All-Time great 1st Baseman

[frog99]

Chance just missed the making the poll.

chace isn't even top 20. just because he was in a poem, doesn't mean he deseveres to be in the HOF.


Gehrig was a great player, but i think he is rated too high by some people. If he really was one of the ten best baseball players ever, shouldn't the yankees have won more World Series when he and Ruth were on the same teams?

Not neccesarily(sp?), froggy. There are many more factors in winning the World Series than your first baseman and right ielder. Come on, pitching, defense, other players.

they had 3 hall of fame pitchers for most of that era. Red Ruffing, Lefty Gomez, and Waite Hoyt.

[LCBOY]

Chance just missed the making the poll.

chace isn't even top 20. just because he was in a poem, doesn't mean he deseveres to be in the HOF.


Gehrig was a great player, but i think he is rated too high by some people. If he really was one of the ten best baseball players ever, shouldn't the yankees have won more World Series when he and Ruth were on the same teams?

Not neccesarily(sp?), froggy. There are many more factors in winning the World Series than your first baseman and right ielder. Come on, pitching, defense, other players.

they had 3 hall of fame pitchers for most of that era. Red Ruffing, Lefty Gomez, and Waite Hoyt.

They did have to beat Connie Mack's A's for a few pennants. From 1929-31 the A's were truly a great team...

[DK]

By the way, Thomas and Bagwell are probably top 10, but I wouldn't say 5.

[LCBOY]

By the way, Thomas and Bagwell are probably top 10, but I wouldn't say 5.

I'd put Bagwell in the top 5. Can you name five better 1B? Hmmm...perhaps another debate DK?

[Arlo]

By the way, Thomas and Bagwell are probably top 10, but I wouldn't say 5.

I'd put Bagwell in the top 5. Can you name five better 1B? Hmmm...perhaps another debate DK?

Could be an interesting one, particularly since there's so many criteria you can go by!

(Although I have to admit Bagwell doesn't make my top 5, either...)

[Mookie4ever]

Even though his numbers do not compare to Gherig's I voted for Greenberg. He voluntarily enlisted after the bombing of Pearl Harbour and missed almost 4 of his prime seasons. He hit .340 with 41 HR in 1940, then he went into the army and when he came back to baseball he hit 44 HR in 1946. Imagine if he had played all of those years, he would give Gherig a run for his money. So out of respect this vote goes to Greenberg.

[ironman]

If you were to base it totally on defense you'd have to give props to Steve Garvey and Donnie Baseball.

Anyway I gotta go with Gehrig.

Actually, Hal Chase, Kieth Hernandez, and J.T. Snow were better defensive 1B...

Lets look at the lifetime fielding %

Don Mattingly - .996
Steve Garvey - .996
J.T. Snow - .995
Keith Hernandez - .994
Hal Chase - .980

All those guys are good but I wouldn't necessarily say they were any better defensively.

[Pogotheostrich]

If you were to base it totally on defense you'd have to give props to Steve Garvey and Donnie Baseball.

Anyway I gotta go with Gehrig.

Actually, Hal Chase, Kieth Hernandez, and J.T. Snow were better defensive 1B...

Lets look at the lifetime fielding %

Don Mattingly - .996
Steve Garvey - .996
J.T. Snow - .995
Keith Hernandez - .994
Hal Chase - .980

All those guys are good but I wouldn't necessarily say they were any better defensively.

I don't know who was better defensively but fielding % is a very poor measure of defensive abilities. It doesn't take range into account.

[ironman]

If you were to base it totally on defense you'd have to give props to Steve Garvey and Donnie Baseball.

Anyway I gotta go with Gehrig.

Actually, Hal Chase, Kieth Hernandez, and J.T. Snow were better defensive 1B...

Lets look at the lifetime fielding %

Don Mattingly - .996
Steve Garvey - .996
J.T. Snow - .995
Keith Hernandez - .994
Hal Chase - .980

All those guys are good but I wouldn't necessarily say they were any better defensively.

I don't know who was better defensively but fielding % is a very poor measure of defensive abilities. It doesn't take range into account.

Fair Enough. Here they are ranked by Range Factor.

Chase - 10.60
Hernandez - 9.73
Garvey - 9.65
Mattingly - 9.33
Snow - 8.47

[LCBOY]

By the way, Thomas and Bagwell are probably top 10, but I wouldn't say 5.

I'd put Bagwell in the top 5. Can you name five better 1B? Hmmm...perhaps another debate DK?

Could be an interesting one, particularly since there's so many criteria you can go by!

(Although I have to admit Bagwell doesn't make my top 5, either...)

I ask again, can you name five 1B in history that are clearly better than Bag Pipes?