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Top 5 Baseball Players of All Time - Name yours

VolverVolver Posts: 753
in Sports Talk
Since we have had many discussions about overrated players, the HOF and MVPs I wanted to see who is included in your top 5 players of all time. Any position, any era and for any reason you desire. Lets see what players appears most often.

In no order

Lou Gehrig
Babe Ruth
Willie Mays
Hank Aaron
Barry Bonds (I know I will get love for that one)

Comments

  • StevenJackson39StevenJackson39 Posts: 252
    wheres Williams??

    In no order

    Williams
    Mantle
    Ruth
    Rose
    Ryan
    Looking to Trade and Buy Tony Romo GU/Autos/RCS
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,696 ✭✭✭✭✭
    In no particular order, and off the top of my head (post 1900):

    Ty Cobb
    Babe Ruth
    Ted Williams
    Willie Mays
    Mickey Mantle


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • VolverVolver Posts: 753
    I thought about Williams, but I would have ranked Dimaggio ahead of Ted anyways.

    Believe me I am a Ted fan - wanted to name my first kid Williams (wife said no) but this is the Top 5

  • 1420sports1420sports Posts: 3,473 ✭✭✭
    Kelly Leak could have been one of the best ever
    collecting various PSA and SGC cards
  • perkdogperkdog Posts: 30,675 ✭✭✭✭✭
    In no order as well,

    Mays
    Ted Williams
    Joe Dimaggio
    Lou Gehrig
    Barry Bonds




  • VolverVolver Posts: 753
    I did see Nolan Ryan and Pete Rose discussed in the most overrated thread. Interesting how we see the same thing different.
  • perkdogperkdog Posts: 30,675 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i><<Kelly Leak could have been one of the best ever>>


    Sure, in little league. But when I think of the greatest lost potential at the major league level, only one name comes to mind...Roy Hobbs!!! >>




    I dont know who Hobbs is but surely Josh Gibson needs to be at the top of a lost potential list.
  • stevekstevek Posts: 29,044 ✭✭✭✭✭
    This list is definitive and is really not debatable.

    1. Babe Ruth
    2. Ty Cobb
    3. Willie Mays
    4. Ted Williams
    5 - 15 is a blanket of around 10 players

    Again...the top four are case closed!

    PS: I can see #2, 3 and 4 being different on some lists even though that would be incorrect, but anyone who doesn't have Babe Ruth at #1 should be summarily dismissed from this forum and banished forever to the Beckett forum.
  • VolverVolver Posts: 753
    Anyone know who hit behind Gehrig?
  • GootGoot Posts: 3,496


    << <i>

    << <i><<Kelly Leak could have been one of the best ever>>


    Sure, in little league. But when I think of the greatest lost potential at the major league level, only one name comes to mind...Roy Hobbs!!! >>




    I dont know who Hobbs is but surely Josh Gibson needs to be at the top of a lost potential list. >>





    Roy Hobbs is the main character from The Natural, my favorite movie of all time.
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,696 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Anyone know who hit behind Gehrig?

    Bob Meusel


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • perkdogperkdog Posts: 30,675 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>

    << <i><<Kelly Leak could have been one of the best ever>>


    Sure, in little league. But when I think of the greatest lost potential at the major league level, only one name comes to mind...Roy Hobbs!!! >>




    I dont know who Hobbs is but surely Josh Gibson needs to be at the top of a lost potential list. >>





    Roy Hobbs is the main character from The Natural, my favorite movie of all time. >>




    Gotcha! image
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,696 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Is no one going to throw Honus in anywhere?

    He's definitely #6 in my book, or #5a, however you want to look at it.

    Interesting all players being mentioned are position players so far.


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • stevekstevek Posts: 29,044 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>stevek seems to have an interesting and viable take on the matter, though I am worried about his ability to count. Also, I tend to not think of Mays as highly as many others do.

    Is no one going to throw Honus in anywhere? >>




    I just think #5 is too tough to pick any one player who overall stands out from the others. If I gotta choose #5, I go with Dimaggio - he would be a solid #5, perhaps even #3 if not for a shorter career.
  • stevekstevek Posts: 29,044 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I didn't mean that. I agree it's really tough to pick that 5th spot. I was just being a smart ass about the fact that 5-15 is 11 players, not 10. image >>




    That's what I get for dropping out of high school to pursue a career as a baseball player. And I would have made the big leagues if I could just hit a curve ball.



    and a fast ball, and a breaking ball.....LOL
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,696 ✭✭✭✭✭
    That's what I get for dropping out of high school to pursue a career as a baseball player. And I would have made the big leagues if I could just hit a curve ball.



    and a fast ball, and a breaking ball.....LOL

    Word has it that you could get around that screwball, though, Steve! image


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • BlackborderBlackborder Posts: 2,797 ✭
    Ruth
    Mays
    Walter Johnson
    Cobb
    Williams
  • dallasactuarydallasactuary Posts: 4,338 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Is no one going to throw Honus in anywhere? >>


    It ain't a top 5 without him.

    In order:

    Ruth
    Wagner
    Mays
    Johnson
    Williams
    This is for you @thisistheshow - Jim Rice was actually a pretty good player.
  • BlackborderBlackborder Posts: 2,797 ✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Is no one going to throw Honus in anywhere? >>


    It ain't a top 5 without him.

    In order:

    Ruth
    Wagner
    Mays
    Johnson
    Williams >>



    Wagner's overrated. image
  • DarinDarin Posts: 7,104 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Babe Ruth
    Ty Cobb
    Willie Mays
    Honus Wagner
    Joe DiMaggio

    If Volver had asked, best hitters, instead of best players, I would include Ted Williams in the top five.
  • BobaFett72BobaFett72 Posts: 7,304
    this is in no particular order, but i think Ruth is #1. Ted Williams missed 5 seasons worth of prime stats; his final career numbers would be mind boggling.

    Ruth
    Teddy Ballgame
    Honus Wagner
    Willie Mays
    Ty Cobb/Hank Aaron

    My personal top 5, throwing stats out the window....

    Jim Thome
    Dale Murphy
    Joe Carter
    Omar Vizquel
    Carl Yastremski
  • cheekscheeks Posts: 87
    Good point about Williams missing 5 prime years . He was a Marine Corp. fighter pilot in WWll and Korea. No telling what his final stats would have been. Mays also lost a couple of prime years during Korea. I will always be a Mantle backer but I really wonder what Williams could have accomplished in those five years when he was at his best. The splendid splinter should definitely be in the top 5. Even Mantle said Williams was the best hitter in baseball. Mantle did not have the durability of Aaron, Bank, Williams or Mays, but in his prime he was the fastest and most powerful slugger in baseball.
  • WinPitcherWinPitcher Posts: 27,726 ✭✭✭
    mario mendoza

    ray oyler

    bud harrelson

    pepe frias

    choo choo coleman


    that is my list and I'm sticking to it.


    Steve
    Good for you.
  • baseballfanbaseballfan Posts: 5,458 ✭✭✭
    ruth
    cobb
    mays
    williams
    c. young

    honorable mention
    aaron
    w. johnson
    rose
    bonds (mvp's before thoughts of enhancement use)
    Fred

    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

  • dallasactuarydallasactuary Posts: 4,338 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>ray oyler >>



    Hit .135 as the regular shortstop for a WS winning team - and he wasn't a good fielder. One of baseball's true oddities.
    This is for you @thisistheshow - Jim Rice was actually a pretty good player.
  • MantleMarisFordBerraMantleMarisFordBerra Posts: 1,701 ✭✭✭
    Surprised to see how many of you include no pitchers on your lists. I also think it's odd not too many players from the last 40 years (Bonds, Rose, Ryan are all I saw, and I agree with none of those choices). Not to derail the htread, but to be serious about it I really think you need to have two versions, top 5 pitchers & top 5 non-pitchers. Here's mine:

    Non-pitchers
    1-Ruth
    2-Cobb
    3-Williams
    4-Wagner
    5- tie:Aaron/Mays

    in a few years we may have to add Pujols to this list

    Pitchers
    1-W. Johnson
    2-Clemens
    3-Matthewson
    4-Koufax
    5-hard to pick a fifth, R.Johnson, W.Sphan, C.Young, B.Gibson,N.Ryan,G.Maddox, G.P.Alexander, who can pick?
  • mikeschmidtmikeschmidt Posts: 5,756 ✭✭✭
    I know she wasn't a baseball player, but I think Efra Manley is heads above any actual individual player who was on the field and should have a Hall of Fame all of her own.
    I am actively buying MIKE SCHMIDT gem mint baseball cards. Also looking for any 19th century cabinets of Philadephia Nationals. Please PM with additional details.
  • markj111markj111 Posts: 2,921 ✭✭✭
    I realize that we all have our biases, but I find it impossible to take seriously anyone who puts Ryan or Rose in the top five. Ryan is not even in the top twenty of the greatest pitchers of all time.

    Top ten all time in win shares:

    1. Ruth
    2. Cobb
    3. Bonds (does not include 2006 season)
    4. Wagner
    5. Aaron
    6. Mays
    7. Young
    8. Speaker
    9. Musial
    10. Collins
  • markj111markj111 Posts: 2,921 ✭✭✭
    I found a list of the top 100 according to Win Shares. It differs from the first. Note that Rose is #33 and Ryan is MIA.

    1 Babe  Ruth 26 R.Henderson 51 Sandy Koufax
    2 Honus Wagner 27 Pop Lloyd 52 Smokey Joe Williams
    3 Willie Mays 28 Mel Ott 53 Roy Campanella
    4 Oscar Charleston 29 Jimmie Foxx 54 Tony Gwynn
    5 Ty  Cobb 30 George Brett 55 Robin Yount
    6 Mickey Mantle 31 Mark McGwire 56 Bob Feller
    7 Ted Williams 32 Jackie Robinson 57 Reggie Jackson
    8 Walter  Johnson 33 Pete Rose 58 Ryne Sandberg
    9 Josh Gibson 34 Eddie Mathews 59 C Gerhinger
    10 Stan Musial 35 Craig Biggio 60 Wade Boggs
    11 Tris Speaker 36 Warren Spahn 61 Eddie Murray
    12 Henry Aaron 37 Carl Yastrzemski 62 Johnny Mize
    13 Joe DiMaggio 38 Tom Seaver 63 H Killebrew
    14 Lou Gerhig 39 Arky Vaughan 64 Rod Carew
    15 Joe Morgan 40 Nap Lajoie 65 Buck Leonard
    16 Barry Bonds 41 Yogi Berra 66 Joe Jackson
    17 Satchel Paige 42 C Mathewson 67 Cristoba Torriente
    18 Eddie Collins 43 Mule Suttles 68 Hank Greenberg
    19 Lefty Grove 44 Johnny Bench 69 Willie McCovey
    20 Pete Alexander 45 Jeff Bagwell 70 Home Run Baker
    21 Mike Schmidt 46 Bob Gibson 71 Al Simmons
    22 Rogers  Hornsby 47 Kid Nichols 72 M Cochrane
    23 Cy Young 48 Cal Ripken 73 Ken Griffey, Jr.
    24 Frank Robinson 49 Roger Clemens 74 R Clemente
    25 Turkey Stearns 50 Duke Snider 75 Frank Thomas


    76 Cool Papa Bell
    77 Ernie Banks
    78 Steve Carlton
    79 Mike Piazza
    80 Roberto Alomar
    81 Tim Raines
    82 Willie Stargell
    83 Three Finger Brown
    84 Paul Waner
    85 Minnie Minoso
    86 Willie Wells
    87 Ron Santo
    88 Frankie Frisch
    89 Sam Crawford
    90 Al Kaline
    91 B Robinson
    92 Greg Maddux
    93 Barry Larkin
    94 Carl Hubbell
    95 Martin Dihigo
    96 Robin Roberts
    97 Carlton Fisk
    98 Kirby Puckett
    99 Ed Delahanty
    100 Billy Williams


      
      
  • bigfischebigfische Posts: 2,252 ✭✭
    not in order, just my top five today, it could be different if you ask me tomorrow.

    Ruth
    Williams
    Musial
    Aaron
    Mathewson
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  • bigfischebigfische Posts: 2,252 ✭✭


    << <i>I found a list of the top 100 according to Win Shares. It differs from the first. Note that Rose is #33 and Ryan is MIA.

    1 Babe  Ruth 26 R.Henderson 51 Sandy Koufax
    2 Honus Wagner 27 Pop Lloyd 52 Smokey Joe Williams
    3 Willie Mays 28 Mel Ott 53 Roy Campanella
    4 Oscar Charleston 29 Jimmie Foxx 54 Tony Gwynn
    5 Ty  Cobb 30 George Brett 55 Robin Yount
    6 Mickey Mantle 31 Mark McGwire 56 Bob Feller
    7 Ted Williams 32 Jackie Robinson 57 Reggie Jackson
    8 Walter  Johnson 33 Pete Rose 58 Ryne Sandberg
    9 Josh Gibson 34 Eddie Mathews 59 C Gerhinger
    10 Stan Musial 35 Craig Biggio 60 Wade Boggs
    11 Tris Speaker 36 Warren Spahn 61 Eddie Murray
    12 Henry Aaron 37 Carl Yastrzemski 62 Johnny Mize
    13 Joe DiMaggio 38 Tom Seaver 63 H Killebrew
    14 Lou Gerhig 39 Arky Vaughan 64 Rod Carew
    15 Joe Morgan 40 Nap Lajoie 65 Buck Leonard
    16 Barry Bonds 41 Yogi Berra 66 Joe Jackson
    17 Satchel Paige 42 C Mathewson 67 Cristoba Torriente
    18 Eddie Collins 43 Mule Suttles 68 Hank Greenberg
    19 Lefty Grove 44 Johnny Bench 69 Willie McCovey
    20 Pete Alexander 45 Jeff Bagwell 70 Home Run Baker
    21 Mike Schmidt 46 Bob Gibson 71 Al Simmons
    22 Rogers  Hornsby 47 Kid Nichols 72 M Cochrane
    23 Cy Young 48 Cal Ripken 73 Ken Griffey, Jr.
    24 Frank Robinson 49 Roger Clemens 74 R Clemente
    25 Turkey Stearns 50 Duke Snider 75 Frank Thomas


    76 Cool Papa Bell
    77 Ernie Banks
    78 Steve Carlton
    79 Mike Piazza
    80 Roberto Alomar
    81 Tim Raines
    82 Willie Stargell
    83 Three Finger Brown
    84 Paul Waner
    85 Minnie Minoso
    86 Willie Wells
    87 Ron Santo
    88 Frankie Frisch
    89 Sam Crawford
    90 Al Kaline
    91 B Robinson
    92 Greg Maddux
    93 Barry Larkin
    94 Carl Hubbell
    95 Martin Dihigo
    96 Robin Roberts
    97 Carlton Fisk
    98 Kirby Puckett
    99 Ed Delahanty
    100 Billy Williams


      
       >>



    I dont know what Win Shares is but Mathewson is not on there top Forty players? Thats crap, they must undervalue the pitchers most important stat: ERA. Wins and strikeouts are both imprtant but wins are dependant on your team scoring runs, and strikeouts are cool and all, but if you cant pitch out of trouble, induce ground balls, and not walk people, those strikeouts are not really going to mean much.
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  • bri2327bri2327 Posts: 3,178 ✭✭
    Ruth
    Gehrig
    Williams
    Mays
    Mantle


    I only names position players. Pitchers should be an entirely different thread.
    "The other teams could make trouble for us if they win."
    -- Yogi Berra

    image
  • jaxxrjaxxr Posts: 1,258 ✭✭
    Position Players, You can't just say hitters, because defense and baserunning count.
    1. ....Ruth, 2. (tie) Cobb, Mays, Williams. then at a very slightly lesser but distinct level...5 Gehrig. 6. Wagner. 7. DiMaggio. 8. Musial. 9. (tie) Aaron, Henderson, Mantle.

    Pitchers
    1. (tie) Walter Johnson and Lefty Grove, 3. Ed Walsh 4. Alexander 5. Koufax 6. Hubbell 7. Mathewson 8. Seaver 9. (tie) Brown, Marichal, Young

    Only retired players ranked, and I do believe Rickey Henderson the all time stolen base and all time runs scored leader ( walks too until Bonds ), has finally retired. Thus no formal consideration of Bonds and Arod, or Pedro M. and Roger C.

    Everything is subjective of course, although, I am very opinionated/confident of my top four positon players and the top two pitchers.

    image
    This aint no party,... this aint no disco,.. this aint no fooling around.
  • dallasactuarydallasactuary Posts: 4,338 ✭✭✭✭✭
    bigfische - Win Shares definitely does not undervalue ERA; earned runs allowed is essentially the only thing considered in the method, along with how long a pitcher maintained his level. That, and putting the ERA in the context of when and where the games were played.

    Christy Mathewson was a great pitcher, but his ERA is seriously impacted by the time he played. Mathewson's 1.43 ERA in 1908, for example, was nowhere near as impressive as Kevin Brown's 1.89 in 1996, or even as impressive as Bret Saberhagen's 2.16 in 1989. Mathewson had a lot more great seasons than Brown and Saberhagen and they aren't in his league overall, but neither was Mathewson in the same league as Johnson and Grove. He was to Walter Johnson what Mel Ott was to Babe Ruth.
    This is for you @thisistheshow - Jim Rice was actually a pretty good player.
  • VolverVolver Posts: 753
    Win Shares had Gehrig at 14 and Joe Morgan - I will have to kindly disagree. And who the heck is Oscar Charleston at #4
  • dallasactuarydallasactuary Posts: 4,338 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i><<And who the heck is Oscar Charleston at #4 >>


    He was a negro league ball player and I have no idea how "win shares" would even calculate his achievements. >>



    It doesn't. James just guessed where the top 10 or so Negro Leaguers would fall, and he doesn't pretend it's anything other than a guess.
    This is for you @thisistheshow - Jim Rice was actually a pretty good player.
  • bigfischebigfische Posts: 2,252 ✭✭


    << <i>bigfische - Win Shares definitely does not undervalue ERA; earned runs allowed is essentially the only thing considered in the method, along with how long a pitcher maintained his level. That, and putting the ERA in the context of when and where the games were played.

    Christy Mathewson was a great pitcher, but his ERA is seriously impacted by the time he played. Mathewson's 1.43 ERA in 1908, for example, was nowhere near as impressive as Kevin Brown's 1.89 in 1996, or even as impressive as Bret Saberhagen's 2.16 in 1989. Mathewson had a lot more great seasons than Brown and Saberhagen and they aren't in his league overall, but neither was Mathewson in the same league as Johnson and Grove. He was to Walter Johnson what Mel Ott was to Babe Ruth. >>



    Im not trying to be an a$$, but shouldnt Pedro Martinez be way up on this list then? his career era is very impressive compared to his peers. I might have missed him but i didnt see him on the top 100 at all.
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  • ziggy29ziggy29 Posts: 18,668 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Sure, in little league. But when I think of the greatest lost potential at the major league level, only one name comes to mind...Roy Hobbs!!! >>

    As far as lost potential goes, I'll go with someone who is an all-time great anyway: Mickey Mantle.

    There may be no telling how much greater he could have been had the knee injuries and alcohol problems not entered the picture. And that's frightening because even WITH those impediments The Mick was one of the best ever...
  • estangestang Posts: 1,322 ✭✭✭
    1. Babe Ruth
    2. Ted Williams
    3. Lou Gehrig
    4. Walter Johnson
    5. Ty Cobb
    Enjoy your collection!
    Erik
  • dallasactuarydallasactuary Posts: 4,338 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Im not trying to be an a$$, but shouldnt Pedro Martinez be way up on this list then? his career era is very impressive compared to his peers. I might have missed him but i didnt see him on the top 100 at all. >>


    James published this list after the 2000 season; even then, Martinez is pretty high up on the list of the top 100 pitchers, but at that point wasn't close to one of the overall 100 greatest players with barely 1,500 innings pitched.
    This is for you @thisistheshow - Jim Rice was actually a pretty good player.
  • StingrayStingray Posts: 8,843 ✭✭✭
    Cobb
    Ruth
    Young
    Gehrig
    Williams
  • GlynRParsonGlynRParson Posts: 364
    Babe Ruth
    Barry Bonds
    Ty Cobb
    Walter Johnson
    Willie Mays
  • cheekscheeks Posts: 87
    1. RUTH
    2.MANTLE
    3. WILLIAMS
    4.MAYS
    5.DIMAGGIO or MUSIAL
  • Mickey71Mickey71 Posts: 4,254 ✭✭✭✭
    Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, & Walter Johnson, I know that Williams was in the top couple as a hitter, but was a terrible baserunner and fielder. If you were a manager and had to put someone in the outfield and bat 4th who do you start mays or williams.--Mays all day long. Thanks guys.image
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