re: If Ken Griffey Jr. doesn't get hurt where does he rank all time?

Henderson was an average hitter and an average fielder. His only skill was still bases. He is no way, shape, or form a better baseball player than Griffey.

If he never gets any kind of serious injury he would rank in the top 2 being 1a and 1b with Willie Mays. He would have shattered the home run record. People forget even though he continued to play he was never the same after all the serious leg injuries

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GTFO w/ gayrod.

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Henderson was an average hitter and an average fielder. His only skill was still bas

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Wait.What?????

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Stats say I'm right.

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No, they really, really don't.

First, Rickey won a Gold Glove and consistently had a higher range factor than league average. There's no evidence, not even from observation, that Rickey was a bad defensive player. I wouldn't say he was Paul Blair or anything, but to call Rickey a poor defensive player is not backed up by the statistical record.

Now, my problems with WAR are pretty well-established, but it's a good rough tool. Rickey ranks 14th all-time in WAR. The stats say Rickey was awesome.

But know what Rickey was truly awesome at, other than stealing bases? Getting on base and scoring runs, which, not to put too fine a point on it, are the two most important skills a player can have. The point of the game is to score, and you do so by getting on. A lot. He had a career 401 OBP, which is 55th all-time, and he did it largely in an era not as condusive to offense (the 80s).

Aside from ranking 1st all-time in steals, he ranks 2nd in walks, 1st in runs scored, 4th in times on base, and 22nd in hits. He also stole bases at over an 80% clip, which is pretty awesome, especially for a high volume base stealer.

Rickey Henderson may have had an ego that required its own zip code, but it was certainly earned. It ain't bragging if you can do it.

I never said he was a bad fielder, just average. Above average may have been more appropriate. Rickey only scored all of those runs because he had beastly power hitter behind him. Runs are a horrible way to judge a hitter. Unless you are hitting HRs or stealing home, that's completely dependent on that hitters behind you (or a pitcher walking you in).

Even by your standards, Griffey was better at preventing runs and producing them. Also Rickey was on the juice with almost everyone else on those A's rosters too. Griffey was juice free.

Rickey Henderson has the 2nd most walks ever and the most unintentional walks ever

You apparently don't know who Joe Carter is. Carter drove in 100 runs a year almost entirely because he hit behind Rickey. Of course stats are inter-dependent, but Carter was more dependent on Rickey than vice versa.

Runs, by themselves would be a bad way to judge a hitter. but runs, walks, stolen bases, times on base, and OBP would all be pretty damn good ways, especially when taken together. Rickey finished top 5 in OBP THIRTEEN times in his career. 13. That's amazing. He was an OBP machine. He is, without a doubt, the greatest leadoff hitter ever.

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is, without a doubt, the greatest leadoff hitter ever.

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There is NO QUESTION.............

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Best baseball player I ever saw play the game. I rank him slightly ahead of wayne boggs

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