Favorite Players [Merged Threads]

[timconnelly]

I was 8 years old and Mickey Mantle was my favorite player. My parents got me a book called the Quality of Courage by Mickey that I just loved. (I have no idea how much Mickey really contributed to that book but at the time it never occurred to me that someone else might have written it) Mantle walked on water to me. I remember reading Ball Four and not understanding what the big deal was: This is Mickey Mantle; no need for him to be perfect dudes!

Mantle retired in 1968 and I needed a new idol. Tom Seaver became my main man. I used to listen to Mets games on the radio when he pitched. I looked at all the boxscores and figured up his ERA after evey game. Somewhere during the Seaver era, I stopped following baseball. But I never stopped following Seaver.

After Seaver, I moved on to Wade Boggs. I followed Wade with the commitment of a big Red Sox fan. But I never was a Red Sox fan. I looked at the boxscores, watched him every time he was on television, and rooted for him to win yet another batting title.

Why these 3 players? Why such loyalty to them over a period of so many years? In football, it was Dan Marino: I've basically stopped following football since his retirement.

I was wondering about your favorite player. What led you to liking that player so much? Can you have several favorite players at the same time? Do you stay loyal when he stops performing well?

[Xanadu Dragon]

Wow, in my mind, I could swear we had this thread once - - and nyy26wc took Reggie, ChrisCary took Mattingly, and I think Buzz took Keith Hernandez - - - but, I can't find it. Maybe I just put all that togther in my head from other threads?

I think you can have several favs - - in some order, if not at the same time - - but, you'll always have just one first fav.

Tim - - not many baseball fans can say they went from Yanks to Mets to Red Sox on their favs. Thanks like someone saying they went from Wendys to McDonalds to Burker King.

[TGwynn19]

Tim,

for the first time in my life I have to 'find' a new fave player. When I became a baseball fan in ernest I liked the Padres and obviously Tony Gwynn. It is going to be wierd to see Pads games without number 19 out there. I honestly don't know who, as an individual, I will cheer for. I suspect it may end up being a Twin or Red Sox player as I plan to attend quite a few spring training games in March.

[sweaver]

Johnny Bench, all the way. I never really picked another favorite after he retired, just kind of followed everyone. But J.B. will always be my fave.

Seaver, Donnie Baseball, Doc Gooden, Roger Clemens, Willie Stargell, Hammerin' Hank, Say Hey (introduced to him by his Saturday AM cartoon, "Willie Mays and the Say Hey Kid").

After this, I figured out Mantle, Joe D, Babe Gehrig, but I'll admit I knew much more about his "luckiest man alive" speech and ALCS long before I'd known he was one of the finest 1B-men ever and, after the Babe (according to Yankee fans on another site going back 50+ years), the greatest Yankee ever.

Like sweaver, I've heard the motto that "Johnny Bench has never met a man he couldn't throw out trying to steal").

[timconnelly]

Originally posted by TGwynn19
Tim,

for the first time in my life I have to 'find' a new fave player. When I became a baseball fan in ernest I liked the Padres and obviously Tony Gwynn. It is going to be wierd to see Pads games without number 19 out there. I honestly don't know who, as an individual, I will cheer for. I suspect it may end up being a Twin or Red Sox player as I plan to attend quite a few spring training games in March.

It is going to be tough replacing Tony! The guy was a great hitter for sure, but he was also such a great ambassador for the game. I was a Boggs fan and found it hard to like Gwynn at first. There styles had enough similarities for me to resent him as a pretender to Boggs's throne as the best high percentage hitter in the game. But I think history will see Tony as the better of the 2 players. Boggs may have been better early on but I think Tony's prime lasted longer.

Just listening to him talk and seeing how much respect he had for the game, I started liking him despite myself.

I"ll bet you that nobody ever replaces him for you. The players that we first love just impact us deepest.

[Xanadu Dragon]

Originally posted by TGwynn19
for the first time in my life I have to 'find' a new fave player.

You'll probably do it - - - I had a fav in the late '70's - - - big time fan. When his career was over, I didn't pick a fav right away - - - I really wasn't following the game as close as I did then and now for a while - - I was in my early 20's in the early 80's and my main focus was along the lines of girls and music.

Then, in the late 80's, I started to get back into the full time baseball bug and started becoming a Ripken fan - - first, just because he was (at that time) a freak - - a big man playing SS (who could play SS) and who could hit - - - later, because of the character of the man and his work ethic. (I love people who work hard.)

Now that Ripken is retired, I can honestly say that I have no one on the horizon. A few years back, I could have thought that perhaps it would have been Bernie Williams - - but, he does too many things now that piss me off. Many players, I admire for their talent/greatness - like Bonds - but, I can't say he's my fav player.

I've always been an AL guy - - if not, I could see a guy like Bagwell rising to the top of my list. O'Neill was my fav current Yankee - - - but, now he's gone.

Anyone have someone they want to suggest?

Skip, to your last post, I guess you may be asking for the next Michael Jordan of baseball. That's a pretty tough criteria, especially if you can't think of anybody. I suppose guys like Vlad and others may renew people's interest in the sport, though I can't guarantee the next Mickey Mantle.

As to timconnelly's picking of a Met, Yank and Sox, I also chose Seaver, Doc Gooden and Roger Clemens so he's not totally unique.

[TGwynn19]

I think that what happens in the next 6 months to 1 year will determine if I become so attached to a singular player. If the powers that be stop baseball again I may not have the strong love for the game that i currently have. I will always follow baseball, but if the owners and the union have a strike/ lockout I may just be a casual observer rather than the baseball freak that i am.

Originally posted by TGwynn19
I think that what happens in the next 6 months to 1 year will determine if I become so attached to a singular player. If the powers that be stop baseball again I may not have the strong love for the game that i currently have. I will always follow baseball, but if the owners and the union have a strike/ lockout I may just be a casual observer rather than the baseball freak that i am.

Interesting but sad part of it all is that Cal, who'd revitalized baseball w/his never taking a day off after 1994 fiasco, isn't there anymore. No one to take his place so unless Bud, Pohlan and all the rest intend to hide out in the deep boonies somewhere, they'd better keep themselves in check.

[BBapplepie]

What you guys are saying is so true, the fact is the player
today think they are bigger than the game and it history.
There many players today don't know of the rich history and
past immortals of this game or care. For myself, I have my
today baseball favorites right here on the Shrine and still have
my favorites from yesteryears. What I'm trying to say is that
we all share the goal and that is.
THE LOVE FOR THE GAME
Stars or no superstars, still the greatest game between the lines.

[nyy26wc]

Originally posted by Xanadu Dragon
Wow, in my mind, I could swear we had this thread once - - and nyy26wc took Reggie

I did take Reggie and I'm sticking with my childhood favorite as my all time favorite.

I will add that when Reggie left the scene, Mattingly was my favorite among active players and now Bernie Williams holds the title.

[Duque]

I have to admit I'm biased towards pitchers - maybe it comes from the few times I "pitched" in my High School days. So I have to say guys like Trevor Hoffman, Mike Mussina, and Mariano Rivera as my favorites.

All-time, I'm a huge Goose Gossage fan.

Originally posted by BBapplepie
What you guys are saying is so true, the fact is the player
today think they are bigger than the game and it history.
There many players today don't know of the rich history and
past immortals of this game or care. For myself, I have my
today baseball favorites right here on the Shrine and still have
my favorites from yesteryears. What I'm trying to say is that
we all share the goal and that is.
THE LOVE FOR THE GAME
Stars or no superstars, still the greatest game between the lines.

When I heard that Phillies' Scott Rolen told his team not to even offer a new contract since he wants to test the FA market, I was thinking UGH, what is this game coming to? I still remember Babe's line that he got paid better than the President of the United States since he'd done a better job. Now all I hear is pay me, pay me, the sky's the limit.

I hope that the players today at least do love the game they're all paid handsomely to do. If not, what much fun is it anymore? Mom, baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, take me out to the balllllllllll gammmmmmmmmme..................

[Skip]

Right idea sweaver.

Except I couldnt choose between Bench and Rose back then. My most treasured artifact is a baseball I got them both to sign at a charity basketball(!) game (Reds against UC). I was very caught up in the Rose as hometown boy thing back then.