Mays/Mantle/Aaron

[CMIZ5290]

Who would you take? All 3 were fairly close together in age when they came up to Majors. My vote is the Mick....

[bnorth]

If it was picking up women and partying I would pick Mantle by a mile. Playing baseball I would pick Hank Aaron with Willie Mays being a very close second if you are going for a career.

[39special]

I'll take Mays

[Econteachert205]

Mantle for me.

[1963Topps Set]

Mays for me. He could do it all.

[jason.1969]

What a tough call! Best for one season is Mantle, best over 10 years might be Mays, and best over 20 is Aaron.

[KCRfan1]

Great question! While Aaron clearly had the longer, and more consistent career, if we look at 1954 or '55 thru 1962, each player made a case as the best in the game. Knowing what i know now, Aaron is my choice. Hindsight. Back in the day though, Mantle was the heir to Dimaggio, and with the NY publicity and Yankee tradition, Mantle may have been the easy choice of the three. Interestingly, i never think of Mays as a home run hitter. Mantle and Aaron always come to mind though. IMO, Mantle was clearly the best of the three for the first 10 years, and Aaron was the best for the next 10. I don't believe Mays was ever the best of the three, even over a five year stretch.

[clydepepper]

Using OPS+ as the determining stat, I'll go with the Mick.

Of the 15 years all three played, 1954-1968, Aaron let twice (1959 & 1967); Mays three times (1954, 1965, & 1968), and Mickey led in the other 10 seasons.

Additionally, Mantle had 6 seasons higher than any by the other two during the 15 year period.

[kailes2872]

No arguments with what has been said. 54-65 Mays was pretty spectacular but his falloff was quick and precipitous.

The awesomeness of Aaron's career was put into perspective last year. They compared Miguel Cabrerra's career through (if I recall correctly) his 31st birthday. He and Hanks numbers were nearly identical. Hank then had a back half of his career that matched his production through the magnificent first half. So, if Cabrera puts up 10 more seasons like the ones he just had, he can live in Bad Henry's neighborhood.

What I believe hurts Aaron is the one MVP and one WS. If they hold on and win 58 vs giving up the 3-1 lead. If the don't lose out to the 59 Dodgers at the End of the season, they beat the Go-Go Sox and win 3 in a row. Aaron should have been the 59 MVP and maybe 55 as well. With 3 MVPs and 3 WS champs in the 50s, his legend doesn't sneak up on folks at the end of his career and he is better appreciated in the moment like the other two were.

[Tabe]

For me, I place a much higher priority on peak value vs longevity. Gimme Sandy Koufax over, say, Don Sutton any day.

Thus, for me, the pick is Mickey Mantle. His peak was a lot higher than the other two. And it wasn't a short peak either. I mean, we're talking a guy who put up OPS+ numbers of 137 or higher every single season of his career outside of his rookie year. In the 10 year stretch from 1955 to 1964, he led the league in OPS+ eight times. And the two years he didn't? He put up OPS+ of 221 (winning an MVP) and 196 (partial season).

So, yeah, gimme Mickey Mantle.