Top 4 Greatest Living (Retired) Ballplayers

Garret Anderson made three All-Star teams and once finished fourth in MVP voting. What has Trout ever done?

 

#professionalhitter

 

True, but a pitcher is on the list, and other pitchers have been brought up. If the list was position by position, and Bench was th catcher, I'd be okay with that, though I would have to consider others. Pudge being one of them.

 

It's obviously a popularity/reverence contest. I mean, if we're doing this strictly on merit, Bonds would be on there.

 

Ted Williams is theoretically eligible too.

 

I think I mostly agree with you, but when you see things like what Bumgarner did to the Royals last October, I hesitate just a bit. I also know this site scoffs at the win stat, but there is something to be said when you can pencil in 20-25 wins in a season for no other reason than who is starting on the hill.

There's more to it than that, just ask Matt Cain, but it's enough to at least consider Ryan or others.

 

Ryan would have a hard time making a list of the four greatest living pitchers, let alone knocking one of those other guys off for greatest player. Even leaving Clemens off to the side as these voters did with Bonds, where would Ryan fit on this list? (Alphabetical)

Carlton
Johnson
Koufax
Maddux
Martinez
Palmer
Ryan

 

Bench puzzled me a little. Had Koufax NOT been in there, I would have been more puzzled.

I was impressed, though, that Ryan was part of the big four for three different franchises.

 

I was a big Johnny Bench fan as a kid, but was a bit surprised to see him there. I would have had Yogi ahead of Bench, maybe Frank Robinson, too.

 

Pedro had a better 5 year run than Koufax.

Martinez is criminally underrated as an alltimer.

 

Koufax, 1962-66: 111-34, 1.95 ERA, 0.926 WHIP, 167 ERA+.

We'll give Martinez six years, because he threw only 18 games in 2001.

Martinez, 1998-2003: 101-28, 2.26 ERA, 0.942 WHIP, 212 ERA+.

Closer than I had thought, but I'll still take Koufax.

 

Pedro's numbers came in far more offensive era which would explain the difference in ERA.