Who do you think the best all time baseball player is?  What about the best player of our time?
474610
All time is Mickey Mantle. He could do it all batting left or right handed. Today it has to be Albert Pujols.
309992
I often try to predict this myself, for all sports, but especially for baseball:\n\nI agree with all of your no-brainers, but Biggio (could make it) and Trevor Hoffman (not many relivers have made it, and was he that outstanding?)\nOf your potential HOF'ers:  Off the top, I think Manny is pretty much a no-brainer, and don't believe that Luis Gonzalez or Johnny Damon has much of a shot at all. Many of your others are pretty good picks for this category, though.\n\nI agree with your "close but no cigar" list, and will withhold commentary on the steroid issue.  I haven't sorted that out yet.
924686
Good question.\n\nEach sport has it's Greatest performer. The standard changes with each decade.\n\nThere are many ways to measure Greatness in sports. Statistics is one, Consistency of performance is another.\n\nBabe Ruth is considered the greatest Base ball player of all time. \n\nMohammed Ali is considered one of the worlds greatest Boxers in the Ring...Ali was never knocked out.\n\n Sports Records are broken every year. So, the competition to excel keeps increasing.\n\nTiger Woods may be on his way to becoming the greatest winner of all time, both in Golf Matches won and his monetary rewards.\n\nThe Base ball and basket ball Hall of Frame takes the best players from each sport and asks the "Public" to vote for their admission to the Hall of Fame. It is very difficult to be inducted into the "Hall of Fame"....injuries to athletes is a great risk.
1177503
1) Albert Pujols - Best player in the universe right now\n2) Joe Mauer - Hitting like Ichiro\n3) Francisco Liriano - The next "Johan Santana"\n4) Scott Rolen - Veteran who can still hit\n5) Eric Gagne - Could have been higher if wasn't for injuries\n6) Jonny Gomes - Already showing power and patience at young age and could get better\n7) Justin Morneau - Starting to develop power and could evolve as the best if he can be patience at bat \n8) Chris Shelton - Streaky power hitter that needs to be consistent to succeed\n9) Adam LaRoche - Shows power but needs to solve left-handers
318011
Whns did the new era began? Right now, Ronaldino is the best player. Probably the best player of the past 15 years... Maradona´s prime came to an end in 1990. Messi is regarded, as many pthers, as the next big one... but Ronaldino is the best there is now!
665173
I think Cool Papa was without a doubt the better player. Ernie Banks had a great power stroke but never in your wildest dreams can you learn to be as quick as lightning. Speed is a gift that you are born with, something that cannot be taught. Cool Papa was unquestionably the fastest man to ever play the game. Ricky Henderson would have pissed in his pants if Cool Papa played in the major leagues. His defense was stellar and he was a spectacular lead-off hitter.
98105
I'm assuming you're referring to the HR record.  I would probably say Griffey, A-Rod, Pujols or Vlad.  All four are team-players who are natural hitters without taint of steroids and they all love the game for the game.
504890
I am completely enamored and astounded by the legend that is LeRoy Satchel Paige. The stories you hear about how he would tell his outfield to stay in the dugout because he didnt need them, inducing only infield hits or striking out the batter...its mind-boggling. Big Satch simply dominated any game he played in, even into his 50's. his win total completely blows cy young out of the water. Satchell Paige was better.
182813
I believe Sir Don Bradman was/is the best batsman in the world, he cant be no less than the best with a test average of 99.4....asked to chose from the above 5 ....Sachin Tendulkar gets my vote....he might be out of form at times , but his records are there to prove his worth.\nsachin10dulkar@yahoo.com :)
350713
Johnny Damon (after Alex Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui).  All Yankees, of course!  Of course, I could be a little bias.....   ;)
1075220
The best shortstop ever is Ozzie Smith. 13 straight Gold Gloves and he wasn't a bad hitter. He had 580 stolen bases in his career, #20 on the all-time list. Who can forget his game winning home run he hit in the 1985 playoffs against the Dodgers. Classic.\n\nCurrently, the best shortstop is Edgar Renteria. He had an off season hitting last year, but he is great defensively and a good solid hitter, especially in clutch situations. I think he has the best all around package at this point (defense, power, average, speed). Omar Vizquel is good too, but he's at the end of his career. I like Derek Jeter too, but I hate the Yankees too much and can't be objective about Jeter.
27928
Best Power Hitter= Albert Pulojs (sp?)\nBest Pitcher= Dontrelle Willis\nBest Pure Hitter= Ichiro\nBest Fielder= Torii Hunter\nBest Player(biased)= Miguel Tejada\nBest Player (unbiased)=Albert Pulojs\nMost overrated= Barry Bonds
622675
Jeter ...his clutch hitting in the World Series always fascinated me. He was the first pro athelete my age I saw have real success, I've always been a little in awe of that.
315702
With Bonds you have the biggest distraction in the game. He can't walk five feet without a reporter asking him and his teammates about steroids. The Giants can barely get through a game without something being thrown onto the field. He's 43 years old. It's painful to try to watch the guy run. He's a huge injury risk. \n\nWith A-Rod you have gold glove defense. You have a guy who says all the right things despite being hated where ever he goes. You have the best hitter in the AL. He has power, speed, defense, and leadership. By the end of his career he will be considered one of the top five players to ever play the game. \n\nBonds has had an excellent career and it's pretty easy to say that he's the best player to ever play the game besides Babe Ruth. But A-Rod is in his prime and by the time he's done he could have numbers that are even better than Bonds. You have to take A-Rod. It's not even remotely close. \n\nIf you would've asked A-Rod or Pujols....well, that's a question.
988950
I think that he is the best player in baseball.  He was on a tear before he got injured, on pace to break Bonds 73 HR single-season record.  Also, in a baseball world where steroids are abundant, it appears that Pujols just has natural talent.  He was leading the Majors in HR and RBI before he got injured, and he still is leading the NL in HR and RBI now, although people are closing in.
405229
Bonds in all honesty is one of the games best players, I mean noone ever questions what hank aaron was on when he hit the homers, or babe ruth, I mean steriods have been around for ever, so maybe the babe would sip some rum and shoot up a little riod before game, maybe hank aaron used steriods since he looked like 100 yrs old when he set the record anyway..\n\n MLB baseball is ENTERTAINMENT it is no more a "sport" than Nascar... we pay to watch it, we buy the team logos, we pay the money so our children can have baseball cards, we support it. Would you have watched baseball in the 90's after the strike if Bonds, McGwire, Sosa didnt hit 2000000 homers, would you have watched wwf wrestling if 2 80 lb guys were going at it, NO you wouldnt have, we like BIG THINGS, BIG PEOPLE, and like spending BIG MONEY to show that Bonds did the right thing "if he did anything at all".
367589
I have to agree with GISMCIERI.  Each decade has its player-of-all-time, but it's pretty hard to argue against Jordan.