Who do you think are the top 5 first basemen the last 25 years? Not just hitting but overall. Is Pujols etablished enough to be there? Are Big Macs offensive numbers enough to put him at the top? Does Will the Thrill lead the way because he was so intense? Does Mark Grace sneek into the fifth spot? What about Mattingly?
I will argue strongly against McGwire. If you look at his career numbers, he had 5 brilliant seaons starting in 1996. But before that, he was nothing that special--several seasons mostly lost to injuries and in the five or so full seasons he did play, he averaged like 30 HRs with a BA around .250. Even in the late 80s and early 90s, these nothing more than Glenn Davis numbers, and no one is arguing for him as one of the best of the last 25 years.
McGwire was certainly a good player, but everything that made him great was done in the span of five years, and I don't think there is anyone around can say with a straight face that his production above and beyond his .250/30 previous career mean was not 90% attributable to steroids. McGwire provided nothing approaching the long-term stellar production of a Murray, a Bagwell or a Palmeiro.
By the way, what about Fred McGriff, shouldn't he rate somewhere on here? Here is a guy who was the model of consitency and retired with a career .886 OPS even though he played half his career before the offensive explosion of the past 10 years.
stumpak wrote:I will argue strongly against McGwire. If you look at his career numbers, he had 5 brilliant seaons starting in 1996. But before that, he was nothing that special--several seasons mostly lost to injuries and in the five or so full seasons he did play, he averaged like 30 HRs with a BA around .250. Even in the late 80s and early 90s, these nothing more than Glenn Davis numbers, and no one is arguing for him as one of the best of the last 25 years.
McGwire was certainly a good player, but everything that made him great was done in the span of five years, and I don't think there is anyone around can say with a straight face that his production above and beyond his .250/30 previous career mean was not 90% attributable to steroids. McGwire provided nothing approaching the long-term stellar production of a Murray, a Bagwell or a Palmeiro.
By the way, what about Fred McGriff, shouldn't he rate somewhere on here? Here is a guy who was the model of consitency and retired with a career .886 OPS even though he played half his career before the offensive explosion of the past 10 years.
Look at McGwire's 162 game averages. Scary numbers. He's the best 1B in the last 25 years. But I ask, where's the love for Donnie Baseball? I think he's certainly Top 5.
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by coachdino » Tue Aug 02, 2005 12:01 am 
