Who's on your Mt. Rushmore of Major League Baseball?

[J_Dee]

I'd go with:

Babe Ruth -- https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ruthba01.shtml
Willie Mays -- https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mayswi01.shtml
Hank Aaron -- https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/aaronha01.shtml
Walter Johnson -- https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnswa01.shtml

If I could choose just Cincinnati Reds:

Johnny Bench -- https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/benchjo01.shtml
Joe Morgan -- https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/morgajo02.shtml
Barry Larkin -- https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/larkiba01.shtml
Frank Robinson -- https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/robinfr02.shtml

Honorable mentions to Dave Concepcion, Tony Perez, and Joey Votto. And Eric Davis.

I personally don't include Cobb or Rose because of their questionable behavior both on and off the field. And I know some of the guys I listed are no saints, but they don't compare to Cobb or Rose, imho. Your mileage may of course vary. =)

 

[WildcatfaninOhio]

Mark McGwire
Gaylord Perry
Barry Bonds
The 1919 Chicago Black Sox

 

[J_Dee]

The 1919 Chicago Black Sox

Go Reds! XD

 

[berniecarbo]

It depends on how we do this. In today's atmosphere, thr great Babe Ruth would have trouble in the PC world. Womanizing, drinking, corked bats. Ted Williams was universally hated the first half of his career. As a minor leaguer, one game Ted put no effort into his defense because he was mad at the manager. After the game, a teammate beat him to the point that the manager had to pull the guy off Ted. Mantle was no saint either.

Everyone loved Musial and in his 2000 Baseball book, Bill James had Stan #7 in MLB history. Walter Johnson sounds good. Mays sounds good. I guess Honus Wagner for the other.

Strictly baseball , Ruth has to be there and Stan might have to go.

 

[-Mav-]

Hey Bernie, just wanted to say that your 3-run, pinch-hit, game-tying homer that kept y'all in the game so Fisk could win it is undoubtedly the most over-looked and under-appreciated World Series HR in history.

Took some balls man. Respect.

 

[blubo]

Nolan Ryan and Pete Rose for sure.

 

[sefleming]

Ruth
Cobb
Young
Aaron

Dodgers

Duke Snider
Roy Campanella
Jackie Robinson
Sandy Koufax

 

[*CatinIL*]

Jon_D...this one is tough keeping it to 4. This will take some thought.

 

[Blueisbest]

In my lifetime:

Aaron
Mays
Rose
Ryan

All time:

Ruth
Cobb
Young
Mays

 

[GoBigBlue712]

I'd go with:

Babe Ruth -- https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ruthba01.shtml
Willie Mays -- https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mayswi01.shtml
Hank Aaron -- https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/aaronha01.shtml
Walter Johnson -- https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnswa01.shtml


I personally don't include Cobb or Rose because of their questionable behavior both on and off the field. And I know some of the guys I listed are no saints, but they don't compare to Cobb or Rose, imho. Your mileage may of course vary. =)

I agree with yours. I would give honorable mentions to Randy Johnson, Nolan Ryan, Ted Williams, and Jackie Robinson. If I could do one of just my Cardinals: Stan Musial, Rogers Hornsby, Bob Gibson, and Albert Pujols.

 

[Ineverplayedthegame]

Ruth
Aaron
Young
Ryan

 

[KRJ1975]

Bonds
Mays
Trout
Junior Griffey

 

[funKYcat75]

If I had to choose between them, I’d take Mays over Aaron. Anyone else?

Ruth is definitely on there.

Pitchers are tough, but my gut says Nolan Ryan.

Teddy Ballgame even if he was a huge prick.

 

[It'saDoneDeal]

Ruth
Mays
Mantle
Williams

 

[KRJ1975]

If you’re anti drugs and you leave Bonds off simply for that, cool.

if you’re not anti drugs and you leave Bonds off, you’re crazy.

 

[drcats2013]

Ruth
Bonds
Mays
Aaron

 

[Drewmagnum]

Aaron
Ted Williams
Ruth
Trout (after all is said and done, he will be regarded as the greatest ever)

 

[HagginHall1999]

I feel like modern baseball has a black eye and it makes it difficult to include some guys that probably deserve to be included.

Ruth, Aaron, Mays, Musial would be my 4....in that order.

Griffey was better than Bonds before injuries and needles....he was a Top 5 guy and was just dismantled by injury....barring injury he is your all time HR King (way more power than Bonds pre Steroids).

Pitchers don't count because they don't play every day...need a Mount Rushmore pitcher list.

I love baseball. Can't wait for 7/24. Put Pete in the Hall...

 

[Kooky Kats]

Ruth
Gehrig
Mantle
DiMaggio

no bias whatsoever


Not the best, but Unique dudes who were must see

Rickey Henderson
Ichiro
Fernando Valenzuela
Reggie
Nolan Ryan
Bo Jackson

 

[CatGotMyTongue]

I hate the PC shit as much as anyone—but with everything he endured—how can you NOT have #42 up there

 

[Kaizer Sosay]

Pedro Cerrano
Willie Mays Hayes
Ricky Vaughn
Jake Taylor

 

[P19978]

During my lifetiime:

Aaron, Rose, Ryan. Mays.

Bonds? But the roids/juiced balls/small parks... I dunno.

Greatest player of alltime?

Babe Ruth... and it aint close (heck, he might have made it AS A PITCHER ALONE):

1. 
   Ned Williamson held the record for most home runs in a season at 27 before Babe Ruth belted 29 in 1919. When he shattered that milestone with 54 the following year, nobody else reached 20.
   
   From 1918 to 1931, he led or tied the AL in home runs 12 times. The Sultan of Swat smacked 602 long balls during that timeframe. Nobody else hit 300.
   
   The .342/.474/.690 outlier ranks first in wOBA, wRC+, OPS+ and WAR (from both sites) by considerable margins. That doesn't even factor in his 2.28 ERA over 1,221.1 innings on the mound. Before transitioning into a full-time outfielder, he tossed 650 innings in 1916 and 1917 combined, earning 47 wins and a 1.88 ERA.
   
   Could the greatest hitter in the history of the sport have made this list if he never swung a bat? Luckily for the Yankees, that's only a fun what-if for a player whose dominance will never be matched.
   
   Note: All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Pujols is closer than people think.

 

[ukalum01]

Ruth
Mays
Bonds
... then a bunch of arguments for the 4th slot. A pitcher? Mathewson, Young or Johnson? I personally think Mathewson is the greatest pitcher but he doesn't hold the same standing in the game as Young or Johnson. Or do you go with Jackie Robinson based on changing the game?

Inevitably, recent players get unfairly shortchanged in these exercises.

 

[rudd1]

-bob Gibson, george foster, tony perez, rob dibble.

 

[berniecarbo]

Hey Bernie, just wanted to say that your 3-run, pinch-hit, game-tying homer that kept y'all in the game so Fisk could win it is undoubtedly the most over-looked and under-appreciated World Series HR in history.

Took some balls man. Respect.

I remember Bernie mostly as a Cardinal and his friendship with The Spaceman Bill Lee. Bernie threw away a potential great career with drugs. A shame.

I've noticed with your posts, you are a hitter. I was a glove man and inconsistent hitter. At 37 years old playing on a bum leg with a bad shoulder on my throwing side, a 25 year college coach told my teammates I was the best third baseman he'd ever seen, but my leg had turned me into mostly an arm hitter by then.

 

[Kooky Kats]

-bob Gibson, george foster, tony perez, rob dibble.

Mike Lum?

 

[Cawood86]

You will have to break into 2 categories: Pitchers and positional players imo

Pitchers: Sandy Koufax, Cy Young, Bob Gibson, Nolan Ryan

Players: Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Ted Williams

 

[thunderradar]

Hamilton "Ham" Porter
Roger Dorn
Ebby Calvin "Nuke" Laloosh
Henry Rowengartner

 

[*CatinIL*]

In my lifetime:

Aaron
Mays
Rose
Ryan

In my lifetime...that's pretty dang solid.

 

[bigdaddy741]

I'd go with Ruth, Williams, Mays, and Gherig for the 4 greatest of all time.

For my personal favorites it would be Dale Murphy, Tony Gwynn, Ken Griffey Jr., Greg Maddux

 

[funKYcat75]

If we’re doing favorites...

Don Mattingly
Johnny Bench
Mario Soto
Cal Ripken Jr.

 

[Blue63Madison]

In my lifetime:

Aaron
Mays
Rose
Ryan

All time:

Ruth
Cobb
Young
Mays

What do you have against Ken Griffey Jr?

 

[College#19]

Babe Ruth -- he is the most iconic name in the history of the game
Jackie Robinson -- no one player endured what he did to break the color barrier and he was a 5 tool HOF player
Hank Aaron -- in most people's minds he still holds the greatest record in the game
Nolan Ryan -- holds two of the greatest records in the history in which neither will be broken (most career strikeouts and no hitters)

Having said that, if he can wins a world series or two I think Mike Trout is the best player we have seen since Ken Griffey Jr. But can he stay healthy and wins a couple rings.

 

[sg24]

in my lifetime

Griffey Jr.
Jeter
Pujols
Riveria

 

[SaguaroCat]

Pee Wee Reese
Jim Bunning
Earle Combs
Gus Bell

 

[Roe07]

The 1990 Cincinnati Reds.

 

[WildcatFan1982]

Oil Can Boyd
Burt Blyleven
Dock Ellis
Bruce Brubaker

 

[michaeluk26]

If you’re anti drugs and you leave Bonds off simply for that, cool.

if you’re not anti drugs and you leave Bonds off, you’re crazy.

I've never followed or played baseball. Just not my game. But I've always thought that even if you're juicing that doesn't help you actually hit the ball. It's just for power.

 

[ShoesSwayedBlue]

Ruth
Mays
Mantle
Williams

As soon as I saw this those guys were mine before I opened the thread.