The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of the 20th Century Ranked Book

	Acknowledgments
	Illustrations
	Introduction	9
	The Players
1	Babe Ruth: OF-P: Were you expecting Buddy Biancalana?	15
2	Willie Mays: OF: The definition of the five-tool player	19
3	Henry Aaron: OF: Staggering numbers are overshadowed by one: 755	22
4	Ty Cobb: OF: An SOB, but his lifetime .366 average has been matched since by only eight players ... in any one season	26
5	Lou Gehrig: 1B: Average, RBI, power, and something about some sort of streak	29
6	Joe DiMaggio: OF: His name says it all	33
7	Ted Williams: OF: The perfect hitter	35
8	Stan Musial: OF-1B: Was truly The Man	39
9	Josh Gibson: C: There was Bench, Dickey, Berra, Campy ... and the best of them all, Negro Leaguer Gibson	42
10	Walter Johnson: P: Great control and maybe the best fastball ever	43
11	Rogers Hornsby: 2B: Hit for average and power. Two-time Triple Crown winner	47
12	Honus Wagner: SS: The best shortstop ever	48
13	Christy Mathewson: P: The National League's version of Johnson	50
14	Jimmie Foxx: 1B: Another Triple Crown winner	53
15	Mickey Mantle: OF: Baseball's Shakespearean hero. Two good knees, two good knees, my kingdom ...	56
16	Mike Schmidt: 3B: Could you tell us again exactly what Phillie fans were thinking when they booed this guy?	58
17	"Shoeless" Joe Jackson: OF: Get him into the Hall. Now	60
18	Warren Spahn: P: Maybe the most overlooked great pitcher of all time. Totaled 363 wins	62
19	Bob Gibson: P: So nasty he would knock down friends, ushers, batboys ...	64
20	Cy Young: P: Forget DiMiaggio's 56: the unreachable numbers are Young's - 511 (wins) and 750 (complete games). They should name an award after the guy	67
21	Johnny Bench: C: Combined power and unparalleled defense rarely found in a catcher	69
22	Ken Griffey, Jr.: OF: If he stays focused and healthy, he'll move into the Top 10 easily by the time he's done	71
23	Grover Alexander: P: Three 30-win seasons and six straight seasons with an ERA under 2.00	74
24	Sandy Koufax: P: Dominant in a truncated career	76
25	Mark McGwire: 1B: The most exciting player of the past several years. Heralded as the savior of the game	78
26	Bob Feller: P: Downright scary both before and after WW II	81
27	Tris Speaker: OF: Would be considered a defensive specialist because of his great glove - has he not also hit .345 lifetime	83
28	Yogi Bera: C: Behind only Gibson and Bench among those behind the plate	85
29	Roberto Clemente: OF: 3,000 hits and 12 Gold Gloves. Would be in the Top 10 if he had power	88
30	Ernie Banks: 1B-SS: "Let's play two."	91
31	Tom Seaver: P: Three Cy Youngs and 311 wins	92
32	Steve Carlton: P: Four Cys for the dominant lefty of his day	95
33	Satchel Paige: P: A great what-if: The Negro League legend is best compared to Dizzy Dean and Bob Feller	97
34	Frank Robinson: OF: MVP in both leagues and an AL Triple Crown in '66, Robinson was part of the worst deal since Ruth was sold to the Yankees	98
35	Brooks Robinson: 3B: Nobody ever picked it better at third	100
36	Roy Campanella: C: Not only a great hitter, but also a stellar defensive catcher. Three-time MVP	102
37	Rickey Henderson: OF: The steals leader with power is the perfect leadoff man	103
38	Oscar Charleston: OF: Considered one of the top Negro Leaguers, a feared hitter who could field like Tris Speaker	105
39	Tony Gwynn: OF: Ted Williams's favorite hitter. Good enough for us	106
40	Lefty Grove: P: Best lefty of his time	107
41	Nap Lajoie: 2B: Crazy great numbers all around	108
42	Jackie Robinson: 2B: His role in breaking the color barrier often overshadows his great play	110
43	Greg Maddux: P: The pitcher of the 1990s	113
44	George Brett: 3B: Batting titlest in three decades, he was the last player to seriously chase .400 late into the year	114
45	George Sisler: 1B: Fourteen .300-plus seasons, including two over .400	116
46	Carl Hubbell: P: Hurled wins in 24 straight decisions, fanned five Hall of Famers in a row in an all-star game	118
47	Barry Bonds: OF: The best numbers of the 1990s. Three-time MVP	119
48	Hank Greenberg: 1B-OF: Overshadowed by Gehrig, but an all-timer	120
49	Joe Morgan: 2B: Two-time MVP for the Big Red Machine	122
50	Cal Ripken, Jr.: SS-3B: Power-hitting shortstops who never leave the lineup? A category of one	124
51	Reggie Jackson: OF: "Mr. October" is one of baseball's best - and earned - monikers	125
52	Charlie Gehringer: 2B: Would start the season hot and just stay that way	127
53	Roger Clemens P: Closest thing to fellow Texas Ryan since Ryan. Better, too	129
54	Mickey Cochrane: C: Highest lifetime average by a catcher not named Piazza	130
55	Carl Yastrzemski: OF: The last Triple Crown winner ended up with 3,419 hits, 452 HR	131
56	Mike Piazza: C: He is on his way to putting up unparalleled ML numbers for a catcher	133
57	Pete Rose: OF-IF: Fess up, say you're sorry, do your penance and get into the Hall where you belong, OK?	135
58	Ozzie Smith: SS: You had to see him in the field to believe him	139
59	Eddie Mathews: 3B: Along with Schmidt, the best power-hitting third baseman ever	140
60	Nolan Ryan: P: Any right-hander getting in the box against him deserved combat pay	141
61	Eddie Collins: 2B: Sweet hitter and speedster for early A's and ChiSox	143
62	Whitey Ford: P: The man you wanted on the mound in the postseason	145
63	Eddie Murray: 1B: Underrated, he ranks with Mantle among the all-time switch-hitters	147
64	Jim Palmer: P: He had the most wins in the 1970s (186)	148
65	Mel Ott: OF: Nine straight 100 RBI seasons, first NLer to reach 500 HRs	149
66	Al Kaline: OF: The Tiger of the 1950s and '60s	151
67	Juan Marichal: P: His high leg-kicking dominance was overshadowed by Gibson and Koufax	153
68	Willie McCovey: 1B: The second-best Willie on his team, "Stretch" does not get all the credit he deserves because of the dominance of Mays	155
69	Bill Dickey: C: The best catcher of his day for legendary Yankee teams	156
70	Al Simmons: OF: A tough producer, whether it be hits, runs or RBI	158
71	Dennis Eckersley: P: Most appearances ever. Don't forget this great reliever had 100 complete games and a no-hitter as a starter	160
72	Paul Waner: OF: Four batting titles and a .333 lifetime average	160
73	Duke Snider: OF: The third leaf of the Willie, Mickey and the Duke Trinity	162
74	Cool Papa Bell: OF: So fast, several said, that he could turn off the light and be in bed before the room got dark	164
75	Harmon Killebrew: 1B-OF: More home runs than anyone in the 1960s	165
76	Martin Dihigo: UTIL-P: The most versatile player ever	167
77	Lou Brock: OF: NL career steals leader also had 3,000-plus hits	168
78	Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown P: Six 20-win seasons	170
79	Dizzy Dean: P: Racked up more than 100 wins in just four seasons	172
80	Rod Carew 1B-2B: He was always in a rut: single, single, single ...	174
81	Buck Leonard: OF: The Black Lou Gehrig	175
82	Rollie Fingers: P: Best reliever of his time, best mustache of all time	177
83	Bill Terry: 1B: Last National Leaguer to hit .400	178
84	Robin Yount: SS-OF: MVP at two different positions	179
85	Wade Boggs: 3B: Five batting titles and 3,000 hits	181
86	Pie Traynor: 3B: Career .320 batting average	182
87	Paul Molitor: DH-IF: It wasn't until late in his career that we realized how great he was. Our loss	183
88	Albert Belle: OF: Surly but gifted hitter for both power and average	184
89	Robin Roberts: P: Had six consecutive 20-win, 300-inning seasons	185
90	Joe Cronin: SS: Toped 100 RBI eight times	187
91	Johnny Mize: 1B: Could hit long after his legs gave out	188
92	Frankie Frisch: 2B: Eleven straight .300 seasons, record-setting fielder and clutch winner (eight pennants)	190
93	Luis Aparacio: SS: Led AL in steals his first nine seasons, and was a great glove man	192
94	Ivan Rodrigues: C: Best defensive catcher of the 1990s, and maybe ever, who also has pop in his bat	193
95	Chuck Klein: OF: 300 HRs and a .320 lifetime average	194
96	Ralph Kiner: OF: Topped senior circuit in homers his first seven years	196
97	Roberto Alomar: 2B: Still has great years left in a great career	198
98	Sadaharu Oh: 1B: We know there was inferior pitching and smaller parks in the Japan League, but the man did hit 868 HRs	198
99	Ed. Walsh: P: Staggering numbers from a day when pitchers finished what they started	199
100	Ryne Sandberg: 2B: Best fielding percentage ever by a second sacker: 1984 MVP	201
	Index	203