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

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Number 199: Bill Freehan.

A solid hitter and excellent receiver, Freehan was second in the MVP voting in 1968 and third in 1967. That says a lot about his reputation while he was playing, though he is much less remembered today. His batting stats do not hold up well since he played mostly in the low-offense 1960s. His career OPS+ was 112, pretty good for a good defensive catcher. His peak lasted from 1967 to 1972, a time when he was the best catcher in the American League.

Freehan earned 141.72 ratings points.

Freehan's stats: .262 average, 200 HR, five Gold Gloves, eleven All-Star selections.

posted by Shawn Weaver at 4:57 PM

 

I have added a "tip jar" to the links on the left. Any donations made toward the upkeep of this website would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

posted by Shawn Weaver at 6:34 AM

 

Number 198: Jorge Posada.

The native of Puerto Rico was drafted in the 24th round in 1990. He didn't appear in the majors until 1995, and that was just one game, no at bats. In 1997 he started sharing the catching job with Joe Girardi, and his strong hitting soon earned him the biggest part of the job. An average receiver, Posada's biggest value comes from his hitting. He hits for a good average, has good power, and excellent on-base skills.

A frequent All-Star and Silver Slugger winner, he has finished as high as third in MVP voting, that in 2003. When the time comes, the voters will have to decide if he is worthy of the Hall of Fame.

Posada has earned 141.91 ratings points through 2010.

Posada's stats (through 2010): .273 average, 267 HR, 1037 RBI, 370 doubles.

posted by Shawn Weaver at 7:03 AM

 

Number 197: Luis Gonzalez.

The Florida native went to the University of South Alabama and was drafted by the Astros in the 4th round of the 1988 draft. He came up as a first baseman but was tried at third, then moved into left field where he adapted quite well, becoming a solid fielder. He played a few years as an Astro, was traded to the Cubs, returned as a free agent to Houston, then went to Detroit, then was traded to Arizona. All along, he had been just a useful player. In Arizona he became a star.

For the Diamondbacks he started hitting .300 regularly, and drove in 100 runs his first five years there. He had a huge 57-homer season in 2001 and finished third in the MVP race. LuGo was a big reason the D'backs won the 2001 World Series. He declined with age, but was a very productive ballplayer.

Gonzalez has earned 142.06 ratings points.

Gonzalez's stats: .283 average, 354 HR, 1439 RBI, 2591 hits.

posted by Shawn Weaver at 12:45 PM

 

Number 196: Keith Hernandez

Hernandez was a 42nd round pick in the 1971 draft, and became the greatest defensive first baseman of all time. Guys drafted that low are a long shot to make the majors, but Hernandez surfaced in 1974, getting into 14 games with the Cardinals and batting .294. The next year he reappeared, at age 21, and hit .250 in 64 games. His line-drive stroke fit well in the Cardinals' ballpark, and his defense impressed everyone. The Cards were a mediocre lot in this period, but in 1979 Hernandez shared the MVP with Willie Stargell, leading the league in batting average (.344) and runs. He was then part of the 1982 St. Louis World Champions.

"Mex" developed a drug problem, and was dealt by Whitey Herzog during the 1983 season, going to the Mets. He was in New York as they put together a solid team, and was on another Series winner in 1986. Hernandez was a regular .300 hitter with line-drive power, good for 80 walks a year. He won 11 straight Gold Gloves. In 1989 he went into decline, and spent 1990 with Cleveland to finish his career.

Hernandez earned 142.09 ratings points.

Hernandez' stats: .296 average, 2182 hits, 426 doubles, 1124 runs.

posted by Shawn Weaver at 5:51 PM