I saw an old HBO documentary about Babe Ruth and it got me thinking about players I wished I had seen play. It also made me thankful for some players I did get to see play.

The one player I wish I could have seen play:
It would have been amazing to see Ruth play but I think the one player I wish I could have seen more than others is Johnny Bench. I have heard he was amazing and would really like to be able to compare him to players I think were amazing.

Two players I am very thankful I got to watch play:
Pudge Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr. I was lucky enough to watch these two play their entire career. Probably my two baseball heroes growing up.

Who do you have for your wish and you thankful categories?

I wish I could have seen Koufax, Gibson, Mays, and Williams

I'm thankful I got to see Junior, Pujols, Maddux, Pedro, Big Unit

Wish: Ruth, J. Robinson and the reaction to him, Shoeless Joe, Mays, drug-free Gooden & Strawberry

Thanks: Ryan, Rickey Henderson, Will Clark, Griffey, Pudge, Bo Jackson

Wish - Bob Gibson, Brooks Robinson, and Ted Williams

Thanks - Craig Biggio, Ken Griffey Jr., Nolan Ryan, and Mike Trout

Wish: Roberto Clemente, Josh Gibson, Ted Williams
Thanks: Ripken, Brett, Maddux, Ichiro, Gwynn

Wish: Gibson, Ruth, Gehrig, Cobb, Walter Johnson

Thanks: Brett, Winfield, Ryan, Maddux, Rivera, Gossage, Mattingly, Pudge, Reggie, Trammell & Whitaker, Rose, the Cobra

Wish: Shoeless Joe, Tinkers/Evers, Gehrig, Koufax, DiMaggio

Thanks: Many players

Can't Stand: Goose Gossage. Nine-year old me and family went to Ranger Stadium to watch Yankees/Rangers in 1980. When we arrived in Dallas, I got in a fight with two hotel kids for giving grief to my family girl friend. I whipped both their asses and both families saw the fight. Before the game, my Dad gets me to walk down and get Goose's autograph. He says "No thanks, kid. Not now." ****sucker. The yell I let out when Kirk Gibson hit the upper deck bomb off him in '84 WS(?) can still be heard.

That Can't Stand story. So. Many. Questions.

Wish: Shoeless Joe, Ruth, Robinson, Bob Gibson, Nolan (in person anyway, never got to a game where he was starting).

Thanks: Pudge, McGwire (he may have been juicing but damn he was fun to watch hit), Kevin Brown/Randy Johnson (together because of the pitching duel I witnessed in the playoffs in the late 90s), Ozzie Smith, Adrian Beltre

Wish: Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb (want to see if those stories were true), Satchel Paige, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Nolan Ryan (if I did, was too young to remember)

Thanks: Biggio, Ozzie Smith (got to see his last game in the dome), Griffey, Clemens

Wish- Clemente, I would say Bench but Il go with the 70s Reds. But bigger than any one player or team, for me at least, are the old ballparks. I would love a 1930s-1950s baseball road trip. I have been to several modern parks and they are mostly great, especially considering they replaced all of the multi purpose stadiums. But Ebbets, Polo Grounds, Crosly, Forbes, etc. were awesome. I love watching youtube stuff from those days. I regret to this day not taking a planned road trip in college to go see Tiger Stadium in 1998. Also Ozzie Smith. Maybe my favorite player from the 80s and I never saw him live.


Thankful(in person) Lots of players, but Ken Griffey Jr, Nolan Ryan, Biggio, and Pudge probably lead that category for me. Honorable mention to Clemons, Tony Gwynn, the Bash Brothers, King Felix, Hell that list is endless.


On a side note, I spent about two hours last night going down a Youtube worm hole watching playoff series from the 1971-1984. Started with Oakland Baltimore ALCS in 1971 and finished with the Detroit Sand Diego WS in 1984. That was a great time for baseball. Even though a lot of the stadiums absolutely sucked(Three Rivers, Riverfront, etc. ) a lot of them didn't(Oakland, Municipal, Memorial, Tiger, etc) But the best part was the lack of production. It was baseball, the fans, and an organ. Maybe a little music between innings, but it wasn't much and it wasn't loud. Baseball is so overproduced today it is hard for me to enjoy it in person. The person who decided that baseball needed a DJ should burn in the same hell as the person who decided Kyle Field needed one.

Wish: Cobb, Babe, Jackie, Mantle, Koufax

Thanks: Nolan, Ichiro - I got to watch both for years as home team players in their prime. Pete Rose, Greg Maddux

Wish - Willie Mays
Thanks - Barry Bonds

Home team addition:

Wish - Cesar Cedeno, JR Richard
Thanks - Billy Wagner, Ken Caminiti on defense