Overrated baseball players
So I'm playing at the MGM last week and I'm talking to this dude bout baseball and he is an Orioles fan. Long story short he was claiming that Cal Ripken was one of the best baseball players of all time and I argued that he was probably one was overrated baseball players of all time with the batting a lifetime batting average of something like 275 and an ob+s under 800 which is abysmal. Anybody have any thoughts? Any orioles fans want to chime in?
He certainly doesn't compare to Ernie Banks!
I see your username and all I can think of is my then-hometown team the Astros...Mike Scott, Jose Cruz, Bill Doran, etc. How are Mr. Strawberry and Gooden doing these days!?!
@JonFriedberg Betty ford made a killing off the Amazins haha
Ripken had a great glove, was a great leader and remember she was a shortstop for most of his career. That being said, completely overrated.
Yeah, Yankee/Met boy (only because New York fans can possibly say something so incredibly moronic) - let's talk.
Cal Ripken, Jr. -
Defensively he is 3rd all time in assists and at the shortstop position he is 3rd all time in double plays 8th all time in assists and 11th all-time in fielding percentage.
At the plate, he's one of EIGHT players to have 400 home runs and 3000 hits. 15th all time on the career hit list as well as total bases and 13th in doubles. I guess being 25th all time on the RBI list isn't good enough either along with 24th all time in times on base or even 21st all time in extra base hits. And sorry that 45th all time in runs created or being 2nd all time for sacrifice flies. I mean, what does helping your team score runs matter? All that's important is the batting average while playing over 2600 games in a row at a physically demanding position.
But hey, it's all about WAR now right? Like maybe being 4th all time in defensive WAR. Guess not being first it means nothing. His offensive WAR was 42nd all time. Among position players his 95.6 WAR is 24th and 36th overall. So I suppose those other 35 players would have him covered at what he did.
Reason he was a 19 time All-Star and 2-time MVP, Yankee Doodle. Clue it up sometime.
Have a nice day.
@orioleguy I wouldn't use lifetime stats as part of your argument. The fact that Cal Ripken lasted as long as he did was completely BS.
Look, I'm a Dodger guy and have no dog in this fight. But busting Ripken is dumb. And how do you throw out lifetime stats? If you want to throw out a couple late years, the numbers get BETTER.
@highsociety Lifetime stats are less relevant when you look at totals and the dude plays for 50 years. Im pretty sure he was "in the lineup" when he shouldnt have been for a few years
You know who was overrated? Phil Rizzuto - at least until he did those Money Store commercials. Then he was all good. A ♠