Greatest shortstop ever - who do you pick?

ESPN's Senior Writer David Schoenfield picks Jeter.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/page/howard-120830/derek-jeter-hits-matchless-level-38

I agree with him...it's pretty tough to argue Ripken or Larkin or Ozzie are/were better. If you have to go back 100 years to come up with Honus Wagner, you've lost the argument.

I'm also "outing" outofplace as ESPN's Eric Karabell - he actually tried to argue that ARod should've taken Jeter's spot at shortstop when he came over to the Yankees!

 

Make mine Thon.

 

Serious replies only, please.

 

Good luck with that.

 

Honus

 

If we 1) limit the discussion to regular season stats, and 2) assume that ARod would've put up the same numbers from 2004-2012 playing SS, I can see an argument for ARod as greatest ever.

But, Jeter has it all over him in the postseason, and ARod probably wouldn't have been able to withstand the physical demands of playing SS.

Ripken is the only one that I can see challenging Jeter. Up until about 5 years ago I would have ranked him ahead of Jeter in career value.

 

In no other sport would someone that peaked over a century ago be included in a serious discussion of the game's all time greats. I don't think anyone pre Babe Ruth should be considered (maybe Ty Cobb).

 

No outing!

And Karabell is right. At the time, Rodriguez was a much better shortstop. It wasn't even close.

 

There was no way Steinbrenner was going to ask a 4-time World champion to move off his position to accommodate a losing player. ARod came to NY to ride Jeter's coattails to a World Series ring.

Seattle got better when ARod left, Texas got worse when he arrived. NY won six AL pennants in the eight years before he arrived, they've won one since.

 

Well given that the NFL, NHL and NBA are all less than 100 years old, I'm sure you're right

 

OK, is there anyone in those leagues that played over 50 years ago that still gets consideration as the game's greatest player? No.