Who is the greatest BB player you ever SAW?

[M's_Fan]

I'm going to go with Randy Johnson. I've never seen a more dominating player.

[barrysloate]

Jay- I don't agree that Ryan was overrated. That would only be the case if baseball historians rated him one of the greatest pitchers ever, and he isn't in that category.

His 5714 strikeouts and 7 no-hitters are of course otherworldly, but his average winning percentage and so-so control hurt his overall career record.

What Ryan did have is the livest arm in baseball history. He lasted 27 years, which for a fastball pitcher seems impossible. There were many games in his career where he threw over 200 pitches (can you imagine that today?), and the only serious arm injury he ever had occurred on the last pitch he ever threw.

Ryan set strikeout records that will never be approached but I have never heard anyone say he was in the class of Johnson or Matty or even Koufax. So it's hard to say he was overrated.

[Wesley]

1. Barry Bonds
2. Ken Griffey Jr.
3. Albert Pujols

[HercDriver]

Tony -

Good call on Al Oliver - that guy was amazing in Wrigley. Everytime he came to the plate, you knew he was going to get a hit...

Take Care,
Geno

[tbob]

Greatest player I ever saw (career) Mickey Mantle

Greatest performance for one game ever:
Jack Morris' 10 shutout innings in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series.

[Exhibitman]

Best I ever saw on TV: Nolan Ryan
Best I ever saw in person: Pete Rose
Honorable Mention: George Brett. Gad, I hated that guy in 1976-81.

[martin neal]

I saw Bob Gibson in 1968 at Shea Stadium. Unbelievable.

[Irwin Fletcher]

I have to agree with many of the previous posters - definitely Pedro Martinez. He might be the greatest pitcher in MLB history.

[bijoem]

I've seen many greats, so I am sure I am slighting a lot of players.....

but for me (with an admitted personal bias) - there was no greater than Johnny Bench.

[Wite3]

Hmm...for pure talent Puljos and Maddux and Carlton and Schmidt.

For pure toughness and a player who played hard...Mickey Hatcher. He played with limited talent (although more than 99.9 % of the population) but with great drive and desire and intelligence. That makes a great player to me.

Mickey Hatcher was standing on second when a small looping single was hit into left. As he rounded third, he started shouting "Cut, Cut" and the third baseman thinking it was the pitcher calling it, cut the throw off and Hatcher scored. SMART baseball.


"I would rather be the worst player in the major leagues than never play in the majors at all" --Mickey Hatcher

[novakjr]

I'm still relatively young at 31 and from Cleveland, so I might seem a bit biased. I've seen alot of games. Frank Thomas was great. Ripken was my all time favorite, but not the greatest. Seen all the modern greats come in and out of Cleveland to play against the Indians. Used to go to at least 1 Pirates game a year back in the late 80's-early 90's. Bonds and the early 90's Bucs were fun to watch.. All that being said, honestly, watching the mid-90's Indians teams were more that I could've ever asked for. Well, a World Series Championship would've been nice. Manny, Thome, Murray, the Alomar Brothers, Lofton, Vizquel, Winfield, Matt Williams and Jeff Kent(half-season), Albert Belle, Hershiser, Dennis Martinez, Jack Morris, this could go on forever..

Anyways, Robbie Alomar was just beautiful to watch play, and probably the best all-around player. Vizquel and Alomar as a combo might be the greatest defensive duo ever.

I also wanna add, as brain dead as Manny can be at times, you just can't beat watching him bat in the play-offs(especially when he was with Boston). It didn't matter what count, what pitch, what game situation, nothing fazed the guy. I guess it was just his idiocy, and he didn't know any better, but you just couldn't put any pressure on the guy. I honestly think the guy could be swinging a broomstick, while you have a defense full of naked centerfolds shooting guns at him, and pitching a golf ball at 100 mph, he'd still get a hit.

[Zach Wheat]

Probably Mantle...one of my favorites.

[oldjudge]

Barry-Fair point. I have heard people call him one of the greatest pitchers ever and in my mind that is just plain wrong.

[barrysloate]

There were some things Ryan could do better than anyone who ever lived, but assessing his overall career I would say he was not as outstanding as some of his peers.

[glchen]

(1) Bonds
(2) Pujols
(3) Pedro Martinez (at his peak)

Barry was a juicer, but the problem is that if you grew up in the last 20 years or so, pretty much every good player could be suspected of juicing. I know Thomas, Griffey, Jeter are probably not, but you never know. The entire era is tainted.

[sflayank]

since 1963 when i started watching these were the best in their prime years
koufax marichal gibson palmer seaver were the best pitchers
best reliever gossage best 1 inning "saver" mariano
mays clemente aaron in the outfield
brooks ozzie morgan and mattingly around the infield
bench behind the plate
if you put this team on the field for the best 5 years of each ones career its hard to picture them ever losing a game

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Ryan set strikeout records that will never be approached but I have never heard anyone say he was in the class of Johnson or Matty or even Koufax. So it's hard to say he was overrated.

Ryan's career mark of 2795 walks may actually be his most remarkable career baseball stat. Heck, statistically (at 52% above the runner-up) it may be the most remarkable of all baseball career stats. He was a truly amazing pitcher, but he wouldn't be in my top 50 - maybe not even in my top 100 - of pitchers I might select to pitch a WS game 7 for my team.

I'd say Mays was the best player I ever saw, however I only got to see him towards the end of his career. Rickey Henderson was pretty special, but I never thought he reached his potential. I loved my local favorites Killebrew, Carew and Oliva. Killebrew was the best pure power hitter I ever saw, and Carew the best singles hitter. I thought Oliva was destined to be one of the all-time greats until his unfortunate injury (not to be too macabre, but had he been struck dead by a bus in 1972 instead of playing on a mangled knee for several years thereafter, I think he would have made the Hall long, long ago).