Major league baseball

[PeterMetro]

I don't think you can say Bonds is the best player even though his slugging percentage is astronomical. His defense doesn't bring anything to the table.

I would disagree with you here (and so would his 8 Gold Gloves). I'm no fan of Barry Bonds, but if you look at his numbers, I think he's the best of all time.

 

[Brian SD]

I'm not a big sports fan but I have to say I am blown away with Ichiro's continuously stellar performance. He epitomizes how an excellent well-rounded baseball player should be.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

I wonder if Ichiro is going to be able to beat George Sisler's single season hit record. He needs 46 hits to break the record, and there are 31 games left. It would be pretty impressive if he did, seeing as the record has stood untouched since 1920. He's had an average of 2.1 hits per game since the all-star break, so if he continues to hit the ball as well as he has been, he'll rack up around 277 hits.

Anyone think he can make it?

 

[Steve B.]

I hope he does- he's on my Fantasy Baseball team. As is Bonds.

Barry's also a lock to at least tie Aaron. That's why he's still playing.

And I think he, Sammy, McGwire, quite possibly A-Rod, and a bunch more players are juicing.

But what if most of us here were offered the same choice- a $100 million contract and an opportunity to set up our families for generations to come- fame, fortune, adulation versus giving up 5-10 years of life or quality of life. How would we make it?

 

[NYCDan]

don't think there is any debate here. Babe Ruth is #1, Willie Mays is #2. Bonds is in the mix with Ted Williams and Hank Aaron at #s 3-5.

Well... I would put Ty Cobb as the best player of all time. Of course the inital voters for the hall of fame voted it to be Honus Wagner, and they saw all those old guys play.

 

[esquire.]

When I say that I don't think Bonds is a good defensive player, I'm talking about right now- the period where he is the most dominant offensive player in the last five years. And, during this period, he simply doesn't play great defense. His defense is very conservative, where he seems afraid to play himself.

Yes, his defense was great earlier in his career. But, during that part, he didn't juice himself yet and become the great offense player he is today.

I think Ichiro is a great player. He doesn't need to hit that home runs as a lead off hitter. His only flaw is that he doesn't force the pitcher into throwing a lot of pitches to him. He doesn't get a lot of walks.My ideal leadoff hitter is somene who does this, so that his teammates know what the pitcher is throwing that night.

 

[drizzt3117]

Well in my opinion, Bonds is in the conversation for best player of all time. There hasn't been a player who has changed the way the game has been played as much as Bonds. Considering people are discussing making a rule preventing intentional walks just because of Barry, that's pretty ridiculous in my opinion. While he isn't a great fielder, he is also 40, Ruth wasn't a great fielder at that point in his career (and almost done playing) while Bonds is in peak physical condition. Whether or not he uses steroids, no one can deny that Bonds has a ridiculous off-season training program and is in great shape.

As for Ichiro, if you've ever seen him take batting practice, he hits shots into the upper deck. He isn't swinging the same way as a leadoff hitter because he should not. His OB percentage is not bad.

Many sources have said that Rocco Baldelli is actually a bit faster than Crawford, but he can't stay healthy.

 

[NYCDan]

Ok, I am bored so I am going to do my all-time list.   and 2nd Team
                 First Team                Second Team  
Catcher       Johnny Bench            Mickey Cochran
1st Base       Lou Gehrig                Hank Greenberg
2nd Base      Joe Morgan               Rogers Hornsby
Shortstop     Honus Wagner           Ernie Banks
3rd Base       Mike Schmidt            Brooks Robinson
Left Field      Barry Bonds              Ted Williams
Center Field  Willie Mays                Joe DiMaggio
Right Field    Ty Cobb                    Roberto Clemente
DH               Babe Ruth                Hank Aaron

Starting Pitchers-
First Team                           Second Team
Warren Spahn                       Walter Johnson
Nolan Ryan                           Tom Seaver
Roger Clemens                       Sandy Koufax
Steve Carlton                        Bob Feller
Bob Gibson                            Chirsty Mathewson

Closer-
First Team                            Second Team
Rollie Fingers                         Hoyt Wilhelm

Manager
Sparky Anderson

 

[Tokyo Slim]

No Charlie Hustle?

 

[drizzt3117]

I would put Eckersley over Fingers... and Hornsby over Morgan. No Cy Young?

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

Pretty good list, although I would quibble with your inclusion of Koufax and DiMaggio, two of the most overrated baseball players in history in my opinion.  I think having a DH position is a bit of a cop-out as well.  Without the DH, I would move Ruth to RF on the first team and let Cobb play CF on the second team.  Aaron nudges out Clemente for the RF position on the second team because of his great offensive numbers.  And I would replace Koufax with Greg Maddux, who had as dominant a run in the early 90s as Koufax had in the 60s with a lower mound and longer career.

 

[drizzt3117]

I don't think Maddux was anywhere as dominant as Koufax... only Randy Johnson, Clemens, and Pedro were potentially as dominant as Koufax in his brief run. I think it is an interesting corundrum, whether you put players who have been consistent for a longer period of time, or ones that were the best, at their greatest, but for a shorter period of time.