than Willie and Duke put together??

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by tedzan

OK, here is the quiz.....what is remarkable about Mickey which sets him apart from Willie and the Duke in terms of achievement ? ?


TED Z

.

1. He was a switch-hitter. Besides Eddie Murray, the best switch-hitting power hitter in baseball history.
2. He was the best bunter, and could drop one down for an infield hit almost whenever he wanted.
3. As good as he was on the field, his best work was done after he retired, with his honesty about his bad habits, addictions, and poor choices. He really turned the negatives in his life into teachable moments for millions of people.
4. His quick thinking while at first base, avoiding being doubled-up in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series was the single best instantaneous reaction to an unusual situation ever seen on a ball field.
5. His baseball card prices almost single-handedly lifted the value of all baseball cards, and gave birth to the idea that a players' "rookie" card should have inordinate value.

[tedzan]

Hi Mark17

Thanks for all your answers.

However, the answer I'm looking for is much "deeper" than the usual stats, BB card factors, etc.

I'll continue this subject tomorrow evening.


TED Z

T206 Reference
.

[NiceDocter]

Watching a rerun of The Rifleman the other day and The Duke was one of the bad guys! Even had a few lines..... but like all the others who come up against Lucas McCain he bit the dust by the end of the half hour.

[mantlefan]

Well, Mickey of course. He did it all.

[packs]

If I'm starting a team today to play today, I'm picking Trout every time. We discuss the modern game and who would be a star in it all the time. Why would you pick anyone other than the best player in the modern game, if not the best player of all time. Nobody pitching to Mickey had anything to go on other than anecdotes. Hard to say what effect modern analytics would have had one him or Ted or anyone else. But we know what Trout can do.

[ullmandds]

Originally Posted by Mark17

1. He was a switch-hitter. Besides Eddie Murray, the best switch-hitting power hitter in baseball history.
2. He was the best bunter, and could drop one down for an infield hit almost whenever he wanted.
3. As good as he was on the field, his best work was done after he retired, with his honesty about his bad habits, addictions, and poor choices. He really turned the negatives in his life into teachable moments for millions of people.
4. His quick thinking while at first base, avoiding being doubled-up in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series was the single best instantaneous reaction to an unusual situation ever seen on a ball field.
5. His baseball card prices almost single-handedly lifted the value of all baseball cards, and gave birth to the idea that a players' "rookie" card should have inordinate value.

There are all those world serieses!!