Please see I’m Just Sayin…for what is going on with our
posts for the next month or so.
Anytime you try and compile a “greatest of all time” list,
you will undoubtedly have some disagreement over the selections. There are
times when you will hear the phrase “Arguably the greatest” when talking about
a specific player. It is players like those that make compiling a top four list
so difficult at times. As you read the lists compiled here and on the I’m Just
Sayin’…blog, there will be those included that there really isn’t an argument
about and those that could be argued either way. While I think that our
selections will be similar most of the time, it will be fun when they are not.
If we were to expand our list to a top 10, we would most likely agree even
more, but the shaving it down to four is what will be interesting. I once heard
Joe Morgan make a great point about comparing players from different eras. There
are so many factors that change over time it really is difficult to say who was
better, someone from the ‘50’s or someone now. The measuring stick he used and
I will attempt to use, is how did they compare to the players they played
against. Take HR for example. If someone leads the league with 40 HR but 25
players hit 30 or more HR that year, are you really that much better? However,
if you hit 25 HR in a season and no one else broke 10, then that to me is more
telling. We would welcome comments, especially those that are in opposition to
each list. I would love to know who you would remove from my list to make room
for the one you think got left out.
Day One: Yankees/Angels
This may be the franchise that has the most players
deserving of the honor, but I’m not sure this one will be the hardest to figure
out. With so many players that could “arguably” be included on this list there
are two that without a doubt belong there. Any list of Yankee greats that doesn’t
include Gehrig and Ruth is a list not worth reading.
Yankees
Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle
I will just say this about Ruth and Gehrig; I will accept
either at the top of the list for various reasons. For Ruth, his career HR
record that stood for so long is reason enough to put him atop the list. Here
is a list of the number of HR he hit in the years that he led the league
followed by the number the runner-up had in each of those seasons: (11-6,
29-10, 54-19, 59-24, 41-29, 46-27, 47-19, 60-47, 54-27, 46-35, 49-41, 46-32),
quite a separation between 1st and 2nd. Notice the
smaller differential in those latter years…who was 2nd those years
and actually tied him in the last one? Lou Gehrig. Have a headache and don’t
feel like going to work today? Consider this…
On June 2, 1925, Wally Pipp was removed from the Yankees'
starting lineup and replaced with Gehrig. The story has become baseball legend:
In the most popular version, one supported in later accounts
by Pipp himself (although he wasn't always consistent on the subject, either),
Pipp arrived at Yankee Stadium one day in 1925 with a terrific headache. He
asked the Yankee trainer for a couple of aspirin. Manager Miller Huggins noted
the scene and said, "Wally, take the day off. We'll try that kid Gehrig at
first today and get you back in there tomorrow." [2]
As Gehrig went on to play 2,130 consecutive games, Pipp did
not get back in there tomorrow. He is later quoted to have said, "I took
the two most expensive aspirin in history."
Joe DiMaggio – 9 WS rings, 3 MVP, and an unsurpassed 56 game
hitting streak.
Mickey Mantle – 7 WS rings, 3 MVP, and the 1956 Triple
Crown. Considered by many as the greatest switch hitter of all time.
Honorable Mention: I won’t always have this section but for
the Yankees I will. Whitey Ford is probably the greatest pitcher in Yankee
history (6 rings and 1 Cy Young) but not quite good enough to be in the top
four. Yoggi Berra has 10 rings and 3 MVP awards and could certainly have earned
a spot on this list. And finally, Derek Jeter. He is the only Yankee to reach
3,000 career hits and has been a leader for many years. Perhaps after he has
retired and history evaluates him, he may rise to number 3.
Angels
Chuck Finley, Tim Salmon, Garrett Anderson, Brian Downing
Chuck Finley - Finley was four times selected to the AL
All-Star team, and in 1989 and 1990 twice finished second in the AL with a
combined ERA of 2.48. Finley regularly finished in the AL top ten rankings in
strikeouts, complete games and innings pitched. From 1989 through 1999, Finley
was a fixture in the Angels starting rotation, averaging 14 wins per year for
the 11 seasons.
Tim Salmon - Salmon, or "Mr. Angel," was drafted
by California in the third round of the 1988 draft. He would spend his entire
14-season Major League career with the club. Rookie of the Year, Silver Slugger
Award, Comeback Player of the year among his accomplishments. High up on Angels
offensive career stats.
Garrett Anderson - He finished second in the AL Rookie of
the Year voting in 1995, narrowly losing the honor to Marty Cordova of the
Minnesota Twins. Anderson is the Angels' franchise leader in several offensive
categories, including 2,013 games played, 2,368 hits and 1,292 RBIs.
Brian Downing - In 1,661 games for the Angels, Downing
clubbed 222 home runs and 846 RBI's with a .271 average and a .372 OBP.
Info gathered from (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/858483-los-angeles-angels-50-greatest-all-time-players/)
Clearly not near as an impressive list as the Yankees, but a
group of quality players nonetheless.
Send in your comments!
