CKL All Decade Team: Thirdbase

[leecemark]

--Here are the basic stats for all thirdbasemen who met the basic requirements for the ballot. You may vote for someone not on the ballot and I'll be happy to add their info here upon request. The Batting and Fielding Leaderboards can be found in post one of the All Decade team geneal discussion thread. We will be selecting first, second and third teamers. Voting will be open for two weeks. Please vote for 5. Votes will be counted 5 for 1st, 4 for 2nd and so on. The candidates;

Harmon Killebrew: 278/378/532, 339 HR, 1013 RBI, 850 run, 5 time All Star (1 at 1B/1 at LF), 7th in 64MVP, in 67MVP, 1st in 69MVP

Dick Allen: 289/36/508, 170 HR, 692 RBI, 647, 3 time All Star, 4th in 64 MVP, 10th in 65MVP, 3rd in 66MVP

Eddie Mathews: 266/359/461, 177 HR, 627 RBI, 715 runs, 3 time All Star, 6th in 61 MVP, 8th in 62 MVP, 9th in 63 MVP

Ken Boyer: 292/354/455, 118 HR, 540 RBI, 532 runs, 2 time All Star

Ron Santo: 275/359/448, 199 HR, 841 RBI, 863 runs, 3 time All Star, 5th in 64 MVP, 6th in 66 MVP, 7th in 67 MVP

Brooks Robinson: 271312/422, 146 HR, 710 RBI, 561 runs

[leecemark]

1) Harmon Killebrew: an easy choice. Killer has been one of the CKL's best hitters since the beginning. Not exactly dazzling with the glove, but far enough ahead of the others with the bat that nobody is going to make it up with the leather.
--The best of the ballot is a little tougher. Brooks Robinson is the opposite of Killebrew. Best glove on the ballot, but the worst hitter. Brooks has been a regular all decade, but never made an All Star team. Santo is the next best glove and was a 3 time All Star. He did mix very good seasons with some not some inspiring ones though. In counting stats he trails only Killebrew, but in rate stats he leads only Robinson. Ken Boyer made the first two All Star teams, but trailed off badly after that. Eddie Mathews made the first 3 All Star teams and was int he top 10 in MVP voting each of those years. He left the Knights as a free agent after 1963 and served as one of the Wasp's best hitters for the next 4 years, but that was a pretty low bar - he was never an All Star again. Dick Allen stepped into the breach - making the All Star team from 64-66 and finishing in the top 10 in MVP voting each of those years. He sustained his value the rest of the decade better than the older Mathews, but didn't stick at 3B or keep up his early pace.
2) Eddie Mathews: maybe a bit of a homer vote, but he was a great player at the start of the decade and a good one in the middle. Unlike Allen he was a solid defensive player and stuck at 3B to near the end of the line.
3) Ron Santo: a nod to longevity here. Santo has had his ups and downs, but even in his off years has been an everyday playe and defensive cornerstone for the Legends.
4) Dick Allen: looks like an all time great in his first years, but couldn't stick at 3B and then left the Hard Cider dynasty to join the expansion Brawlers - and played down to that level in 1969.
5) Brooks Robinson: His rep and paycheck have exceeded his performance most of the decade, but he has been in there everyday - providing great defense and a good bat in his better seasons.

[jkc32]

Shoeless Votes:

1. Killebrew
2. Santo
3. Allen
4. Matthews
5. Robinson

[Windy City Fan]

1. Killebrew
2. Santo
3. Mathews
4. Allen
5. Robinson

[Erik Bedard]

1. Killebrew
2. Allen
3. Mathews
4. Boyer
5. Santo

[mac195]

1. Killebrew
2. Santo
3. Allen - He was a powerhouse for the Hard Cider from '64-'68, even though his numbers were held down by Yankee Stadium. Still, I think he has to go slightly behind Santo who spent more time at 3B, and played much better defense.
4. Matthews
5. Robinson

[jaybird_1981]

1. Harmon Killebrew
2. Ron Santo
3. Dick Allen
4. Eddie Mathews
5. Brooks Robinson

[catcher24]

1. Harmon Killebrew - Agree 100% with Mark that his bat is so far ahead of the others that all the leather in the world couldn't make up the difference. One of the CKLs all time great sluggers. He grinned from ear to ear and offered to give back half of his salary when he saw that Green Monster at Fenway Park.
2. Ron Santo - Perhaps somewhat of a homer vote, but he has longevity over Matthews (who got old) and Allen (who started late), and his glove is good enough that his bat puts him ahead of Robinson. Also has played every day for the Legends in their two championship seasons.
3. Eddie Mathews - I originally had Allen third, but his defense is so bad..:hp, and Mathews was the regular third baseman on those early Knights teams.
4. Dick Allen - Huge bat has to go here somewhere.
5. Brooks Robinson - Takes the final slot over Boyer only on longevity. If Ken hadn't gotten old so fast he'd have this slot.

[J W]

1) Harmon Killebrew - just too much offense
2) Ron Santo - robbed of #1 spot by Killer staying at 3B
3) Richie Allen - five seasons of post-expansion dominance barely trumps Mathews

4) Eddie Mathews - hard to leave him fourth
5) Brooks Robinson - oh well

JR Hart and Pete Ward probably also deserve cursory mention along with Boyer, but those five stand apart from the rest. I think 3B and CF are the deepest ballots #s 1-5.

[leecemark]

1) Harmon Killebrew 40
2) Ron Santo 28
3) Dick Allen 22
4) Eddie Mathews 21
5) Brooks Robinson 7
6) Ken Boyer 2

--Killebrew was a unanimous choice for the first team. Santo got most of the 2nd place vote to easily claim 2nd team honors. Dick Allen edged Eddie Mathews for the third team. Brooks Robinson was 5th on all but one ballot (where he didn't place at all). Ken Boyer got one 4th place vote.