Your Top 10 Players today.

[Bill Burgess]

I'd like to see who the house members think are the top players today. Blend peak/longevity and do the most sensible composites you know how to. Consider all things; offense, defense, running, clubhouse morale, intangibles, whatever, etc.

[Blackout]

1-Albert Pujols
2-Alex Rodriguez
3-Ichiro Suzuki
4-Barry Bonds*
5-Vladimir Guerrero
6-Manny Ramirez
7-David Ortiz
8-Mark Texiera
9-Todd Helton
10-Gary Sheffield*

[Bill Burgess]

Wow! That was FAST. Some kind of record! Thanks. Good job.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

1. Alex Rodriguez
2. Vlad Guererro
3. Albert Pujols
4. Miguel Cabrera
5. Manny Ramirez
6. Bobby Abreu
7. Mark Teixeira
8. Mguel Tejada
9. Jason Bay
10. Derrek Lee

[538280]

1.Barry Bonds
2.Albert Pujols
3.Vladimir Guerrero
4.Alex Rodriguez
5.Gary Sheffield
6.Brian Giles
7.Derrek Lee
8.Manny Ramirez
9.Jason Bay
10.Morgan Ensberg

[538280]

1. Alex Rodriguez
2. Vlad Guererro
3. Albert Pujols
4. Miguel Cabrera
5. Manny Ramirez
6. Bobby Abreu
7. Mark Teixeira
8. Mguel Tejada
9. Jason Bay
10. Derrek Lee

Whoa! No Barry Bonds? That is crazy. I thought you were a fellow Bonds supporter.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Whoa! No Barry Bonds? That is crazy. I thought you were a fellow Bonds supporter.

I'm a huge Bonds supporter but I I left him off my list for two reasons:

1) I interpreted the question to mean to who is the best now and going forward. I placed a heavy emphasis age on the next few seasons. I just don't know how much Bonds has left in the tank? He missed his age 41 season. Though he hit well, as I expected, he now has a bum knee. Bonds will be 42 next season .There is the chance that the Bonds of 2001-04 will never return. Asking him to produce at age 42 what he did in his mid to late 30s is asking a lot. Basically, I asked myself a question. "What player would I want TODAY?". Given Bond's age and health, would you take Bonds as he is TODAY? Over Pujols? Teixeira? Cabrera? I just don't know what Bonds has left as a player?

2) I placed a heavey emphasis on up and coming players. As awesome as Bonds has been, I have no doubt that players like Teixiera and Pujols will be better players than Bonds in 2006-08. I do have Clemens but he is still healthy and there has not been a drop in his performance due to age. Plus there is historical precedence for old pitchers to pitch well (Spahn, Niekro, Ryan, Cy Young, etc.)

So I hope those sound like good reasons. I am a HUGE Bonds supporter!!

[538280]

I'm a huge Bonds supporter but I I left him off my list for two reasons:

1) I interpreted the question to mean to who is the best now and going forward. I placed a heavy emphasis age on the next few seasons. I just don't know how much Bonds has left in the tank? He missed his age 41 season. Though he hit well, as I expected, he now has a bum knee. Bonds will be 42 next season .There is the chance that the Bonds of 2001-04 will never return. Asking him to produce at age 42 what he did in his mid to late 30s is asking a lot. Basically, I asked myself a question. "What player would I want TODAY?". Given Bond's age and health, would you take Bonds as he is TODAY? Over Pujols? Teixeira? Cabrera? I just don't know what Bonds has left as a player?

2) I placed a heavey emphasis on up and coming players. As awesome as Bonds has been, I have no doubt that players like Teixiera and Pujols will be better players than Bonds in 2006-08. I do have Clemens but he is still healthy and there has not been a drop in his performance due to age. Plujs there is historical precednce for old pitchers to pitch well (Spahn, Niekro, Ryan, Cy Young, etc.)

So I hope those sound like good reasons. I am a HUGE Bonds supporter!!

Those are good reasons based on your criteria, but I don't think that's what Bill had in mind when he started this thread. I interpreted this as meaning, "Who's the best as of this moment?" Based on that criteria, Bonds is unquestionably the #1 player.

Bill, could you please clear up what exactly you meant here?

[Bill Burgess]

I did intend to mean, who are your greatest 10 players today. How anyone can leave out Barry is beyond my wildest comprehension. He does have a bum knee, and is still the greatest force in the game. But that's just my perception.

And I do want to leave you guys open to exercise your own judgment. But now my mouth is hanging open in shock. Don't make me regret trusting you!

Bill

[Honus Wagner Rules]

I did intend to mean, who are your greatest 10 players today. How anyone can leave out Barry is beyond my wildest comprehension. He does have a bum knee, and is still the greatest force in the game. But that's just my perception.

And I do want to leave you guys open to exercise your own judgment. But now my mouth is hanging open in shock. Don't make me regret trusting you!

Bill

Bond was the greatest force in the game year in and year from 1990-2004. But, Bill, Bonds has just 42 ABs in 2005. How can we say for sure he is still the best if he's only had 42 ABs? He still may be. We just don't know. You know full well that even the greatest hitters lose it around 40-42 years of age. Right now, Bonds simply cannot run and he can barely play the field. His knee will need some serious healing over the offseason. However if he comes out like gang busters in 2006 then I will gladly put him on my list.

[Bothrops Atrox]

1. Alex Rodriguez
2. Albert Pujols
3. Vlad Guerrero
4. Barry Bonds
5. Bobby Abreau
6. Miguel Cabrera
7. Manny Ramirez
8. Miguel Tejada
9. Mark Teixeira
10. David Ortiz

[Bill Burgess]

My 10 Best Current All-Around Players:

1. Barry Bonds
2. Alexander Rodriguez
3. Ivan Rodriguez
4. Ichiro Suzuki
5. Ken Griffey, Jr.
6. Albert Pujols
7. Vladimir Guerrero
8. Carlos Beltran
9. Jim Edmonds
10. Manny Ramirez

Honorable Mentions:
Tori Hunter, Todd Helton, Larry Walker, Alfonso Soriano, Eric Chavez, Derek Jeter, Miguel Cabrera, Bobby Abreu, Mark Teixeira, Miguel Tejada, Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Carlos Delgado, Omar Vizquel.

[Joltin' Joe]

1. Alex Rodriguez
2. Barry Bonds*
3. Albert Pujols
4. Ichiro Suzuki
5. Vladimir Guerrero
6. Ivan Rodriguez
7. Manny Ramirez
8. Miguel Tejada
9. David Ortiz
10. Bobby Abreu

[Ubiquitous]

Albert Pujols
Lance Berkman
Alex Rodriguez
Vladimir Guerrero
Manny Ramirez
Carlos Delgado
Miguel Cabrera
Andruw Jones
Jim Edmonds
Barry Bonds

[TonyK]

Four of you left off David Ortiz. Whose timely hits have won more games for his team this year than Big Papi? I don't buy the argument that he can't be considered for the MVP or a Top Ten list. When it counted during the 2004 WS his quick throw to 3B caught a key St. Louis baserunner. His intangibles, the fact he is the one guy I want up for me in the 9th inning of a tie game, plus his 147 RBI's should put him on the list over Manny and others.