The best era for...

[Victory Faust]

How about the best era for managers? The 1920s would be hard to beat: Mack, McGraw, Huggins, McCarthy, McKechnie, Uncle Robbie.

The 1930s had to be the heyday for player-managers, what with Terry, Cochrane, Frisch, and Cronin.

[honestiago]

I was just contemplating the many quality (or better) 3rd basemen who played during the 70s (Schmidt, Brett, Harrah, Lansford, Cey, Brooks Robinson [still active!], Pete Rose [played some 3rd during the 70s], Sal Bando, Darrell Evans). If the 50s was the "era of the CF" (Willy, Mickey and the Duke), then maybe the 70s was "era of the 3B." Anyone have any suggestions for eras where a position seems to stand out? (I guess a lot of pitchers starred in the 60s, but isn't that an outgrowth of the rules).

I know one thing: there are a LOT of power hitting middle IF right now.

[-Kyle-]

30s had a bunch of good 1st basemen. Gehrig, Foxx, Mize, and I bet there are more, but I can't think of any.

1900-10 had Evers, Lajoie, and Collins.

[plask_stirlac]

This is the closer's best era, not that it necessarily is the Era of the Closer. Some of the best all-time seasons came last year, Wagner and Rivera in 05, Gagne, Nen in 2000, etc.

It's a pretty good era for young pitching but the ordinary or good veterans are kind of poor, i.e. Buehrle, Matt Morris, Suppan.

The 1960s was also a good era for 3Bs, at least the NL, when Allen and Santo were joined by Boyer, Jim Ray Hart, Mathews.And the 1980s with Boggs, Brett, Schmidt, Decinces, Molitor, Lansford, Gaetti, HoJo (on offense), etc.

[Brian McKenna]

The 1960s was also a good era for 3Bs, at least the NL, when Allen and Santo were joined by Boyer, Jim Ray Hart, Mathews.


There was a guy in the AL who played for the winning-est team of the decade, copped every gold glove, finished in the top-4 in MVP voting four times (more than any of the names above-probably combined without looking up), won it once, played in nearly every game of the '60s and stood as the constant in one of the biggest metamorphosis in American sports (that is, meteoric rise of the perennially-sad STL Browns into the top winner of the decade.)

[mwiggins]

There was a guy in the AL who played for the winning-est team of the decade, copped every gold glove, finished in the top-4 in MVP voting four times (more than any of the names above-probably combined without looking up), won it once, played in nearly every game of the '60s and stood as the constant in one of the biggest metamorphosis in American sports (that is, meteoric rise of the perennially-sad STL Browns into the top winner of the decade.)

Actually, those guys finished in the top-4 6 times combined. Close, though.;)

[plask_stirlac]

Brooks Robinson was active, but I didn't look over the AL that much. I knew the NL had more great 3Bs, so I highlighted them.

[Appling]

30s had a bunch of good 1st basemen. Gehrig, Foxx, Mize, and I bet there are more, but I can't think of any.


Hank Greenburg would be another.

1930's was also a good decade for catchers: Gabby Hartnett, Mickey Cochrane, Bill Dickey, Ernie Lombardi, Al Lopez.

[honestiago]

What about the 90s for dominating pitchers? Clemens, Maddux, Martinez, Johnson had some years that, adjusted for ERA, rank among the best seasons of all time. Schilling also had some good seasons.

[rugbyfreak]

First of all, I have a standing policy that no conversation about top 3Bmen of the '70s can take place without mentioning the immortals Celerino Sanchez and Rich McKinney. OK, it's out there, I know, but they don't call me The Freak for nothing!

Seriously though (and at 3:30 am, this is no mean feat), I nominate the '90s as the decade of the shortstop, with no equal in MLB history: Jeter, A-Rod, Nomar, Vizquel, Ripken, Larkin, Ozzie, Tejada (OK, more 2000s, but he snuck in there), well, that's a good list right there. HOFers-to-be, all of them, I'll wager.

Thanks for pretending to listen!

freak

[64Cards]

There were some great starting pitchers in the 60's...Koufax, Gibson, Marichal, Drysdale. In the first part of the decade Spahn and Ford were still at the top of their game. In the 2nd half of the 60's there were some other great pitchers who developed, like Seaver, Palmer, McClain, Carlton. I can also think of 3 guys, Jim Maloney, Bob Veale and Sam McDowell, who had some intimidating stuff and had a couple terrific seasons, but for whatever reasons didn't end up with the elite.

[Brian McKenna]

There were some great starting pitchers in the 60's...Koufax, Gibson, Marichal, Drysdale. In the first part of the decade Spahn and Ford were still at the top of their game. In the 2nd half of the 60's there were some other great pitchers who developed, like Seaver, Palmer, McClain, Carlton. I can also think of 3 guys, Jim Maloney, Bob Veale and Sam McDowell, who had some intimidating stuff and had a couple terrific seasons, but for whatever reasons didn't end up with the elite.

No Jenkins?

[64Cards]

No Jenkins?

Yeah, forgot about Fergie, about 67 he became another one of the toughest pitchers around. Gaylord Perry, too...master of the Vaseline ball.

[Los Bravos]

That's why the 60's are such interesting years.

Holdeovers from earlier eras like Spahn, Ford, Mantle, Snider, Musial and even Ted Williams, guys at the other end like Reggie, Seaver, Carlton, Jenkins and Carew who would dominate into the 70's and guys like Aaron, Clemente, Gibson and Koufax whose greatness came mainly during the ten year span.

I have always though the 70's were a golden age for catchers. You had three immortals who excelled in all phases (Bench, Fisk and Munson) and several other excellent players at the position who had a game a little more tilted to one side or the other (Simmons, Boone, Butch Wynegar and Jim Sundberg)

[honestiago]

It's hard to rate some of the hurlers from the 60s due to increasing dominance of the pitchers. It becomes almost a deadball era by the time you reach '67.

You know, my favorite decade is the 80s. It is still statistically the most competitive decade of all time (unless I read the "index of competituive balance" wrong in the Abstract). That said, I can't think of what it was the decade FOR, as far as this thread goes. Maybe "the ERA of winning with radically different styles/means" (Cards=speed; Dodgers=pitching; Orioles=power; Twins=HF advantage, and not much else [to the max!]).

[plask_stirlac]

The 1980s was the era of stolen bases and great pitching seasons but usually only 1 or 2 per ace, no true dominator throughout the decade. John Tudor, for example.

[torez77]

The '80s was also the decade of exciting postseasons which had some of the most dramatic games ever.

1985 - Royals overcome 3-1 WS deficit, game 6 was MY most exciting WS moment ever
1986 - Buckner's bungle, Miracle Mets
1988 - Gibson's improbable HR

To name a few.

[Chisox]

30s had a bunch of good 1st basemen. Gehrig, Foxx, Mize, and I bet there are more, but I can't think of any.
Greenberg, Sisler, kind of, Terry, Bottomley
The '90s had Thomas, Bagwell, McGwire, McGriff, Clark, Thome along with holdovers of Murray and Mattingly and the beginning of Helton not too mention Grace, Olerud, and Vaughn

1900-10 had Evers, Lajoie, and Collins.
the '30s had Gehringer, Hornsby, Herman, Lazzeri, and the end of Collins and Frisch and the first two years of Gordon, first three of Doerr

55-70 witnessed the greatest OF class ever.
Mays
Aaron
Mantle
Robinson
Kaline
Clemente
Yastremski
Billy Williams
Cesar Cedeno
Jim Wynn
Colavito

plus the last years of Williams and Musial, Snider, Doby, and Ashburn
the first of Jackson, Rose, and Stargell, Brock, Willie Davis, Staub

[honestiago]

On that 1986 postseason mention:

That was probably the most gut-wrenching set of LCS's and World series EVER played. The Astros took the Mets to the limit in their six-game set, culminating in the "win-at-all-costs-so-we-don't-have'-to-face-Mike-Scott" game #6. The Angels were, what, one STRIKE away from the WS, before Dave Henderson (who had tipped a ball off his glove over the fence for a homer earlier) homered? Then the Buckner thing. That may have been the most sustained drama ever seen in the post season.

[Los Bravos]

On that 1986 postseason mention:

That was probably the most gut-wrenching set of LCS's and World series EVER played. The Astros took the Mets to the limit in their six-game set, culminating in the "win-at-all-costs-so-we-don't-have'-to-face-Mike-Scott" game #6. The Angels were, what, one STRIKE away from the WS, before Dave Henderson (who had tipped a ball off his glove over the fence for a homer earlier) homered? Then the Buckner thing. That may have been the most sustained drama ever seen in the post season.It was a lot of fun, but that was a dreadful way to finally end up.

[HDH]

C- 1980s - Carter, Fisk, Pena, Parrish, Porter, Simmons, Bench, Sundberg, Kennedy, Boone, Diaz, Gedman, Dempsey, Cerone, Wathan, Benedict, Sciocia, Brenly, Santago, Nokes, Tettleton, Whitt, Ashby, Heath ... (Munson died in 1979)

1B-1930s - Gehrig, Foxx, Greenberg, Terry, Grimm, Sisler, Blue, Hurst, Kuhel, Burns, Collins, Judge, Bonura, Trosky, Camilli, Mize, Bottomly, Suhr...

2B-1920s - Hornsby, Frisch, Gehringer, Collins, Harris, Wambganans, McManus, Grantham, Critz, Lazzeri, Bishop, Thompson, Melilio...

SS-1990s - Rodriguez, Jeter, Garciapara, Tejada, Ripken, Trammell, Yount (CF in 1990s), Bell, Vizquel, Smith, Guillen, Larkin, Fernandez, Valentin, Corderero, Dunstin, Bordick, Ordonez, Fryman, Perez, Cruz, Gonzalez, Bautista...

3B-1970s - Robinson, Nettles, Schmidt, DeCinces, Rodriguez, Bell, Rose, Rader, Evens, Bando, Parrish, Hobson, Petrocelli, Cabel, Cey. Brett, Madlock, Hebner, Santo, Baily, Boyer...

CF-1950s - Ashburn, Mays, Mantle, Snider, Tuttle, DiMaggio, DiMaggio, Groth, Doby, Busby, Jethroe, Rivera, Moon, Bell. Bruton, Piersall, Landis, Pinson...

CF- 1920s - Cobb, Speaker, Milan, Strunk, Kauf, Felsch, Roush, Carey, Walker, Jacobson, Simmons, Wilson, Mostil, Liebold, Combs, Douthit, Waner, Haas, Rice, West, Witt, Averill

RF-1920s - Ruth, Heilmann, Youngs, Rice, Hooper, Tobin, Walker, Muesel, Miller, Waner, Ott, Harper, Herman, Cuyler, Klein, Johnson, Reynolds
-
LF-1960s - T Williams, Musial, Yastrzemski, B Williams, Minoso, Horton, Brock, Davis, Harper, Colavito, Howard, Carty, Alou, Allison,

LF-1890s - Delehanty, Burkett, Hamilton (early 90s), Duffy (late 90s), Kelley, McCarthy, Clarke, Smith, Burke, Tiernan, Freeman, ORourke, Browning,

[JamesWest]

Thrown games: c 1865 until c 1924