Before I present you with ESPN's Top 100, let me show the 4 major "baseball milestones," and which members of these "clubs" did not make the Top 100:
* 3,000 Hits: Paul Waner, Lou Brock, Eddie Murray, Craig Biggio, Rafael Palmeiro.
* 500 Home Runs: Murray, Palmeiro, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Gary Sheffield.
* 300 Wins: Old Hoss Radbourn, Pud Galvin, John Clarkson, Tim Keefe, Mickey Welch, Kid Nichols, Eddie Plank, Early Wynn, Gaylord Perry, Don Sutton, Tom Glavine.
* 3,000 Strikeouts: Perry, Sutton, Glavine, Ferguson Jenkins, Bert Blyleven, Curt Schilling, CC Sabathia.
Okay, right away, we have problems. Not with keeping Palmeiro, McGwire and Sosa out, because they cheated. We seem to think Sheffield did, too. But nobody thinks Murray did. You can argue that Waner was once one of the Top 50, but that he no longer makes the Top 100; and that Biggio, as good as he was, never did.
But how can you keep out Murray, an apparently clean guy with both 3,000 hits and 500 home runs? And how the hell can you keep out Brock, who had 3,000 hits and is 2nd all-time in stolen bases with 938?
Same deal with the pitching milestones? Not exactly: 3,000 strikeouts is a big deal, but not as big a deal as the other 3, which probably hurts Schilling, who won 216 games, fewer than any "3KK" pitcher (I just made that term up) except Scherzer, who's still active and only 26 wins behind him; and Smoltz, who spent spent 4 seasons as a reliever and also has 155 saves.
You can make a case that Sutton doesn't even make an all-time Dodger rotation, even if you limit it to only the Los Angeles years: Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Clayton Kershaw, and if you go to 5 guys, you can argue that both Fernando Valenzuela and Orel Hershiser were better, in terms of talent if not of career numbers. And Perry will always have the spectre of the spitter.
And while Radbourn, Galvin, Clarkson, Keefe, Welch and Nichols were all great pitchers by standards of their own time, that time had a distance from the pitcher's mound to home plate of 50 feet. In 1893, it became 60 feet, 6 inches, and has remained so ever since.
Radbourn had already retired after the 1891 season, Galvin and Welch after 1892, Keefe saw the writing on the wall and packed it in after 1893, and Clarkson did so after 1894. Nichols started in 1890, the same year as Cy Young, and, like Young, pitched about equally well before and after 1893, so he could, legitimately, be considered for this list.
The following players made the TSN100 in 1999, but not the ESPN100 in 2022: Early Wynn 100, Dennis Eckersley 98, Gaylord Perry 97, Rollie Fingers 96, Chuck Klein 92, Mark McGwire 91, Ralph Kiner 90, Goose Goslin 89, Frankie Frisch 88, Kirby Puckett 86, Dizzy Dean 85, Sam Crawford 84, Ed Walsh 82.
Also: Joe Medwick 79, Eddie Murray 77, Willie Keeler 75, Robin Roberts 74, Lefty Gomez 73, Pie Traynor 70, Eddie Plank 68, Cool Papa Bell 66, Mickey Cochrane 65, Paul Waner 62, Bill Terry 59, Lou Brock 58, Bill Dickey 57, Harry Heilmann 54, Buck Leonard 47, Carl Hubbell 44, Al Simmons 43, George Sisler 33.
So, without further ado, here are the ESPN100, with, where applicable, their TSN100 rankings. Those active, or not yet having reached the majors by 1999, would be unlikely to make the TSN100. Those who did not make that list are hereby abbreviated as DNML. Players who made one of the major milestones are so noted. And players who made the Major League Baseball All-Century Team, also chosen in 1999, are so noted. (McGwire was named to the ACT, but not to the ESPN100.) And players caught, or at least credibly accused, as users of performance-enhancing drugs are given asterisks:
100. Barry Larkin, active in 1999
99. Phil Niekro, 300 wins, 3,000 hits, DNML
98. Jim Thome, 600 home runs, active
97. Adrian Beltre, 3,000 hits, active
96. Charlie Gehringer, 46
95. Duke Snider, 83
94. Bryce Harper, not yet active
93. John Smoltz, 3,000 strikeouts, active
92. Roy Halladay, active
91. Ryne Sandberg, DNML
90. Ivan Rodriguez, active *
89. Shoeless Joe Jackson, 35
88. Willie Stargell, 81
87. Carlton Fisk, DNML
86. Roberto Alomar, active
85. Jim Palmer, 64
84. Paul Molitor, 3,000 hits, 99
83. Roy Campanella, 50
82. Eddie Collins, 3,000 hits, 24
81. Mike Piazza, active *
80. Robin Yount, 3,000 hits, DNML
79. Hank Greenberg, 37
78. Chipper Jones, active
77. Vladimir Guerrero, active
76. Cap Anson, 3,000 hits, DNML
75. Rod Carew, 3,000 hits, 61
74. Juan Marichal, 71
73. Willie McCovey, 500 home runs, 56
72. Justin Verlander, 3,000 strikeouts, not yet active
71. Al Kaline, 3,000 hits, 76
70. Harmon Killebrew, 500 home runs, 69
69. Ozzie Smith, 87
68. Manny Ramirez, 500 home runs, active *
67. Brooks Robinson, ACT, 80
66. Cal Ripken, ACT, 3,000 hits, 78
65. Max Scherzer, 3,000 strikeouts, not yet active
64. Eddie Mathews, 500 home runs, 63
63. David Ortiz, 500 home runs, not yet active *
62. Mel Ott, 500 home runs, 42
61. Carl Yastrzemski, 3,000 hits, 72
60. Whitey Ford, 52
59. Miguel Cabrera, 3,000 hits, 500 home runs, not yet active
58. Steve Carlton, 300 wins, 4,000 strikeouts, 30
57. Grover Cleveland Alexander, 300 wins, 12
56. Dave Winfield, 3,000 hits, 94
55. Reggie Jackson, 500 home runs, 48
54. Lefty Grove, ACT, 300 wins, 23
53. Oscar Charleston, 67
52. Clayton Kershaw, 3,000 strikeouts, not yet active
51. Ernie Banks, ACT, 500 home runs, 38
50. Bob Feller, 36
49. Frank Thomas, 500 home runs, active
48. Nap Lajoie, 3,000 hits, 29
47. Warren Spahn, ACT, 300 wins, 21
46. Ichiro Suzuki, 3,000 hits, not yet active
45. Wade Boggs, 3,000 hits, active, 95
44. Tony Gwynn, 3,000 hits, active, 49
43. George Brett, 3,000 hits, 55
42. Nolan Ryan, ACT, 300 wins, 5,000 strikeouts, 41
41. Satchel Paige, 19
40. Jimmie Foxx, 500 home runs, 15
39. Yogi Berra, ACT, 40
38. Jackie Robinson, ACT, 4
37. Joe Morgan, 60
36. Tris Speaker, 3,000 hits, 27
35. Josh Gibson, 18
34. Pete Rose, ACT, 4,000 hits, 25
33. Bob Gibson, ACT, 3,000 strikeouts, 31
32. Sandy Koufax, ACT, 26
31. Mariano Rivera, active
30. Albert Pujols, 600 home runs, 3,000 hits, not yet active
29. Johnny Bench, ACT, 16
28. Derek Jeter, 3,000 hits, active
27. Roberto Clemente, 3,000 hits, 20
26. Alex Rodriguez, 3,000 hits, 600 home runs, active *
25. Christy Mathewson, ACT, 300 wins, 7
24. Randy Johnson, 3000 wins, 4,000 strikeouts, active
23. Rickey Henderson, 3,000 hits, active, 51
22. Tom Seaver, 300 wins, 3,000 strikeouts, 32
21. Cy Young, ACT, 500 wins, 14
20. Rogers Hornsby, ACT, 9
19. Frank Robinson, 500 home runs, 22
18. Mike Schmidt, ACT, 500 home runs, 28
17. Roger Clemens, ACT, 300 wins, 4,000 strikeouts, active, 53
16. Joe DiMaggio, ACT, 11
15. Mike Trout, not yet active
14. Greg Maddux, 300 wins, 3,000 strikeouts, active, 39
13. Ken Griffey Jr., ACT, 600 home runs, active, 93
12. Honus Wagner, ACT, 3,000 hits, 13
11. Pedro Martinez, 3,000 strikeouts, active
10. Stan Musial, ACT, 3,000 hits, 10
9. Walter Johnson, ACT, 400 wins, 3,000 strikeouts, 4
8. Barry Bonds, 700 home runs, active, 34 *
7. Mickey Mantle, ACT, 500 home runs, 17
6. Lou Gehrig, ACT, 6
5. Ted Williams, ACT, 500 home runs, 8
4. Ty Cobb, ACT, 4,000 hits, 3
3. Hank Aaron, ACT, 3,000 hits, 700 home runs, 5
2. Willie Mays, ACT, 3,000 hits, 600 home runs, 2
1. Babe Ruth, ACT, 700 home runs, 1
Biggest jumps from 1999 to 2022: Griffey 80, Winfield 38, Clemens 36, Henderson 28, Bonds 26, Maddux 25, Morgan 23. Certainly, Griffey got shortchanged in 1999.
Biggest drops from 1999 to 2022: Collins 58, Shoeless Joe 54, Gehringer 50, Alexander 45, Greenberg 42, Campanella 33, Grove 31. That is a considerable amount of disrespect.
Rankings by position:
1st Base: Gehrig 6, Pujols 30, Foxx 40, Thomas 49, Killebrew 70, McCovey 73, Carew 75, Anson 76, Greenberg 79, Stargell 88, Thome 98. Aside from the fact that Anson, the earliest player on this 100, played entirely in the 19th Century, with significant rule differences, I don't object here.
2nd base: Hornsby 20, Morgan 37, Jackie Robinson 38, Lajoie 48, Collins 82, Alomar 86, Sandberg 91, Gehringer 96. I wouldn't put Alomar in the Top 100, but no other objection.
Shortstop: Wagner 12, Jeter 28, Banks 51, Ripken 78, Smith 69, Yount 80, Larkin 100. I wouldn't put Larkin in the Top 100. Top 125, maybe, but not Top 100. Other than that, no problem here.
3rd Base: Schmidt 18, Alex Rodriguez 26, Brett 43, Boggs 45, Cabrera 59, Mathews 63, Brooks Robinson 67, Jones 78, Molitor 84, Beltre 97. Big problems here. A-Rod should have been ineligible, regardless of whether you think belongs here, or at shortstop. Chipper shouldn't have been anywhere near this list. And there's no way Brett or Mathews should have been ahead of Brooks.
Left Field: Williams 5, Bonds 8, Musial 10, Henderson 23, Rose 34, Yastrzemski 61, Ramirez 68, Joe Jackson 89. Barry and Manny are ineligible. And there's no way Ted, not a very good fielder, and by his own admission a poor runner, should have been that high.
Center Field: Mays 2, Cobb 4, Mantle 7, Griffey 13, Trout 15, DiMaggio 16, Speaker 36, Charleston 53, Snider 95. I have no problem with Mantle being ahead of DiMaggio. Mantle vs. Mays is the eternal New York baseball debate. But what kind of drugs does it take to put Trout at Number 15, ahead of the Yankee Clipper? He's had a great first half of his career. So did George Foster, Fred Lynn and Dave Parker, and they didn't even end up in the Hall of Fame.
Right Field: Ruth 1, Aaron 3, Frank Robinson 19, Clemente 27, Gwynn 44, Suzuki 46, Reggie Jackson 55, Winfield 56, Ott 62, Kaline 71, Guerrero 77, Harper 94. It's way too soon to put Harper in the Top 100. Other than that, no problem.
Designated Hitter: Ortiz 63. He should be ineligible.
Catcher: Bench 29, Josh Gibson 35, Berra 39, Piazza 81, Campanella 83, Fisk 87, Ivan Rodriguez 90. I-Rod is ineligible. Putting Gibson at 35, when we just don't know, is wrong. Putting Bench ahead of Berra is very wrong. And putting Piazza on the list at all is a massive joke, even if you don't think he used steroids. The man was a born DH.
Pitcher: Walter Johnson 9, Martinez 11, Maddux 14, Clemens 17, Young 21, Seaver 22, Randy Johnson 24, Mathewson 25, Rivera 31, Koufax 32, Bob Gibson 33, Paige 41, Ryan 42, Spahn 47, Feller 50, Kershaw 52, Grove 54, Alexander 57, Carlton 58, Ford 60, Scherzer 65, Verlander 72, Marichal 74, Palmer 85, Halladay 92, Smoltz 93, Niekro 99.
If you're not going to put Fergie Jenkins or Bert Blyleven on here, then you shouldn't put Scherzer, Verlander or Halladay on here. Kershaw belongs, but not that high. Grove, Alexander and Carlton are way too low. And Pedro at 11? As they say in English soccer, Give your head a wobble.
Maybe, over the weekend, I'll give a real Top 100.
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