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Saturday, July 16, 2011

Day 197, July 16: Out in Left Field

 My All-Time Favorite
Left Fielders
1. Carl Yastrzemski, Red Sox: He's my second-favorite player overall. He was perhaps the best ever at playing the Green Wall in Fenway Park, and he was our last Triple Crown winner (1967).
2. "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, White Sox: Unbelievable all-around player from the early 20th century. He's No. 10 on my all-time list (Feb. 20 blog). Naive country boy who got caught up in an unfortunate Series scandal.
3. Ted Williams, Red Sox: Predecessor to Yaz, was a better hitter but couldn't have been much better in the field. He was our last .400 hitter (.406 in 1941). Will there ever be another?
4. Stan Musial, Cardinals: Called "The Man" for a reason. He could outright hit. Gets lost in the shuffle of all-time greats because he didn't play on a coast.
5. Rickey Henderson, Athletics: An arrogant player I didn't like a whole lot in his early days, he seemed to mature as he started breaking records. Probably best lead-off hitter ever.
6. Jim Rice, Red Sox: What can I say? This quiet leader got it done at the plate and in the field. Fierce competitor with lots of pride.
7. Willie Stargell, Pirates: Consistent power hitter, I recall him being more animated and outgoing than most of these others. Part of the talented "Family" teams of the 1970s.
8. Joe Carter, Blue Jays: In his prime, he was fun to watch. Very good clutch hitter, he played for other teams but I remember his World Series-winning homer for the Jays in 1993 vs. the Phils.
9. Kirk Gibson, Dodgers: Again, this emotional athlete played for other teams, but how can you forget his World Series HR off of Dennis Eckersley in 1988.
10. Monte Irvin, Giants: I knew little about this talented and determined player until reading about him in a Willie Mays book this summer. He's the real deal.

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