AL Best by position 1901-2013

Using WAA; only players with 3 or more years best at their position will be noted*


Catcher
Berra- 10(1948-1956,59)
Cochrane- 9(1927-1935)
Dickey- 7 (1936-39,41-43)
I. Rodriguez- 6(1996-01)
Fisk- 6(1972,77,78,80,89,90)
Schang- 4 (1914,15,17,21)
Munson- 4(1970,73,75,76)
Mauer- 4(2006,08-11)
Bemis- 3 (1902,03,06)
Bass-3 (1922-24)
Howard- 3(1961,63,64)
Posada- 3(2002,03,07)
Hoiles- 3(1992,93,95)
Sundberg- 3(1974,81,84)

1B
Gehrig- 9 (1926-1931,34-36)
Sisler- 6 (1917-22) [f u Bill James]
H Davis- 5 (1903-07)
Foxx- 4(1932,33,38,39)
Fain- 4(1948, 50-52)
Teixaria- 4(2004-6,09)
Cash- 3(1961,63,65)
Powell- 3(1966,69,71)
Murray- 3(1979,83,84)
Cooper- 3(1980-82)
Thomas- 3(1994,96,97)
McGuire- 3(1987,92,95)


2b
Collins- 14 (1909-1918,20,23-25)
Lajoie-7(1901-04,06-08)
Gehringer-7 (1930,32-37)
Gordan- 7(1939-43,47,48)
Grich- 6(1973-76,79,81)
Fox- 5(1955,57-60)
Whitiker- 5(1982,83,85,88,91)
Cano- 5(2006,07,10,12,13)
Avilla- 4(1951-54)
Alomar- 4(1992,93,99,00)
Knoblach- 4(1994-97)
Randolph- 3(1978,80,87)
Bishop- 3(1926,28,31)

3b
Boggs- 9(1983-89,91,94)
Baker- 8 (1909-14,18,19)
Robinson- 8(1960-62,64,65,67,68,74)
Bradley- 5 (1902-1906)
Gardner- 5(1916-17,20-22)
Clift- 5(1936-38,40,42)
Bando- 4(1969,70,72,73)
Brett- 4(1975,77,79,80)
Glauser- 4(1999-02)
A. Rodriguez- 4(2004,05,07,08)
Kell- 3(1946,47,49)
Keltner- 3(1941,44,48)
Rosen- 3(1950,51,53)
Boone- 3(1954-56)
Ventura- 3(1992,93,98)

SS
Ripken- 7(1983-86,89-91)
Cronin- 6(1929-33,38)
Boudreau- 5(1940,43,44,47,48)
Campanaris- 5(1968,72-74,77)
A. Rodriguez- 5(1996,98,00-03)
Bush- 4(1909,10,12,14)
Chapman- 4(1915,17,18,20)
Appling- 4(1935-37,39)
Fegossi- 4(1964,66,67,71)
Sewell- 3(1921,23,25)
Rizzuto- 3(1942,50,52)
Aparicio- 3(1958-60)
Yount- 3(1980-82)

#
Lf-
Williams- 12(1941,42,46-51,54-57)
Henderson- 9(1980-84,89-92)
Yazstrimski- 6(1963,65-68,77)
Ruth- 4(1918,19,21,23)
Simmons- 4(1929-33)
Belle- 4(1994-96,98)
George Stone- 3(1905-07)
Gordan- 3(2011-13)
Rice- 3(1978,79,86)

Cf
DiMaggio- 10(1937-42,46-49)
Mantle- 10(1953-62)
Speaker- 9 (1909,12-14,16,18,20,21,23)
Cobb- 8 (1907,10,11,15,17,19,22,24)
Averill- 5(1931-34,36)
Blair- 4(1967,69,70,74)
Lofton- 4(1993,94,98,99)
Doby- 3(1950-52)
Murphy- 3(1980-82)

Rf
Ruth- 10(1920,24,27-34)
Kaline- 6(1955-58,61,67)
R Jackson- 6(1969,71,73-76)
Crawford- 5 (1907,08,10,14,15)
Heilman-4 (1921-23,25)
Flick- 3 (1904-06)
J. Jackson- 3 (1911-13)
Henrich- 3(1947-49)
Culline- 3(1943-45)
Oliva- 3(1964,65,70)
Bauer- 3(1952-54)
Evans- 3(1981,82,84)
Barfield- 3(1985,86,90)
Ramirez- 3(1996,99,00)
Salmon- 3(1993,95,97)
Suzuki- 3(2001,03,04)

Multiple Positions/ Multiple leagues (years not previously listed added)
Ruth- 15(1916)
Ted Williams- 13(1939)
Henderson- 11(1985,86)
Cobb- 10(1908,09)
A. Rodriguez- 9
Crawford- 7(1903, 02NL)
Yastrimski- 7(1970@1st,)
Simmons-6 (1925,27)
J. Jackson- 5(1916,1920)
Sewell-5(1929,31@3rd B)
Lofton- 5(NL1997)
Ramirez- 5(2003,05)
Fournier- 4 (1914,NL 21,23,24)
Reggie Smith- 4(1968,72, 74,80NL)
Carew- 4(1969,72,76,77)
Yount- 4(1989)
E. Murray- 4(NL1990)
Colavitto- 3(1959,61,62)
Buford- 3(1964,65@2nd, 1969@Lf)
Lezcano- 3(1978,79,NL1982)
Cabrerra- 3(2010-12)
Thome- 3(1995,96,02)
McGriff- 3(1988,89,NL92)

* I'll redo the national league in this format. Once finished I'll also add players who were best at more than one position and more than one league

#Outfield is a bit problematic from 1901-1920, as teams tended to shift guys all over the place, during the season and after each season.

^Ruth was one of the top 4 starting pitchers in 1916

WAA? Typo? or Wins Above Average?

Just taking a wild guess there. But I would like that concept better than WAR because that mythical replacement player is taken out of the picture. Still have the problem of an arbitrarily calculated Win number. But once I accept that it is not as big a leap to consider how much above or below the league average a player was. If this is what that stands for would like to hear more, especially what your source was. Definitely worthy of further discussion.

Of course if it was a typo then opinions on WAR already discussed.

Yes. WAA
http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/4 ... out-of-war

WIth regards to ATG;

I think my first observation about this list is that Strat/ATG and this community has done a fantastic job of representing the players listed.

Almost all of these players have a card representing at least one card from their best years.

The exceptions are;
Schang, Hoiles, Sundberg, H. Davis, Kell, Rosen, Fregossi, Sewell, Murphy(CF), Bauer, Lezcano- who do not have cards from one of the years listed above.

Teixeria, Gordan (KC)- who do not have cards

That's a pretty good track record and I'm sure ATG8 will rectify many of these omissions.

The next thing from this list I see is just how hard it is to the best at your position for multiple years.
Only 43 players have been the best at their position for 5 or more years in the history of the American League!

Therefore, with regards to the Hall of Fame;

I think the following players should be seriously considered; they have done what only 43 players have done in the 113 years of the American League;

Bobby Grich- 6 times the best at his position
Harry Davis- 5 times
Lou Whitaker- 5 times
Cano- 5 times
Bill Bradley- 5 times
Harlond Clift- 5 times
Larry Gardner- 5 times
Campanaris- 5 times
Sewell- 5 Times
Loften- 5 Times
Ramirez- 5 Times

Obviously Joe Jackson (5 times), and A. Rod (9 times) also fit this definition, but they may be held out for other reasons(as would other players). THAT is a different discussion.

Code: Select all

I think the following players should be seriously considered; they have done what only 43 players have done in the 113 years of the American League;

Bobby Grich- 6 times the best at his position agreed
Harry Davis- 5 times don't think so
Lou Whitaker- 5 times agreed
Cano- 5 times too early to say
Bill Bradley- 5 times No
Harlond Clift- 5 times No
Billy Gardner- 5 times this totally decimates the above argument,IMO

Well, if the standard was 6 years as the best at your position, then I would absolutely agree with your comments.

Consider this, before condemning the above players.(Grich, Whitaker and probably Cano excluded)

1. Koufax and Dean have poor career numbers, but both are deservedly in the Hall. Why? Because they were an absolute beast at their positions for 5 years. These guys did the same at their positions. Sure, their stats look like crap, but it was a different time with different standards.

2. These guys were one of 8 (or more) players who earned the right to play their position at the highest level. They beat out thousands (hundreds of thousands?, millions?) of other guys who wanted the same thing to become one of those 8. Of those 8, they were the best for five years.

3. As I stated in another post, it doesn't matter if their competition was awful by another time periods standard. They were the best for those years.

As to the players mentioned;


A. Harry Davis' stats are really good. In addition to being the best at his position 5 times. We wasLeague leader in doubles 3 times, triples- once, home runs-4 times, rbi's once.

B. Bill Bradley- This guy was amongst the league leaders in offense and defense; especially defense, for ten years.

C. Harlond Clift- .390 lifetime OBP. The guy was a walking machine. Excellent defensive stats.

Where is Alan Trammell? He was much better than at least half of those SS.

Agree on Trammell, but he got Younted and Ripkened.

Where is Alan Trammell? He was much better than at least half of those SS.

Trammell was probably only rated best at his position in one year, 1987, the year he should have been AL MVP. Otherwise he was behind Yount and/or Ripken.

Interestingly, Trammell and Whitaker's offensive stats for BA, R, HR, etc. are eerily similar over the 19 years they played together. Both were multiple Gold Glove winners. However, because there were no 2B in the AL of the caliber of Ripken and Yount, Sweet Lou was the best second baseman of his generation.

I'd like to see the Veteran's Committee - or whatever they're called now - induct Alan and Lou together.