ESPN broke down a few of the most beloved players in baseball over the past 20 years, I want to hear everyone elses thoughts...Mine is Kirby Puckett, I grew up watching him. He is one of the biggest reasons I am such a huge baseball fan!
2007-06-22 08:53:26 · 29 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Baseball
i have to go jackie robinson. but honorable mention to joltin' joe dimagio. and cal has to be in the discussion i suppose.
my personel fav was willy "say hey" mays. he made a huge impression on me. especially concerning race relations and civil rights. being raised in the south and having a black guy as a role model made me question certain southern values/ways. it's really funny how stuff like that can work.
dangit! we forgot the "iron horse" lou gherig! TODAY...today...today...i conside myself the luckiest guy on the face of the earth......AWESOME! heck he's got his own disease.....lou gherig has to be in the discussion!
2007-06-22 11:19:55 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you're talking about active players, it's hard to say. Most of the biggest names are quite controversial: Bonds, Clemens, Randy Johnson. It's hard to say Derek Jeter, since there are some fools out there who actually don't like the Yankees.
If you're talking about all-time, it's Babe Ruth. No one else is even close, in this regard and many others.
Puckett might be the most popular athlete in Minnesota history, which says a lot considering Harmon Killebrew, George Mikan, a few football players and several members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team including Coach Herb Brooks. His impact goes far beyond his career stats, which are hardly overwhelming. He is the difference between the Minnesota Twins having two World Championships, several serious shots in a row at another Pennant already with more appearing to be coming, and a new ballpark on the way, and the Tampa Bay Twins having no World Championships and getting ready to move again because they can't draw flies to their awful dome with a lousy team whose owner won't spend money on it.
It was a very sad thing when Puckett died, but not all that shocking considering how fat he'd gotten. Memo to Tony Gwynn, the most beloved San Diego athlete: Get off that same path! The next time the Padres win a Pennant, their fans deserve to have you alive to throw out the first ball at the World Series! (It would be their first without him.)
2007-06-22 16:01:54 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Taking "beloved" to mean "drooling adulation with absolutely no criticism accepted, no matter how fair it might be", that would be a tie between Ripken and Jeter.
Ripken was and Jeter is each a legitimately great player. Cal's getting his plaque in a few weeks and Derek will get one in time. Which is as it should be.
But they get treated like unflawed demigods, and that, they are not.
2007-06-22 16:47:10 · answer #3 · answered by Chipmaker Authentic 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hands Down Roberto Clemente
2007-06-22 16:07:58 · answer #4 · answered by rob c 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I am going to go with a less known, or at least less popular player, Sean Casey... itis widely known that he is the most likeable player in the game (widely known by the players anyway) and always always always makes time for fans...in a players poll casey was voted the most likeable guy in the game
2007-06-22 17:00:04 · answer #5 · answered by newrorugby 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Ask this to any Red Sox fan, and if you want recent players, then 95% of them will tell you David Ortiz.
if you want all time, then I would say Ted Williams, he is a legend, and served his country in the time of need, instead of staying home and making alot more playing baseball. He is a TRUE american hero.
2007-06-22 17:22:41 · answer #6 · answered by rockstar44 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
As a Yankee fan I know Mattingly, AKA "Donny baseball" will always be loved in NY. The core of Jeter, Rivera, Posada, Paulie O'Neil and Bernie Williams will be looked back on by New Yorker's in years to come
2007-06-22 16:06:30 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
In the past 20 years, Cal Ripken Jr. Even if people didn't love him, nobody disliked him.
Over all the years, Mickey Mantle.
2007-06-22 16:12:15 · answer #8 · answered by OC Fan 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I'd have to say Cal Ripken Jr. My favorite player growing up though was Mickey Hatcher of the Dodgers, now a coach for the Angels.
2007-06-22 16:00:09 · answer #9 · answered by sung_paul 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Growing up in Houston it's quite easy to give you mine. It's completely biased and unrealistic but they are what they are.
Jeff Bagwell, and of course Craig Biggio. Stand-up, stand-out players who play(ed) their entire careers with the same organization. Although I did love me some Kirby Puckett growing up! Perhaps Tony Gwynn?
2007-06-22 16:00:18 · answer #10 · answered by Jesse & Cynthia 5 · 2⤊ 3⤋