Willie Mays is sadly gone. Now who is the Greatest Living Baseball player? - Ep. 528

Willie Mays did not flaunt it as much as did Joe DiMaggio who reveled in being called Greatest Living Ballplayer (GLB) that he insisted on being introduced that way at public events. But after Joe D. passed away the debate was between Henry Aaron and Willie Mays with Mays' superior defense being a deciding factor. Both Aaron and Mays were amazing and we discuss the whole idea of GLB being silly.
We also discuss gambling and baseball and the hypocrisy that exists before turning to a more fun subject in discussing who might be the GLB now that Willie and Henry are gone.
Who might be in our starting 9 of the greatest living ballplayers and even that was a tough choice!
Intro & Outro music this season courtesy of Mercury Maid! Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!
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[@Eldwin-cm7et]

I'd say Ohtani. Case and point, In the World Baseball Classic Ohtani represented Japan. They not only won, but he blew away the great😒 Mike Trout twice. Would you like some more Ohtani stats to prove he's the G.O.A.T.?

[@dantheman5745]

Koufax. Ignoring the fact that Bonds juiced his brains out, he wasn't a 5-tool player. Ken Griffey, Jr. was. So The Kid is ahead of Bonds. But Sandy Koufax gets my vote.

[@Eldwin-cm7et]

@@dantheman5745 Dantheman. I'm not convinced "that Bonds juiced his brains out," I do believe he was a great player BEFORE the PED's era, when he was at Pittsburgh. There's guys in the baseball hall of fame that are 'dirty,' but didn't come off, the way Bonds did. Cocky, Narcissistic perhaps, dating and marrying women not black, disrespectful to the media. Remember, prior to any 'banned' PED use suspicions, the media referred to Bonds as 'Berry bones.' And you can best believe that MLB and the media in particular waiting for the opportune time to get him back! So, was he dirty? That's a moot point. But I do believe he possibly use something he felt was not banned, in efforts to heal faster from injury. But not to make himself stronger so that he could hit a baseball further. He already could do that.

[@dantheman5745]

@@Eldwin-cm7et Bonds' head size grew during his playing career. That's not how human growth works. And he didn't take "the clear & the cream" innocently. He knew exactly what he was doing. He definitely was a great player before he started juicing. But once he saw McGwire & Sosa go homerun-crazy, knowing that THEY had juiced, he basically said, "Oh yeah? Well I can play that game too." And he obliterated their juice-enhanced stats. I couldn't care less how Bonds treated the media people. But he treated regular folks, like clubhouse personnel, like absolute garbage. You have to be a special kind of scumbag to do that. Bonds' ego also cost the Pirates a shot at the World Series. Before Francisco Cabrera's clutch hit in the bottom of the 9th of Game 7 that scored sloth-like Sid Bream, Andy Van Slyke had motioned from CF for Bonds to play shallower in LF. Had Bonds listened to Van Slyke, Bream would have been out and the game would've gone to extra innings. But Bonds' massive ego wouldn't permit him to take recommendations from other people, even if they were 47 times smarter than he was. Instead of playing shallower, Bonds' flipped Van Slyke the bird. And Pirates fans haven't gotten a sniff of a World Series every since, courtesy of one athletically talented idiot named Barry.

[@Eldwin-cm7et]

@dantheman5745 And that's my point. Really, that's how you'll always remember him. Even if he weren't taking steroids as you know, you hate his guts. Had you been on the board you wouldn't vote for him, because of your disdain for Bonds. You're not alone. Barry has more critics than a beach has grains of sand. It's ok Dan. I respect your view. Still, if the criteria for going in the MLB hall of fame is, no steroids use, others player's who are in there, wouldn't be. ...........You know who they are.

[@dantheman5745]

@@Eldwin-cm7et If Bonds hadn't juiced, he deserved to be a 1st-ballot, maybe even unanimous, HOF'er, irrespective of how he treated people around him. Though I would still dislike him, I wouldn't not refuse to vote for him. But he cheated. He didn't do so ignorantly. He knew exactly what he was doing. I wouldn't vote for anyone who juiced. And my personal standard for those whom I was suspicious of would be twofold: 1. did they look like a different human at the end of their career? (see for example Sammy Sosa) and 2. were they outspoken critics of juicing. (see Fred McGriff) I would let it be known that those were my standards so that any player on the bubble who didn't actually juice would have the opportunity to publicly decry PEDs. But people who live in glass houses generally know it's unwise to throw stones. I would personally take their silence as an indicator of a guilty conscience. David Ortiz, for instance, would not have gotten my vote. Nice guy. Obviously took some "vitamins." Sorry, others can vote for him. That's fine. But I would not. Same for Andy Pettitte. Nice guy. Admitted to taking PEDs. (whether it was for as brief a period as he conveniently claims, I don't know...but he took 'em.) No dice for Pettitte. He can join Palmiero, Sosa, Clemens, McGwire, etc. in the line to buy a ticket to get into the HOF. These guys knew what they were doing was, at best, unethical. That's why everyone was/is so hush-hush about it. If it was so perfectly fine to do, who cares who knows? But they knew it was shady, and yet they did it anyway. I'd have to look more closely at other guys who got in from the HOF era. But if I was a HOF voter, I would definitely do a VERY deep dive on everyone of the guys up for enshrinement. And I would not check common sense at the door in favor of technicalities.

[@seanc7342]

I'd say Ken Griffy Jr. or Sandy Koufax

[@TankH-z3z]

Those are both good calls. Both immortals. Best living retired players. If Ohtani is fully healthy and his typical self for the next couple of years, active or retired the answer will be obvious. Even with the roids, before the roids, Bonds and Clemens are up there too.

[@mikekeeler6362]

Luis aparicio is now the oldest living Hall of famer

[@big8dog887]

If we go by WAR, and disqualify PED guys, the answer is Rickey Henderson, which I can buy, remembering the ways he could impact a game.

[@Eldwin-cm7et]

@@big8dog887 But Ricky Henderson did pitch. Right now, Ohtani is the white elephant in the room. Watch.

[@HucciManeHuman]

Shoei or Freddie big game Freeman

[@colinbowerman3045]

bro started watching baseball last week

[@markmurphy558]

Are you familiar with the Black Sox scandal. Baseball would allow no association with gambling after players were caught throwing gamesin 1919.

[@mortystraphouse5077]

ohtani

[@bmwx5m226]

Yea but MLB is favoring him blatantly to grow that Asia market. The strike zone is tiny for him and his protection in the lineup. Everyone knows this is happening right now. Even so Soto is the better player.

[@cejannuzi]

Willie Mays was probably the greatest ever baseball player. But he had rivals--like Roberto Clemente.

[@almostcoop762]

We agree. LOVE Clemente!

[@ralphabreu5022]

Willie Mays gone The oldest player should be Sandy Koufax, Juan Marichal and Pete Rose

[@TankH-z3z]

Yeah now Pete’s gone too. RIP

[@mikekeeler6362]

Luis aparicio is the oldest living Hall of famer now left

[@ralphabreu5022]

@@mikekeeler6362 Don't forget Juan Marichal and Sandy Koufax

[@mikekeeler6362]

@ralphabreu5022 what I was saying about Luis aparicio I think he's the only Hall of famer that started in the 50s left

[@mikekeeler6362]

@ralphabreu5022 and I forgot Sandy Koufax started playing in the 50s he still left

[@stevewright2241]

Albert

[@TankH-z3z]

I forgot about him. What a great great player. Right up there

I'm not sure Mays was the greatest living baseball player when Brooks Robinson was alive. Brooks and Willie were different types of players, so it's hard to compare them. But I never saw a better player than Brooks, and I saw Mantle and Mays.

[@arthurnewmanltd5670]

Not even close to Mays. Both were among best at their positions but I would argue Mays played a more important position. On offense Brooks was above average but not a superstar. Mays was a super star at bat and in the field.

@@arthurnewmanltd5670 Many more balls are hit to third base than to the outfield.

[@arthurnewmanltd5670]

Nobody would ever trade Willie Mays for Brooks Robinson in their primes. He may be your favorite player but if you asked 100 baseball experts or players of that era who the best player in baseball was virtually no one would name Brooks Robinson ahead of Mays. In every offensive category Mays better by a long margin. On defense he was as good.

[@cejannuzi]

But look at all the ground an OFer has to cover for an out.

[@bensehon8253]

You're about baseball has become too expensive to play for kids. My brother spent thousands of dollars getting his kids on little league teams and tournament games that were out of town. It's screwed up. The best players are Japanese, and Latinos blacks are just not represented anymore

[@richardwilliams9455]

Barry Bonds. That's it, that's the only answer.

[@jeffmagic32]

Roids

[@omgbygollywow]

Ohtani. Duh.

[@billcook4768]

Best living ball player? Barry Bonds. Duh.

[@neildaniels9792]

It's Ken Griffey Jr. just considering early pre injury career. Similar to Kofax. Bonds without steroids especially isn't 5 tool in the way Griffey was in his prime.

[@jeffmagic32]

Roids

[@hustlecrowe9440]

Barry Bonds

[@jeffmagic32]

Roids

[@jeffcohen9924]

I may be in the minority and I hope I am wrong, but I find it very hard to believe that Shohei Ohtani didn't know that Millions and Millions of dollars vanished from his accounts. He must have someone other than his interpreter he trusts with his finances. His agent, his attorney, his accountant.... For me, doesn't pass the smell test.

[@almostcoop762]

We will never know for sure but there's nothing unfair about your skepticism for that reason. Hard to believe Shohei is an inveterate or degenerate gambler so for me he gets a pass until we know otherwise.

[@billcook4768]

Me? I could care less if he gambled. I like to gamble so I’m not going to hold it against him. That said, of course he knew if not actively participated. But he’s NKB’s golden boy, so they shut that investigation down real quick.

[@mortystraphouse5077]

luckily your opinion is worth less than nothing

[@Eldwin-cm7et]

If we were to do a deep dive, we'll likely find character flaw in a lot guys. Remember how many viewed Tiger Woods (at first?)

[@chillquinones5362]

Barry Bonds!

[@jeffmagic32]

Roids

[@adrianramirez4137]

Barry bonds

[@mortystraphouse5077]

bonds and ohtani

[@jeffmagic32]

Roids

[@RichardBeater_theThird]

Bonds, obviously. He had almost no flaws, just a weak arm.

[@jeffmagic32]

Roids

[@cejannuzi]

Bobby or Barry? Barry had bad legs for much of his career.

[@troyyork1554]

Horseshit if anything there is too much money in baseball and these players should not be getting paid what they do because there's a small subclass who still follows this dying game

[@doublem1975x]

Barry Bonds

[@jeffmagic32]

Roids