My rankings of the greatest baseball players ever, starting with number 1, in order.

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09/29/2002 - 10/06/2002 10/06/2002 - 10/13/2002 10/13/2002 - 10/20/2002 10/27/2002 - 11/03/2002 11/03/2002 - 11/10/2002 11/17/2002 - 11/24/2002 12/15/2002 - 12/22/2002 12/22/2002 - 12/29/2002 12/29/2002 - 01/05/2003 01/05/2003 - 01/12/2003 01/19/2003 - 01/26/2003 01/26/2003 - 02/02/2003 02/02/2003 - 02/09/2003 02/09/2003 - 02/16/2003 02/23/2003 - 03/02/2003 04/06/2003 - 04/13/2003 04/13/2003 - 04/20/2003 06/08/2003 - 06/15/2003 07/20/2003 - 07/27/2003 07/27/2003 - 08/03/2003 08/03/2003 - 08/10/2003 08/10/2003 - 08/17/2003 08/17/2003 - 08/24/2003 08/24/2003 - 08/31/2003 08/31/2003 - 09/07/2003 09/07/2003 - 09/14/2003 09/28/2003 - 10/05/2003 10/12/2003 - 10/19/2003 10/19/2003 - 10/26/2003 11/09/2003 - 11/16/2003 11/16/2003 - 11/23/2003 12/21/2003 - 12/28/2003 12/28/2003 - 01/04/2004 01/04/2004 - 01/11/2004 01/11/2004 - 01/18/2004 01/18/2004 - 01/25/2004 02/29/2004 - 03/07/2004 03/07/2004 - 03/14/2004 03/14/2004 - 03/21/2004 03/21/2004 - 03/28/2004 03/28/2004 - 04/04/2004 04/04/2004 - 04/11/2004 04/18/2004 - 04/25/2004 04/25/2004 - 05/02/2004 05/02/2004 - 05/09/2004 05/09/2004 - 05/16/2004 05/23/2004 - 05/30/2004 05/30/2004 - 06/06/2004 06/06/2004 - 06/13/2004 06/20/2004 - 06/27/2004 06/27/2004 - 07/04/2004 07/04/2004 - 07/11/2004 07/11/2004 - 07/18/2004 07/18/2004 - 07/25/2004 08/01/2004 - 08/08/2004 08/08/2004 - 08/15/2004 08/15/2004 - 08/22/2004 08/29/2004 - 09/05/2004 09/05/2004 - 09/12/2004 09/19/2004 - 09/26/2004 10/03/2004 - 10/10/2004 11/07/2004 - 11/14/2004 12/26/2004 - 01/02/2005 01/02/2005 - 01/09/2005 01/09/2005 - 01/16/2005 01/23/2005 - 01/30/2005 01/30/2005 - 02/06/2005 02/06/2005 - 02/13/2005 02/13/2005 - 02/20/2005 02/20/2005 - 02/27/2005 02/27/2005 - 03/06/2005 03/06/2005 - 03/13/2005 03/13/2005 - 03/20/2005 03/20/2005 - 03/27/2005 03/27/2005 - 04/03/2005 04/10/2005 - 04/17/2005 04/17/2005 - 04/24/2005 04/24/2005 - 05/01/2005 05/15/2005 - 05/22/2005 05/22/2005 - 05/29/2005 05/29/2005 - 06/05/2005 06/05/2005 - 06/12/2005 06/12/2005 - 06/19/2005 06/19/2005 - 06/26/2005 06/26/2005 - 07/03/2005 07/10/2005 - 07/17/2005 07/17/2005 - 07/24/2005 07/24/2005 - 07/31/2005 07/31/2005 - 08/07/2005 08/07/2005 - 08/14/2005 08/14/2005 - 08/21/2005 08/21/2005 - 08/28/2005 09/04/2005 - 09/11/2005 09/11/2005 - 09/18/2005 09/18/2005 - 09/25/2005 10/09/2005 - 10/16/2005 10/16/2005 - 10/23/2005 11/06/2005 - 11/13/2005 03/26/2006 - 04/02/2006 04/30/2006 - 05/07/2006 05/14/2006 - 05/21/2006 05/28/2006 - 06/04/2006 06/04/2006 - 06/11/2006 06/11/2006 - 06/18/2006 07/02/2006 - 07/09/2006 07/09/2006 - 07/16/2006 07/23/2006 - 07/30/2006 03/04/2007 - 03/11/2007 06/17/2007 - 06/24/2007 07/13/2008 - 07/20/2008 08/03/2008 - 08/10/2008 08/10/2008 - 08/17/2008 08/17/2008 - 08/24/2008 01/11/2009 - 01/18/2009

 

Number 50: Tim Raines

Raines came up through the minors as a second baseman, but his defense was a little shaky, so the Expos decided his speed would help in the outfield, and put him in left. He played CF for one season, 1984. Mostly, he was a left fielder, and a good one. He was also an extremely effective leadoff hitter, with great speed, a tremendous batting eye, and some power. Raines broke through in 1981 at age 21, hitting .304 as a rookie. He stole 71 bases in 88 games that year, and would steal at least 70 in each of his first six seasons. He won the batting title in 1986 at .334, and set a career high in home runs in 1987 with 18. After making the postseason as a rookie, he would not get back again until 1993, with the White Sox. He was on a World Series winner in 1996 (as a starter) and 1998 (as a reserve) with the Yankees. In between, he didn't win any MVP awards, but he deserved a couple. Raines should have won the NL MVP in 1987, and could have won in 1985 and 1986, but the Expos didn't win so neither did he. During that three-year period, 1985-87, he was without doubt the best player in the NL. The only MVP he did win was for the 1987 All-Star Game.

Not recognized for his excellence during his career, partly because of some run-ins with drugs, he became something of an elder statesman, especially with the Yankees. He should be elected to the Hall of Fame as soon as he is eligible, but the writers might slight him again. There is no doubt he belongs.

Raines earned 268.89 rating points.

Raines' stats: .294 average, 1571 runs, 808 steals, 2605 hits, 1330 walks, 430 doubles, 170 homers.

posted by Shawn at 3:47 PM

 

Number 49: Bert Blyleven

This ranking will probably surprise a lot of people. Blyleven is not even in the Hall of Fame, and while he has his supporters, has never come especially close to being elected. However, he is one of the greatest pitchers ever. He pitched for a lot of mediocre teams, but still won nearly 300 games in his career.

Blyleven reached the majors in 1970 at age 19, with the Minnesota Twins. The Twins were winding up a strong era, and would soon fall apart at the seams. Blyleven was given a heavy workload, including 325 innings in 1973. His best pitch was a stunning curveball, one of the best ever seen. He wasn't a big fastball pitcher, but with that knockout curve and good control, he got lots of strikeouts and issued few walks. His biggest weakness was the home run ball, because if the curve hung instead of breaking it could be hit a long way.

He won 20 in a season only once, in that 1973 campaign, but he won 17 a lot, with records like 17-14 pretty common. He was traded from Minnesota to Texas in midseason 1976, then went to Pittsburgh after the 1977 season. The Pirates were a pretty good team then, and he was part of the 1979 World Series champions. He departed there after 1980 for Cleveland, another bad team. He went back to Minnesota in midseason 1985 as the Twins were building back up, and became part of their 1987 World Series winners. He finished up in California and pitched until 1992 although 1989 was his last good season.

His highest finish in the Cy Young voting was 3rd, and he made only two all-star teams. He never led the league in wins or ERA, and in strikeouts only once. So why does he rate so highly? Well, he was very good, for a very long time. Many of the teams he played for, even when they were good, did not have very good defenses, hurting some of his numbers. His defense-independent numbers, aside from homers, are very strong. And he did it year after year, for 20 years. He missed most of 1982 due to injury, but other than that he was dependable and effective for a very long time.

Blyleven earned 271.85 ratings points.

Blyleven's stats: 287-250 record, 3.31 ERA, 3701 K, 242 CG, 60 shutouts.

posted by Shawn at 8:45 AM

 

Number 48: Ken Griffey, Jr.

He was so good he made the All-Century Team in mid-career, but his fourth straight injury-filled season had some observers doubting his Hall of Fame credentials. Even if he never played another game, this guy is a Hall of Famer right now. He is the sixth-best center fielder in history even if he never hits another home run. The frustration of the injuries has made people forget how good he has been.

Junior reached the majors in 1989 at the age of 19, and he was already a solid major league regular. The Seattle Mariners put him in the lineup on merit, not out of desperation. He became a .300 hitter the next year, a 40-homer man in 1993. He became an annual Gold Glove winner and won 10 in a row. An injury knocked him out of the lineup for much of 1995, but his team made the playoffs anyway. He came back strong the next year, and won the 1997 AL MVP as the Mariners went to the playoffs again. They didn't get far either year, and as salaries increased for their stars, the Mariners began to look for ways to change. In 1999, they made it known that Griffey was available. He eventually narrowed the teams to which he would accept a trade to Cincinnati, his dad's old team. A four-for-one swap was arranged, and a triumphant homecoming planned. But it hasn't worked out that way. It's too bad, because a healthy Griffey is still a major offensive force. He no longer threatens the single season home run crown, but he hits for power and a good average, draws walks, and runs well. If he can stay in the lineup, he could still move up this ladder of players. His climbing home run total shows that. Now, he is with the White Sox.

Griffey has earned 272.59 ratings points through 2007.

Griffey's stats (through 2007): .290 average, 593 home runs, 184 SB, 1701 RBI, 2558 hits.

posted by Shawn at 8:44 AM

 

Number 47: Ernie Banks

Banks' career divides neatly into two parts: 1953-61 as a shortstop, and one of the best players in the league; and 1962-69 (plus part-timing in 1970-71) as a middle-of-the-pack first baseman. Banks was a classic power hitter, with the range and arm to play short in his younger days, the prototype for Cal Ripken. He won two MVPs, back-to-back in 1958-59, plus a Gold Glove in 1960. Banks is also one of the greatest players never to reach the postseason. He played his whole career for the Cubs, on a team that could never get its act together, even when they had three terrific players in Banks, Ron Santo, and Billy Williams. The closest they came was 1969, when Banks was in his last season as a regular at age 38, but manager Leo Durocher overplayed his hand and didn't provide his regulars with enough rest (even Banks played 155 games). The team faded in the stretch and yielded to the miracle Mets. And Banks was again denied.

Ernie Banks hit as many as 47 homers in a season, and was a consistent producer even in the low-offense 1960s. He was an upbeat, easy-going and outgoing individual, and is and was a great ambassador for baseball. Hey, Ernie, let's play two!

Banks earned 272.78 ratings points.

Banks' stats: .274 average, 512 home runs, 1636 RBI, 2583 hits, .500 slugging percentage.

posted by Shawn at 5:00 PM

 

Number 45: Pete Rose and Number 46: Roberto Alomar

An all-star at five positions, Rose is one of the longest-lasting and grittiest of the superstars. He began his career in 1963 as a second baseman, moved to right field, then left, then to third base, and finally to first base. He was good enough to win a Rookie of the Year, two Gold Gloves for his outfield work, an MVP in 1973, and the World Series MVP in 1975. He was never a big power hitter, but collected as many as 16 homers in a season. Batting mostly leadoff, he consistently batted .300 in a low-offense era, collecting 200 hits a year plus a good number of walks. He ran out every ball, and played every game year in and year out. Pete's reputation has suffered, first by hanging on too long---he was of limited use after 1982---and the gambling cloud that has settled on him, followed by hawking memorabilia at every opportunity. But he had a legitimate 20-year career as a top player, played a number of positions ranging from well to competently, and gave his all on the field, every day and every play. The Hit King has nothing to apologize for as a player.

Rose earned 275.18 rating points.

Rose's statistics: .303 average, 4256 hits, 2165 runs, 1566 walks, 746 doubles, .321 postseason average, 547 Win Shares.

Alomar broke into the majors in 1988, with the San Diego Padres, and immediately made an impression as a good fielder who wielded a solid bat. After three years in San Diego Alomar headed north of the border in one of the biggest trades in history, and became a fixture for a surging Toronto franchise. He began winning Gold Gloves and making All-Star teams with regularity, as the Blue Jays won their division in 1991, and then took the World Series in 1992 and 93. Alomar stayed through 1995, and then went to Baltimore as they made it to the ALCS in 1996 and 97. They didn't make the postseason in 1998, and Alomar moved on again, this time signing with Cleveland, which made the ALDS in 1999 and 2001, but advanced no further. He spent 2002 and early 2003 in New York with the Mets, but had little success.

All this moving started giving Alomar something of a reputation, that he is not a team player or a good teammate. He may be high-maintenance, but what a payoff he has brought. He played in the postseason in 7 of the 17 seasons of his career, and won 10 Gold Gloves and finished in the top six of MVP voting five times, with a high of 3rd in 1999. He has done it with solid average, a good measure of walks, speed, and developed good power to go with the flashy and effective defense. All players should be so hard to work with. Alomar is one of the finest middle infielders ever.

Alomar earned 273.33 ratings points.

Alomar's stats: .300 average, 210 homers, 474 steals, 2724 hits, 1508 runs, 1032 walks.

posted by Shawn at 3:24 PM

 

Number 44: Steve Carlton

He was Lefty, a big fella with a big fastball and the know-how to use it. He came up to the majors in 1965 with the Cardinals, and was there for the 1967 World Championship and the 1968 NL pennant. He was a key member of the rotation, behind ace Bob Gibson. He lost 19 games in 1970, but still had an ERA below league average. He won 20 in 1971, but with an ERA that was worse relative to the league. In the offseason, he was traded to Philadelphia for Rick Wise. The Phillies were terrible then, but in 1972 Carlton had one of the all-time greatest seasons for a pitcher. He went 27-10 with a team that won only 59 games, setting a 20th century record for percentage of team's wins by one pitcher. He was a media darling, and was quoted extensively on his training and meditation regimen. When he lost 20 games the next year, the press made fun of his regimen, and Carlton determined never again to talk to the reporters.

The team got better, and Carlton continued to pitch well, and by 1976 the Phillies won the first of three consecutive NL East titles. In 1980, they won the World Series, for the first and still only time in team history. Carlton was one of the big stars, winning his starts in Game 2 and the clinching Game 6. That year delivered his third Cy Young Award, of four awards total. He pitched well until 1985, with the Phils reaching the Series again in 1983. He faded after that, but kept chasing a chance to pitch for a couple of years, even ending up on the Twins during their World Series run in 1987. But he was finished by then.

He was not loved by the press corps, but his teammates respected his work ethic and his ability. Steve Carlton is one of the greatest pitchers of all time. He earned 275.49 ratings points.

Carlton's stats: 329-244 record, 3.22 ERA, 4136 K, 254 CG, 55 shutouts.

posted by Shawn at 8:57 AM

 

Number 43: George Brett

George Brett played his whole career with the Kansas City Royals, and was the 1969 expansion team's first great player. He surfaced in the majors briefly in 1973, then to stay in 1974, batting .282 in his rookie year. He blossomed in 1975, hitting .308 with 59 extra-base hits. He often credited hitting coach Charlie Lau with his success, but having a family full of brothers, including major leaguer Ken, was likely even more important. With Brett, the Royals began winning: AL West division titles in 1976-78, the pennant in 1980 when George hit .390, but began to be hampered by injuries, playing only 117 games. This would continue to be a problem for Brett. He eventually moved to 1B in 1987, then DH in 1991. But the Royals won a playoff spot in 1981, the division in 1984, then in 1985 won the World Series, with Brett really the team's only good hitter, plus a marvelous pitching staff.

He played through 1993, won three batting titles, the 1980 MVP, and a 1985 Gold Glove. He finished in the top ten of MVP voting five times. Brett had a reputation as a clutch hitter, and his .337 postseason average supports the claim. Like Mantle, if he had been more durable, he would have been farther up the list of greats. But his accomplishments were still quite impressive.

Brett earned 277.04 rating points.

Brett's stats: .305 average, 317 homers, 1595 RBI, 1583 runs, 201 SB, 135 OPS+.

posted by Shawn at 1:08 PM

 

Number 42: Satchel Paige.

He is the best-remembered player of the Negro Leagues, and he had a bit of a major league career to boot. He didn't get to play in the majors until he was past 40, but he still pitched effectively. It is for that reason that I suspend my rules about not guessing how people like Oscar Charleston and Josh Gibson would have done if they had played in the majors. Certainly they would have been great, but how great? With Satchel, we at least have some sense of that.

Through much of the 1930s, he was baseball's greatest gate attraction, barnstorming in exhibitions with first Dizzy Dean and later Bob Feller, among others. He was so good he got to play by his own rules, show up when he wanted, and get money other black players never dreamed about. He debuted in the majors in 1948 at age 41, and it was decried as a stunt, but he went 6-1 with a 2.48 ERA as a spot starter and reliever and the Indians won the World Series. Satch even got two outs in the World Series.

He really only pitched for Bill Veeck and Charlie Finley teams in the majors, guys who were promoters, but he did so effectively. In 1952 for the St. Louis Browns, admittedly a bad team, Paige at age 45 tied for the team lead in wins and led in saves, with the best ERA on the club among pitchers with 50 innings. It was an impressive showing for a veteran hurler.

He was an American original, Satchel Paige.

Paige has 277.47 ratings points, with much being given as compensation for his being kept out of the majors due to the color line.

Paige's major league stats: 28-31 record, 32 saves, 3.29 ERA, 124 ERA+, all after age 40.

posted by Shawn at 7:57 AM

 

Comments or questions? Drop me a line at coweaver@yahoo.com

posted by Shawn at 7:55 AM

 

Number 41: Bob Feller

You think prospects today are overblown? Feller's high school graduation was carried live to the nation on radio! And that was the major means of mass communication at the time. Feller made his major league debut not long after and lived up to the hype as he went 5-3 for the Indians in 1936 at the age of 17. Feller commonly led the league in strikeouts and in walks in his early days, but he was obviously an incredible talent, much like the more recent Nolan Ryan.

But while Ryan only faced reserve duty during the Vietnam War, Feller was 23 when World War II began. He went into the military, missing most of four seasons. When he returned, and after 348 strikeouts in 371 innings in 1946, some of the hop in his fastball was gone but his control was better. The Indians, contenders before, won the pennant and World Series in 1948 with Feller as the ace. They won the pennant again in 1954, but by then Feller was a part-time starter, and he didn't pitch in the Series. He finished in the top ten of MVP voting six times, placing second in 1940. There was no Cy Young Award yet. Feller was an amazing talent, and there is no way to know what he would have accomplished if not for the time lost in military service. The credit I give Feller for that time missed raises him some several positions on this list, as those would have been prime seasons, ages 23-26. There is an argument that time missed saved the hard-working Feller an arm injury. But his numbers were still impressive.

Feller earns 278.15 rating points, including 25 for military time missed.

Feller's stats: 266-162 record, 3.25 ERA, 2581 Ks, 279 CG.

posted by Shawn at 7:54 AM

 

Here begins the Top 40. Ratings are based on the WARP3 (Wins Above Replacement Player) metric described at the Baseball Prospectus website, developed by Clay Davenport. The components of the rating are: Career WARP3; Top single season WARP3; best 4 consecutive WARP3; top 7 career WARP3 season totals; and the WARP3 score per 162 games. This gives a boost to starting pitchers, who are more valuable on a per-game basis. Also included for some players is a subjective score. Subjective points are awarded for three reasons: time lost to segregation; time lost to military service; and for catchers, 1 point per 100 games caught. This last is to boost catchers, who otherwise lag against other positions, due to the physical demands of catching. The total "ratings points" given each player is the sum of all these numbers.

WARP3 is adjusted for the level of competition, and scaled to a 162 game season for each year. For a more complete description, see www.baseballprospectus.com.

posted by Shawn at 4:02 PM

 

Number 40: Luke Appling

He won two batting titles, and in both of those years finished 2nd in the MVP voting. He played his whole career for the Chicago White Sox during a downtrodden period, and never played in a World Series. His team finished only as high as 3rd, in 1936, 1937, and 1941. Appling remained, and even played shortstop every day at the age of 42, in 1949. He was a good but not great fielder, and a terrific hitter. His best all-around year was 1936, when he hit .388, and the only year he reached 200 hits, 100 runs, and 100 RBI. He walked a lot, too, topping 100 in a season three times. He didn't hit many home runs but plenty of doubles, and stole some bases too. The Sox could just never manage to build a team around this excellent foundation. He got the nickname "Old Aches and Pains" late in his career when he would complain about his ailments, then go out and play well anyway. He's one of the greatest players of all time.

Appling earned 278.25 ratings points.

Appling's stats: .310 average, .399 on-base, 2749 hits, 440 doubles, 1319 runs, 1116 RBI.

posted by Shawn at 3:57 PM

 

Number 39: Wade Boggs

He got the nickname "Chicken Man" when the press wrote about how he had gotten two hits in a game after having chicken before it, and thereafter insisted on eating chicken before every game. Boggs took great advantage of the Fenway Park Green Monster, hitting numerous opposite-field doubles off of it. Even after he left Boston for the Yankees, and then Tampa Bay, he kept hitting for average and drawing walks. He only managed double-digit home runs in a season twice, concentrating on meeting the ball and hitting line drives. With work, he also made himself a good third baseman, earning two Gold Gloves oddly late in his career. His batting average gusted as high as .368, and was frequently accompanied by 100 walks. After hitting #3 much of his career, he spent some time as a leadoff man, as managers wisely decided to get all that on-base ability at the top of the order.

Boggs earns 279.01 points in the rating system.

Boggs' stats: .328 average, 1412 walks, 3010 hits, 528 doubles, 1513 runs.

posted by Shawn at 3:55 PM

 

Number 38: Eddie Mathews

Mathews broke in with the Braves in 1952, their last year in Boston, and played with them through 1966, their first year in Atlanta. In between, he enjoyed the good wishes of the burghers of Milwaukee, and only Hank Aaron performed better in front of the County Stadium crowds. Even playing in a pitchers' park, he put up a terrific 10-year string of hitting, 1953-62, combined with strong fielding and good speed. Mathews didn't hit for a very high average, topping .300 just twice, but drew about 100 walks a year and hit more than 30 homers. He never won the MVP, but finished second in the voting twice, 1953 and 1959. Oddly, the Braves didn't win in either year. He did not draw many votes in either pennant year, 1957 or 1958, finishing 8th in 1957 while Aaron won. He led the league in homers twice, his good MVP voting years. Mathews was the best third baseman in the game until Mike Schmidt came along, although he wasn't always recognized as such. He was a prototype of the modern third baseman, with power and good defense, but he threw in the complete package. He wasn't always a sportswriter's favorite, but he was one of the all-time greats.

Mathews earned 279.33 rating points.

Mathews' stats: .271 average, 512 homers, 1444 walks, 1509 runs, 1453 RBI, 450 Win Shares.

posted by Shawn at 3:17 PM