Curveballs and Sliders 07.27.07: Milestone Watch
Posted by Jared Marcus on 07.27.2007
This week in Curveballs and Sliders we take a look into the future at which players have the best shot at reaching 500 home runs and 3000 hits. Also we adjust the actual 3000 hit and 500 home run clubs to show which players would lead the categories if all things were equal. Plus we continue to count down the 10 best players from each U.S. State.
LEADING OFF
Hello all and welcome to another edition of Curveballs and Sliders. We have a lot to get to this week so I just want to jump right in.
In the last column I wrote at length about Craig Biggio and Frank Thomas and their candidacies for the Hall of Fame. I got a ton of feedback on that column and I would like to thank all of the readers who sent along thoughts, both good and bad. Part of that column was the issue of Craig Biggio and his reputation as a "stat-monger", a guy that has just compiled impressive stats by hanging around for a long time rather than dominating. I am still not sure if that is true or not, but it did get me thinking about other players that may be in a similar situation. To really evaluate where Biggio and others in the exclusive 500 HR and 3000 hit clubs stand, you need to compare them all on equal footing.
What I have done below is re-organized both the 500 HR club and 3000 hits club as if every single member of each had the exact same number of at-bats. Of course this is not an entirely accurate representation either as it doesn't account for decline or injury. And of course there should be some reward for consistency, but perhaps it shows who the best players were if every one of them were in their primes.
Below is a list of the actual 500 home run club and 3000 hits club, as well as my re-worked lists which are based on equal at bats for all members. In both cases I used the average at bats total of all members of each respective club. For 500 HR the average amount of at bats was 9,062 and for 3000 hits it was 10,647. Lastly, of course this does not account for players who are not in the respective clubs who may have gained entry had they had the same amount of at bats as well, (example: If Ralph Kiner had reached 9,062 at-bats he would have had 642 HR and if Ted Williams had reached 10,647 at-bats he would have tallied 3,667 hits) it only takes into account the players that are actually members of these clubs. Here are the lists:
500 HOME RUN CLUB
1) Hank Aaron 755
2) Barry Bonds 751
3) Babe Ruth 714
4) Willie Mays 660
5) Sammy Sosa 602
6) Ken Griffey Jr. 587
7) Frank Robinson 586
8) Mark McGwire 583
9) Harmon Killebrew 573
10) Rafael Palmeiro 569
11) Reggie Jackson 563
12) Mike Schmidt 548
13) Mickey Mantle 536
14) Jimmie Foxx 534
15) Willie McCovey and Ted Williams 521
17) Ernie Banks and Eddie Mathews 512
19) Mel Ott 511
20) Eddie Murray 504
21) Frank Thomas 501
NEW 500 HOME RUN CLUB (Based on all players having 9,062 at bats)
1) Mark McGwire - 854
2) Babe Ruth 770
3) Barry Bonds 700
4) Harmon Killebrew 637
5) Sammy Sosa 627
6) Ken Griffey Jr. 619
7) Ted Williams 613
8) Mickey Mantle 600
9) Jimmie Foxx and Mike Schmidt 595
11) Frank Thomas 588
12) Willie McCovey 576
13) Hank Aaron 553
14) Willie Mays 550
15) Eddie Mathews 543
16) Frank Robinson 531
17) Reggie Jackson 517
18) Rafael Palmeiro and Ernie Banks 492
20) Mel Ott 490
21) Eddie Murray 403
3000 HITS CLUB
1) Pete Rose 4256
2) Ty Cobb 4189
3) Hank Aaron 3771
4) Stan Musial 3630
5) Tris Speaker 3514
6) Carl Yastrzemski 3419
7) Cap Anson 3418
8) Honus Wagner 3415
9) Paul Molitor 3319
10) Eddie Collins 3315
11) Willie Mays 3283
12) Eddie Murray 3255
13) Nap Lajoie 3242
14) Cal Ripken 3184
15) George Brett 3154
16) Paul Waner 3152
17) Robin Yount 3142
18) Tony Gwynn 3141
19) Dave Winfield 3110
20) Rickey Henderson 3055
21) Rod Carew 3053
22) Lou Brock 3023
23) Rafael Palmeiro 3020
24) Craig Biggio 3016
25) Wade Boggs 3010
26) Al Kaline 3007
27) Roberto Clemente 3000
NEW 3000 HITS RUN CLUB (Based on all players having 10,647 at bats)
1) Ty Cobb 3901
2) Tris Speaker 3670
3) Tony Gwynn - 3601
4) Nap Lajoie 3600
5) Paul Waner - 3548
6) Eddie Collins - 3548
7) Cap Anson 3541
8) Stan Musial 3522
9) Wade Boggs 3491
10) Rod Carew 3490
11) Honus Wagner 3486
12) Roberto Clemente 3379
13) Paul Molitor 3261
14) Hank Aaron 3247
15) George Brett 3245
16) Pete Rose 3224
17) Willie Mays 3212
18) Al Kaline 3165
19) Lou Brock 3115
20) Rafael Palmeiro 3070
21) Eddie Murray 3057
22) Robin Yount 3039
23) Carl Yastrzemski 3037
24) Dave Winfield 3009
25) Craig Biggio 3000
26) Rickey Henderson 2967
27) Cal Ripken 2935
Let's move on .
THE TWO HOLE .
With the above topic in mind and with all the milestones that are on the horizon, I thought it was a great time to once again gaze into the future and see which current players have the best shot at someday joining the 500 HR and 3000 hit clubs. As you all know, baseball milestones is one of my all-time favorite discussions in sports, and it is a big part of what makes baseball so special. Every sport has records and numbers, but none of them come close to the meaning they hold in baseball. What is the all-time record for rushing yards in the NFL? Anyone?...........Anyone? What is the all-time record for points in the NBA? Anyone?..........Anyone? But in baseball, every fan knows the numbers. They are as much a part of the game as the bats and the balls. All-time record for Home Runs? 755 flies right off the tongue. Hits? 4256, Pete Rose you say. Wins? 511, Cy Young of course. DiMaggio hit in 56 in a row. Gehrig played in 2,130 consecutive games, Ripken 2,632. These are numbers we all know, special numbers, they are something we pass down generation to generation, they mean something. And there are few more meaningful numbers in sports than 500 and 3,000. Today we are going to look into the future of those two clubs and see who may be joining the ranks some day. We will start with the power guys and look ahead at the 500 Home Run Club.
500 HOME RUN CLUB
There are currently only 21 players in the history of the game who have hit 500 or more Home Runs. In recent years, due in no small part to the influx of steroids in the game, this clubs membership has exploded. In the last ten years the group has grown by more than 33% as Eddie Murray, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro and Frank Thomas have all joined the ranks. With the exception of Murray, Griffey and Thomas, steroid usage is heavily presumed throughout this group. So while 500 Home Runs doesn't quite mean what it used to, it still holds up fairly well. While a few of these men may not have reached the plateau without the juice, it stands to reason that a couple of them may have reached it anyway. And while 7 players in 10 years does represent a percentage increase, it's not exactly like every Tom, Dick and Harry is reaching that magical number. It's still only 21 people in the history of the game. Of course the jury is not out, there are still a ton of players who stand in line at the gates of this club eagerly awaiting membership. It won't be fully known for a few more years just how steroids affected the exclusivity of this club. Only time will tell, but for now, let's look into the crystal ball and try to project just who may be there in the future.
THE LOCKS
Alex Rodriguez This is obviously the easiest call on the list as A-Rod could very well already be in the club by the time you read this. As of this writing A-Rod is sitting pretty with 499 career home runs and the guy is still only 32 years old. The sky is the limit for A-Rod as he could be the first player in history to hit 800 Home Runs.
Jim Thome It was only two seasons ago everyone thought Thome was finished. He had a hole in his swing and his body was breaking down. But then last year Thome blasted 42 dingers and once again became one of the most feared sluggers in the game. This season he has struggled with injuries again but still finds himself with 489 career homers at 36 years of age. Barring injury Thome will reach 500 this season, and even with an injury he is a lock to reach the plateau in '08.
Manny Ramirez Manny is 35 years old and has 485 career Home Runs. He too could reach the milestone sometime later this season and he won't stop there. He is an extremely good bet to someday reach 600 as well.
Gary Sheffield Shef is 38 years old and has been battling injury problems over the last few years, but he is once again healthy this season and putting up MVP numbers. Right now he is sitting on 478 HR and could reach 500 by the end of this season, though it is more likely to come in early 2008.
THE NEAR LOCKS
Albert Pujols At just 27 years old, Pujols has already amassed 272 Home Runs. A simply astonishing number. At the pace he is on and if he stays healthy, he will someday join A-Rod in the 800 HR club. Only a terrible injury or a complete drop-off in skills would derail his quest for 500.
Andruw Jones It seems like Jones has been around forever, well at least much longer than someone who is only 30 years old. That's because Andruw came up at 19 and has compiled some incredible stats over the last 10+ years. With 361 career HR on his record and at least 10 years of playing time still ahead of him, Jones only needs to average 14 homers per season until his 40th birthday to reach 500. As long has he stays healthy, it seems like a foregone conclusion.
Vladimir Guerrero Just 31 years old and already has 352 HR under his belt, Guerrero is almost a certainty for the 500 HR club. The only thing that could halt his run would be his bad back, which has been holding up well for the last few years now. If his back stays healthy and Vlad stays in the lineup, 500 HR should be a snap.
Adam Dunn Dunn may have a better chance than almost anyone in this group. At 27 years of age, Dunn has already hit 224 HR and the best is still yet to come. Dunn could easily average 40 HR over the next five years and a half seasons which would leave him somewhere around 450 and he would still just be 32. Of everyone in this group, only Albert Pujols has a better shot at 600 HR.
IT'S POSSIBLE
Carlos Delgado Delgado has been Mr. Consistency throughout his career .before this season that is. A year ago Delgado would have been a much surer bet for the club, but this season has showed that his career may be on a sharp decline. Regardless, he is still sitting with 423 career homers and is 35 years old. As long as he can stay on the field for a few more years, he should still reach 500 eventually.
David Ortiz Ortiz arrived late to the party, but is putting up such incredible numbers that it's hard to believe he won't someday join this club. At 31 years of age Ortiz has hit 247 HR. Those two numbers by themselves would not make one think that Ortiz is someone who could someday hit 500, but his season totals over the last 3 years would make you think differently. He is in the middle of a Sammy Sosa type run where he could accumulate 300 Home Runs in 6 year period. If he can average 35 HR over the next 5 years he would be left only about 80 HR shy of 500 and still be only 36 years old. Looks pretty good for Big Papi.
Troy Glaus No one can deny that Glaus has a thunderous bat, it just becomes and issue of whether or not he can keep that bat in the lineup. Glaus has struggled with injuries throughout his career, but there is no disputing his power when he plays. He is still just 30 years old and has 272 HR. If he averages 25 a year over the next 8 years, he will be right there.
Mark Teixeira Just 27 years old, Teixeira has already hit 153 HR. I wanted to stay away from players this young because it's just too unpredictable, but I think Teixeira is the one guy you can make a strong case for. Over the last two and a half seasons he has hit 89 HR and he probably has not hit his prime yet. He is a great bet for a string of 50 HR seasons that could have him knocking on the door to 500 sometime around his 35th birthday.
Justin Morneau and Ryan Howard These two players, 26 and 27 years old respectively, are way too new to the scene to really evaluate, but I just couldn't leave them off the list. They are two of the youngest ever to reach 100 homers and they only seem to be getting better. It wouldn't be a surprise to see either one of them reach 600 HR, let alone 500, by the time their careers are done.
AN OUTSIDE CHANCE
Richie Sexson 32 years old, 289 HR
Paul Konerko 31 years old, 267 HR
Scott Rolen 32 years old, 258 HR
Miguel Tejada 31 years old, 247 HR
Carlos Lee 31 years old, 241 HR
Lance Berkman 31 years old, 240 HR
Eric Chavez 29 years old, 227 HR
Aramis Ramirez 29 years old, 212 HR
CLOSE, BUT IT'S JUST TOO LATE
Mike Piazza 38 years old, 422 HR
Chipper Jones 35 years old, 374 HR
Jeff Kent 39 years old, 360 HR
Jim Edmonds 37 years old, 357 HR
Jason Giambi - 36 years old, 357 HR
Luis Gonzalez 39 years old, 342 HR
Shawn Green 34 years old, 325 HR
Todd Helton 33 years old, 295 HR
That will do it for our look at the future of the 500 Home Run Club. By my count, it looks like at least 14 players have a pretty good chance of joining the club in the next decade or so. That would be an incredible increase and I believe if it does happen it would begin to water down the meaning of the achievement. However, do not discount the ability of the baseball Gods to alter the course of history. Take a quick glance at the "Close, But It's Too Late" list and you will see quite a few names that anyone among us would have considered locks just a few years ago. Anything can happen on the way to history, most notably, not making history at all.
Now onto Part II ..
BATTING THIRD
3,000 HIT CLUB
Now we move onto the group that I personally prefer, and my personal favorite number in all of sports, 3,000 hits. To me, nothing is greater than the chase for 3,000. It is the culmination of an entire career and in many cases proves excellence at your craft much more than Home Runs ever could. It's often been said that hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports, so having done it 3,000 times has got to be considered the greatest achievement in sport. For its far more impressive to hit .350 with 10 HR than it is to hit .250 with 40. In addition, the 3,000 hit club has held up much better with time, and reaching the milestone still means as much today as it did in 1920. With that, let's take a look at the future of 3,000 ..
THE LOCKS
NONE
THE NEAR LOCKS
Barry Bonds Bonds is obviously a lock to break the Home Run record but that is only because he is now just two away. He is clearly coming to the end of his career and at 42 years of age may not have much left in the tank. He currently sits at 2907 hits and only his age and injury history leave him short of lock status for joining the club. However, I think it's a safe bet that Barry will hang in there as long as it takes to reach 3000, even if that means playing somewhere other than SF in 2008.
Derek Jeter Everyone knows all about Jeter. We know about the championships and we know about the heroics, but sometimes the stats get lost in the discussion. While he doesn't put up the HR totals like some of his peers, he more than makes up for it with his hits and runs. Jeter, still just 33, currently has 2289 hits. Only an injury could stop Jeter from reaching this milestone and it's very likely his end total will be much closer to 4,000 than to 3,000.
Alex Rodriguez Right behind Jeter is his teammate A-Rod, who we already know is a lock for 500 HR. What few people realize however, is how much of a hit machine A-Rod is as well. A-Rod currently has 2183 hits and is a year younger than Jeter. They will likely both crack 3,000 within months of each other, perhaps while playing side by side in the Bronx. A-Rod likely will become just the 4th man in history to join both elite groups, and by the time he is done he could be the one and only member of the 700, 4000 club.
Albert Pujols It's clear that ten years from now Barry Bonds will be on the back burner and the debate will be in full swing over who the greatest hitter of all-time is, A-Rod or Pujols. Pujols, just 27, already has 1270 hits and that number will climb rapidly over the years. He should eventually join A-Rod as the second member of the 700, 4000 club.
IT'S POSSIBLE
Ken Griffey Jr. Griffey could be a lock for 3000, but he isn't for several reasons. One of which is obviously his injury history. He has a had a very healthy and very strong season in 2007 and currently stands at 2503 hits. At 37 years of age he could easily average 150 hits for the next three seasons and be right there, but again, that is only if he can stay on the field. And even if he can, the other factor may be his desire and that may be to retire before he reaches his 40th birthday in order to spend more time with his family. Basically reaching this milestone is up to Junior and I personally hope he sticks around to do it.
Ivan Rodriguez Amazingly Pudge is still only 35 years old. To this point in his career he has amassed 2450 hits and he is still going strong. All he has to do is average 100 hits per season until he is 40 and he will be there. The only thing that keeps Pudge from being a "near lock" is the rapid rate of decline that catchers see around the age of 37. However, as long as Pudge stays in the game for the next few years he seems like a very good bet to be the first catcher to join the club.
Ichiro Suzuki What a wonder this guy is. He is 33 years old and only has 1496 hits, but how can you possible count him out. In fact, I almost put him on the Near Lock list. In six Major League seasons Ichiro is averaging something like 230 hits. If he averages 200 hits over the next 7 seasons, he will be somewhere around 2950 by the age of 40. Is it likely he can average 200 hits through his late 30's?...probably not, but it's definitely possible and if anyone can do it, it's Ichiro.
Jimmy Rollins All of sudden over the last couple of years Rollins has become a hit machine. A lot of us probably didn't realize it until his pursuit of Joe D's hit streak was in a full swing last year, but it was official long before that that Rollins is a star. He only has 1223 career hits but he's also still only 28 years old and there are a lot of 200 hit seasons in his future.
Johnny Damon A year ago Damon was a much better bet but his decline this season is impossible to ignore. Damon is still just 33 years old and has amassed 2038 career hits, but if this season is any indication he may not hang around long enough to reach this milestone. However if this season is just a fluke and he can rebound next season, he could easily get back on pace. Heck, even five more seasons of 125 hits would leave him only about 300 hits short at the age of 38, so its definitely possible.
Vlad Guerrero Much like the 500 HR club, the only thing that should stop Vlad from reaching 3,000 hits is his balky back. With 1903 hits at 31 years of age, it's a good bet Vlad will join Eddie Murray, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and A-Rod in the 500-3,000 club.
Edgar Renteria Not exactly the type of player that we all think of as a Hall of Famer. Not someone we envision cracking one of baseball's all-time great clubs, but all of sudden we will wake up one day and it will be happening. Shockingly Renteria is in the exact same boat as Vlad, having amassed 1903 hits at the age of 31. He is another guy that came up young and has been around for a long time already. All he has to do is average 140 hits per season until he is 40 and he is there. Remember you read it here first.
Julio Franco I know what you are thinking. The man is 48 years old!!!!!!!!!!! He has 2,580 hits and he is a pinch hitter!!!!!!!!! I know, I know, and I agree ..for the most part. If it was anyone else in the history of the game in this situation, I would not even have included them on the close list. But with Julio, I think we have learned to never say never. If he averages 50 hits per season over the next ten years, he is there. It's extremely unlikely, but possible nonetheless. Good luck Julio, God speed.
AN OUTSIDE CHANCE
Gary Sheffield 38 years old, 2496 hits
Manny Ramirez 35 years old, 2171 hits
Garret Anderson 35 years old, 2140 hits
Todd Helton 33 years old, 1804 hits
Jason Kendall 33 years old, 1802 hits
Miguel Tejada 31 years old, 1671 hits
Andruw Jones 30 years old, 1636 hits
Luis Castillo 31 years old, 1551 hits
Juan Pierre 29 years old, 1364 hits
CLOSE, BUT IT'S JUST TOO LATE
Omar Vizquel 40 years old, 2,553 hits
Luis Gonzalez 39 years old, 2,471 hits
Sammy Sosa 38 years old, 2,381 hits
Kenny Lofton 40 years old, 2,379 hits
Frank Thomas 39 years old, 2,345
Jeff Kent - 39 years old, 2,289 hits
Mike Piazza 39 years old, 2,079 hits
Chipper Jones 35 years old, 2,048 hits
That's all for the 3,000 hit club. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Now let's move on.
CLEANING UP
This week we continue our countdown of the greatest players from each state and D.C. as well as Canada, Puerto Rico with 10 more states. If you missed the first two segments, you can find them in my archives, go back and check them out. For those of you who have seen them, I won't bore you again with explanations and reasoning, instead I will jump right into the lists.
"The 10 Greatest" .MLB Players from Maryland
10) Dave Foutz (147-66, 2.84 ERA, 749 RBI, 784 R)
09) Bobby Mathews (297-248, 2.89 ErA, 1366 K)
08) Harold Baines (2866 H, 384 HR, 1628 RBI, 1299 R)
07) Vic Willis (249-205, 2.63 ERA, 1651 K, Hall of Fame)
06) Frank "Home Run" Baker (1838 H, 987 RBI, 887 R, .307 AVG, Hall of Fame)
05) Al Kaline (3007 H, 399 HR, 1583 RBI, 1622 R, Hall of Fame)
04) Cal Ripken Jr. (3184 H, 431 HR, 1695 RBI, 1647 R, 2632 Consecutive Games, Hall of Fame)
03) Lefty Grove (300-141, 3.06 ERA, 2266 K, Hall of Fame)
02) Jimmie Foxx (2646 H, 534 HR, 1922 RBI, 1751 R, .325 AVG, Hall of Fame)
01) Babe Ruth (2873 H, 714 HR, 2217 RBI, 2174 R, .342 AVG, Hall of Fame)
"The 10 Greatest" .MLB Players from Massachusetts
10) Vic Raschi (132-66, 3.72 ERA, 944 K)
09) Joe Kelley (2220 H, 1194 RBI, 1421 R, .317 AVG, Hall of Fame)
08) Rabbit Maranville (2605 H, 884 RBI, 1255 R, Hall of Fame)
07) Jack Chesbro (198-132, 2.96 ERA, 1265 K, Hall of Fame)
06) Tim Keefe (342-225, 2.62 ERA, 2562 K, Hall of Fame)
05) John Clarkson (328-178, 2.81 ERA, 1978 K, Hall of Fame)
04) Jeff Bagwell (2314 H, 449 HR, 1529 RBI, 1517 R)
03) Tom Glavine (298-197, 3.48 ERA, 2539 K)
02) Pie Traynor (2416 H, 1273 RBI, 1183 R, .320 AVG, Hall of Fame)
01) Mickey Cochrane (1652 H, 832 RBI, 1041 R, .320 AVG, Hall of Fame)
"The 10 Greatest" .MLB Players from Michigan
10) Milt Pappas (209-164, 3.40 ERA, 1728 K)
09) Bob Welch (211-146, 3.47 ERA, 1969 K)
08) Eddie Cicotte (208-149, 2.38 ERA, 1374 K)
07) Jim Kaat (283-237, 3.45 ERA, 2461 K)
06) Ed Reulbach (182-106, 2.28 ERA, 1137 K)
05) Ted Simmons (2472 H, 248 HR, 1389 RBI, 1074 R)
04) Hal Newhouser (207-150, 3.06 ERA, 1249 K, Hall of Fame)
03) John Smoltz (203-142, 3.26 ERA, 2889 K, 154 SV)
02) Kiki Cuyler (2299 H, 1065 RBI, 1305 R, 328 SB, .321 AVG, Hall of Fame)
01) Charlie Gehringer (2839 H, 1427 RBI, 1774 R, .320 AVG, Hall of Fame)
"The 10 Greatest" .MLB Players from Minnesota
10) Aaron Sele (148-110, 4.58 ERA, 1400 K)
09) Joe Mauer (438 H, 199 RBI, 211 R, .318 AVG)
08) Terry Steinbach (1453 H, 745 RBI, 638 R)
07) Kent Hrbek (1749 H, 293 HR, 1086 RBI, 903 R)
06) Jerry Koosman (222-209, 3.36 ERA, 2556 K)
05) Roger Maris (275 HR, 851 RBI, 826 R, 61 HR season)
04) Jack Morris (254-186, 3.90 ERA, 2478 K)
03) Chief Bender (212-127, 2.46 ERA, 1711 K, Hall of Fame)
02) Paul Molitor (3319 H, 234 HR, 1307 RBI, 1782 R, .306 AVG, Hall of Fame)
01) Dave Winfield (3110 H, 465 HR, 1833 RBI, 1669 R, Hall of Fame)
"The 10 Greatest" .MLB Players from Mississippi
10) Matt Lawton (1273 H, 631 RBI, 756 R)
09) Dmitri Young (1304 H, 651 RBI, 620 R)
08) Guy Bush (176-136, 3.86 ERA, 850 K)
07 Chet Lemon (1875 H, 884 RBI, 973 R)
06 Frank White (2006 H, 886 RBI, 912 R)
05) Gee Walker (1991 H, 997 RBI, 954 R)
04) Buddy Myer (2131 H, 850 RBI, 1174 R)
03) Ellis Burks (2107 H, 352 HR, 1206 RBI, 1253 R)
02) George Scott (1992 H, 271 HR, 1051 RBI, 957 R)
01) Dave Parker (2712 H, 339 HR, 1493 RBI, 1272 R)
"The 10 Greatest" .MLB Players from Missouri
10) Tom Henke (41-42, 2.67 ERA, 861 K, 311 SV)
09) Ken Boyer (2143 H, 282 HR, 1141 RBI, 1104 R)
08) David Cone (194-126, 3.46 ERA, 2668 K)
07) George Van Haltre (2532 H, 1014 RBI, 1639 R, .316 AVG)
06) Jake Beckley (2930 H, 1575 RBI, 1600 R, .308 AVG, Hall of Fame)
05) Clark Griffith (237-146, 3.31 ERA, 955 K, Hall of Fame)
04) Zack Wheat (2884 H, 1248 RBI, 1289 R, .317 AVG, Hall of Fame)
03) Pud Galvin (364-310, 2.86 ERA, 1806 K, Hall of Fame)
02) Carl Hubbell (253-154, 2.98 ERA, 1677 K, Hall of Fame)
01) Yogi Berra (2150 H, 358 HR, 1430 RBI, 1175 R, Hall of Fame)
"The 10 Greatest" .MLB Players from Montana
10) Dave Meier (70 H, 37 R)
09) Steamboat William (6-8, 4.42 ERA, 27 K)
08) Joe McIntosh (8-19, 3.68 ERA, 93 K)
07) Herb Plews (266 H, 125 R)
06) Taylor Tankersley (6-2, 4.09 ERA, 43 K, 3 SV)
05) Johnny Couch (29-34, 4.63 ERA, 112 K)
04) Ed Bouchee (583 H, 290 RBI, 298 R)
03) Jeff Ballard (41-53, 4.71 ERA, 244 K)
02) John Lowenstein (881 H, 441 RBI, 510 R)
01) Dave McNally (184-119, 3.24 ERA, 1512 K)
"The 10 Greatest" .MLB Players from Nebraska
10) Billy Southworth (1296 H, 561 RBI, 661 R)
09) Johnny Hopp (1262 H, 458 RBI, 698 R)
08) Tim Burke (49-33, 2.72 ERA, 444 K, 102 SV)
07) Gregg Olson (40-39, 3.46 ERA, 588 K, 217 SV)
06) Mel Harder (223-186, 3.80 ERA, 1160 K)
05) Richie Ashburn (2574 H, 586 RBI, 1322 R, .308 AVG, Hall of Fame)
04) Sam Crawford (2961 H, 1525 RBI, 1391 R, .309 AVG, Hall of Fame)
03) Wade Boggs (3010 H, 1014 RBI, 1513 R, .328 AVG, Hall of Fame)
02) Bob Gibson (251-174, 2.91 ERA, 3117 K, Hall of Fame)
01) Grover Cleveland Alexander (373-208, 2.56 ERA, 2198 K, Hall of Fame)
That will do it for this week, as always I hope you enjoyed it. I will return next week with the Curveballs and Sliders annual Hall of Fame spectacular. We will celebrate Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn as well as rundown the Hall of Fame chances of over 40 active Major Leaguers. Until then
