Best Player in each MLB Franchise History

[Molina00]

There would definately be an argument between Bagwell and Biggio, but Bagwell might win that. The guy was nothing short of awesome even just a couple years ago.

Pudge is the obvious choice for the Rangers. No player has meant more to the team in franchise history than him. An argument could be made for Juan Gone but I think Pudge clearly beats him out. Except for maybe Carl Crawford I didn't see anything I really disagreed with on this. I think Fred McGriff did good his few years in TB. Not sure how many he spent with them though.

[HollywoodLeo]

Rangers = Nolan Ryan

[DirtyKash]

no, it's clearly Pudge.

[Providence A's]

Rangers = Nolan Ryan

Ryan spent good amounts of his career with the Mets (5 years), Angels (8), Astros (9), and Rangers (5)...it would have to be the Angels or Astros...his last 2 years with the Rangers were not that great either at 45 and 46.

[HollywoodLeo]

I meant to say Angels. For some odd reason I typed Rangers.

Nolan Ryan > Tim Salmon

[Fishercat]

I'm not really sure. Salmon's been there about six years longer (if not six playing years) and they were both above-average. Neither were the amazing, Ryan was a compiler and Salmon wasn't healthy.

[Rufio181]

Nolan spent so much time with various teams, its hard to determine which one he would be. As a result I think Tim Salmon has been best overall for the Halos. Though, I do think Garett Anderson is not too far behind.

[Dry1313]

I was reading an article in the local Charlotte newspaper about the best MLB player in each franchise's history.

Franchise ---- Best Player

Angels - Tim Salmon OF (franchise career leader in HRs (290)
Astros - Jeff Bagwell 1B
Athletics - Lefty Grove P
Blue Jays - Carlos Delgado 1B
Braves - Hank Aaron (All time MLB HR leader)
Brewers - Robin Yount SS/CF (.285 lifetime hitter with 3,142 hits)
Cardinals - Stan Musial OF/1B (7 batting crowns, 20 All-Star selections, .331 lifetime avg)
Cubs - Ernie Banks SS (2 time MVP)
Devil Rays - Carl Crawford OF (not much to chose from here)
Diamondbacks - Randy Johnson P (in 6 seasons team beat 2.65 ERA)
Dodgers - Sandy Koufax P
Expos/Nationals - Vladimir Guerrero OF
Giants - Willie Mays OF (660 HRs without performance enhancing drugs)
Indians - Bob Feller P (lead MLB in strikeouts from 1939 to 1948 minus 4 WWII years)
Mariners - Ken Griffy Jr. OF
Marlins - Miguel Cabrera 3B (not much to chose from here)
Mets - Tom Seaver P (311 wins with 2.86 lifetime ERA)
Orioles - Cal Ripken Jr SS (The IRON MAN)
Padres - Tony Gwynn (8 batting titles)
Phillies - Mike Schmidt 3B (8 NL HR titles, 10 Gold Gloves)
Pirates - Honus Wagner SS (8 batting titles, 5 RBI crowns)
Red Sox - Ted Williams OF (last man to hit over .400)
Reds - Pete Rose OF (All Time Hit leader)
Rockies - Todd Helton 1B (career leader in HR, RBIs and batting average)
Royals - George Brett 3B (3 batting titles)
Senators/Rangers - Ivan Rodriguez C (one of best catchers in MLB)
Senators/Twins - Walter Johnson P (417 wins, lifetime 2.17 ERA)
Tigers - Ty Cobb OF (lifetime .366 avg, 12 batting titles)
White Sox - Frank Thomas 1B (more than twice HRs of any other ChiSox)
Yankees - Babe Ruth - (probably the best to have ever played)

will continue this list later

Angels - Troy Percival
Astros - Jeff Bagwell 1B
Athletics - I need to give some love to my boy Eddie Collins here, he hasn't been mentioned. But I side with The Beast...
Blue Jays - Joe Carter. He won them their World Series. He is their franchise man.
Braves - Hank Aaron.
Brewers - Robin Yount SS/CF
Cardinals - Stan Musial OF/1B Honorable Mention is Rogers Hornsby. I don't get how he isn't mentioned...and Frankie Frisch, plus Bob Gibson. Stan the Man was great, but these guys are more than adequate competition.
Cubs - Ernie Banks SS Honorable Mention GCA. Grover Cleveland Alexander was filthy, and if I remember correctly, his heyday was with the Cubs? I know he was made famous by the Cards, but IDK.
Devil Rays - Wade Boggs. He got his 3,000th hit with them.
Diamondbacks - Randy Johnson P
Dodgers - Sandy Koufax P. Drysdale, Hodges, Campanella, Reese, Jackie Robinson! They have so many, I feel like I'm ruling some out...
Expos/Nationals - Vladimir Guerrero OF
Giants - Willie Mays OF. Bonds, Marichal, and McCovey all get Honorable Mention.
Indians - Bob Feller P, but give some love to Tris Speaker
Mariners - Ken Griffy Jr. OF. I don't like the choices...
Marlins - Livan Hernandez. Single Handedly gave them their first World Series...
Mets - Tom Seaver P. No one comes close.
Orioles - Cal Ripken Jr SS. Brooks Robinson Honorable Mention, along with Hout Wilhelm. All lent their talent amazingly to the Orioles, and at success.
Padres - Tony Gwynn. Easy. If only I could add Ozzie Smith onto this list...
Phillies - Mike Schmidt 3B. Drawing Blanks for More.
Pirates - Honus Wagner SS. But there's so many.
Red Sox - Ted Williams OF. Love to Yaz and Pesky, they were gamers, but no one touches the Splinter.
Reds - Pete Rose. Ed Delahanty, Numerous members from the BRM, they have a rich franchise...
Rockies - Todd Helton 1B. Honorable Mention: Big Cat, Bichette, but most importantly, Larry Walker.
Royals - George Brett 3B. No doubt in my mind. Clear cut.
Senators/Rangers - Ivan Rodriguez C. Yeah, but love to Juan Gonzalez
Senators/Twins - Walter Johnson P. Definite HM to Harmon Killebrew...
Tigers - Ty Cobb OF. The God. Sam Crawford is up there too...Mickey Cochrane, and Hal Newhouser, 2 Pitching MVPs? Yeah, he belongs there.
White Sox - Shoeless Joe Jackson. Would be upper echelon HOF if he was allowed in...Thomas HM.
Yankees - Babe Ruth. But, there's Mantle, Gehrig, Dimaggio, Munson, Bernie, Jeter, and of course Yogi. But the true argument comes from MO. He falt out dominates, and has been the best at his position since he started...

[Providence A's]

Collins played 12 years with the White Sox and 13 with the A's...9 with the A's, 12 with the White Sox, and then 4 to finish his career with the A's, but that was primarily a backup role. HoF lists his primary team as the White Sox, too...He did have some of his best years with the A's going to 4 World Series and winning 3 of them, but played the majority of his better years with the White Sox.

[HollywoodLeo]

Devil Rays - Wade Boggs. He got his 3,000th hit with them.

Lame reasoning.

You want to put Ricky Henderson as an HM for the Padres, then?

[Dry1313]

Well if the Padres sucked, yes. But they have Gwynn and other decent players too. The DRays have only decent players now, I could never justify Crawford as their best franchise player so far. He just has too small of a body of work. Boggs brought acclaim to the DRays and it was him, McGriff or Canseco...

[HollywoodLeo]

Boggs brought more to Tampa because of his name.

He played there for 2 seasons, which were decent seasons, but only 2.

Carl Crawford's Devil Rays work doubles Boggs' in terms of years played.

Although my vote would go to Aubery Huff

[heykid]

I dont think I understand this question.

Is it the player that did the most while he was part of your team? e.i.- Edgar Martinez

Or is it player who played for your team that has best career stats of any player to don your teams jersey? e.i.: Mariners- A-Rod

I hope it's #1.

[Halladay_is_God]

I disagree with your choice for the jays DK, Carter was very good in Toronto but he wasn't great like Delgado who broke almost every individual team hitting records
.
I would put Carlos Delgado. Dave Stieb, and maybe George Bell ahead of Carter.

Delgado and Stieb are 1 and 2 no doubt in my mind.

Bell and Carter were both very close to each stat wise (for Blue Jays team records, although Carter's career HR totals were way better), one won a MVP award, while one got a World Series winning homerun, so I think its a toss up for 3 and 4.

Fernandez I would love to put ahead of both, Bell and Carter, but I don't think he deserves that much credit.


One more thing. if Roy Halladay and Vernon Wells sticks around longer, they both could be right up there.

[Providence A's]

I dont think I understand this question.

Is it the player that did the most while he was part of your team? e.i.- Edgar Martinez

Or is it player who played for your team that has best career stats of any player to don your teams jersey? e.i.: Mariners- A-Rod

I hope it's #1.

it's whatever you want it to be...it's your opinion. I was using time with a team as a tie-breaker for my opinion since it's supposed to be that team's greatest player. How is a player the greatest for one team if he spent half his time with others? That was why I chose Plank over Grove...Plank played with the A's longer and has the better career and A's numbers to boot.