1. Najee Harris- 6'3" 226 4,6
Antioh Calf... Committed to Bama.
Just heard a guy on Bill King say that he is best RB prospect in 10 Years and best at Bama.
I think he based in on his fluid ability in the passing game along with his freak size.
2. Cam Akers 5'11" 213 4,44
Clinton, Ms, Brian watched him last week against South Panola.
Committed to Bama, then decommited and reopened...Urban is calling.
One article tried to say he was better than Dupree and Walter.
I guess the fact that Saban had both of them a couple of weeks ago is scary..
For 2017 on 24/7, the current rankings.
1. Ohio State
2. Bama
3. LSU
4. Sooners
Rivals
1. Bama
2. Ohio St
3 LSU
4. Okla
Espn
1. Bama
2. Ohio State
3. LSU
4. Ga
It is all about the coaches.
The best in the nation to me.
Saban
Meyer
Kelley
Harbaugh
Living in Louisiana sure does help the Hat.
J
Friday, August 26, 2016
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Your Duncan / NBA Greats Post
I've never really tried to do this, but I'm impressed that you did, and I can appreciate your list. You can call this my semi list because I'm not totally convinced myself. But here are some thoughts.
1/1A - Jordan/Kareem - I can't seem to make up my mind. Probably Jordan because of the defense. He was the best athlete and Kareem had the most brutally efficient set of skills. There was just no stopping either of them. The sky hook was the most automatic, unstoppable shot in the history of the league and no one ever carried a lesser team to greater heights than Jordan, the most ruthless, competitive athlete we may ever see. Kareem won 6 MVP's and 6 rings while Jordan had 5 and 6.
3 - Lebron - The King just defies description as an all-around player and physical marvel. He can guard almost everyone on the floor, is usually the best passer on the floor, may be the strongest player on the floor; he can score, rebound, distribute, plays hard, and takes responsibility for his position in the game. He's gaining on the top rung. Now a 3-time champ plus 4 MVP's and he's 2nd all-time in MVP 'shares'.
4 - Bird - Always the guy you want to take the biggest shots; the most cold-blooded long-distance shooter we've ever seen. I think Bird has now become underrated as he broke down before Magic and was a shell of himself at the end. 4th all-time in MVP 'shares', 9-time 1st-team all-NBA, 3-time champ and 3-time MVP. Career shooting percentages of 50/38/88. I'll tie my fortunes to Bird anytime when he was healthy.
5 - Robertson - I really hate putting Robertson up here because by most accounts he was an ass who everyone hated, and he got traded in his prime, but he was a 6-5 point guard who could do everything and was 1st team all-NBA 9 straight years. He was averaging nearly 30 points while leading the league in assists, and his shooting % was healthy. His numbers are amazing but there is a little hint of putting up huge meaningless numbers on mediocre teams. Just 1 MVP and 1 championship.
6 - Magic - It's kind of easy for me to forget the specimen Magic was early in his career. A 6-9 package of speed, strength, and basketball IQ. He totally controlled games and could pretty much do whatever he needed to. He does suffer because he had Kareem to fall back on, and didn't have to score. That big smile tends to obscure his competitiveness and drive to win. 3-time MVP, 5-time champ, 5th all-time in MVP 'shares'.
7/7A - Wilt/Shaq - 2 physical freaks of nature who had no clue how to play basketball. Neither could shoot outside of 5 feet, both were somewhat selfish, neither could hit a free throw, but they dominated with sheer physical presence and put up numbers too big to ignore. Wilt's were off the charts but no one had a good thing to say about him and he was traded twice. He won 2 championships and 3 MVP's. Shaq won 4 championships, just 1 MVP and was 1st-team all-NBA 8 times.
9/9A - Hakeem/Duncan - One had the most ridiculous raw athletic ability at 6-10 we've ever seen, and one was the ultimate in fundamentals and team play. I just love than Duncan was the driving force behind so many years of excellence, while the Dream was the most fun to watch outside of Jordan. 5 titles for Duncan and 2 for Hakeem.
11 - West - How it hurts me to leave him out of the top 10. 27.0 points for his career! Smaller than the rest of this group and not a physical presence, but everyone loved and respected him to the highest degree. West was 10-times 1st-team all-NBA and averaged those 27 points without a single 3-pointer. He shot well, especially for that era, but never won an MVP.
12 - Pettit - I love how Simmons imagined Pettit as the 6-9 bald white guy with a goatee and a few tats, playing power forward with a vengeance in today's league. He dominated a much different NBA. Career 26 points and 16 boards, 10-time 1st-team all-NBA, twice MVP.
That's my dirty dozen. We're a little short on 3-point shooting but embarrassingly rich in physical presence and pure skill. I start West, Jordan, Kareem, Lebron, and Bird. I need West and Bird for the shooting while Jordan and Lebron lock down anyone they match up with. West and Lebron can distribute, Kareem can drop sky hooks or kick to my shooters, and Jordan can slash.
* A word about Bill Russell. Russell was by all accounts a phenom on defense and I appreciate that more than most. However he averaged 15 points per game while shooting 44%, and we're evaluating the all-time greats. He played in an era where it was easy to score, and he didn't have to carry any offensive responsibilities. He never had to get the team a bucket when it mattered. I can never put him in my top 12 despite the championships and intangibles.
S
1/1A - Jordan/Kareem - I can't seem to make up my mind. Probably Jordan because of the defense. He was the best athlete and Kareem had the most brutally efficient set of skills. There was just no stopping either of them. The sky hook was the most automatic, unstoppable shot in the history of the league and no one ever carried a lesser team to greater heights than Jordan, the most ruthless, competitive athlete we may ever see. Kareem won 6 MVP's and 6 rings while Jordan had 5 and 6.
3 - Lebron - The King just defies description as an all-around player and physical marvel. He can guard almost everyone on the floor, is usually the best passer on the floor, may be the strongest player on the floor; he can score, rebound, distribute, plays hard, and takes responsibility for his position in the game. He's gaining on the top rung. Now a 3-time champ plus 4 MVP's and he's 2nd all-time in MVP 'shares'.
4 - Bird - Always the guy you want to take the biggest shots; the most cold-blooded long-distance shooter we've ever seen. I think Bird has now become underrated as he broke down before Magic and was a shell of himself at the end. 4th all-time in MVP 'shares', 9-time 1st-team all-NBA, 3-time champ and 3-time MVP. Career shooting percentages of 50/38/88. I'll tie my fortunes to Bird anytime when he was healthy.
5 - Robertson - I really hate putting Robertson up here because by most accounts he was an ass who everyone hated, and he got traded in his prime, but he was a 6-5 point guard who could do everything and was 1st team all-NBA 9 straight years. He was averaging nearly 30 points while leading the league in assists, and his shooting % was healthy. His numbers are amazing but there is a little hint of putting up huge meaningless numbers on mediocre teams. Just 1 MVP and 1 championship.
6 - Magic - It's kind of easy for me to forget the specimen Magic was early in his career. A 6-9 package of speed, strength, and basketball IQ. He totally controlled games and could pretty much do whatever he needed to. He does suffer because he had Kareem to fall back on, and didn't have to score. That big smile tends to obscure his competitiveness and drive to win. 3-time MVP, 5-time champ, 5th all-time in MVP 'shares'.
7/7A - Wilt/Shaq - 2 physical freaks of nature who had no clue how to play basketball. Neither could shoot outside of 5 feet, both were somewhat selfish, neither could hit a free throw, but they dominated with sheer physical presence and put up numbers too big to ignore. Wilt's were off the charts but no one had a good thing to say about him and he was traded twice. He won 2 championships and 3 MVP's. Shaq won 4 championships, just 1 MVP and was 1st-team all-NBA 8 times.
9/9A - Hakeem/Duncan - One had the most ridiculous raw athletic ability at 6-10 we've ever seen, and one was the ultimate in fundamentals and team play. I just love than Duncan was the driving force behind so many years of excellence, while the Dream was the most fun to watch outside of Jordan. 5 titles for Duncan and 2 for Hakeem.
11 - West - How it hurts me to leave him out of the top 10. 27.0 points for his career! Smaller than the rest of this group and not a physical presence, but everyone loved and respected him to the highest degree. West was 10-times 1st-team all-NBA and averaged those 27 points without a single 3-pointer. He shot well, especially for that era, but never won an MVP.
12 - Pettit - I love how Simmons imagined Pettit as the 6-9 bald white guy with a goatee and a few tats, playing power forward with a vengeance in today's league. He dominated a much different NBA. Career 26 points and 16 boards, 10-time 1st-team all-NBA, twice MVP.
That's my dirty dozen. We're a little short on 3-point shooting but embarrassingly rich in physical presence and pure skill. I start West, Jordan, Kareem, Lebron, and Bird. I need West and Bird for the shooting while Jordan and Lebron lock down anyone they match up with. West and Lebron can distribute, Kareem can drop sky hooks or kick to my shooters, and Jordan can slash.
* A word about Bill Russell. Russell was by all accounts a phenom on defense and I appreciate that more than most. However he averaged 15 points per game while shooting 44%, and we're evaluating the all-time greats. He played in an era where it was easy to score, and he didn't have to carry any offensive responsibilities. He never had to get the team a bucket when it mattered. I can never put him in my top 12 despite the championships and intangibles.
S
Michael Phelps - Farewell
I wanted to follow up on your post on Michael Phelps. I’ve been trying to figure out where I rank him with the all-time athletes. My problem is I’m not sure how I really feel about swimming. He is one of those prodigies born to a specific sport. His body, arms, hands, feet, etc. were designed for swimming. Like other great athletes, he went through the prodigy phase, had the focus and work ethic to realize his potential, dominated in his prime, and piled up the accomplishments over time. Let’s look at the case for Phelps:
- Career achievements – over the span of time when Phelps was age 18 – 31 he competed in 9 Worlds & Olympics, swimming 37 individual championship races. He won a staggering 27 golds, 7 silvers, 1 bronze, and failed to medal twice in those 37. As you commented in your post, I seriously doubt we will live to see anyone approach those totals on the men’s side.
- All-around ability – Phelps never won the glamor race, the 100m freestyle. Yet, he dominated the medleys, demonstrating that he was the best all-around swimmer in the world over and over. He also had a specific stroke where he was the world’s best – the butterfly. And, he was world class in both freestyle and backstroke, holding the 200m freestyle world record for quite some time, and qualifying for the Worlds in backstroke, although he never swam it there. His freestyle and backstroke relay splits were among the best in the world.
- Peak dominance – in 2007/2008 at the Worlds and Olympics, he went 10 for 10 in individual championship races and set 8 world records in the 10 events. He also set 16 individual world records during major international meets and still holds 3 of them at retirement. He also shares 4 relay world records as of right now.
- Intangibles – he made the Olympics at age 15 and again at age 31. He was also able to leave the sport for as long as 2 years at a time and return to re-capture his dominance.
One thing I know is that the world stopped to watch Michael Phelps; we knew were seeing something special, and that means a lot. How he compares to people such as Ruth, Jordan, Nicklaus, or Gretzky I don’t know, but he is in the conversation. And, man was it fun to watch.
S
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Almost Great Post.
How can I argue with anything you have written. \
Olivia shocked me when you had him so high, but as usual, your knowledge of baseball surpasses my knowledge.
I love the Will Clark and Nomar comments most of all,
I wish the HOF would judge people in the prime of their careers.
I found your Dave Parker comments most interesting, he was the most feared player in baseball for a few years and that is a comment reserved for the likes of Brett, Arod, Griffey, (Bonds if excluded for obvious reasons.) Arod was the most dominant prior to his debacle, a fact Bonds will never ever have..
Dale Murphy was the best in baseball for two years and Jack Morris is being forgotten on his career.
I would add Steve Garvey, 10x Allstar, NL MVP, 4 time gold glove winner and the best player on the second best team during a great time prior to baseball expansion.
My favorite shortstop not in HOF is Trammel. Bill James 9th ranked SS of all time!
Last but not least Edgar Martinez is just a great hitter.
We get into the Roids era and have Bagwell with HOF numbers,
Is Bert Blyleven and Jack Morris not in HOF for some reason?
J
Olivia shocked me when you had him so high, but as usual, your knowledge of baseball surpasses my knowledge.
I love the Will Clark and Nomar comments most of all,
I wish the HOF would judge people in the prime of their careers.
I found your Dave Parker comments most interesting, he was the most feared player in baseball for a few years and that is a comment reserved for the likes of Brett, Arod, Griffey, (Bonds if excluded for obvious reasons.) Arod was the most dominant prior to his debacle, a fact Bonds will never ever have..
Dale Murphy was the best in baseball for two years and Jack Morris is being forgotten on his career.
I would add Steve Garvey, 10x Allstar, NL MVP, 4 time gold glove winner and the best player on the second best team during a great time prior to baseball expansion.
My favorite shortstop not in HOF is Trammel. Bill James 9th ranked SS of all time!
Last but not least Edgar Martinez is just a great hitter.
We get into the Roids era and have Bagwell with HOF numbers,
Is Bert Blyleven and Jack Morris not in HOF for some reason?
J
Michael Phelps
No words describe the dominance we have seen while watching Phelps.
He has 20 Gold Medals and still has two more races to go. Currently he has 12 Individual Gold Medals
I am in awe of the dominance, I never expected him to win the 200 meter Butterfly tonight.
Like DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak, Gretzky 1000 pt lead in career points in NHL and Wilt at 50ppg for a season. This is untouchable.
Yes, Bolt is about to do something very special, but it isn't the multiple events like phelps.
I don't think we will see Phelps' record broken. Ever!
(Especially by a male. I can see a female like Babe D. coming in women's sports and creating a stir.)
.
I read where it had been since the year 2 BC that someone won 12 individual golds.
After 2000 years my Leonidas has company as the top Olympian.
J.
He has 20 Gold Medals and still has two more races to go. Currently he has 12 Individual Gold Medals
I am in awe of the dominance, I never expected him to win the 200 meter Butterfly tonight.
Like DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak, Gretzky 1000 pt lead in career points in NHL and Wilt at 50ppg for a season. This is untouchable.
Yes, Bolt is about to do something very special, but it isn't the multiple events like phelps.
I don't think we will see Phelps' record broken. Ever!
(Especially by a male. I can see a female like Babe D. coming in women's sports and creating a stir.)
.
I read where it had been since the year 2 BC that someone won 12 individual golds.
After 2000 years my Leonidas has company as the top Olympian.
J.
Duncan was a thorn in my side because of Dirk, but he was great!
Praise for Duncan
I have Duncan in my top 12 all time.
His outside shot was underrated, while his defense did not represent his his rankings on all defensive team.
Most importantly, I have him ahead of Kobe.
1. Wilt, Jordan, Kareem. Take your pick on the order.
Three truths for me.
Wilt is most dominant on both ends.
Jordan was best player, due to quickness and ability to play defense
Jabbar was best player on a team with Magic and he was old.
4. Lebron, Russell - Truth is Wilt was better than Russell and Lebron deserves to be in top 4.
6. Bird, Magic -- Really, I should put Bird ahead since he was the best player on his team for years and Magic had Kareem.
8. Mikan
9.Roberson,Pettit
11. Hakeem, Duncan, West- A little recognized fact that the combo of Duncan and Robinson could not handle the Dream.
13 Shaq- Hate him or love him, he was the most dominant player in the league outside of Jordan for years.
I still get a kick out of efficiency ratings when they didn't include blocks and steals for Wilt, Pettit, Mikan, and Russell.
J
I have Duncan in my top 12 all time.
His outside shot was underrated, while his defense did not represent his his rankings on all defensive team.
Most importantly, I have him ahead of Kobe.
1. Wilt, Jordan, Kareem. Take your pick on the order.
Three truths for me.
Wilt is most dominant on both ends.
Jordan was best player, due to quickness and ability to play defense
Jabbar was best player on a team with Magic and he was old.
4. Lebron, Russell - Truth is Wilt was better than Russell and Lebron deserves to be in top 4.
6. Bird, Magic -- Really, I should put Bird ahead since he was the best player on his team for years and Magic had Kareem.
8. Mikan
9.Roberson,Pettit
11. Hakeem, Duncan, West- A little recognized fact that the combo of Duncan and Robinson could not handle the Dream.
13 Shaq- Hate him or love him, he was the most dominant player in the league outside of Jordan for years.
I still get a kick out of efficiency ratings when they didn't include blocks and steals for Wilt, Pettit, Mikan, and Russell.
J
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
AP Historical College Football Rankings
The AP released their rankings of the greatest college football programs based on 80 years of their own poll data this week. Using a simple formula where you get 1 point for appearing in the poll, 2 points for being ranked #1 in a poll, and 10 points for finishing #1 in the final poll, they tabulated all the points and ranked them 1 - 100. There is absolutely no surprise in who finished in the top 5; it would be an easy guess although the order could be debated. I was pleasantly surprised however with where LSU finished: number 11, which is pretty stout over an 80 year period. SEC with 8 of the top 21. Most times ranked #1, Ohio St. with 105, OU with 100.
S
- Ohio St. - 1,112 points - 5 championships - 77% of all polls
- Oklahoma - 1,055 points - 7 championships - 71%
- Notre Dame - 1,042 points - 8 championships - 69%
- Alabama - 993 points - 10 championships - 67%
- USC - 974 points - 5 championships - 67%
- Nebraska - 901 points - 4 championships - 65%
- Michigan - 894 points - 2 championships - 73%
- Texas - 822 points - 3 championships - 63%
- Florida St. - 714 points - 3 championships - 48%
- Florida - 674 points - 3 championships - 51%
- LSU - 655 points - 2 championships - 52%
- Penn St.
- Miami
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Auburn
- UCLA
- Texas A&M
- Michigan St.
- Washington
- Arkansas
- Clemson
- Pittsburgh
- Wisconsin
- Iowa
S
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
The Hall of Very Good (Part 3)
More nominees for my Hall of Very Good:
Whenever HOF voting comes around, Jack Morris becomes a popular subject of discussion. There is some reason for his supporters: 254 wins, 3-time 20-game winner, 6 times with at least 18 wins, and 5 times in the top 5 of Cy Young voting. Morris was a solid workhorse for 13 seasons and is hurt by his 3.90 career ERA. He is certainly close to a hall-of-famer, but I rate him below Mussina.
Mark Grace is another big-time pro hitter with only fair power who sprayed hits all over the field for 16 years but falls short of HOF numbers. Grace hit over .290 for 12 seasons and finished at .303 with an OPS of .825. He also had 511 doubles and nearly 2,500 total hits. He was, yes Very Good.
Joe Carter ripped 396 homers including a walk-off to win a World Series. He had six 30-homer seasons and ten 100-RBI seasons, and was a consistent power threat, running off 12 straight seasons of 20+ dingers. He was also a stolen base threat for the first half of his career. For his entire career he averaged over 100 RBI per 162 games.
Dale Murphy was the rare back-to-back MVP winner in the 80's and considered one of the top 2 or 3 players in the game for a short time. He was really good for about 7 years and fell off quickly. But he totaled 398 homers and was one of the real good guys in all of sports.
A player with true HOF talent who was on a HOF trajectory before injury was Don Mattingly. For 6 seasons Donny Ballgame may have been the best hitter in baseball rolling up a batting title, an MVP, a 2nd place MVP vote, and leading the league in hits twice, doubles 3 times, RBI once, and slugging once. His average over that span was .327. Back problems derailed Mattingly who played 6 more seasons with no power. But he was on track to be an all-time great.
S
Whenever HOF voting comes around, Jack Morris becomes a popular subject of discussion. There is some reason for his supporters: 254 wins, 3-time 20-game winner, 6 times with at least 18 wins, and 5 times in the top 5 of Cy Young voting. Morris was a solid workhorse for 13 seasons and is hurt by his 3.90 career ERA. He is certainly close to a hall-of-famer, but I rate him below Mussina.
Mark Grace is another big-time pro hitter with only fair power who sprayed hits all over the field for 16 years but falls short of HOF numbers. Grace hit over .290 for 12 seasons and finished at .303 with an OPS of .825. He also had 511 doubles and nearly 2,500 total hits. He was, yes Very Good.
Joe Carter ripped 396 homers including a walk-off to win a World Series. He had six 30-homer seasons and ten 100-RBI seasons, and was a consistent power threat, running off 12 straight seasons of 20+ dingers. He was also a stolen base threat for the first half of his career. For his entire career he averaged over 100 RBI per 162 games.
Dale Murphy was the rare back-to-back MVP winner in the 80's and considered one of the top 2 or 3 players in the game for a short time. He was really good for about 7 years and fell off quickly. But he totaled 398 homers and was one of the real good guys in all of sports.
A player with true HOF talent who was on a HOF trajectory before injury was Don Mattingly. For 6 seasons Donny Ballgame may have been the best hitter in baseball rolling up a batting title, an MVP, a 2nd place MVP vote, and leading the league in hits twice, doubles 3 times, RBI once, and slugging once. His average over that span was .327. Back problems derailed Mattingly who played 6 more seasons with no power. But he was on track to be an all-time great.
S
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
The Hall of Very Good (Part 2)
I'll pick up the nominations with our cajun friend Louisiana Lightning Ron Guidry. Guidry won 170 games for the Yankees with a .651 WL%. A 3-time 20-game winner, he of course threw down one of the greatest seasons in MLB history in 1978 going 25-3 with a 1.74. Guidry was a late bloomer clocking in at 26 years old when he became a full-time player so only had about 9 prime years, but he registered a Cy Young award along with a 2nd and 3rd.
A feared slugger from the pitching rich late 60's and early 70's was Dick Allen. Allen won an MVP award, had six 30+ homer seasons, and finished with 351. He hit .292 lifetime and most impressively had a .534 career slugging % and .912 career OPS. This was very close to a HOF career with his surly attitude likely hurting him with the voters.
Here's a great example of a very good player who falls just short of HOF; Al Oliver. A guy who hit over .300 11 times with a career avg. of .303. Had over 2,700 hits and over 500 doubles. Won a batting title in 1982. A total professional hitter who suffers a bit from mediocre power numbers, just 219 homers. A guy who just went under the radar for 18 seasons banging out hits.
A real favorite of mine was Matt Williams of the Giants. Williams was a classic slugging third baseman who smashed 378 homers and had some of the softest hands I ever saw at third. He scored 4 Gold Gloves while hitting over 30 homers 6 times with a high of 43. One of the few players that I actually looked forward to see play the field.
Can you bang out over 2,800 hits, 480 doubles, 380 homers, and 1,600 RBI and not land in the HOF? Apparently yes, as Harold Baines can attest. Baines hit .289 over 22 seasons with an .820 OPS but as quality as he was, he had a grand total of 1 item of black ink in his career, leading the league in slugging in 1984. A high quality player for a long time who never had any magical seasons or was dominant in any way. A perfect entry for the Hall of Very Good.
More to follow...............
S
A feared slugger from the pitching rich late 60's and early 70's was Dick Allen. Allen won an MVP award, had six 30+ homer seasons, and finished with 351. He hit .292 lifetime and most impressively had a .534 career slugging % and .912 career OPS. This was very close to a HOF career with his surly attitude likely hurting him with the voters.
Here's a great example of a very good player who falls just short of HOF; Al Oliver. A guy who hit over .300 11 times with a career avg. of .303. Had over 2,700 hits and over 500 doubles. Won a batting title in 1982. A total professional hitter who suffers a bit from mediocre power numbers, just 219 homers. A guy who just went under the radar for 18 seasons banging out hits.
A real favorite of mine was Matt Williams of the Giants. Williams was a classic slugging third baseman who smashed 378 homers and had some of the softest hands I ever saw at third. He scored 4 Gold Gloves while hitting over 30 homers 6 times with a high of 43. One of the few players that I actually looked forward to see play the field.
Can you bang out over 2,800 hits, 480 doubles, 380 homers, and 1,600 RBI and not land in the HOF? Apparently yes, as Harold Baines can attest. Baines hit .289 over 22 seasons with an .820 OPS but as quality as he was, he had a grand total of 1 item of black ink in his career, leading the league in slugging in 1984. A high quality player for a long time who never had any magical seasons or was dominant in any way. A perfect entry for the Hall of Very Good.
More to follow...............
S
Monday, July 18, 2016
The Hall of Very Good (Part 1)
I've joked for years about certain MLB players who had great careers, but for various reasons won't see the hall of fame. Maybe they were really solid every year, but didn't lead the league in anything, maybe they had a short prime, or had debilitating injuries. But in their window, they were playing at a near or even at a hall of fame level. I'm going to start nominating some players as time allows for my "Hall of Very Good".
First would be Nomar Garciaparra who I posted on recently. A 2-time batting champ who finished with a .313 career average along with a .521 slugging avg. and .882 OPS. Garciaparra was on a HOF trajectory before injuries derailed him. He had about 7 really good years but for those who remember his first 6 healthy ones in Boston, he was about as good as anyone.
Another favorite of mine is Mike Mussina. Mussina won 270 games pitching mostly in the steroid era. 270 wins is higher than many in the HOF. He won in double figures 17 years in a row, and had at least 18 wins 6 different times. I actually would have voted him in before Smoltz. His 3.68 ERA is his downfall, but in that era, it wasn't bad, and he was a workhorse.
One of your favorites, and mine was Will Clark of the Giants. Will also suffered from comparisons of the steroid freaks, and was injury prone. Injuries frequently robbed him of partial seasons, so his career averages look better than the single seasons. Career .303 avg., .497 slugging, and .880 OPS. He hit over .300 in 10 of 15 seasons, had a 2nd and 4th place MVP finish, and had one of the sweetest lefty swings ever.
In my opinion, probably the best player ever not in the HOF might be Tony Oliva of the Twins. Oliva had 8 great seasons in a row in the mid to late 60's, lost a year to injury, and came back to 3 solid seasons before early retirement. The classic case of not building enough career totals for the HOF. Oliva won 3 batting titles and led the league in hits 5 times, doubles 4 times, and finished 2nd in MVP voting twice. Career avg. was .304, OPS .830. The black ink alone looks like a HOF'er.
Who can forget "the Cobra" Dave Parker? Parker actually rose to the level of arguably the best player in baseball in 1977-1978, winning back to back batting titles and an MVP. He had over 2,700 career hits, over 500 doubles and 330 homers, and also had a 2nd and 2 3rd place MVP seasons to go along with his win. He was also a physical specimen with a cannon in right field.
More to follow.....
S
First would be Nomar Garciaparra who I posted on recently. A 2-time batting champ who finished with a .313 career average along with a .521 slugging avg. and .882 OPS. Garciaparra was on a HOF trajectory before injuries derailed him. He had about 7 really good years but for those who remember his first 6 healthy ones in Boston, he was about as good as anyone.
Another favorite of mine is Mike Mussina. Mussina won 270 games pitching mostly in the steroid era. 270 wins is higher than many in the HOF. He won in double figures 17 years in a row, and had at least 18 wins 6 different times. I actually would have voted him in before Smoltz. His 3.68 ERA is his downfall, but in that era, it wasn't bad, and he was a workhorse.
One of your favorites, and mine was Will Clark of the Giants. Will also suffered from comparisons of the steroid freaks, and was injury prone. Injuries frequently robbed him of partial seasons, so his career averages look better than the single seasons. Career .303 avg., .497 slugging, and .880 OPS. He hit over .300 in 10 of 15 seasons, had a 2nd and 4th place MVP finish, and had one of the sweetest lefty swings ever.
In my opinion, probably the best player ever not in the HOF might be Tony Oliva of the Twins. Oliva had 8 great seasons in a row in the mid to late 60's, lost a year to injury, and came back to 3 solid seasons before early retirement. The classic case of not building enough career totals for the HOF. Oliva won 3 batting titles and led the league in hits 5 times, doubles 4 times, and finished 2nd in MVP voting twice. Career avg. was .304, OPS .830. The black ink alone looks like a HOF'er.
Who can forget "the Cobra" Dave Parker? Parker actually rose to the level of arguably the best player in baseball in 1977-1978, winning back to back batting titles and an MVP. He had over 2,700 career hits, over 500 doubles and 330 homers, and also had a 2nd and 2 3rd place MVP seasons to go along with his win. He was also a physical specimen with a cannon in right field.
More to follow.....
S
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