I included Steroid Era players and Pete Rose....   It's your choice to vote for them or not

Pete rose

Excluding steroid users, it came down to Schmidt and Pujols for me. I gave Pujols’ the nod for his playoff track record compared to Schmidt. Maddux and Johnson probably 3 and 4.

Nolan Ryan

the competition is for 2nd place.

 

16 hours ago, The_Omega said:

Nolan Ryan

Never won a Cy Young

Pedro during the steroid era was beyond dominate especially from 98-03. It can't be matched on what he did. 

if you eliminate bonds because of roids, it's probably mariano rivera. he's the only guy on that list who is clearly the best at his position all time, imo. 

If you exclude the steroid guys and go by WAR, it's actually Rickey Henderson

3 hours ago, DaEagles4Life said:

Pedro during the steroid era was beyond dominate especially from 98-03. It can't be matched on what he did. 

While true, he didn’t do it for long enough to be put above Maddux, RJ or Ryan. 

Of course baseball is all about stats but there is an intangible to consider. 

On 6/21/2024 at 9:07 AM, Dave Moss said:

Never won a Cy Young

 

 

2 minutes ago, The_Omega said:

 

 

I’m not disputing that he was a great pitcher.  7 no-hitters is crazy.  But guys like Randy Johnson or Greg Maddux won multiple Cy Youngs

Ryan,Maddux,Johnson,Carlton.

If you were aware during these guys runs...... you saw greatness. The way the game is today..... these 4 and many others like them....you will never see again ....barring drastic rule changes.

Which brings me to Henderson.... rule changes have been made and players still cant even get close to what he did...... and he wasnt running around out there wearing oven mitts.

Nolan Ryan was a very good pitcher. A Hall of Famer all the way. But at no point in his career was he ever the best pitcher in baseball. Guys like Jim Palmer, Tom Seaver, and Steve Carlton were always better.

He was without question the best strikeout pitcher in baseball. But he was never the best pitcher.

On 6/20/2024 at 2:09 PM, Blazehound said:

Excluding steroid users, it came down to Schmidt and Pujols for me. I gave Pujols’ the nod for his playoff track record compared to Schmidt. Maddux and Johnson probably 3 and 4.

Pujols not testing positive for steroids doesn’t mean he hasn’t always used steroids.  He’s part of the same gargoyle exhibit as McGwire, Canseco, Bonds, Sosa, etc.

He’s got no sense of humor, but Ken Griffey Jr. is the correct answer 

 

 

6 hours ago, FranklinFldEBUpper said:

Nolan Ryan was a very good pitcher. A Hall of Famer all the way. But at no point in his career was he ever the best pitcher in baseball. Guys like Jim Palmer, Tom Seaver, and Steve Carlton were always better.

He was without question the best strikeout pitcher in baseball. But he was never the best pitcher.

This is my take as well. I’d take Lefty from that bunch but of course I’m partial. 

Yes he bet on baseball and is a turd of a person but hard to argue against Rose in my mind if winning is the key item. His stats aren’t as good as some of the others but he was as good as it got at willing and driving a team to victory. 

7 hours ago, Alphagrand said:

Pujols not testing positive for steroids doesn’t mean he hasn’t always used steroids.  He’s part of the same gargoyle exhibit as McGwire, Canseco, Bonds, Sosa, etc.

I never heard of Pujols implicated with PED’s. Did I miss something?

3 hours ago, Blazehound said:

I never heard of Pujols implicated with PED’s. Did I miss something?

Jack Clark outed him many years ago.  He lost his job at a St. Louis radio station for saying it, and still repeated it after his firing.  Clark said he was approached by Pujols’ trainer, who told him personally he was injecting Pujols and offered to do the same for Clark.  This was before Pujols had even reached the majors.

Pujols sued Clark, and Clark had to retract it — because he only had the word of Pujols’ former trainer, who came out and strongly denied saying it.  Not much chance you’re gonna win a lawsuit when your claims are on the word of a trainer who is publicly taking the other guy’s side and calling you a liar.

Look at Pujols, though.  There’s no way any clean baseball player has mass like that.  Like I said, Pujols resembles the bloated-up steroid guys.  The muscle mass, for me, is a dead giveaway.  A baseball player doesn’t look like a bodybuilder if he’s clean.

Lets not forget steve jeltz , who hit a homer from each side  in the same inning