Greatest living MLB player..........

[WildcatRick]

Saw this on the Giants/Cubs game Monday.......

[surveyor]

I voted for Pete Rose solely due to the hits record he holds. The most any current player has is Craig Biggio with 3014+ hits. He's already 42 and still over 1000 hits shy of Rose's record.

Seems that list is biased more toward offense, Clemens notwithstanding. :)
I'd likely add Nolan Ryan and Steve Carlton for consideration, particularly Ryan as I doubt there'll be a pitcher to come along and surpass 5,714 strikeouts. 61 shutouts aren't too shabby, either.

Regarding Ryan, I like this quote from Reggie Jackson (another player for consideration):

"(Nolan) Ryan's the only guy who puts fear in me. Not because he could get me out, but because he could kill me. You just hoped to mix in a walk so you could have a good night and go 0-for-3."

[HOMEYCAT]

[quote=surveyor;30421

Regarding Ryan, I like this quote from Reggie Jackson (another player for consideration):

[/quote]

I like some of your suggestions...the trouble with Reggie is that he struck out so much that one day I did the math.

If Reggie Jackson and Joe Dimaggio had the same HR's to strikeouts ratio....Reggie would have hit Two thousand and five-hundred home runs. :eek:

[surveyor]

If Reggie Jackson and Joe Dimaggio had the same HR's to strikeouts ratio....Reggie would have hit Two thousand and five-hundred home runs. :eek:

Certainly, but Reggie's primary value was in the World Series. Amazingly, in 45 American League championship series games, Jackson managed only 6 homeruns, amassed 41 strikeouts on an anemic .228 batting average.
In the World Series, however, in 27 games he produces 10 homeruns, 24 strikeouts with a batting average of .357, an on-base percentage of .457 and a whopping .755 slugging percentage. :thumbup:

Of Jackson, former A's pitcher Darold Knowles said,
"There isn't enough mustard in the whole world to cover that hotdog."

[cumberlandredskin]

I voted for Mays. I saw him at the backend of his career,so I didn't see him at his best. But from everything I have read and just looking at his numbers I would go with him. If the Giants had never moved out of NYC he would have been the all time home run king. Hitting in Candlestick in SF had to have taken about 100 home runs away from him.

[BOURBON TOWN CAT FAN]

I grew up a Phillie fan and would agree to add Carlton to the list. My vote would go to my all time favorite player Mike Schmidt.

[HOMEYCAT]

I saw Mays play in '58, but I was a kid. Saw him again when I was a teen ager. Saw Stan the Man go 5 for 5 at Crosley. Saw Robinson play many times, and Pete play 100 times. Saw Barry Bonds play When he was with Pittsburgh. OH MY ....WHAT A PLAYER.

If Clemente had lived.....

I voted for Mays, because he was an amazing fielder (as was Bonds) and, he was very dangerous on the bases, and a wonderful hitter. Overall, #24 is my best pick here. :thumbup:

btw, if the criteria for greatness were based in determination as opposed to grace, skill, or athletic ability, there is no question who is the greatest. Pete.

[Chaz]

There is no doubt in my mind that Stan the Man is ithe greatest LIVING MLB with Willie Mays a close second. Stan was the complete player. He hit for avg, HRs, fielding and just BB savy. He held several NL and Major league records. He still holds several records even today. Pitchers are different and should be judged separately as I think there is no common ground in which you can compare position players and pitchers.

[WildcatRick]

There is no doubt in my mind that Stan the Man is ithe greatest LIVING MLB with Willie Mays a close second. Stan was the complete player. He hit for avg, HRs, fielding and just BB savy. He held several NL and Major league records. He still holds several records even today. Pitchers are different and should be judged separately as I think there is no common ground in which you can compare position players and pitchers.

I agree 100%. Stan is as great a person as he was a player. Great guy!!

[Littlemeyer]

I'd agree with Musial as well, but I can only base that on the opinions of people I trust.

As far as players I have seen, it'd be hard to beat the mid-to-late 90's Ken Griffey, Jr. He had a several year stretch in that era in which he simply dominated the game.

My personal favorite is Ryne Sandberg, but I'm not blinded by my Cub-love enough to place him on any "Greatest Ever" lists. :icon_smile:

[HOMEYCAT]

I have one huge problem with Griffey Jr.

For athletic ability, speed, eye, fielding, hitting, he was hard to beat in the mid-nineties.

However, over the length of his career, you would be stunned at how terribly his teams did...year after year. ( only one exception) Some might argue that this is not a "greatest living MLB player" criterion.

I argue that it is the most important. Give me Pete, where this is concerned. Who else could've led the perennially lousy Philadelphia Phillies to a world championship? :icon_mrgreen::thumbup:

[Got_Billie_G?]

after it's all said and done it might end up being A-Rod...he's on pace to destroy whatever mark Bond's leaves, and he will be a lifetime .300+ hitter....but homeycat you nailed a great fact about Pete Rose, you have to give him a boost at what he did in Philly, I mean, this is the team that recently lost it's 10,000 game as a franchise...HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?

[Got_Billie_G?]

oh, and Clemens is as bad as Bonds...IMHO, based on a few things I've heard, he's on 'roids...think about it...

[surveyor]

oh, and Clemens is as bad as Bonds...IMHO, based on a few things I've heard, he's on 'roids...think about it...

I'm surprised non of these guys are in jail, as they've already been convicted.........:shock:

[Terry L. Wildcat]

I voted for Pete because he is my favorite...like Homey I got to see Mr. Mays play in Crosley as a kid...also had the pleasure of seeing Stan the Man, Ernie Banks, Duke Snider, Henry Aaron, Willie McCovey and Roberto Clemente to name some of the greatest...Roberto is my favorite followed closely by Willie of non-Reds players.

[FCFS82]

Sandy Koufax vs. Barry Bonds is a matchup I would love to see in some alternate, possible universe.

:shock:

[surveyor]

Sandy Koufax vs. Barry Bonds is a matchup I would love to see in some alternate, possible universe.

:shock:

There's a few in their prime I'd like to see against one another. Nolan Ryan struck out both Bobby and Barry Bonds - and he also struck out 63 different hitters a minimum of 15 times in their career. Poor Claudell Washington leads the list with 39 strikeouts against Ryan. I'd gather Claudell just wanted to get it over with, lol. :icon_mrgreen:

Bob Feller against many of today's big hitters would be a treat as well. Although he's near 90 now, when Feller was in his late 60's or early 70's he claimed he could still throw the ball in the 70's (mph).

[HOMEYCAT]

I voted for Pete because he is my favorite...like Homey I got to see Mr. Mays play in Crosley as a kid...also had the pleasure of seeing Stan the Man, Ernie Banks, Duke Snider, Henry Aaron, Willie McCovey and Roberto Clemente to name some of the greatest...Roberto is my favorite followed closely by Willie of non-Reds players.

Aww, man...you're killin me. Crosley was a trip for a kid. Big Klu bought my brother and me a hot dog in 1958!


We got Bailey behind the plate. Klu on first, Temple at 2nd, Roy MacMillan at short, Don Hoak at 3rd, Gus Bell or Wally Post in left, Frankie Robinson in right, and maybe Pinson in center ....Nuxhall, Greengrass, etc.
Jim O'toole, George Crow or maybe even ..............Hal Jeffcoat! :eek:

Boy, do I digress!

[Terry L. Wildcat]

Aww, man...you're killin me. Crosley was a trip for a kid. Big Klu bought my brother and me a hot dog in 1958!


We got Bailey behind the plate. Klu on first, Temple at 2nd, Roy MacMillan at short, Don Hoak at 3rd, Gus Bell or Wally Post in left, Frankie Robinson in right, and maybe Pinson in center ....Nuxhall, Greengrass, etc.
Jim O'toole, George Crow or maybe even ..............Hal Jeffcoat! :eek:

Boy, do I digress!

How about Bob "Swish" Thurman, Charlie Harmon, Jim Brosnan, Joey Jay, Jay Hook, Bob Purkey, Hershel Freeman, Gene Freeze, Eddie Kasko, Joe Black, Don Newcombe, Gordie Coleman, etc.

[HOMEYCAT]

How about Bob "Swish" Thurman, Charlie Harmon, Jim Brosnan, Joey Jay, Jay Hook, Bob Purkey, Hershel Freeman, Gene Freeze, Eddie Kasko, Joe Black, Don Newcombe, Gordie Coleman, etc.


Well, if you'll indulge me....you are talkin' a little later than '58

In '61, we got Gordy Coleman on first, Don Blasingame at 2nd, Eddie Kasko and Chico Cardenas at short, Gene Frieze at 3rd, Robinson, Pinson, Post, ....Joey Jay, Jim O'toole, Purkey & Newcombe...and, behind the plate, Johnny Edwards. And, a utility infielder, # 19 Elio Chacon!!!!!!

[Terry L. Wildcat]

and I forgot Jerry Lynch!

[jaspcat]

I voted for Mays though I'm too young to have ever seen him play. The glaring omission from the list of choices in Cal Ripken - the streak, one of only 8 in history to have 400+ homers and 3000+ hits, 16 straight all-star starts (most all time), 2 MVPs, 2 Gold Gloves, Rookie of the Year, and highest % of votes for Cooperstown of any position player.