If You Had The Power...

[Beaker]

As a Packer fan, we lost 2 very promising WRs too early in the 90s. I want to see what Sterling Sharpe and Robert Brooks would have done with better injury luck.

 

[trojanfan12]

Surprised no one has mentioned Tracy McGrady...there was a time when some thought he was better than Kobe.

 

[shopson67]

Surprised no one has mentioned Tracy McGrady...there was a time when some thought he was better than Kobe.

You can find someone to believe just about anything

 

[shopson67]

The Len Bias mention brought Hank Gathers to mind. Another one taken far too young.

 

[Duffman]

Terrell Davis

 

[trojanfan12]

You can find someone to believe just about anything

True...but when he was healthy, you could make a case.

 

[broncosmitty]

Mark Fidrych

Bill Walton

Billy Sims

For guys I haven’t seen mentioned.

 

[broncosmitty]

True...but when he was healthy, you could make a case.

Early 2000’s, like TMACs Magic days, it was real close.

 

[PolarVortex]

Would have been interesting to see what kind of stats Koufax might have rung up in 1968, the so-called 'year of the pitcher' when the pitcher's mound was raised and McClain won 31 games and Gibson had a 1.12 ERA.

Pitching stats from 1968. 49 pitchers with an ERA under 3.00

1968 Major League Baseball Standard Pitching | Baseball-Reference.com

Check out the standard pitching stats for all the Major League Baseball teams and players on Baseball-Reference.com

www.baseball-reference.com

 

[RobToxin]

Roy Tarpley's drug addiction.

 

[bksballer89]

Grant Hill
Roy
Penny

 

[GoldRusher]

Bo
Magic (HIV)
Bernard King
Sandy Koufax

 

[RobToxin]

Joe Delaney. In his two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, he set four franchise records that would last for over 2 decades.

Delaney died at the age of 24. Drowned while trying to save small children from the same fate.

 

[The Q]

Kevin Garnett in 2009 is up there for me. Not sure it's #1, but it's way up there.

He was never the same

cost the Celtics at least 2 titles.

 

[The Q]

View attachment 357118

He'd still never have made the ECF

 

[thunderc]

Marcus Dupree

 

[shopson67]

Bo
Magic (HIV)
Bernard King
Sandy Koufax

I feel stupid for not thinking of Magic. Not an injury, but still....

 

[The Q]

Marcus Dupree

The best that never was….

 

[WiggyRuss]

to go back and remove injury or circumstance from 1 players career (any sport) to see what they could have done with a full career...who are "saving"?

Bo Jackson who was all star caliber in 2 professional sports?

Arvydas Sabonis who was arguably the greatest international player ever and who, due to where he was born, wasn't able to play in the NBA until he was 31 with bad knees. But still was a very good NBA player?

Andrew Bynum who had just reached a point where he was considered one of, if not the best center in the NBA and had his knees fall off.

Andrew Luck who was one of the best QB's in the NFL and suddenly retired in his prime?

How much more does Tiger Woods accomplish if not for injuries and other "circumstances"?

Who ya got?

since the Indians/Guardians are my favorite team one of the guys that comes to mind is Grady Sizemore- looked like a sure-fire hall of famer and then it fell apart because of injury.

first 4 full years in the big leagues:

22 years old- 2005- 158 games- 22 hrs, 22 sb, 111 R, 81 RBI's- amazing defense
23 years old- 2006- 162 games- 28 hr, 22 sb, 134 runs (wow), 76 rbi,- amazing defense
24 years old- 2007- 162 games- 24 hr, 33 sb, 101 runs, 78 rbis- amazing defense
25 years old- 2008- 157 games, 33 hr, 38 steals, 101 runs, 101 runs, 90 rbis

fell apart after that

power, speed, defense, athleticism- played practically every single game.....he was a true 5 tool guy- and his last full season was at age 25- how many guys have over 110 homers and SB's 3 all star games, 2 gold gloves and 3 top 12 MVP finishes before turning 26?- couldve been one of the best CF'ers in a long time....but not to be.

 

[WiggyRuss]

What followed was a four-season burst that few players in Major League history could replicate. Sizemore played nearly every day from 2005-08. He got on base (.372 OBP), showed 20-30 homer power (.496 SLG), was an elite baserunner (115 steals) and played at least a solid (and thrilling) center field. Put it all together, and Albert Pujols, Chase Utley and Alex Rodriguez were the only hitters to accrue more WAR during that time.


This sensational stretch placed Sizemore in prestigious company. Through 2008, his four-year FanGraphs WAR of 27.3 from ages 22-25 ranked in the top 20 in modern history for a position player, essentially even with Stan Musial and Barry Bonds, and just ahead of Willie Mays. Or, to compare Sizemore with a contemporary outfielder, consider this:

Grady Sizemore, ages 22-25 (2005-08)
2,950 PA, .372 OBP, .496 SLG, 129 wRC+, 107 HR, 115 SB, 27.3 fWAR
Mookie Betts, ages 22-25 (2015-18)
2,710 PA, .370 OBP, .524 SLG, 135 wRC+, 105 HR, 103 SB, 28.8 fWAR

Sizemore’s most similar players by age during that time, per Baseball-Reference’s calculations? Hall of Famer Duke Snider, Betts and Bonds.