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James RD

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Brooks Robinson - 23 years with the Orioles. Not a bad defensive 3rd baseman.
Go ahead, Mike. What's wrong with Joe? (except as an announcer) Name two better all-around 2nd basemen. C'mon, give it a go. ;)
 

Mike Frezon

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Rube Marquard
18 seasons for the Giants, Dodgers, Braves & Reds. 3.08 lifetime ERA. 201 total wins -- three-times a 20-game winner. In 1912, led the National League in wins with the Giants (26-11).
From BaseballLibrary.com:
Most players nicknamed Rube got the name because they came from farms or small country towns. But Marquard grew up in Cleveland, where his father was the city engineer. After making a name for himself as a sandlot pitcher, Marquard signed for $200 a month with Indianapolis in 1907. They optioned him to Canton in the Central League, where he won 23 and lost 13. After he won his first Indianapolis start, 2 to 1, against Kansas City in 1908, a newspaper account said, "He is so tall and skinny (6'3" 180-lbs) he looks like a big number one when he stands on the mound, but he pitches like Rube Waddell." They called him Rube ever after.
Marquard_Rube.gif

Ya see, James...I would give ya Brooks as one of the greatest third basemen ever--if not THE greatest. But Joe Morgan as the 2nd or 3rd greatest second basemen ever????
Nap Lajoie, Rogers Hornsby are not arguable. Then there's Eddie Collins. And, I would like to argue Rod Carew and Bobby Doerr were better. And let the games begin! :D
 

David Von Pein

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I've gotta chime in & concur with the previous assessment as Joe Morgan being one of the all-time great 2B-man. I'm probably biased by my being a Reds' fan all during Morgan's Cincinnati tenure (1972-1979). Back-to-back MVP Awards in the N.L., don't forget (1975-1976). :)
Joe could turn the DP as good as any of 'em!
Now, as stated earlier, as an announcer...that's another kettle of tuna. Most of the time, I cringe when he's at the mike. (The epitome of stiffness on the air. But, what a second sacker!! :D)
Mickey Cochrane -- Career .320 hitter.
 

James RD

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Charlie Gehringer - Another pretty fair 2nd baseman. Hit .320 over 19 seasons (1924-42) for the Tigers. Scored over 100 runs 12 times. Over 200 hits and 100 RBI 7 times. 1937 MVP.
Hopefully, this will be the final day of this thread.;)
 

Mike Frezon

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Gabby Hartnett
20 seasons (19 as a Cub/one as a Giant) -- .297.
1935 NL MVP. Batted .344 that campaign. The catcher was a six-time All Star.
Hartnett most famous for the Homer in the Gloamin'
Gabby Hartnett was the premier catcher of the National League in the first half of the twentieth century playing 19 years with the Chicago Cubs from 1922 - 1940, and the last three years as player/manager. It was on September 28, 1938 when Gabby hit the most famous home run in Chicago baseball history that sent the Cubs into first place over Pittsburgh and on to the World Series. That hit has always been called "the homer in the gloamin".
After Dizzy Dean had joined the Cubs in April he was used sparingly. With a thin pitching staff, Manager Hartnett sent in Diz, who brought home a critical Chicago win 2-1. The next day, it was late and getting dark in Wrigley Field with the score 6-6 at the end of the eighth, when the umpires gathered to talk it over. Plate ump George Barr told managers Pie Traynor and Gabby Harnett that they would play one more inning before calling it a tie, and reschedule the game the next day as part of a doubleheader.
The Pirates did not score in the top of the ninth, and had the league's best reliever, Mace Brown, ready to finish off the game.
There were two out when Harnett came to bat. Brown threw a curveball that Gabby just watched go by. Strike one. Another curveball. A weak swing. Strike two. Only one more pitch and the game would be over. Another curveball, and this time the batter swung with all of his 195 pounds and connected! The ball barely carried into the leftfield bleachers, and Hartnett's "homer in the gloamin" put his team in first place, and never looked back.

An odd story from BaseballLibrary.com:
Hartnett became Chicago's catcher by 1924, batting .299, and in 1925 hit 24 HR, though he struck out 77 times to lead the NL. In 1929, his arm went mysteriously dead in spring training, where he had reported with his new bride, Martha. Nothing helped the arm, and during a Cubs' series in Boston, he went to see his mother in Woonsocket, RI, after the games. She predicted that his arm would be better as soon as his pregnant wife delivered their child. Hartnett caught just one game that season. Junior was born December 4, and within two weeks, Gabby's arm soreness was gone.
hartnett_gabby.jpg
 

James RD

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There is justice once again for Mr. Bundy.;)
Mike and David - This has been a most interesting thread. I have come to think of you guys as my friends. I hope we run into each other here and there. Maybe at the ballpark. :)
 

David Von Pein

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Thanks, Mike and James, for keeping this thing open for an incredible 1.5 years!! :eek:
Wonder how many names we posted?? Seems like we covered everybody who ever walked between the white lines (twice!). :D
FINAL THREAD STATS:
Name --- # of Posts:
David VP ---- 681.
Mike F. ------ 666.
James RD --- 601.
"Bill J." came in a distant 4th, with 115.
(Perhaps Mike oughta post one more time, to cancel that "666" jinx; especially so close to Halloween. ;))
Best regards to you guys.
DVP
:) :) :) :)
 

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