Just thinking of some guys who were good players but will never sniff the Hall of Game. Trying to avoid one year wonders. Guys you remember as being a tough out for a few years or key players in a pennant chase.
A couple to start things out:
Harold Baines
Andy Van Slyke
Marquise Grissom
Howard Johnson
Who do you remember?
OK...I'll play:
Larry Bowa
Tug McGraw
Rusty Staub
Richie Allen (one of my faves growing up)
Jimmy Wynn
Bert Campaneris
Dave Parker
Manny Sanguillen
Bernie Williams
My all time favorite, Jay Buhner
I remember the good Yankee teams of the 90's had a bunch of guys like that. Tino Martinez, Bernie Williams, Paul O'Neill.
Was trying not to be too Phillies heavy since I grew up with them in the 70's and 80's. But have to make an all-Phillies list in that category.
Bake McBride
Gary Maddox
Jay Johnstone
Ollie Brown
Sixto Lezcano
Bob Boone
Greg Luzinski
I could go on forever. I used to be totally immersed in MLB until my mid-30s.
I'll add some non pitchers that weren't already mentioned:
Alan Trammell
Lou Whitaker
Willie Horton
Rico Carty
Ralph Garr
Al Oliver
Reggie Smith
Steve Garvey
Ron Cey
Davey Lopes
Pedro Guerrero
Mark Grace
Darrell Evans
Dave Concepcion
Ellis Burks
Mark Lemke
Terry Pendleton
Mike Cameron
Brian Jordan
Mark Whitten
Ozzie Guillen
Cecil Fielder
John Kruk
Damon Berryhill
Javy Lopez
Thinking about this got me thinking about something that happened a long time ago. I used to play/coach my softball team and we sold raffle tickets for unis and one of the prizes was a couple of box seats to a Phillies-Mets game.
Well, the game that I bought tickets for (a good two months in advance) turned out to be a record-setter. Von Hayes had two home runs in the first inning and the Phillies end up winning 26-7.
The next day at work I go up to the guy who had won the tickets…also a huge Phillies fan. I ask him, “So dude, pretty awesome
game huh? How was it?”
He says, “Pretty good. I only saw a little, wife wanted to watch another show.”
Dude had forgotten he won the tickets.
I would classify this player as great, but he seems to be over looked a lot, Fred Mcgriff.
Quote:I would classify this player as great, but he seems to be over looked a lot, Fred Mcgriff.
For what it's worth, the players I included are ones that probably won't get into the HOF. But I consider some of them great players.
Fred McGriff is someone I would have put on my list if he came to mind. He was indeed underrated.
Carlos Delgado is another player that I would put in the Fred McGriff category.
Quote:Was trying not to be too Phillies heavy since I grew up with them in the 70's and 80's. But have to make an all-Phillies list in that category.
Bake McBride
Gary Maddox
Jay Johnstone
Ollie Brown
Sixto Lezcano
Bob Boone
Greg Luzinski
I could go on forever. I used to be totally immersed in MLB until my mid-30s.
The Phillies had some very good teams in those days. You brought back some very good memories.
When Jay Johnstone and ' Downtown' Ollie Brown come to mind, I think of them as top notch pinch hitters when they weren't playing practically everyday.
Garry Maddox was a good Offensive player but was a great CF.
Greg Luzinski was a great power hitter, who got on base plenty but his lack of speed and Defensive skills proved costly at times for the Phillies. I'm totally against the DH but Luzinski would have been a much better fit as a DH than as a LF.
Regarding pinch hitters, I put Manny Mota at or near the top of any list.
Quote:Was trying not to be too Phillies heavy since I grew up with them in the 70's and 80's. But have to make an all-Phillies list in that category.
Bake McBride
Gary Maddox
Jay Johnstone
Ollie Brown
Sixto Lezcano
Bob Boone
Greg Luzinski
I could go on forever. I used to be totally immersed in MLB until my mid-30s.
I'll add another Philadelphia guy or two:
Darren Daulton
Lenny Dykstra
Orel Hershiser and Albert Belle from those 90s Indians teams
Mookie Blaylock Wilson. He was never great, but that guy could fight off a 3-2 pitch for what seemed like an hour.
Dale Murphy. He gave a lot of years to a pretty bad Braves roster.
Mark Grace. Guy was just fun to watch. He always appeared to genuinely enjoy playing baseball.
Bernie Williams. Simply put, teams have to have a player like Williams in order to be good.
Walt Weiss. Solid Shortstop that I always enjoyed watching play.
Mike Mussina. I would always watch him pitch, even when he was wearing the pinstripes.
Gary Sheffield. Head case, but he hit the ball hard every game. It might not always result in a fair hit, but he made contact.
Quote:For what it's worth, the players I included are ones that probably won't get into the HOF. But I consider some of them great players.
Fred McGriff is someone I would have put on my list if he came to mind. He was indeed underrated.
Carlos Delgado is another player that I would put in the Fred McGriff category.
Delgado's homeruns were a thing of beauty
When discussing past Phillies teams, another player that came to mind is Joe Carter, who hit a walk off World Series winning HR against the Phillies.
Quote:Mookie Blaylock. He was never great, but that guy could fight off a 3-2 pitch for what seemed like an hour.
Dale Murphy. He gave a lot of years to a pretty bad Braves roster.
Mark Grace. Guy was just fun to watch. He always appeared to genuinely enjoy playing baseball.
Bernie Williams. Simply put, teams have to have a player like Williams in order to be good.
Walt Weiss. Solid Shortstop that I always enjoyed watching play.
Mike Mussina. I would always watch him pitch, even when he was wearing the pinstripes.
Gary Sheffield. Head case, but he hit the ball hard every game. It might not always result in a fair hit, but he made contact.
I believe you mean Mookie Wilson.
Blaylock was a basketball player.
Quote:I believe you mean Mookie Wilson.
Blaylock was a basketball player.
Dang it. You're right.
Did I ever tell you how much it hurts being this stoopid?
Quote:When discussing past Phillies teams, another player that came to mind is Joe Carter, who hit a walk off World Series winning HR against the Phillies.
Off of Mitch 'Wild Thing' Williams, actually. Phillies never belonged in that Series to begin with. They got hot at the right time and Dykstra went nuts in the playoffs and series.
Quote:I'll add another Philadelphia guy or two:
Darren Daulton
Lenny Dykstra
Dykstra. Another turd of a human being.
Did enjoy him as a player.