players most famous by decade

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Posted By: dennis

this is my list of players i believe attained the most fame by decade,not the best player,but(IMO)ones even a non fan would know of-- these are all 1st ballot hall of famers no overlaps as both the babe and joe d. would definity reign supreme over their entire careers.1876-1890 anson 1890-1900-McGinnity 1900-1910-matty 1910-1920-cobb 1920-1930-the babe 1930-1940-lou gehrig, 1940-1950-joe d. 1950-1960-mickey mantle 1960-1970-willie mays 1970-1980-reggie jackson 1980-1990-pete rose 1990-2000-cal ripken 2000-now-barry bonds

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Posted By: jay behrens

1876-90: Anson
1891-1900: Young
1901-10: Wagner
1911-20: Cobb
1921-30: Ruth
1931-40: Gehrig
1941-50: DiMaggio
1951-60: Williams
1961-70: Mays
1971-80: Rose
1981-90: Henderson
1991-2000: Clemens
2000-date: Bonds

Jay

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming --- WOW, What a ride!

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Posted By: Billy

Im going to have to go with Ken Griffey Jr. for 1990-99, with Bonds close behind with 3 MVP's.

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Posted By: jay behrens

but how many casual or non-fans even knows Griffey anymore? He's pretty much slide of the radar screen when it comes to truely famous players whose name anyone would recognize. Although in the 90s, there probably wasn't a better know player at that time.

Jay

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming --- WOW, What a ride!

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Posted By: Billy

He was the best in the 90's and most popular. Look at his numbers. He also won the gold glove award EVERY year in the 90's as a center fielder. To me there is no doubt he was the player of the 90's.

Roger Clemens had a long burnout during the mid nineties. I remember he was doing Rio buffet commercials here in Las Vegas because he fell so hard.

One more addition
I don't remember anyone being more famous than Griffey in the 90's (as evidenced by card prices) So as far as fame (which the question asked) and numbers, I think he stacks up and deserves the spot IMO

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Posted By: PASJD

Just for "fame" let us not forget the (according to some) underrated McGwire. Even Ted Kennedy heard of him although he botched his name.

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Posted By: jay behrens

but Griffey's fame today is diminished. If you went out on the street and asked people if they recognize the name Clemens or Griffey, you have more people recognizing Clemens.

I based my picks on their fame as of today, not when they played. To be truely famous, your fame has to endure. Griffey fame is not holding up at present.

Jay

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming --- WOW, What a ride!

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Posted By: Billy

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I was at the 1995 All Star game in Texas. Griffey was hurt (almost back from broken wrist) but he still got the most cheers of any player when he took grounders two hours BEFORE the game. Look at the rosters from the 95 all star game, there were at least 10 HOF'ers (Ripken, Bonds, Sosa, Clemens, etc) in the game and Griffey was the biggest star and didn't even play.

If you were gonna argue anyone else Jay, it would have to be Barry Bonds, not Rogah.

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Posted By: Chris

1876-90: Anson
1891-1900: Young
1901-10: Wagner
1911-20: Cobb
1921-30: Ruth
1931-40: Gehrig or Foxx
1941-50: DiMaggio
1951-60: Mantle
1961-70: Mays
1971-80: Rose
1981-90: Mattingly(although for a brief time in the 80's)
1991-2000: Griffey
2000-date: Bonds
I agree with Billy. There was nobody more famous and popular than Griffey in the 90's. The question was who was more famnous in each decade not who is more famous today.

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Posted By: Billy

I think Aaron vs Mays is close for the 60's, but I guess Willie's fielding and SB's gives him the edge.

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Posted By: Rhett

I know the thread started as MOST POPULAR players, but since I was not around pre-war these are my BEST PLAYERS/PITCHERS of each pre-war decade. I think you gotta seperate the players from the pitchers, two totally different things...

1870-79- Player--ANSON Pitcher--SPALDING
1880-89- Player--ANSON Pitcher--RADBOURN
1890-99- Player--DELAHANTY Pitcher--NICHOLS/YOUNG
1900-09- Player--WAGNER Pitcher--MATHEWSON
1910-19- Player--COBB Pitcher--JOHNSON/ALEXANDER
1920-29- Player--RUTH Pitcher--No ONE great player
1930-41- Player--GEHRIG Pitcher--GROVE?

-Rhett

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Posted By: Dave Williams

Griffey was the player of the 90's.

I was just scanning through the TSN book that came out in 1996 or 97 of the top 100 baseball players of all time, and Griffey is on the cover.

At that time in the late 90's, he looked as though he would hit 800 homers, get 3500 hits, and win about 5 MVP's.

Ah, the dangers of rating a player in mid career (Also known as Dale Murphy and George Foster syndrome).

Off the top of my head, without thinking about it too much....

Hitters -

80's - Mike Schmidt (3 MVP's)
70's - Reggie Jackson (Mr. October)
60's - Willie Mays (Could also be Aaron, Clemente, Killebrew, or a few others)
50's - Mickey Mantle
40's - Stan Musial, Ted Williams if not for WW2
30's - Lou Gehrig
20's - Babe Ruth
10-s - Ty Cobb
00's - Honus Wagner
Pre 1900 - Maybe Cap Anson.

Pitchers
90's - Greg Maddux, Randy Johson, or Clemens
80's - Jack Morris
70's - Tom Seaver
60's - Sandy Koufax
50's - Warren Spahn
40's - Bob Feller
30's - Lefty Grove
20's - Walter Johnson
10's - Alexander
00's - Mathewson
Pre 1900 - Tim Keefe, Old Hoss Radbourne

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Posted By: Billy

The thread is most popular players. Griffey was the most popular in the 90's.

Chris is right, Mattingly is the most well known, best player of the 80's

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Posted By: Billy

I'm corrected. Schmidt was by far the best player of the 80's (most popular too?).

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Posted By: Chris

What about Nolan Ryan being in there somewhere. If for no other reason, kicking Robin Ventura's ass.

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Posted By: Billy

maybe he's the player of the last half century (joke).

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Posted By: PASJD

"this is my list of players i believe attained the most fame by decade,not the best player,but(IMO)ones even a non fan would know of"

The question was who had the most fame beyond the sport, not who was the best player.

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Posted By: Dave Williams

I don't know that Ryan was ever even the best pitcher in baseball.

He was real dominant but never could win a Cy Young.

But it was classic when he slapped that headlock on Ventura and gave him a good rap on the melon.

He was close to 20 years older than Ventura also.

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Posted By: jay behrens

I read the question as being the most famous today. It's way to hard to really determine who the most popular players of the game were in the early days, so it's much easier to use a player's fame as of today rather than how famous they might have been during that time.

I already stated, Griffey was the most player in the 1990s, but today he is overshadowed by Bonds, Clemens, Johnson and many other players.

Jay

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming --- WOW, What a ride!

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Posted By: Billy

lets have two lists.
The most famous (today or whenever), and the other the best player (statistically)
I'll post both of mine in a bit.

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Posted By: Chris

How many casual fans today know who Honus Wagner is Jay? Or Cap Anson. Casual fans don't know who these players are. IMO I think casual fans still know who Griffey is. Heck, he's on Sportscenter everynight hobbling down the first baseline with his bad hammy.

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Posted By: dennis

how about bob feller in the 30's straight from high school w/that 100 mph fast ball.also not around then but i've heard joe dimaggio was famous b 4 he put on a yankee uniform. dizzy dean?? in the 30's was a one man show. carl hubble and lefty grove were still big names when i was a kid in the 50's. don mattingly's popularity coincided with the rise of baseball card fad of mid 80's and his stats were unheard of since the 30's.doubles/hits/avg. canseco had his time too,along with ryan (remember the price rise of his rookie card?)

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Posted By: jay behrens

Chris, the fame of Wagner and Anson has nothing to do with the fame of Griffey. They played in different eras. Yes, the further back you go in time, the less recognizable players are to the casual fan. If you list a bunch players from 1876-1890 and Anson will most likely be recognized more often than anyone else.

I wish my friend still worked at CNN. He could get me the Q Score (how well known something is) for me for all the current baseball players. I remember in the early 90s he showed the Q Score for video game charaters and Mario was NOT #1. Sonic the Hedgehog was recognized by more people. I would have never guessed Mario would never be #1.

Jay

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming --- WOW, What a ride!

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Posted By: chris cathcart

Billy, you've got in one post saying that Griffey was the best player of the '90s, then you've got in another talking about distinguishing most famous from best (statistically).

Statistically, Griffey isn't, and never was, in Bonds league, except for one year -- 1997, the year Griffey won his only MVP. Use whatever important statistical measures -- adjusted OPS, James' Win Shares, what have you, and Bonds comes out by a wide margin. Griffey's best year was like an average year for Bonds. Griffey's got marks as a better fielder, though even there you've got Bonds with 8 Gold Gloves despite playing left field. 3 MVPs, and inevitable 500/500 -- all locked up by the end of the '90s, before the recent reincarnation of Babe Ruth appeared. Part of the big gap between the two was obscured by Bonds' 3 MVP seasons occurring before the offensive boom starting in the mid-'90s. Relative to his league (and the whole majors), no one was even close in '92-93. Griffey, even in his best years, was arguably equaled or bettered by Bonds, Thomas, Bagwell, Piazza, perhaps some others. Griffey's status in the minds of many people was the product of hype and excessive focus on certain numbers -- basically on the only number in which Griffey really stood out: Home Runs. Even there, make the necessary adjustments for offensive context, and he wasn't that far above Bonds, especially in a peak-to-peak comparison. Bonds was hitting the equivalent of 50 HR a year in '92-93 and would have had 50 right along with Griffey in '94 without the strike. All the other numbers -- walks, steals, OBP, SLG, MVPs -- Bonds easily outshined Griffey (not so much in SLG, but again make the right adjustments...). If fielding were established to be of immense value relative to offense, that would close to gap noticeably, but it's not so it doesn't.

In his new -Historical Abstract-, James made an incisive and cutting comparison betweeen Griffey and Craig Biggio. Griffey outnumbered Biggio by a wide margin in HRs, and trailed in . . . everything else. They come out roughly even for the '90s by his Win Shares measure.

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Posted By: chris cathcart

I didn't live "then," so I'm really just going on my impressions of then-contemporary opinion about who was most famous "then."

Decade - Famous Then / Now

1900s - Wagner / Young
1910s - Cobb / Cobb
1920s - Ruth / Ruth
1930s - Ruth, Gehrig, Foxx / Gehrig
1940s - DiMaggio / Williams
1950s - Musial, Mantle / Mantle
1960s - Mantle, Mays / Mantle, Aaron, Mays
1970s - Aaron, Rose / Aaron, Rose
1980s - Schmidt, Rose, Garvey? / Ryan, Rose
1990s - Griffey, Ripken, McGwire / Bonds, Ripken
2000s - Bonds, A-Rod

In terms of preventing opponents from scoring, Ryan was great but nowhere near the greatest pitcher ever. He might have deserved one Cy Young Award, when he actually managed to lead the league in ERA. For serious consideration for Greatest Ever, a pitcher needs at least 3 or 4 solid CYA wins.

Clemens may be the greatest pitcher ever, though I don't think he's especially famous.

The BEST player from each decade:

1900s - Wagner (wide margin)
1910s - Cobb
1920s - Ruth (in a landslide)
1930s - Gehrig
1940s - Williams (fairly wide margin)
1950s - Mantle
1960s - Mays
1970s - Toughie, but a nod to Joe Morgan
1980s - Schmidt (sorry Rickey)
1990s - Bonds (landslide)
2000s - Bonds (BIG landslide)

By James' Win Shares method, Bonds will clear 700 for his career. Who else in this era will even clear 500? A-Rod, maybe?

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Posted By: chris cathcart

To answer my own question above, I did a little figuring with another James tool, the Favorite Toy projection method.

Basically, find an "established pace," (take the most recent season, multiply that amount by three, next recent season multiplied by two, third most recent season weighted only by one, then take the entire sum and divide by 3+2+1, or 6) then multiply that by half of the number of years between the player's most-recent-season age and age 42. Half that number in A-Rod's case would be 7. The "established pace" is -- not having the exact numbers handy, is approximately between 30 and 35 Win Shares. Assume 33 Win Shares, multipled by 7, which gives us 231. A-Rod has approximately 260 career Win Shares through this past season, so this puts him at just about 500 projected for this career. That would put him among the top 20 of all-time for career Win Shares, and in the top, uh, 4? for players whose careers began within the last 50 years. (Others being Bonds by a huge margin, Rose via great play combined with amazing longevity, Rickey Henderson, and Joe Morgan. Oh, Frank Robinson, too, technically, seeing as his career started in '56. The frequency of 500-Win-Share careers has gone down over time despite an increase in player population. Bonds simply towers over everyone else, allegedly-steroid-enhanced or not.)


Everyday players with approximately 500, along with approximate career total:

1. Ruth - 756
2. Cobb - 720
3. Bonds - 665
4. Wagner - 655
5. Aaron - 643
6. Mays - 641
7. Speaker - 630
8. Musial - 610
9. Collins - 570
10. Mantle - 565
11. Williams - 560
12. Rose - 550
13. Henderson - 540
14-19. Robinson, Morgan, Hornsby, Gehrig, Lajoie, Ott - 500 to 520

(Among pitchers, Cy Young [over 600] and Walter Johnson have over 500 career Win Shares.)

Reads off a lot like a 500-career-HR list, only this one counts everything, not just HR. Note the skewing towards old-timers near the top of the list; make the appropriate adjustments and Mays and Aaron come out at least comparable to Cobb in the analysis. By the same analysis, it puts Bonds at or ahead of Ruth with a few seasons to go.

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Posted By: dennis

all what i would call top tier hall of famers.collins is kind of a surprise. as a top 20 greatest i'd add joe dimaggio(lost 3 years to war.)& mike schmidt,jimmy foxx & .i would drop morgan (i happen to think joe morgan is over-rated.but he did put together 6 great years in the midst of a very long career)also i'd lose rose & lajoie.

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Posted By: Julie

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Posted By: jay behrens

Dennis, when it comes to fame/infamey, Rose pretty much has the market cornered. There aren't too many people that haven't heard of Pete Rose, either as a player or as the person that is banned from the HOF for betting on baseball. I hate the guy now, but there is no denying his his fame, oe infamey, depending on how you look at it.

Jay

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming --- WOW, What a ride!

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Posted By: dennis

jay,i was speaking of chris' win share list of the 20 highest win shares(great)--agreew/you 100% rose is infamous, top 10 baseball fame,but not one of the 20 best players ever(imo).

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Posted By: jay behrens

ahhh, I guess I read a little closer. Yeah, I wouldn't put him in the top 20 either. Probably top 50 though.

Jay

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming --- WOW, What a ride!

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Posted By: JimB

How about Rod Carew for the 70's? One of the most underrated hitters in the game.
JimB

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Posted By: jay behrens

Carew would only win the title of most famous player in the 70s in MN, ND, SD and maybe Iowa.

Jay

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming --- WOW, What a ride!

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Posted By: Tim Mayer

I love this,

I agree with all of the original list except.

in the 80's Donny baseball was by far the most well known guy, and hes still adored today.

In the 90's my vote goes Big mac,

and in the 60's I like Aaron

and the 50's Mantle,

i would guess everyone has a different list, as I am tempted to add Reggie to the 70's but I can't do it.

I give Bonds the nod for now, but think over time, he will be outed as the cheater he is and blackballed.
I give Griffey no credit as I think he has no staying power,but I admit I always disliked him, he was good no doubt, just not my guy.

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Posted By: Mark

Wasn't Joe Jackson at least as familiar a name to non-sports fans as anyone's once the scandal broke? Is his notoriety compromised in this analysis by the scandal falling within the last year of a decade? Jackson's certainly more known now to the masses than Ty Cobb - even my Dad owns "Field of Dreams."

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Posted By: Rhys

Since the thread is most FAMOUS by decade, I will thorw mine out there. I am doing this under the assumption that if you took a poll near the end of a decade who people then would rank at the time. My second one is going to throw some people for a loop, but if you do some research on his career you will find that he was the Lebron James of the 1890's. Nobody was more "Famous" in the 1890's.

1880's-Kelly
1890's-Louis Sockalexis
1900's-Wagner
1910's-Cobb
1920's-Ruth
1930's-Ruth
1940's-Williams/Dimaggio
1950's-Mantle
1960's-Mays
1970's-Rose
1980's-Mattingly
1990's-Griffey
2000's-Bonds

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Posted By: Howard W. Rosenberg

Perhaps the "most famous" construct is too limiting. Maybe it can be divided three ways, as follows, for each decade in question:

1. Who was the biggest superstar (by contemporaneous standards, which includes warts and all)?
2. Who was the biggest role model (by contemporaneous standards)?
3. Who was the biggest role model (by 21st-century standards)?

I'll try just the 19th-century end:

1870
Superstar: George Wright
Role Model (Contemporaneous): Harry Wright
Role Model (21st-Century): Harry Wright

1880
Superstar: Cap Anson
Role Model (Contemporaneous): Cap Anson
Role Model (21st-Century): Billy Sunday

1890
Superstar: Cap Anson
Role Model (Contemporaneous): Cap Anson
Role Model (21st-Century): Cy Young

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Posted By: Julie

Sorry, but before the first Tuesday in November I was an agnostic; now I'm an athiest.

Maybe I just need a good foxhole? ("There are no athiests in foxholes.")

Kelly was the most popular 19th century player--and by no means the best. Everybody loved him.

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Posted By: Howard W. Rosenberg

As far as the 1880s:

Kelly's fame didn't really take off until 1887 (so he was not the superstar for the decade, although purists do count a year ending in a 0, in that case 1890, as part of the 1880s). If it were a boxing match, I'd score the rounds as follows:

Anson: 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886
Kelly: 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890

with Anson's rounds by a much bigger margin than Kelly's over Anson's.

I guess if everything hinged on the fame of the 1889 song "Slide, Kelly, Slide," one could award the 1890s to Kelly on musical points.

But disregarding the song:

Anson: 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900
Kelly: 1891
Too close to call: 1892, 1893, 1894

Anson's great edge was continuously being his team's captain-manager. Kelly didn't really shine, relative to Anson, until 1887 when he was out of Anson's shadow. Chicago in the 1880s also had Ed Williamson, who was one of the most liked of players of the decade along with Kelly.

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Posted By: Rhett Yeakley

Anson was far and away better than Kelly. Kelly had some decent years from 1884-1890, he was never Ansons equal. He benefitted partly from being a dapper guy, also from dying at the age of 36. I also believe that the timing of his career is part of what makes him so famous to us today. He was most popular during the 1887-90 hey-day of baseball card sets, of which he has a card in nearly all of them. There are other players that had short careers in diffent decades that people know very little of due to their lack of memorabilia, like Bill Lange. He gave up baseball for a girl, in the middle of what would have been a brilliant career (check out his stats-they are unreal). He didn't die at a young age and gain notoiety by it like Kelly, and Joss.
-Rhett