The Best Player I Ever Saw Play

[Spudboy]

I've been thinking about all the big time players that I've seen over the years. Harmon Killebrew, Al Kaline, Willy Mays, Yaz, Mickey Mantel. The list goes on. I saw most of these guys play after their prime.

 

I'm interested to hear what members have to say. Who is the best player you ever saw play

(live, at a game), and on TV? I'm asking for two names, one from each category.

 

Mine are:

 

Ken Griffey Jr., live.

 

Roberto Clemente, TV.

[yankees228]

Barry Bonds for both.

 

What he did at the plate, steroids or no steroids, is incredible.

 

EDIT: I didn't realize you were looking for two names. I would have to think about another one. I've seen almost every player in person that I've seen on TV.

[Spudboy]

Barry Bonds for both.

 

What he did at the plate, steroids or no steroids, is incredible.

 

EDIT: I didn't realize you were looking for two names. I would have to think about another one. I've seen almost every player in person that I've seen on TV.

 

He can be the best player that you saw in both categories.

 

BTW, I saw him play left field for the Pirates against the Phillies at the Vet in 1986, I believe.

[Youk Of The Nation]

Pedro.

[Cocos Disciples]

In person: Pedro

 

On TV: Bonds

[redsoxrules]

Pedro

[Spudboy]

Pedro.

 

I love it! The best pitcher I ever saw live. What a competitor. It always amazed me that a guy with such a slight build could pitch with so much power. Hope to see him come back this year. I think he still has something left. If he can stay healthy.

[Dojji]

Never been to a game. I simply can't afford it.

 

I never actually saw Pedro on live TV except for one game.

 

2003. Game 7. ALCS.

 

So the best gut I saw in action, even on TV, is either Roger Clemens or Nomar Garciaparra.

[schillingouttheks]

Does "best player I've seen live" mean the player who put forth the best performance I've ever seen live, or the best player to have been playing in the game I was attending?

[ORS]

Never been to a game. I simply can't afford it.

 

I never actually saw Pedro on live TV except for one game.

 

2003. Game 7. ALCS.

 

So the best gut I saw in action, even on TV, is either Roger Clemens or Nomar Garciaparra.

This reeks of, "I'll say something contoversial for attention", better known as, extreme douchiness.

 

If you wanted to be cute about Pedro's performance that night, you could have at least picked the next best player on that field, Manny Ramirez.

 

For me, Pedro.

[Spudboy]

Does "best player I've seen live" mean the player who put forth the best performance I've ever seen live' date=' or the best player to have been playing in the game I was attending?[/quote']

 

Playing in a game that you attended.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

This reeks of, "I'll say something contoversial for attention", better known as, extreme douchiness.

 

If you wanted to be cute about Pedro's performance that night, you could have at least picked the next best player on that field, Manny Ramirez.

 

For me, Pedro.

 

Well this wass... unnecessary.

 

Anyway I think Ortiz was still considered our best player last April, so I'll go with that.

 

Beckett was supposed to pitch that night, but instead I got to watch David Pauley finger himself. Piss me off.

[Dipre]

Live: Manny (Playing in the DWL) He hit a tape measure shot at the first game i went to between Licey Tigers and Cibao Eagles, and if i remember correctly the shot was hit off of ex Major Leaguer Rafael Roque.

 

T.V: Albert Pujols: No explanation needed.

[Dojji]

This reeks of, "I'll say something contoversial for attention", better known as, extreme douchiness.

 

If you wanted to be cute about Pedro's performance that night, you could have at least picked the next best player on that field, Manny Ramirez.

 

For me, Pedro.

 

It's a fact. Other than that one game, all I know about Pedro is his reputation and how he handled himself in the playoffs in 2004 when he was already somewhat past his peak. not bad, but not at all vintage Pedro

 

I know he's fallen off severely since, and that warps our opinions in retrospect but at his peak, Garciaparra lost nothing in a comparison with Manny offenseively, added a speed on the basepaths Manny never had, and played SS, which he defended better than Manny ever defended LF.. If only he hadn't gotten hurt.

 

he may not have had the best overall career of a player I saw in action. But he was still the best player I saw in action.

[schillingouttheks]

The best player I've ever seen live is Pedro.

 

The best player I've ever seen on TV is probably Barry Bonds (see y228 post for my sentiments).

 

I had originally thought that "live player" was the player who put on the best performance I had ever seen live. If that was the case, I would go with Mike Mussina. I was at the game where he was one pitch away from a perfect game in '01.

[Dojji]

Well if that was the standard I'd have to use clay Buchholz' no no,.

[TheKilo]

JD Drew

[castigs850]

tim wakefield and tim wakefield

[Youk Of The Nation]

Mussina deserved that perfect game. Carl Everett is an uneducated jackbag.

[BoSox21]

Pedro, the reason I became a Sox fan. only saw him live with the Expos though

[Keeper]

I saw Bonds hit one onto Sheffield Avenue before he started juicing, and I saw Griffey go 4-4 against the White Sox back when he was originally on the Mariners and arguably the best player in baseball.

[26 to 6]

Mussina deserved that perfect game. Carl Everett is an uneducated jackbag.

That was a great game. I'll always hate Carl Everett for that.

[example1]

Pedro in 1999 and 2000 is the most spectacular display of baseball that I could imagine. It was similar in it's dominance to Bonds' seasons.

 

In 2000 he had a .7373 WHIP, the best single-season WHIP in history. He has the best career WHIP of a non-reliever and non-starter born after 1900 (1.0511), and even with those caveats he is 6TH on the all time list, just ahead of Christie Matthewson, Walter Johnson and Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown who didn't pitch in 1999. Pretty damn good company.

 

In 2000 he was also

4th ALL TIME in H/9

6th ALL TIME in K/BB

9th ALL TIME in K/9 (he also holds 2nd ALL TIME for 1999)

2nd ALL TIME in adjusted ERA+ (behind someone born in 1880)

 

virtually unhittable. Electric pinpoint closer stuff with no fear and plenty of gas, game after game after game.

 

In 1999 he had a series of games that went:

 

11K

15K

11K

15K

17K

14K

12K

12K

 

In those 8 games he went 7-1 with 62 IP, 107 K, 8 BB, 1.16 ERA, OBP .201, OPS .431.

 

I'm sorry if you didn't get to see him play much. He was truly spectactular.

[rician blast]

Best all-around player I've ever seen in my lifetime:

 

Barry Bonds

[BoSox21]

That was a great game. I'll always hate Carl Everett for that.

 

funny, I dont think anyone really hates Shannon Stewart

[Youk Of The Nation]

I do, because his name is Shannon.

[jacksonianmarch]

Barry Bonds, as much as I hate the douche, what he did in 2001 was incredible and will never be replicated, roids or no

[Cocos Disciples]

Shannon Stewart's lips were annoying. I remember them being enormous.

 

EDIT: Don't Google image Shannon Stewart if you're at work.

[Gom]

I saw Bonds hit a homer off of Lilly 2/3 of the way up in the upper deck. As soon as he hit it, the whole stadium just went "ooomph" as if we had just been gut-punched.

[example1]

I saw Bonds hit a homer off of Lilly 2/3 of the way up in the upper deck. As soon as he hit it' date=' the whole stadium just went "ooomph" [b']as if we had just been gut-punched.

[/b]

 

Good. Thanks Barry.