Top 10 position players from 1975-1989 and their place in history

[RyDogg66]

A 15 year stretch in a unique era in baseball. Their entire careers do not need to fall within that stretch, but their primes or their emergence should. Who do you got? I will try to put together a list, but who is on yours?

 

1. Rickey Henderson

2. George Brett

3. Mike Schmidt

4. Robin Yount

5. Paul Molitor

6. Dave Winfield

7. Eddie Murray

8. Wade Boggs

9. Jim Rice

10. Reggie Jackson

 

Other than perhaps Rickey Henderson at #1, that is in no particular order, just a list. So my next question, where do any of those guys appear in a top 25 hitters of all time list? Do any of them make it? Where abouts would you put them? What is it about that era that seems to me to be forgotten somewhat?

[RockCoCougars]

A 15 year stretch in a unique era in baseball. Their entire careers do not need to fall within that stretch, but their primes or their emergence should. Who do you got? I will try to put together a list, but who is on yours?

 

1. Rickey Henderson

2. George Brett

3. Mike Schmidt

4. Robin Yount

5. Paul Molitor

6. Dave Winfield

7. Eddie Murray

8. Wade Boggs

9. Jim Rice

10. Reggie Jackson

 

Other than perhaps Rickey Henderson at #1, that is in no particular order, just a list. So my next question, where do any of those guys appear in a top 25 hitters of all time list? Do any of them make it? Where abouts would you put them? What is it about that era that seems to me to be forgotten somewhat?

I would probably put Brett, Schmidt, Yount and Winfield as my top 4. Andre Dawson would definitely be top 10 to me. In addition to your list, I might also add Dave Parker, Dale Murphy, Fred Lynn and Gary Carter.

[RyDogg66]

if you add Parker, Murphy, Lynn and Carter, who do you take out of the top 10?

[Baldkin]

No Tim Raines?

[RockCoCougars]

if you add Parker, Murphy, Lynn and Carter, who do you take out of the top 10?

I'd probably take Molitor and Reggie out. Reggie had most of his big seasons prior to '75 and Molitor was injured much of that period- he was actually better in the 90's. I'd add Dawson and Murphy to replace them, with Carter just missing.

[topper09er]

C: Carter, Fisk

1B: Murray, Hernandez

2B: Sandberg, Whitaker

3B: Schmidt, Brett, Boggs

SS: Yount, Trammell

LF: Henderson, Raines, Rice

CF: Murphy, Lynn, Dawson

RF: Winfield, Jackson, DwEvans, Parker

 

Top HRs during this time:

493 Schmidt

381 Rice

365 Kingman

354 Murphy

353 Murray

345 Jackson

345 DwEvans

 

Top hits during this time:

2516 Yount

2434 Rice

2394 Brett

2314 Parker

2250 Winfield

 

Top OPS+ (min 5000 PA)

150 Schmidt

150 Boggs

145 Brett

139 Jack Clark

138 Murray

136 Winfield

135 Ken Singleton

135 Carew

134 Henderson

[joepepsi]

No Tim Raines?

He's one of my favorite players all time, but if you include him in the discussion then don't you have to include Ripken, Sandberg, Gwynn? They all became regulars around 81-82.

[RyDogg66]

So where do people see the best of this era ranking in an all time list?

[Crash2303]

how could you not have Mattingly in there?

also, although not in the top 10 or anything- i'd think Coop would have to be up there

[Funketown]

how could you not have Mattingly in there?

I hate to be condescending, but are you kidding me?

 

When Mr. Burns needed him to step up against Shelbyville Nuclear Power Plant in the championship game, he wouldn't stop his childish rebellion and shave his sideburns. Like any good manager, Burns had no decision but to suspend the rebellious Mattingly, else face a rebellion from the team.

 

It's amazing how people forget these little episodes when somebody is a Yankee.

[cadillacjosh]

I think Paul Molitor has to be in there. Uninjured, he might've been the best all around hitter to grace baseball. I mean of course we'll never know and that always brings up the question of Griffey Jr. Molitor was the man. I remember someone said "People have it for power, people have hit for average, Paul Molitor just hit." I think pretty much sums up my opinion on him.

[Ennder]

Very odd time period to try to work with. Just going to add a few names that would be in the low end of the discussion. Seems like a lot of players could flesh out like 7-10.

 

Keith Hernandez, Ryne Sandberg, Ozzie Smith, Dwight Evans,

[RockCoCougars]

Very odd time period to try to work with. Just going to add a few names that would be in the low end of the discussion. Seems like a lot of players could flesh out like 7-10.

 

Keith Hernandez, Ryne Sandberg, Ozzie Smith, Dwight Evans,

Evans and Sandberg are two that I overlooked. Both have a place right around the top 10. Well above average offensively and defensively for both. As for Hernandez and Smith- if we are weighing defense heavily, they should be in the discussion as well, since both were probably the best fielders at their positions of the era. Someone else mentioned Mattingly, and 84 to 89 was basically his peak before his back went, so he is right there as well. Going further Evans and Coop are both definitely overlooked as well as Bill Madlock, who won four batting titles in this timeframe.

[davego]

Dwight Evans was a heck of a player...and he swore he saw UFO's.

 

Would Pete Rose deserve some consideration, too?

[RockCoCougars]

Dwight Evans was a heck of a player...and he swore he saw UFO's.

 

Would Pete Rose deserve some consideration, too?

Evans is definitely one of the underrated players of his day- I think a lot of Boston fans would tell you that he was better all around than Jim Rice. As for Rose, his best days were behind him by the early 80's. That's why it's so tough to rank these guys based on this timeline. Guys who broke into the league in the mid/late 70's certainly have the advantage. For example, that span basically covers Robin's, Brett's, Dave Winfield and Mike Schmidt's entire prime. On the other hand you have guys like Rose, Carew (who I haven't seen mentioned) and Reggie who started to wind down a little early in the span, and then you have guys like Mattingly, Gwynn, Boggs, etc. who came along rather late. Then you have guys who dominated for only a short time. For example, from 1977-1978 there was no better player in the game than Dave Parker- had he kept his nose clean, literally, he was a sure fire HOF. Then you have Murphy who was the best in the early 80's for a couple of years.

[Principessa21]

I don't think Ken Singleton gets enough love. Here's an article by Joe Posnanski looking at the best players in baseball (and a few they beat out) using Win Shares. I was suprised how many times Singleton's name came up.