erik lundegaard

 RSS
ARCHIVES
LINKS

Saturday January 04, 2020

Joe's Top 100: 91-100

Joe Posnanski is counting down his top 100 baseball players of all time. Yes, I know, but this time he means it.  

He tried such a list earlier in the decade, and I think he lasted to about No. 32 (Grover Cleveland Alexander), then tried another last year, which tanked after No. 88 or so (Carlos Beltran). But now he's doing it on the site, “The Athletic,” and I get the feeling he was commissioned for it. I also get the feeling he's already finished with it. It's supposed to be 100 players in the 100 days leading up to Opening Day. Smart! Fun! Anyway I get the feeling he's more or less done. 

He's already up to No. 83 but here's #s 91-100 compared with his previous lists:

NO.  PLAYER PREVIOUS bWAR
100 Ichiro Suzuki 96 59.4
99 Mike Mussina NEW  82.8
98 Carlos Beltran /88 69.6
97 Roberto Alomar 82 67.1
96 Larry Walker NEW  72.7
95 Tony Gwynn 75/94 69.2
94 Roy Campanella 66 37.0
93 Ozzie Smith 77 76.9
92 Bullet Joe Rogan 89 n/a
91 Mariano Rivera 95 56.2

It's an interesting mix. The highest-ranking player from his first list is Campy, who had been No. 66 a few years ago. Tony Gwynn and Ozzie Smith also took dives. The highest bWAR among them all is a new one, Mike Mussina, followed by Ozzie, who earned most of his on defense. We get one Negro League player—Bullet Joe Rogan—who, I admit, I don't know much about. It's obvious Joe's doing more than WAR here. I think in a way he's writing about who he wants to write about. He's including who gives him joy. 

I‘ll do these in 10-player increments and include any thoughts I have. Right now it’s tough to tell who's been cut entirely. Paul Waner? Ron Santo? Mostly I just want him to finish. For his sake as much as ours. 

Posted at 12:19 PM on Saturday January 04, 2020 in category Baseball