Best Hitter, Pitcher, Player of All-Time?

hitter - Ted Williams

pitcher - Sandy Koufax

player - Babe Ruth

Pete Rose was a great player, but he barely cracks the top 20 players of all time. I agree it was a tough call between Mays and Ruth. You could counter what Babe did on the mound by pointing out the contributions of Mays defensively and on the basepaths.

Hitter: I'm going with a new answer, just based on ability to hit, Tony Gywnn. Never had a bad year, always got the job done. Always made contact, did what he had to. He never was a power hitter and never got the same attention, but he was a first ballot HOF and rightfully so. Ted isn't a bad choice either. Arod is not the best hitter by any means of hte word, he's the 3rd best HR hitter ever, maybe (behind Ruth and McGwire).

Pitcher - This is definitely up for debate. From what i've been told Sandy Koufax should be up there. I can only go by what i've seen (born in 1980) and i'm going to say Greg Maddaux. Never seen anyone do what he did, and he did it like no one else (he was a pitcher who got batters out, not a strikeout pitcher) . It even harder, and no one did it as long as him (though Pedro in his prime was about as good as anyone in their prime).

Player - I'll agree with Babe Ruth there. P, hitter, but couldn't play the field all that well. If defense counts, he's out, and put in Willie Mayes, with Mickey Mantle as a close 2nd (barring injury he would have been better then Mayes). Then again you can say the same about Ken Griffey Jr. But I'll say Willie.

Hitter- Ted Williams

Pitcher- Bob Gibson

Player- The Babe

Hitter - It's a tie between Ty Cobb and Ted Williams

Pitcher - Tough one, but I'm going with Cy Young

Player - Babe Ruth

Hitter- Tony Gwyn

Pitcher- Sandy Koufax

Player- Ken Griffey

Ted Williams is the guy when it comes to hitting. But he was just a mediocre outfielder. Keep in mind the Ted lost several years out of his prime due to WWII and Korea as a Marine Corps fighter pilot. If he had played through those missing years when he was at his peak as baseball player there might not have been any hitting records left for anyone else.

His book on hitting is still the standard for those who want to be hitters and not just batters, big difference. Ted hurt himself as he never bowed to sports writers or fans. I suspect he was very shy and kept people away in that manner.

Add: Pete Rose had only average skills, he made it up through hustle. Too bad others have not followed that pattern. But Pete was short on smarts, he messed up on his own.

Depends on how you rate pitchers. If you are for a star as in the sky, burning bright steadily that is one thing. But if you want meteorite that blazes across the sky it is another.

Koufax was the meteor. I saw him play in 59 when he was a bonus baby. I sat just off the field in left field of the Coliseum when he warmed up for a game that was lost. The speed of the ball and the impact sound in the bullpen catchers mitt was intimidating. Add: I believe the Koufax never, ever, hit a batter. Keep in mind he was part of the team of Drysdale and Koufax. Don did hit a few. :-)

Hitter: Babe Ruth

Pitcher: Nolan Ryan

Player: Willie Mays

hitter- the most unpopular answer that 7 MVP's can support- dammit Barry Bonds. I know Ruth did it with beer and hot dogs, but wow, even as a Pirate he thrilled.

pitcher- ironically enough he never won a cy young- nolan ryan

player- Ken Griffey Jr., my boyhood hero and he still has the sweetest swing in the game and the ability to leap over the fence to snatch away a homerun.

--Not that it matters the Bonds reference killed my cred.

Hank Aaron/ Ted Williams: Hank Aaron has the most hr. Williams has good batting average and hr. Babe Ruth is overrated. He's good, but people make it seem that he's more good, cause he "cursed" the red sox when he left

Cy Young: He has an award named after him

Babe Ruth

Sandy Koufax

Babe Ruth

Have a nice day.