Top 5 Living Players From Each Team
frankhardy
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in Sports Talk
Here is a copy of an interesting article by HOF writer Rick Hummel from the St Louis Post Dispatch. I have not had time to dissect, but he appears at first glance to be right on. Again, I will look it over more when I have time.
Top 5: The five best living players from all 30 teams
By Rick Hummel, Joe Strauss and Derrick Goold
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
04/01/2007
ANGELS
OF Garret Anderson
LHP Chuck Finley
RHP Troy Percival
RHP Nolan Ryan
OF/DH Tim Salmon
Many team names but only one World Series champion. Ryan could have appeared on the list of any of four teams.
ASTROS
1B Jeff Bagwell
2B Craig Biggio
OF Cesar Cedeno
OF Jose Cruz
RHP Mike Scott
"Killer B's" Bagwell and Biggio have combined for nearly 5,000 games played with Astros. Both Hall of Fame bound?
ATHLETICS
LHP Vida Blue
RHP Dennis Eckersley
OF Rickey Henderson
OF Reggie Jackson
1B Mark McGwire
Athletics had burst of three straight pennants from 1972-74 and 1988-90, but none since.
BLUE JAYS
2B Robbie Alomar
OF Joe Carter
1B Carlos Delgado
RHP Tom Henke
RHP Dave Stieb
Other than the 1998-2000 Yankees, Blue Jays are the last team to win back-to-back Series titles (1992-93).
BRAVES
OF Henry Aaron
LHP Tom Glavine
RHP Greg Maddux
OF Dale Murphy
RHP John Smoltz
If this poll was taken five years from now, Jones boys (Chipper and Andruw) might elbow their way in.
BREWERS
1B Cecil Cooper
INF Paul Molitor
OF Gorman Thomas
OF Greg Vaughn
SS/OF Robin Yount
The Brewers' history in the American League is much richer than in National League, where they haven't had a winning season.
CARDINALS
OF Lou Brock
RHP Bob Gibson
OF/1B Stan Musial
1B Albert Pujols
SS Ozzie Smith
In six years, Pujols has done enough to beat out Hall of Famers Schoendienst and Sutter, not an easy feat.
CUBS
SS-1B Ernie Banks
RHP Ferguson Jenkins
2B Ryne Sandberg
OF Sammy Sosa
OF Billy Williams
Ron Santo finishes out of the money in this ranking, too. But Sosa had 200 more home runs and 125 more RBIs.
DEVIL RAYS
OF Rocco Baldelli
OF Carl Crawford
RHP Roberto Hernandez
INF-OF Aubrey Huff
1B Fred McGriff
It's quite a statement when a franchise's top living pitcher is a reliever who pitched for the team in his mid-to-late 30s.
DIAMONDBACKS
SS Jay Bell
OF Steve Finley
OF Luis Gonzalez
LHP Randy Johnson
RHP Brandon Webb
Curt Schilling is left off, much to his discontent, no doubt. Matt Williams might take it better.
DODGERS
1B Steve Garvey
LHP Sandy Koufax
OF Duke Snider
RHP Don Sutton
SS Maury Wills
"Duke of Flatbush" Snider gives the Brooklyn-Los Angeles entry a dash of the 1940s and 1950s.
GIANTS
OF Barry Bonds
1B Orlando Cepeda
RHP Juan Marichal
OF Willie Mays
1B Willie McCovey
No contest here. Four Hall of Famers already and Bonds, despite his involvement in the steroids mess, is almost sure to be one, too.
INDIANS
OF Albert Belle
RHP Bob Feller
OF Manny Ramirez
3B Al Rosen
3B/1B Jim Thome
Feller is the only player from the 1930s on any of the all-time living teams. Rosen is a standout from the '50s.
MARINERS
OF Ken Griffey Jr.
DH Edgar Martinez
LHP Jamie Moyer
SS Alex Rodriguez
OF Ichiro Suzuki
A-Rod had to be on somebody's list and he played longer with Seattle than with any other team.
MARLINS
3B Miguel Cabrera
2B Luis Castillo
OF Jeff Conine
3B Mike Lowell
OF Gary Sheffield
All five players on this list have a World Series ring. The Marlins are the only team to have qualified for postseason play and never lost a series.
METS
1B Keith Hernandez
C Mike Piazza
RHP Tom Seaver
OF Rusty Staub
OF Darryl Strawberry
Seaver is the only member of 1969 "Miracle Mets" world champions on this team. Strawberry should have been even better than he was.
NATIONALS
C Gary Carter
OF Andre Dawson
OF Tim Raines
RHP Steve Rogers
3B Tim Wallach
No Nationals on this list, just Expos. In fact, they could use some of these guys now.
ORIOLES
RHP Mike Mussina
RHP Jim Palmer
1B Boog Powell
SS Cal Ripken Jr.
3B Brooks Robinson
The last two decades have been mostly dry for the Orioles but when most of this quintet was playing, they were flying high.
PADRES
1B Nate Colbert
OF Tony Gwynn
RHP Rollie Fingers
RHP Trevor Hoffman
OF Dave Winfield
St. Louisan Colbert was San Diego's biggest power threat when the Padres had very few of them.
PHILLIES
1B Richie Allen
SS Larry Bowa
LHP Steve Carlton
RHP Robin Roberts
3B Mike Schmidt
Not many Series titles (one) for all the talent this franchise has had. No playoff spots in 14 years.
PIRATES
OF Ralph Kiner
RHP Vernon Law
2B Bill Mazeroski
OF Dave Parker
RHP Kent Tekulve
Mazeroski's game-ending blast to win 1960 World Series is still one of 10 most memorable home runs of all time.
RANGERS
1B Rafael Palmeiro
OF Juan Gonzalez
C Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez
LHP Kenny Rogers
OF-1B Frank Howard
Howard hit 136 homers in three-year span for Rangers' precursors, the second version of the Washington Senators.
RED SOX
3B Wade Boggs
RHP Roger Clemens
C Carlton Fisk
OF Jim Rice
OF Carl Yastrzemski
If "Big Papi" Ortiz hits a few more walk-off homers, he might wedge his way into this group.
REDS
C Johnny Bench
2B Joe Morgan
OF Frank Robinson
UT Pete Rose
1B Tony Perez
Four Hall of Famers and one in exile. The driving parts of the Big Red Machine are reunited.
ROCKIES
OF Dante Bichette
3B Vinny Castilla
1B Andres Galarraga
1B Todd Helton
OF Larry Walker
The Blake Street Bombers dominate this pitching-deprived group. But then the Rockies almost always have been pitching-deprived.
ROYALS
3B George Brett
RHP Dennis Leonard
OF/DH Hal McRae
OF Amos Otis
2B Frank White
Those were balmier days in Kansas City when Whitey Herzog was managing and these five were on the club.
TIGERS
OF Al Kaline
3B George Kell
RHP Jack Morris
SS Alan Trammell
2B Lou Whitaker
Trammell-Whitaker keystone combination ran for a record 18 seasons but Hall of Fame consideration for the two has been negligible.
TWINS
RHP Bert Blyleven
2B Rod Carew
LHP Jim Kaat
3B-1B Harmon Killebrew
OF Tony Oliva
Two of the five (Carew, Killebrew) are in the Hall of Fame, and you can make a strong case for the other three.
WHITE SOX
SS Luis Aparicio
OF-DH Harold Baines
1B Paul Konerko
OF Minnie Minoso
1B-DH Frank Thomas
The White Sox' 2005 Series title was their first in 87 years. Not many alive from the 1917 club.
YANKEES
C Yogi Berra
LHP Whitey Ford
SS Derek Jeter
1B Don Mattingly
RHP Mariano Rivera
When Jeter (No. 2) is through, Yankees may have only one single-digit number (No. 6) not retired.
Top 5: The five best living players from all 30 teams
By Rick Hummel, Joe Strauss and Derrick Goold
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
04/01/2007
ANGELS
OF Garret Anderson
LHP Chuck Finley
RHP Troy Percival
RHP Nolan Ryan
OF/DH Tim Salmon
Many team names but only one World Series champion. Ryan could have appeared on the list of any of four teams.
ASTROS
1B Jeff Bagwell
2B Craig Biggio
OF Cesar Cedeno
OF Jose Cruz
RHP Mike Scott
"Killer B's" Bagwell and Biggio have combined for nearly 5,000 games played with Astros. Both Hall of Fame bound?
ATHLETICS
LHP Vida Blue
RHP Dennis Eckersley
OF Rickey Henderson
OF Reggie Jackson
1B Mark McGwire
Athletics had burst of three straight pennants from 1972-74 and 1988-90, but none since.
BLUE JAYS
2B Robbie Alomar
OF Joe Carter
1B Carlos Delgado
RHP Tom Henke
RHP Dave Stieb
Other than the 1998-2000 Yankees, Blue Jays are the last team to win back-to-back Series titles (1992-93).
BRAVES
OF Henry Aaron
LHP Tom Glavine
RHP Greg Maddux
OF Dale Murphy
RHP John Smoltz
If this poll was taken five years from now, Jones boys (Chipper and Andruw) might elbow their way in.
BREWERS
1B Cecil Cooper
INF Paul Molitor
OF Gorman Thomas
OF Greg Vaughn
SS/OF Robin Yount
The Brewers' history in the American League is much richer than in National League, where they haven't had a winning season.
CARDINALS
OF Lou Brock
RHP Bob Gibson
OF/1B Stan Musial
1B Albert Pujols
SS Ozzie Smith
In six years, Pujols has done enough to beat out Hall of Famers Schoendienst and Sutter, not an easy feat.
CUBS
SS-1B Ernie Banks
RHP Ferguson Jenkins
2B Ryne Sandberg
OF Sammy Sosa
OF Billy Williams
Ron Santo finishes out of the money in this ranking, too. But Sosa had 200 more home runs and 125 more RBIs.
DEVIL RAYS
OF Rocco Baldelli
OF Carl Crawford
RHP Roberto Hernandez
INF-OF Aubrey Huff
1B Fred McGriff
It's quite a statement when a franchise's top living pitcher is a reliever who pitched for the team in his mid-to-late 30s.
DIAMONDBACKS
SS Jay Bell
OF Steve Finley
OF Luis Gonzalez
LHP Randy Johnson
RHP Brandon Webb
Curt Schilling is left off, much to his discontent, no doubt. Matt Williams might take it better.
DODGERS
1B Steve Garvey
LHP Sandy Koufax
OF Duke Snider
RHP Don Sutton
SS Maury Wills
"Duke of Flatbush" Snider gives the Brooklyn-Los Angeles entry a dash of the 1940s and 1950s.
GIANTS
OF Barry Bonds
1B Orlando Cepeda
RHP Juan Marichal
OF Willie Mays
1B Willie McCovey
No contest here. Four Hall of Famers already and Bonds, despite his involvement in the steroids mess, is almost sure to be one, too.
INDIANS
OF Albert Belle
RHP Bob Feller
OF Manny Ramirez
3B Al Rosen
3B/1B Jim Thome
Feller is the only player from the 1930s on any of the all-time living teams. Rosen is a standout from the '50s.
MARINERS
OF Ken Griffey Jr.
DH Edgar Martinez
LHP Jamie Moyer
SS Alex Rodriguez
OF Ichiro Suzuki
A-Rod had to be on somebody's list and he played longer with Seattle than with any other team.
MARLINS
3B Miguel Cabrera
2B Luis Castillo
OF Jeff Conine
3B Mike Lowell
OF Gary Sheffield
All five players on this list have a World Series ring. The Marlins are the only team to have qualified for postseason play and never lost a series.
METS
1B Keith Hernandez
C Mike Piazza
RHP Tom Seaver
OF Rusty Staub
OF Darryl Strawberry
Seaver is the only member of 1969 "Miracle Mets" world champions on this team. Strawberry should have been even better than he was.
NATIONALS
C Gary Carter
OF Andre Dawson
OF Tim Raines
RHP Steve Rogers
3B Tim Wallach
No Nationals on this list, just Expos. In fact, they could use some of these guys now.
ORIOLES
RHP Mike Mussina
RHP Jim Palmer
1B Boog Powell
SS Cal Ripken Jr.
3B Brooks Robinson
The last two decades have been mostly dry for the Orioles but when most of this quintet was playing, they were flying high.
PADRES
1B Nate Colbert
OF Tony Gwynn
RHP Rollie Fingers
RHP Trevor Hoffman
OF Dave Winfield
St. Louisan Colbert was San Diego's biggest power threat when the Padres had very few of them.
PHILLIES
1B Richie Allen
SS Larry Bowa
LHP Steve Carlton
RHP Robin Roberts
3B Mike Schmidt
Not many Series titles (one) for all the talent this franchise has had. No playoff spots in 14 years.
PIRATES
OF Ralph Kiner
RHP Vernon Law
2B Bill Mazeroski
OF Dave Parker
RHP Kent Tekulve
Mazeroski's game-ending blast to win 1960 World Series is still one of 10 most memorable home runs of all time.
RANGERS
1B Rafael Palmeiro
OF Juan Gonzalez
C Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez
LHP Kenny Rogers
OF-1B Frank Howard
Howard hit 136 homers in three-year span for Rangers' precursors, the second version of the Washington Senators.
RED SOX
3B Wade Boggs
RHP Roger Clemens
C Carlton Fisk
OF Jim Rice
OF Carl Yastrzemski
If "Big Papi" Ortiz hits a few more walk-off homers, he might wedge his way into this group.
REDS
C Johnny Bench
2B Joe Morgan
OF Frank Robinson
UT Pete Rose
1B Tony Perez
Four Hall of Famers and one in exile. The driving parts of the Big Red Machine are reunited.
ROCKIES
OF Dante Bichette
3B Vinny Castilla
1B Andres Galarraga
1B Todd Helton
OF Larry Walker
The Blake Street Bombers dominate this pitching-deprived group. But then the Rockies almost always have been pitching-deprived.
ROYALS
3B George Brett
RHP Dennis Leonard
OF/DH Hal McRae
OF Amos Otis
2B Frank White
Those were balmier days in Kansas City when Whitey Herzog was managing and these five were on the club.
TIGERS
OF Al Kaline
3B George Kell
RHP Jack Morris
SS Alan Trammell
2B Lou Whitaker
Trammell-Whitaker keystone combination ran for a record 18 seasons but Hall of Fame consideration for the two has been negligible.
TWINS
RHP Bert Blyleven
2B Rod Carew
LHP Jim Kaat
3B-1B Harmon Killebrew
OF Tony Oliva
Two of the five (Carew, Killebrew) are in the Hall of Fame, and you can make a strong case for the other three.
WHITE SOX
SS Luis Aparicio
OF-DH Harold Baines
1B Paul Konerko
OF Minnie Minoso
1B-DH Frank Thomas
The White Sox' 2005 Series title was their first in 87 years. Not many alive from the 1917 club.
YANKEES
C Yogi Berra
LHP Whitey Ford
SS Derek Jeter
1B Don Mattingly
RHP Mariano Rivera
When Jeter (No. 2) is through, Yankees may have only one single-digit number (No. 6) not retired.
Shane
0
Comments
<< <i>ORIOLES
RHP Mike Mussina
RHP Jim Palmer
1B Boog Powell
SS Cal Ripken Jr.
3B Brooks Robinson
The last two decades have been mostly dry for the Orioles but when most of this quintet was playing, they were flying high.
>>
I would replace Mussina and Boog with Eddie Murray and Frank Robinson.
Robert
Any high grade OPC Jim Palmer
High grade Redskins (pre 1980)
i like boog but frank robinson and eddie murray must be on the list.
GO O'S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
collecting RAW Topps baseball cards 1952 Highs to 1972. looking for collector grade (somewhere between psa 4-7 condition). let me know what you have, I'll take it, I want to finish sets, I must have something you can use for trade.
looking for Topps 71-72 hi's-62-53-54-55-59, I have these sets started
Not sure I'd go with the Moose.
McNally and Cuellar were pretty good pitchers as well.
You gotta love the Booger, maybe he got in because of BBQ.
Peace
45% complete.
<< <i>ASTROS
1B Jeff Bagwell
2B Craig Biggio
OF Cesar Cedeno
OF Jose Cruz
RHP Mike Scott
"Killer B's" Bagwell and Biggio have combined for nearly 5,000 games played with Astros. Both Hall of Fame bound? >>
Unless both of their careers nose-dive, I would replace Cedeno, Scott, and/or Cruz with Berkman and Oswalt.
Bernie
Paul O'Neil
Tino
Giambi
Reggie
Winfield
Pettite
A-Rod
:
Dent
:
Mickey Rivers
:
Dale Berra
all before Mattingly.
Jay
Nationals/Expos- If you're not going to put Pedro as a Red Sox (where he is a top 3 pitcher all time there) then how about here?? He had a helluva few years in Montreal
Red Sox- Rice over Foxx or Manny?? Manny is one of the best hitters of all time and a sure fire HOFer whereas Rice might not even get in. And again- no Pedro??
D'Backs- How Schill isnt on the DBacks list over Gonzo is absurd (WS MVP) but not as ridiculous as BRANDON WEBB!!! He has had 1 real superior season.
Devil Rays- ROCCO?? Come on with this- how about Canseco?? I dont think this is a "best player while on the team" list right??
greats? Funny that many of the teams like the Tampa and Washington have so so ball players just cause they are young teams, but
the Yanks top 5 list can't even include 5 HOF'ers??
Im not sure the rule on how the players are represented on each team, but Im pretty sure that Shill played more years with the
Phillies than the Dbacks.
Kevin
<< <i>This list is flawed on so many levels but ill point to some of the most obvious
Nationals/Expos- If you're not going to put Pedro as a Red Sox (where he is a top 3 pitcher all time there) then how about here?? He had a helluva few years in Montreal
Red Sox- Rice over Foxx or Manny?? Manny is one of the best hitters of all time and a sure fire HOFer whereas Rice might not even get in. And again- no Pedro??
D'Backs- How Schill isnt on the DBacks list over Gonzo is absurd (WS MVP) but not as ridiculous as BRANDON WEBB!!! He has had 1 real superior season.
Devil Rays- ROCCO?? Come on with this- how about Canseco?? I dont think this is a "best player while on the team" list right?? >>
Keep in mind that the list is for LIVING players. That means Jimmie Foxx can't be on the list. I think Pedro should be on the list as well as Manny.
Shane
<< <i>Red Sox- Rice over Foxx or Manny?? >>
You mean Jimmie Foxx? He's been dead for 40 years.
the HAWK
Vlad
Pedro
gary Carter
Steve Rogers
Bob Feller (one of the nicest people I have ever met, and he was at my very first card show) HOF
Jim Thome future HOF
Albert Belle
Manny Ramirez future HOF
Phil Niekro 300 game winner, HOF
<< <i>Indians!
Bob Feller (one of the nicest people I have ever met, and he was at my very first card show) HOF
Jim Thome future HOF
Albert Belle
Manny Ramirez future HOF
Phil Niekro 300 game winner, HOF >>
It took me a few minutes to figure this out, too, but Hummel is only considering what a player did for a particular team - so Niekro doesn't belong on the Indians list (although I would have put him on the Braves list over Murphy or Glavine). The first name to really grab my attention was Mike Scott on the Astros, but that's a reasonable choice as long as you don't consider Ryan's service on any other team.
My changes:
Mets: Add Dwight Gooden drop Keith Hernandez
Orioles: Add Mike Cuellar drop Mike Mussina
1. 7-17-81 Warrenton GC Driver 310 yards 7th Hole (Par 4)
2. 5-22-99 Warrenton GC 6 iron 189 yards 10th Hole
3. 7-23-99 Oak Meadow CC 5 iron 180 yards 17th Hole
4. 9-19-99 Country Lake GC 6 iron 164 yards 15th Hole
5. 8-30-09 Country Lake GC Driver 258 yards 17th Hole (Par 4)
Collector of Barber Halves, Commems, MS64FBL Frankies, Full Step Jeffersons & Mint state Washington Quarters
<< <i>Frank Robinson was on the Reds List.
Not sure I'd go with the Moose.
McNally and Cuellar were pretty good pitchers as well.
You gotta love the Booger, maybe he got in because of BBQ.
Peace >>
pretty sure dave mcnally died a few years ago
<< <i>The first name to really grab my attention was Mike Scott on the Astros, but that's a reasonable choice as long as you don't consider Ryan's service on any other team. >>
Sorry but I didn't notice this post until now.
It surprised me as well at first.
I hate to say it but while Scott was considered a hero by many (including myself), I would replace him with Oswalt, Reynolds, or even JR Richard.
Please don't smite me, oh great Scott