The advantage in average isn’t because they’re closer to first; it’s because there are more righthanded pitchers. 99% of all hitters hit substantially better against pitchers of the opposite side, so lefties have that advantage much more often than righties.
so the question still remains: why is ricky the only great left handed hitter who throws right (why did Ricky not become a switch hitter?) The only other above average major leaguer in my lifetime who did it (excepting pitchers) was Cleon Jones of the Mets.
Was it the hair, or the fact that he ran on tippy-toe? 
Yeah, but the question is about baseball players.
And there’s no mandate that anybody, regardless of occupation, “contribute to the community.”
I haven’t read the rest of this thread yet but…
May 1st 1991 was the day that Henderson broke the base stealing record and is quoted as saying: “I am the greatest of all time” . On the same day Nolan Ryan pitched his
SEVENTH
no hitter at home in Texas’ Arlington Stadium, and he is paraphrased as saying “I’m just happy that I could pitch it at home for the Rangers’ fans.”
I too would say Nolan Ryan is my favorite player of all time, second is Charlie Hough. You gotta love a pro sports player who sits in the dugout smoking between innings. That always cracked me up.
On a side note, I was beer vendor (“Coooooollllllldddddd BEEEEEEERRRRRRR”) at Arlington Stadium at that time. Good Times.
Hey, whaddya know? It’s the most- and least-feared fastballs in history, sitting right beside each other. 
Al Kaline
Gaylord Perry
Paste from the Jersey team, in the original Bases Loaded 
Not unless they want to be regarded as a part of that community. Guess that didn’t matter much to Maddux. And so, I don’t regard him as highly as I do Glavine and Smoltz. 
Dave Stieb
Sounds like me. If I were the same person I am - a good person, IMHO, but introverted, and not a schmoozer - but were gifted like Maddux, I’d be the same way. Just go out, play the game, have fun, do your job, be one of the best pitchers ever. I like Maddux a lot - he doesn’t make waves, just kicks ass on the mound. I don’t owe anything to the community other than simply being a good citizen.
Plus, and I have no idea if Maddux does this himself, I’d donate sizable amounts to charities very quietly. You’d never see the wheresgeorge04 Animal Shelter, but I assure you I’d donate enough to make it happen anonymously.
Joe
And you just can’t beat (no pun intended) Nolan Ryan Vs Robin Ventura!
Joe
Agreed. Everyone is perfectly free to sit on their sofas and contribute nothing. Everyone is perfectly free to leave town and stay away whenever their job permits. But then they can’t expect the rest of the community to love them for that.
And so I don’t love Maddux the way I love Glavine and Smoltz.
Spoke didn’t say Maddux is evil, or deserves to go to prison. He didn’t even say that Maddux had an obligation to do more than he did.
Spoke merely says that other players in Atlanta DID contribute to the city, DID reach out to the community, and are loved for it. Maddux isn’t. If that’s okay by Maddux, it’s okay by me.
Look, by way of analogy, a waiter/waitress has no obligation to smile at me. There’s no law that says he/she has to make small talk or act like my friend. He/she can argue, legitimately, “My job is just to take your order and bring you food- if you demand more than that, it’s your problem.”
True enough. But if you take that attitude, don’t expect to be popular or to get good tips.
Dale Murphy
I KNOW, right!?!?!?!
Nolan throws his glove down, and gives Robin the ‘come on big boy’ wave with his hands, and pitches a 5 hitter !
Actually, I shouldn’t imply that Maddux never does anything off the field. As I understand it, he has always been quite active with charity work – in Las Vegas. (Not so much in Atlanta.) So I don’t think he’s a bad guy.
I just think that when a city worships a sports hero (as Atlanta worshiped Maddux back in the day) it would be nice if that sports hero reciprocated in some way.
It’s hard for me to pick a favorite, but Dave Stewart is a strong contender. He meant so much to the A’s in the late 80s and early 90s, both on the field and in the clubhouse, and he is a genuinely good person. Stew was one of those guys who would show up for any event where public support would help, be it a school function or an opening of an art gallery. Many people outside of Oakland didn’t know about this side of him, because he didn’t do anything to call attention to it - he didn’t have his agent notify the press every time he helped a charity.
The morning after the earthquake that interrupted the 1989 World Series, Dave Stewart was down by the collapsed Cypress Freeway handing out coffee and doughnuts to rescue workers.
Hank Greenberg.