Who is the greatest player of all time by position?

[orioles70]

It seems that when the inevitable happens to Mays (we are all day to day) that Schmidt will be considered the greatest living baseball player.

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[ClementeFanOh]

Orioles70- Hmm... Johnny Bench, Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan would have a
place in that conversation (and I'm likely forgetting others, believe me

Trent King

[orioles70]

Originally Posted by ClementeFanOh

Orioles70- Hmm... Johnny Bench, Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan would have a

place in that conversation (and I'm likely forgetting others, believe me



Trent King

Judging by this thread...Schmidt is the predominant living player other than Mays mentioned as the greatest ever st their position... I don't think Koufax and Ryan have even been mentioned...Bench can certainly be in the conversation as greatest living after Mays passes but I would still give the nod to Schmidt when the time comes

Greatest Living Player
Opinion Addendum

I went to the Hall of Fame website and scrolled thru the list of all the living Hall of Famers for the next greatest living baseball player after Mays.

The only players other than Schmidt that made me pause in my scrolling thru the Hall of Famers for greatest living player were Bench, Jackson, Henderson and Griffey...arguments can be made for all and I readily admit my bias towards position players as I think it would be tough to have a pitcher named as the greatest living player...I did not consider any non Hall of Famers such as Rose and Bonds

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[ClementeFanOh]

Orioles70 (John)- there's no doubt Mike Schmidt is a good candidate. As
far as others on the thread not naming Koufax/Ryan, I guess my reply is
this is why we comment- to bring up possibilities. Ryan and Koufax are
larger than life HOF players who we can identify by their first names alone,
so including them in a group of half dozen isn't a stretch by any means.

Trent King

[G1911]

I think the greatest living player, after Mays inevitably passes, would be Bonds, by a fairly large margin. Not the fan favorite or most popular or most virtuous, but the best.

[packs]

How about after Bonds? Like you said it’s hard for people to settle on him. Griffey?

I’m not going to suggest Arod for the same issues as Bonds.

Saw Rickey’s name tossed out there. That’s a good pick too.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by packs

How about after Bonds? Like you said it’s hard for people to settle on him. Griffey?

I’m not going to suggest Arod for the same issues as Bonds.

Saw Rickey’s name tossed out there. That’s a good pick too.

Rickey is a good one. WAR has him as the highest living after Bonds, Mays and ARod. I think lead off guys are usually undervalued in favor of the sluggers. He might well deserve to be fourth.

Pujols, measured by his career and not the last few years, is pretty close. He fared better than Griffey and Frank Thomas overall, who had a very similar absolutely amazing first half and then a very long decline.

I think most people won’t pick a pitcher, but the best of them are probably more valuable than the next crop of hitters. Folks should really just be okay with their personal favorite and the best being different, but that’s my opinion. Jeter, Ripken, and other crowd favorites are not made better nor worse by their fan base.

Trout, if he recovers, could in several years be the best living player and active at the same time. Which I guess is normal, Mays was, Ruth was before him. For a time Cobb was probably the greatest living player, got supplanted by Ruth, and was again the greatest living player from Ruth’s death until he died in 1961. I’m not sure who the greatest living player was between Cobb’s second stint and Mays’, Mays was not the best as early as 1962. Ted Williams for a few years, probably. I believe Cobb is the only repeat player worthy of this honor

[rats60]

Originally Posted by ClementeFanOh

Orioles70 (John)- there's no doubt Mike Schmidt is a good candidate. As
far as others on the thread not naming Koufax/Ryan, I guess my reply is
this is why we comment- to bring up possibilities. Ryan and Koufax are
larger than life HOF players who we can identify by their first names alone,
so including them in a group of half dozen isn't a stretch by any means.

Trent King

My list would be
Honus Wagner to
Ty Cobb to
Babe Ruth to
Ted Williams to
Willie Mays

Next in line would be Sandy Koufax, then by age Mike Schmidt, Albert Pujols and Mike Trout.