Gormon Thomas, Ted Simmons- HArvey's Wallbangers! One of my favorite one year teams of all time. 82 I think.

Starting Pitcher- Dwight Gooden: a flame thrower who also knew how to pitch. I remember seeing his first game, a rainy Opening Day against the Cubs. Drugs and injuries will keep him from getting the recognition he deserves decades from now.

Relief Pitcher- Mariano Rivera or Dennis Eckersley

Hitter- Pujols: a few years ago I would have said Frank Thomas in his prime. Pujols has exceeded The Hurt.

Fielder- Omar Vizquel

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

The ballplayer that could do it all was Clemente.Followed by Pete Rose who did the most with the least amount of ability!

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I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

I really thought Daryl Strawberry would turn into one of those "best that ever played" type of guys. Another drug/injury Met who will probably be forgotten.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

I always thought Strawberry had one of the sweetest swings.
He made hitting homeruns look so easy and effortless.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

I've mentioned I have a friend of a friend that's a big-leaguer, he told us the coolest thing he ever saw on a baseball field was Omar Vizquel taking infield practice without a glove.

This could be another thread...

Coolest thing I've seen was July 2005. Sox were about to get swept by the A's. A friend of a friend worked at the Stadium Club that summer, and had let me and a couple of friends in early. Sox were on the field working out, and we were just sitting in the upper tank, about even with shallow RF. Most of the group were smoking cigs, so thats why we were up there. Anyway, we could see Ozuna and Uribe talking and joking around about where the shortstop would play. Then about 2 minutes later, about 2 sections to our left (toward home plate) I hear a loud bang, then another and it occurs so us that Ozuna and Uribe are throwing baseballs up there. Well, Uribe was...we didn't see Ozuna throw any, and I doubt he could make it up there anyway. I don't think they were meaning to hit us, because like I said this was at least 2 secionts over. Another one comes up there, and we took one and threw 2 back onto the field. They were still standing there when Jermaine Dye walks by a couple of minutes later, and as he's walking, looks over his shoulder and says something to them, and they double over laughing. Dye walks a few feet away, picks up a ball, and launchs it towards us.


It cleared us, the upper deck, and the roof by plenty, and presumably landed in the parking lot. Uribe and Ozuna weren't laughing anymore, but Dye was.

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Great one Walt. Back in the Little League days, Our coach made us all watch Pete (usually on the game of the week or Monday Night Baseball) and play like he played. We had to sprint to first for walks. We had to hustle off the field and our batting stances were just like his. Short and compact. We were not allowed to dive head first however. Pete should be in the Hall for his playing. I doubt Pete ever cheated on the field. But he sure as hell would knock you block off to win.

I may have mentioned this in another thread...but in the best I've ever seen play AND greatest play, Bo Jackson. I was in the park in '93 when they clinched the division against Seattle.

Bo hit what the Mariners' 3B thought was a mammoth pop-up. He took a few steps IN from his position, stopped, looked straight up and turned around without lowering his head. The left fielder then did the same thing. Of course the ball came down damn near straight down in about the third or fourth row in the left field seats.

Bo could definitely do it all.

I would have liked to have seen Big Frank actually throw his rumored knuckleball in anger. Back in the early '90s, I remember many a reporter noting their shock at just how good a pitch it was.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

1990 all star game...my dad got tickets for him and I...there was like an hour and a half rain delay that chased away a good portion of the crowd so we moved up to about 10 rows behind home slightly to the 3b side. Daryl Strawberry made a throw from warning track RF that popped the catchers mitt and got the out...Daryl was fuckn awesome

Was at Goodens first game in the bigs. Was at Wrigley. Abuddy of mine was all hyped about this guy and I was like "Yeah sure he is great"

Cubs won 8-4, but the guy was damn good after that

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

As much as drugs and choosing The Straw as his role model may have screwed up his career...he still has very impressive numbers

194 wins 3.51 Era...one of the most dominant seasons ever in 84 and He won 15+ games his first 5 years in the league...after his first 5 years his numbers were
91-35 2.67 ERA 1067 K's

He got carried off the field after pitching a perfect game? (no hitter at least) at Yankee stadium 1

Next time a pitcher signs a 5 year 80 zillion dollar deal...im gonna hold him to the Doc Gooden standard

BTW the book The Bad Guys Won about the 1986 Mets is the most interesting sports book ive ever read (read it if only to find out about the kevin mitchell daryll strawberry meeting)

"Ball Four" is the best sports book I've read. I usually read at least bits and pieces every spring training.

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other favorites of mine are ironically written by Mike Lupica (i always laugh even more now when coztanza lists him as his favortie author)

But lupica writes good sports fiction

Bump and Run(theres a WR in this that changes his name to A.T.M. 4 Automatic Touchdown Machine)

Wild Pitch(great baseball story but better to have read it before 2004)

The best I have seen is Junior version 1995...No question

+1

Before every game he would take 3 baseballs to the right field wall and throw them in. He usually would hit the plate at least once.

I loved the old time sluggers: Frank Howard and Harmon Killebrew

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Pujols...last time I saw him was the first year at the new Busch and he ended a 14 inning game with a walk off bomb...