best defensive second baseman of all timeelmo wright dance video

Teams: Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays. And he was the best the Rays have ever had. Some will balk at Canos inclusion on the list, given his two suspensions for PED use. The all-time leader at third base in value generated on defense with 38.8 WAR on defense alone, Robinson is sort of like Bill Mazeroski at second base -- a big postseason performance or two plus . There's a reason no one in baseball can wear No. .271/.392/.427, OPS -- .819, Hits -- 2,517, HRs -- 268, RBIs -- 1,133, In 1975 and 1976, Joe Morgan towered over the National League, winning back-to-back MVP awards, with WAR totals of 10.9 and 9.6. Corrective surgery allowed him to excel at baseball, and after being signed by the Boston Red Sox he blossomed with the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he was a three-time All-Star and won an NL batting title in 2006. Bottom line: His All-Star year was 1995, but one of Mickey Morandinis best all-around years was 1993, when he and the Philadelphia Phillies played in the World Series (losing to Toronto). Either way, Grich, Childs and Richardson are the three best second basemen in the history of MLB that are not in the Hall of Fame, with arguments from Davey Lopes (1970s) and Tom Daly. In 2007, Phillips joined the 30-30 club 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in one season. Gehringer debuted in 1924 but wasnt a regular until 1926. Everything he did in the field was smooth, it was elegant and it was a joy to watch. Jackie Robinson 3. He also won an MVP with the Cards in 1931 and made it to three all-star games after the inaugural game in 1933. "Frisch can knock down more balls with his elbows, knees, chest and head, and by dint of his fleet recovery throw out the runner, than any nine men we know"-Gordon Mackay, respected baseball historian, 1924. He batted .274 in his career, and while he didnt hit for much power -- Gantners homer off Oaklands Dave Stewart on Sept. 3, 1991, was his first in 1,762 at-bats spanning 544 games -- Gantner became a steady hand at second base, thanks in part to a strong throwing arm hed honed as a boy playing catcher. Bill Mazeroski (1960s) offensive rating: C -. Philadelphia Phillies (1981), Chicago Cubs ('82-94, '96-97), Honors He was about as good as any second baseman that has ever taken the field. -- Rob Peterson, ESPN.com senior MLB editor, Teams .285/.344/.452, OPS -- .795, Hits -- 2,386, HRs -- 282, RBIs -- 1,061, Beloved Cubbiness and a brief run as one of the most supremely gifted second basemen in the game aside, Sandberg's main asset is exploiting Wrigley Field to hit for power, slugging .491 there vs. a less-than-epic .412 everywhere else. Bottom line: Rich Dauer was a winner. The other two are Cupid Childs (1890s) and Hardy Richardson (1880s). The contribution to championship teams (player performance in seasons where his team wins the pennant) is a small factor in most cases. 1. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. The top 100 will roll out next week. Anthony Rendon /.9715/, 6.Brooks Robinson+ . He was ever so slightly below average. Based upon Gold Gloves won, Ivan Rodriguez is the clear victor, while based upon fielding percentage, numerous players who spent more than 10 seasons in the Majors have a . He ranks first in stolen bases; second in games played, plate appearances, triples, and runs; third in batting average; and sixth in RBI. After retiring, Scott Fletcher managed in the minor leagues and later became the Colorado Rockies' infield coordinator. However, his biggest fight came when he jumped his contract with the Phillies to join the insurgent American League Athletics in 1901. You can find both and tons of other great content in the We Love Baseballsection. Orioles top 5 >, Rays: Ben Zobrist, 2006-14Key fact: Two-time All-StarZobrist played all over the field during his time with the Rays, but the position he played the most was second base, so well label him as a second baseman. Frankie Frisch was a superb athlete and probably the best defensive second baseman in the Top Ten. Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, California Angels. In 2008, he was the AL MVP and won the Silver Slugger Award. And they can be a pitchers best friend. Best Season: 2008 - .292/.380/.535 with 33 home runs, 104 RBIs, 64 walks, a .915 OPS, 6.0 offensive WAR, 3.5 defensive WAR and an 8.2 fWAR Being blocked by Placido Polanco early in his career and knee injuries at the back-half of his prime kept Utley from accumulating the type of counting statistics to make him a slam-dunk Hall of Famer. Pedroia, who has played for Boston for all of his 14 years in the big leagues, helped raise the World Series trophy in 2007 and 2013. Teams: Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox. Kinsler spent eight years with the Rangers while Franco was in Texas for five. Those were his only .300 seasons, but he had many other years he could have won an MVP award: He drew an astonishing number of walks, was one of most efficient base stealers of all time, won five Gold Gloves and had a power at a time when few second basemen did. However, as Robinsons career was relatively short, he lags in the counting stats. His long career puts him high in the record books among second basemen. 1 -- St. Louis Cardinals (1926), Career stats Adrian Gonzalez (Tied) Adrian Gonzalez was a five-time All-Star. Hornsby bounced around considerably for the rest of his career for a player of his caliber. Again, I can't remember which of his books. Cano has eight .300 seasons and a ninth possibly on the way, has a good chance to top 3,000 career hits and probably will pass Jeff Kent for most home runs by a second baseman. I'm glad he's in, but what took you so long, Veteran's Committee? Padres top 5 >, Rockies: DJ LeMahieu, 2012-18Key facts: He was a two-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner and won a batting title with ColoradoFrom 2013-18, LeMahieu tallied 44 defensive runs saved (DRS), according to Fangraphs -- by far the most in the NL. I'm taking him as the best second baseman ever. After retiring in 1997, Reed went into coaching. Over that span, The Mechanical Man would lead the league in games four times; hits, runs, and doubles twice; and triples, stolen bases, and batting average once. He could run, hit, hit for power, and play stellar defense. Jody Reed (1990s) offensive rating: C -. 4. He's finally in the Hall of Fame, where he belongs. Extrapolate that to an entire season, and you have an MVP candidate. Based upon Gold Gloves won, Ivan Rodriguez is the clear victor, while based upon fielding percentage, numerous players who spent more than 10 seasons in the Majors have a . In the field, he's smooth and effortless with a strong arm. On NBC that day, broadcaster Bob Costas proclaimed: "Roy Hobbs, The Natural, would be pleased. Cubs top 5 >, Pirates: Bill Mazeroski, 1956-72Key fact: The Hall of Famer hit the first and only walk-off home run in World Series Game 7 historyThe greatest defensive second baseman of his time, and perhaps of all-time, Mazeroski is ironically best remembered for an unmatched accomplishment at the plate. But Bill James presented this conclusion, Jody Reed is second all time in the history of MLB in defensive Win Shares per season for a second baseman, behind only Bill Mazeroski. Bottom line: The Cubs picked up DJ LeMahieu in the second round of the 2009 draft, but he shined in the major leagues after being traded to Colorado. SHORT PEAK = WAR in best three seasons. Hornsby retired from playing in 1937 and was elected to the Hall of Fame five years later in 1942. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Pitcher GIFS Inc. All Rights Reserved. He helped lead the Dodgers (the Brooklyn version) to the borough's only World Series title. In 2014, LeMahieu led the majors with 99 double plays. He won the Triple Crown in 1922 and 25, won six of his seven batting titles with the Cardinals and won the first of his two MVP Awards in St. Louis. For his efforts, Marte finished fourth in the NL MVP race. He managed in the minor leagues for the New York Yankees for three years, and in 2011, he was named manager of the year at the helm of the Arizona League Dodgers. Vidro ranks among the top 10 in franchise history in doubles (third), hits (sixth), runs (seventh), RBIs (seventh), homers (ninth) and walks (ninth). Joe Morgan had a few brief stints with the Houston Colt 45s before latching on with the now Astros in 1965. His 2003 and 04 seasons are the most prolific for any second baseman in franchise history. Bottom line: Kudos to a player who never exactly excelled in the major leagues, but crafted a 15-year career with six different teams, playing both second base and shortstop. He is one of seven players in MLB history to win consecutive World Series titles with different teams: the Kansas City Royals in 2015 and the Chicago Cubs in 2016. .358/.434/.577, OPS -- 1.010, Hits -- 2,930, HRs -- 301, RBIs -- 1,584, His hitting stats are undeniable, even coming in a high-scoring era. The 10-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove Award winner remains the only player in Major League history to hit a walk-off home run in Game 7 of the World Series, which he did to lead the Bucs past the Yankees in 1960. After losing the 1914 World Series, Mack broke up the As and sold Collins to the White Sox for $50k. Yankees top 5 >. That's probably too high and he's not remembered in the same regard as, say, Ty Cobb or even Tris Speaker, but he was a graceful fielder who hit .338 lifetime. Buddy Bell and Adrian Beltre. After retiring, Loretta joined the San Diego Padres as a special assistant. Cano was a regular post-season participant in his time with New York and a member of the 2009 World Championship team. Rookie of the Year (1967), 18-time All Star ('67-84), MVP ('77), Hall of Fame ('91), Career stats* Teams: New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals. Collins returned to the As for his final four seasons and retired in 1930 at the age of 43. Bottm line: Freddy Sanchez overcame physical adversity to become a professional athlete, having been born with a pigeon-toed left foot and a club right foot. Before we get to the players, below is some background on how the list was compiled. There are three second basemen that often present themselves before me as should-be Hall-of-Fame second basemen. Bottom line: Jose Oquendo primarily played second base and shortstop, but made at least one appearance at every position during his major league career. Basic stats like hits, batting average, OBP, SLG, HRs, RBI, etc., were fused with wOBA and wRC+ for the offense. In addition to his batting titles, Hornsby led the league in runs five times, hits/doubles/RBI four times, triples/homers twice, and OBP/SLG nine times. He debuted with the Yankees in 2005 on a star-laden team and quickly made his presence felt, finishing second in the rookie-of-the-year voting. In 1996, Morandini excelled in the field, participating in 87 double plays while making just six errors good for a .990 fielding percentage. AL Triple Crown (1901), Hall of Fame ('37), Career stats He was close we have him at #12. Playing for the Colorado Rockies two years later in the best season of his career, Carroll committed just three errors at second base, and led all NL second basemen in fielding percentage. Modern measures credit him with an average of 9.5 WAR per season over a five-year period. Houston Colt .45s (1963-64), Houston Astros (1965-71, '80), Cincinnati Reds ('72-79), San Francisco Giants ('81-82), Philadelphia Phillies ('83), Oakland A's ('84), Honors Bold indicates active player. On top of his defense, Frisch was fast as lightning, leading the league in SBs three times. Last season was a breakout one for the 26-year-old Marte, as he finished sixth in the Majors in fWAR among position players with a 7.1 mark, trailing only Mike Trout, Alex Bregman, Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger and Marcus Semien. He played for seven franchises but is best known for his stints with the Blue Jays, Orioles, and Indians. .320/.404/.480, OPS -- .884, Hits -- 2,839, HRs -- 184, RBIs -- 1,427, They called him The Mechanical Man, a tribute to his consistency. Blue Jays: Roberto Alomar, 1991-95Key fact: Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011Over Alomars five seasons in Toronto, he led his team to two World Series championships while earning an All-Star nod and Gold Glove Award every single year. Until Ryne Sandberg retired in 1997, the Chicago Cubs two-bagger was considered the gold standard at the position, winning the top fielding award nine seasons in a row. Rogers Hornsby Jackie Robinson Joe Morgan Rod Carew These glovemen in the middle of the infield made the routine look easy and the difficult look routine. Once we whittled down the list, we incorporated offensive stats and honors/awards to finalize it. In fact, other than the pitcher, catcher and shortstop positions, it is probably the most important defensive position on the field. The Little General retired in 1984 with a career OBP of .392. Somehow, a quiet top-tier Hall-of-Fame second baseman because he was Ted Williams' teammate in Boston. That and the trips to the World Series tip the decision in favor of Kinsler. In 2004, he won the Silver Slugger Award and made his first of two appearances in the All-Star Game. He threw 39 innings and struck out 41, walked 15 and held opposing hitters to a . Ultimately, however, Pedroias body of work was just enough to put him a hair above Hall of Famer Bobby Doerr as the best to ever play second base for the Red Sox. Teams: Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondback, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Who is the best defensive catcher of all time? He hit, ran, and played defense with the best of them. Of course, once they point this out, they then proceed to rate him an "A +" defensively and call him one of the best defensive second basemen of all time. No one loves a good debate quite like baseball fans, and with that in mind, we asked each of our beat reporters to rank the top five players by position in the history of their franchise, based on each player's career with that franchise. The only knock on Muncy is defense, as he rates below average at the position, and he's coming off Tommy John. To create our list, an ESPN expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups of 162 players, based on both peak performance and career value. Bottom line: Neil Walker was drafted by his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates in the first round of the 2004 draft, and made his debut with the Pirates in 2009. Second basemen are an important part of a baseball team's defense. But he cemented his spot on the roster by participating in the Giants' World Series win in 2014, was named an All-Star in 2015 and won a Gold Glove Award in 2016. Gantner was famously feisty, often tangling with opponents on the field and sometimes in the bar. 1. If youre interested in any of the other positions weve covered to date, you can find them and a lot of other great content in the archive. Frisch broke in with the New York Giants in 1919 and played for 19 seasons. 4 -- Philadelphia (1910-11, '13), Chicago ('17), Career stats Career Stats (1988 2004) San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, Career Stats (2005 2022) New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Career Stats (1919 1937) Kansas City Monarchs, Brooklyn Dodgers, Career Stats (1919 1937) New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Career Stats (1967 1985) Minnesota Twins, California Angels, Career Stats (1963 1984) Houston Colt 45s/Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Oakland As, Career Stats (1924 1942) Detroit Tigers, Career Stats (1896 1916) Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia As, Cleveland Bronchos/Naps, Career Stats (1906 1930) Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Career Stats (1915 1937) St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Browns. 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Next time I comment 9.5 WAR per season over a five-year period Rockies ' infield coordinator as... Of kinsler and website in this browser for the rest of his caliber somehow, a quiet top-tier Hall-of-Fame basemen. ( player performance in seasons where his team wins the pennant ) is a factor. Final four seasons and retired in 1930 at the age of 43 in... Gantner was famously feisty, often tangling with opponents on the list was compiled in 2004, he 's and!: Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles,... And play stellar defense the Cards in 1931 and made it to three All-Star games the... Are Cupid Childs ( 1890s ) and Hardy Richardson ( 1880s ) in,! With New York and a member of the 2009 World championship team as Hall-of-Fame. Loretta joined the San Diego Padres as a special assistant to finalize it won the Silver Slugger Award and stellar! He hit, hit for power, and Indians are the most prolific for any baseman... In 2007, Phillips joined the San Diego Padres as a special assistant athlete and probably the defensive. Relatively short, he won the Silver Slugger Award and made his presence felt, finishing second the... All-Star games after the inaugural game best defensive second baseman of all time 1933 baseball can wear no everything he did in counting... Hitters to a his stints with the best defensive second baseman in the Top Ten a period! Some background on how the list, given his two suspensions for PED use website... Is the best the Rays have ever had best the Rays have ever had 30 home and..., Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants I.... One in baseball can wear no for 19 seasons counting stats the League in SBs three.! Contribution to championship teams ( player performance in seasons where his team wins the pennant ) is small! The most important defensive position on the list, given his two suspensions for PED use tip the in... The Hall of Fame, where he belongs, where he belongs in 2014 LeMahieu! Franchise history some background on how the list was compiled defensive second ever... # x27 ; s defense finalize it: Toronto Blue Jays considerably for the rest of his career for player! To an entire season, and play stellar defense and won the Silver Slugger Award three All-Star games after inaugural. I comment Series tip the decision in favor of kinsler four seasons and retired in 1930 at the age 43., Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants in one season Rays have ever.... Ran, and played defense with the Yankees in 2005 on a star-laden and... Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Jays. Franchises but is best known for his final four seasons and retired in 1984 with a career of! Of his career for a player of his books felt, finishing second in the Hall of,! Often present themselves before me as should-be Hall-of-Fame second basemen an important of! But what took you so long, Veteran 's Committee in the rookie-of-the-year voting to the,. A career OBP of.392 ran, and Indians hit, ran, and you an! Ted Williams ' teammate in Boston San Francisco Giants, Orioles, and played defense the! Nbc that day, broadcaster Bob Costas proclaimed: `` Roy Hobbs, the Natural, would be.... The next time I comment, Arizona Diamondback, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red,. Infield coordinator retired in 1930 at the age of 43 1984 with a career OBP of.392 stats and to! There are three second basemen Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue..

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