Lou Whitaker is the most disrespected second baseman in MLB history including being ranked #15 on this list. I’m not a Tigers fan, I just grew up when Lou was in his prime and loved watching him play.
With Lou Whitaker and Bobby grich and maybe even Frank white chase Utley Jeff Kent and Willie Randolph second base might be the most snubbed position in the Hall of Fame
I was Utley-lerly confused when Rolen got in and Kent didn’t. I played 2B at a small DIII school in the mid 90s after being a C in HS and fell in love with the intricacies of both positions.
@@JustinElder-f6z Kent was a jerk of a person, so the writers, being the objective journalists they are, took it personally and snubbed him. They do this all the time, even if you're not a jerk sometimes.
Very true. I believe in and respect a certain level of bias. If you were treated like a pos by a player then make him pay. They make millions playing a game. Kent is HoFer on paper as a player but if his record in the court of public opinion is less so then so be it. I believe in the Golden Rule so if we need to vote out some douche bags then I will campaign for the righteous.
I was going off stats only which I don’t believe is the single most critical election criteria. This makes me believe Ty Cobb may have been possibly elected prematurely?
Watched the entire Honorable Mentions section going “don’t say chase utley don’t say chase utley” bc I was hoping he’d make the top 15 and when he was the last guy mentioned for honorables I went “NOOO!” Lol
Another great video, as usual. Had to start with the gimenez clip tho ;( and the Kent jab. Leave Cleveland Alone haha jk Oh and Cano is still playing in Mexico destroying
Brandon Phillips and Ray Durham should have been honorable mentions. They were better than some of the guys in your top 15 in my opinion lol great video though!
Joe Morgan was an incredibly productive spark plug in the Big Red Machine. Multiple MVPs and Gold Gloves, hit for power, average, slugging ptc, rbi, stolen bases. A complete player if there ever was one.
Second base is by far the most snubbed position in the hall. There's a trillion 1B in the hall, and like less than 20 2B. I really hope Chase Utley (and his peak) gets in soon, which I hope opens the door for similar peak Dustin Pedroia (who probably have just recently retired had effing manny machdo ended his career), and retroactively puts pressure on the eras committees to put in guys like Kent and Whitaker, who are both way overdue. Maybe even Bobby Grich, who most of us didn't see play, but by looking at his stats, probably deserves a more serious consideration anyways.
IMO, Rogers Hornsby deserves to be nothing more than an honorable mention. Him and anyone else mentioned who was actually born in the 19th century. It is not that they weren't good. Compared to the other players of their era, they were great. The problem is the player quality and competition of the era. Put up 90% of them against any of the MLB teams of the last 60 years, they would never make it out of the minors - that's if they were picked up a team at all. If you or I were to face up against the AVERAGE MLB pitcher of today - excluding the exception of pure luck - we'd be lucky to even touch the ball. But plop us back 100 years in time, against those pitchers, we'd clean up against most of them. Let us also not forget, "the dead ball era," did not only mean fewer HRs, it meant slower balls... balls that were MUCH easier to field. No. They were GREAT players, for their time - in a completely different era - and deserve an honorable mention. But they could not compete in todays game and do not and should not be on a list with the likes of Carew, Sandberg, Alomar, Kent, Biggio, Robinson, Whitaker, Morgan or any other player considered a part of the modern era (1942 - today).
@@firecat3613Couple things you don’t take into account: 1. Hitting is hand-eye coordination, which should be independent of the era. 2. Fields were not kept in the immaculate condition they are today. 3. Stadiums were also bigger then. 4. Fielding gloves were not as good. 5. Sports medicine was no where near as good. Also, there are vastly different opinions on when the modern era started. Why did you pick 1942?
@@firecat3613 Nonsensical, one-way logic. Somehow you think if Rogers Hornsby were to play today, he somehow would not benefit from modern diet, training, equipment etc., and that if a player today were to play 100 years ago, all of their acquired skills, abilities, and equipment would be transported with them.
Fox not in the top 15 is completely criminal, a MVP, took the Sox to the World Series for the first time since 1919 in 1959, half of the greatest battery to ever step on a field and his highest strikeouts in a season was 19, that alone is phenomenal ! But that juicer Cano in on there ! 🙄
Question, where would you put Pete Rose? He played about 600 games at second base, as well as 600 games at left field, right field, third base and then he played about 900 games at first base.
Jeff Kent didn't kiss reports asses and I guess some of his teammates didn't like him, and to me, I'm gonna guess that's the reason he's not in the HOF. Living my first 55 year in the San Francisco area and being a Giants fan, I loved watching him and Bonds in the lineup for several years. He should be in the HOF!
Rogers Hornsby Eddie Collins Nap Lajoie Joe Morgan Charlie Gehringer Rod Carew Frankie Frisch Robinson Cano Craig Biggio Jackie Robinson Roberto Alomar Ryne Sandberg Jeff Kent Lou Whitaker Bobby Grich
Some early second basemen to add to your honorable list: Hardy Richardson, Cupid Childs, Buddy Myer, Del Pratt, Marty McManus and the first true pro baseball legend, Ross Barnes.
With Bobby Grich, I think the voters dismissed him as quickly as they did due to his injury history. He suffered from back spasms the second half of his career and became a sub-standard second baseman, with his range and mobility absolutely disintegrating. Gene Mauch had to use Rob Wilfong more at second because Grich couldn't cover any ground with his back problems.
Thing about Lajoie, Collins, and Hornsby is, they wouldn't have been second basemen in later eras! Because pitching from the stretch had yet to become a widely known tactic, stealing home was EXTREMELY common. As a result, third base in those days was a more defensively demanding position than second! If those three had played in the middle 20th century or later, they would almost certainly have manned 3B rather than the keystone.
Pitchers began pitching from the stretch in the 19th century. I remember Cap Anson and Kid Nichols specifically mentioning it in their books on baseball. By the time Lajoie, Collins, and Hornsby played, every pitcher pitched from the stretch. _Baseball: How to Play It_ published in 1912, states “A pitcher needs a different delivery when there are men on the bases than when the bags are clear.…With men on the paths he can’t use a full wind-up.” And so on. Hit-and-run and sacrifice plays were more common at the time, which led to more steal attempts overall. Third base was indeed considered a more demanding position than second base, since bunting was a more common tactic.
The Hall of Fame really needs a knowledgable voting bloc to replace the knaves and dunces that comprise the BBWAA. The fact that they let Whitaker fall off the ballot and didn't induct two of the greatest, Biggio and Sandberg, their first year of eligibility, is just more proof of how awful their work has been over the years.
Alomar should not be mentioned, he was good on the field. POS off the field. Spits on umpires, allegations, he was stripped of the level of excellence at Roger's Center. Number unretired by the Jays.
Wait was Jose Altuve not on this list? He's the only trashstro who didn't cheat. That alone deserves him an honorable mention, let alone his excellent bat and clutch hits that haunt Yankees fans every night since 2019.
I was wondering that too, then it dawned on me: He's still playing. Consider: Imagine a future where someone doing a similar list says, "Altuve did amazingly well for most of his career, then one day we discovered ______. Then, some really horrid stuff happened." Simply put, he may make a future list some day, but for now, his story is not yet complete.
Fun fact: Two of these guys were traded for each other. After the 1926 season, Rogers Hornsby, who despite player-managing the the Cardinals to the World Championship, was deemed too much of a pain in the rear to keep around and was traded to the Cardinals for Frankie Frisch. Frisch had a different skill set than Hornsby, but the trade worked out well as the Cards won 4 more pennants and 2 more World Series with him around. Hornsby bounced around, but continued to hit.
15:34. Jackie Robinson played 10 seasons in the Majors (1947-56), not 11. He refused to play for the hated crosstown New York Giants, instead taking a job with the Chockful O' Nuts Coffee company.
He was just a mediocre hitter. But his defensive abilities probably put him as one of the top couple defensive 2B players ever. And I just checked, it looks like he has the highest 2B dWAR all time. I thought Pedroia might have passed him, but it looks like he still holds the record with 24 dWAR.
Hate to be nit-picky about some potential inaccuracies in the vid, but Rod Carew moved to First Base as his primary position in the field well before moving on to Angels. His last 3 seasons with the Twins was as their First Baseman, to include his MVP season of 1977. Maybe (or not) another assertion is stating Jackie Robinson spent 11 seasons in the Majors. Technically Major League Baseball from 1947 to 1956 for a total of 10 seasons. Though if you are counting his 1 season in the Negro League Majors with the Kansas City Monarchs in 1945 (which MLB declared in 2020 that level of the Negro Leagues should be counted as part of the Major Leagues), then yes, that would make the tally 11 seasons.
I guess technically it's 11 now since the Negro League season counts as big league. It made it all confusing. If I said 10 some one would've corrected me and said it's 11.
Here is my top 5: 1. Ryne Sandberg 2. Roberto Alomar 3. Rod Carew 4. Joe Morgan 5. Craig Biggio. Jose Altuve should be on the list replacing Cano. Honorable mention: Tom Herr
I guess some modern fans do not understand how good of a hitter Rogers Hornsby was. He had three seasons where he hit over .400 that were literally on the Babe Ruth level, although Babe Ruth never hit over .400. Ty Cobb hit .400 three times as well, but never with the power Hornsby had. During the six year period from 1920-5, Hornsby led the NL in both OBA and SLG each year.
I enjoy these videos. But, you give way too much credit to guys that played in the early 1900's. They put up monster #'s for a reason. Yes, they were good players. And, i believe they most likely would be good players today. But, they were facing mostly soft tossing guys that were farmers in the off-season. They maybe saw 2-3 guys that could throw serious heat. Today, guys face 2-3 guys a night that throw serious heat. Anyone that played before 1947, should also get bumped down the list because they only faced white guys. Today's players face the best from everywhere, and of every ethnicity. Modern era players deserve a bump up the list because of this. Do we really believe that Nap Lajoi, Hornsby, Frische, etc, are still the best ever? Hardly
Hornsby played 2b simply because there was no place else for him to play. He couldn't cut it at SS. His reaction time wasn't good enough to play 1b or 3b. AND he had vertigo, actually getting dizzy on pop flies/fly balls, which ruled out the OF! Hornsby was a hitter, and nothing else! He was a detriment in the field. More so than other great hit-no field guys like Ted WIlliams and Mike Piazza. In addition, he was a jerk. No people skills whatsoever. That's why his managerial record is what it is....bad! Another thing to consider; his numbers took a HUGE upturn in the early 1920's, just like Babe Ruth's, but he was nowhere NEAR the hitter that Ruth was! Fact of the matter is, if Honus Wagner had played in Hornsby's time, he would have posted BETTER numbers, even than Hornsby!! The NL of the 1920's had NO pitching; it was the greatest environment for hitters in MLB history. Next, look at the records of Hornsby's teams: For all his great numbers, Hornsby's teams didn't win anywhere NEAR as much as Collins', or Jackie's, or Joe Morgan's. A lot of this is BECAUSE of his personality....kind of the Barry Bonds of his era. Rogers Hornsby is no better than #4 all time behind Collins, Morgan and Jackie, and roughly equal to Lajoie, who would be ranked higher than Hornsby, if: 1) he stayed healthy (which Hornsby couldn't either) and 2) occasionally drew a walk. Rogers Hornsby is THE MOST OVERRATED BASEBALL PLAYER OF ALL TIME, and it isn't even close, imho. Thanks.
Funny how English people butcher French names when they should be easier than Spanish names. At least Americans. La-jo-eh is so off from la-jwa. Most English people could say la-jwa.
Here is my top 5: 1. Ryne Sandberg 2. Roberto Alomar 3. Rod Carew 4. Joe Morgan 5. Craig Biggio. Jose Altuve should be on the list replacing Cano. Honorable mention: Tom Herr
Post some Tommy Herr stats for all aspects of the game. He’s not an honorable mention to your top 5 let alone Humm Baby’s top 15. Herr was total garbage once traded to the Twins.
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Lou Whitaker is the most disrespected second baseman in MLB history including being ranked #15 on this list. I’m not a Tigers fan, I just grew up when Lou was in his prime and loved watching him play.
With Lou Whitaker and Bobby grich and maybe even Frank white chase Utley Jeff Kent and Willie Randolph second base might be the most snubbed position in the Hall of Fame
I was Utley-lerly confused when Rolen got in and Kent didn’t. I played 2B at a small DIII school in the mid 90s after being a C in HS and fell in love with the intricacies of both positions.
@@JustinElder-f6z Kent was a jerk of a person, so the writers, being the objective journalists they are, took it personally and snubbed him. They do this all the time, even if you're not a jerk sometimes.
Very true. I believe in and respect a certain level of bias. If you were treated like a pos by a player then make him pay. They make millions playing a game. Kent is HoFer on paper as a player but if his record in the court of public opinion is less so then so be it. I believe in the Golden Rule so if we need to vote out some douche bags then I will campaign for the righteous.
I was going off stats only which I don’t believe is the single most critical election criteria. This makes me believe Ty Cobb may have been possibly elected prematurely?
2nd base and center field
Watched the entire Honorable Mentions section going “don’t say chase utley don’t say chase utley” bc I was hoping he’d make the top 15 and when he was the last guy mentioned for honorables I went “NOOO!” Lol
Fantastic list good job
Love your videos man. Especially these lists. Shared you to the brewers community
Great video, as always. I was a little surprised you didn't mention Joe Morgan's great speed. 689 stolen bases in total and 40 or more from 1969-1977!
Love the video!! This channel is amazing! Did I miss something or did you not have Altuve on here ?
I think he restricts his lists to retired players.
I thought the same as an astros fan I really wanted to see where he would place but I guess it’s only retired players. Where would you rank him?
Another Humm Baby ranking video. Lets goo🎉
!!!
Great video. Thank-you for making and sharing. ... Hornsby is definitely #1.
I thought Jackie would be #6 (guessing).
Love for Lajoie and Gehringer.
10 time all star, Red Schoendienst should be on this list.
Another great video, as usual. Had to start with the gimenez clip tho ;( and the Kent jab. Leave Cleveland Alone haha jk
Oh and Cano is still playing in Mexico destroying
Lou Whitaker should be in the HOF--Jeff Kent also
Glad to see Hornsby at number one. Truly one of the all-time greats.
Lou Whitaker should of been. In the HOF years ago. Willie Randolph and Jeff Kent of course should be in.
I really dig this list. I hope you can do Every World Series Champs since 2000 an asterisk at any given point.
As a lifelong orioles fan, I’d like add my voices to everyone else’s saying it’s a crime that Lou Whitaker isn’t in the hall of fame
Brandon Phillips and Ray Durham should have been honorable mentions. They were better than some of the guys in your top 15 in my opinion lol great video though!
Joe Morgan was an incredibly productive spark plug in the Big Red Machine. Multiple MVPs and Gold Gloves, hit for power, average, slugging ptc, rbi, stolen bases. A complete player if there ever was one.
Second base is by far the most snubbed position in the hall. There's a trillion 1B in the hall, and like less than 20 2B. I really hope Chase Utley (and his peak) gets in soon, which I hope opens the door for similar peak Dustin Pedroia (who probably have just recently retired had effing manny machdo ended his career), and retroactively puts pressure on the eras committees to put in guys like Kent and Whitaker, who are both way overdue. Maybe even Bobby Grich, who most of us didn't see play, but by looking at his stats, probably deserves a more serious consideration anyways.
28 1st baseman, and 20 2nd basemen
Hornsby is an obvious number one; after that you can debate between Jackie, Joe Morgan and Carew
IMO, Rogers Hornsby deserves to be nothing more than an honorable mention. Him and anyone else mentioned who was actually born in the 19th century. It is not that they weren't good. Compared to the other players of their era, they were great. The problem is the player quality and competition of the era. Put up 90% of them against any of the MLB teams of the last 60 years, they would never make it out of the minors - that's if they were picked up a team at all.
If you or I were to face up against the AVERAGE MLB pitcher of today - excluding the exception of pure luck - we'd be lucky to even touch the ball. But plop us back 100 years in time, against those pitchers, we'd clean up against most of them.
Let us also not forget, "the dead ball era," did not only mean fewer HRs, it meant slower balls... balls that were MUCH easier to field.
No. They were GREAT players, for their time - in a completely different era - and deserve an honorable mention. But they could not compete in todays game and do not and should not be on a list with the likes of Carew, Sandberg, Alomar, Kent, Biggio, Robinson, Whitaker, Morgan or any other player considered a part of the modern era (1942 - today).
@@firecat3613Hornsby only played five seasons of the dead ball era.
Oh and the modern era of baseball actually started in 1901
@@firecat3613Couple things you don’t take into account:
1. Hitting is hand-eye coordination, which should be independent of the era.
2. Fields were not kept in the immaculate condition they are today.
3. Stadiums were also bigger then.
4. Fielding gloves were not as good.
5. Sports medicine was no where near as good.
Also, there are vastly different opinions on when the modern era started. Why did you pick 1942?
@@firecat3613 Nonsensical, one-way logic. Somehow you think if Rogers Hornsby were to play today, he somehow would not benefit from modern diet, training, equipment etc., and that if a player today were to play 100 years ago, all of their acquired skills, abilities, and equipment would be transported with them.
Fox not in the top 15 is completely criminal, a MVP, took the Sox to the World Series for the first time since 1919 in 1959, half of the greatest battery to ever step on a field and his highest strikeouts in a season was 19, that alone is phenomenal ! But that juicer Cano in on there ! 🙄
Question, where would you put Pete Rose?
He played about 600 games at second base, as well as 600 games at left field, right field, third base and then he played about 900 games at first base.
Jeff Kent didn't kiss reports asses and I guess some of his teammates didn't like him, and to me, I'm gonna guess that's the reason he's not in the HOF. Living my first 55 year in the San Francisco area and being a Giants fan, I loved watching him and Bonds in the lineup for several years. He should be in the HOF!
Ryno is way too low on this list
Fielding percentage plus offensive prowess, you are correct SIR!
Rogers Hornsby
Eddie Collins
Nap Lajoie
Joe Morgan
Charlie Gehringer
Rod Carew
Frankie Frisch
Robinson Cano
Craig Biggio
Jackie Robinson
Roberto Alomar
Ryne Sandberg
Jeff Kent
Lou Whitaker
Bobby Grich
Some early second basemen to add to your honorable list: Hardy Richardson, Cupid Childs, Buddy Myer, Del Pratt, Marty McManus and the first true pro baseball legend, Ross Barnes.
Don’t forget the great Eddie Snickers!
@williamkleitsch1153 you misspelled Larry Doyle.
Billy Ripken and his famous 1989 fleer FF baseball card should be in this list.
With Bobby Grich, I think the voters dismissed him as quickly as they did due to his injury history. He suffered from back spasms the second half of his career and became a sub-standard second baseman, with his range and mobility absolutely disintegrating. Gene Mauch had to use Rob Wilfong more at second because Grich couldn't cover any ground with his back problems.
Thing about Lajoie, Collins, and Hornsby is, they wouldn't have been second basemen in later eras! Because pitching from the stretch had yet to become a widely known tactic, stealing home was EXTREMELY common. As a result, third base in those days was a more defensively demanding position than second! If those three had played in the middle 20th century or later, they would almost certainly have manned 3B rather than the keystone.
Pitchers began pitching from the stretch in the 19th century. I remember Cap Anson and Kid Nichols specifically mentioning it in their books on baseball. By the time Lajoie, Collins, and Hornsby played, every pitcher pitched from the stretch. _Baseball: How to Play It_ published in 1912, states “A pitcher needs a different delivery when there are men on the bases than when the bags are clear.…With men on the paths he can’t use a full wind-up.” And so on.
Hit-and-run and sacrifice plays were more common at the time, which led to more steal attempts overall. Third base was indeed considered a more demanding position than second base, since bunting was a more common tactic.
The Hall of Fame really needs a knowledgable voting bloc to replace the knaves and dunces that comprise the BBWAA. The fact that they let Whitaker fall off the ballot and didn't induct two of the greatest, Biggio and Sandberg, their first year of eligibility, is just more proof of how awful their work has been over the years.
Alomar should not be mentioned, he was good on the field. POS off the field. Spits on umpires, allegations, he was stripped of the level of excellence at Roger's Center. Number unretired by the Jays.
The only other one I could think of is Tony Lazzeri of the Yankees
I wanna be a 2nd Basmen when I grow up :P
Wait was Jose Altuve not on this list? He's the only trashstro who didn't cheat. That alone deserves him an honorable mention, let alone his excellent bat and clutch hits that haunt Yankees fans every night since 2019.
What is the evidence that he (alone) did not cheat?
I was wondering that too, then it dawned on me: He's still playing. Consider: Imagine a future where someone doing a similar list says, "Altuve did amazingly well for most of his career, then one day we discovered ______. Then, some really horrid stuff happened." Simply put, he may make a future list some day, but for now, his story is not yet complete.
Hey, you know who also got caught cheating as a result of the 2017 investigation? The Yankees.
@@UnderhillKoufax It's been confirmed that Reddick, Kemp, and Altuve did not participate.
@ , What is the evidence? I find that very difficult to believe. It sounds more like wishful thinking.
Hornsby might be remembered as a nicer guy if his footage didn’t cause epileptic seizures.
What's a Basmen?
Jeff Kent Hall of fame on my book.
100%
Imagine hitting .424 with an OPS+ of 222 and it still wasn't enough to win MVP.
Fun fact: Two of these guys were traded for each other. After the 1926 season, Rogers Hornsby, who despite player-managing the the Cardinals to the World Championship, was deemed too much of a pain in the rear to keep around and was traded to the Cardinals for Frankie Frisch. Frisch had a different skill set than Hornsby, but the trade worked out well as the Cards won 4 more pennants and 2 more World Series with him around. Hornsby bounced around, but continued to hit.
I’m guessing active players aren’t eligible for the list since there’s no Altuve
15:34. Jackie Robinson played 10 seasons in the Majors (1947-56), not 11. He refused to play for the hated crosstown New York Giants, instead taking a job with the Chockful O' Nuts Coffee company.
MLB stated that Negro league records count
Apparently Altuve has become the most disrespected guy these days
I didn't include active players
Bill Mazeroski is my favorite, but I’m biased.
He was just a mediocre hitter. But his defensive abilities probably put him as one of the top couple defensive 2B players ever. And I just checked, it looks like he has the highest 2B dWAR all time. I thought Pedroia might have passed him, but it looks like he still holds the record with 24 dWAR.
Interesting Bobby grich yied to lead the league in home runs in the strike shortened 1981
No Altuve?
Greatest defensive 2B ever missing from the list.
Bill Doran honorable mention
What i saw with my own eyes- Roberto Alomar Jr. all day long. Good list though.
Where's Altuve? This list isn't right without Altuve.
Steve Sax
If Roberto is in Pete should be in
Cano doesn't belong here.
No Roids should be on this list
Hate to be nit-picky about some potential inaccuracies in the vid, but Rod Carew moved to First Base as his primary position in the field well before moving on to Angels. His last 3 seasons with the Twins was as their First Baseman, to include his MVP season of 1977. Maybe (or not) another assertion is stating Jackie Robinson spent 11 seasons in the Majors. Technically Major League Baseball from 1947 to 1956 for a total of 10 seasons. Though if you are counting his 1 season in the Negro League Majors with the Kansas City Monarchs in 1945 (which MLB declared in 2020 that level of the Negro Leagues should be counted as part of the Major Leagues), then yes, that would make the tally 11 seasons.
Ryne Sandberg has Prostate Cancer say a Prayer for him.
Robinson played only 10 Years 1947-1956.
I guess technically it's 11 now since the Negro League season counts as big league. It made it all confusing. If I said 10 some one would've corrected me and said it's 11.
@@HummBabyBaseball You are right I forgot about that.
Why not do a top 150 2nd baseman of all time it'd have the same zero impact on reality and you'd make 4 times as much $.
Kent higher than Whitaker??? Yikes
I do enjoy your channel though and understand opinions are a lot like assholes (see Roberto Alomar).
Roberto Alomar is the best second baseman in history. It is an offense that he is on a list of number 11.
Ryno is 2nd behind Hrnsby.
Joe Morgan hands down! Part of one of the greatest dynasties ever! Bad man, with speed power and over a 300 batting average!
Why does Tommy Herr never get any love? When he retired, the only 2nd baseman with a better fielding average was Sandberg.
Because he was total garbage when he was traded to my Twinkies. Lol.
I loved Bruno.
Humm Baby Baseball check your Stats Yogi Berra has the most hits in World Series History; Berra had 71 hits, Frisch 58 Hits.
He said most hits of anyone that wasnt a Yankee
Which is why he used the qualifier of having the most WS hits without playing for the Yankees
@LordTeaboBaggins your right l had to look at the video again
Here is my top 5: 1. Ryne Sandberg 2. Roberto Alomar 3. Rod Carew 4. Joe Morgan 5. Craig Biggio. Jose Altuve should be on the list replacing Cano. Honorable mention: Tom Herr
I guess some modern fans do not understand how good of a hitter Rogers Hornsby was. He had three seasons where he hit over .400 that were literally on the Babe Ruth level, although Babe Ruth never hit over .400. Ty Cobb hit .400 three times as well, but never with the power Hornsby had. During the six year period from 1920-5, Hornsby led the NL in both OBA and SLG each year.
I enjoy these videos. But, you give way too much credit to guys that played in the early 1900's. They put up monster #'s for a reason. Yes, they were good players. And, i believe they most likely would be good players today. But, they were facing mostly soft tossing guys that were farmers in the off-season. They maybe saw 2-3 guys that could throw serious heat. Today, guys face 2-3 guys a night that throw serious heat. Anyone that played before 1947, should also get bumped down the list because they only faced white guys. Today's players face the best from everywhere, and of every ethnicity. Modern era players deserve a bump up the list because of this. Do we really believe that Nap Lajoi, Hornsby, Frische, etc, are still the best ever? Hardly
Misspell on basemen in title. Just letting you know
Hornsby played 2b simply because there was no place else for him to play. He couldn't cut it at SS. His reaction time wasn't good enough to play 1b or 3b. AND he had vertigo, actually getting dizzy on pop flies/fly balls, which ruled out the OF! Hornsby was a hitter, and nothing else! He was a detriment in the field. More so than other great hit-no field guys like Ted WIlliams and Mike Piazza. In addition, he was a jerk. No people skills whatsoever. That's why his managerial record is what it is....bad! Another thing to consider; his numbers took a HUGE upturn in the early 1920's, just like Babe Ruth's, but he was nowhere NEAR the hitter that Ruth was! Fact of the matter is, if Honus Wagner had played in Hornsby's time, he would have posted BETTER numbers, even than Hornsby!! The NL of the 1920's had NO pitching; it was the greatest environment for hitters in MLB history. Next, look at the records of Hornsby's teams: For all his great numbers, Hornsby's teams didn't win anywhere NEAR as much as Collins', or Jackie's, or Joe Morgan's. A lot of this is BECAUSE of his personality....kind of the Barry Bonds of his era. Rogers Hornsby is no better than #4 all time behind Collins, Morgan and Jackie, and roughly equal to Lajoie, who would be ranked higher than Hornsby, if: 1) he stayed healthy (which Hornsby couldn't either) and 2) occasionally drew a walk. Rogers Hornsby is THE MOST OVERRATED BASEBALL PLAYER OF ALL TIME, and it isn't even close, imho. Thanks.
TLDR
Tom Herr would be on this list if he hadn't played at the same time as Sandberg.
Maybe it's time to actually say Jackie Robinson was good, but not great as a baseball player. Although not the first, Satchel Paige was far better.
Not his fault that he wasn't allowed into MLB until age 27. He was the best player in the NL and maybe all of MLB from '49 to '51.
Funny how English people butcher French names when they should be easier than Spanish names. At least Americans. La-jo-eh is so off from la-jwa. Most English people could say la-jwa.
Here is my top 5: 1. Ryne Sandberg 2. Roberto Alomar 3. Rod Carew 4. Joe Morgan 5. Craig Biggio. Jose Altuve should be on the list replacing Cano. Honorable mention: Tom Herr
Post some Tommy Herr stats for all aspects of the game. He’s not an honorable mention to your top 5 let alone Humm Baby’s top 15. Herr was total garbage once traded to the Twins.