who is your fav baseball player ever

[cards kid]

mine is stan the man

[J2K]

Kirby Puckett without a doubt. I never saw him dog it down the line on a groundout... ever. I remember one of the first spring training games years ago, he hit a sure groudout right to the second baseman, he hustled down the line as if the man upstairs had told him it would be his last at-bat ever! You just don't see that these days. Also note he reached 2000 hits in less games than anyone... even Pete Rose. Damn you Dennis Martinez!

[thechefs2003]

George Howard Brett. Hustled down the line every hit, played the game the way it was meant to be played. Loyal to his adopted hometown of KC when he probably could have taken more money elsewhere. Never heard him complain one bit. Oh and he was a great player.

[sturg1dj]

mine doesn't belong with the greats....but Tony Phillips. Remember him? Growing up as a Tiger's fan in the early to mid-90's I had aging Whitaker and Trammell, Travis Fryman, Cecil Fielder and Mickey Tettleton. My favorite, however, was Tony Phillips. Hustled, had a temper, could play any position. I couldn't copy his swing because he crouched down too much and it wasn't comfortable, so I instead copied the way he spit which he did through his teeth.

looking back, those teams were known for being all or nothing, home runs or strike outs...and they did strike out a TON. but Phillips and Tettleton did something that I as a Tiger fan am not used to. They worked the count and drew walks.

if I were to say a favorite that didn't play on my team it would probably be George Brett, and the funny thing is that I only got to see an older Brett play.

[George H Ruth]

Ken Griffey Jr, he was just a perfect player when he was in his prime, did everything well, hit home runs, drove in runs, played his position really well, and he was a great teamate. It's just ashame that when he left Seattle to go the Reds he was never the same.

Missed a lot of games because of injuries, and was never able to find his home run stroke again. Yes grant it that he hit over 30 home runs, but never was able to hit that 50 mark again. When he was with the Mariners he was on pace to beat Aaron's record, but now that he missed so many games in recent seasons there's no way that he will be able to achieve it.

He was such a joy to watch when he was with Mariners, he still is a joy to watch with the Reds, but when he was in his prime, boy was he ever good.

He also has in my opinion the sweetest stroke in baseball, it's such a joy to watch this guy hit a home run.

[Brian McKenna]

Baltimore born and raised - Brooks Robinson

[BoSox Rule]

Pedro Martinez

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Guess who my all time favorite player is?

[George H Ruth]

Sorry guys, but can you explain why those guys are your favorite player, it's pretty boring reading what you guys wrote, I'd love to find out why those players are your favorites of all time.

Just like I told you guys why Griffey is my favorite player.

[fenrir]

probably frank thomas or greg maddux. im also a mays fan, but out of the players ive seen play it's between thomas and maddux. arod and pujols are up there too.

[Wade8813]

All of the Mariners stars have been favorites over the years, A-Rod, Griffey, Edgar, Buhner, Moyer, Ichiro, Boone...

The same applies for my 2nd favorite team, the Braves, although since I don't hear any of the local media hype, they tend to have to be bigger names for me to notice them as much - Maddux, Smoltz, Glavine, Chipper, Andruw (I didn't become a Braves fan until somewhere in the mid-nineties, so players before then didn't make my list).

I've also loved the biggest and best - Ruth, Walter, Williams, Hornsby, etc. And then there were those who I thought were the best, when I was a kid - Nolan Ryan and Sandy Koufax. I thought the world revolved around strikeouts.

I don't know who I'd pick if I had to choose one all-time favorite.

[Old Sweater]

Mickey Mantle, the Yankees were my #1 team as a kid growing up and were on TV more then the other teams here in Colorado.


Since the Rockies have been around my favorite is Larry Walker. The guy could do it all but just to see him throw the ball, deke the runners in RF and run the bases was just amazing to me how natural it came to him. I don't think that Walker had to think about doing anything but hitting, the rest he just done.

[digglahhh]

All Time: probably Teddy Ballgame

In my lifetime: Pedro Martinez

The guy I most enjoy watching in any sport is Kobe Bryant though.

[Urbanshocker13]

Favorite player of all time, George Herman Ruth! The Babe! I know not the most original choice but you can' t help but love the Babe's personallity. He was larger than life, really loved to have a good time and was filled with charisma. Plus his life story is just amazing, the poor kid that was basically abandoned and was rasied in a reform school became the best baseball player of all time, and one of the most famous people in the world! Besides all that his feats on the ball field where amazing! He dominated the sport, he was like nothing seen before, Many of his moments on the field are mythic and allot of them are true! He wasn't perfect but that just make him even more interesting, a writer couldn't write a character like Ruth, he was one of kind!

Real close to the Babe are Mickey Mantle and Lou Gehrig. Mickey was my dad's favorite player growing up like tons of kids of his generation. Mickey, the country kid landing in New York City with a cardboard suitcase and a cheap suite and became a hero to millions! He hit mamouth Homeruns and was one of the greatest ballplayers of all time. He always seemed to have a childlike energy and sweetness about him. But Mickey was very troubled, he was far from perfect he did many things that hurt his playing and his life, mickey in alot of was is a very tragic hero. But that for me makes him even more indearing, because he is human. You can understand mantle and his short comeings, You can look up to someone as an idol but it's better when you can see that he is a real person.

Another tragic Yankee hero Lou Gehrig. Probally the only hitter that could hit behind Ruth! Truely a great player, strong and powerful one of the best hitters of all time! Mostly overshadowed by Ruth (and later Joe D) he sometimes out played him! The only player that could come close to Ruth in the Yankees powerful lineup. As he was one of the few that where close to Ruth in hitting ability, he was an opposite to Ruth's larger then life personallity. Quite, humble, hardworking, honest, and reserved, he also played the game with class and was classy off the field too. He died way too young. I wish I could have seen any of them play live!

A player I did get to see play, is my fovorite player growing up the same as many Yankee fans my age, Don Mattingly. For Yankee fans my age there wasn't any championship teams to cheer for in the 80's and early 90's only Donnie! Some years the Yankees where just plain horrible but we always had Mattingly. He was a great hitter, could hit homers and was graceful in the field. He just looked like a ballpalyer, dirty uniform, eyeblack, tobacco in his cheek, mustache and unshaven face. He played the game right and always played hard. In a time of flashy loud cockey ballplayers like Conseco, Mattingly was quit, humble and classy. I played 1rstbase like donnie and I made sure to have a baseball card from every year he played, from his rookie card to his last year. A back Injury diminished his skills and career way quickly, he missed a championship by one year and his injury will make him come up short for the HOF as well. But Mattingly is more important to Yankee fans than his stats and awards. For many years he was the Yankees, and is still one of the most popular Yankees.

Sorry if I am rambling, or being too sappy or nostalgic or chessey. Guess I just got a little carried away with explaining myself.

[Scoops]

My all-time favourite is Joe DiMaggio. My favourite player I've seen in person is Ken Griffey Jr. DiMaggio is the epitome of the Yankees to me, even more than Ruth (who is obviously the greater player). Plus: He married Marilyn Monroe, come on! For Griffey, aside from his grace in the field (earlier in his career :P ), I have always loved his swing. Absolutely loved it. One of the most beautiful things in baseball.

Also: Urban Shocker has the greatest name in the history of sports, and possibly in the history of names (Urbain Shockor is kinda cool too).