Letters to the Editor
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Keith Hernandez
I don't remember people speaking about his defense in the hushed, reverent tones that were used to talk about Parker's.
I do. Or at least I remember Hernandez being the JT Snow of his day.
Also, if you forget SS fielding percentage and look at turning batted balls into outs, it's only Smith and then Aparicio trailing slightly (with a big edge in putouts). And that's about it. You could argue that Aparicio's assist numbers were hurt from playing next to Brooks Robinson in Baltimore (and there does seem to be a correlation). But Vizquel and Concepcion and Belanger don't really belong in that conversation.
Also, did you know that Roberto Alomar holds the AL record for fewest double plays turned in a season?
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Mike Schmidt at 3B
Mike Schmidt is the greatest third baseman of all time, and it's not really even that close. End of story.
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Joe Morgan?
Hey, I love the guy, but he didn't have much range. There are several guys playing the position at any given time who are as good in the field as Little Joe.
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The Great One and Maz are deserving
Okay, this is only anecdotal, but in my youth I had the privilege of watching both Clemente and Mazeroski play at Forbes Field (R.I.P.). Voters certainly were spot on in nominating Clemente, but I have to agree with King K. Where's Maz?
The fact that he fielded as well as he did on Forbes Field's notoriously hard infield-- (remember Tony Kubek taking one in the Adam's apple on that bad bounce in the 1960s World Series?)-- is just one testament to his greatness. Both anecdotally and, I believe, statistically, Maz deserves to be number one on that Rawlings list.
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Keith Hernandez
Has anybody mentioned that Hernandez all but took the sacrifice out of the game--and did, just about absolutely remove the sacrifice to third? They just had to stop calling it, do something else in that situation no matter how that was the play that was called for. He was by far the most aggressive infielder (any position) I ever watched, and I'm hundreds of years old if I remember right.
Ron Darling talks about him in terms of his being an "offensive defensive player".
He fielded the sac bunt on either side--he was in so deep he was the guy to field the ball even if it went toward third--and his arm (he was left-handed) was reasonably strong and very accurate, so he just effortlessly cut the guy down at third, as routinely as a 2nd baseman throwing out a hitter at first on a ground ball.
I never saw much of AL first basemen except Mattingly, but nobody in the NL in all the time I watched baseball was anywhere near him, and I'm pretty sure Mattingly wasn't, either. Mattingly was simply a much better-than-average first baseman--not the game-shaping force that Hernandez was.
Odd as it must seem to hear this said of a first baseman, Hernandez, especially taken along with his excellent (but not HoF) hitting, should be in the hall as a defensive player.
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Great Orioles Teams, Other Standouts, Pointlessness of 2B
Jim Palmer is in the HOF and mentioned in the same breath as Pedro largely on the strength of the incredible defense behind him back in the '60's. I agree with an earlier poster about Paul Blair. Only time I saw him blow a play was at the end of his career with the Yankees, when he collided with the blind and clueless Reggie Jackson in the bottom of the 9th--game won and lost in the same instant. As a Red Sox fan, I enjoyed it immensely.
I am quite surprised that anyone would disparage Clemente in the least here. He got to everything and threw everyone out. No one ran on him. The only rightfielder I've ever seen who even reminded me of him was Dwight Evans, and Evans didn't have as much range or quite the throwing accuracy.
At first base, Gil Hodges was best ever, but he was < 1957. How about George Scott before he broke the 275 lb barrier? In his first stint w/ the Red Sox, he was the best I ever saw.
At SS, I'd have to say Mark Belanger. Derek Jeter!? He's not even the best fielding SS on his team! That would be A-Rod, who deserves at least a mention as one of the best fielding all time.
At catcher, I've seen some comments about I-Rod, but Bench was one of those exceedingly rare players in any sport who changes the way the game is played. Before Bench, everybody caught two-handed. Nobody does that now, and it's because of Bench. And for most of his career, Bench had the better arm.
Finally, as for 2B, the discussion is pointless. It's like who is the best viola player. They play viola because they aren't good enough to play violin, a.k.a. shortstop. Here's a question: how are a violist's fingers like lightning? Because they never strike the same place twice.
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Agreed, georgeernsberger
Keith H. was amazing against the bunt, nobody even close. When was the last time somebody even brought up how good a 1B was against the bunt? My favorite Keith H. moment was offense though, throwing his bat at a pitchout with a slow runner on. He got to first but was mistakingly called out(leaving batter's box).
John Olerud should get some credit if Mattingly and Snow do. He anchored the best infield of all-time? for the Mets in 2000.
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Wes Parker Input and My Views
King:
I seem to remember that Wes Parker signed to play in Japan when he left the Dodgers. Hard to believe nowadays but back in 1972 with the owner monopoly on players the one option for a Major League player had to make "big money" was to go to Japan. If I remember correctly he signed on for what was considered a very lucrative contract at the time.
Also my input on First Base. The best First Baseman I ever saw was Tommy Hutton. He actually came up with the Dodgers organization around 1966. Legend has it that even Dodgers people were amazed that he was better than Parker. Spent several years in Dodger minor league system with occasional Major stops until he was traded to Phillies. There he spent a good 10 years with Phillies and Montreal as occasional player and late inning defensive specialist.
Finally, Joe Morgan at 2nd Base. That is a joke. Only saw Mazeroski as a kid late in his career so kind of hard to judge. But Roberto Alomar was amazing - WAYYYY beyond Morgan.
David Howitz