Franchise Four is now Three - Hank's place?

[Bigdaddy]

Originally Posted by Fred

When the word "franchise" is used, does that imply a one team player?

No, just 'greatest living ballplayer'. At least on this poll.

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by Bigdaddy

No, just 'greatest living ballplayer'. At least on this poll.

Take Yaz or Brooks and you get both.

[Bigdaddy]

If you choose "Someone else", please do tell who that player is.

[yanksfan09]

Not sure who I would pick but some other guys worthy of consideration off the top of my head: Albert Pujols (maybe some suspect steroids but no evidence and all time great #s) , Ken Griffey Jr., Miguel Cabrera, Pedro Martinez, Greg Maddux, Derek Jeter, Mike Trout (lol), Alex Rodriguez (if considering steroid guys) I'm sure a few others I'm not thinking of at the moment...

[D. Bergin]

Assuming they would never give Bonds that honor, I would have to go with Rickey Henderson.

There's also a bunch of guys I wouldn't argue against if it came down to it.

[campyfan39]

Brooks

[D. Bergin]

My best bet on who they would actually pick, if they officially filled Hank's spot on that plaque, would be Griffey Jr..

[Peter_Spaeth]

Leaving steroids to one side (obviously Bonds if you don't), how is Koufax there but not Schmidt? A 150 game winner versus an easy pick for the all-time starting lineup? Koufax, all the mystique aside, isn't anywhere near Maddux or Randy Johnson either.

[bnorth]

Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, or Albert Pujols.

[FrankWakefield]

Pujols and Maddux seem sensible choices.

Yaz and B Robinson seem to be more generally accepted as bigger stars, but I think that in 20 years and thereafter, both Pujols and Maddux will be considered as bigger stars.

I saw Mike Schmidt play. Several times in person, and a bunch of times on television; and probably listened to about 150 of his games on a radio. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame in my opinion, and more so than some subsequent inductees. He was great in the field. He was respected, he had a strong arm and could hit a ball a long way. But his lifetime average was in the .260s, he lead the league in strikeouts 4 seasons. My recollection of his at bats was having the sense that something was about to happen. There were usually consequences to him being at the plate... a home run was realistically possible, no matter the pitcher. Hits and RBIs were possible. A walk was possible, he walked a lot. And he could srtike out and ground into double plays. With a winning or tying run at second base late in a game, I'd pick Yaz to hit over Schmidt every time, regardless the pitcher.

So...

1- a tie, Pujols or Maddux
3- Yaz
4- B Robinson