# Quick Poll: Your Top 3 Greatest Baseball Players Ever **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 11, 2009, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-poll-your-top-3-greatest-baseball-players-ever/502637 "2009-07-11T03:04:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-poll-your-top-3-greatest-baseball-players-ever/502637/61 "2009-07-14T16:58:26Z")
A little late, but my votes: Ruth Williams Oscar Charleston ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-poll-your-top-3-greatest-baseball-players-ever/502637/62 "2009-07-14T16:59:54Z")
**KennerTheGreat** , I think there is some merit in what you’re saying in general. However, among the folks that frequent the baseball threads here on the Dope I think you’ll find a deeper appreciation for the overall skills of the great players. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-poll-your-top-3-greatest-baseball-players-ever/502637/63 "2009-07-14T22:38:26Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > All outfielders. Is there a reason for that? I’d think that playing one of the tougher defensive positons would add weight for one of the all timers, like Wagner or Hornsby. Well, if you said top 5, I’d have Wagner on there. Hornsby, no. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-poll-your-top-3-greatest-baseball-players-ever/502637/64 "2009-07-14T22:54:10Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Well, if you said top 5, I’d have Wagner on there. > > Hornsby, no. What’s the knock on Hornsby? He beats Wagner in: OBP: .434 to .391 OPS: 1.010 to .857 OPS+: 175 to 150 SLUG: .577 to .466 BA: .358 to .327 HR: 301 to 101 BB: 1038 to 963 Wagner has the edge in: Hits: 3415 to 2930 3B: 252 to 169 RBI: 1732 to 1584 Were they that much different defensively? ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-poll-your-top-3-greatest-baseball-players-ever/502637/65 "2009-07-14T23:05:33Z")
Small tangent. I went to a Minor League All Star event on Saturday. There were a bunch of old timers with ties to Portland. One was a player who started out in the negro Leagues. Wish I could remember his full name, but it was Art something. In any case, he told the following story. > [@](#): > > The greatest player I ever saw was Satchell Paige. One time I led off an inning with a double. Satchell walked out towards second base while he was rubbin’ the ball and said “Young Blood (that’s what he called me, Young Blood) you might as well just sit down on that base and get comfortable, ‘cause you ain’t goin’ no further”. Well he struck out the next batter, then the next one grounded out, and then struck out the third. This from a player who had a lifetime batting average of over 300 and played in the Negro League, the Pacific Coast League (which back then had a very good reputation), and the Major Leagues. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-poll-your-top-3-greatest-baseball-players-ever/502637/66 "2009-07-14T23:21:57Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > What’s the knock on Hornsby? > > snip > > Were they that much different defensively? I’d still take Hornsby, but yeah, they were. Word is that Wagner’s on the very very short list of greatest defensive shortstops in history, while Hornsby was… not on the short list at second. Plus, adjusting for era, Wagner was closer to Raja than it seems at first glance. But like I said, I’d still prefer the over-the-top offense. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-poll-your-top-3-greatest-baseball-players-ever/502637.md?page=3)