Photo by Ayo Ogunseinde on Unsplash
“Determining the greatest Major League Baseball (MLB) player is a matter of personal opinion and can be subjective. However, some of the players who are frequently mentioned as among the greatest include Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Stan Musial, Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Derek Jeter, among others. Each of these players was a dominant player in his era and set records, won numerous awards, and left a lasting impact on the sport. Ultimately, the answer to who is the greatest player in MLB history depends on the criteria used to make the assessment, such as career statistics, individual awards and honors, and contributions to the sport.” -ChatGPT
Ah ChatGPT. The new order is coming whether you want it to or not! Today I asked it who was the greatest baseball player of all time. I was surprised that it named no pitchers. Of the ten players it named, nine are indeed the best of the best. But does one name jump out at you? Yup, Derek Jeter (and possibly DiMaggio). Was Jeter a great player? Absolutely! Was he one of the centerpieces of an awesome Yankee team? For sure! Was he a generational talent like the others on this list? I don’t think so. I think the greatest players stand out far above their contemporaries. Mays and Ruth stand out in particular. Ruth changed the game. Mays did everything extremely well. I am always ready to say good things about Tyrus, especially now that his reputation has been somewhat restored by recent research (google it). Gehrig was a consistent offensive monster for his entire career who never had a single off season.
Musial was a superstar whose career spanned a time of great change in MLB (1940s-60s) and who also never had a bad season. Mantle was tremendous. If not for his bad knees he probably would have been the all-time greatest (or very close to it). Ted Williams aka Teddy Baseball was the greatest hitter of his time. If not for time missed being a hero in two different wars he would have obliterated most offensive records. I left Aaron for last, because he is simply the greatest slugger of all time. And what a role model he was!
And then we come to Jeter. He was a great hitter for sure. Not much of a fielder though (Gold Gloves notwithstanding). I feel like he was made into something greater than the sum of his parts by an adoring New York media. Although he gets my respect for playing clean in the Steroid Era and for not being a total egomaniac like so many athletes are. His leadership skills on the Yankee team should not be underestimated either. But a generational talent? Nope. As great as Jeter was, he couldn’t carry Willie Mays’ jock. Or most of the others on the list. I will turn comments back on so you can have at it!
Today’s classic rock quote – “I was riding on a concrete slab, down a river of useless blab.” – I. Pop