AGMVC: Top 10 Hitters of All Time

While this is one of the greatest 4-year runs in offensive history and a testament to the absolute fear Bonds placed in every pitcher and manager that was more than happy to intentionally walk him with the bases loaded, I can't see my way to giving him the "hitting credit" to place him top 4 or 5 all time. For as much as batting average isn't a great statistic for measuring a player's total offensive production it is a basic interpretation of hitting and Barry was not a .300 lifetime hitter until his off-the-charts .370 season in 2002. Barry has had 200 hits in a season zero times (granted this is because of his high walk totals), and while he's only struck out over 100 times in a season once, he has been over 90 three other times. If I'm making a top 10 hitters list, I'm looking for power and production, but consistency, longevity, some nice hit totals, low strikeout numbers.

2. Joe Mauer 3. Joe Mauer 4. Joe Mauer 5. Joe Mauer 6. Joe Mauer 7. Joe Mauer 8. Joe Mauer 9. Joe Mauer

2. Joe Mauer 3. Joe Mauer 4. Joe Mauer 5. Joe Mauer 6. Joe Mauer 7. Joe Mauer 8. Joe Mauer 9. Joe Mauer

2. Joe Mauer 3. Joe Mauer 4. Joe Mauer 5. Joe Mauer 6. Joe Mauer 7. Joe Mauer 8. Joe Mauer 9. Joe Mauer

2. Joe Mauer 3. Joe Mauer 4. Joe Mauer 5. Joe Mauer 6. Joe Mauer 7. Joe Mauer 8. Joe Mauer 9. Joe Mauer

Ruth may have been an unbelieveable hitter but so was Ted Williams in his ways. For being a hitter that studied his pitches and pitchers, for batting over .300 most of his career only batting under .300 once and over .400 one or two times he sure as hell was the number one hitter of all time no question. As well as the other records he set and awards he achieved and won, talk about a great player! Yes, he doesn't meet Ruth's career status but just think if he would of played the years he was fighting in the wars, Ted would of easily hit over 714 homers. Now Ruth could of hit maybe 800 maybe less then 800 homers but I would put him in third on all time list of homers at the time because Ruth and Williams would of been past by. If he would of took better care of himself and didn't have bad knees he would of deff no question set records that no one would break today and would of deff be still to this very day the all time homerun leader. Yes, if your thinking of Mickey Mantle then your correct, with his power of tape messure homers and speed on the field he would def sets records that would be unbreakable. That's why I put him in the number 3 spot, in my eyes he was the greatest Yankee ever! But Gehrig would probably put Ruth in his place to , if he would of never died so early he to would of passed Ruth. Now you probably asking why is Hank Aaron number 10 under number 5 Willie Mays because Willie Mays was the best black player ever! simple as that. Joe D?, well he's no Williams, Ruth or Mantle so that's why he's number 6, if he would of played the years he missed he would of hit probably 500 some homeruns no more. Rose well come on a bad ass Reds player like that def he's one of the greatest hitters, hell he's the all time leader, but him gambling well I'm disappointed about that to. Tony and Cal well they were the last two American icon ball players that rietierd that played the game the right way in my eyes, they are two good hall of famers, baseball needs a new hero or hero's like that some it will come! Last but not least good old Hengry Aaron good player yes, hitt big and played well, he might not be in the top five on my list but he's def on my top ten.

statistic. It is a modified OPS (OB% + SLG%). It's equal to (BB+1B+2*2B+3*3B+4*HR+SH+SB-CS-GIDP)/(TPA-HBP). It's basically the average number of bases obtained per plate appearance (as opposed to AB's), except batters are also added a base for a sacrifice hit or a stolen base and penalized a base for a GIDP or caught stealing. Of course not all of these stats were not kept for all time but here is my top 10 based on this batter production average:

1: B Ruth 1.030 (Note 2,3,5) 2: H Greenberg 0.962 (Note 2,3,5) 3: L Gehrig 0.954 (Note 3,5) 4:J Foxx 0.927 (Note 2,3,5) 5: T Williams 0.923 (Note 3) 6: M McGwire 0.912 7: B Bonds* 0.884 8: M Ramirez* 0.880 9: J DiMaggio 0.874 (Note 3,5) 10: J Thome* 0.837

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Note 3 - Stats not kept on sacrifice flies during his era Notes 3, 5 - Stats not kept on sacrifice flies, ground into double play Notes 2, 3, 5 - Stats not kept on caught stealing, sacrifice flies, ground into double play

And here's how the above mentioned players ranked: Alex Rodriguez - #11, 0.836 bases per plate appearance (Had best average in MLB in 2007) Ken Griffey Jr - #22, 0.792 Mike Schmidt - #23, 0.790 Al Simmons- #24, 0.789 Mickie Mantle - #28, 0.786 Harmon Killebrew - #31, 0.777 Vlad Guerrero - #32, 0.776 Sammy Sosa - #35, 0.770 R Hornsby - #38, 0.768 Hank Aaron - #43, 0.754 Willie Mays - #59, 0.740 Stan Musial - #74, 0.725 Reggie Jackson - #83, 0.717 Ty Cobb - #94, 0.710 (Best all timing batting average, but no where near the top 10 in terms of production) Ted Kluszewski - #130, 0.673 N Lajoie - #166, 0.647 T Speaker - #172, 0.644 George Brett - #196, 0.630 Don Mattingly - #227, 0.611 Mark Grace - #283, 0.577 Tony Gwynn - #369, 0.502 Wade Boggs - #383, 0.483 Rod Carew - #392, 0.458 Pete Rose - #398, 0.418 (Rose was the true Mr. Endurence with the most games, At Bats, plate appearances, and hits. But he is not did not have good average production.) Albert Pujols (0.846) is on track to knock Thome out of the #10 spot, but has only played 7 years. My top 10 have all have at least 5000 AB's. Ichiro Suzuki- not even in top 300. He also has less then

2.Ted Williams 3. Willie Mays 4.Joe DiMaggio 5. Ty Cobb 6.Mickey mantle 7. lou gehrig 8.shoeless joe jackson 9. Albert pojuls

He gets overshadowed by Cobb, which is why he only has one batting title, but he was at least top three in batting ten times in his career.

What's more is that he was the best defensive outfielder of his era by all accounts. Had gold gloves been around in Speaker's era there's no doubt his gold glove tally would be in double digits.

But you look at his era, who are the position players better then him. Ruth? Cobb? That's about it, and those guys are better then virtually every other position player anyway.

2.Ty Cobb 3.Ted Williams 4.Mickey Mantle 5.Rogers Hornsby 6.Jimmie Foxx 7.Stan Musial 8.Honus Wagner 9.Joe DiMaggio

2. Ted Williams 3.Willie Mays 4. Ty Cobb 5. Joe DiMaggio 6. Mickey Mantle 7Hank Aaron 8. Lou Gehrig 9. Joe Jackson