Quote:
Originally Posted by pstrickert
Pete Rose, please. Thanks.
Also: How do you account for Chris Duncan's HR power? He showed up in one of the other replays (Brewers194 or Kelric), too, didn't he?
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In 20 seasons, Pete Rose was not able to get as many hits as he did in real life, but he still managed a very good career. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Braves in 1959, but was released after the 1962 season. The Kansas City Athletics picked him up in 1963. Four years later, he won the MVP award, hitting .306 with 18 homers and 86 RBI.
He stuck around after the move to Oakland until 1978, when he was traded to the Cardinals for Tim Raines. He signed a free agent contract with the Yankees in 1980, but by then injuries had taken their toll. After two average years in New York, he retired before the 1982 season with a career .297 batting average and 2,955 hits. He was a six time All Star and won one Gold Glove, but never even once played in the postseason.
As for Chris Duncan, I think it has to do with the database that is used. As far as I know, it has him coming in with massive power ratings. That's the only explanation I can offer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mattingly120
Joe DiMaggio
Willie Mays
Paul O'Neil
Bernie Williams
Don Mattingly
Derek Jeter
A-Rod
Joe Torre
Reggie Jackson
Dave Winfield
Phil Rizzuto
David Ortiz
Wade Boggs
Jim Rice
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Joe DiMaggio: DiMaggio was drafted first overall by the Dodgers in 1934, and played 20 years for Brooklyn. A six time All Star and four time gold glove selection, Joe finally got the chance to play in the World Series in 1948, and though he struggled, he had seven RBI in helping the Dodgers win their first World Series. By 1953, he started getting nailed by talent hits and retired in 1955 with 2,932 hits, 386 homers and 1,619 RBI
Willie Mays: Willie was drafted by the Reds in 1948 and made his debut a little early, in 1949. It didn't seem to matter, because he won the Rookie of the Year award and was a key part of the Reds last World Series win a year later. He won his only MVP award in 1955, and stayed with Cincinnati until 1968. That year he was traded to the Pirates, where he hit his 500th homerun in 1969. Later that year he was traded to the expansion Padres, and was a very important part of getting that team to respectability, and led them to a World Series title in 1971. After getting his 3,000th hit with San Diego, he was traded to Houston, and retired in 1972. His 3,242 hits ranks 20th all time.
Paul O'Neill: Paul was actually drafted by the Yankees in this world, though he would never play a game for them. The Yanks let him go in 1982, but the Tigers quickly picked him up. After a little developing time, he became a key member of their team, and was one of the reasons the Tigers finally won a World Series in 1986. He stuck with the Tigers until 1999, when he was traded to Arizona. From there, he bounced around, stopping in Kansas City, back to Detroit, then off to Minnesota and Milwaukee before finally retiring with 2,589 hits following the 2004 season.
Bernie Williams: Bernie was drafted by the Blue Jays, but he never played a game for them, instead making his debut with the Angels in 1990. He spent his entire career with the Angels, compiling 2,060 hits and 235 homeruns. He never won a World Series, but did hit four homers in his only postseason appearance, showing signs of what could have been had the Angels been more competitive during his time there.
Don Mattingly: Donnie Baseball was drafted by the Oakland Athletics, but never played a game for them. He was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for a closer who saved all of five games for Oakland before bombing out of the league. Mattingly, on the other hand, blossomed into an excellent player. He won two MVP awards with the Brewers and his best season came in 1985, when he won the Triple Crown with a .369 average, 43 homeruns and a still major league record 177 RBI. His other MVP came in 1987, and he promptly left the team he helped make a champion in 1984 for the Detroit Tigers. Unfortunately, injuries took their toll in Detroit and he never amounted to the player he was in Milwaukee. He was eventually traded to the Padres in 1994 for Kenny Rodgers, then bounced around to the Yankees, Dodgers and Blue Jays. He showed flashes of what he once was, but his time with the Brewers was the peak of his career. Over half of his 2,770 hits came with Milwaukee.
Derek Jeter: Jeter is one of the sadder stories in my baseball history. He was drafted by the Padres, but debuted with the Texas Rangers in 1995. He was an excellent player with them, winning Rookie of the Year, hitting .315 and batting over .400 in two playoff trips with them. After three straight 200 hit seasons, things looked bright for Jeter, but he was hit by a pitch early in the 2001 season that fractured his skull(!!!!). He was forced to retire at age 27 with 1,132 hits already.
A-Rod: Good ole Alex was drafted first overall by the Marlins in 1992 and made his debut just one year later. He started quick, hitting .280 his rookie season, but crashed a year later with a .199 average. He pulled it together after that, and while he couldn't make the Marlins a contender, he made himself marketable, and signed a free agent contract with the Braves after the 1998 season. His play hasn't diminished as a Brave, as he won the MVP in 2001 and he even helped win them the World Series in 2005. At the end of the 2007 season, he has 2,542 hits and 460 homeruns, so he looks to be a lock for the Hall of Fame.
Joe Torre: Joe was quite a servicable catcher in his time in the bigs. He broke in with the Reds in 1960, and was solid for them for eight years. From there, he was traded to the Tigers, and spent the majority of the rest of his career there. At the end of his career, he bounced between the Red Sox and White Sox, but could never reclaim the skills he once had. He retired in 1978 with 2,292 hits and looked forward to a career in managing.
Reggie Jackson: "Mr. October" certainly earned his nickname in three postseason appearances with the Reds, though I bet sharing an outfield with Willie Mays may have helped with his development, too. He won the MVP in 1970 and 1974, and though he couldn't help win the Reds a championship, he hit four homers in the 1970 playoffs. In 1984 the Reds finally decided to let him go, and he signed with the Blue Jays, where he lasted all of a year and a half before he traded to the Orioles. Sure enough, injuries started to pile up, and the Orioles let him go. He had one last shot with the Giants, but his best years were with the Reds, and he retired after 1987 with 562 homeruns and over 2,700 hits.
Dave Winfield: Dave was certainly an early bloomer. He was drafted by the Rangers in 1972 and debuted in 1973. Not only that, but he won Rookie of the Year that season, and then helped Texas win their only title the next season. He stuck with the Rangers until after the 1982 season, when he signed a free agent contract with the Detroit Tigers. He spent more time on the DL in Detroit than playing, and eventually signed with the Dodgers when his contract was up. After a few more average years, he signed with the Rangers, and finished his career with the team he started it with. After the 1990 season, he retired as a Ranger, with 2,817 hits, a World Series ring and an MVP award.
Phil Rizzuto: Scooter is another sad story. He was drafted by the Indians in 1936 and played his first game in 1940. The very next season, he tore a back muscle, and his career was over at age 23. All he could do was ask why after such a promising rookie season.
David Ortiz: Big Papi hasn't been great, but he's been solid in his time in the majors. He came up with the Cardinals in 1997, they found out he couldn't play defense, and managed to trade him to Houston after a few scary years at first. Houston promptly traded him to the Red Sox, and he helped Boston make the playoffs in 2002. After the 2004 season, he became too expensive for the Sox, and he signed with the Seattle Mariners. He had his best season in 2006 when he hit 50 homeruns and helped lead the Mariners to the World Series. With a ring now in hand, Ortiz will probably spend the majority of his career in Seattle.
Wade Boggs: In his time in the bigs, Boggs became a Californian fixture. Although his career began in Canada, when he won the Rookie of the Year and MVP awards in 1981 as a member of the Blue Jays, his best season came in 1987, when he hit .395 as a member of the Angels. He stuck with California until they traded him to the Cubs in 1993, and he promptly resigned with them once his contract ran out that next season. He continued to hit once back with the Angels, and though he never won a World Series, his career still felt complete. The Angels did eventually let him go after the 1999 season, and he signed with Cleveland, then Houston and got his 3,000th hit as a member of the Astros in 2001. He retired after that season.
Jim Rice: Rice was a prime example of a player having one amazing season, then settling back down to another level. After coming onto the scene with the Pirates in 1971, Jim was a solid player, but was nothing amazing. That all changed in 1977, when he more than doubled his career marks in homeruns and runs batted in. He won the MVP award that season, and turned that one year into success on the free agent market two years later when he signed with Texas. However, his numbers never again matched the 52 homeruns and 135 RBI he put up in 1977 and after six average years in Texas, he signed a deal with the Cardinals in 1986. The Cardinals traded him to the White Sox six months later, and he finished his career in Chicago in 1988, still wondering what could have been had that 1977 season been something more than a flash in the pan.