Who is the greatest player of all time by position?

[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