Who is the greatest in your generation?

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

Small ball was fun and I miss it regardless of whether advanced stats bear it out.

I find bunts, stolen bases, squeezes, etc to be exciting to mix in with homers and doubles for a pretty simple reason.

There is a level of excitement stretching from the beginning of the time that the player shows bunt to the time that they arrive at the base and from the time that they get to it. Same with the steal. It’s the same reason why triples are more exciting to some people than homers. The final result is in jeopardy for a longer period of time than the home run.

Whether the strategy is accurate or not isn’t particularly interesting to me. I understand both sides, same as politics, are completely dug in on their sides with this. I wish they weren’t but it is what it is.

I think many who grew up with these find them to be exciting plays.

I love small ball. Kenny's still my favorite player of all time.

I'd be upset if the Indians made strategic decisions that hurt their ability to win.

 

[The Oi]

I love small ball. Kenny's still my favorite player of all time.

I'd be upset if the Indians made strategic decisions that hurt their ability to win.

Agree on all. If the stats bear out small ball as not being the best choice, I trust it.

I just naturally enjoy it for the reasons I described.

 

[AZ_]

How does Dan Wilson not even catch that ball?

Such a preposterous play.

 

[Joe Charboneau]

I could not find the one where he beats out the infield single but this is still good.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv3uVVz_7nQ

Kenny Lofton and Randy Johnson had some real battle in the 90s. Somehow Kenny could hang in there lefty vs the nastiest of lefties and get on base. Johnson would get frustrated and throw high and tight on him. I would always think, no way is he getting on base vs him, and yet he somehow found a way. Long at bats too. Loved watching those two battle. Also, it seemed like Randy Johnson pitched in every damn game that series.

 

[Joe Charboneau]

Strange i just got a Facebook artcicle, top 40 hitters of all time. I just went through this whole thread and a name that was very high on this list that not one person mentioned, i just reread the whole thread to make sure was Arod. They had him 7th. Another guy nobody mentioned, who they had 4th, was Jeter. Arods final stats were phenomonal. Anyway, im surprised at least Arod wasnt somebodys number one player of his generation. Henry Aaron was number 1 on the list, for the record.

 

[Arketebel]

Strange i just got a Facebook artcicle, top 40 hitters of all time. I just went through this whole thread and a name that was very high on this list that not one person mentioned, i just reread the whole thread to make sure was Arod. They had him 7th. Another guy nobody mentioned, who they had 4th, was Jeter. Arods final stats were phenomonal. Anyway, im surprised at least Arod wasnt somebodys number one player of his generation. Henry Aaron was number 1 on the list, for the record.

I don't these guys fall into anybody's generation on this board.

 

[Lee]

Strange i just got a Facebook artcicle, top 40 hitters of all time. I just went through this whole thread and a name that was very high on this list that not one person mentioned, i just reread the whole thread to make sure was Arod. They had him 7th. Another guy nobody mentioned, who they had 4th, was Jeter. Arods final stats were phenomonal. Anyway, im surprised at least Arod wasnt somebodys number one player of his generation. Henry Aaron was number 1 on the list, for the record.

Joe Morgan has a funny-ish story about playing an all star game with Hank. Basically Hank was having a bad game came back shaking his head saying he cant see the spin of the ball today, Morgan says that's when he knew he wasn't nearly as good of a hitter as Hank because he never has seen the spin of the ball.

I think Hank gets criminally undervalued as he is a true 5 tool player not just a home run hitter, and honestly should make anyone's top 5 players of all time list.

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

Joe Morgan has a funny-ish story about playing an all star game with Hank. Basically Hank was having a bad game came back shaking his head saying he cant see the spin of the ball today, Morgan says that's when he knew he wasn't nearly as good of a hitter as Hank because he never has seen the spin of the ball.

I think Hank gets criminally undervalued as he is a true 5 tool player not just a home run hitter, and honestly should make anyone's top 5 players of all time list.

Did you misread "Arod" as "Aaron"?

Btw, pretty sure someone mentioned Arod in the first page of this thread.

Jeter doesn't belong anywhere near this list.

 

[Lee]

Did you misread "Arod" as "Aaron"?

Btw, pretty sure someone mentioned Arod in the first page of this thread.

Jeter doesn't belong anywhere near this list.

No, read the last sentence of the quote I was answering. I wasnt disagreeing, I was telling the Joe Morgan story.,

ARod is right behind Bonds as 2nd best player of that era. Griffey had too many injuries, but if not injured, Griffey had a chance at being part of the GOAT conversation.

 

[Joe Charboneau]

Did you misread "Arod" as "Aaron"?

Btw, pretty sure someone mentioned Arod in the first page of this thread.

Jeter doesn't belong anywhere near this list.

Yep, sure did. One guy. I just figured he would get more mentions. Yeah, 4 is too high for Jeter, not sure he isnt top 40 though. Top 40 baseball player maybe, not sure about pure hitting skills.

 

[Joe Charboneau]

Joe Morgan has a funny-ish story about playing an all star game with Hank. Basically Hank was having a bad game came back shaking his head saying he cant see the spin of the ball today, Morgan says that's when he knew he wasn't nearly as good of a hitter as Hank because he never has seen the spin of the ball.

I think Hank gets criminally undervalued as he is a true 5 tool player not just a home run hitter, and honestly should make anyone's top 5 players of all time list.

Well, they showed Hanks career stats and he should be in the conversation. I think people undervalue him because he played forever and they picture him hobbling around the basepaths on his record homerun. They also had him 1 with the sidenote, he did it without steroids.....that does mean something.

 

[Lee]

Well, they showed Hanks career stats and he should be in the conversation. I think people undervalue him because he played forever and they picture him hobbling around the basepaths on his record homerun. They also had him 1 with the sidenote, he did it without steroids.....that does mean something.

I don't care about the steroid talk to be honest. My daughter was on the same soccer team for a year as an ex 2 time MLB GM and we got to know each other pretty well. I asked how much of MLB was taking PEDs and he estimated much higher than thought, something like 80-90%. Basically steroid pitchers throwing to steroid hitters.

Further training in Hanks days was horrible compared to today where the athletes workout much more and with more advanced today than back then so skinny interior infielders are now putting up 30+ homeruns because of training, strength and my least favorite phrase in baseball, launch angles.

I think in baseball you look at the player against their peers then the conversation is fair. If lets say 85% of the people were on Peds, then it was a pretty level playing field.

 

[Joe Charboneau]

I don't care about the steroid talk to be honest. My daughter was on the same soccer team for a year as an ex 2 time MLB GM and we got to know each other pretty well. I asked how much of MLB was taking PEDs and he estimated much higher than thought, something like 80-90%. Basically steroid pitchers throwing to steroid hitters.

Further training in Hanks days was horrible compared to today where the athletes workout much more and with more advanced today than back then so skinny interior infielders are now putting up 30+ homeruns because of training, strength and my least favorite phrase in baseball, launch angles.

I think in baseball you look at the player against their peers then the conversation is fair. If lets say 85% of the people were on Peds, then it was a pretty level playing field.

I used to care about steroids, but as the years have went by who really cares. Looking back the 90s homerun birages were fun to watch. I agree with what you just said.

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

I hated the "new life" the roids breathed into players.

Seeing the swollen Clemens come in at like 40+ years old and have an ERA under 2 just felt wrong. As did a swollen Barry Bonds hitting any pitch near the plate into the water.

 

[jack hammill]

Not sure how you can’t see these are identical cloned situations and you perpetuate double standards

Checkmate, buddy

Thome considerably different ... player association pressure as top free agent “required” to take max dollars so he did

James arguably left more money on table and reportedly did
not give Cavs last chance either time