most impressive career out of active players

[fenrir]

greg maddux, imo. i would of picked balco barry, but the roids thing i can't ignore. theres clemens, but he's another roid head in my book. even if i was naive enough to believe he wasn't roiding, maddux still had the better career, imo.

[M-e-T-s mets mets mets]

greg maddux, imo. i would of picked balco barry, but the roids thing i can't ignore. theres clemens, but he's another roid head in my book. even if i was naive enough to believe he wasn't roiding, maddux still had the better career, imo.

i agree 100% but i voted for tom glavin

[catbox_9]

i agree 100% but i voted for tom glavin

What makes Glavine better than Maddux other than the fact he played for your Mets?

[Edgartohof]

Well, Bonds and the like have more playing time than Alex Rodriguez, but to this point in his career, A-Rod is far ahead of where the others were.

A-Rod is the only active player to have a shot at top 5 all-time (Bond's who?). Whether he actually will or not is a different story, but he has the best shot.

He has the record for most HR by the age of 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31.

Not to mention 32 and almost 33 (and he is only in his "age 31" season by the way!!!).

If he has 4 more HR, at age 31, he'll have more HR than anyone else has had through the age of 33. Foxx has the record with 519...A-Rod already has 516!

[Mariano_Rivera]

Were is the evidence Clemens took steroids?

[slugger33]

Are you kidding? It's Bonds by far. One of the best hitters of all time.

[Erik Bedard]

If we assume that nobody on this list took steroids, then it's Barry in a landslide. If we give negative points for semi-obvious steroid use, then that removes Bonds and Clemens (who I have behind Maddux anyway). Maddux then takes it easily.

[geezer]

And to think that he started his career with an 8-18 record, now has won 338 games since, Maddux is the most underrated player on this list.

[holyroman]

bonds
arod
clemens
maddox
griffey
biggio

[Jayme]

I voted Maddux but I agree with the highlights of ARods career so far hard to ignore, but it's Maddux in my eyes.

[Ytown Tribe fan]

Barry by a landslide, but A-Rod will eventually best that.

"Physicist show how weight lifting and strength training can fuel home runs!"

[Richmond Hill Phoenix]

most impressive career
maddux
bonds
clemens
griffey jr.
arod
sosa
r. johnson
glavine
pedroI'll take Reed Johnson.

[NYMets523]

Maddux. From 92 to 04 he never lost more than 11 games and he only lost more than 10 five times. The number of walks is astonishing as well.

My 2nd choice would be Barry. Taking the steroid years out, he's still one of the best players ever.

If you want to go by peak, Pedro. 1999 and 2000 were 2 of the greatest seasons a pitcher ever had.

[Robin Yount]

I picked Bonds cause I don't give a rat's behind about roids

[Robin Yount]

Bonds
Clemens
Maddux
Griffey
Johnson
Glavine
AROD
Sosa
Pedro

[Robin Yount]

bonds
arod
clemens
maddox
griffey
biggio

I dont think Garry Maddox belongs on your list

[Ytown Tribe fan]

Maddox was a very good player early on. In his first two seasons with the Giants, he was a good hitter and a fleet centerfielder; with Philly, he was a fair hitter and an outstanding centerfielder.

He was over halfway to a HoF career, but injuries took their toll.

[cardsfanatic]

I take Clemens and don't look back. What he has done in the _AL_, a much harder league to pitch in than the NL... what he has done in HITTER ballparks his entire career, on worse teams (nix the Yanks) than Maddux... in a hitters era, makes him all the more impressive. If I had to list those guys in order of most impressive to least...

1. Clemens
2. Bonds
3. A-Rod (could climb to #1)
4. Pedro
5. Maddux
6. Johnson


I refuse to rank the others. Nothing Glavine and _especially_ Sosa, impresses me. I'll never understand why casual fans love Sosa's play so much. The guy was an all or nothing player his entire career with no ability to draw walks, get on base or do anything in general outside of hitting homeruns. I'd have put guys like Hoffman, Rivera, Big Hurt, Piazza, Pudge etc... on the list WAY before him.

[fenrir]

Maddux. From 92 to 04 he never lost more than 11 games and he only lost more than 10 five times. The number of walks is astonishing as well.

My 2nd choice would be Barry. Taking the steroid years out, he's still one of the best players ever.

If you want to go by peak, Pedro. 1999 and 2000 were 2 of the greatest seasons a pitcher ever had.

i beg to differ. if pedro pitched the amount of ip koufax or walter johnson pitched, his era+ wouldn't have been anywhere near as high.

pedro is overrated by era+. greg maddux at one point in his career held the highest career era+, and he declined. now he's at 134. if pedro doesn't retire now, and declindes normally, his era+ will be at 130-135 range, maybe even less. the only pitcher i know whos career era+ never went down starting in his mid 30's was clemens, and that's because he uses illegal drugs. so unless pedro uses banned drugs to boost his performance, his gaudy career era+ will be much lower when he retires.

[PVNICK]

I was this close to voting A-Rod. Maddux it is for the same general reasons stated above.

[Zagi-CRO]

When you are the King of the HRs... what else to say - BONDS.
Steroids - the same old story... let me know who DIDN'T take it?

[STLCards2]

I refuse to rank the others. Nothing Glavine and _especially_ Sosa, impresses me.

Not impressed by never DL'd pitchers with almost 4,400 IP (during baseball history's lowest IP environment) while maintaing an ERA+ at 120 (or saving about 320 RAA)? Even if you factor in the above average defense behind him, his RSAA is still around 280. This doesn't even include the 30 runs he has created for himself offensively. I agree that he is not in the same calibre as Maddux, Clemens, Bonds, Johnson, etc, but "nothing" impresses you?

[NYMets523]

i beg to differ. if pedro pitched the amount of ip koufax or walter johnson pitched, his era+ wouldn't have been anywhere near as high.

pedro is overrated by era+. greg maddux at one point in his career held the highest career era+, and he declined. now he's at 134. if pedro doesn't retire now, and declindes normally, his era+ will be at 130-135 range, maybe even less. the only pitcher i know whos career era+ never went down starting in his mid 30's was clemens, and that's because he uses illegal drugs. so unless pedro uses banned drugs to boost his performance, his gaudy career era+ will be much lower when he retires.

I didn't say they were the best ever, but they are definitely way up there on the list. You can't dismiss his prime seasons.

[Chickazoola]

i beg to differ. if pedro pitched the amount of ip koufax or walter johnson pitched, his era+ wouldn't have been anywhere near as high.

pedro is overrated by era+. greg maddux at one point in his career held the highest career era+, and he declined. now he's at 134. if pedro doesn't retire now, and declindes normally, his era+ will be at 130-135 range, maybe even less. the only pitcher i know whos career era+ never went down starting in his mid 30's was clemens, and that's because he uses illegal drugs. so unless pedro uses banned drugs to boost his performance, his gaudy career era+ will be much lower when he retires.

I don't think it's right to be so casual about drug accusations. What proof is there that Clemens used anything?

[Skin & Bones]

As I see it...

1.) Bonds
2.) Clemens
3.) Maddux
4.) Pedro
5.) Randy Johnson
6.) Arod
7.) Griffey Jr.
8.) Glavine
9.) Sosa

As some have said, Biggio also deserves some mention as well as Piazza and Pudge. Throw in Frank Thomas too. They all belong ahead of Sosa, IMO. And Arod will move up by the time he retires, but, IMO, not first on the list. Pujols will also crack the list barring any serious injuries.

[Skin & Bones]

I also think Gary Sheffield deserves to ATLEAST be mentioned. I would argue that he's better than Sosa, Pudge, and maybe even *Gasp* Ken Griffey Jr.

[AznInvasion]

I also think Gary Sheffield deserves to ATLEAST be mentioned. I would argue that he's better than Sosa, Pudge, and maybe even *Gasp* Ken Griffey Jr.

I nominate Craig Biggio.

[hellborn]

I dont think Garry Maddox belongs on your list

Don't knock the Secretary of Defense!!!
He always made great catches against the Cubs in Wrigley, wasn't scared of the ivy...I hated his guts!! He'd catch everything the Cubbies hit out there, and Schmidt would hit 11 HRs per game...

[cardsfanatic]

Not impressed by never DL'd pitchers with almost 4,400 IP (during baseball history's lowest IP environment) while maintaing an ERA+ at 120 (or saving about 320 RAA)? Even if you factor in the above average defense behind him, his RSAA is still around 280. This doesn't even include the 30 runs he has created for himself offensively. I agree that he is not in the same calibre as Maddux, Clemens, Bonds, Johnson, etc, but "nothing" impresses you?

Did I say he sucked? Nope. Glavine has been solid and a few times, he's been great during his career. But nothing about him impresses me in the sense that I'd call him the "best of" anything. Or even "top ten" anything. To me, he's like Nolan Ryan -- not comparing styles, careers or anything else here -- a fan favorite who had a solid HOF career but not near the head of the class. Sue me if that doesn't impress me -- although, I do acknowledge their accomplishments.