i guess the fact bonds is juiced up doesn't matter?

babe
mays
mantle

Gig'Em '92

Eddie Gaedel.

I vote for Abner - it is all his fault anyway!

1 - Cy Young isn't in the top 10 alltime, much less the best ever. Sorry. In an era when fewer games were played, it was not unusual for a pitcher to win 30 games. I believe Christy Mathewson won 47 or so one year. Now, with extra games... I think Bob Welch won 27 games for one of the most prolific offensive squads in recent history. You have to go back more than 25 years to find anyone who has won 30 in the AL, and more than 70 years in the NL.

511 won't be touched, but that fact in and of itself isn't too meaningful.

Ruth is #1.

Mays is #2, probably.

Ted Williams participated in 2 wars in his prime playing years, still hit over 500 bombs and batted .344 He might be #2.

Bonds (ignoring steroids) is #4. Bonds (not ignoring steroids) is way down the list.

Odibe MocDowell or Pete Incaviglia...

If we're gonna talk about McDowell or Incavilia, we gotta throw in David Hulse, or Cecil Espy. Both were the greatest Ranger centerfielders of their era.

Mays would own all the records had he not missed almost all of 1952 and all of 1953 for serving during the Korean war.

Augie Ojeda.

Not really, Mays or Williams.

Well, if you're going to throw out Cecil and Hulse...I'm gonna have to mention Charlie Hough..That dude looked so old, that when he pitched, dust came out of his mouth...I'm still convinced that the Rangers found a way to resurrect a mummy from Memphis (Egypt, not TN) and taught him how to throw knucklers.

Brandi votes for Houston Street!

"Those are my principles. If you don't like them I have others!"
Groucho

I gotta give Ty Cobb his due...that thing about him hating home runs is true...once he told a reporter that he could go hit a home run every at bat if he wanted to, and he went and hit three or four in the same game.

Dude was a badass.


http://www.wearyellow.com

Raging: I've heard that story too. To me, it is either suspect or he was a very selfish player. He did have take a lot of joy running the bases so maybe he did hold back. However, if he really had the ability to routinely hit hr's than he didn't care much about winning if he was holding back. As a kid I read about how he stole bases at will and it was always made to sound like he was never caught and routinely stole two bases on the same pitch. In reality, I believe he still holds the record for being "caught stealing" the most.

Cobb is no doubt a great player and a case can be made for him. But I think his comments about HR's was more out of jealousy than a sincere desire to not try and hit them.

Babe Ruth saved baseball while Bonds has done his best to destroy it. You make the call.

quote:

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ad Barry done half of what we've watched him do over the last 15 years, 50 years ago, the legend that would linger around baseball lore, would be 2X what it is of Babe.

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Doubt this very much.

Imagine if Ruth came up today, played 162 game seasons, averaged 479 at bats a game per season (like bonds) compared to an average of 382 that he did, had the conditioning that is provided today, and hell, did the steroids like most power hitters do today. He would have easily passed 1000 homeruns in his career.

Now on the other hand:

Imagine Bonds playing in 154 game seasons, averaging about 90 at bats less a season, constantly smoking huge cigars and drinking all the time, and laying off the roids. barry's career would not even be mentioned on this thread.

[This message has been edited by Ag_B_10 (edited 8/4/2005 8:56a).]

quote:

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Also, keep in mind Cy Young pitched during a time in which there was no five man or four man rotation. He pitched many times a week. So, naturally, he'd have more opportunities for a wins.

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But most guys today couldn't pitch that often and play as long as it woudl take.

It's definately apples and oranges when your going back nearly 75-100 years. Sure Babe might be in better shape today and roided up, but he'd also be facing faster fast balls etc.

Palmero hands down.

Rusty Greer

I can't believe you people. One look at this photo tells you Richie Allen was the shjt.

This is one of all time favorite SI covers. How can you not like a guy who's dragging on a Pall Mall in the dugout. The only thing better would be if it was an unfiltered Camel or Lucky Strike.

While I agree with the posters slobbering all over Babe Ruth that he would be a better conditioned athlete, have more at-bats, etc. etc., some are making the mistake of not taking into consideration that today's pitchers are a hell of a lot better than in Ruth's day.

Dick "Don't call me Richie" Allen. That takes me back to the greatest choke in baseball, the '64 Phillies.

Also receiving votes, Hack Wilson and Hank Greenberg.

Dale Murphy

followed closely by

Willie Mcgee

I forgot about Ryne Sandberg.