Favorite Players Topic

We spend a lot of time arguing about who the best players were. To change things up a little, here's something that can't really be argued about (which will probably keep the thread very short).

Who are your favorite players of all time? Obviously, use whatever criteria you want. All of the guys on my lists were favorites formed in childhood. 

Here are mine:

1) Greg Maddux

When I was a kid, his games were almost always nationally televised (WGN & TBS) so I got to watch him pitch a lot. He was amazing. A 6 foot, unspectacular, average velocity guy making fools of some of the greatest hitters of all time.

He also lead me to believe that any unathletic bum could be a major league baseball player. Not true. Not only are all major league players great athletes, Maddux was world class. He just looked like a nerd.

2) Tony Gwynn

Another guy I saw a lot of because my Dodgers played the Padres on the reg. Another guy who I thought was unathletic (I had no idea that he was a great college basketball player until I was an adult). Gwynn's value on the field was probably a little overrated but people from San Diego literally loved him. He was a great person and a great hitter. Through a weird bit of luck, I was at his last game in San Diego in 2001 (9-11 had caused the schedule to get shuffled around a little and the game that was supposed to be his last wasn't). People were bawling. Two guys in my office didn't come to work the day after he died and my office is 100 miles from San Diego.

3) Mike Piazza

Talk about a diamond in the rough. This guy was one of the greatest offensive catchers in history. I had his rookie card when I was a kid and it was probably my most prized possession. I was convinced it would be worth millions someday. The same card can be picked up for $0.99 on ebay right now.

4) Rickey Henderson

I didn't appreciate how good Henderson was until I was an adult. Probably a top 10 or 15 position player. The stories about him are what I love the most, even if the one about Olerud was fake.

5) Ken Griffey Jr.







5/21/2015 1:50 PM
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1)  Thurman Munson - I loved his "if you get hurt, run some spit and dirt on it" attitude.  I remember how shook up I was when I got a call from my dad when I was at work on August 2, 1979 to tell me that my favorite player had just been killed in a plane crash.

2)  Don Mattingly - I kind of "adopted" him as a rookie in 1983 as somebody to watch.  Then, he broke out in his second full season and became one of the best hitters in the game until he hurt his back.  Followed him for the rest of his career as he gained his legacy as "best Yankee to never play in the post-season" until his final season.  The "Donnie Baseball" cheers he got when he hit his HR in Game 2 of the '95 ALDS against Seattle at Yankee Stadium were awesome.  Genuine love and respect for the captain in the last home game of his career.

3)  Lou Gehrig - obviously way before my time, but I've always admired the stories of his quiet perseverance and humility as he played in Babe Ruth's shadow for the first half of his career, and then was struck down in his prime.

5/21/2015 2:31 PM
Dave Concepción
Johnny Bench
Eric Davis
Ken Griffey Jr.
John Kruk

EDIT: Munson was AWESOME. Ashamed that I left him off.
5/21/2015 2:46 PM
1b) McCovey
2b) felix millan
ss) Ozzie
3b) Michael jack
LF) Rickey
Cf Gary Maddox  (might have been because of Ralph Kiner)
Rf)  Jack Clark
Dh) Willie Horton
Sp) Seaver
Sp) Carlton

RP0 McGraw

C Piazza

5/26/2015 7:26 PM (edited)
Jose Canseco
Dave Stewart
Dennis Eckersley
Dwayne Murphy
Terry Steinbach
Dave Henderson
Vida Blue
Edgar Martinez
Andy Van Slyke
Jim Walewander
Jim Thome
Mike Schmidt
Len Dykstra
5/22/2015 1:13 AM
Loved Albert Belle also
5/22/2015 1:14 AM
1. Roger Clemens - sorry, started watching the Sox in '86, and he was the man, and for 8 yr old me, could do no wrong
2. Wade Boggs - see #1
3. Nomar - untill that game in '04, when Jeter dove into the stands to catch a foul ball, and Nomar was on the bench chewing his fingernails.
4. Pete Inclavigla - just cuz
5. John Jaha - just cuz
6. Eric Davis - he was awesome in RBI Baseball 1 & 2 on the NES.
7. Rich Garces - saw him strike out someone on the CHW with the bases loaded in a tight situtions, thought he'd be awesome after that.  Plus, he was HUGE.
8. Jonathan Papelbon - Saw him pitch mop-up in '05, in person, and thought the kid had balls.  He did 
9. Jimmie Foxx - as a got a bit older and starting reading about the history of baseball, he seemed pretty awesome
10. Old Hoss Radbourne - see #9
11. Sunny Jim Bottomley - hmmm....
5/22/2015 11:54 AM
1)  Jeff Bagwell
2)  Mark McGwire
3)  George Brett
4)  Trevor Hoffman
5)  Robin Yount
5/22/2015 12:12 PM
Mattingly - good Yankee during some down years.
Horace Clarke - horrible player but I played 2B for the BP Yankees in '69.  Kids don't know good/bad players when they're 6.
Boog Powell - another childhood fave.   Looked like a giant and Boog was fun to say.
Jeter - Brought me back to following MLB when I was just about to discard it like I did the NBA/NHL.
Bob Oliver - childhood again.   Same DOB on the baseball card.
Rickey Henderson - just fun to watch.
A whole mess of mid-70s Yankees but Lyle, Munson and Guidry lead the way.  When I really started following baseball.

Not players but units:
Phillies outfield with Maddox, McBride and Luzinski
Dodgers infield with Cey, Russell, Lopes and Garvey(who I couldn't stand)
5/22/2015 12:55 PM
Really what got me following baseball was the Atlanta Braves and TBS.  Growing up in Seattle, Mariners games were hardly on TV and not worth watching until Griffey came into the league in 1989.

In the days before interleague play, this was the only way to follow the National League other than reading box scores in the newspaper.

I must add Chipper Jones to my list of favorite players.  He garnered my respect when I was at the All-Star game in 2001 at Safeco Field.  The day before, we went to the players workout, where it was like a glorified batting practice session, and every single player that came out of the NL dugout ignored the fans except Chipper.

It's the players workout for crying out loud!!!  He came over and signed autographs for about 20 minutes.  Jeff Kent acted like a giant D-bag, and Sammy Sosa didn't speak English.

The crowd gave Randy Johnson a huge round of applause when he was being interviewed and suggested a Diamondbacks-Mariners World Series would be an ideal scenario.  Well he got half his wish!
5/22/2015 3:04 PM
Before we got cable(& the Superstation):

Tom Seaver
Fred Lynn

After:

Dale Murphy
Larry Wayne Jones
Greg Maddux
Tom Glavine
John Smoltz
5/22/2015 3:21 PM
Mark Grace
Will Clark
Kevin Mitchell
Bobby Bonilla (got to meet him at a very young age during his brief stint with the White Sox)
Greg Maddux
Carlos Zambrano (while he was still relatively sane)
Kirby Puckett (used to see a Twins game every year in the Metrodome)
5/22/2015 5:35 PM
ron Guidry
don mattingly
will clark
Kirby puckett
barry bonds
Bernie Williams


how about playerswho were your least favorite?
I always despised Curt Schilling, Tommy Lasorda, although he wasn't a player (at least not a good one), Rafael palmierp
5/22/2015 6:20 PM
Least favorite:

Will Clark
Matt Williams
Dennis Eckersley
Shawn Dunston

Clark and Willams because they were Giants. Eck and Dunston just annoyed me.
5/22/2015 6:46 PM
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