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

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From here, we count down the Top 10. If you agree, or disagree, feel free to drop me a line at the "feedback" link on the left.

posted by Shawn Weaver at 10:30 AM

 

Number 10: Stan Musial

He was "Stan the Man," and he was a man's man, kind, polite, gracious, and gentle. He was also a ballplayer of the first rank. Musial was the hitter the Cardinals depended on, time after time. As they came up with new players to try, Stan kept moving to new positions. He'd play center for awhile, move to right field, take first base for a couple of seasons, then left field. He would up playing first more than any position, but the outfield more than first base. Through it all, he hit. Over and over again, 3630 hits for his career, with a sweet left-handed swing that met the ball squarely time and time again.

He was tall and lean, muscular, and oh so graceful. He became paired in the public mind with Ted Williams, especially after their teams met in the 1946 World Series, the only postseason for Williams, and the last for Musial. Williams was the superior hitter, but not by much, and Musial was better on the bases, in the field, and in the clubhouse, as Bill James said. An All-Star year in and year out, he was the consummate all-around player, not so much excelling in any one phase as doing well at all of them. Only his throwing arm was below average, a result of an injury in his younger pitching days. He was the National League's greatest player in his prime, and won over a generation of fans in St. Louis and across the country.

Musial earns 277.96 points in the rating system.

Musial's stats: .331 average, 475 HR, 1951 RBI, 3630 hits, 1949 runs, 725 doubles, 177 triples, 604 Win Shares.

posted by Shawn Weaver at 9:07 AM

 

Number 9: Rogers Hornsby

He is commonly known as the greatest right-handed hitter ever. He did have the highest career batting average for any right-handed hitter, and ranks second behind only lefty Ty Cobb. His career was relatively short, slowed by injury when he was in his thirties. He was not the best of defensive second basemen, only average with the glove. But, he could hit, and hit, and hit some more. He won the NL Triple Crown in 1922 and 1925, and won the MVP in 1925 and again in 1929, one of two pennant-winning clubs he played on. He led the NL in adjusted OPS an amazing twelve times, meaning he was the top percentage hitter in the league in all those years, accounting for the ballparks. He hit for average and power, and drew walks besides. He was a tremendous offensive force, concerned almost solely with hitting the baseball. It was a vocation at which he had, and will ever have, few peers.

Hornsby batted over .400 in a season three times, including the twentieth-century single-season record of .424, set in 1924. He was an unstoppable offensive force, until his injuries slowed him down and his body betrayed him. He can be accused of being less than a team player, and had a relatively short career for an all-time great, but that batting average is difficult to ignore.

Hornsby earned 279.97 rating points.

Hornsby's stats: .358 average, 301 homers, 1584 RBI, 1579 runs, 502 Win Shares.

posted by Shawn Weaver at 1:46 PM