Originally posted by LA9erFan:
Originally posted by Ninerjohn:
Originally posted by itlynstalyn:
Originally posted by Ninerjohn:
Originally posted by itlynstalyn:
Originally posted by Ninerjohn:
All the picks have been fine thus far. However, there should never be an all time MLB draft where the first 2 picks werent Babe Ruth and Willie Mays. They are the best 2 players to ever play the game in my opinion.
I think Bonds, Williams, Mays and Ruth all have good arguments. I just don't think there can ever be a consensus number one considering how drastically the game has changed since its inception.
I think Mays would have hit 800 homeruns if he hadnt missed 2 seasons to military and played in the toughest park in baseball for a RH hitter to hit homers.
Bonds simply was not in the class of Ruth, Mays, Williams, or Gehrig until the roid era. Sorry, but its true.
Same could be said for Ted Williams who missed three prime years of his career due to wars. Bonds played in a pitchers park for most of his career and did end up breaking up the home run record. The best pitcher Mays faced was Koufax, who is arguably one of the greats, but pitchers in the modern area are a totally different beast.
I just don't think there's a consensus best player, just too many variables.
On a side note, where the hell is ATG? A's fans......
Perhaps you missed where I included Ted Williams in the list of the 4 guys I would put at the top. He missed several years and would have hit 700+ wiithout question.
As far as your comment about pitchers, well I just dont agree with that generalization. Willie Mays faced many many great pitchers. In fact, I think you could make an arguement that pitching today is no better and possibly worse than it was during Mays time. In his era pitchers could drill batters almost at will, pitching wasnt as watered down by expansion, and there were MANY great Hall of Fame pitchers. I just dont buy that todays pitchers are better as a whole.
What's your opinion of the Japanese/Latin/Black influence on the game that wasn't there during Ruth and Williams' careers?
No question Pete that is a factor. There were many great black players that could only play in the Negro leagues. Its impossible really to determine how much that would have affected Ruth, Williams, and others numbers. In todays game, however, I think only 8% of all players are African Americans and there have been few pitchers.
As to your question about 5 tool players... Mays is without question the greatest 5 tool player ever. I just dont see how there is any debate on that. He was just an incredible outfielder and played the toughest position. He had an amazing arm ( which Bonds did not) and one of the greatest base runners ever. Guys who know the game really well like Joe Morgan would tell you its just a no brainer on who the greatest is.
While Ruth and Williams were not great 5 tool players there ability to crush the ball and dominate a game would have to put them in the top of any list of greatest ever.