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We rank 'em. You react. That's how the Daily List rolls.6/20/2007 12:03:00 PM Mattingly's Five Best Hitters
By Richard Deitsch, SI.com
Manny Ramirez is a career .313 hitter.Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images
Cover your ears, Yankee fans: Don Mattingly says the best right-handed hitter he's ever seen is a Red Sox. "There's really nowhere to pitch to Manny Ramirez," says the Yankees' bench coach. "He's solid mechanically, he can hit the fastball, he'll hit the ball the other way, and he'll hit the breaking ball. Honestly, I think Manny is probably the best right-handed hitter I've ever seen."
Mattingly, who finished with a .307 career batting average, is a connoisseur of fine hitting. Here, he offers SI.com the five best hitters, in no particular order, he's seen from the start of his pro career in 1982:
1. Manny Ramirez: You can't just go pitch to him one way and think, 'Oh, you can get him here.' You've got to get him off balance somehow, and that's a very hard thing to do.
2. Edgar Martinez: He's right up there with the great right-handed hitters. He's tough to get out. Edgar seemed like he was always driving in big runs. I always look at the RBI guys. Guys that drive in runs, hit for average and power, well, they hurt you bad.
3. George Brett: You feared him. You looked at him as a guy that could hurt you in RBI situations. He could get a hit when he needed one. And he could get a hit the other way if he had to, even off a lefty. Then if you came in and tried to mess with him inside, he could hurt you deep.
4. Paul Molitor: One of the best hiitters I've ever seen. He didn't feel dangerous, but he was going to hurt you with hits.
5. Rickey Henderson: Maybe the player that impacted the game as much as anybody. He really changed the game. When he was going, he would walk and steal second and then he could go deep on you. He's another guy with great mechanics that was tough to get out. But I don't want to leave out guys like Dave Winfield and Cecil Cooper. They were great hitters. Even Derek Jeter. Jete is dangerous. He's one of those guys that always gets big hits.
Agree with Mattingly? Give us your list of the game's best hitters since '82.posted by SI.com | View comments |
Comments:
1. Tony Gwynn
2. Mike Piazza (.362 one year as a Catcher for crying out loud!)
3. Jack Clark (for 3 years-the scariest bat in MLB)
4. John Olerud
5. Wade Boggs (not just the President; but a member too)I know that this is a very subjective question. But has Don Matingly ever seen Tony Gwynn, Wade Boggs, Rod Carew, or Barry Bonds play? You'd certainly think so considering he came up in the early 80s. I don't see how in the world Rickey Henderson makes his list before the likes of Gwynn or Boggs. Imagine how many hits those two would have had if they had Rickey's speed! More contemporary players that he could have included are Ken Griffey Jr, A-Rod, and Ichiro.How can you leave Tony Gwynn off this list?What about Vladimir Guerrero? He's consistent and there isn't any pitch that he can't hit.Manny by far has the best swing in baseball.Odd he left A-rod offMattingly left out his own player, A-Rod? Bet A-Rod would love to see this list!I just don't know who you can have a list of the best hitters and not have Pete Rose or Tony GwynnNotice that these are all American League guys, and Mattingly, when he played, did not have interleague games. These are all hitters he's seen a lot.Has Mattingly ever seen himself hit? Mattingly is God.You guys keep saying Boggs. Did he ever scare anyone. Did an opposing manager ever say "don't let Boggs beat you". Don't think so. Keep the players that were good for 3 years off the list please...Jack Clark. I agree Piazza was dangerous while he was on the juice. John Olerud, c'mon dude! Barry Bonds juice or no juice could be on the list. I think Donnie baseball could be on the list. For 8-10 years they guy was a stud.Pujols???Donny has always been an AL guy obviously, so his picks are all guys who played at least mostly in the AL. Carew was toast by '82, half of Ichiro's hits are infield hits & Boggs was a singles machine. The Don is looking for a solid average/tough out/extra base hit threat/clutch hitter.
But I'd take a healthy Mattingly over anybody....So the best hitters came from the old AL East (with the exception of Brett) or were team-mates of Mattingly. He needs to get his head out his Pinstriped butt!! How can you leave out Gwynn and Boggs out of his list. What about George Bell..he played in the AL East?Okay now that the Manny stats have been updated there is no way that Tony Gwynn or Wade Boggs should be left off of this list. In addtion there is a strong case that can be made for Albert Pujols, Ichiro Suzuki, and Vladimir Guerrero. Julio Franco deserves an honorable mention the guy is 48 and has a career .298 batting average!Gary Sheffield????I'm pretty sure he is talking about hte best right-handed hitters he has ever seen. Pretty sure Tony Gwynn was a lefty.One of the most underrated hitters of all-time: Paul Molitor.I'm sure he left of his own player because he sees him every day. You are always more critical of guys you see swing everyday as a coach. I agree I don't know how he left off Tony Gwynn, but he is dead on with Manny Ramirez. He always gets voted the most feared hitter in the league by the players. Pujols and Vlad are 2 that are amazing hitters now. I think Mattingly just wanted to get some older players involved. It is a tough question to change eras like that. Mine would be Ramirez, Gwynn, Brett, Bonds, and Pujols.ICHIRO
BOGGS
MANNY
PAPI
ARODWhat about the big hurt, FRANK THOMAS, who put fear into every pitcher in baseball throughout the 90s...if the White sox had pitching this guy would be known as the greatest hitter of the 90sDonnie is just being modest when he leaves himself out. He was nicknamed "The Hit Man" for a reason ... but maybe he didn't feel that he played long enough to get into the top 5. Ask any Yankee fan who was watching in the 80's and Mattingly is at the top of the list.1. Bonds
2. Guerrero
3. Gwynn
4. Pujols
5. Sheffield1. Tony Gwynn
2. Wade Boggs
3. Don Mattingly
4. Will Clark
5. Mannytony gwynn, todd helton, pujols, and vlad guerrero r 2-5. number one has to be pete rose. how can the player with the most career hits not be on the list.Interesting that 4 of the 5 guys he listed are right-handed batters. The sweetest swings I remember from growing up were always left handers (including a healthy Mattingly pretty high on that list).He said right-handed hitters morons .Rod Carew, was what Ichiro is today, the best contact hitter in Baseball....If you guys didn't notice, it's after 82, hence no Carew...and Donnie is basing this on hitters he's seen...hence American League hitters...Um...Gwynn anyone?its pretty sad that as we look back at all the supposed great hitters that have come about in the 25 years since mattingly started out in the league that all we can come up with is a list of hacks that pale in comparision to the all time greats in baseballYou will have to add Robin Yount in there somewhere I think.One guy whose name has yet to be mentioned and deserves some recognition is Tim Raines. He was a STUD when he played for The Expos in the mid 80s.Just by reading again, is he only talking about right handed hitters? It's a little vague but I get that from reading the intro...That could help to make a little more sense about a couple of the people left off the list.I'm glad he mentioned Paul Molitor. The man got his 3000th his on a triple, in the midst of a 200 hit season. Most players are winding down at that point, and are struggling to the finish line. Molitor blew right past it.Even though he played in thin air, Todd Helton could and still can rake.1. Don Mattingly
2. Tony Gwynn
3. Edgar Martinez
4. Paul Molitor
5. John Olerud
John Fleck/ Houstonbased on his list it looks like Donny Baseball is looking at RBI hitters........NOT necessarily pure hitters. I absolutely agree with Gwynn and Boggs....but he keeps mentioning RBI in his comments so I would guess we're not talking about pure hitters.Rod Carew, the list begins with him.... right?!If you read the full article it says 'best right handed hitter' so you can stop complaining about tony gwynn and wade boggs and any other left-hander.How about Kirby Puckett?How could you ever forget these othes:
1. Tony Gwynn
2. Rod Carew
3. Wade Boggs
4. Barry Bonds
5. Pete Rose
The later two names aren't always the most popular, but they could hit the ball.No way does Piazza deserve to be on that list especially since he was on the juice. He is probably the most OVER-RATED player EVER!
My 5 would be in no particular order: Boggs, Gwynn, Pujols, A-Rod and Carew. Honorable mention to Vlad Guerero and Pete RoseBonds Should be on anything ranking hitters, watch his at bat against Eric Gagne a couple of yrs ago when Gagne was as good as any pitcher in baseball, Bonds pulls a 101 mph fastball into the bay foul, then stays on a change up and hits it 440 feet out to center, best at bat ive ever seen1. cheating or not no one is close to Barroid Bonds
2. A-Rod? 31 years old - 500 home runs.
3. Manny is great
4. Gwynn
5. How bout Eddie Reardon. Great hitter from Throgs Neck?Agree with the selection of Manny. And I don't know if he deserves to be in the top ten, but Nomar Garciaparra should at least be part of the discussion.When I found the article, the first person I thought of was Paul Molitor and he made this list. I would say:
1. Paul Molitor (always had the big hit and a sweet swing)
2. George Brett (always killed my Red Sox)
3. Don Mattingly (If he didn't ger hurt, he was Hall bound.)
4. Andre Dawson (played too long in Baseball Syberia aka Montreal.)
5. Tony Gywnn (Just couldn't get the man out.)
Maybe Mattingly, like myself, didn't pick players from his team (NYY.) I picked players from my youth who I used to cringe when they came to the plate to play Boston. 4 and 5 were picked because they always seemed to come through.I'll give the 5 best hitters THIS SEASON.
1. David Eckstein (Has a slugging percentage of +0.900)
2. Alex Rodriguez (Leads AL in HRs)
3. Prince Fielder (Leads NL in HRs)
4. Chris Duncan (1 of the best hitters on the Cardinals roster)
5. Big Papi (Just because)agree, mattingly is god. gwynn and boggs amazing slap hitters, but feared? i say no. mattingly even mentioned he favored rbi guys.1) George Brett
2) Rod Carew
3) Robin Yount
4) Tony Gwynn
5) Frank Robinsonalbert "el hombre" pujols....best first 5 years in the history of the sport....Many of you argue for Gwynn...but when did Mattingly see him play ever? Gwynn was NL, Mattingly AL.
This list is strictly on how Mattingly saw players, and he saw a significant amount more of the players mentioned than some of the people you are throwing up there.
Also, to the person who wants Piazza and Olerud, spare me. I can think of multiple players above them.Garciaparra, before the rash of injuries - The Splendid Splinter was even enamored of his hitting . . .donnie baseball is the reason i am a yankee fan.
but my personal favorite list of guys i've seen play:
1.ichiro-the best all around player today
2. tony gwynn
3.bonds
4.george brett
5.donnie himself1. Manny
2. Tony Gwyn
3. Ken Griffey Jr.
4. George BrettTo be considered in this discussion of "best hitters" in the past 2+ decades you have to consider what makes a hitter so great. 1) OBP 2) Avg 3) Power/Slg. #. By looking at these variables it has to be:
1) Manny
2) Bonds
3) E.Martinez
4) Henderson
5) GriffeyYou guys are a bunch of idiots. It says right handed hitters!!! Mike Piazza is over-rated.1. Tony Gwynn
2. Rod Carew
3. Wade Boggs
4. Paul Molitor
5. George BrettManny, Vlad, A-Rod, Ken Griffey Jr, Tony GwynnGeorge Brett was a left-handed hitter, so the list is inclusive. And it doesn't make much sense; I don't see how you would make the argument Edgar was a better hitter than Griffey in their primes. Same goes to you, Olerud fans.
Gwynn's my favorite player ever, but as time passes I wonder maybe if he'd been one of those 1.000 OPS guys maybe my favorite team might have won more games over the years. I mean, once he had a half-dozen batting titles I wouldn't have traded him for anybody in the world, either. I think of the question like this: If all the guys were the same age and my team could have its pick, which one would I want for the first dozen or so years of their career?
1. Bonds
2. A-Rod
3. Griffey
4. Manny
5. Rickey
I might throw in Piazza, since we booed him every time he came to bat in San Diego for years; I can admit now it was because we had great fear. Ichiro? Boggs? Molitor? Gwynn? The word doesn't come to mind.1) Albert Pujols
2) Tony Gwynn
3) Pete Rose
4) Vladimir Guerrero
5) Don MattinglyTo anonymous that stated it was only right handed hitters he was just talking about Manny.
Look: "Here, he offers SI.com the five best hitters, in no particular order, he's seen from the start of his pro career in 1982"
I was not shocked Manny made the top of the list, since he's one of the only ones that hits for both Power and Average. Here are the best as seen by a Red Sox fan:
1. Gwynn
2. Ichiro
3. Will Clark
4. Mattingly
5. Then Manny
You have to remember that manny hasn't been around for all those years, yes he has that nice little streak of years with 30 hommers and a .300 avg. but all the other great hitters that there have been it's so hard to break it down to just 5 hitters. you'd need a list of about 20 for the last 20 years to fill in all the tangibles.Ummm, how about Barry Bonds, the greatest hitter since probably Ted Williams or Joltin Joe or the Mick. Has anyone in the last 50 years seen more intentional balls? Who has inspired more fear from opposing pitchers? Who still dominates at age 42? Who has the quickest hands I've ever seen. All the same answer - Barry. Honestly, I dont even care to rank the rest. (And I am a Seattle guy who is not a Giants fan)
Rodney DodgeWhat about Robin Yount? He and Vlad should be in the top 5. Mattingly's business is hitting, and he definitely knows his business, but I disagree with Rickey over Vlad and Yount.Barry. Barry. Barry.
Tony Gwynn
Pete Rose-over 4000 hits.
ichiro-over 200 hits every year
Ted Williams-last guy to hit over 4001. Tony Gwynn
2. Cal Ripken Jr. (Shortstop Version)
3. George Brett
4. Frank Thomas (90's version)
5. Wade Boggs (Red Sox Version)At least all baseball falls agree that Gwynn was a glaring no show on this list. And Ricky over Robin Yount? (stratching my head)... Ricky's field skills is what impressed most.A-rod
Ken Griffey Jr
Paul Oneill
Manny Ramirez
Derek JeterWhat abouat Wade Boggs and Rod Carew. Those guys never struck out and were batting champions.
Las Vegaswhat about Ken Griffey Jr. He would be up there with Bonds in homeruns if he could stay healthy. His swing is one of the best ive seen.Avg. Power. RBI. A-Rod, Big Hurt, Man Ram. Guys who seem just impossible to get out: Brett and Suzuki. But if you want to talk about FEAR. Jim Rice must not be overlooked. Mean SOB at the plate for 10 years.
Jack Clark? Give me a break. And Olerud struck fear in no one. He could go up to the plate 4 times a game and never swing at a pitch.name 3 players harder to strike-out in the 90's than gregg jefferies.... i dare you to try!Manny has a much better eye than A-Rod. When was the last time Manny looked foolish striking out? Gwynn and Boggs were solid but no power. My top 5
1. Manny
2. Mattingly (true triple crown threat)
3. Brett
4. Pujols
5. Ichiro
As for Jack Clark ... three years does not get you on a list with sure fire HOFers.Gwynn, Joe D, Ted Williams, Mantle1)A-Rod
2)Pujols
3)Manny
4)Griffey (IN HIS PRIME)
5)Jeter
plus i'm a mets fans so don't think i'm biased towrds the yanks its just the truthKirby Puckett and Barry Bonds HAVE to be on this list. I would also include Boggs and Gwynn. Even though he has only played about five years, it is also difficult to keep Pujols off (who may be the best of them all before he is finished).First, and foremost, Donny Baseball!Barry Bonds (He was great before he juiced)
Wade Boggs
David Ortiz (not eye popping numbers, but CLUTCH with RBIs)1. Tony Gwynn
2. Ichiro Suzuki
3. Vladimir Guerrero
4. Manny Ramirez
5. George BrettHow can you guys say Piazza is on the juice? He is one of the only power hitters who I have never heard is name called as a steroid user. And overated? How can you say that? The guy hit .362 40HR and 124RBI one year as a catcher. He is the BEST HITTING CATCHER OF ALL TIME and ur saying he is over rated. My top 5 are...
Bonds
Brett
Pujols
Helton
Piazza1 George Brett
2 Rod Carew
3 Robin Yount
4 Edgar Martinez
5 Bo JacksonThe main parameter should be the "3,000 Hit Club". Jack Clark, Olerud, Mattingly never made it.
Anonymous 8:29 June 21, I agree with you--Robin Yount belongs on the list (he was on mine).
I'd like to mention a few others that were not on my list yesterday, but ALL had 3,000 hits.
7) Dave Winfield
8) Cal Ripken
9) Eddie Murray
I can't include Pete Rose, because he's an idiot. Can't include Palmiero because he's a liar and cheated physically.
Prior to '82, my best ALL TIME would be Roberto Clemente who made the 3000 club in a very limited career (he actually died in his prime).You knuckleheads that have Bond listed....There is no room for cheaters in basball. Sosa and Mcguire are not on the list either.1. Rod Carew
2. Alex Rodriguez
3. Rickey Henderson
4. Barry Bonds
5. Pete Rose
6-10. George Brett, Tony Gwynn, Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly.i believe that Tony Gywnn was the best hitter to ever play the game of baseball.Manny
Bonds
Griffey
A-Rod
Eric Davis (When he wasn't hurt or dieing of a torn kidney or cancer)
All three can hurt you in every way!Simple question, if you needed a hit, any type hit, a single or a dinger, who would you pick?
1-Gwynn
2-Molitor
3-Ichiro
since the late 70's at least.Based on how many times he has been walked...
Bonds
Also Griffey, Carew, Gwynn, and Boggs
I'm sure as big a baseball guy as Mattingly is, he has seen each of those players play- no matter what league they played in.BARRY BONDS without question1. Manny Ramirez
2. Ken Griffey Jr.
3. Barry Bonds
4. Tony Gwynn
5. A-Rodyou can't slight the guys on the list but Boggs, Gwynn and Carew are worth mentioning.
And Jeter ( who is ahead of Rose's hit total at similar ages) is a give!#1: It is not just RIGHT HANDED HITTERS morons. He just refers to Manny as the best RIGHTY! His list includes George Brett, a LEFTY... so lets stop the idiocy!
#2: It is hitters Mattingly saw and feared in opposing line-ups. He never played against NL bats except in the All-Star game... so shut up with the Gwynn and Pujols crap. He's an AL guy!
#3: What part of '82 don't you understand? Rose and Carew are out!
#4: Ricky Henderson is the purest pick on his list!He says nothing about listing just right handed hitters. He says that Manny was the best right handed hitter he has seen. If you read down a little farther past the 1st paragraph you will see this...Here, he offers SI.com the five best hitters, in no particular order,...
The idiots are the ones who called people idiots for saying it was a list for right hnaded hitters
I am not saying he was the best hiter but Ricky got a single or a walk it was like giving up a double or triple. (speed kills and power helps.Since 1982:
Bonds
Pujols
Manny
Gwynn
Vlad
In short, all 5 (in their primes) can get to any pitch regardless of location, and with the exception of Gwynn can hit any pitch out. There are no "safe zones" for any of these guys, and none of them strike out a lot.I know he didn't have a lot of power numbers, but Mark Grace could be on there as well. He did have the most hits of anyone in the 90's.i would agree with manny,brett...
would add gwynn, boggs and (i am sorry to say) bonds.
hits for avg, can take you deep even today...as far as all time greats, i'd have to go with some order of:
-ted williams (greatest hitter that ever lived)
-joe dimaggio (his k/hr ratio is insane)
-stan musial (just look at the #s)
-tony gwynn (best hitter that i've personally seen)
-hank aaron (again, for as many homers as he hit he is also right up there on career hits)
totally agree with donnie about manny ramirez though. being a yankee fan i have to root against him, and he is a total clown, but he's a great hitter, both through natural ability and hard work. get's alot of tourque in his swing, quick bat allows him to cover both sides of the plate, keeps his front shoulder closed as long as possible, fluid swing. there isn't any one spot in the zone you can pitch him to get him out. hits high balls, low balls, inside, outside... just gotta try and keep him guessing on pitch selection. don't really respect him as a person, but i do as a hitter.How can anyone have "A-Rod" on their list. In 14 seasons, he has 1461 strike-outs. He's not a pure hitter like Gwynn, Brett or Carew. To add perspective, Tony Gwynn had only 434 strike-outs in 20 seasons. George Brett had 908 strike-outs in 21 seasons. Carew had 1028 s/o's in 19 seasons. Gwynn is the best pure hitter ever.
A-Rod is a strike out king.doesn't Pete Rose have to be on the list? I mean, sure he's not a popular choice... but look at his stats... they're silly.How could this list not include
Steve Balboni, the next Babe Ruth?The list is for the best hitters, not the most feared. People feared George Bell for a few years in the late 80s but he certainly wasn't a great hitter. From '82 on it should be:
1. Gwynn
2. Carew
3. Brett
4. Boggs
5. Tie: Yount and Mattingly
Winfield struck out too much, Molitor was mainly a DH (that's bush), Pucket didn't have the overall stats (although poor vision cut his career short), etc.
No one who knows anything about baseball should put Jack Friggan Clark on this list.mattingly should have just written mattingly 5 times. purest hitter ever.It's nice to see Paul Molitor get some mention. Not only was he a great hitter, he was a great leader on and off the field. I still use him as en example of how the game should be playedWell, it appeared to be 'best right-handed hitter since 1982', but the inclusion of Brett kind of messes that up. So heres my 'Best Hitters since 1982'
1. Bonds
2. Frank Thomas
3. Edgar Martinez
4. Manny
5. Albert Pujols
Did someone mention Jack Clark and his .267 avg in this list? Boggs, Gwynn, Ichiro get left out because they aren't/weren't a longball threat.i'll end this right now--
1)tom selleck
2)corbin bernsen
3)kevin costner
4)geena davis
5)madonna
game over.4,256 hits....questions?
Pete Rose has to be on the list, period.Gwynn
Boggs
Brett
Mattingly
Larry WalkerI would put Craig Biggio ahead of a couple of Mattingly´s 5
Plus Honorble mention to the following:
Rafael Palmeiro
Mark Grace
John Olerud
Harold Baines
Roberto Alomar
The succesors:
Ichiro Suzuki
Juan Pierre
Miguel Cabrera
Vladimir Guerrero
And the near future:
Jose Reyes
Hanley Ramirezhow does tony gwynn not make this list he is the greatest hitter since ted williamsTrying to stay within the parameters of this list (1982 and beyond), but not ignoring the NL:
BONDS
MANNY
THOMAS or PUJOLS (close)
ICHIRO
GWYNN
That's six. Close to five....Half the people posting on this list have to realize that baseball did exist prior to 1995... also, Barry Bonds was a great hitter before there was any suspicion of steroid use. Also, two of the more dominant AL players of Mattingly's time are Jose Canseco and Joe Carter.I respect the numbers that guys put up during the regular season, but I like my guys that do it in October. So I include how guys have contributed in the postseason.
Since '82:
Ortiz
Pujols
Jeter
Puckett
Brett
All-time:
Aaron
Teddy Ballgame
Stan the Man
Micky
Babe
Regarding Molitor, how can he be a good leader off the field? Didn't he have a little coke issue in the 80's? Also, people, you should look up the numbers on Stan Musial. This guy put up insane all around numbers in every category.How about Craig Biggio? How can you leave out a guy with a .233 BA and a .273 OBP?
I mean he's their leadoff hitter and everything...2 words: albert pujolsi know this is all RHHs, but if leftys were on there too no way Junior Griffey doesnt make the list. also Ted Williams, who's maybe the best baseball player ever, and definitely the best hitter ever, 3 seasons at .400 or better for G-d sakes. Anyway Donny Baseball knows his hitters so I trust the guy, look what he's doing with Jorge Posada this yearPete Rose??? Question is who are the game's best hitters since '82. Rose retired in 86 and had a whopping total of 373 hits during that span (and a BAD haircut) You want "pure"? Gwynn, Boggs, Brett, Ichiro,Molly. You want "best overall"? Bonds, Griffey, A-Rod, Pujols & Vlad.Barry Bonds is easily on this list. Amazing hitter!He did best right handed hitter. In that most of the guy's everybody is mentioning is based on averges. I think you have to base it on the the all a round hitting. While I don't agree with his list it's his opinion.Tony Gwynn has to be on the list
I agree with Edgar
Ichiro is a hit machine
How about Todd Helton ?
Paul MolitorWhat loser said that Puckett didn't have the stats? 2000 hits in his first ten years - 234 hits in 1988 - 112 RBIs in 108 games in '94 - 6 for 6 with 14 total bases in one game - a World Series game with a single, a triple, a sacrifice, and a game winning homer - he was a first ballot hall of famer, and he only played for twelve years, for crying out loud. Don't diss the Puck's numbers!"Agree with Mattingly? Give us your list of the game's best hitters since '82."
1.) Ichiro
2.)Boggs
3.) Gwynn
4.) Manny (a powerhitter that hits in the 3's is incredible.)
5. AlbertYou guys don't know a thing about good hitters. I'll match thses guys with any one of yours any day:
1. Roberto Clemente
2. Joe D
3. Mickey Mantle
4. Ted Williams
5. Stan "the man"i would put John Cusack ahead of Geena Davis.Was it that long ago that Willie Mays was tearing it up in the N.L. that nobody can remember?Boggs is a career 328 hitter, OBP over 400, total hits? 3010. He only had 3 seasons with a BA of less than 300, and two of those are right before he retired.
Awesome hitter, but most feared? Not enough homers to scare anyone.I think we are leaving out some great players. Donnie Baseball can't get the all. I think Vlad, A-Rod, Biggio, Jeter, Mattingly, Reggie and Ichiro are amongst the most recent players.From 1982, Carew was in sunset already so leaving him out, though hate to do it.
1. Ichiro, Tony Gwynn, Rickey Henderson at the top of the order
2. George Brett, Manny Ramirez, Vladimir Guerrero batting 3rd
3. Ken Griffey Jr., Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez at cleanup.
I really would like to include Edgar Martinez and Don Mattingly himself.
Trouble with this list is that one of the best #2 hitters, if not the best, Jeter, cannot be on it except as an honorable mention.People: Donnie Baseball was talking about the 5 best hitters he has seen...period. He mentioned Manny as the best RH hitter...but if you guys notice Brett is in the group...and the guy hit LH.
On another note: He was prolly looking at hitters as a whole. The whole package...avg, power, clutch, and impact while on the ballfield.
He left himself out...displaying the humbleness that made him so great to admire.
Look at this way: Eventhough he literally spent hours looking at his own videos (trying to perfect his swing) he actually...never saw himself hit. Kinda funny actually..Some guy named Griffey is pretty consistent when hes healthy.1) Pete Rose
2) George Brett
3) Wade Boggs
4) Tony Gwinn
5) Paul MolitorWhat I find interesting about this whole debate is this:
Don Mattingly is on alot of the lists, yet he was the best fielding first baseman of all time. So if he is one of the five or ten best hitters since '82 and he is the best at fielding at his position ever, how in the heck could he not be in the hall of fame?
The HOF is a joke now with players on roids in, and guys who could not hold The Hit Man's jock strap (and when I say THE HIT MAN, I am NOT talking about Mike Easler)1.Tony Gwynn
2.Ichiro Susuki
3.Manny Ramirez
4.Ken Griffey Jr. (Imagine what this guy would have done if he stayed healthy. Sweetest swing in baseball.
5.Reggie JacksonI saw Will Clark's name mentioned a couple of times..... He is the one that sticks out in my mind. Mark Grace was another one that I don't recall seeing.1. Pujols
2. Bonds
3. Brett
4. Jeter
5. Boggs1. Albert Pujols
2. Tony Gwynn
3. Alex Rodriguez
4. Barry Bonds
5. Vlad GuerreroMattingly was still, in my opinion, the best hitter of the 80's.
Mattingly
Gwynn
Rose
A-Rod
Ichiro1. Tony Gwynn
2. George Brett
3. Rod Carew
4. Don Mattingly
5. Wade BoggsMattingly was my favorite player growing up, but I have to completely disagree with his choices. To me the top five sine 1982 have to be as follows:
1. Barry Bonds: He could hit for power and contact, and is maybe the hardest player to pitch to ever.
2. Tony Gwynn: .338 lifetime batting average: nuff said
3. Wade Boggs: Life time batting average of .328, five batting titles, and he was able to consistently hit for extra bases.
4. A-Rod- Lifetime batting average .308, 491 HRs, and 1,420 RBIs... oh yeah and he is only 31 years old.
5. Derek Jeter: Lifetime batting average of .318, consistently hits 30 doubles in a year, and has 188 HRs as a lead-off/ #2 hitter. What also makes Jeter a great hitter is his patience that forces pitchers to throw a lot of pitches to him, and has led to his career .390 OBP.i like mattingly's list: gwynn and boggs were great hitters, but not of the dangerous category of manny and such, because they had no power.1.Tony Gwynn
2.Pete Rose
3.Paul Moliter
4.Joe Carter I hate you Joe!
5.John Kruk Horrible body, great hitter1:Pete Rose
2:Wade Boggs
3:Albert Pujols
4:Tony Gwynn
5:Dale MurphyHe says Manny is the best right handed hitter he's seen, but the list just says best hitters since '82, period. So, using his criteris of hitting for rbi's, being well rounded, here is a good list, in no particular order:
Mattingly
Manny
Bonds
Griffey (pre Cincinatti of course)
ARod
Pujols is right there too.
Brett was on the downslide by 82.1. PETE ROSE (MOST HITS EVER)
2. TY COBB (HIGHEST CAREER BATTING AVERAGE)
3. TONY GWYNN (WON THE BATTING TITLE 8 TIMES)
4. ICHIRO
5. CAL RIPKIN JR. (GUY HAD 3000 HITS ALMOST 500 HOME RUNS AND PLAYED EVERYGAME)This listing captures a rich of talent for over thirty years.
ROD CAREW
TONY OLIVA
TONY GWYNN
MANNY RAMIREZ
VLADIMIR GUERRERORecent Posts
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