Top Ten Living Baseball Players
The BBA, of which I am a proud member, is trying to come up with the top 10 all time baseball players still alive. Here’s the list of 22 that they came up with (to be voted down to 10 at some point):
Willie MaysHank AaronErnie BanksYogi BerraBarry BondsRoger ClemensWhitey FordBob GibsonRickey HendersonAl KalineSandy KoufaxGreg MadduxJoe MorganMike PiazzaAlbert PujolsMariano RiveraFrank RobinsonAlex RodriguezPete RoseNolan RyanMike SchmidtTom SeaverI might have added Steve Carlton, Johnny bench and Cal Ripkin Jr. Thoughts?
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wow, that’s tough. There’s a few I’d eliminate right off the bat, but even at 12 I don’t think I could narrow it down.
Wow, that was a quick seque from role models. Not many here fit the mold.
As to the list, must not be many BBA members who have lived a long time yet. I think there are over 50 living Hall of Fame members- they all need to be on the initial list.
Mays Aaron Berra Rose Bonds Gibson McCovey Koufax F Robinson Seaver
Oops i wasn’t dine editing. Oh well tough to narrow it down..
Pretty wild trade just made between Doosh-backs and the Braves. The Braves are gonna be tough next year……..
Yeah,Both Upton bothers and Heywerd in the OF.Wow thats strong.
I love it that Michael Bourn and Scott Boras are still just sitting around playing cards together.
Bozo, I know none of you will probably remember what I said (except for Flav – who disagreed with me at the time) . . . I said, “Bourne would not be signed until after January (probably spring training).” It seems to becoming to pass.
oh I remember, and you were dead-right about it.
I remember too…so calm down while you’re climbing down off that volcanoe. 😉
Hahaha Chi. In Wellington and there is some gorgeous snapper running around.
What a strange phrase “role model” is. Mariano Riviera is not in a role anyone should be modeling.
Mays, Aaron, Banks, Bonds, Clemens, Gibson, Henderson, Koufax, Morgan, Robinson. Sentimental list, I guess. And I just don’t like Rose.
New post on my blog (mostly pictures). 🙂
Bench is the best catcher in the history of the game. he’s a no brainer. Ryan, Rivera, Whitey Ford: get OUT. I agree Ripken and Carlton should be on the list. Back with my top ten later. Like Willie said, some are easy to eliminate.
I know this is the wrong thread but I always liked Evil Knievel as a role model. That dude could drink and break bones with the best of em. My brother looked up to the mail man but I think that’s because everyone always joked that he was his real father.
As far as your list above goes I think you’re pretty much right on but I would reduce it by just one. I don’t see A-Rod as deserving inclusion
I don’t know if this has been covered but cool song by flan man: http://www.csnbayarea.com/blog/andrew-baggarly/giants-tim-flannery-hits-right-notes-21-days
he did another version live on kfog and it’s been getting some good air-time
Top 3 are pretty easy, IMO: Mays, Aaron, Bonds. Next 2 are defensive choices: I consider Mazeroski and Aparicio as the greatest ever at their positions.
Final 5 are Bench, Pujols, Seaver, Henderson, Maddux.
Since this thread buried the one about most admired sports figures, I’ll repost my choices here:
Clemente, Ali,Arthur Ashe, Manute Bol, and Casey Martin were the first to come to mind for me.
I want to make special note of Manute, who died at 47 of a rare skin disease that he contracted while doing relief work in the Sudan. Bol reportedly gave nearly all of the 6 miliion he earned in the NBA to Sudanese refugees.”As one twitter feed aptly put it: ‘Most NBA cats go broke on cars, jewelry & groupies. Manute Bol went broke building hospitals.'”
When his money was gone, he agreed to be a clown, as writer Jon Shields noted, “Bol raised more money for charity by doing what most athletes would find humiliating: He turned himself into a humorous spectacle. Bol was hired, for example, as a horse jockey, hockey player and celebrity boxer. Some Americans simply found amusement in the absurdity of him on a horse or skates. And who could deny the comic potential of Bol boxing William “the Refrigerator” Perry, the 335-pound former defensive linemen of the Chicago Bears?
Bol agreed to be a clown. But he was not willing to be mocked for his own personal gain as so many reality-television stars are. Bol let himself be ridiculed on behalf of suffering strangers in the Sudan; he was a fool for Christ.”
I can think of no person who gave so much for his country as Manute did, he truly lived and died for those he could have left behind for a fine and luxurious life here. The magnitude of his sacrifice is equally inspiring and heartbreaking,
Mays
Mays
Mays
Mays
Mays
Mays
Mays
Mays
Mays
Mays
I couldn’t agree more!
Nice post re: Manute, Mike. He was a true saint in every way shape and form. . . .
Thanks, men like Manute inspire and humble us all,
Ditto.
Lee made it, Seth didn’t. Barkley is furious that Curry was left off.
My top 10 all time living best ball players, in no real particular, are Mays, Rose, Bonds, Aaron, Rickey Henderson, Bob Gibson, Mike Schmidt, Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan. and Frank Robinson. I can’t imagine anyone having an issue with those 10….. 🙂 🙂 🙂
COngrats to DLee for representing the W’s at the all star game. Sure, Steph deserved to go but they don’t have enough spots in the NBA all star team to ever get it right.
Warrior fans are always whining about getting snubbed for the all star game (Ellis was a favorite to boo hoo about and I NEVER thought he should have gone. Someone that plays no defense shouldn’t be seen as an all star unless they dominate and lead a winning team, Ellis did neither). I just went to see the final all star count votes, first time I’ve checked it this year.
Warrior fans should be ashamed of themselves. Curry was 8th in the voting, Lee was 10th. If you’re gonna whine about never getting any respect at the all star game you might want to at least vote for the players you’re whining about, lol.
Personally, I could give a shit. The only all star game I care even a little about is baseball…..
Who the hell was the last Warrior all star? Sprewell?
Yes, ’97
Fucking Pete Rose makes my skin crawl. He must leave a slime trail when he walks around.
A reality show? I’ll be sure to avoid that. What station is even doing that?
But he is one of the 10 best living players.
My big thing about *best living* is the same as it is for the HOF–did you dominate and how long did you dominant? Rose, to me, never really *dominated*. I was very young when he was at his best and maybe his stats just don’t show all of the things that he did. But he had 4.256 hits over a 24 year career. I couldn’t not put him in the top 10.
I don’t care about Rose’s gambling, at least insofar as it got made public. In fact, it’s one of the few things I know about him that I’d put on the positive side of the scales. But Charlie Hustle’s approach to the game just offended me. I was sort of alienated from baseball in the early and mid 70s, and somehow it seemed that whenever I felt the urge to get back in touch I’d watch a game or some tv news highlights and I’d see one of his astroturf singles and lose interest. And I’m no Ray Fosse fan, but that homeplate collision in the AS game was just vicious bullshit, IMO, and it was characteristic of the CH way. On the other hand, he did have over 4000 hits, etc., so I realize my view is pretty cranky.
I totally understand those who dislike him, the reason you gave is valid. As is the fact that he bet for and against his own team while he was managing. It was unacceptable and I do understand why he’s not in the HOF. But if I’m just thinking about the 10 best living players, it’s tough to leave out the all time hit leader.
I had no problem, however, leaving out Al Kaline. Looking at his stats, I’m not sure how he made the list of top 22…….
Pete Rose is a gambler. And I don’t fault him for being one, at least from what I know about him. If he wants to hang out in a sports book all day betting on games, horses, whatever I wouldn’t fault him for that even a little bit. I know a lot of gamblers, I know part time gamblers and gamblers who call themselves professional gamblers–I even know a few who make money at it.
I’ve used gamblers at the track to cash my IRS tickets since the mid 1990’s. They’re called “Ten Percenters” and it’s pretty much the only income source they have. Any time you hit something that the IRS want sto know about (and it’s still at the ridiculous $600 dollar point) they cash your ticket, you give them 10%. I watched this scam go down for at least a year before I identified the 1 or 2 guys that I would use. They turned out to be Pete and Sammy and I became friends with both of them. I even went to Reno with them twice for Hot August Nights. Two of the best guys you could ever meet…..
And maybe it’s just the guys I know, but I’ve always found gamblers to have lots of redeeming qualities–Most of them tell pretty hilarious stories, they’re usually always available to go out and get a beer, they love sports…..My one rule with any gambler I’ve ever been friends with and I tell them this upfront and remind them of it when they forget the first conversation we have about it: I will not loan them money. I’ll pay ’em to cash tickets but that’s it.
Leave the money loan out of it and it keeps us friends……….
good description of gamblers…
Great spin on gamblers, and I would have the same criteria (no loans)…
Hmmm. Tough list, but I have to include Lefty. And what about Lou Brock? Maybe Dennis Eckersley? Yes for Johnny Bench. Isn’t Bill Mazeroski alive? OK, maybe not on the list, but. . . Willie McCovey. Frank Robinson. Chipper Jones? Brooks Robinson? Joe AdCOCK?
Speaking of circle jerks . . . Brian BoCOCK, Joe AdCOCK, and Alan COCKrell can have a grand old time. . .
Or you could be this guy . . .
http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=rotz–001coc
The main reason I can’t stand Pete Rose is the same deal with Lance Armstrong. Charlie hustle? Yeah, he was a great hitter. But he was a brainless punk in a baseball uni. He lied for soooooooooo long to sooooo many people about the gambling that it got to be 2nd nature. Then he’d slime around the edges of Cooperstown to sell his autograph and photo to the thousands of fans who would put up with that shit. He adamantly maintained his innocence until he started shilling his book. Then he came clean? To sell books? Fuck that sideways.
Much like poor Lance Armweak who wants to race in triathlons now but can’t because they all follow WADA policy. So, when its in his best interest to come clean, he does? Sorry, Lance, you wrote books about all your mistreatment over the years, threw 150 people under 150 buses, and now you are hesitantly sorry? You can fuck yourself sideways as well. He and Pete can go circle jerk together in the hall of lame.
I agree with all of this. But I wouldn’t be surprised if I had fun hanging out with Pete rose in a sports book for a week. Obviously, same deal on the no-loan thing with Pete Rose as I have for my track friend Pete. I’d let him cash my tickets, too. Lol .
Awesome post Chuck! Both of those knuckleheads can go fuck themselves.
. . . sideways . . .
thanks
Cannot agree more…from a personal standpoint, but Rose is top 10 as a player (or at a minimum warrants discussion). (I also believe he belongs in the HOF…but that’s a whole nother story.)
But yeah…from a personal standpoint, both of ’em can go fuck themselves.
Willie Mays
Hank Aaron
Ernie Banks
Yogi Berra
Roger Clemens
Bob Gibson
Sandy Koufax
Frank Robinson
Pete Rose
Tom Seaver
Well, I only picked guys who I saw play. Except for Yogi . . .
Clemens and Pete, but no Bonds, eh?
All those hits for Pete, yet he ranks 6th in runs scored. The ridiculous number of times he was caught stealing certainly helped drop him at least a couple of slots. He was not as good as Henderson.
Bonds is great, HOF? Sure. But one of the 10 best living? I could bump Rose off . . .
Pete Rose was a jerk. To fans, his family, pretty much every way possible. I could excuse that for the HOF. Eight days a week I could. But, I will not excuse a guy that gambled on the game, while he was playing the game and/or especially managing in the game. No freekin’ way is there an excuse for that. None. The Dowd report found out about the guys he was hanging with while he was betting on baseball, and they were not cool dudes, unless you like to hang with Tony Soprano. When you’re hanging with those dudes, you’re into those dudes, and that means they tell you how to manage a game, else your legs get busted, or little Petey might get his face cut up a little, by accident. Even though it’s turned to bullshit now, no way Pete Rose gets in the HOF, dead OR alive…
1B – Pujols
2B – Morgan
SS – Larkin (I can’t stand ARod or Cal)
3B – Schmidt
LF- Bonds
CF – Mays
RF – Gwynn (Tony was a hitting machine, I gotta show some love)
C – Bench
RHP – Gibson
LHP – Koufax
not bad, bozo, I dislike Morgan in the booth, but he was a great player. I am a Ripken fan. Schmidt is perfect. Might have gone Yogi, for tradition’s sake, might have gone Nolan, Koufax is the best LHP.
When you headed to nola?
Hey ed,
Going down Mardi Gras weekend, I think we get there on the 9th. Looking forward to it, although I’m not sure my legs are. A 3 parade day/night can really put your legs to the test (adding a bunch of alcohol doesn’t help).
Take it easy in the Big Easy, Clown. Safe travels and good times!
Willie Mays
Barry Bonds
Willie McCovey
Juan Marichal
Orlando Cepeda
Will Clark
Robby Thompson
Buster Posey
Mike Krukow
Jeffrey Leonard
Okay…just fucking around and tried to come up with my top10 living Giants…
Willie Mays
Barry Bonds
Hank Aaron
Ernie Banks
Frank Robinson
Yogi Berra
Greg Maddux
Roger Clemens
Bob Gibson
Sandy Koufax
Checking out the schedule with the interleague games in mind. I thought we’d have to play an AL team every month but this year it’s only 20 games (10 at home, 10 away) with August having nine of them. That’s not as bad as I thought it would be. No need for the NL teams to have a Designated Nipper just yet.
Fuck the DH…
Sad thing is that I think it just a matter of time before all of MLB is bastardized with such…it will be a SAD FUCKING DAY if and when that happens…
I think this is Selig’s way of easing (sleazing) it in.
Damm Right Chi,
Fuck the DH!!!!
I know Nipper disagrees,from his Scooby Doo van as he’s DH……Drinking Heavily,but their’s no place for it in “Real Baseball like the NL where the W/S CHAMPIONS SF GIANTS reign,and could care less about the DH..They dominate without one!!!!!!!!
Yeah, I hated the advent of the DH and astroturf fields. We got back to grass. If only we could rescind the Arena League rules, too.
After ranting about Pete Rose yesterday I took a close look at his stats. His numbers on grass and turf were almost identical (except, entertainingly enough, for HRs). But two things jumped out at me: 3215 singles; and 198 SB vs. 149 CS.
Yeah, one more thing to like about NL baseball. ALL the NL teams play on real grass.
The best reason to keep the DL in the American League is that it’s helped us win two World Series championships..
Excellent point, Michael. Sweet…
No way he’s top ten, but since Al Kaline was part of the original list, and he’s at least as good as a few of the other names that have been mentioned, here’s a nod to Reggie Jackson.
Al Kaline had over 3,000 hits, 399 HRs, and was as good as a defender as any RFer ever. I saw him live in his prime- he was smooth as silk, a true HOFer. He played in the Golden Age for RFers, so he’s overlooked a lot,
So I agree with James on Kaline.
My only comments are F the DH!
Kaline played for 22 years–a classic example of a guy hanging around long enough to ultimately put up some good career numbers. He never won an MVP in 22 years. I’m looking at his stats and and I don’t see anything that stands out as dominant except his gold gloves, a totally subjective award….
So no one gets credit for defensive excellence? He was a fantastic defender-absolutely zero argument has ever been made to dispute that. Besides- the list itself is subjective, of course. How did the other BBA members leave off Bench, ferchrissakes? Rivera? A joke.
Anyway- I’ve got my Worst 10 of all time ready-can I make a new thread?
Tony plush to Japan? Say it ain’t so! Couldn’t happen to a bigger jerk.
The DH is an abomination. It has led to AL scores being like football, interminable 4 hour games, and yes, less strategizing and therefore less fun questioning manager moves, which is a big part of baseball fan in-game enjoyment and post game repartee. Bob Fitzgerald of KNBR loves it, so that confirms it’s bad. I dislike the AL brand of ball. If you dump the DH, you’d never have Zitman’s bunt single in St. Louis, one of the most memorable plays of the post season. Instead, you have Huff grounding out to second. Expand the roster to 26, but keep the NL free from the DH virus…
I sure hope so, Snarkk. I hated it back in 1974, or whenever the hell they did that. I think the uproar by the fans MAY sway the Commish. If he would just hurry up and get the fuck out of there.
Agreed, the DH blows.. Get rid of it.
Pete Rose hit .303 Lifetime, .375 OBP, .784 OPS,
William Nuschler Clark hit .303 lifetime, .384 OBP, .880 OPS
No one more exemplifies just hangin’ out than Petey. And Will even gets credit for becoming a better man. Petey is scum- The Thrill bumps Rose off my list.
Why the push for DH into the NL?
If the Budster is for it, there must be a money angle, but I don’t see it.
If it’s just a way to keep some old stars playing, screw that. Give the union the extra roster spot, that’ll even add to some of the moves you can make in the NL, but not enough to make end game moves just a revolving door. In the AL, the extra guy can be another reliever that can strike out the opposing DH and shorten the game…
Well, this threead is two days old-
NEW POST
Gotta have Juan Marichal and Willie McCovey on the list as well.
True. Extremely curious oversights.