You are commissioned to develop a Mount Rushmore-style tribute to baseball. Which four faces will grace your mountainside?
These may not necessarily be the best players, the players with the best stats, or even players at all. Just identify four people who you would designate the face(s) of baseball.
A few words strung together to explain or defend your choices would be nice, but not mandatory.
(past and present names eligible, in case that’s not clear)
**Please post four (and only four) names.
**
I will withhold my choices until there are more skewers in the fondue pot.
mmm
Babe Ruth
Ted Williams- Best Hitter
Willie Mays- Best all around
One big blank space because Ty Cobb is the fourth, but I’m not putting that asshole up.
Willie Mays - would have been really close to or surpassed Ruth’s homers without army service, and was an excellent fielder
Babe Ruth - baseball’s biggest name of all time, ushered in the HR era, batted .342. I’d probably draft Willie Mays before Babe Ruth on a dream team, but it’d be close.
Pete Rose - all time hits leader. So he bet on his own team. I’m in charge of the baseball Mount Rushmore, and betting on your own team doesn’t disqualify you.
Walter Johnson - Again, using the ‘drafting’ rule of thumb, I’d pick him before any other pitcher. His ERA of 2.17 together with his longevity make him the first choice.
I won’t add a fifth name, but it sure is tempting.
I am not going to defend my choices. Here they are
The answer to the trivia question: What pitcher had the most lifetime victories while never having won the Cy Young award?
For me the only two sure things are Ruth and Mays. One for basically creating the modern game and the other for being probably the most well-rounded non-pitcher.
After that, I’d like to have a pitcher. Historically I’d put Walter Johnson… but he played a very long time ago. And the best modern pitchers have strikes against them, IMO. So I guess I’ll stick with Johnson.
Which only leaves one spot. I’d like to put Jackie Robinson there for his impact, but as a player he doesn’t really rate a top-4 spot. I’d like to put Stan the Man for sentimental reasons. But I don’t know that he really deserves a spot over a Cobb or Williams.
So I think I’ll just leave that 4th spot empty for now.
I choose: Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Ichiro Suzuki (international superstar and may surpass Rose in total hits) and Warren Spahn (you’ve got to have a left-handed starter).