The 200 Greatest Major League Baseball Players of All Time, 2012 Ed. 91-100

The Previous ten is here.


91. Jim Edmonds 1993-2010 CF Cardinals/Angels
      69.35
      OPS+131
      .285/.375/.522
      MVPQ=none
      PA=8000

92. Tim Raines 1979-2002 LF Expos/White Sox
      69.1
      OPS+123
      .307/.400/.468
       MVPQ=none
       PA=10,350

93. Robby Alomar 2B 1988-04 Blue Jays/Indians/Padres/Orioles
      69.05
      OPS+116
      .305/.377/.450
       MVPQ=none
       PA=10,400

94.   Edgar Martinez DH Mariners 1987-04
      68.95
      OPS+147
      .311/.417/.526
      MVPQ=none
      PA=8670

95.   Manny Ramirez LF/RF 1993-2011 Indians/Red Sox
      68.75
      OPS+154
      .304/.405/.569
       MVPQ=none
       PA=9770

96. Jeff Kent 2B 1992-08 Giants/Mets/Dodgers
      68.6
      OPS+123
      .292/.359/.512
      MVPQ=2000
      PA=9500

97. Ron Santo 3B Cubs 1960-74
      68.3
      OPS+125
      .280/.370/.490
      MVPQ=1964, 1966,
      Elite=1967
      PA=9400

98. Craig Biggio 2B Astros 1988-07
      68.15
      OPS+111
      .286/.368/.460
      Inner circle=1997
      PA=12,500

99. Carl Hubbell LHP 1928-43 Giants
      67.8
      ERA+130
      226-156
      MVPQ=1932
      Elite=1933, 1936
      IP=3600

100.   Fred Clarke LF 1894-15 Pirates
      67.5
      OPS+132
      .299/.379/.493
       MVPQ=none
       PA=9800

At this point, I'll now keep two all time rosters, looking to wind up with 2 teams of 25 who could meet in an all time series.  This is a big section for second basemen; I'm pretty comfortable ranking them Kent/Biggio/Alomar.  None of them goes by Robinson; I don't think they go by Gordon either.  The career value difference is real at this point, Kent's 10 wins better than Gordon, but in 3,000 more plate appearances.  Everything else squares up; I'll take Gordon's per game value over Kent's longevity.  That makes Kent/Biggio the first members of the second team.

We've got 3 corner outfielders in this section; rank them Ramirez/Clarke/Raines.  Jackson and Flick keep hold of left field over all 3, but Manny edges out Heilmann to become the new starter in right.  Medwick and Crawford go to the B team when Edmonds moves in as the backup in center.  Santo also joins the team, but Dick Allen's bat keeps him out of the starting lineup.  That's gonna push Palmer to the B team, as I'm unwilling to lose Caruthers yet.  Edgar goes to the B team.  Hubbell's the new third best pitcher on the A team, kicking Ford to the B team.

90 players left.  Here are your all time MLB squads.

     Team One
      C Piazza
    Dickey
1B McGwire
     Greenberg
2B Robinson
      Gordon
SS Banks
      Boudreau
3B Allen
      Santo
LF Jackson
     Flick
CF Hamilton
      Edmonds
RF Ramirez 
     Heilmann
     
 P Walsh
    Rivera
    Hubbell
    Clarkson
    Newhouser(L)
    Feller
    Halladay
    Marichal
    
Uti Caruthers


Team 2


2B Kent
     Biggio


RF Medwick
     Crawford


P Ford
   Palmer


DH Martinez

I Pick Every NFL Game in 2011 - Week 12

A tick over .500 last week, and a tick over for the season, 77-76-7 against the spread, 107-53 straight up.

Lions +6.5 GB(Packers win game)(loss/win)
Dallas -7 Miami(loss/win)
Ravens -3 Niners(win/win)
Jets -8 Bills (loss/win)
Bengals -7.5 Browns(loss/win)
Texans -3.5 Jax (win/win)
Panthers -3.5 Colts(win/win)
Tenn -3 TB(win/win)
Atl -9.5 Minn(win/win)
Bears +4.5 Raiders (oakland wins game) (loss/win)
Rams -3.5 Ariz(loss/loss)
Seattle -4 Wash(loss/loss)
SD -6.5 Den(loss/loss)
Pitt -10.5 KC (loss/win)
Philly +4.5 NE(Pats win game) (loss/win)
NYG +7 NO (Saints win game)(loss/win)

(Pittsburgh and Houston look really attractive this week.)

5-11, 82-87-7
13-3, 120-56

2011 College Football Picks, Week 13

I went 13-3-1 last week.

I'm 77-68-4 on the season.

Bowling Green +2 Buffalo(win)
Toledo -13.5 Ball St.(win)
Arizona St. -6 Cal(loss)
Rutgers -3 UConn(loss)
Georgia Tech +6 Georgia(loss)
Mich -7 Ohio St.(loss)
WKy -6 Troy(win)
Utah St. -1.5 Nevada(win)
FIU -8.5 Mid Ten St.(win)
Missouri -23.5 Kansas(loss)
Illinois -10 Minnesota(loss)
Wake +1.5 Vandy(loss)
Marshall +1 ECU(win)
FAU +5 UAB(win)
Florida St. -2 Florida(win)
Clem +4 SCarolina(loss)

8-8
85-76-4

The Weekly Tendown November 13-19 2011

Dear Internet:

That's the Boston Massacre.  Americans took to the streets in 1768 to protest economic oppression and were fired upon by their government.

And that was this week at UC Davis.

And Seattle.



And Portland.

It's Tendown 102.  You can get to 101 here.

1. So, What's a More Likely Proximate Cause?
Paul Ryan, you know, the "sensible" Republican, said that the problem with the American economy is "moral relativism."

Moral relativism has done so much damage to the bottom end of this country, the bottom fifth has been damaged by the culture of moral relativism more than by anything else, I would argue. If you ask me what the biggest problem in America is, I'm not going to tell you debt, deficits, statistics, economics — I'll tell you it's moral relativism.


So, it could be that.  Not enough of a moral compass in the United States, we've lost our ability to declare ideas to be objectively immoral; the congressman is saying that we now view matters of right and wrong as based on opinions as opposed to facts, thereby making us disinclined to make arguments located in morality.

Good tip.

2. This Is Objectively Wrong. Immoral as a Matter of Fact.

3. As is This


4. And This


From Rolling Stone.

Far from creating the trickle-down economics promised by Reagan, the policies pursued by the modern Republican Party are gusher up. Under the leadership of Majority Leader Eric Cantor, the House's radicalized GOP caucus is pushing a predatory agenda for a new gilded age. Every move that Republicans make – whether it's to gut consumer protections, roll back environmental regulations, subsidize giant agribusinesses, abolish health care reform or just drill, baby, drill – is consistent with a single overarching agenda: to enrich the nation's wealthiest individuals and corporations, even if it requires borrowing from China, weakening national security, dismantling Medicare and taxing the middle class. With the nation still mired in the worst financial crisis since the 1930s, Republicans have categorically rejected the one financial policy with a proven record of putting the country back on a more prosperous footing.


5. And This
This study from a German think tank finds that among advanced nations:

-The United States ranks 27th in social justice.
-The United States ranks 29th in poverty prevention.
-The United States ranks 20th in access to education.

6. And This
There's a public school social studies teacher in a Chicago suburb, who is going to lose his job for showing students clips from The Daily Show.

7. And This
Here's a quiz - the right wing constantly argues that government is too:
a. big
b. small

A firm tenet of the right wing is that issues should be decided:
a. in Washington DC, at the federal level.
b. locally

Here's what the right wing Congress passed this week.

Today the House of Representatives debated the controversial “National Right To Carry Reciprocity Act,” which would give people with concealed weapon permits in one state the right to carry their guns to 49 other states, even if it violates local gun restrictions. Proponents of the National Rifle Association-backed bill see it as an easy way to circumvent states that mandate gun training and background checks.

8. And This
Paul Ryan also argued that unlike Europe, the United States is an upwardly mobile society.



9. And This
Last night, Newt Gingrich said the Occupy protesters need to get a job.

Right now, unless something changes, in a month and a half I will have four jobs.  And no health insurance.

If the problem with the country is moral relativism, I'm willing to, on behalf of the left, abandon that position in favor of a moral condemnation of Paul Ryan and the worldview expressed in the policies of the right wing.

10. But Not This!  Some Things Are Moral Goods, Goods I Tells You.


USC 38 Oregon 35



The 49ers are 8-1.

That's all for this time.  I'll be back next time.  If there is a next time...

Your pal,

Jim

The 200 Greatest Major League Baseball Players of All Time, 2012 Ed. 101-110

The previous ten is here.

101. Rick Reuschel 1972-91 RHP Cubs/Giants
       67.2
       ERA+114
       225-176
       MVPQ=1977
       IP=3550

102. Sam Crawford 1899-1917 RF Tigers
       67.15
       OPS+144
       .308/.367/.533
       MVPQ=none
       PA=10,600

103.  Ryne Sandberg 2B Cubs 1981-1997
        67.1
        OPS+114
        .288/.351/.481
        MVPQ=1984, 1992
        PA=9300
     
104. John Clarkson 1882-94 RHP/RF
        67.05
        ERA+134
       OPS+60
       177-127
       .217/.249/.339
        MVPQ=1886
        Inner circle=1885, 1887, 1889
        IP=4500
        PA=2050

105.  Willie McCovey 1B Giants 1958-80
        67
        OPS+147
        .280/.389/.569
        MVPQ=1969
        PA=9900


106.  Red Ruffing 1924-47 RHP Yankees/Red Sox
       66.9
       ERA+110
       247-227
       MVPQ=none
       IP=4350
   
107. Reggie Jackson A's/Yankees/Angels 1967-87 RF
       66.5
       OPS+ 139
       .269/.363/.539
       MVPQ=1969
       PA=11,400
     
108.  Bob Feller RHP Indians 1936-56
       66.5
       241-175
       ERA+122
       MVPQ=1941
       Elite=1939, 1940
       Inner circle=1946
       IP=3800

109.  Jim Palmer RHP Orioles 1965-84
       66.4
       ERA+126
       228-178
       MVPQ=1975
       IP=3950
     
110.   Derek Jeter SS Yankees 1995-
       66.3
       .309/.381/.449
        OPS+117
       MVPQ=none
       PA=11,150

If Jeter's 2012 matches his 2011 and absent injury its hard to imagine he could have a less valuable season, he will crack the top 100 at year's end.  He doesn't make the all time team; per game, Boudreau was solidly better and he retains the backup spot.

Similarly, Sandberg doesn't crack the roster either given how many more plate appearances it took for him to accumulate his value than it took for Gordon.

Stretch is in the same spot; his value advantage over Greenberg gives him a better argument than Jeter/Sandberg, but still you need to say Greenberg was the better player.

Crawford and Reggie are comparable; Crawford had a little better bat and a little more value in fewer plate appearances; so despite the absence of MVPQ season, he was a better player.  Crawford had a solidly better bat than Medwick, but without any MVPQ seasons and with 2,000 more plate appearances I think you'd lean Ducky for the backup RF spot.

Feller/Clarkson/Palmer, in that order, are pitching staff contenders.  Feller's got so many top end seasons; he slides in right after Newhouser.  In fact, let me backtrack - Clarkson was better than both of them.  Palmer can't quite beat out Whitey Ford, sitting there in the last spot on the roster, but to get to 25, I'll add him and Sam Crawford.

So - 100 players down, half of the list gone - here's the All Time MLB 25 Man Roster:

C Piazza
    Dickey
1B McGwire
     Greenberg
2B Robinson
      Gordon
SS Banks
      Boudreau
3B Allen
LF Jackson
     Flick
CF Hamilton
RF Heilmann
      Medwick
      Crawford

P Walsh
    Rivera
    Clarkson
    Newhouser(L)
    Feller
    Halladay
    Marichal
    Ford
    Palmer

Uti Caruthers