Reggie Sanders vs Steve Finley

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Ok, both guys just joined the 300-300 club. So who has been the better player?

[Go Bravos!!!#1]

I'd go with Finley for his defense.

[Captain Cold Nose]

Wow, tough one. I have to side with Sanders, but barely. Finley is extremely underrated and lighly regarded, but he's bene a quality player everywhere he's been, just like Sanders. There was legit MVP talk about sanders for a while in 1995, while I can't recall hearing similar praise for Finley. To me, that's the difference maker, at his best sanders was better than Finley was.
But that's a non-reseached opinion.

[Go Bravos!!!#1]

I just checked Finley's stats. Not that this has any bearing on what we are talking about, but did you know this year, at the age of 41 and in limited playing time, Finley has 8 TRIPLES!!!!

[Go Bravos!!!#1]

But when you look at career offensive stats. Finley leads in nearly every category. And he also leads defensivly.

[RedSoxVT92]

Have to go with Sanders. He may have a lower career average than Finley(.267 to .273) But he is better in OBP and SLG. 10 point diffrence in OBP and 44 point diffrence in slugging. Also Sanders has higher totals on a 162 game average.

Sanders 162 game AVG
AB......R.....H.....2B..3B..HR...RBI...SB...CS..BB .....K......BA....OBP....SLG....TB
569....95...152...30...6...28...90...29...10...62. ...147....267....344....491...279

Finleys 162 game AVG
AB.......R.....H.....2B..3B..HR...RBI..SB..CS..BB. ....K......BA....OBP....SLG....TB
599.....92...164...29...8...20...76...21...8...53. ....84....273....334....447...268

It is very close indeed though With Finleys better deffense but for me its just barley Sanders

[geezer]

Well, lets not forget, both Finley and Sanders were teammates in the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks World Series Championship Team.

Steve Finley is the active leader in career triples with 120 triples, has 5 gold gloves, and is closer to have 2,500 hits, and 450 doubles.

[rockin500]

how bout neither? neither one of them were good enough to really warrant one over the other.

[The Big C]

I voted for Finley.

[STLCards2]

how bout neither? neither one of them were good enough to really warrant one over the other.

I enjoy that we are talking about somebody other than one of the greats like Cobb and Ruth or one of the hot-topic guys like Morgan and R. Jackson. Of course Finley and Sanders are not nop-tier players, but both have done more in their careers than 95% of anybody who will ever be lucky enough to crack into the majors. Lets give these guys and the Garret Andersons/Luis Gonzaleses/Moises Alous of the world a little bit of love.

By the way, I also voted for Finley.

[Ursa Major]

Well, we Giant fans have seen 'em both, and its got to be Finley. Reggie's a great guy and has a way of finding his way onto pennant winners, but he has a huge hole in his swing and hits only mistakes. If you can pitchi him away from his strength, he's toast.

Finley has been a Giant killer throughout his career and it's glad to see him on our side, finally. A real gamer, a great fielder.

[flash143817]

Well, we Giant fans have seen 'em both, and its got to be Finley. Reggie's a great guy and has a way of finding his way onto pennant winners, but he has a huge hole in his swing and hits only mistakes. If you can pitchi him away from his strength, he's toast.

Finley has been a Giant killer throughout his career and it's glad to see him on our side, finally. A real gamer, a great fielder.

I remember during the '02 playoffs when Sanders went through one of the worst stretches I have ever seen. He seemed like he pretty much struck out every AB. And like you said, he has a massive hole in his swing. Just throw him high fastballs and he absolutely cannot hit them.

[geezer]

Altough I think neither of them are going to Cooperstown, Finley has a more respectable career.

[KCGHOST]

They both have had very nice careers, but Finley's defensive advantage as a CF more than offsets Sanders offensive advantage. I have always thought Finley's defense was overrated, but it is definitely superior to Sanders.

[yankillaz]

I remember during the '02 playoffs when Sanders went through one of the worst stretches I have ever seen. He seemed like he pretty much struck out every AB. And like you said, he has a massive hole in his swing. Just throw him high fastballs and he absolutely cannot hit them.

Are you sure that's his worst??? Go to the 1995 LCS against the Atlanta Braves. The guy had to have the SO record for a single playoff series...Ohh, and i go with Finley.

As a note: I have the Steve Finley 1992 Score Baseball Card. On its comments, Frank Robinson, who at the time was the Orioles manager, talked about Finley when they traded him to the Astros. He said that "Finley was going to finish his career with pretty good numbers". I think he wasn't that wrong.

[baseball junkie]

I'm looking over their stat lines and I'm shocked to find that between the two of their careers combined there is exactly one 100 RBI season -- Finley in '99.

In addition, although they both recently joined the 300-300 Club neither of them has ever had a 30-30 season. Reggie Sanders has been a more consisent threat to go 30-30. Finley racked up most of his stolen bases earlier in his career when he was batting for virtually no power.

All of this makes me think that we're dealing with two entirely different types of player in this situation. Sanders is a mediocre combination of power and speed -- never quite good enough to start an All-Star game or win an MVP. Finley is a very late-blooming power hitter (HGH, steroids?) who has always fielded his position exceptionally well and stole a lot of bases in the beginning of his career.

Fielding:

Finley's five Gold Gloves are impressive. I don't recall Sanders ever impressing me in the outfield -- or on the basepath.

Post-Season:

Each has won one World Series Championship, Finley in 2001 with Arizona and Sanders in 2001 with Arizona. This is one place where the difference between these players really shines.

In 221 post-season at-bats, Sanders is hitting a horrendous .195. In those 64 games, Sanders OPS is .609 -- those numbers say it all.

Meanwhile Finley posted fantastic numbers in the 2001 World Series including a .368 BA (7/19), 5 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 4 BB, a .478 OPB and a .526 SLG.

Extra Base Hits:

As of last night, Sanders career line is as follows: 324 Doubles; 60 Triples, 301 Home Runs. Finley's career lines is as follows: 431 Doubles; 120 Triples, 301 Home Runs. Finley has 167 more extra base hits than Sanders -- at least partially explaining the differance of 392 runs scored in Finley's advantage.

Put the whole thing together, the fielding, the post-season heroics, the extra-base hit gap and Finely comes out on top.

[flash143817]

Are you sure that's his worst??? Go to the 1995 LCS against the Atlanta Braves. The guy had to have the SO record for a single playoff series...Ohh, and i go with Finley.

As a note: I have the Steve Finley 1992 Score Baseball Card. On its comments, Frank Robinson, who at the time was the Orioles manager, talked about Finley when they traded him to the Astros. He said that "Finley was going to finish his career with pretty good numbers". I think he wasn't that wrong.

He has pretty much always been a poor postseason hitter. Seems to crumble under the pressure and when the pitchers focus better on scrutinizing the scouting reports to throw him high fastballs.

[jarakaki14]

i love the way both of these guys. two hardworkers, nothing flashy, but the kind of guy you want on your team. as said earlier sanders has a hole in his swing and does not come close to comparing to finely defensively. finely gets my vote. (sorry reggie)

[2Chance]

Count me as someone who has never seen anything special in Steve Finley. Seems decent in most categories, with some pop in his bat and a better than average glove. I will never understand why the Reds were ready to trade Ken Griffey Jr. for him!

And jarakaki14, good point about the two of them being hard workers with nothing flashy, and the kind you would like on your team. Both are good to very good.

That said, having seen his numbers, he looks better than Sanders, much to my surprise. My first vote for Finley...for anything.