Top 5 Center Fielders, NOT including Cobb.

[Bill Burgess]

I'd like to see your Top 5 Center Fielders, without Ty Cobb.

I'll go first.

1. Willie Mays
2. Oscar Charleston
3. Tris Speaker
4. Joe DiMaggio
5. Mickey Mantle

Brief notes of explanation might be helpful.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CF Form Chart:

Pre-1900: Jimmie McAleer, Bill Lange, Jimmy Ryan, George Gore, Harry Wright, Paul Hines, Lip Pike, Tom Brown, George Van Haltren, Dummy Hoy, Billy Hamilton, Hugh Duffy, Chick Stahl, Van Haltren, Ollie Pickering,

1900-1940: Ty Cobb (disregard), Tris Speaker, Eddie Roush, Max Carey, Clyde Milan, Clarence "Ginger" Beaumont, Oscar "Happy" Felsch, Johnny Mostil, Benny Kauff, Lloyd Waner.

1940-1970: Joe DiMaggio, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Duke Snider, Richie Ashburn, Pete Reiser, Larry Doby, Jim Piersall, Jim Landis, Bill Virdon, Vada Pinson.

1970-present: Ken Griffey, Jr., Brett Butler, Andruw Jones, Tori Hunter, Mike Cameron, Jim Edmonds, Mark Kotsay, Dale Murphy, Kirby Puckett, Bernie Williams, and Kenny Lofton.

Negro Leaguers: Oscar Charleston, "Cool Papa" Bell, Christobal Carlos Torriente, Spot Poles, Pete Hill, Clint "Hawk" Thomas, Chino Smith, Martin Dihigo


Bill Burgess

[DoubleX]

Bill, this is a nice exercise, except that it seems to presuppose that Cobb is clearly the best, and that he alone should be excepted from this project. When in fact, many, if not the majority here, would likely argue that if that honor should be bestowed upon anyone, it should be Willie Mays and not Ty Cobb.

In direct answer to your question, my rankings are:

1) Mays (better than Cobb, IMO)
2) Mantle (sometimes, I want to find a reason to put him in front of Cobb as well; right now is one of those instances).
3) Speaker
4) DiMaggio
5) Griffey Jr

[Dontworry]

I'd like to see your Top 5 Center Fielders, without Ty Cobb.

I'll go first.

1. Willie Mays
2. Oscar Charleston
3. Tris Speaker
4. Joe DiMaggio
5. Mickey Mantle

Brief notes of explanation might be helpful.

Bill Burgess

Bill - Personally I dont think Cobb is the best CF ever. I probably would take mays over him, and if mantle chose to live a better healthier life, he would of been easily better. He however was better than cobb at his peak.

As for Joe Dimaggio, He shouldnt be infront of mantle, Maybe not even on the top five.

[Bill Burgess]

Brothers,

For once, I am not interested in talking Ty Cobb. I didn't want this to turn into Willie/Ty.

I am excluding TC, not because he is presumed the best by you guys, but because he tends to hog discussion space.

I wanted to see how the Fever members do Mays/Speaker, Speaker/DiMaggio, and Mantle/DiMaggio. And to see how many include Charleston.

So, I am setting Cobb aside to reserve good discussion time to other comparisons. Pretending Ty never existed, is NOT presuming he was the best. No, not at all. I just wanted a clean comparsion of other guys.

Bill

[Blackout]

Dimaggio
Mantle
Mays
Speaker
Charleston


Mantle/Mays is a tossup, i could go either way. I take peaks over careers so I guess I'll put Mantle a notch higher.

[leecemark]

Mays, Mantle, Charleston, Speaker, Charleston

[Blackout]

Mays, Mantle, Charleston, Speaker, Charleston

Charleston is 2x as good as Dimaggio??

[leecemark]

--Trying to go to quick on my lunch break. DiMaggio should be the fifth name.

[KCGHOST]

1. Mays
2. Speaker
3. Mantle
4. DiMaggio
5. Hamilton

[SABR Matt]

Mays
Mantle
Speaker
DiMaggio
Ashburn

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Mays
Mantle
Speaker
DiMaggio
Charleston (Ok, I've been partially convinced at this point)

[west coast orange and black]

1. mays
2. charleston
T. mantle
4. speaker
5. ashburn

[csh19792001]

Mays
Speaker
Dimaggio
Mantle
Ken Griffey, Jr.

[Myankee4life]

1. Mays
2. Mantle
3. Speaker
4. Dimaggio
5. Charelston

I want to find a reason to put Dimaggio over Speaker but to my dismay I can't.

[csh19792001]

1. Mays
2. Mantle
3. Speaker
4. Dimaggio
5. Charelston

I want to find a reason to put Dimaggio over Speaker but to my dismay I can't.

Good point.

I can't either, but they were both basically perfect baseball players.

Mantle doesn't belong over either of them.