Editor’s note: This first appeared on AMNY.com
Over the next two weeks, Metro Philadelphia and amNewYork Metro will be asking you, the readers, to help piece together Major League Baseball’s all-time starting lineup by voting who you think is the very best player at each position.
Each day, you will be given a list of 10 players per position where you can choose one (1) option.
Those looking to vote can submit their choices in several ways:
- Send your vote via email to sports editor Joe Pantorno at joseph.pantorno@metro.us
- Reach out to Pantorno on Twitter @JoePantorno
In our seventh installment today, we take a look at 10 of the greatest left fielders in MLB history.
- Check out and vote for our starting pitchers here.
- Check out and vote for our starting first basemen here.
- Check out and vote for our starting second basemen here.
- Check out and vote for our starting third basemen here.
- Check out and vote for our starting shortstops here.
- Check out and vote for our starting catchers here.
Players up for consideration on our all-time left-fielders list had to play at least 1,000 career MLB games with a majority of them coming at the position.
We were left with roughly 150 players who were put through the Metro vacuum, which included:
- Wins Above Replacement (WAR)
- Batting average (BA)
- On-base plus slugging percentage (OPS)
- Home runs (HR)
- Hits
- Runs batted in (RBI)
Taking their ranks within each statistic, an average number was deciphered. The lower the average number was, the better their standing.
Players with additional individual accolades, positive defensive metrics, and postseason successes were given an additional boost — allowing us to come to a list of 10 players that are considered the very best at their position.
Without further ado, here is today’s ballot for you to vote on, in alphabetical order:
Barry Bonds
Years active: 1986-2007
Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants
Stats: 162.8 WAR (1st all-time), .298 BA, 1.051 OPS (4th all-time), 2,935 hits, 762 HR (1st all-time), 1,996 RBI (6th all-time)
Metro average: 8.42
Accolades: 7x NL MVP (most all-time), 14x All-Star, 8x Gold Glove, 12x Silver Slugger, 2x NL Batting Champion (’02, ’04), 14-straight seasons with an OPS of 1.000 or better, All-time MLB leader in home runs, walks, and WAR
Rickey Henderson
Years active: 1979-2003
Teams: Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, Anaheim Angels, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers
Stats: 111.2 WAR (14th all-time), .279 BA, .820 OPS, 3,055 hits (26th all-time), 297 HR, 1,115 RBI, 1,406 stolen bases (1st all-time)
Metro average: 33.2
Accolades: 1990 AL MVP, 10x All-Star, 2x World Series, 1x Gold Glove, 3x Silver Slugger, All-time MLB leader in stolen bases and runs scored, Hall of Fame
Joe Medwick
Years active: 1932-1948
Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, Boston Braves
Stats: 54.3 WAR, .324 BA, .867 OPS, 2,471 hits, 205 HR, 1,198 RBI
Metro average: 24
Accolades: 1937 NL MVP and Triple Crown winner (.374, 31 HR, 154 RBI), 10x All-Star, 1x World Series, Hall of Fame
Stan Musial
Years active: 1941-1963
Team: St. Louis Cardinals
Stats: 128.3 WAR (8th all-time), .331 BA (30th all-time), .976 OPS (13th all-time), 3,630 hits (4th all-time), 475 HR, 1,951 RBI (8th all-time)
Metro average: 3.5
Accolades: 3x NL MVP (’43, ’46, ’48), 24x All-Star, 7x NL Batting Champion, Batted .340 or better seven times, 3x World Series, Hall of Fame
Manny Ramirez
Years active: 1993-2011
Teams: Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays
Stats: 69.3 WAR, .312 BA, .996 OPS (9th all-time), 2,574 hits, 555 HR (15th all-time), 1,831 RBI (19th all-time)
Metro average: 9
Accolades: 12x All-Star, 9x Silver Slugger, 2002 AL Batting Champion, 2x World Series, 2004 World Series MVP
Pete Rose
Years active: 1963-1986
Teams: Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Montreal Expos
Stats: 79.7 WAR, .303 BA, .784 OPS, 4,256 hits (1st all-time), 160 HR, 1,314 RBI
Metro average: 37.3
Accolades: 1963 NL Rookie of the Year, 1973 NL MVP, 17x All-Star, 3x NL Batting Champion (’68, ’69, ’73), 2x Gold Glove, 1x Silver Slugger, 3x World Series, 1975 World Series MVP, MLB all-time leader in hits, games played, and at-bats
Al Simmons
Years active: 1924-1944
Teams: Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators, Boston Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox
Stats: 68.0 WAR, .334 BA (23rd all-time), .915 OPS, 2,927 hits, 307 HR, 1,828 RBI (20th all-time)
Metro average: 10.6
Accolades: 3x All-Star, 2x World Series, 2x AL Batting Champion where he hit .381 and .390 (’30, ’31), Batted .392 in 1927, .340+ average in eight seasons, Hall of Fame
Willie Stargell
Years active: 1962-1982
Team: Pittsburgh Pirates
Stats: 57.5 WAR, .282 BA, .889 OPS, 2,232 hits, 475 HR, 1,540 RBI
Metro average: 26.83
Accolades: 1979 NL MVP, 7x All-Star, 2x World Series, 1979 World Series MVP, Hall of Fame
Ted Williams
Years active: 1939-1960
Team: Boston Red Sox
Stats: 121.9 WAR (11th all-time), .344 BA (T-7th all-time), 1.116 OPS (2nd all-time), 2,654 hits, 521 HR (T-20th all-time), 1,839 RBI (15th all-time)
Metro average: 4.5
Accolades: 2x AL MVP (’46, ’49), 2x AL Triple Crown winner (’42, ’47), 19x All-Star, 6x AL Batting Champion, Last player to hit .400 in MLB history (.406 in 1941), Highest career on-base percentage in MLB history (.482), Registered a 1.000 OPS in 18 of 19 MLB seasons, Lost three seasons due to military service, Hall of Fame
Carl Yastrzemski
Years active: 1961-1983
Team: Boston Red Sox
Stats: 96.4 WAR (22nd all-time), .285 BA, .841 OPS, 3,419 hits (9th all-time), 452 HR, 1,844 RBI (14th all-time)
Metro average: 22.16
Accolades: 1967 AL MVP and Triple Crown winner (.326, 44 HR, 121 RBI), 3x AL Batting Champion (’63, ’67, ’68), 18x All-Star, 7x Gold Glove, Hall of Fame
