Greatest Baseball Player of All Time

[RonC]

we usually name on offensive player.

question is, should we consider a pitcher?

and if we can consider a pitcher, can we consider a relief pitcher?

If a relief pitcher can be considered, where do we put Mariano Rivera?

 

[Craig Mac]

we usually name on offensive player.

question is, should we consider a pitcher?

and if we can consider a pitcher, can we consider a relief pitcher?

If a relief pitcher can be considered, where do we put Mariano Rivera?

We put Mariano Rivera down as the best closer in baseball!

 

[bwhyte]

I think it would be hard to consider a pitcher the "greatest" baseball player becuase they only play one aspect of baseball. Almost every pitcher is horrible at batting and some pitchers never get more then a couple of at bats a year. I think a pitcher should be considered the "greatest pitcher" and the best overall person should be the "greatest" baseball player.
It's like comparing apples to oranges!

 

[RonC]

We put Mariano Rivera down as the best closer in baseball!

Mariano is the best ever.

Just seeing what others think about how you rate a relief pitcher vs. an everyday player.

 

[Pietastervw]

I'd have to agree with bwhyte not only becuase they only play one aspect of the game.....but they arn't even everyday players. Most pitchers are once every 5days now, or in the playoffs sometimes once every 3. Closers play even less, 1 inning every few days.

 

[Grego]

For a pitcher it would have to be Cy Young,
you said of all time and that makes it awfull tough,

For my lifetime and what I have had the pleasure of seeing I would think Johnny Bench and Nolan Ryan are the best I have ever seen play the game,
expcept of course this does not include my 9 and ten yr old sons

 

[Craig Mac]

Mariano is the best ever.

Just seeing what others think about how you rate a relief pitcher vs. an everyday player.

I just think it is hard to say what kind of numbers Rivera would have throwing 100+ pitches a game, the other night he threw only 5 pitches. I have a feeling he would not have played as long or been as successful as a starter. He is clutch when you need him to be, much like a DH is.

 

[Electric Sheep]

we usually name on offensive player.

question is, should we consider a pitcher?

Babe Ruth was *BOTH*

Career Pitching stats
Win–Loss record: 94–46
Earned run average: 2.28

Career Hitting stats
Batting average: .342
Home runs: 714
Hits: 2,873

In the 1918 World Series while on the Red Sox, Ruth pitched a 1–0 shutout in the opener, then won Game Four, allowing a total of two runs (both earned) in seventeen innings for an ERA of 1.06.

In 1921 with the Yankees, Ruth had arguably the best year of his career, hitting 59 home runs, batting .378 and slugging .846 leading the Yankees to their 1st pennant win (they would go on to win seven pennants and four World Series titles with Ruth). Then in 1927 he hit a career-high 60 home runs, batted .356, drove in 164 runs and slugged .772.

BOTH.

 

[jwintosh]

Mariano who? Trevor HOFFMAN baby!!

 

[timothyjohncarney]

4256 hits is "pretty good" and by "pretty good" I mean GOAT. Should Pete Rose be considered?

 

[Electric Sheep]

4256 hits is "pretty good" and by "pretty good" I mean GOAT. Should Pete Rose be considered?

Not just "no" but "hell no" :tongueout

 

[bwhyte]

How do you think Babe Ruth would do against today's pitchers? I don't think he would be very good. Baseball has changed a lot over the years. Talent has changed over the years.

 

[tubaman]

Mariano who? Trevor HOFFMAN baby!!

OMG PLEASE STOP!!! You can't even compare the two. Rivera is the master.

 

[Electric Sheep]

Different era entirely; it's practically impossible to compare players of different eras--all you can do is compare them to the players of their era.

Of course, don't forget thatRuth played in a time when the outfield dimensions and foul pole rules were different as well:

Until 1931 in the AL, balls that hit the foul pole were considered ground-rule doubles, and balls that went over the wall in fair territory but hooked foul were ruled foul. Many fields, including Ruth's home Polo Grounds, had exceptionally deep center fields—in the Polo Grounds' case, nearly five hundred feet. The author concluded that Ruth would have been credited with 104 home runs in 1921, if modern rules and field dimensions were in place.

In any case, Ruth was a transcendent player in his era, and unlike others, he both pitched AND hit at the highest possible level.

 

[BagfullofPings]

I have to agree with Babe Ruth.

 

[bwhyte]

I know by no means can you compare era's it was just a question of curiosity? If Ruth was playing I don't think he would compare to the elite players of today.

 

[Electric Sheep]

I agree, Babe Ruth wouldn't make it today--mostly due to his poor work ethic, physical shape, inability to run, and that pitching in the 20's was less sophisticated and slower than pitching today.

But that doesn't mean he isn't the greatest player of all time, because he certainly is exactly that. He changed the game completely. Compared to his contemporaries, he was light years ahead of them. I mean come on, dude hit more home runs in a single season than entire other teams hit COMBINED. That's just crazy dominant. Can you imagine that level of dominance today? No way.

 

[Greg]

Barry Bonds.

 

[Electric Sheep]

Barry is one of the best pure hitters in the history of baseball--even without the 'roids he was probably a top 15 of all time hitter--but just being an insane power hitter doesn't make him the greatest player ever.

I mean, Ted Williams is probably the best pure hitter in the history of the game who saw the ball and matched it to hitting mechanics perhaps better than any other human on the planet ever has or ever will. But just because he was a great pure hitter doesn't mean he's the greatest baseball player ever.

 

[Electric Sheep]

Yes, yes, I agree completely...he was an excellent fielder and runner when he was younger and smaller, a good 5-tool player, but what he really excelled at, what he was insanely great at, was power hitting...right? Until then, he was certainly capable of being one of the greats...but I don't think he's "greatness".