RIP Hank Aaron

He had a career average of .309 and was averaging 25 HRs a year as the best fielding SS in baseball with the Mariners. That's slam dunk HOF territory barring a cataclysmic late career falloff.

I agree you throw out the roid seasons if you're talking about "greatest players ever." But if ARod never touched the juice and played our his final 15 seasons as a league-average player, he's still an easy HOF pick.

 

In no order, I assume the list if steroids aren’t an issue

Mays
Schmidt
Bonds
Clemens
A-Rod
Maddux
Carlton
Koufax
Bench
Pujols

How serious should Trout’s inclusion be

 

WHERE THE FUCK IS JETES?!

Also, I'd have Rickey Henderson on there over Carlton.

 

Without checking too closely I'd guess Trout is pretty equal to where Griffey was at the same age, with the caveat that Griffey sagged somewhat down the stretch of his career.

 

Moral gerrymandering will resolve that.

 

If you go by baseball-reference.com WAR (which one might easily decide not to do, I understand), Trout leads Griffey over their first 10 seasons 74.6 to 65.8.

 

That one got past a diving Jeter.

 

Mays is a no brainer. But it depends on what you regard as most important. Do you build a team around pitching or offense I choose pitching generally. So Clemens, Carlton and Koufax are next. Bench and Schmidt, then Bonds, Henderson, ARod and Rose.

 

Personal thoughts. Henderson is ALWAYS underrated. Greatest leadoff man of all time. Since that's an important job, should count for more. Carlton's a hard one for me, because he was a Phillie when they finally won it all, but IMO, the two greatest pitchers I ever saw were Koufax and Pedro. I covered Clemens, too, and he was amazing, but not like Pedro in his prime. You went to the park on days he was pitching thinking "today I see a perfect game."

 

Maddux over Clemens.