Who is the MOST FEARED hitter in the history of major league baseball?

Answer 1

I would have to say Babe Ruth. He redefined baseball with his home run power.

Answer 2

Oh my gosh. I can't believe how many folks are picking Bonds over the Bambino. It is so easy to pitch around Barry because he is so much better than the guy(s) in the lineup behind him. This inflates BBs BB total. (hahaha)

Although i've never seem Babe Ruth actual play. The answer has gotta be the Babe. What pitchers fear most is being taken deep and no one did that more often than G.H. Ruth.

He hit so many more HRs than his contemporary rivals, he *redefined* the way the game was played. How many other players can legitimately claim they changed the very nature of the game by their *perfomance* on the field? Various elements, like stolen bases, rise and fall in popularity but the power game has never waned.

Here are some 162 per game averages.
Player - BA - OBP - SLG - HR - BB
Ruth - .342 - ..472 - .690 - 46- 133
Bonds - .299 - ..445 - .608 - 41 - 84
Gehrig - .340 - .447 - .632 - 37 - 113

Ruth walked 58% more than Bonds (per 162 games)... or to put it another way, for every 7 walks Barry got, Ruth got 11.
And *if* you pitched to Ruth the odds are greater that he'd hit it and with power. LOL. He even triples more than twice as often. Whodda thunk that?!?

If anyone still isn't convinced, look at Gehrig's stats. He also walked AND hit more often and for more power than Barry too. Lou was more feared than Barry.

Ruth and Gehrig are the premier duo of all time.

Answer 3

Oh, are you kidding me? Ty Cobb, hands down. Feared both figuratively and literally (spikes up).

.367 lifetime average speaks for itself, I believe.

I don't vouch for his character. But the best baseball player in history.

He would drastically change his position in the batter's box and alter his swing type on each pitch and according to the pitcher so as to gain the advantage. (Which repetition-driven/ superstitious ballplayers do that today?) He purposely tried to not hit home runs. (When he did try during a game in the mid 20s, I think he hit two or three in the game, just to prove he could). And he was a menace on the basepads. An offensive machine who understood how baseball and wins work (mostly "small-ball"). Among the sharpest players ever. Someone who /tries/ to hit a triple, you must admit, is classic.

As far as literal fear, he actually beat the stuffing out of an umpire after a game; he also would fight fans in the stands during a game. A total segregationist racist, confederate, and bigot who couldn't care less about anybody. Regarding his own fear, he had little -- or he covered it up very well with his audacity.

To put it mildly, it's easy to be conflicted about him.

In terms of skill, however, anyone wanting to learn how to hit, or to learn what the offensive tactical objectives of a baseball game are, should simply look to Ty Cobb. Unfortunately, we don't have much film; just photographs, anecdotes, and sort of an autobiography.

Answer 4

Eddie Gaedel. No one could get him out. Lifetime 1.000 OBP.

Seriously... "fear" isn't much captured in the stats, but there is the guy who holds, by a huge margin, the career record for receiving intentional walks. He's the only hitter I've ever seen who could, merely by striding to the plate with bat in hand, get the defensive opposition to totally change their game approach (and this was clearly evident in the 2002 World Series). Try what they might, this man could, practically at will, do whatever he wanted with a pitch and change the game. One time he was intentionally walked WITH THE BASES LOADED. If there ever has been a hitter truly feared by the opposition, Bonds is it.

Answer 5

To those who say Williams, the question asks for the most FEARED hitter, not the GREATEST. True, Williams stii hit over .400 with the defensive shift, but that was just pure skill.

The most feared hitter would be the one who, by his very presence at the plate, alters the course of a game, and that has to be barry Bonds (I may be mistaken, but wasn't he once intentionally walked WITH THE BASES LOADED because the opposing manager did not want to tempt fate and pitch to him?)

Answer 6

Well... one imperfect but reasonable measure would be intentional walks. It's imperfect because (1) it's somewhat dependent on the lineup around you and (2) it's a fairly recent statistic.

Nevertheless... here are the career leaders:
(1) Barry Bonds 675
(2) Hank Aaron 293
(3) Willie McCovey 260
(4) George Brett 229
(5) Willie Stargell 227

And single season records:
(1) Barry Bonds 120 (2004)
(2) Barry Bonds 68 (2002)
(3) Barry Bonds 61 (2003)
(4) Willie McCovey 45 (1969)
(5) Barry Bonds 43 (1993)

Really, the three best hitters of all time are the Babe, Ted Williams, and Bonds. We don't have intentional walk data for those guys, but of course, the Babe had Gehrig batting behind him...

Bonds' numbers here are so staggering that I will go ahead and vote for him even in the absence of info for Teddy Ballgame and the Babe.

Answer 7

Of all the steroid users, Bond for sure was the best hitter while on steroid! So from about 2000 and until he retired, Bonds for sure was the best hitting steroid user! Wayne Arthur

Answer 8

As mush as everyone hates him, we have to realize the sad truth. Bonds was the most feared hitter, but only slightly edging Ted Williams. I give Bond the nod because of his higher IBBs, and homers.

Answer 9

The MOST FEARD is definitly Babe Ruth. Barry Bonds(also known as THE EVIL ONE) is the most HATED by faaaaaaaarrrrr.

Answer 10

Ty Cobb, who played for the Tigers in the early 1900's.
He had a career batting average of .366, the highest ever. He was also mean, he sharpened the steel spikes on his shoes and purposely slid into players. He had many fights with opponents and teammates. He was just nasty.

Answer 11

Ted Williams. If he didnt go to the war he may have ended up with some of the greatest numbers in MLB history.