BEST: Center Field

Maybe the toughest of all the positions! Positions one through three are a toss up.

1. Willie Mays - ROY, 2 MVP, 12 top-tens, 20 All-Star games, 12 Gold Gloves, 3283 hits, 660 HR, 2000+ runs, 1900+ rbi, .302 avg, 156 OPS+. His greatness over so many years gives him the edge in my book. He was great EVERY year from age 20 to 41.
2. Mickey Mantle - 3 MVP, 9 top-tens, 16 All-Star games, 172 OPS+, 536 HR, 7 World Series rings. He and Mays were so similar. Two great players. Mantle was great from age 19 to 36. Wow!3. Ty Cobb - 1 MVP, 4189 hits, .366 avg (best all-time), .433 obp, 2246 runs, 1937 rbi, 892 SB, 167 OPS+. I can't really give a good reason Cobb isn't number 1. He definitely loses some credit for not having to play all the best ballplayers.I'd start a team with any of these three guys.

Others Considered:
Ken Griffey Jr - His 30's took a toll on his body and his career numbers. He was fun to watch and collect when I was a kid. An impressive top three keep him out of consideration.

Joe Dimaggio - Not the MVP in 1947! (Did you know that Ted Williams won the triple crown twice and finished 2nd in MVP voting BOTH years!!!) That hitting streak sure is impressive. No player has come within 10 games of topping it.

Eric Davis - In 1987, Davis hit 37 HR and stole 50 bases...in only 129 games. Jose stole his thunder one year later! Eric Davis never played more than 135 games in a season. He was great when he wasn't hurt. Oh yea, he's my favorite player ever!

Current Players Who Might Make the List:
Grady Sizemore - I keep waiting for him to explode. He's 26 and coming off of 2 surgeries. He better explode quick to get in the conversation.

The Babe and the Hammer are next up in BEST: Right Field

BEST: Left Field

Left Field is a strong position in the best ever debate. The top 3 are baseball immortals as are many who didn't make the cut. Here's my list:

3. Stan Musial "The Man", 3 MVPs, 14 top-tens, 20 straight All-Star teams, 159 OPS+, 3630 hits, 7 batting titles, 3 World Series rings (missed 1945 season becuase of WWII) These next 2 guys must be pretty great to pass Musial.

2. Barry Bonds 7 MVPs, 13 top-teams, 8 Gold Gloves, 182 OPS+, 762 HRs - Best All-Time, 2558 BB - Best All-Time, even has 514 SBs, had a .609 OBP in 1999. (missed most of 2005, but he's no war hero!) Not sure if he'll ever be an HOFer, but he earned it even before his hat size grew.

1. Ted Williams "The Splendid Splinter", 2 MVPs, 12 top-tens, 17 All-Star teams, 191 OPS+, 521 HRs, 6 batting titles, .482 career OBP - Best All-Time. 2 Triple Crowns (missed 1943, 1944, AND 1945 seasons) I thought Bonds would go here, but the three years Williams missed in his PRIME push him over the top.

Others who were considered:

Yaz - 1 MVP, 129 OPS+, 6 Gold Gloves, 18 All-Star Games, Triple Crown

Willie Stargell - 1 MVP, 147 OPS+

Joe Jackson - .356 Avg, .423 OBP, 170 OPS+

Rickey Henderson - 3055 hits, 2295 Runs (Best All-Time), 1406 SB (Best All-Time), 127 OPS+, Best Lead-Off Hitter ever!

Monte Irvin - Hard to say, didn't get his shot in MLB until he was 30

Tim Raines - underrated because of playing with Rickey

Manny Ramirez - 8 straight top-tens in MVP voting, 500+ HR, will get to 3000 hits, 155 OPS+

Current players who have a chance to make the list:

Ryan Braun - now that he has a position (his tenure at 3rd base was awful), Braun has had an excellent first three years of a career, will hit 30+ HR in his first 3 years, 142 OPS+, ROY, 2 All-Star teams, some MVP-voting love. Time will tell.

Those of you jonesing for some Tito. TOMORROW!!!

BEST: 3rd Base

The hot corner stirs some debate. Brooks Robinson is the best defensive 3rd baseman of all time, but does that get him in the top 3? No one mentioned Bill Mazeroski when debating 2nd Base! Here's my list:

3. Chipper JonesIt was either Chipper or Mathews. You can't have 2 braves in the top 3. 1 MVP, 6 Top-Tens, led the Braves to the playoffs from '95 to '05, lifetime .310/.407/.545, 421 HR, 145 OPS+, hit so well in Shea that he named his kid after the stadium. Larry has had a great career.

2. George Brett13 straight All-Star teams, 1 MVP, 3000+ hits, .309 lifetime average, 135 OPS+, hitting .390 in 1980, Only 1 Ring but he hit .337 in the postseason, and he used a healthy amount of pine tar.

1. Mike Schmidt3 MVPs, 9 top tens, 10 Gold Gloves, 548 HR, 1500+ RBI, 1 Ring. He's Brooks Robinson Lite in the field AND Mickey Mantle with the bat. Choosing Schmidt at number 1 was possibly the easiest choice so far.

Others considered:
Wade Boggs: 12 straight All-Star teams, 3000+ hits, lifetime .328 avg and .418 obp, 130 OPS+, batted over .350 five times, 1 Ring (oddly enough, it was as a Yankee)

Eddie Mathews: 143 OPS+, 512 HR

Brooks Robinson: 15 straight All-Star teams, 16 straight Gold Gloves, 1 MVP & 7 top-10 MVPs, 2 Rings. With the bat, he was essentially Rusty Staub (who was better than you might think) You can't hit .267/.322/.401 and be the best ever! Bill James rates Ron Santo ahead of Brooks Robinson.

Current players who could be in the conversation:
David Wright: He's 26, has 4 All-Star games, 3 top-tens in MVP, 2 questionable Gold Gloves. He's the face of the Mets. Too bad Citi Field has sucked all his power away.

Evan Longoria: He's 23, ROY, 2 All-Star teams, the sky is the limit

Alex Rodriguez: When he has played more games at the hot corner than at short, he'll go up in the ranks for sure.

It's on the the outfield next. But not before a little more Tito love!

BEST: Shortstop

Shortstop is an interesting position. In little league, its where all the best players play (while they are not pitching or occasionally roaming center field). And for a while, it was where weak bats with outstanding gloves played. And then there was ARod/Jeter/Garciaparra. With a few exceptions, SS has once again become a light hitting position in the big leagues. Here are my picks for the best Shortstops in history:

3. Cal RipkenRipken broke the light-hitting shortstop mold of the 70's. He could hit. And was underrated as a fielder. He threw the ball so effortlessly to first. He went to 19 straight All-Star games, won 2 MVPs, and ROY. He hit 431 HRs and had over 3000 hits. And there was the games played streak. Not bad for a the number three spot.

2. Alex RodriguezYou might call foul on this one for a variety of reasons. He has played more games at SS than at 3rd base. He also won 2 Gold Gloves for the two seasons prior to coming to the Yankees. He should be playing shortsop right now instead of that Jeter guy. He has won 3 MVPs, 9 top 10's in MVP voting, and 12 All-Star selections. He has a career OPS+ of 147 and 570 HR and counting. I hate that he did steroids but I can't leave him off my list because of it. I may have sub-consciously dropped him from the top spot because of them (or it may have been all those games at 3rd base). I figure he will be the most controversial pick.

1. Honus Wagner
To many collectors, Wagner is simply the face on the most famous sports card ever. He was a great player. He batted .327, with a .391 OBP, and an OPS+ of 150 for his career. He did play in the teens, but he ranks in the top 10 in career hits, doubles, triples, and stolen bases. Rodriguez is hot on his heels for the top spot but maybe not as a shortstop. Wagner was too good to be ignored.

Others in the conversation:

Cap'n Jeter - Jeter is a fantastic player. He will certainly reach 3000 hits, all in pinstripes. His 4 rings and .304 postseason average will take him straight to Cooperstown. But he is not the best shortstop on his own team. Sorry Yankee fans.

Arky Vaughn - Second best shortstop of his era behind Honus Wagner.

Today:

Hanley Ramirez - He's the only current SS that can even be considered. He is 25 and has won a ROY and followed it with 2 outstanding seasons. He is playing even better this year. His average is up, strikeouts are down, and his power numbers are holding steady. Too bad he is stuck in Florida. Ramirez doesn't get the credit he deserves. I don't think he'll be top-three all-time but you never know. He certainly has the potential.

As usual, what do you think?

Oh yea, SEND ME YOUR ADDRESS FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BEST: 2nd Base

Continuing my series of posts on the best of all time...

2nd Base is tough. It's so tough to compare across eras, but that is the fun of it. Here's my list:

#3 - Rogers Hornsby - many may argue that he should be number 1 and maybe he should. He played 23 seasons, 10 of which were freakishly good. But he played in the teens. 175 UPS+. Bring on the arguments!
#2 - Joe Morgan - 2 MVPs, 5 straight top 1os. He did everything well, he hit for power, stole over 40 bases 9 times, .392 lifetime OBP. Don't hold his color commentary or his EGO against him when judging his playing career.
#1 - Jackie Robinson - didn't play in the Bigs until he was 28, ROY his first year, top 15 in MVP voting from ages 28 to 34. He was outstanding despite the crap he had to endure. His early and mid 20s would have produced some pretty special career numbers.
Others I considered:
Naploean Lojoie - played in the 1800's.
Craig Biggio - great and versatile player, played outfield and catcher, too many average years trying to get to 3000 hits.
Roberto Alomar - like Biggio, played a little too long, was never great after the spitting incident.
Eddie Collins - played too early but was really good for a lot of years.

Today's players who may one day make the list:
Chase Utley - he got a late start to his career. He is already 30 and would need 8-10 more years of what he has done the past few.
Dustin Pedroia - he'll never rack up crazy numbers but he plays the game tough. The hardware is piling up already: World Series Ring, ROY, MVP, All-Star, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger. Quite impressive for a pint-sized runt.

What do you think?

BEST: Catcher Redux

Several readers didn't like that Piazza was even in the conversation for best catcher ever. I even agreed to switch their positions in the top three. Yet, I maintain that Piazza deserves to be in the conversation and I've got proof.

Check out this: http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/piazza-vs-bench-vs-pudge/

I LOVE STATS! (and graphs! I'm a math teacher!)

BEST: 1st Base

For anyone who didn't read the comments on the Best: Catcher post, readers wanted Bench higher on the list. I can concede that, but I am a Mets fan and Piazza deserves top three consideration. Now, on to first base:

First base has become a pure power position. Keith Hernandez was a Met, a TV star, and an 11-time Gold-Glover but he is not on my list.

#3 Frank Thomas - 521 HR, 156 OPS+, 9 Top 10 MVP finishes plus 2 MVP winsI expect to get some argument about this one. I was surprised myself at this choice. The Big Hurt was a a great hitter, for average AND for power. He is one of only four players with at least a .300 average, 500 home runs, 1,500 RBI, 1,000 runs and 1,500 walks and he is one of the few stars of baseball who has been vocal about ridding the game of steroids.

#2 Jimmy Foxx - .325 Avg, .609 Slg, 163 OPS+, 3 MVPs, 2 World Series winsLefty Grove said Foxx "had muscles in his hair." A League of Their Own character Jimmy Dugan was based on his time managing the Fort Wayne Daisies.

#1 Lou Gehrig - .340 Avg (WOW), .632 Slg (WOW), 179 OPS+ (WOW), 8 Top Fives in MVP in 11 years (WOW), 6 World Series winsA disease named after him, the "luckiest man" speech, being the Iron Horse before Ripken was more ironier (that's a word). I hate that the Yankees top the first two lists but what can you do?

Others considered: Greenberg, he hammered before Aaron. Musial, played more games in the OF. Bagwell, he's an interesting HOF case.

Current players who may make the list: PUJOLS!!! He is close to the list already. 8 years, 8 top-10's in MVP voting, 7 top-5's. He is the best in th egame today. And he plays great defense.Are you a Mattingly fanatic? Do you think Dan Brouthers deserves more credit for his play in the 18th century? As a Mets fan, should I rate Bill Buckner higher? Let me know what you think.

BEST: Catcher

I love baseball. I love almost everything about it: the pace of the game, the stadiums, the stats(especially the ones on the back), and the debates. Dayf, of I Hate Glavine & Smoltz & and their stinkin' variations.blogspot claims Mike Schmidt is the best 3rd baseman of all time. I'll get to the hot corner in due time but I'm starting with catcher.

Truth be told, Josh Gibson was probably the best catcher of all-time but I'm limiting my choices to Major League players. Some older players like Ty Cobb and Cy Young may be given less weight in my rankings because they did not always play against the best.
Nothing scientific about my choices, just a few stats and a few thoughts to go with them. Any thoughts are appreciated.

#3 Johnny Bench - 126 OPS+, .267 Avg, 389 HR, 1376 RBI, 14 All-Star games, 4 years of finishing in the top 4 in MVP voting including 2 MVP awards, and 2 World Series Championships
I was an avid baseball bunch fan! And one of my favorite Letterman Top 10 List items: Least favorite Pepperidge Farm cookie flavors - Johnny Bench Nut Cups! Bench was on some really good Big Red Machine powered Cincinnati teams. Each year the nation's best collegiate catcher receives the Johnny Bench Award. (You can get a card signed by Johnny for $60.)

#2 Mike Piazza - 142 OPS+, .308 Avg, 427 HR, 1335 RBI, 12 All-Star games, 7 years of finishing in the top 10 in MVP voting including 3 MVP awards, and 1 World Series appearanceGreatest hitting catcher of all-time! After Seaver, he's the best Met of all-time. And does anybody believe that Roger Clemens didn't throw that bat at Piazza on purpose. First ballot HOFer.

#1 Yogi Berra - 125 OPS+, .285 Avg, 358 HR, 1430 RBI, 15 straight All-Star games, 7 Straight years of finishing in the top 4 in MVP voting including 3 MVP awards, and 10 World Series ChampionshipsThe MVP stats are staggering! He is a legend, even if he did look tiny that final night at Yankee Stadium. 10 championships is incredible. He was Bill Russell before Bill Russell was Bill Russell. (That's right, I said Bill Russell 3 times in that sentence!) (You can get a card signed by Yogi for $50.)

Other catchers considered: Campy, Gabby, Dickey, Cochrane, Fisk

Current catchers who may be great: Mauer, but he won't be a catcher for long, McCann, perrenial All-Star for what that's worth. Pudge doesn't have a job yet but will be a HOFer, just not in the same class as my top three. Wieters is projected to be great. I'll wait and see.

Are you Buck Ewing's great-great-grandson and have a beef with my list? Does your Jason Kendall refractor collection's value hinge on my putting him in my top 3? Let me know what you think.