Bonds, Aaron Who's the best-neither It was May's by far

[wilt the stilt]

Mays was always the better player. Better fielder, more dominant player(lost 2 years to the service), played in a harder place to hit homers, anyone who grew up in the sixties knows what I am saying is true. The guy who was 49 never really saw Mays. If Mays hadn’t lost the years to the Army and played in Milwaukee and Atlanta he would have hit 800 homers. He is the only player to hit 50 homers in a season 10 years apart. Aaron never hit 50 homers. Mays was voted player of the decade in the 60’s When was Aaron ever voted player of any decade.

[Captain Hilts]

1. Mays is more versatile than Aaron and hit with more power than the younger Bonds.

Though the young Bonds comes close.

Mays, to me, is clearly the best of the three.

Like Ted Williams, Mays missed some seasons in his prime for the military. Aaron didn't.

[Jack Rabbit]

2. I agree that Mays is the best player, period.

He could field his position better than Aaron and both were better outfielders than Bonds. Mays was the best base runner of the three.

Even if we don't make allowances for the fact that Mays played in Candlestick Park, I still assess Mays as the best of the three.

Candlestick Park Anecdote

A friend of mine tells a story about going to Candlestick to watch the Giants one day. He came home with a spotted sunburn on his arms. The "spots" were from the goosebumps he got from sitting in the infamous Candlestick wind.

[KamaAina]

18. Not to mention the Polo Grounds!

No one ever reached the center field wall there!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polo_Grounds

No player ever hit a fly ball that reached the 483-foot (147 m) distant center-field wall, which fronted a part of the clubhouse which overhung the field. Given that overhang, it was not inherently clear what the actual "home run line" would have been in straightaway center. Some sources listed the center field distance as 505, which suggests that was where the true home run line would have been, at the back of the clubhouse overhang. But if there were any ground rules governing such a situation, they never had to be applied.

[Jack Rabbit]

19. Ask Vic Wertz about balls hit to straightaway center in the Polo Grounds

Speaking of Willie Mays . . .

[nickgutierrez]

3. Who is May, and what does she have to do with this? n/t

[wilt the stilt]

5. I'm tired of Aaron

getting all the credit as if he is the greatest. He simply wasn't the best.

[Captain Hilts]

20. I agree. Hats off to him, but he is not close. nt

[Onceuponalife]

4. Josh Gibson was best

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Gibson

[skeewee08]

17. I agree with you Josh Gibson gets my vote:-)

[Gemini Cat]

24. My vote as well.

Josh Gibson catcher for the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords was not only a speedy catcher but a powerful hitter as well. Once during a Negro League Day at Yankee stadium, he blasted a hit off of Slim Jones that landed in the street!

His life time average in the Negro Leagues was .391 and against major leaguers his average was .412.

I'm not sure how many home runs he had, but it was well over 800.

He was elected to the HOF in 1972.

So yeah, he gets my vote. I can't even imagine what he would have done in baseball if he had not died young.

[cboy4]

6. I bet even Barry would agree with you ...

[wilt the stilt]

7. betting-

Are you really Pete Rose?

[cboy4]

8. Nope I am not.

But I do feel he should be in the Hall of Fame.

[wilt the stilt]

9. absolutely

the problem is that idiot sportswriters vote on the hall and they hold grudges. Sportswriters are the one's who have forgotten May's. Joe Morgan always let's everyone know who was better. He is for an award for the best player of the year combining both the National and the American League. He wants to call it the Willie May's award. enough said.

[Captain Hilts]

21. Great idea. Mays needs his due. nt

[madinmaryland]

10. No. He's really upton.

[Upton]

11. And you're Pacman

at least you used to be Pacman...Since Dallas has officially released him, it would no longer be appropriate to refer to you by that name...I'll just wait until the 'Girls sign another felon or a present player commits a major crime....that shouldn't take too long.

Take a look.....http://www.theheckler.com/news/templates/?a=2680&z=38

[madinmaryland]

12. You're just now figuring that out cboy?

[rockymountaindem]

13. I'm only 22 years old, but from what I can tell

it seems to me like Mays was probably the best all-round player ever.

[TZ]

14. I've never heard Aaron argued as the best all around player.

Just the best HR hitter. The fact that he never hit 50 homers in a season speaks to long term consistency anyway.

[wilt the stilt]

15. long term consistency

is not a threat. I disagree with you . Do you not think that Aaron get's way more play than May's. May's is hardly mentioned. What Aaron career is that he aged a little bit better than May's but in no way was he as good a player.

[TZ]

16. Aaron gets mentioned more for the HR record.

But I've ALWAYS heard that Mays was one of the greatest of all time...

[nickgutierrez]

22. I'm the one that still argues for The Babe as the best ever.

Not only was he the most dominant hitter in the history of baseball, he was a pretty good pitcher, too. Nobody else matches up.

[Onceuponalife]

23. the power of hot dogs

Who needs steroids when you can beef up with hot dogs? It's why I ONLY eat hot dogs.

[underpants]

25. Lemke

Mark Lemke

[Captain Hilts]

29. Agree. He overcame a youth spent in the shadow of Utica, NY...

Isn't he a New Hartford boy? The Chevy Chase of Utica, NY.

[Capt. America]

26. Williams lost years to WWII and Korea.

[ProfessorGAC]

27. Almost 5 of Them

And, he had 200 hits before he went to WWII and then did it when he came back. He hit over 40 homers on both ends of that. Same thing in Korea. It's possible that with those 5 seasons added back in, he could have hit >700 homers and nearly 4000 hits.

He wasn't the best "player" of all time, but i think he was the best hitter of all time.
GAC

[Captain Hilts]

28. Yep.