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#13 Johnny Bench

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  Johnny Bench C 1967-1983 14x All Star, 10x Gold Glove, 2x MVP Baseball Hall of Fame 1989 There may have been better defensive catchers...there may have been better hitting catchers, there has never been a more complete catcher than Johnny Bench. When he retired he was the all time HR leader among catchers (since passed by Fisk and Piazza) and he won 10 Gold Glove Awards behind the dish. He was the best player on the Big Red Machine and his combination of hitting and defense put him in 14 All Star games. In 1970 he became the youngest man to ever win the NL MVP Award (he would win 2). He lead the Reds to back to back titles in 75 and 76. He twice lead the league in homers, 3 times in RBI all while playing gold glove defense behind the plate.  He retired a young man at 35, but he had spent the first 13 years of his career catching every day. The best that's ever been behind the dish. Johnny Bench. Cooperstown called in 1989 with what at the time was the 3rd highest vote total ...
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#14 Bob Feller

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  Bob Feller P 1936-1956 10x All Star, 7x Strikeout Champion, 1940 Pitcher Triple Crown Baseball Hall of Fame 1962 Bob Feller was in the Baseball Hall of Fame for more than half his life. That's remarkable. What's also remarkable is this. He won 266 games, was a 10 time all star, 2581 career strikeouts, and he missed 3 ENTIRE seasons and most of a fourth to the World War 2 at age 23, 24, 25, 26. While he was there he earend 6 campagin ribbons and 8 battle stars, but this is a baseball countdown not a war countdown.  To put this in perspective, let's look at the 3 years before he went in the Navy and the 2 full seasons when he got out. In that 5 year stretch he averaged 24.4 wins a year, lead the league in innings pitched all 5 of those seasons, lead the league in strikeouts ALL FIVE of those seasons (plus 1 before and 1 after for good measure) and he posted a 2.68 ERA.  So some of his stats don't reach the heights of some others, but he lost 4 seasons in the middle of h...
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15 Steve Carlton

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  Steve Carlton P 1965-1988 4x C y Young, 10x All Star, 4th all time in Strikeouts Baseball Hall of Fame 1994 Think of how many left handed pitchers major league baseball has seen. Now imagine your nickname is "Lefty". Steve Carlton pitched on a few good teams, a few more that weren't good at all. Every year he got it done. He lead the league in wins 4 times (329 total). He lead the league in strikeouts 5 times (4136 total, good for 4th ever). Stats don't tell the whole story with Carlton but if you want some, check out his 1972 season. He went 27-10 on a team that won 59 games!  He was the ace for the 1980 Phillies who ended a long championship drought. He also picked up a ring with the 1967 Cardainls.  If you like modern stuff he's 19th all time in WAR for pitchers and 45th all time in WAR for anyone. He started the 6th most games in MLB history (709) and won the 11th most (329). His stats aren't as sterling as some because he was left out there to finish ga...
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#16 Roger Clemens

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  Roiger Clemens P 1984-2007 7x Cy Young, 11x All Star, 2x WS Champion 7x ERA Champ, 5x K Champ,  354 Wins We are in rarified territory here. Roger Clemens was a dominant pitching force in a dominant hitting era. By any measure he's one of the best of all time. 354 wins and 467 2 strikeouts. Pretty good. He third THIRD all time in WAR for pitchers if you like advanced metrics. Third all time in Ks, 9th all time in wins.  He finished 118 games which made him one of the last of a dying breed. He started the 7th most games in MLB history with 707 starts. He struck out 20 in a game...twice. He came back from retirement wrestling style and swung pennant races.  He left a few places with hard feelings, and there's that PED cloud, but I saw the man pitch, and to say there are too many better than him is just foolish. He belongs in the Hall and he belongs here.  Anthony Leonelli is a 38 year old College Basketball Coach and amateur baseball arguer. If you wanna know how...
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#17 Warren Spahn

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  Warren Spahn P 1942-1966 17x All Star, 8x Wins Leader, 1957 Cy Young Baseball Hall of Fame 1973 One of the best lefties to ever toe the slab. Warren Spahn won 363 games in the major leagues a number that seems almost incomprehensible now. He also lost his 22, 23, 24 age seasons to the Second World War or you're likely looking at a 400 win guy.  He completed 382 starts! Leading the league 10 times. We lead the league in wins 8 times. Snared a Cy Young in 1957.  He ranks 6th in wins, 8th in innings pitched, 6th in shutouts, he's 31st all time in WAR and 14th in WAR for pitchers.  The man was a horse. He pitched until he was 44 years old, and gave the classic quote "I didn't quit baseball, baseball quit me".  In 1972 Warren Spahn got the call to the hall of fame.  Anthony Leonelli is a 37 year old College Basketball Coach and amateur baseball arguer. If you wanna know how this list came together check here  criteria . He thinks that George Brett winning...
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#18 Pete Rose

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  Pete Rose 2B/3B/OF/1B 1963-1986 17x All Star, 1963 Rookie of the Year, 1973 MVP 3x Batting Champion, All time leader in Hits "I'd walk through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball" ignoring the fact that I don't know what the hell a gasoline suit is...I get it. Pete Rose could certainly play baseball, better than almost anyone that's ever done it- not the best guy reportedly, but could play the game.  As much as he's become short hand for cranky old white guys to talk about the "right way to play" Rose did play every single game with a reckless abandon and overcame his natural abilities. He's got more hits than anyone who ever played the game. He's got 3 rings. He played 500 games at 4 different positions. He holds the NL record for longest hitting streak.  He played in more major league baseball games than anyone else. He made 17 All Star teams.  How's this for crazy he's the all time leader in hits, the all time leader in sing...
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#19 Bob Gibson

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  Bob Gibson P 1959-1975 9x All Star, 2x Cy Young, 1968 MVP, 9x Gold Glove Baseball Hall of Fame 1981 Bob Gibson played before I was born. I saw him on grainy VHS tapes like The Golden Greats of Baseball, and in the Ken Burns documentary that came out when I was in middle school. Watching those clips and reading about him. I assumed he was 6'7 and 240 pounds. He went 6'1 190...but his demeanor and attitude and nastiest made him look like he was much much larger.  He won 251 games in the major leagues, had a career ERA of 2.91. His 1968 season is maybe the best a pitcher has ever had. He posted a 1.12 ERA that year. That's not a typo. He also had 13 shutouts that year and completed 28 of his 34 starts.  A blistering fastball and a plus breaking ball, plus the ability to throw inside with no complaint from anyone...I mean who is gonna go out there? Gibson was the top starter for the Cardinals for the better part of a decade.  In the postseason? 7-2 with a 1.89 and 2 Wo...
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