Best First Baseman of All Time

[Nosferatu]

This is about how I figured the voting would go...

 

[Chewbaccer]

I'll always think of Thomas as a 1B and not a DH.

Maybe it's because I saw him play the most as the Phillies first baseman.

Thome, not Thomas, obviously

 

[williewilliejuan]

The numbers clearly support Gehrig, but I think a compelling argument can be made for Pujols (pending what he does for the remainder of his career). It's extremely hard to compare players across eras, but it's equally hard to ignore the overall caliber of play in the modern game versus Gehrig's era.

 

[Erie Warrior]

The numbers clearly support Gehrig, but I think a compelling argument can be made for Pujols (pending what he does for the remainder of his career). It's extremely hard to compare players across eras, but it's equally hard to ignore the overall caliber of play in the modern game versus Gehrig's era.

Pujols is up there. like you said, it really depends how much he has left in his tank.

Gehrig is one the few players that I wish I could have seen play.

 

[Chasin' Utleys]

Hank Greenberg's in the righty conversation.

6th alltime in slugging. Missed all or most of five seasons(the entire end of his prime) to the war.

Still holds the AL season RBI record. And is IMO, the greatest Jew in baseball history.

Better than Mike Leiberthal?!?!?!?

J/K...though Mike was a pretty good catcher for the Phillies, had a helluva 1999........having trouble coming up with more Jews at the fielding positions...

 

[Chasin' Utleys]

The numbers clearly support Gehrig, but I think a compelling argument can be made for Pujols (pending what he does for the remainder of his career). It's extremely hard to compare players across eras, but it's equally hard to ignore the overall caliber of play in the modern game versus Gehrig's era.

Did Gehrig hit the juice too?

 

[Chasin' Utleys]

My homer pick is Miguel Cabrera, don't rely count him as a 3B. Decent fielder and when he is done will have prolific numbers.

Problem with first base is it's a catch all....a lot of guys played first after they couldn't handle a previous position. Is Pete Rose a real 1st baseman?

Pete Rose played over 200 games at SIX different positions, Pete Rose is whatever Pete Rose says he is...

 

[UK Cowboy]

You could argue Lou as the greatest players of all time

 

[redseat]

Alex Rodriguez..... When all things are done

But Harmon or Lou

 

[steveringo]

Picked double x. I knew Gehrig would get all the vote, so I took the second best...

Surprised to see others got votes....

 

[StanMarsh51]

Pete Rose played over 200 games at SIX different positions, Pete Rose is whatever Pete Rose says he is...

Except a non-gambler when it comes to his own teams?

 

[obxyankeefan]

Better than Mike Leiberthal?!?!?!?

J/K...though Mike was a pretty good catcher for the Phillies, had a helluva 1999........having trouble coming up with more Jews at the fielding positions...

Shawn Green

 

[Chasin' Utleys]

Except a non-gambler when it comes to his own teams?

I'll take a guy that bet on his team to win over a guy that used roids ANY day of the week.

 

[broncosmitty]

Better than Mike Leiberthal?!?!?!?

J/K...though Mike was a pretty good catcher for the Phillies, had a helluva 1999........having trouble coming up with more Jews at the fielding positions...

Ian Kinsler and Shawn Greene, that's all I got off the top of my head.

 

[Chewbaccer]

Ian Kinsler and Shawn Greene, that's all I got off the top of my head.

Ryan Braun
Gabe Kappler

There's a few others that played for Israel in the last WBC that I can't remember for the life of me.

 

[flyerhawk]

The numbers clearly support Gehrig, but I think a compelling argument can be made for Pujols (pending what he does for the remainder of his career). It's extremely hard to compare players across eras, but it's equally hard to ignore the overall caliber of play in the modern game versus Gehrig's era.

His St. Louis career was comparable. But he has seen a significant drop since he went to the Angels. 170 OPS+ with the Cards. 128 OPS+ in Anaheim. Gehrig had a lifetime 179.

Greenberg probably would be my number 2 guy. Then Foxx.

 

[williewilliejuan]

His St. Louis career was comparable. But he has seen a significant drop since he went to the Angels. 170 OPS+ with the Cards. 128 OPS+ in Anaheim. Gehrig had a lifetime 179.

Greenberg probably would be my number 2 guy. Then Foxx.

I have to look at all of the pre-integration stats with a bit of a grain of salt, which is why it's tough to compare across eras. It's a bit of an oversimplification, but to me this is a very telling factoid: Prior to integration, the 0.400 BA mark was surpassed 35 times. Since integration, zero.

Of course there are other factors at play as well, but simply comparing stats to stats without looking at the broader context can be misleading.

 

[Sportsdude101]

Bill Buckner

 

[flyerhawk]

I have to look at all of the pre-integration stats with a bit of a grain of salt, which is why it's tough to compare across eras. It's a bit of an oversimplification, but to me this is a very telling factoid: Prior to integration, the 0.400 BA mark was surpassed 35 times. Since integration, zero.

Of course there are other factors at play as well, but simply comparing stats to stats without looking at the broader context can be misleading.

OPS+ compares your numbers to your peers. And every era has its own special considerations.

If you look at the number of times players batted over .400 after 1910, which is generally considered the beginning of modern baseball, it happened 12 times. Number of times it happened after 1930 and the advent of Babe Ruth? 2. So I'm not really sure I agree with using that stat as a measurement of quality. I think it is more a measurement of how the game has changed.

The game changes. From 1964-1994 there were 3 players who hit 50 HRs in a season once.

 

[williewilliejuan]

OPS+ compares your numbers to your peers. And every era has its own special considerations.

If you look at the number of times players batted over .400 after 1910, which is generally considered the beginning of modern baseball, it happened 12 times. Number of times it happened after 1930 and the advent of Babe Ruth? 2. So I'm not really sure I agree with using that stat as a measurement of quality. I think it is more a measurement of how the game has changed.

The game changes. From 1964-1994 there were 3 players who hit 50 HRs in a season once.

I get that, but if your "peers" excludes a significant segment of the population that could potentially play the game, even a comparison to peers can be misleading. We can say pretty definitively that Gehrig was head and shoulders better than the players of his era. I don't think we can say anything close to that if one were to compare him to Pujols or Cabrera.