• Featured |
  • Burton DeWitt
  • Vin Diec
  • Trevor Freeman
  • Diane M. Grassi
  • Gabe Kahn
  • Ryan McGowan
  • Kris Pollina
  • Matt Waters
  • Ray Yocke
  • -----------
  • Write for SC
  • Get Featured
  • Nominate
• blog |
• Journals

• NFL
• NBA
• MLB
• NHL
• College
• Other

• forums + |
  • Chat Room
  • Message Boards
  • Philly Message Boards
  • Photo Pool
• Submit |
• Help

IN OUR TIME VS IN THEIR PRIME

By alexferguson60, Section MLB
Posted on Thu Jul 28 2005 at 8:13 PM EST
More on: (all tags)

Welcome to round 1 of In their time vs In their prime, where we mash together the cream of the current year vs the cream of the past. Who will win? Don't know, but there's gonna be some long ball, baby...

LEAD OFF/OUTFIELDER: OF ICHIRO SUZUKI (MARINERS) VS OF RICKEY HENDERSON (ATHLETICS)

Suzuki's did what many Americans failed to do in years of trying and broke the hits record. He's averaged around the .300 mark in his few years with the Mariners, and he's unbelievable with the glove. A constant thorn is every pitcher's side, he's the reason why the Mariners aren't as bad as they could have been over the last two seasons.
Rickey was the walking "Great Base Robbery", notching up not one, not two, but three ego-fuelled seasons with 100 thieved bags- including one 130-steal season. Oh, and he could bat too, hitting a tidy career average of .279.

WE THINK: RICKEY! RICKEY! RICKEY!

SHORTSTOP :DEREK JETER (NYY) VS SHORTSTOP OZZIE SMITH (CARDINALS)

Listen, both are incredible with the glove, and Jeter WILL join Ozzie in the Hall-of-fame. And it's not just about THAT play against Oakland that gets Jeter into my team, it's about plays he makes 24-7 for New York. And he's also a great opposite-field hitter.  As for Ozzie Smith, well, wow. They didn't call him "The Wizard" for nothing. Every day when Smith was at shortstop, he seemed to record a "Play of the Day" nomination, and when he retired in 1996, we all had a tear in our eye. For what he lacked with the bat (.262 avg), he made up in base-thieving, with 580 career SBs.

WE THINK: SPLIT

OUTFIELD:     BARRY BONDS (SFG) VS HANK AARON (ATL/MIL)

Love him or loathe him, Barry Bonds is still the best home run hitter this generation will ever know. Before bad knees got him in '05, Barry was by and and away the biggest danger, with the ball going yard with every swing he seemed to take. Bitchy to the media, he's hated in everywhere but San Francisco, but we'd all secretly love it if he beat Henry Aaron to the home run title- even if it's to say to our kids: "I was watching."
Hank Aaron, however, was modest enough. When he broke the home run record, it was head down, loping around the bases. With 755 career round-trippers he was the best home-run hitter that ever was. Period.

THIRD BASEMAN: ALEX RODRIGUEZ (NYY) VS MIKE SCHMIDT (PHI)

Known as the best player ever to play the hot corner, Mike Schmidt's numbers were ungodly. Not only did he average .316, but he also averaged 37 homers and 107 RBI a year for the Phillies. We also love him because he actually played for one club- showing that class and money do equal loyalty...sometimes.
As for A-Rod, what can't you say about him? At the moment, he's averaging .318, with 28 homers and 80 RBIs, and he's leading all third basemen in hitting. Unfortunately, he's pretty inconsistent at fielding his position, but makes it up with hitting.

WE THINK: SCHMIDT. Think what he could have done with steroids...

FIRST BASEMAN: DERRICK LEE (CHC)ALBERT PUJOLS (STL) VS LOU GEHRIG (NYY)

We all know that Lee's 32 homers, .366 average, 81 RBIs, 12 steals, 50 walks and 135 hits this year have got us thinking 'triple crown' this year. However, Pujols' numbers season in, season out have been tremendous. This year (.336, 27 HR, 79 RBI, 9 steals, 51 walks, 80 runs, 126 hits) is no exception for one of the hottest-hitting, most humble men in baseball.
Lou "The Iron Horse" Gehrig was a person and player that most sportsmen should look to for an example. Before succumbing to an eventually fatal illness, Gehrig averaged 37 HRs, 149 RBI, 8 stolen bases and 204 hits in his career, to go with his sick batting average of .340.

WE THINK: GEHRIG. While, we can't wait for Pujols' numbers when he finishes his career. And at this rate, nor can we wait for Derrick Lee's. But will they have the modesty of The Iron Horse? Only time will tell.

OUTFIELD : VLADIMIR GUERRERO (LAA) VS TED WILLIAMS (BOS) JOE DIMAGGIO (NYY)/MICKEY MANTLE (NYY)

Before you start arguing, we couldn't separate Williams, DiMaggio or Mantle, so they're both got two at-bats each. And knowing them, they'd probably do some damage. `The Mick' was extremely partial to the high fly-ball (536 career homers), `Teddy Ballgame' could plain hit (three .400 seasons), and Joltin' Joe, on top of getting bonus points for being Mr Monroe, could get the runner in (career average of 143 RBI/year).
This all makes Vladi look human. He's got an incredible arm, reminding many of the outfield style of Roberto Clemente. He's currently hitting 19 homers with 63 RBIs at a .310 clip - rather like his career, really. People can forgive his monstrous strike zone because he's a future Hall of Famer.

DH: DAVID ORTIZ (BOS) VS BABE RUTH (NYY)

What Babe Ruth did with the baseball is famed, so don't get us started on the words "700", "God" and "House". Sure, we can all bitch about the short porch at Yankee Stadium, but the man changed the way baseball was played and how it would be played forever.
Whilst we don't want to mention Ortiz in the same breath as the Babe, we will say this: for one October, Boston had their Ruth back. The clutch hits, the last-inning dingers, the not-so-slow baserunning, and the expression whenever he cuffed a ball over the roof. That season was last season. This season, he's not been too shabby either, hitting .295 with 24 homers, 87 RBI, and 71 runs. And so frightening is Ortiz that people are prepared to walk him to get to Manny Ramirez. Not a choice I would like if I was pitching.

OUTFIELD: MANNY RAMIREZ (BOS) VS WILLIE MAYS (NYG/SFG)

"It's always an adventure in leftfield when Manny's playing", you heard the commentators saying when the Red Sox outfielder made an heinous, run-costing error. But the bat that he holds is the most frightening thing. A future Hall-Of-Famer, Ramirez is a home run and RBI machine, unflappable at best, unstoppable at worst.
Willie Mays, was also an adventure in the outfield. If you haven't seen "The Catch", then find someone who does. It's as beautiful now as it was in 1954. Oh, and Willie could bat, too, hitting 660 home runs and averaging .302 through his 22-year career.

SECOND BASEMAN:  BRIAN ROBERTS (BAL) VS ROGERS HORNSBY

Any modern player would never come up against Rogers Hornsby, who won 7 Batting Titles, nine slugging percentage titles, and 8 On-base average titles. In other words, ouch. He was the best right-handed hitter. And "The Rajah" had 2,085 hits in a ten-year period, one of the best that ever was...as long as you didn't want a long-range throw.  
Brian Roberts will probably win the Batting Title this year after his white-hot start (he's still batting .333 this year). He's also having fun stealing (19), hitting (120 hits), hammering the thing (15 HR) and batting people in (51). But let's be honest, Brian will never compare to the Rajah. Not in a million years.

WE THINK: HORNSBY But a country mile. Although Roberts is probably quicker!

CATCHER: IVAN RODRIGUEZ (DET) VS JOHNNY BENCH (CIN)

Ivan Rodriguez still has such an arm that base stealers like Scott Posednik won't run against him. And if a runner does try his luck, then he's most likely to be out number 1, 2 or 3. At the bat, he's averaged .306, with 23 homers and 91 RBI throughout his career. And there's always THAT play at the plate in the ALDS against the Giants when he was playing for the Marlins.
Johnny, Johnny, Johnny. He played his whole career for Marge `alcoholic' Schott and the Cincinnati Reds. He was a key part of the Big Red Machine, that ruled the 70s. Although his average was a not-too-special .267, the 29 homers, 103 RBIs and 82 runs were none-too-shabby. He was also quite a presence behind the plate, before his knees gave up and he played the infield.

                   THE CONCLUSION

So who would win--- let's be honest, the young ones don't have a chance....23-10 Oldies