Who is the greatest baseball player of all-time?

Question

You will have to make a case for your pick to get the 10 points. I think it is Willie Mays, but you don't have to agree with me to get the Best Answer. There are solid arguments for a number of people and that is why I like asking this question.

Answer 1

Great question, Matt. I love Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb, those two are on my all-time team. But the best ballplayer ever, hands down, is Ted Williams.

You all know the career numbers, no need to throw them out there, or the time he missed serving his country as a world-class fighter pilot. Still, a short review is in order: MVP--he won twice, in '46 and '49. It's worth pointing out he won the Triple Crown in '42 and '47 yet somehow didn't win the MVP either year. He finished in the MVP top 10 a staggering twelve times, in the top 5 an amazing nine times, and the top 3 (get this!) seven times (of which six were consecutive, not counting the years he served during WWII).

Ok, enough of MVP results. He's the last guy to hit .400 since 1930--that was almost 80 years ago! His lifetime on-base percentage of .482 is far and away the best of all time.

I could go on.

And on.

And on.

Breaking down Teddy Ballgame's stats get tired and old, and don't really do him justice. He would be one of the greatest Sportsmen to ever live--if he never played an inning of baseball. He is probably the greatest fly fisherman to ever live. He also wrote important books about the importance of conservation and preservation.

Let's not forget his HoF acceptance speech, where he made the case for ***** League players Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson being added to Cooperstown, words so outspoken and unexpected that they certainly changed the landscape of not only professional baseball, but all professional leagues, pushing them to acceptance AND recognition of the contributions players of all colors could bring to the game. Certainly this social consciousness sets him apart from the likes of Ty Cobb, a known bigot, and others who were unable and/or unwilling to take such a view of their game and the place of minorities in it.

I don't disrespect the argument a lot of guys make here for the likes of Cobb, Ruth, or Mays--all great players, among the best of the best, on the short list of the greatest ever to grace the diamond. I just think Ted Williams and everything he brings to the table--the total package--separates him just enough to truly be considered the Greatest of All Time.

Answer 2

Willie is an excellent choice. I'm not really sure he's the greatest ever but he's certainly a personal favorite. His and Mickey's were the baseball cards I wanted most while growing up. He could do everything. For many years it was thought he would be the one to break Ruth's record. He won MVP awards 11 years apart and finished 6th or better in the voting 11 times. The photograph of his catch in the 1954 World Series might be the single most famous image of a defensive play in baseball history and in World Series history is probably only behind Yogi mauling Larson and Fisk waving his ball fair among the most enduring images of all time. Plus Willie could steal bases well enough to lead the league and of course he was probably the greatest fielding center fielder in history - his glove was "where triples go to die", he won 12 gold gloves.

Answer 3

He debuted at the age of 19, a southpaw with a good fastball and a decent curve. He wasn’t great in the four games he pitched, but he was good enough to earn a place in the rotation for the next season. At the age of 20, he went 18-8 with an ERA a third of a run below the league average. He allowed only 6.86 hits per 9 IP, good for second in the league.

The next year he came into his own, going 23-12 and leading the league with a 1.75 ERA. He also led the league with 9 shutouts and was in the top five in many other categories.

At the age of 22, he went 24-13, cementing his place as the best lefty in the majors.

The following season, though, he was no longer taking his regular turn in the rotation, starting only 19 games, and by the age of 24 he was through as a starting pitcher. In fact, from the age of 24 on, he only won 14 more games.

But from the age of 24 on, he also hit 694 home runs for a total of 714 for his career.

Who comes close as an offensive and defensive force? Mays was definitely superior as a defensive outfielder, but when you factor in Ruth’s pitching as part of the defense, he does way ahead of Willie. And offensively, only Ted Williams and Barry Bonds can compare with Ruth.

Okay, you say, but Willie played in the 60s, the decade of the pitcher, while Ruth played in the 20s, with a lively ball. That doesn’t change the fact that one season, Ruth out-homered every other team in the league (1920). And of the many other great hitters who were his contemporaries, none put up similar numbers for as many years as the Babe. Willie, on the other hand, had one peer who put up similar numbers (Frank Robinson) and another who put up even better numbers (Hank Aaron).

No other player, at any level of professional baseball, in any league, could claim to be not only one of the best pitchers in his league, but also one of the greatest hitters of all time.

Answer 4

Sorry but there is no way its Babe Ruth, last time I checked they play defense in this game too... Babe Ruth is probably the greatest hitter the game has ever seen, but in no way is he the greatest player. I would have to agree with the person who asked this question and say that its Willie Mays. He was great hitter and arguablly the best defensive outfielder in the history of the game. He played in the Polo Grounds which had probably the toughest outfield this game has ever seen and he played it flawlessly. He played in a record 24 all-star games, won two MVP awards (54, 65), 12 consecutive gold Gloves, led the NL in home runs 4 times, Triples 3 times, and stolen bases three times. Add to this him being 4th all time in Home runs, 3rd in total bases (underrated stat), 5th in extra base hits, 7th in runs, and ninth in RBI's and you have the makings of the greatest player this game has ever seen. And oh yeah, he lost the first few years of his career playing in the ***** leagues or his totals would probably be even more impressive.

Answer 5

Ted Williams. He had the best eyesight and swing. He was "The Splendid Splinter". He missed a total of 4 years due to serving his country as a fighter pilot and he still came back to baseball and was the last guy in BB to hit 400. The Press loved the Babe, but Ted was the most underrated player is baseball history according to his real skills.

Answer 6

The Babe, hands down. He won 99 games as a pitcher, held a few world series records for many years, and then, became the Bambino, the greatest power hitter of all. He also could run fast, even with that huge body, and he was a pretty good fielder. Then, the intangibles: He built the game into what it is today: The HOuse THat Ruth Built was made famous because of his on and also, off the field antics.

Answer 7

It's hard to pick one but if I must I have to go with Ted Williams. I, as a die hard life long Giants fan, would like to agree with you on Mays but I just can't do it. If you fill in his season averages for his career into the 5 years that Williams served our country his numbers would be higher than Mays'. Those were 5 years in his prime which means he probably would have done better than his career averages.
Without his 5 years lost here are his numbers.
.350 BA 680 HR and 2300 RBI.

Answer 8

Babe Ruth or Ty Cobb because they dominated their era more than any other player in history. You CANNOT just go by stats. Players today obviously will have more HR and RBI's than someone like Cobb,,but Coob and Ruth led the league in significant stats the most during their particular eras.
Pitcher..Walter Johnson...what he accomplished with a crap team is unbelievable.

Answer 9

1. Hank Aaron (Aaron) 8. Barry Bonds 2. Willie Mays (Mays) 7 Johnny Bench 3. Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod) 6. Pete Rose 4. Stan Musial (Musial) 5. Ken Griffey Jr.

Answer 10

its babe ruth , if the fences were at the same distance as they are today he would of had 103 hrs in one season, and many victories as a picther makes him more than the best baseball player