The 200 Greatest Major League Baseball Players Ever 2011 Ed. #10-1

The 2012 version of this list begins here.

The previous ten is here.

Here's the previous 190.

200. Harmon Killebrew

199. Goose Goslin

198. Jimmy Collins

197. Jose Cruz

196. Bobby Bonds

195. Graig Nettles

194. Jack Clark

193. Ron Cey

192. Dazzy Vance

191. Jim Bunning

190. Bobby Doerr

189. Buddy Bell

188. Roy Halladay

187. Tony Mullane

186. Ducky Medwick

185. Clark Griffith

184. Carlos Beltran

183. Bret Saberhagen

182. Vladimir Guerrero

181. Enos Slaughter

180. Ken Boyer

179. Joe Gordon

178. Andre Dawson

177. King Kelly

176. Jimmy Wynn

175. Kenny Lofton

174. Joe Torre

173. John Olerud

172. Joe Jackson

171. Stan Hack

170. Bobby Abreu

169. Frank Tanana

168. Buck Ewing

167. Jim O'Rourke

166. Reggie Smith

165. Al Simmons

164. Richie Ashburn

163. Bob Caruthers

162. Billy Williams

161. Darrell Evans

160. Jake Beckley

159. Sammy Sosa

158. Duke Snider

157. Dwight Evans

156. Tommy John

155. Andruw Jones

154. Robin Ventura

153. Luis Tiant

152. Dave Winfield

151. Bob Feller

150. Jack Glasscock

149. Elmer Flick

148. Gabby Hartnett

147. Will Clark

146. Jim Palmer

145. Pud Galvin

144. Willie Stargell

143. Home Run Baker

142. Billy Herman

141. Hal Newhouser

140. Juan Marichal

139. Red Ruffing

138. Dick Allen

137. Bill Dickey

136. Amos Rusie

135. Pee Wee Reese

134. Keith Hernandez

133. Jackie Robinson

132. Monte Ward

131. Don Sutton

130. Willie Randolph

129. Jesse Burkett

128. Wee Willie Keeler

127. Bid McPhee

126. Mike Piazza

125. Harry Heilmann

124. Ted Lyons

123. Kevin Brown

122. Ed Walsh

121. Larry Walker

120. Brooks Robinson

119. Fred Clarke

118. Hoss Radbourn

117. Ryne Sandberg

116. Bobby Wallace

115. Lou Boudreau

114. Curt Schilling

113. Jeff Kent

112. Carlton Fisk

111. Rafael Palmeiro

110. Joe Cronin

109. Ernie Banks

108. Ron Santo

107. Derek Jeter

106. Carl Hubbell

105. Mark McGwire

104. Yogi Berra

103. Billy Hamilton

102. Tim Keefe

101. Edgar Martinez

100. Dennis Eckersley
99. Willie McCovey
98. Rick Reuschel
97. Eddie Murray
96. John Smoltz
95. Craig Biggio
94. Mariano Rivera
93. Don Drysdale
92. Roberto Alomar
91. Gary Sheffield
90. Jim Edmonds
89. Jim Thome
88. Johnny Mize
87. Manny Ramirez
86. Pedro Martinez
85. Scott Rolen
84. Alan Trammell
83. John Clarkson
82. Robin Yount
81. Luke Appling
80. Lou Whitaker
79. Gary Carter
78. Bobby Grich
77. Tim Raines
76. Sam Crawford
75. Tony Gwynn
74. Paul Waner
73. Ed Delahanty
72. Mike Mussina
71. Reggie Jackson
70. Frankie Frisch
69. Rod Carew
68. Paul Molitor
67. Tom Glavine
66. Bill Dahlen
65. Ken Griffey
64. Nolan Ryan
63. Chipper Jones
62. Barry Larkin
61. Ozzie Smith
60. Johnny Bench
59. Charlie Gehringer
58. Carl Yastrzemski
57. Ivan Rodriguez
56. Al Kaline
55. Roberto Clemente
54. George Brett
53. Pete Rose
52. Dan Brouthers
51. Robin Roberts
50. Eddie Plank
49. Frank Thomas
48. Fergie Jenkins
47.  Arky Vaughan
46. Joe DiMaggio
45. Jeff Bagwell
44. George Davis
43. Wade Boggs
42. Roger Connor
41. Albert Pujols
40. Jimmie Foxx
39. Lefty Grove
38. Bob Gibson
37. Steve Carlton
36. Kid Nichols
35. Randy Johnson
34. Bert Blyleven
33. Cap Anson
32. Gaylord Perry
31. Phil Niekro
30. Cal Ripken
29. Warren Spahn
28. Eddie Mathews
27. Christy Mathewson
26. Alex Rodriguez
25. Tom Seaver
24. Greg Maddux
23. Joe Morgan
22. Frank Robinson
21. Lou Gehrig
20. Nap Lajoie
19. Mike Schmidt
18. Grover Cleveland Alexander
17. Rickey Henderson
16. Mickey Mantle
15. Mel Ott
14. Ted Williams
13. Rogers Hornsby
12. Tris Speaker
11. Eddie Collins

Here are the two rosters

Career value:

C Rodriguez (Bench)
1B Gehrig (Anson)
2B Collins (Hornsby)
SS Rodriguez (Ripken)
3B Schmidt (Mathews)
LF Williams (Henderson)
CF Speaker (Mantle)
RF Ott (Robinson)
RHP Alexander (Maddux, Seaver, Mathewson, Niekro, Perry, Blyleven )
LHP Spahn (Johnson)

Subjective/Peak

C Bench (Berra)
1B Gehrig (Pujols)
2B Hornsby (Lajoie)
SS Rodriguez (Vaughan)
3B Schmidt (Mathews)
LF Williams (Jackson)
CF Mantle (Speaker)
RF Ott (Robinson)
RHP Mathewson (Rivera, Martinez, Walsh, Nichols, Alexander, Maddux )
LHP Grove (Johnson)

10. Roger Clemens RHP WARP+WAR=263.9

1984-07
Red Sox
ERA+ 143
MVPQ 1987 (18.2), 1990 (18.2), 1997 (21.9, w/Toronto),

Mathewson's 6 MVPQ gives him the advantage for the peak roster for me - and now I'm going to reverse course and penalize Rivera's lack of innings and bump him.  Making my RH pitching rotation:

1. Mathewson
2. Martinez
3. Clemens
4. Walsh
5. Rivera
6. Nichols
7. Alexander
8. Maddux

I bump Randy Johnson, keeping only the one lefty.  There's still two pitchers left to come.  

9. Stan Musial LF 264.8

1941-63
Cardinals
OPS+ 159

I can't do a better Musial v. Williams absent the pre-1950 season by season WARP totals, which currently are not available.  Williams had a significantly better bat - that OPS+ is ridiculous.  Musial's also below both Gehrig and Pujols in OPS+, and given their nearly double digit MVPQ seasons its unlikely he's getting past them there either.

Meaning what - meaning that Musial slides in now as the backup LF.  Emphasis on now.  And it could be Pujols, backing up at first base - who keeps Musial off the all time roster.

8. Honus Wagner SS 284.6
Pirates
1897-1917

OPS+ 150

As with Williams/Musial, I'd like to see a yearly WARP breakdown of Wagner before comfortably slotting him above ARod - but provisionally, I'll stick with Wagner's slightly superior bat.

7. Cy Young RHP 285.8

1890-11
Indians/Red Sox
ERA+ 138

Young in after Clemens, who has a better adjusted ERA, and ahead of Walsh, as the weight of the value necessitates he falls there.  Again, subject to revision.

6. Hank Aaron RF 295.8

1954-76
Braves
OPS+ 155
MVPQ 1959 (17.6), 1960 (18.8), 1961 (17.6), 1962 (17.4), 1967 (18.1),

Aaron better, but not by magnitudes, than Ott/Robinson.

5. Ty Cobb CF 298.6

1905-28
Tigers
OPS+ 168

Behind Mantle, ahead of Speaker.

4. Walter Johnson RHP 301.3

1907-27
Senators
ERA+ 147

The Train's the best pitcher who ever lived.

3. Willie Mays CF 316

1951-73
Giants
OPS+ 155
MVPQ 1954 (21.1), 1955 (17.6), 1957 (17), 1958 (20.8), 1960 (18.1), 1961 (17.3), 1962 (21.1), 1963 (19.5), 1964 (20.4), 1965 (21.9), 1966 (17.6),

11 MVPQ seasons for Mays.  

2. Barry Bonds LF 358

1986-07
Giants/Pirates
OPS+ 181
MVPQ 1990 (18.4), 1992 (19.2), 1993 (20.8), 1996 (19.4), 1997 (16.9), 1998 (18.8), 2000 (17), 2001 (24.6), 2002 (23.5), 2003 (19.9), 2004 (24.2),

11 MVPQ seasons for Bonds.  Be useful to see how many Williams had.  Bonds is the LF for now.

1. Babe Ruth RF/LHP 375.1
1914-35
Yankees/Red Sox
OPS+ 206
ERA+ 122

And we have a winner.

Edit - it's the all star break in 2011; I'm revising - the two numbers I'm using are still WAR (Baseball-reference) and WARP3 (now using Clay Davenport's version).  That means changes.  I'll edit when time permits.  Here is the new top ten.

1.       1Ruth 360

2.       2Bonds 345.2

3.       3Mays 299.9

4.       4Johnson 290.3

5.       5Cobb 282.7

6.       6Clemens 277.2

7.       7Aaron 271

8.       8Young 266

9.       9Wagner 262.1

10.   10.Musial 249.5

The two rosters.

Career value:

C Rodriguez (Bench)
1B Gehrig (Anson)
2B Collins (Hornsby)
SS Wagner (Rodriguez)
3B Schmidt (Mathews)
LF Bonds (Musial)
CF Mays (Cobb)
RF Ruth (Aaron)
RHP Johnson (Young, Clemens, Alexander, Maddux, Seaver, Mathewson,)
LHP Spahn (Johnson)

Subjective/Peak

C Bench (Berra)
1B Gehrig (Pujols)
2B Hornsby (Lajoie)
SS Wagner (Rodriguez)
3B Schmidt (Mathews)
LF Bonds (Williams)
CF Mays (Mantle)
RF Ruth (Aaron)
RHP Johnson ( Mathewson, Clemens, Young, Martinez, Rivera, Walsh, Nichols,)
LHP Grove