best season of all time: Left Field

[Blackout]

tip o'neill 1887: .435/.490/.691 14 HR 123 RBI 211 OPS+

ed delahanty 1896: .397/.472/.631 13 HR 126 RBI 187 OPS+

babe ruth 1921: .378/.512/.846 59 HR 171 RBI 239 OPS+

al simmons 1931: .390/.444/.641 22 HR 128 RBI 176 OPS+

ted williams 1941: .406/.553/.735 37 HR 120 RBI 235 OPS+

carl yastremski 1967: .326/.418/.622 44 HR 121 RBI 193 OPS+

jim rice 1978: .315/.370/.600 46 HR 139 RBI 157 OPS+

rickey henderson 1990: .325/.439/.577 28 HR 65 SB 188 OPS+

manny ramirez 2002: .349/.450/.647 33 HR 107 RBI 184 OPS+

barry bonds* 2004: .362/.609/.812 45 HR 101 RBI 259 OPS+

[Blackout]

I'll go for the guy with 457 total bases, 119 extra base hits and 177 runs.

not to mention 145 walks, 2 PITCHING victories and above average fielding

[Proctor, CF]

I'll go for the guy with 457 total bases, 119 extra base hits and 177 runs.

not to mention 145 walks, 2 PITCHING victories and above average fielding

Plus 17 SB and no pitching losses, is that all possible? Who could vote otherwise?

[bob]

Has to be the Babe. Williams '41 was incredible and so was bonds '04 (if you take it at face value), but Ruth has one of the top few seasons of all time ( i would say it is the best, but its close at the top). I dont see how you can better his performance in '21.

[whoisonit]

This is yet another "best" poll where it's probably more interesting to ask "who's # 2" because of the Babe !

So I'll vote thusly;

1- Ruth '21
2- Williams '41

& for the heck of it;

3- Rice '78

[brett]

tip o'neill 1887: .435/.490/.691 14 HR 123 RBI 211 OPS+

ed delahanty 1896: .397/.472/.631 13 HR 126 RBI 187 OPS+

babe ruth 1921: .378/.512/.846 59 HR 171 RBI 239 OPS+

al simmons 1931: .390/.444/.641 22 HR 128 RBI 176 OPS+

ted williams 1941: .406/.553/.735 37 HR 120 RBI 235 OPS+

carl yastremski 1967: .326/.418/.622 44 HR 121 RBI 193 OPS+

jim rice 1978: .315/.370/.600 46 HR 139 RBI 157 OPS+

rickey henderson 1990: .325/.439/.577 28 HR 65 SB 188 OPS+

manny ramirez 2002: .349/.450/.647 33 HR 107 RBI 184 OPS+

barry bonds* 2004: .362/.609/.812 45 HR 101 RBI 259 OPS+

The reason why I usually ignore your polls is because of the obvious biases that you include in the choices. You should know darn well than Bonds seasons in '92 and '93 would rank very high, but you basically disqualify him by using his steroid years.

Willams '41 was probably not his best season. Missed games. Poor defense compared to other seasons.

Rice '78 is maybe around 100th all time for seasons by a left fielder.

Bonds '92 and '93 probably tops Williams. In fact his 205 OPS+ in '93 compares well to Ruth's 239 in 1921, and he was probably the best defensive left fielder ever, and could have stolen 800 bases if he had been a lead-off man.

I vote Bonds '93

[Blackout]

LOL @ bonds in 1993 being more valuable than in 2004

[leecemark]

--I would probably have voted for Bonds 1993 season had it been listed. He was great at every aspect of the game that year and that season doesn't have the question marks surroundign its legitimacy that the 2004 season you selected do. Instead I voted for Yaz 1967. Not quite as good statistically as some of the others, but he did win the Triple Crown and lead in most other offensive categories. He was also great on defense (or as great as you can be playing LF in Fenway anyway). He cou;dn't steal bases like Bonds, but he was a very good baserunner. What really puts this season up with the all time greats for me though is it is one of the few occasions where a player actually did carry his team to the pennant (check out his finish in one of the most exciting pennant races of all time).

[brett]

LOL @ bonds in 1993 being more valuable than in 2004

That's exactly what I'm taling about. His stats in '04 may give you a biased justification in using that year in your polls even though you know that the "*" pretty much precludes him from coming out on top.

Your response just proves the point. You can (and do) manipulate polls to suit your personal biases.

[Blackout]

That's exactly what I'm taling about. His stats in '04 may give you a biased justification in using that year in your polls even though you know that the "*" pretty much precludes him from coming out on top.

Your response just proves the point. You can (and do) manipulate polls to suit your personal biases.

LOL so a .600 on-base percentage and .800 slugging are worth less than his 1993?

sure thing.

[brett]

LOL so a .600 on-base percentage and .800 slugging are worth less than his 1993?

sure thing.

First off, you didn't ask for most valuable or worth more. You asked for greatest. If steroids affect the greatness on '04 then '93 was greater. Go ahead and change the words to meet your desires. Its your poll. Second, you totally avoided the point I made which was that the '04 is statistically more valuable so you get to ignore the great '93 and '92 seasons as you wish even though the "*" pretty much invalidates it.

Bonds '04 was more valuable, in terms of producing wins, than any year by any other left fielder if that's what you want.

[whoisonit]

Willams '41 was probably not his best season. Missed games. Poor defense compared to other seasons.

1) What, in your opinion, is ? Do the facts back up your opinion ?
2) Defense is an irrelevant grading criteria for the purpose of this poll.

[leecemark]

--Why is defense irrelevnt? The poll question is "best season by a leftfielder". LF is hardly a glove first position, but good defense is still obviously better than bad defense.

[Blackout]

First off, you didn't ask for most valuable or worth more. You asked for greatest. If steroids affect the greatness on '04 then '93 was greater. Go ahead and change the words to meet your desires. Its your poll. Second, you totally avoided the point I made which was that the '04 is statistically more valuable so you get to ignore the great '93 and '92 seasons as you wish even though the "*" pretty much invalidates it.

Bonds '04 was more valuable, in terms of producing wins, than any year by any other left fielder if that's what you want.

wow somebody is pretty cranky today.

.336/.458/.677 29 SB 126 walks 204 OPS+ 11.9 runs created/9IP

or .362/.609/.812 6 SB 232 walks 259 OPS+ 22 runs created/9IP


i fail to see your logic here on why 1993 > 2004.

unless you REALLY value those 23 stolen bases.

[brett]

1) What, in your opinion, is ? Do the facts back up your opinion ?

Yes. His '42 and '46 season had higher WARP scores.

BBPro has him at +13 and +10 fielding runs above average in those two years but -6 in '41 which accounts for the difference.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/dt/willite01.php