Batter's Box Interactive Magazine - Reader Challenge: My Top 10 Favorite Players

Reader Challenge: My Top 10 Favorite Players

Most serious baseball fans usually end up with a short list of players who are their "favorites" for one inexplicable reason or another. Maybe it's a Hall of Famer, maybe it's a cuppajoe guy who tossed you a ball at a minor league game.

My personal list includes one HOFer, some All-Stars, a couple of 20-win guys who were neither All-Stars nor HOFers, and a couple of guys many of you will never have heard of, I suspect. Glance over my list and provide your own ... and of course, feel free to tell us why, or if you prefer, leave a little mystery to the whole deal. Here we go ...

My Top 10 Favorite Players
(coincidentally, five pitchers and five position players, listed alphabetically only)

Frank Catalanotto (just really love the grit and hustle.)
John Doherty (Do I really have to explain this one?)
Ralph Garr (Boyhood hero of my best pal and me -- cool baseball card.)
Bill Gullickson (Diabetics everywhere -- like me -- think he's "sweet.")
Rick Helling (Saved my fantasy team the year he won 20.)
Ken Henderson (My favorite player ever ... can't explain it.)
Joe Lis (Great Toledo Mud Hen when I was a kid.)
Frank Pastore (Thought he was going to be "The Next Seaver" ... whoops!)
Tom Seaver (Greatest SP ever. No alternative opinions accepted!)
Alan Trammell (Why is he not in the Hall of Fame???)

Who's up next?

Posted by Mick Doherty on Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 02:21 PM EDT.

Reader Challenge: My Top 10 Favorite Players | 43 comments | Create New Account

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.

Mick Doherty - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 02:28 PM EDT (#181200) #

As I review my own list, the singlemost surprising thing to me is that there is not a single player on the list who spent even one day with my team of choice, the Yankees. Huh!

John Northey - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 02:58 PM EDT (#181201) #

Hmm....
Tony Fernandez
All time favorite, his sidearm throw to first was a thing of beauty

Mark Eichhorn
Sidearmer who should've got an ERA title in '86

Phil Neikro
Best knuckler ever

Tim Wakefield
Knuckleballer, tempted his manager to use him every game in the '92 playoffs

Garth Iorg
Loved his batting stance

Junior Felix
Hot streak to start career

Rob Ducey
Born in Toronto, raised in Cambridge, started baseball in mid-teens just like me, sadly I was missing the skill part

George Brett
Even though he killed us in '85 he was just so good and looked to love the game so much you had to love it

Larry Walker
Best Canadian hitter ever

Ferguson Jenkins
Best Canadian pitcher ever, who I never saw pitch live but have met at SABR meetings and he is a great person to listen to.

Honourable Mention: Satchel Paige
How can you not love a guy who pitched into his 50's (at least) and was such a showman. Retired before I was born. Never saw play, but really wish I could've.

hugo - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 03:17 PM EDT (#181202) #

Ichiro

Barry Larkin

Jimmy Key

Frank Catalanotto

Doc Halladay

Kevin Elster

Shawon Dunston

Frank Viola

Willie Randolph

John Olreud

Mike Green - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 03:24 PM EDT (#181203) #

My favourites alphabetically are:

Tommie Agee
Jesse Barfield
Aaron Hill
Orlando Hudson
Jimmy Key
Davey Lopes
Tim Raines
Willie Randolph
Manny Sanguillen
Yaz

Is it any shock that there are more second basemen than any other position? Long live the underdogs!

HippyGilmore - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 03:25 PM EDT (#181204) #

Wow, what a fantastic topic. Without thinking, top 10 as they come to mind would be...

Roy Halladay

Greg Maddux

Fernando Valenzuela (Used to be my absolute favourite when I was a kid, even though I was a Jays fan. Stuck up for the portly guy way before David Wells!)

Ichiro

Joe Carter (Without a doubt)

Dontrelle Willis

Tom Henke

Carlos Delgado (Absence really does make the heart grow fonder. What a class act)

John Kruk (Von Waddler)

aaaand....Last one has to be Pat Hentgen, who pitched the first Jays game I ever saw in person.

zeppelinkm - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 04:06 PM EDT (#181205) #

OK... this is fun...

Jeff Bagwell (As a kid, something about his stance and the way he could hit)

Craig Biggio (Part of the killer B's!)

Pat Hentgen (I always imitated, or at least tried to, his hair coming out the back of his cap, at least this is what I told myself)

Tom Seaver (Never saw him pitch, but I read his book on the art of pitching when I was 14 or 15 and i've always considered him THE MAN since. Well... until some kid with a seriously cool nick name started hurling balls for the Jays in the late 90's)

Frankie the cat - he's on a lot of guys lists here. What really drew me to him, was that he, more so then any other player in my memory, delivered hits when they were needed. Some guys come up to bat in crucial situations and you give them nick names like Inning Ender Ed (Sprague), but man, Frank could grind, and grind, and grind, then lash a little liner over the 3rd basemen's head as good as anyone.

Pat Borders - inexplicable but something about his dirtbag look he was always a fan favourite. Then he won the world series MVP and it finally justified rooting for him so much.

Vlad Guerrero - he can hit anything, anywhere, and he is just darn fun to watch.

Devon White - it was after that catch he made. Was in 92 or 93? I think it was 92. Some things stick with you and endear you to someone forever. That was one of those moments.

Edgar Martinez - the little DH that could hit.

And finally, without question, the guy that I enjoy watching play baseball more then anyone else.

Roy "Doc" Halladay. To me, he's the spirit of baseball. Plus, the fact that he works so quickly makes him very enjoyable to watch, not to mention his understanding of the game and his work ethic. He is now, officially, The Man.

Cheers to all of them and to everyone's favorite players.

Mark J - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 04:56 PM EDT (#181206) #

Great topic!

Vlad Guerrero: Never a boring at bat. Amazing power and that rocket arm

Pedro Martinez: Just a terrific combination of stuff and knowing how to pitch. I was in the house <a href="http://retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1997/B08030MON1997.htm">this day</a> when he retired 18 straight Padres.

Mariano Rivera: At least, when he's not facing Toronto.

Jason Giambi: Love watching him hit. Huge power and mastery of the strike zone.

Jeff Bagwell: Such a great hitter for so many years.

John Olerud: The sweet swing and smooth D.

Roberto Alomar: Could do it all. 5-tool guy in his prime.

Roy Halladay: Don't need to explain this to other Jays' fans!

Tom Henke: I don't think everyone realized how good he was until he was gone. Great presence and stuff.

Ernie Whitt: Really my mom's favorite player... she is convinced to this day he was a clutch god.

As a side note... has anyone noticed just how great the careers of the <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/TOR/1992.shtml">Blue Jays pitchers in 1992 </a> were? There were like 14 very good MLB pitchers that year on the team including 5 guys who at least have reasonable HOF arguments (Henke, Cone, Stieb, Wells, Morris), not that I'm convinced on any of them. Plus Key, Leiter, Guzman, Stottlemyre, Ward, Timlin, Hentgen, Eichhorn and Weathers (17 seasons and a 101 ERA+). Wow.

Brian - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 05:11 PM EDT (#181207) #

Great topic. I'm a bit of a homer but here are mine:

1. Joe Carter - no other choice here!

2. Larry Walker - best Canadian hitter ever

3. Roy Halladay - gotta love how he came back to be dominant after hitting rock bottom

4. Robby Alomar - so many plays that made you jump up

5. Griffey Jr. - gotta show some love for a natural talent like this

6. Devon White - just for his catch in the World Series alone he deserves a spot

7. Mark McGwire - steroids tainted him but that home run chase was an exciting time

8. Paul Molitor - what can you say, a Hall of Fame player

9. Todd Stottlemyre - dont even know why, I just always liked him

10. Matt Stairs - Canadian homerism but I always liked him even when he wasn't a Jay

Clifford - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 06:00 PM EDT (#181209) #

"Favourite players" I take to mean men you go to the ballpark just to see, to be captivated by their skills and their aura, to be in the presence of their greatness. Recognizing that everyone's list will be different, here's one I've pulled out of the memory banks:

Rocky Nelson

Yogi

The MIck

The Splendid Splinter

Ricky Henderson

Devon White

Dave Stewart

Nolan Ryan

Dave Stieb

Tony Fernandez

There's certainly a lot more who merit being on such a list but others will name them...and I'll agree with their choices. But this is mine and picturing them on the field in my mind's eye, good memories flood back about all of them. I could describe the manly grace of their baseball skills individually and at great length.

seeyou - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 06:03 PM EDT (#181210) #

Henry Aaron: I read his autobiography If I Had a Hammer when I was 9 or 10, and just got completely drawn into his story. He doesn�t get enough credit for how difficult it would have been to break the record of an icon like Babe Ruth, as an African American man playing for a Southern team in the 1960s. Coming from a small white-bred town, I remember that reading this book was the first time I really understood the meaning of racism.

Tony Gwynn: No big story here, I just always loved his game.

Roy Halladay: I was at the Skydome for the last game of the of the year in 1998 and saw this young September call-up I�d never heard of take a perfect game into the 9th inning, only to give up a homer to Bobby Higginson. It�s been a great joy to follow his career ever since.

Tom Henke: Always felt completely comfortable with him on the mound

Brook Jacoby: First ballplayer I ever got an autograph from, and was a faithful follower of his career/collector of his baseball cards for years afterwards

Sandy Koufax: His curve was as close to you can get to pure beauty on the baseball diamond

John Olerud: Sweetest swing I've ever seen

F.P Santangelo: Mr. Franchise for the Ottawa Lynx during the years I was living in Ottawa. Of all the players implicated in the Mitchell Report, this one honestly hurt the most.

Frank Thomas: When I was seven or eight, I went with my dad on a business trip to Chicago and he took me to a game at Comiskey. During the warm up, Thomas was running sprints and he jumped up, grabbed the Jays cap off my head, looked at it disapprovingly, had someone throw a ball to him, caught it in the cap and gave me back both. In all the ball games I�ve been to since, that was the only time I�ve ever got a ball. Just goes to show all of the ballplayers out there that if you take the time to treat young fans decently, you�ll gain a lot of lifelong fans who will follow your career with dedication and buy your baseball cards/jerseys.

Gregg Zaun: Wants to win so bad, it�s visible every time he steps on the field.

ChicagoJaysFan - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 06:27 PM EDT (#181213) #

1 player stands above all for me ... Bo Jackson.

I think his football career and injury make people forget how magic he was at the end of the 80s. He could hit the ball harder than anyone, steal bases, make amazing defensive plays (that highlight of him running up the wall after making the catch is still one that I remember), and even started to hit for a decent average before his injury.

Even when he struck out he was exciting with the bat breaking over his knee and everything. I can't think of another player where I thought, "I just have to be at the Skydome when this guy is in town"

After that, there are a few others, in random order ...

BlackJack McDowell - I thought that was one of the coolest nicknames ever
John Kruk - his one-liners were amazing to read about, but the t-shirt "if you don't let me play, I'll take my ball and go home" when he's battling testicular cancer was great
Jesse Barfield - While not the one that gets the most notice, his 1986 season is one of the best individual performances ever by a Blue Jay and the first time I thought we had someone where we could legitimately say he was the best player in the game.
Rance Mulliniks - seemed to me to be one of those guys that just epitomized class
Tony Fernandez - I hated Cal Ripken because I thought he stole too much of the publicity that Fernandez deserved
Ozzie Smith - I was so disappointed that he didn't do the flip at the SkyDome all-star game
Kirby Puckett - nobody seemed to have more fun playing the game than he did

Wow - looking at those names, I can't believe that none are playing anymore - that wasn't intentional. Unfortunately, there really isn't anyone in the game right now that I have this same feeling for. It might be because I have a greater understanding of the statistics and everything, but the romanticism / pure silliness and fun of the game seem to be gone.

scottt - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 06:42 PM EDT (#181214) #

Larry Walker,
Vladimir Guerrero,
Pedro Martinez,
Gary Carter,
Ozzie Smith,
Mike Schmidt,
Fernando Valenzuela,
Roberto Alomar,
Randy Johnson,
and Roy Halladay

Dave Till - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 06:46 PM EDT (#181215) #

My favourites can be divided into Jays and non-Jays. They're mostly Jays, because that's how it is.

George Bell - larger than life, and not as bad a guy as the writers made him out to be
Carlos Delgado - he just seemed so intelligent and dignified. And he could hit, yes.
Roy Halladay - hard worker, intense competitor, what baseball is all about
Tom Henke - I don't think there's ever been a classier Blue Jay; he retired on top
Pat Hentgen - both he and Henke wanted to stay in Toronto, which earns bonus points from me
Rance Mulliniks - he just seemed like a cool dude, and the doubles didn't hurt
John Olerud - seemed to exude quiet dignity and class
Vernon Wells - I think he has the ideal baseball temperament: confident but relaxed

and a couple of non-Jays:
Mark Fidrych - handled his decline and fall with astonishing grace
Luis Tiant - the only pitcher ever to earn roars of applause from the stands for the virtuosity of his pitching motion

ChicagoJaysFan - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 06:46 PM EDT (#181216) #

Shawon Dunston

Are you from Chicago? I've never heard of anyone outside this city list him as a favorite.

I remember reading somewhere that he had one of the strongest arms in baseball, including pitchers and OF, when he was playing shortstop and thought that was one of the coolest things. Unfortunately, I never saw him live though - hadn't made it to Chicago when he was here.

jbrains - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 06:48 PM EDT (#181217) #

My ten favorite, many of which are related to my time with the DLB league THROW from 1987-2004:

Nolan Ryan, my first great pitcher
Billy Hatcher, the first batter to hit for my team, and a nice guy I met in 2000 at a Jays/Rays spring training game
Jeff Bagwell, the centerpiece of my first contending team
Albert Pujols, my last great superstar
Shigetoshi Hasegawa, who started the 1-3 putout that sealed my one and only championship
John Cangelosi and Lance Blankenship, who were essentially different physical manifestations of the same player: low average, ultra-high walks, fast and decent defensively

As for my favorite players "in real life"...
George Bell, still the all-time greatest authentic, through-and-through Blue Jay
Dave Stieb, to whom I always related based on what little I knew of his personality
Tim Wallach, who is the great defensive third-baseman I ever saw play close-up
...and a special mention to Neil Allen, who played catch with me over the CF fence at the Ex during batting practice before a Yanks/Jays game in 1987

Those ones come to mind immediately.

ChicagoJaysFan - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 06:54 PM EDT (#181218) #

Oh ... I forgot Rob Deer. I just found it entertaining how a guy could barely hit .200, yet still be an actual contributor to a baseball team.

Dave Till - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 06:55 PM EDT (#181219) #

Sorry about this, Mick, but I have to say it: Bill Gullickson is on my all-time worst list for what he did when pitching for the Tigers in a game against Toronto in 1991.

The first batter up was Devon White, who homered. The second batter, Roberto Alomar, also homered. In retaliation, Gullickson threw a pitch behind the head of the next batter, Joe Carter, and hit him on the helmet. Gullickson was ejected.

As you know, throwing behind the head is the most dangerous thing you can do - the impulse is for the batter to duck into the pitch.

It still gets me angry thinking about it.

The box score for the game is here.

AWeb - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 06:59 PM EDT (#181220) #

My top ten, I suspect weighted heavily in Toronto players, in no particular order.

Mike Schmidt - greatest 3B in history, I was always fascinated by his numbers in the mid-80's...he had so many more HR that almost anyone else, and had a reputation for killling the Expos (which wasn't true, relatively speaking)

Carlos Delgado - I hope he can revive his career this year, but he was the greatest Jay hitter by a mile

Ted Williams - Another fascinating numbers guy, I always used to work out his all-time standings if he hadn't missed all those years at war (I had him pegged for 4th in HR, top ten in hits, and leading RBI and Runs).

Ernie Whitt - Visually appealing, such a perfect example of what a catcher is "supposed" to look like. And a damn fine player to boot.

Todd Helton - a holdover from my one and only fantasy playing experience, in 2001 he was a monster, even managing 7 steals. Strangely rooting for himever since.

Nolan Ryan - another guy who jumped of the pages of my early 80's sticker books (how many strikeouts?), and his 1987 season forever taught me that wins mean nothing. His no-hitter against the Jays, striking out Alomar, was the greatest moment I've seen in baseball where the Jays lost.

Dave Steib - speaking of no-hitters, was Toronto's greatest pitcher, his pitches moved around an insane amount, and he had a fun delivery to mimic. The tatl package really.

Wade Boggs, Red Sox version. Zoned in, I've never seen anyone able to foul off so many pitches until he got one he could drive. Or he'd just work a walk. My first recollection of a player who the umpires clearly trusted more than their own vision; never seemed to get a borderline call against him (later Bonds would take this to previously unreached heights).

Ken Griffey Jr. - used to be the poster boy for all that was good in the game, injuries killed his path to all-time top 10-20 great players.

Aaron Hill, - current favourite Jay, gold glove defense + very good offense = fan favourite.

CeeBee - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 07:18 PM EDT (#181221) #

I grew up in northern Ontario and listened to the Twins on the radio so that explains my list..... I think :)

1. Harmon Killebrew- The killer was my all time fav... he mostly just mashed homeruns which really impressed a 10 year old.

2. Tony Oliva- Man could he hit.

3. Zolio Versailles- Love that name

4. Camilo Pascual- In my pre teen world was the best pitcher not named Marichal

5. Jaun Marichal- Loved his windup

6. Tony Fernandez - Sweet swing and even better fielding

7. Willie Mays- The Giants were my National league team and Willie was the man

8. Rusty Staub- The grande orange.... When the spos arrived we finally had a Canadian team to cheer for.

9. Andre Dawson- The Hawk could do it all and should be in the hall of fame.

10. Lloyd Moseby- The Shaker, one of the many Jays who finally brought respectability to my favorite adulthood team.

11. About 10 more Jays, Twins, Expos, Giants, Dodgers.... geez can I name 90 more or so? :)

Hal - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 07:22 PM EDT (#181222) #

More than 10, I know. I'm a horrible person. Sorry. Each of these players have been responsible for either monumental moments of happiness in my sports fan lifetime, or for some reason - just held my attention for one reason of another. Often unexplainable. Alphabetical, by position.

Pitchers:

Jim Clancy, Juan Guzman, Mauro Gozzo, Tom Henke, Pat Hentgen, Jimmy Key, Jeff Musselman, Dan Plesac, Paul Quantrill, Dave Stieb, Todd Stottlemyre, Woody Williams,

Catchers:

Ernie Whitt

1B:

Fred McGriff, John Olerud, Willie Upshaw

2B:

Roberto Alomar, Aaron Hill, Nelson Liriano

SS:

Tony Fernandez, Alfredo Griffin, Manuel (Don't call me Manny!) Lee, John McDonald

3B:

Kelly Gruber

OF:

Jesse Barfield, George Bell, Joe Carter, Candy Maldonado, Lee Mazilli, Lloyd Moseby, Mookie Wilson

DH:

Paul Molitor

TamRa - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 07:26 PM EDT (#181223) #

I'm not sure I can answer this without swamping the list with Jays...

1. Robbie Alomar
2. Paul Molitor
3. Jimmy Key
4. Tony Fernandez
5. Doc Halladay

6. Mike Schmidt
7. Rock Raines
8. Ken Griffey, Jr.
9. Steve Carlton
10. Scott Rolen

(Rolen just replaces Roger Clemens who I always like but he's been such an ass since the MR came out, and Rolen being a Jay now pushes him into the top 10)

I do have a lot of "scrappy" bench players I am found of, Mike Bordick for instance, but it's hard to do justice to those guys by picking one over the other.

VBF - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 09:23 PM EDT (#181227) #

Vernon Wells--Duh.

Scott Downs--He had a phenomenal few starts in late August/September of 05, bought the jersey and fan since.

Jesse Litsch--Gotta love jolly fat players.

Corey Koskie--Always signing autographs, just a nice guy.

Pat Neshek--Never met him, but he has a great blog and could be any one of us.

Jose Lima--He jumped into the stands in Toronto in 2005 to aid a girl who was hit by a bouncy foul ball in BP.

Bernie Williams--A Yankee with a conscience.

Carlos Delgado--The Father I never met.

AJ Piercynski--I always like guys who can get fans riled up.

Bob Feller--The definition of respect, giving up the best years of his baseball career to fight overseas.

VBF - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 09:25 PM EDT (#181228) #

Oh, and I've always been big fans of Mo Vaughn and definitely Gregg Zaun.

Barry Bonnell - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 11:26 PM EDT (#181231) #

Barry Bonnell - Duh. My favourite as a kid. So much so I started to follow Seattle when he was traded there.

Mark Langston - See above.

George Bell - All time favourite Jay.

Dave Stieb - All time favourite Jay pitcher.

Roy Halladay

Joe Carter

Duane Ward - The spokesman for the Crohns and Colitis foundation which I was later diagnosed with.

Carlos Delgado

Pat Hentgen - Pure class and dedication.

Jackie Robinson - Read his biography. It's a must read.

jamesq - Thursday, March 20 2008 @ 11:28 PM EDT (#181232) #

Rick Boscetti
Nolan Ryan
Andre Dawson
Mickey Rivers
Carlton Fisk
Reggie, Reggie, Reggie
George Brett
Roberto Alomar
Ozzie Smith
Doc Halladay

christaylor - Friday, March 21 2008 @ 02:03 AM EDT (#181238) #

Carlos Delgado - was nice to my mom and I read somewhere he was a decent hitter 
Roy Halladay - obligatory current Jay, will probably soon chane to Alexis Rios or Dustin McGowan  
Rickey Henderson - christaylor likes it when a ball player talks in the third person
Tom Henke - terminator
Gregg Jefferies - latched onto him & Olreud during baseball card collecting days in the 1980s 
Bo Jackson - Bo knows...his Score card in football gear was cool
Don Mattingly - epitome of a time when the Yankees didn't sniff the playoffs 
John Olerud - not surprised he ends up on many fan's lists here 
Fernando Valenzuela - probably the reason why I hurt my arm trying to throw a screwball in little league 
Ernie Whitt - orginial Jay & class act

Thomas - Friday, March 21 2008 @ 07:44 AM EDT (#181240) #

My list:

Dan Plesac
Reed Johnson

are in the 1-2 spots, respectively. The other 18 (yeah, I did 20, not 10 - I kept leaving people out) meld together and are listed alphabetically.

Robbie Alomar
Cool Papa Bell
George Bell
Craig Biggio
Carl Crawford
Carlos Delgado
Tony Fernandez
Tony Gwynn
Roy Halladay
Tom Henke
Pat Hentgen
Rance Mulliniks
Pat Neshek
Jake Peavy
Dan Quisenberry
Matt Stairs
Larry Walker
Ernie Whitt

Thomas - Friday, March 21 2008 @ 07:50 AM EDT (#181241) #

I hate (but also kind of enjoy) doing these lists, because I always feel like I'm missing people out. O-Dawg, Brian Giles, Maddux, Quantrill and Devon White have all sprung to mind in the last couple of minutes.

ayjackson - Friday, March 21 2008 @ 11:42 AM EDT (#181243) #

As I age, I have a harder and harder time identifying with "favourite" athletes. Anyway, here's an attempt. In no particular order.

Tim Raines
Dave Stieb
George Brett
Carleton Fisk
Roberto Alomar
Tom Henke
Pedro Martinez
Moises Alou
Rondell White
Charlie Lea

Mick Doherty - Friday, March 21 2008 @ 12:29 PM EDT (#181244) #

Interesting -- more than 300 players mentioned, and less than 10 percent are active. With more than half of the "active" players named being Roy Halladay!

Magpie - Friday, March 21 2008 @ 01:21 PM EDT (#181246) #

Wow, great subject.

My first favourite player was probably Mickey Mantle - but I was a little kid in the middle of the Canadian prairie, where they showed one baseball game on television every week. Mantle was about the only guy I'd heard of. And once a year I'd actually see him on TV; he'd limp painfully to the plate in the All Star Game as a pinch hitter and strike out. It's like my original, primeval baseball memory... (Although, during the same period, I actually saw Stan Musial play. In person. I had no idea whatsoever of the significance of what I was seeing, and today I have nothing like a true memory of the event, either.)

I have many favourites that I never saw, from before even my own time - from Mathewson, Speaker and Wagner to the many who came afterwards (with a special soft spot for witty pitchers: Dean, Gomez, Paige) - but it's not the same.

My first favourites once I was old enough to really watch and follow the game, were Brooks Robinson and Catfish Hunter. It may have been the very cool names, I don't know. Of course I had no idea that 30 years later, I'd actually meet Brooks Robinson. It's very weird actually having to pretend to be cool when you're 40 years old. For some reason, I had a deep and mysterious affection for Vic Davalillo. Go figure. And later on, Mickey Rivers. Which is easier to understand - those of you old enough to remember Mickey - will you ever forget? The way he walked? The way he threw? That baton flip with the bat?

Since coming to Toronto in the late 70s and adopting the Jays... there have been lots of favourites, but I'd want to single out the first - and that would be Damaso Garcia. I think it was because he seemed like the first real legitimate player the team ever had. Back in 1981-82, you actually waited for his turn in the lineup to come around, it was all you had to hope for. (That's right - a singles hitter with an OBP of around .330.)

Mike Green - Friday, March 21 2008 @ 02:32 PM EDT (#181248) #

And later on, Mickey Rivers. Which is easier to understand - those of you old enough to remember Mickey - will you ever forget? The way he walked? The way he threw? That baton flip with the bat?

Oh yeah. And the things he said. "With a name like Reginald Martinez Jackson, is it any wonder he is confused?", or something like that. It is a bit funny to think of that comment today in light of Richardson's endorsement of Obama.

The Bronx Zoo needed some lightness and Mickey provided it.

Dewey - Friday, March 21 2008 @ 06:13 PM EDT (#181251) #

Oh man, enjoyable topic. I agree with so many of the choices of earlier posters. I'm especially pleased to see Tom Henke getting so much love. What a great pitcher/guy he was.

My very first ML ballgame, 1947 at Wrigley Field, I arrived in the bottom of the first inning and was walking up the few steps behind home plate to the seating concourse when I saw, all at the same time, the expanse of green grass and the ivy-covered wall in the distance and heard a bat crack against a ball. I heard the crowd roar and ran up the last two or three steps in time to see a ball soaring out to right field, where it rattled around in the corner, allowing Eddie Waitkus to chug into third with a triple.   He made the all-star team the next year; and in the film of *The Natural* he got shot by Kim Bassinger. Doesn't get much better. Always had a soft spot for Eddie. And for Johnny Schmitz, too; a smooth Jimmy Key-like lefty who won 18 games for the Cubs in 1948. (18 games. The Cubs. 1948. You can't imagine.)   He was especially effective against the Brooklyn Dodgers that year, and eventually wound up being traded to them a year or two later. Willard Mullin, the old cartoonist/caricaturist for The Sporting News used to depict him throwing his glove onto the mound, whereupon Da Bums (Hodges, Reese, Robinson, Snider, Furillo) simply wilted. Geez, . . . old eh?

Musial, Mays, Molitor, Warren Spahn, Jackie Robinson, Roberto Alomar. (Saw them all play.)   Mmmms. So many fond memories. Yeah, Mickey Rivers. And Rodney Scott's 'delayed steals' for the Expos, remember them?

What a game, to foster such affection and such memories. Couldn't possibly limit my list to ten.   Carlos and Tony and Devo and Jessie and . . . .

jasona - Friday, March 21 2008 @ 07:28 PM EDT (#181253) #

My List...slightly homered...but nonetheless:

10. Kirby Puckett - Gave hope to all the stocky folks out there, hustled, and worked his tail off to earn and keep his spot.
9. Tony Gwynn - inspired me to learn the art of hitting for contact, aim for the gaps, and above all make contact.
8. Jack Morris - '91, 10 innings, 7 hits, no runs - '92 set the standard for excellence in the Jays staff
7. David Justice - not once did this guy step to the plate where you didn't think he could hit the ball anywhere in the field for a hit.
6. Deion Sanders - batted .533 with 4 runs, 8 hits, 2 doubles, and 1 RBI while playing with a broken bone in his foot
5. Ken Griffey Jr. - the first one to take a shot at the REAL homerun record, when he, Sosa and McGwire were all in the hunt, it was an exciting time for baseball
4. Roy Halladay - works fast, redefined his game, and anytime he throws the team has a chance to win
3. Cal Ripken Jr. - nothing needs to be said, show up and just do your job
2. Dave Winfield - One of my first autographs, classiest ball player I ever met. I'll never forget staying up way past my bedtime in Oct '92 and waking everyone in the house up when he hit that double down the right field line. Brilliant!
1. Paul Molitor - recently I rewatched the '93 World Series tape, and I've never EVER seen anyone put on a display of hitting and hustle the way Molly did.

Honorable Mentions: Robbie Alomar, Pat Borders, Jay Buhner, Frank Thomas, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Chipper Jones, Mariano Rivera, Tom Henke, Nolan Ryan, Dennis Martinez

electric carrot - Friday, March 21 2008 @ 09:03 PM EDT (#181254) #

I've always been fond of the guys who showed some original spirit out there and didn't necessarily fall into the jockthink mindset somehow.

(for the message)
BILL LEE

(for the delivery)
Dan Quisenberry
Kent Tekulve

(for guts over talent)
Alfredo Griffin
Garth Iorg

(for the head in the strike zone)
Oscar Gamble

(for those super big sighs and the stache)
Steve Rogers

(for those throws)
Orlando Hudson
Tony Fernandez

(for calling out Steinbrenner when everyone else walked on eggshells)
David Wells

John Northey - Friday, March 21 2008 @ 11:11 PM EDT (#181255) #

Hmm.... Thinking a bit about this again and thought of my favorite Expos (wah, I want them back)

Tim Raines - never did like the 'Rock' thing
Tim Wallach - amazing third baseman who always seemed to give it his all
Vance Law - solid emergency pitcher as well as a top notch second baseman, he almost got used in a close game once but the Expos pitchers buckled down preventing the embarrassment of being pulled for an infielder
Pascual Perez - From '87 to '89 he was amazing both in talent and in fun
Carlos Perez - Pascual's younger, crazier brother who had 3 solid years in the majors (ERA+ of 107 to 115) then two years of 58 & 78 and that was the end.
Tim Burke - excellent reliever who I always wanted to see get more credit
Andres Galarraga - the big cat - solid defensively, solid offense and always fun to watch - forgot how bad he was his last year in Montreal (70 OPS+) yet the Cards gave up a solid pitcher in Ken Hill for him. Weird.
Marquis Grissom - hit an inside the park home run to win a game in the 10th inning in '94 at the only Expos game I ever got to at Olympic Stadium
Dennis Martinez - I remember watching his first game as starting pitcher for the Expos on TV when I missed school because I was sick. He hit a double during the game and would go on to be amazing for 7 years with the Expos including 'el Presidente el Perfecto'
Hubie Brooks - horrid defensively at third and the Expos moved him to shortstop where he hit extremely well but boy, every ball hit to him was scary.

Easy to tell I saw a lot of games in the 80's, early 90's before getting frustrated with the Expos but I never stopped cheering for them. Larry Walker was listed in my overall favorites earlier. Others that came to mind included Rex Hudler, Spike Owen, Otis Nixon, Mitch Webster - yes, I love speedy guys who are dirt bags. I know they really don't help that much but they are so fun to watch play.

Geoff - Saturday, March 22 2008 @ 10:47 AM EDT (#181262) #

but he's been such an ass since the MR came out

You just don't appreciate what he's accomplished as an ass in his career. He's put a lot of years in and it is unfair to judge him based on just this late stage. The MR may have shown the world what an ass he is, but he's been doing it for a lot longer.

cascando - Saturday, March 22 2008 @ 11:22 AM EDT (#181264) #

Hard to believe no one has mentioned the aptly named Oil Can Boyd. He was a stalwart for the Expos in 1990, and it was a pleasure to see the Jays knock him around occasionally as a member of the Red Sox.

Geoff - Saturday, March 22 2008 @ 12:24 PM EDT (#181265) #

hmmm..

Barry Bonds

Jose Canseco

Roger Clemens

Ken Caminiti

Miguel Tejada

Jason Giambi

Pete Rose

Albert Belle

Vlad

and of course Roy.

...because some of those guys need the attention, and I love the controversy

ayjackson - Saturday, March 22 2008 @ 01:24 PM EDT (#181266) #

Frick, thanks John....how could I forget El Presidente....easily one of my two or three favourites.

jerjapan - Sunday, March 23 2008 @ 11:19 AM EDT (#181298) #

1. Dave Stieb! I was working at a gas station listening to his first no-hitter and had to pretend I was having trouble with the credit card machine in order to hang out inside till he got the final out. And the back to back one hitters? Amazing!
2. Jackie Robinson. Should be on every list here - truly a heroic man who goes far beyond the sport.
3. Rickey Henderson. Best personality ever. Never understood what the heck he was talking about, but dynamite to watch.
4. Robbie Alomar. Best defensive player I've ever been able to watch. The spitting thing was a stupid mistake and tarnished his rep more than it should of. I can still here him telling me "It's the one with McCain punch"
5. Kelly Gruber. Love the gritty overachievers with the dirty uniform. Reed Johnson nearly scored this spot on my list.
6. Carlos Delgado. Took a very unpopular stand against the Iraq war while it was still risky to do so.
7. Ichiro. Nobody plays the game the way he does. I spent some time in Japan where he's a true legend, and an iconoclast to boot - Japanese society is very conservative and he refuses to play the conformist game, says and does what he wants.
8. Nolan Ryan. Pitching well into his fourties. Taking down that White Sox player who charged the mound (who's name temporarily eludes me). Pitching the first no hitter I ever saw, even if it was against the Jays.
9. David Wells. Love the oversized personality and the overachievement. Loved him as a Jay everytime. We should never have given him away the first time we did when he complained about his bullpen gig - clearly he was right about belonging in the rotation!
10. Doc Holladay. Great nickname, greatest Blue Jay ever? That whole rebuilding his delivery in A ball after his disastrous debut's a great story as well.

Oil Can Boyd doesn't quite make my list of fave players, but certainly number one on my top ten fave nicknames!

John Northey - Sunday, March 23 2008 @ 11:14 PM EDT (#181342) #

Geez, how could I forget Oil Can Boyd? He was one of the great entertainers. He also pitched against the Silver Bullets womens team way back when, in their first game. They got slaughtered but eventually started playing well after a few seasons but by then they were no longer in the headlines so they disappeared.

The Expos had a great string of fun pitchers in the late 80's early 90's. From Oil Can Boyd to the Perez brothers it was always fun to watch.

Mick Doherty - Tuesday, March 25 2008 @ 12:47 PM EDT (#181423) #

Speaking of "how could I forget?" I was just looking at my list and realized I managed to not include my all-time favorite pitcher, Tom Browning. He bumps Cat from the list ... sorry, Frankie!

Reader Challenge: My Top 10 Favorite Players | 43 comments | Create New Account

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.