Your Franchise Player(s)

[KevinmH9]

So ESPN's Baseball Tonight is developing another program to find the "best player in history" of every major league baseball team.

I don't remember when the whole voting starts or how it'll work, but I thought it'd be a nice discussion/debate to see what everyone thought was the best player in history of every baseball team.

EDIT: I apologize if this is on the wrong thread. I wasn't sure if this would be more appropriate in this thread of the "Anything Goes" thread.

 

[dixiehack]

 

[pallister]

Make sure Perenially Overrated hasn't started this thread before.

Close to home, it's Frank Thomas for the White Sox, although a certain baseball afficianado may get on here and scold me for not picking someone else.

 

[spnited]

Make sure Perenially Overrated hasn't started this thread before.

Close to home, it's Frank Thomas for the White Sox, although a certain baseball afficianado may get on here and scold me for not picking someone else.

I thought this was best in each team's history, not ESPN's history.

I'll leave the rest up to Buckdub.

 

[KevinmH9]

I'll have to pick the home team first and say that it's a tie for me between Ted Williams and Yastrzemski.

 

[pallister]

Are you saying Thomas is not the best player in White Sox history, spnited? If so, who's your pick? No hiding behind Buck.

 

[Guy_Incognito]

I'll have to pick the home team first and say that it's a tie for me between Ted Williams and Yastrzemski.

No it's not. The only one who can have an argument against Williams is Clemens, if you don't count the steroids.

In NY, Ruth over many others who would win in other cities, & Seaver over Piazza.

 

[pallister]

Yaz was great, but not in Williams' league.

 

[Batman]

One man's list; I tried to go with great players who are synonomous with that particular franchise, not just guys who passed through (like Sheffield or Josh Beckett with the Marlins, or most of the great players who made up the Blue Jays' World Series winners in the early 90s):
Yanks -- Babe Ruth
Red Sox -- Ted Williams
Orioles -- Brooks Robinson? Maybe Jim Palmer?
Blue Jays -- Egads. Most of the great players from their World Series teams, like Molitor, Henderson and Winfield, were transients. Dave Stieb?
Rays -- None.

Twins -- Harmon Killebrew or Kirby Puckett.
Tigers -- Ty Cobb
Royals -- George Brett
White Sox -- Joe Jackson
Indians -- Bob Feller

Rangers -- Nolan Ryan
Mariners -- Ken Griffey Jr.
Angels -- Tough one. Rod Carew, I suppose. Maybe Nolan Ryan again.
A's (Oakland era only) -- Reggie Jackson

Phillies -- Mike Schmidt/Steve Carlton (tie)
Mets -- Tom Seaver
Nats/Expos -- Gary Carter? Andre Dawson?
Marlins -- Haven't kept anyone great around long enough for consideration in this discussion.
Braves -- Hank Aaron

Brewers -- Robin Yount. Molitor was too much of a transient later in his career.
Cubs -- Gotta be Ernie Banks.
Astros -- Nolan Ryan, or Craig Biggio if you want a guy who played his whole career there.
Cardinals -- Stan Musial
Pirates -- Roberto Clemente
Reds -- Frank Robinson or Pete Rose

Rockies -- Todd Helton? Haven't had much else in 15 years, in terms of long-lived standouts.
Dodgers -- Jackie Robinson
Giants -- Willie Mays
Padres -- Tony Gwynn
Diamondbacks -- Randy Johnson

 

[times38]

As a Braves fan you'd have to say Hank Aaron, but the Maddux/Smoltz/Glavine troika deserves some love too. As does Dale Murphy.

 

[pressboxramblings07]

Orioles -- Brooks Robinson? Maybe Jim Palmer?

Or there's always that Cal Ripken Jr. guy.

 

[dargan]

Henry Aaron

 

[Batman]

As a Braves fan you'd have to say Hank Aaron, but the Maddux/Smoltz/Glavine troika deserves some love too. As does Dale Murphy.

So do Warren Spahn and Eddie Matthews. Amazing how many great players that franchise has had, and how little they have to show for it in terms of championships.

 

[Batman]

Orioles -- Brooks Robinson? Maybe Jim Palmer?

Or there's always that Cal Ripken Jr. guy.

Totally spaced on him. I was thinking back to their late 60s/early 70s heyday, and almost put down Boog Powell.

 

[Guy_Incognito]

One man's list; I tried to go with great players who are synonomous with that particular franchise, not just guys who passed through (like Sheffield or Josh Beckett with the Marlins, or most of the great players who made up the Blue Jays' World Series winners in the early 90s):
Yanks -- Babe Ruth
Red Sox -- Ted Williams
Orioles -- Brooks Robinson? Maybe Jim Palmer?Frank Robinson? Ripken? Murray? I'd go Frank.
Blue Jays -- Egads. Most of the great players from their World Series teams, like Molitor, Henderson and Winfield, were transients. Dave Stieb?
Rays -- None. Crawford

Twins -- Harmon Killebrew or Kirby Puckett.
Tigers -- Ty Cobb
Royals -- George Brett
White Sox -- Joe Jackson Pretty close, I might go Thomas
Indians -- Bob Feller

Rangers -- Nolan Ryan As a Ranger? Juan Gonzalez over Ryan. Maybe Pudge too. And Arod
Mariners -- Ken Griffey Jr. Arod?
Angels -- Tough one. Rod Carew, I suppose. Maybe Nolan Ryan again.
A's (Oakland era only) -- Reggie Jackson Canseco?

Phillies -- Mike Schmidt/Steve Carlton (tie) Schmidt
Mets -- Tom Seaver
Nats/Expos -- Gary Carter? Andre Dawson? Dawson
Marlins -- Haven't kept anyone great around long enough for consideration in this discussion.
Braves -- Hank Aaron

Brewers -- Robin Yount. Molitor was too much of a transient later in his career.
Cubs -- Gotta be Ernie Banks.
Astros -- Nolan Ryan, or Craig Biggio if you want a guy who played his whole career there.
Cardinals -- Stan Musial
Pirates -- Roberto Clemente
Reds -- Frank Robinson or Pete Rose

Rockies -- Todd Helton? Haven't had much else in 15 years, in terms of long-lived standouts.
Dodgers -- Jackie Robinson Koufax
Giants -- Willie Mays Bonds?
Padres -- Tony Gwynn
Diamondbacks -- Randy Johnson

Pretty good list, off the top of my head. My additions in italics.

 

[dargan]

As a Braves fan you'd have to say Hank Aaron, but the Maddux/Smoltz/Glavine troika deserves some love too. As does Dale Murphy.

So do Warren Spahn and Eddie Matthews. Amazing how many great players that franchise has had, and how little they have to show for it in terms of championships.

Don't remind us.

 

[Batman]

I had Pudge down for the Rangers originally, then thought he's moved around too much since then and switched to Ryan. Ryan had enough highlights in Texas (two no-hitters, his last thousand or so Ks) and went into the Hall as a Ranger.
For the Mariners, you can go with either A-Rod, Griffey or Randy Johnson, I think, and not get an argument from anyone.
Canseco and Bonds have too much baggage compared to other comparable players.
And Robinson will probably get the nod over Koufax because of what he meant to the game. Koufax is a solid choice, though.

 

[Big Circus]

Blue Jays -- Egads. Most of the great players from their World Series teams, like Molitor, Henderson and Winfield, were transients. Dave Stieb?

Joe Carter?

Angels -- Tough one. Rod Carew, I suppose. Maybe Nolan Ryan again.

Guerrero will be in the mix when he retires.

Astros -- Nolan Ryan, or Craig Biggio if you want a guy who played his whole career there.

I'd go Bagwell over Biggio.

 

[times38]

Orioles -- Brooks Robinson? Maybe Jim Palmer?

Or there's always that Cal Ripken Jr. guy.

Totally spaced on him. I was thinking back to their late 60s/early 70s heyday, and almost put down Boog Powell.

Hoyt Wilhelm?

 

[NoOneLikesUs]

Indians (top three in that order) - Feller, Speaker, Lajoie

No Brook Jacoby.