Your Top Five Favorite Players to Watch Ever

[Don]

We’re at the end of a rough season that everyone saw coming, I know. It’s not the happiest of times, but maybe this thread can help us engage in some healthy debate and share some fun stories/memories.

What I’m asking is that everyone share their five favorite players to watch all time. Not the best you’ve ever seen necessarily, or the greatest in terms of their career or a season. Just the ballplayers you got the greatest joy out of watching day in and day out. My personal top five, with all the bias (and I know Shohei has to be on here, but it’s too soon emotionally y’all):

 

1. David Eckstein

2. Vladimir Guerrero

3. Pedro Martinez

4. Ichiro

5. Bengie Molina

 

 

[arch stanton]

1. Nolan Ryan

2. Ozzie Smith

3. Pete Rose

4. Rickey Henderson

5. Vlad Sr

[Don]

1 minute ago, arch stanton said:

1. Nolan Ryan

2. Ozzie Smith

3. Pete Rose

4. Rickey Henderson

5. Vlad Sr

I’m always a bit disappointed that I didn’t get to really see Ryan when he was at his best. Like I remember him still pitching when I was young, but it was before I really had a feel for/understanding of the game.

[arch stanton]

15 minutes ago, Don said:

I’m always a bit disappointed that I didn’t get to really see Ryan when he was at his best. Like I remember him still pitching when I was young, but it was before I really had a feel for/understanding of the game.

I went to about 10 games in 1974 including maybe 5 of his starts. Him on the mound at the Big A literally doubled the attendance. From pitch to pitch it was always an adventure

[T.G.]

1. Torii Hunter 

2. Roberto Clemente

3. Bobby Grich

4. Jered Weaver 

5. Bryce Harper

[Angelsfan1984]

Griffey

Trout

bonds

Ichiro

Vladdy

 

[Stradling]

Trout, Vlad, Weaver, Ryan, Downing or Grich. 

[Justin]

Ohtani, Vlad, Tony Gwynn, Kershaw, Andrelton Simmons, 

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

1. Sandy Koufax
2. Willie Mays
3. Vladdy
4. Trout
5. Don Drysdale
******************************
Sometime in the future Ohtani, but not too far in the future because of my age, my future is numbered. There are many others but those 5, l actually saw sort of regularly...

[PattyD22]

Nolan Ryan

Shohei Ohtani

Mike Trout

Bobby Grich

George Brett

[Angels 1961]

Willie Mays,  Hank Aaron,  Roberto Clemente,  Mickey Mantle and Andy Kosco

[Jackyboy]

Nolan Ryan

Ohtani

Trout

Grich

Mickey Rivers

 

[Angelsjunky]

Ross Barnes

Old Hoss Radbourn

Dan Brouthers

Jack Glasscock

Kid Nichols

 

[Angelsjunky]

But seriously:

Rickey Henderson

Barry Bonds

Pedro Martinez

Randy Johnson (In an "I'm scared" kind of way)

Mike Trout 2012-19

[m0nkey]

Bonds, Arod, Harper, 2010s Mike trout, degrom

[halodground]

Vlad

Trout

Griffey

Bonds

(Since we are avoiding Shohei) Jim Abbott

[Stradling]

Clyde McBigBat

[Blarg]

Ralston Schmidt 

[m0nkey]

1 minute ago, Blarg said:

Ralston Schmidt 

You certainly are old enough to have seen him play in 1012

[Erstad Grit]

Fernando

Pedro

Erstad

Ichirio

Ohtani 

[tdawg87]

Ohtani

Trout

Weaver

Vladdy

Aybar 

[Tank]

Bench

Vladdy Sr.

Griffey Jr.

Ryan

Don Baylor

[Halo in Chicago]

Andre Dawson

Bobby Grich

Chuck Finley

Alan Trammel

Shohei

[Taylor]

Brandon Drury

Kevin Jepsen

Jeff Mathis

Vernon Wells

Cam Bedrosian