Who do you think is the greatest pro baseball player of all-time? I say that George "The Babe" Ruth, Jr. is the greatest baseball player that ever lived.
2006-09-11 07:07:50 · 21 answers · asked by aaron_esq 3 in Sports ➔ Baseball
George Ruth is the best Ted Williams is #2
2006-09-11 10:49:55 · answer #1 · answered by philliesmeyer 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ty Cobb (though he might have been the biggest jerk in history). He is in the top five all time for: doubles, triples, hits, stolen bases, holds the lifetime BA record and in over 11,000 at bats he had under 400 strikeouts. All this playing with a dead ball that was often misshapen and darkly colored (Ruth had most of his years taking advantage of the 290 foot right field wall and the tightly woven ball that was changed 60-70 times a game so it would be easy to see). Dont bring Ruth's pitching into this, he pitched during the dead ball era and hit during the home run ball era, he had a huge advantage on both fronts. Plus, if he's only doing one at a time (by year), it does not change his value as a player.
2006-09-11 14:47:56 · answer #2 · answered by miamiman 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ted Williams missed 1943, 1944, 1945, 1952 and all but one month of 1953 because of his USMC service in World War II and Korea. We will never know if he could have hit 35-40 home runs and 100+ RBI in each of those years. He never regretted it and when he was in Boston in 1999 for the All Star game he was asked what his greatest accomplishment was. His answer, "Being a Marine." For that alone, he deserves to be regarded as the greatest professional baseball player ever. As the Marines would say, "OORAH."
2006-09-11 19:05:18 · answer #3 · answered by mattapan26 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No question the Bambino is the greatest ever. If you look at his numbers and compare them to others that played at the same time, the gaps are astounding. He would hit more home runs than other teams would for an entire season. On top of that the fact that he was a very good pitcher cements his place as the best. That and Tim Kurjian says he the best too.
2006-09-11 07:28:29 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
All time, all around...Honus Wagner. Ruth couldn't carry Wagner's jock defensively. And Wagner played all positions, including, most famously, annually the best shortstop.
No, Wagner didn't have Ruth's power numbers, but played at a time when it was common to use one, maybe two baseballs for an entire game. Not only was the ball unsee-able by about the 4th inning, but pitchers were allowed to doctor (spit balls, etc) their pitches.
It wasn't 'till 1920 that MLB banned spit balls, and began to use new balls when the ones being used became discolored or hard to see.
Honus Wagner never got the advantage of using these balls and still hit .330+, with good 2b & 3b power and tons of SB's.
2006-09-11 11:40:49 · answer #5 · answered by cantthinkofanygoodnames 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Babe!
Even though he hasn't played in over 70 years, people STILL talk about how great of a player he was. Comments such as "Ruthian" are now a part of American venacular. The Babe was - and still is - larger than life itself. The player that every baseball player aspires to be like.
2006-09-11 09:06:33 · answer #6 · answered by GottaGo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Babe Ruth.
2006-09-11 07:11:30 · answer #7 · answered by CSUFGrad2006 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree, it was Babe Ruth. Most people don't realize what a great pitcher he was. It's that combination that makes him a more complete player than other big name hitters through the years.
2006-09-11 07:14:50 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Babe Ruth has to be the greatest because he not only achieved greatness as a hitter/fielder but was also a great pitcher.
2006-09-11 12:53:39 · answer #9 · answered by Mailman Bob 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mickey Mantle
2006-09-11 09:31:54 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋