Mike Piazza vs Josh Gibson

[TomBodet]

I don't doubt for a sec Josh = Foxx maybe if he'd been given the chance. You just donno. Piazza hit more off field homers, very strong, great bat. Bench Fwiw is my all time catcher.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

I'll throw this out there. Let's assume for a moment that Gibson was as good as the legends say he was. What separates Gibson from Buzz Arlett? Shouldn't Arlett be viewed as one of the game's greatest hitters as well? Arlett was called the "Babe Ruth of the minor leagues" because he pitched and hit. After Arlett played his one major league season at age 32 in 1931 with the Philadelphia Phillies this is what Lefty O'Doul said about Arlett.

Looking back at the 1931 season, Lefty O'Doul, a contemporary of Arlett in the Pacific Coast League, offered a sobering commentary on Buzz's only season in the sun. He remarked to press that had Arlett been in the big leagues five years earlier, he would have been "the Babe Ruth of the National Circuit."

In Arlett's minor leaguer career, mostly in the PCL, he hit .341 with a .604 slugging percentage with 432 HR and 1,786 RBI/1,610 runs in 2,392 games. In essence Arlett was a white "Negro Leaguer". He was barred from the majors because his minor league owner refused to sell Arlett's contract to a major league team.

Here's Arlett with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

Arlett-Ruth-Gehrig 2.jpeg

[chicagowhitesox1173]

I don't know much about Arlett but I gotta give him alot of credit for the way he hit in 1931. He looks pretty big compared to Ruth and Gehrig so had he played a full MLB career I would bet he would have hit very well.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

I don't know much about Arlett but I gotta give him alot of credit for the way he hit in 1931. He looks pretty big compared to Ruth and Gehrig so had he played a full MLB career I would bet he would have hit very well.

I'd never heard of Arlett until this past August. He quickly became one of my all-time favorite "obscure" old time ballplayers. I started a thread about him.

http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?110483-Buzz-Arlett

[chicagowhitesox1173]

I'd never heard of Arlett until this past August. He quickly became one of my all-time favorite "obscure" old time ballplayers. I started a thread about him.

http://www.baseball-fever.com/showth...83-Buzz-Arlett

I can see how much managers thought of defense back then to keep a guy like him out of the majors. Showboat Fischer got the same kind of deal.

[pheasant]

I never heard of Arlett, HWR. That guy was monster in size as he dwarfs the 6'2" 220 lb Babe and the 6'1" 212 lb Gehrig. He's an interesting character.

His one MLB season in the hitter-friendly Baker Bowl gets blown away by his Minor League stats. Part of me has a feeling that Gibson's stats would have dropped similarly. Let's look at the 4 Minor League seasons that surround his 1931 MLB season and see how they stack up:

I'll look at ab/HR, avg, slug%

1929 18.5, .374/.655
1930 19.9, .361/.626
1931 23.2, .313/.538
1932 9.5, .339/.733
1933 13.6, .343/.650

[SHOELESSJOE3]

I'll throw this out there. Let's assume for a moment that Gibson was as good as the legends say he was. What separates Gibson from Buzz Arlett? Shouldn't Arlett be viewed as one of the game's greatest hitters as well? Arlett was called the "Babe Ruth of the minor leagues" because he pitched and hit. After Arlett played his one major league season at age 32 in 1931 with the Philadelphia Phillies this is what Lefty O'Doul said about Arlett.

Looking back at the 1931 season, Lefty O'Doul, a contemporary of Arlett in the Pacific Coast League, offered a sobering commentary on Buzz's only season in the sun. He remarked to press that had Arlett been in the big leagues five years earlier, he would have been "the Babe Ruth of the National Circuit."

In Arlett's minor leaguer career, mostly in the PCL, he hit .341 with a .604 slugging percentage with 432 HR and 1,786 RBI/1,610 runs in 2,392 games. In essence Arlett was a white "Negro Leaguer". He was barred from the majors because his minor league owner refused to sell Arlett's contract to a major league team.

Here's Arlett with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

[ATTACH]117483[/ATTACH]

You gotta be very big, to stand next to Lou and Babe and look bigger than both of them.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Wrong thread!

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Bump for the newbies.

[Herr28]

You gotta be very big, to stand next to Lou and Babe and look bigger than both of them.

Maybe in MLB back in the 20s or 30s, not so much today. They would be pretty average compared to many of today's players.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Maybe in MLB back in the 20s or 30s, not so much today. They would be pretty average compared to many of today's players.

Buzz was 6'3", 235-240 lbs. I don' think the average MLB player today is 6'3", 240 lbs is he? Buzz was about the same size and weight as Jim Thome.

[Herr28]

Buzz was 6'3", 235-240 lbs. I don' think the average MLB player today is 6'3", 240 lbs is he? Buzz was about the same size and weight as Jim Thome.

I was responding to his comment about standing next to the other two guys and making them look small. They would not look so big today. Buzz was a beast, and would still fill a doorway today. I didn't say anything about the guy who was standing next to the other two, and looking bigger than both of them.

[pheasant]

My gut is that Josh Gibson was a similar hitter to Jimmie Foxx- tremendous power with a good average. I am pretty confident that Gibson was a top 5 Negro League hitter ever. But I have Piazza slightly ahead of Foxx. Piazza on the road batted .340 and slugged .605 over a 10 year run. He was a monster at the dish. I think Gibson would have been really close. But the tie goes to the guy with the actual stats. I do see a case for Gibson. He had to have been very good to get the reputation that he had.

My question to the doubters is this: how many Negro Leaguers as highly praised as Gibson flopped in MLB? I doubt that there are many.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Bump.

[1905 Giants]

Apparently I voted for Piazza, but I am conflicted.