Greatest First Baseman of All time...

[SaveElmer]

Poll question: Greatest First Baseman of All time...

Really hard to argue with Lou Gehrig here!!! But everyone has their favorites!

[villager]

1. well, I grew up watching Wille McCovey...

...on the Giants.

[SaveElmer]

3. Yep...

Had their been 11 picks allowed I was gonna include him next!

[ewagner]

2. Gotta ask

do you mean as a

1....fielding first baseman...defense only
2....batting first baseman (offense)
3....both?

[SaveElmer]

5. Total player...so both nt

[underpants]

4. Did Pete Rose play first?

if yes that is your answer.

[SaveElmer]

7. A little during the 80's

But primarily an outfielder!

[flakey_foont]

8. Pete played first

for the 1980 World Champion Phillies

[dr.strangelove]

31. Yes, and no he wasn't really a 1B

Pete Rose played first base for most of the last seven years of his career. Which included four full seasons and parts of the last three seasons, when he played very infrequently. He was a very poor fielder in the end of his career.

During these 1B seasons, only 2 were what I would call "good" seasons, 1979 (a "very good" season) which included 208 hits and .331 Avg, .418 OBP and .430 SLG; and 1980 which included 185 hits and .282, .352 and .354 respectivly. As far as first basemen go, these two seasons are not Hall of Fame type seasons, but are good. They show what Peter Rose was, an amazing singles hitter with little extra base hit ability.

His career OPS is .784 (.375 OBP .409 SLG), which would make him a solid player, and a probably Hall of Famer given his hits record, incredible motivation/drive and his durability. I don't think he is up there for his 1B playing though.

Pete came up as a 2B, but was moved to the outfield early in his career (shortly before the Reds picked up another 2B named Morgan). He tried 3B for a few seasons, but some say he did not have the glove for it. He moved over to 1B to finish out his career and get the hits record. I like Pete, but he moved around so much and was such a terrible fielder in the latter half of his career that it is tough to call him the best at any one postion. He was one of the best slap hitters of all time, but not one of the best one baggers.

[flakey_foont]

6. What about "Stretch"?

Willie McCovey

[SaveElmer]

10. Yep...see abover

Had their been 11 choices allowed he was gonna be next!

[WildEyedLiberal]

9. It's been said that if Stan Musial wore pinstripes...

... he'd be a legend on the level of DiMaggio, Mantle, and Gehrig. As it is, few outside of true baseball fans really know anything about Stan the Man, which is a damn shame.

[dr.strangelove]

33. Are you serious?

I don't consider myself any bigger baseball fan than the average fan, but I think most fans know very well who Stan Musial was, and where he falls in the all time greats.

He isn't in the big three of Ruth Williams and Gehrig, who were the best hitters of all time, and rank 1-3 on OPS all-time.

He is up there with DiMaggio, who he is tied with for 10th in all-time OPS. He was one of the most dangerous hitters of all time, and was wonderful with the glove.

Having played with Ted Williams, he probably knew he was not the best left fielder ever, but is clearly No. 2. Bonds may argue with this, but he is third in my book.

[WeRQ4U]

11. I cannot believe you left out the Killer.......Harmon Killebrew.

He was a better home run hitter than Hank Aaron but simply played for less time. (14.2 at bats per homer). He was MVP in 1969 and was runner up at least twice. His only knock was that he sucked as a fielder.

[SaveElmer]

15. Yep...thought of it being a die hard Twins fan...

But he played too many years at third to be considered a true first baseman...I only included players who were primarily known as first baseman!

[WeRQ4U]

23. Yeah, they tried to hide him anywhere they could...

Second, third, first, third, first, outfield, first and then...thank God... DH.

He was not a good fielder.

[SaveElmer]

24. Yeah in his prime years...

He was competent at third!!! But never really great at any of them!!!

[lpbk2713]

12. Who

Who's on first.



(Ed: Had to go thru three images before I found one that would stick.)

[dr.strangelove]

35. OMG

That was GREAT!!!

[flakey_foont]

13. could include Gil Hodges, too

Tony Perez,..

[LynneSin]

14. I'd put Tony Perez on there before Jeff Bagwell

Thank you very much!!!!

[flakey_foont]

17. Bagwell's monster year was stolen

1994.....hitting .367,,,, could have possibly won the Triple Crown until the #$@# strike

[SaveElmer]

18. Yep thought about Perez...

But wanted to include one current player...and Bagwell is a Hall of Fame shoo in!!!

[progmom]

16. Bill Buckner

:rofl:

[Richardo]

19. .

:spray:

:yourock: progmom. That ambushed me right at the end of the list. :rofl:

[progmom]

21. i live to make you laugh

:hi:

[flakey_foont]

20. Joe Pepitone

[Sanity Claws]

26. He played the outfield, didn't he?

In any event, he was never as good as he thought he was. Or as good as he could have been, had he concentrated on the game.

[flakey_foont]

28. no, I was just kidding

but he played first for the Yankees and Cubs

[SaveElmer]

22. You must be a Mets fan!!!...nt

[progmom]

27. nope, just a smart ass Yankees fan.

:hi:

[WeRQ4U]

25. And your favorite SECOND baseman must be Bucky Fuckin' Dent too...

LOL

[edbermac]

29. He was, except for one dumbass play in 1986...

We won last year so Billy Buck has been forgiven in my book...

[edbermac]

30. Marvelous Marv Throneberry

A golden oldie...

[LisaM]

32. Senator Carl Levin would vote for Hank Greenberg

he was in a movie about him.

[dr.strangelove]

34. It is hard to argue with Gehrig, but Foxx, Mize and Greenberg are up there

Gehrig is easily first, but don't discount Jimmie Foxx, Johnny Mize (whose stats were lessened by his three years in the Second World War) and Hank Greenberg (who missed the most time for the war in baseball, 1941 until the end of the 1945).

[SaveElmer]

40. Yeah I'd put Foxx second...

He really was a stud...and Greenberg 3rd...George Sisler was up there too..particularly for the time he played!!!

[Richardo]

36. Buck O'Neill of the Kansas City Monarchs

My little props to the Negro Leagues.

[jbane]

38. I've got a poster of Buck that he signed.

I love that old man. What a treasure he is.

[Richardo]

39. He signed a baseball for me in April!

Great guy.

[SaveElmer]

41. Yeah I love that guy...

He was the best interview on Ken Burns' "Baseball" documentary!!!

[flvegan]

37. Carl Yastrzemski

Red Sox first baseman, my boyhood idol.

[frylock]

42. voted for the ironman, but willie stargell was my fav growing up..

loved The Family!