110 Greatest Baseball Players

97.  CF Steve Finley, Arizona Diamondbacks

Finley first got to the Majors with Baltimore in 1989.  He went to Houston in 1991.  Finley won a Player-of-the-Week Award in 1992.  He went to San Diego in 1995 and won a Gold Glove Award.  In 1996, he won a Player-of-the-Week Award and a Gold Glove Award.  In 1997, he won a Player-of-the-Week Award and played in the All-Star Game.  He went to the Diamondbacks in 1999 where he won a Player-of-the-Week Award and a Golf Glove Award.  In 2000, he played in the All-Star Game and won a Gold Glove Award.  He won a World Series with the Diamondbacks in 2001.  In 2004, he played in the All-Star Game, was traded to the Dodgers and won a Player-of-the-Week Award.  He played a season apiece with the Angels, San Francisco and Colorado before retiring.  He finished his career with 304 home runs and 1,167 runs batted in.  He will be eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame in 2012 if the world doesn't end first and here's hoping that the BBWAA doesn't fuck this one up (Finley probably isn't a first-ballot Hall of Famer so we're probably going to have to wait but LeRoy hopes that they don't vote him off the ballot).  His spot is safe on this list.

Honorable Mention:

3B Ron Cey, Los Angeles Dodgers

Cey got to the Majors with the Dodgers in 1971.  He won a Player-of-the-Week Award in 1973.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1974.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1975.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1976.  In 1977, he won a Player-of-the-Week Award, a Player-of-the-Month Award and played in the All-Star Game.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1978.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1979.  In 1981, he was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame for his career at Washington State, won a Player-of-the-Week Award and won a World Series with the Dodgers.  He went to the Cubs in 1983 where he won a Player-of-the-Week Award.  He played three more seasons with the Cubs and a season with Oakland before retiring.  He finished his career with 316 home runs and 1,139 runs batted in.  He was snubbed for the Hall of Fame and he won't make this list either.

110 Greatest Baseball Players

98.  RHP Hoyt Wilhelm, Chicago White Sox

Wilhelm began his Minor League career in 1942 but it was interrupted by World War II.  He didn't return to the U. S. until 1946 and by then he was unable to regain his former fastball, which was said to be outstanding, so he scrapped everything and restarted his career as a knuckleballer.  Wilhelm finally got to the Majors with the New York Giants in 1952 at the age of 28 and quickly established himself as a premier setup man and part-time closer but he first gained notice when he hit a home run in his first Major League at-bat.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1953.  He won a World Series with the Giants in 1954.  He split 1957 between St. Louis and Cleveland.  He split 1958 between Cleveland and Baltimore and began starting games for the first time in his Major League career due to his extra stamina from the knuckleball and he amazingly threw a no-hitter in one of those starts with Baltimore.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1959.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1961.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1962.  He went to the White Sox in 1963.  He was the oldest player in the American League in 1966.  He was the oldest player in the American League in 1967.  He was the oldest player in the American League in 1968.  He split the 1969 season between the California Angels and Atlanta and was the oldest player in both the American and National Leagues.  In 1970, he played in the All-Star Game, was traded to the Cubs and was the oldest player in the National League.  He split 1971 between Atlanta and the Dodgers and was the oldest player in the National League.  He was the oldest player in the National League in 1972.  He finished his career with 143 wins and 122 losses with 227 saves and 1,610 strikeouts.  The real testament is to his longevity, though.  He played 21 seasons in the Majors and pitched in 1,070 games during that span, completing 2,254 innings pitched and maintaining a 2.52 ERA during that span.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985.  To date, he is the only setup man to ever be enshrined in Cooperstown.

Honorable Mention:

1B Norm Cash, Detroit Tigers

Cash got to the Majors with the White Sox in 1958.  He went to the Tigers in 1960. In 1961, he played in the All-Star Game, won the American League Batting Title and finished the season with 41 home runs.  He was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year in 1965.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1966.  He won a World Series with the Tigers in 1968.  In 1971, he played in the All-Star Game and was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1972.  In 1974, he became a true franchise player with the Tigers and played in the All-Star Game before retiring.  He finished his career with 377 home runs and 1,103 runs batted in.  He was snubbed for the Hall of Fame and he won't make this list either.   

110 Greatest Baseball Players

99.  OF Al Simmons, Philadelphia Athletics

Simmons got to the Majors with the Athletics in 1924.  He finished the season with 53 doubles in 1926.  Simmons won a World Series with the Athletics in 1929.  In 1930, he won the American League Batting Title and won a World Series with the Athletics.  He won the American League Batting Title in 1931.  He hit three home runs in a game in 1932.  He went to the White Sox in 1933 where he played in the All-Star Game.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1934.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1935.  He finished his career by returning to the Athletics for parts of three seasons, parts of two seasons with the Washington Senators, a year apiece with Detroit and Boston and cups of coffee with the Boston Braves and Detroit.  Simmons retired with a career .334 batting average, 307 home runs and 1,827 runs batted in.  He is the all-time leader in home runs by a player from Wisconsin.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1953.

Honorable Mention:

3B Vinny Castilla, Colorado Rockies

Castilla got to the Majors with Atlanta in 1991 but didn't gain notice until he was taken by the Rockies in the expansion draft in the 1992 off-season.  In 1995, he won a Player-of-the-Week Award, played in the All-Star Game and won a Silver Slugger Award.  In 1996, he won a Player-of-the-Week Award and finished the season with 40 home runs.  In 1997, he won a Player-of-the-Week Award, finished the season with 40 home runs and won a Silver Slugger Award.  In 1998, he participated in the Home Run Derby, played in the All-Star Game, finished the season with 46 home runs and won a Silver Slugger Award.  He hit three home runs in a game in 1999.  He went to Tampa Bay in 2000.  He hit three home runs in a game in 2001 shortly before being traded to Houston.  He returned to Atlanta in 2002.  He returned to Colorado in 2004 and won a Player-of-the-Week Award.  He played for Washington in 2005.  He represented his native Mexico in the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and split the season between San Diego and the Rockies before retiring.  He finished his career with 320 home runs and 1,105 runs batted in.  He was snubbed last year for the Hall of Fame and won't make this list either.

110 Greatest Baseball Players

100.  RHP Kent Tekulve, Pittsburgh Pirates

Tekulve quickly gained attention when he arrived in the Majors with the Pirates in 1974 with his quirky sidearm-submarine-style delivery and had established himself as a premier setup man and part-time closer by 1975.  He won a Pitcher-of-the-Month Award in 1978.  Tekulve won a World Series with the Pirates in 1979.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1980.  He was traded to Philadelphia mid-season in 1985.  He won a Player-of-the-Week Award in 1986.  He spent two more seasons in Philadelphia and a season in Cincinnati before retiring.  He finished his career with 94 wins and 90 losses and recorded 184 saves and 779 strikeouts.  His real testament is his longevity though, as he pitched 16 seasons in the Majors and pitched in 1,050 games in his career and recorded 1,436 innings pitched, maintaining a 2.85 ERA throughout his duration.  Like most setup men, he was unceremoniously snubbed by the BBWAA but his place won't be forgotten here.

Honorable Mention:

1B Jack Doyle, New York Giants

Doyle broke into the Majors with the Colorado Solons in 1889 at the young age of 19.  He moved on to the Cleveland Spiders in 1891 and was traded to the Giants in 1892.  He went to Baltimore in 1896.  He went to the Washington Senators in 1898 before being traded back to the Giants.  He played for the Cubs in 1901.  In 1902 he once again played for the Giants and the Washington Senators.  He played for the Brooklyn Superbas in 1903 before being traded to Philadelphia in 1904.  He finished his career with the Yankees in 1905.  Doyle finished his career with 518 stolen bases.  It's hard to judge a player like Doyle, who probably belongs in the Hall of Fame but who left the game over 30 years before the Hall of Fame was invented.  He probably isn't one of the all-time greats regardless, but he's definitely worthy of an honorable mention here.

110 Greatest Baseball Player

101.  RF Gary Sheffield, Florida Marlins

Sheffield first came of note while still in Elementary School as a star pitcher for Belmont Heights High School (Florida) in the Little League World Series.  He was remembered again when his uncle, Dwight Gooden, became a star pitcher for the New York Mets in 1984.  Sheffield was noticed again in 1986 when he was drafted in the first round by the Milwaukee Brewers.    He broke into the Majors in 1988 at the young age of 19.  He was named to the Topps All-Rookie Team in 1989.  He was suspended in 1990 for three games for inciting a brawl.  He went to San Diego in 1992, where he won a Player-of-the-Week Award, a Player-of-the-Month Award, participated in the Home Run Derby, played in the All-Star Game, won the National League Batting Title, won a Silver Slugger Award and was named the National League Comeback Player of the Year.  In 1993, he was suspended for three games for inciting a brawl, won a Player-of-the-Week Award and played in the All-Star Game while being traded to the Marlins mid-season.  He won a Player-of-the-Week Award in 1994.  He won a Player-of-the-Week Award in 1995.  In 1996, he won a Player-of-the-Week Award, participated in the Home Run Derby, played in the All-Star Game, finished the season with 42 home runs and won a Silver Slugger Award.  He won a World Series with the Marlins in 1997.  In 1998, he signed a contract with the Dodgers which made him the highest-paid player in the Majors and played in the All-Star Game.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1999.  In 2000, he was suspended for five games for having an altercation with fans, won two Player-of-the-Week Awards, played in the All-Star Game, and finished the season with 43 home runs.  He won a Player-of-the-Week Award in 2001.  He went to Atlanta in 2002.  In 2003, he won a Player-of-the-Week Award, participated in the Home Run Derby, played in the All-Star Game and won a Silver Slugger Award.  He moved on to the Yankees in 2004, where he won a Player-of-the-Week Award, played in the All-Star Game and won a Silver Slugger Award.  In 2005, he was suspended for one game for having an altercation with a fan, won a Player-of-the-Week Award, played in the All-Star Game and won a Silver Slugger Award.  He went to Detroit in 2007, where he was suspended for three games for making aggressive actions toward an umpire and won a Player-of-the-Week Award.  In 2008, it was revealed that he had used performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career and he was suspended for four games for fighting in a bench-clearing brawl.  He moved on to the Mets in 2009 and hit his 500th career home run before retiring.  He finished his career with 509 home runs and 1,676 runs batted in.  Sheffield is also known for being Dwight Gooden's nephew and for being married to singer DeLeon Richards.  On paper, there is no doubt about Sheffield's place among the greats.  But again we are faced with the PED problem.  If LeRoy attempted to alter his stats to take the drugs into account, Sheffield probably still would have cracked the list in about the same spot as he's in now, trading hits and stolen bases for home runs and runs batted in.

Honorable Mention:

1B Boog Powell, Baltimore Orioles

Powell first gained notice while playing in elementary school for playing in the Little League World Series with Lakeland, Florida.  He got to the Majors with Baltimore in 1961 and was named to the Topps All-Rookie Team in 1962.  In 1966, he won a World Series with the Orioles and was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1968.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1969.  In 1970, he played in the All-Star Game, won a World Series with the Orioles and was named the American League Most Valuable Player.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1971.  He went to Cleveland in 1975 and was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year.  He finished his career by spending another year in Cleveland and a year with the Dodgers.  He retired with 339 home runs and 1,187 runs batted in in his career.  He was snubbed by the BBWAA and he won't make this list either.   

110 Greatest Baseball Players

102.  LHP Jesse Orosco, New York Mets

Orosco broke into the Major Leagues with the Mets in 1979 and he had established himself as a premier setup man and part-time closer by 1982.  In 1983, he won two Player-of-the-Week Awards, a Player-of-the-Month Award and played in the All-Star Game.  In 1984, Orosco won a Player-of-the-Week Award and played in the All-Star Game.  He won a World Series with the Mets in 1986.  He went to the Dodgers in 1988.  He moved on to Cleveland in 1989.  He joined Milwaukee in 1992.  He went to Baltimore in 1995.  He became the oldest active player in the Major Leagues in 1999.  He moved on to St. Louis in 2000, where he was the oldest player in the National League.  He returned to the Dodgers in 2001, where he was the oldest player in the National League.  He was the oldest player in the National League in 2002.  He had cups of coffee with San Diego, the Yankees, and Minnesota in 2003 and was the oldest player in both the American and National Leagues before retiring.  In his career Orosco won 87 games and lost 80, while posting 144 saves and recording 1,179 strikeouts.  His greatness comes from his longevity, though.  Orosco pitched 24 seasons in the Majors and over that period of time he pitched in 1,252 games and recorded 1,295 innings pitched, maintaining a 3.16 ERA over his body of work.

Honorable Mention:

1B Hank Greenberg, Detroit Tigers

Greenberg broke into the Major Leagues with the Tigers at the young age of 19 in 1930.  He went back to the Minors and gained note once again when he was named the MVP of the Texas League in 1932.  He finished the season with 63 doubles in 1934.  In 1935, he won a World Series with the Tigers and was named the American League Most Valuable Player.  In 1937, he played in the All-Star Game and finished the season with 40 home runs.  In 1938, he played in the All-Star Game and finished the season with 58 home runs.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1939.  In 1940, he played in the All-Star Game, finished the season with 50 doubles, finished the season with 41 home runs and was named the American League Most Valuable Player.  He left the team in 1941 to join the U. S. Army Air Force during World War II.  He made his comeback in the second half of the 1945 season and played in the All-Star Game and won a World Series with the Tigers. He finished the season with 44 home runs in 1946.  He finished his career by spending a season with Pittsburgh.  He retired with a career .313 batting average with 331 home runs and 1,276 runs batted in.  His number 5 was retired by the Tigers.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1956.  Props to the BBWAA for getting one right for a change, but he won't make the cut for this list.

1B Joe Adcock, Milwaukee Braves

Adcock got to the Majors with Cincinnati in 1950.  He went to the Braves in 1953.  He hit three home runs in a game in 1954.  He won a World Series with the Braves in 1957.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1960.  He finished his career by playing a year apiece with Cleveland and the Los Angeles Angels and two years with the California Angels.  He retired with 336 home runs and 1,122 runs batted in in his career.  He became the manager for Cleveland in 1967.  He was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame for his career at Louisiana State University in 1978.  He was snubbed for the Hall of Fame and he won't make this list either.

LF Dave Kingman, New York Mets

Kingman first gained attention by winning the College World Series with USC in 1970.  He got to the Majors with San Francisco in 1971.  He hit for the cycle in 1972.  He won a Player-of-the-Week Award in 1973.  He went to the Mets in 1975 where he won a Player-of-the-Week Award and Player-of-the-Month Award.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1976.  He got traded to San Diego, California, and the Yankees in 1977.  He went to the Cubs in 1978.  In 1979, he won two Player-of-the-Week Awards, played in the All-Star Game and finished the season with 48 home runs.  In 1980, he won a Player-of-the-Month Award and played in the All-Star Game.  He returned to the Mets in 1981 and won a Player-of-the-Week Award.  He won a Player-of-the-Week Award in 1982.  In 1984, he went to Oakland and was suspended for three games for charging the mound, won a Player-of-the-Week Award and was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year.  He finished his career by playing two more seasons in Oakland.  Kingman hit three home runs in a game five times during his career.  He finished his career with 442 home runs and 1,210 runs batted in.  He is the all-time leader in home runs by a player from Oregon.  He was snubbed for the Hall of Fame and he won't make this list either. 

110 Greatest Baseball Players

103.  RF Reggie Jackson, Oakland Athletics

Jackson first gained notice when he was drafted in the first round by the Kansas City Athletics in 1966.  He reached the Majors with the Athletics in 1967 and followed them to Oakland when they were relocated in 1968.  In 1969, Jackson had nine runs batted in in one game, played in the All-Star Game and finished the season with 47 home runs.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1971.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1972.  In 1973, he played in the All-Star Game, won a World Series with the A's, was named the World Series MVP and was named the American League Most Valuable Player.  In 1974, he played in the all-Star Game and won a World Series with the A's.  In 1975, he was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame following his career at Arizona State, won a Player-of-the-Week Award and played in the All-Star Game.  He played for Baltimore in 1976 where he won a Player-of-the Month Award.  He moved onto the Yankees in 1977, where he won a Player-of-the-Week Award, played in the All-Star Game, hit three home runs in Game Six of the World Series, won a World Series with the Yankees and was named the World Series MVP.  In 1978, he was suspended by Yankees manager Billy Martin for five games, played in the All-Star game and won a World Series with the Yankees.  In 1979, he won a Player-of-the-Week Award and played in the All-Star Game.  In 1980, he won two Player-of-the-week Awards, a Player-of-the-Month Award, played in the All-Star Game, finished the season with 41 home runs and won a Silver Slugger Award.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1981.  He went to California in 1982 and he played in the All-Star Game and won a Silver Slugger Award.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1983.  In 1984, he played in the All-Star Game and hit his 500th career home run.  Jackson finished his career by playing two more years in California and another year with the Athletics before retiring.  Jackson hit three home runs in a regular season game three times in his career.  He finished his career with 563 home runs and 1,702 runs batted in.  His number nine was retired by the Athletics and his number 44 was retired by the Yankees following the end of his career.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.  He stayed in the public eye after his retirement by dabbling in acting and appearing in the films Naked Gun, BASEketball, and The Benchwarmers.

Honorable Mention:

2B Alfonso Soriano, Chicago Cubs

Soriano's big-time professional baseball career began in Japan.  He came to the U. S. in 1999 and immediately emerged as a top prospect with the Yankees and played in the Futures Game on the World Team.  He was a top prospect again in 2000 and reached the Majors.  In 2001, he held the title of top prospect again and was named to the Topps All-Rookie Team.  In 2002, he won a Player-of-the-Week Award, played in the All-Star Game, finished the season with 50 doubles, finished the season with 39 homers and 41 steals and won a Silver Slugger Award.  In 2003, he won two Player-of-the-Week Awards, two Player-of-the-Month Awards, played in the All-Star Game and finished the season with 38 homers and 35 steals.  He went to Texas in 2004, where he had six hits in one game, played in the All-Star Game, was named the All-Star Game MVP and won a Silver Slugger Award.  In 2005, he won a Player-of-the-Week Award, played in the All-Star Game, finished the season with 36 homers and 30 steals and won a Silver Slugger Award.  In 2006 he went to Washington, where he played for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, played in the All-Star Game, finished the season with 46 home runs and 41 steals and won a Silver Slugger Award.  He went to the Cubs in 2007, where he won a Player-of-the-Week Award, won a Player-of-the-Month Award and played in the All-Star Game.  In 2008, he won a Player-of-the-Week Award and played in the All-Star Game.  Soriano has hit three home runs in a game three times in his career.  He has spent the last three seasons with the Cubs and is under contract for three more.  Soriano has already hit 340 home runs and has somewhere between five or six years left in the league.  He's not good enough to make this list yet, but he may very well be on his way.

RF Rocky Colavito, Cleveland Indians

Colavito got to the Majors with the Indians in 1955.  He finished the season with 41 home runs in 1958.  In 1959, he played in the All-Star Game and finished the season with 42 home runs.  He went to Detroit in 1960.  In 1961, he played in the All-Star Game and finished the season with 45 home runs.  In 1962, he had six hits in one game and played in the All-Star Game.  He went to the Kansas City Athletics in 1964, where he played in the All-Star Game.  He returned to the Indians in 1965 and played in the All-Star Game.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1966.  He finished his career with cups of coffees with the Indians, the Yankees, the Dodgers and the White Sox.  Colavito finished his career with 374 home runs but was snubbed from the Hall of Fame for no particular reason.  He won't make this list either.

OF Frank Howard, Washington Senators

Howard got to the Majors with cups of coffee with the Dodgers in 1958 and 1959.  He got to the Majors to stay in 1960 and was named to the Topps All-Rookie Team and was named the National League Rookie of the Year.  He won a Player-of-the-Month Award in 1962.  He won a World Series with the Dodgers in 1963.  He went to the Senators in 1965.  In 1968, he played in the All-Star Game and finished the season with 44 home runs.  in 1969, he played in the All-Star Game and finished the season with 48 home runs.  In 1970, he played in the All-Star Game and finished the season with 44 home runs.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1971.  He finished his career with a cup of coffee with Texas (the relocated Washington Senators) and parts of two seasons with Detroit.  He finished his career with 382 home runs.  Howard stayed in baseball as a coach following his career and eventually became a manager with San Diego and the Mets.  He was snubbed for the Hall of Fame and didn't make the cut for this list either.    

American League Gold Glove Award Winners

The Gold Glove Award names the best defensive players at each position.  This can be judged by fielding percentage, range factor, defensive wins above replacement, ultimate zone rating, and - probably the best way to judge a player's defensive value - with our eyes.  Here it goes for the American League:

Catcher:  Kelly Shoppach, Tampa Bay Rays
First Base:  Adrian Gonzalez, Boston Red Sox
Second Base:  Maicier Izturis, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Third Base:  Alberto Callaspo, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Shortstop:  J. J. Hardy, Baltimore Orioles
Outfield:  Peter Bourjos, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Outfield:  Brett Gardner, New York Yankees
Outfield:  Denard Span, Minnesota Twins

National League Silver Slugger Award Winners

The best hitters at each position in the National League.  Here it goes:

Catcher:

The Silver Slugger Award at catcher goes to D-backs C Miguel Montero.  Montero led all National League catchers in runs batted in with 86.  He also had more-balanced seasons than St. Louis Cardinals C Yadier Molina (who led all NL catchers in hits and batting average), and Atlanta Braves C Brian McCann (who led all NL catchers in home runs).

First Base:

The Silver Slugger Award at first base goes to Brewers 1B Prince Fielder.  Fielder led all NL first basemen in homers and runs batted in.  His primary competition came from Cincinnati Reds 1B Joey Votto, who led all NL first basemen in hits.  St. Louis Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols.

Second Base:

The Silver Slugger at second base goes to Cincinnati Reds 2B Brandon Phillips.  Phillips led all NL second basemen in hits.  He beat out Atlanta Braves 2B Dan Uggla (homers), and Pittsburgh Pirates 2B Neil Walker (RBIs).

Third Base:

The Award at third base goes to Chicago Cubs 3B Aramis Ramirez.  Ramirez led all NL third basemen in hits, homers, and runs batted in.  3B Ryan Roberts turned in a nice season for Arizona.

Shortstop:

The Silver Slugger Award at shortstop goes to Colorado Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki.  Tulo led all NL shortstops in homers and runs batted in.  He had competition from Chicago Cubs SS Starlin Castro, who led all NL shortstops in hits, and Florida Marlins SS Emilio Bonifacio, who led all NL shortstops in stolen bases.

Outfielders:

The three awards amongst the outfielders go to Los Angeles Dodgers CF Matt Kemp, Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun, and Philadelphia Phillies RF Hunter Pence.  The three had competition from Atlanta Braves CF Michael Bourn, Cincinnati Reds RF Jay Bruce, and Florida Marlins RF Mike Stanton.

110 Greatest Baseball Players

104.  RHP Mike Jackson, Seattle Mariners

Jackson broke into the Majors with Philadelphia in 1986 and made his mark in 1987 as a setup man and part-time closer.  After the two seasons in Philadelphia, Jackson spent five seasons with the Mariners, three seasons in San Francisco and Cleveland and a season apiece in Cincinnati, Houston, Minnesota, and the White Sox before retiring.  In his career he had 62 wins, 67 losses, 142 saves and 1,006 strikeouts.  The true testimony to his greatness is his longevity, though.  He pitched 17 seasons in the Majors, and over that span he pitched in 1,005 games and recorded 1,188 innings pitched, maintaining a 3.42 ERA throughout his career.

Honorable Mention:

3B Aramis Ramirez, Chicago Cubs

In 1997, Ramirez emerged as a top prospect in Pittsburgh and was named the Carolina League MVP.  In 1998, Ramirez was again named a top prospect, reached the Major Leagues at the age of 19, and was suspended for five games for participating in a brawl.  He participated in the Futures Game on the World Team in 1999.  He won a Player-of-the-Week Award in 2001.  He was suspended for seven games for charging the mound in 2002.  He was traded to the Cubs in 2003.  He won a Player-of-the-Week Award in 2005 and played in the All-Star Game.  He played in the All-Star Game in 2008.  He won a Player-of-the-Week Award in 2010.  He's hit three home runs in a game three times.  Ramirez isn't yet ranked highly enough to crack this list, but LeRoy thinks he's coming along nicely.  He seems to have found a home in the Cozy Confines, he figures to have something like seven years left in the Majors, Wrigley Field is small and the ball flies in the warmer months, global warming is yielding more home runs, and Ramirez has already hit 315 home runs.

OF Reggie Sanders, Cincinnati Reds

Sanders first came to note in 1990 when he was named the Midwestern League MVP.  He emerged as a top prospect with Cincinnati in 1991.  In 1992, he was again named a top prospect and was named to the Topps All-Rookie Team at the end of the season.  In 1994, Sanders gained notoriety when he charged the mound after being hit by a pitch that broke up a perfect game by then-Montreal Expos RHP Pedro Martinez; Sanders was suspended five games for the incident.  In 1995, Sanders hit three home runs in a game, won a Player-of-the-Week Award, participated in the Home Run Derby, and played in the All-Star Game.  Sanders went to San Diego in 1999 where he won a Player-of-the-Week Award.  Sanders played for Atlanta in 2000.  He moved onto Arizona in 2001 where he won a World Series.  He played for San Francisco in 2002.  He then moved onto Pittsburgh in 2003 where he won a Player-of-the-Week Award.  He then spent two years apiece in St. Louis and Kansas City before retiring.  Sanders finished his career with 305 home runs.  He will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2012.  LeRoy doesn't know about Cooperstown, but he didn't make the cut on our list.

LF Greg Luzinski, Philadelphia Phillies

Luzinski first came to note when he was drafted in the first round by the Phillies in 1968.  In 1970, he was named the Eastern League MVP and broke into the Majors at the age of 19.  He won a Player-of-the-Month Award in 1973.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1975.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1976.  In 1977, he won two Player-of-the-Week Awards, a Player-of-the-Month Award and played in the All-Star Game.  He won a World Series with the Phillies in 1980.  He finished his career by playing four seasons with the White Sox before retiring.  Luzinski finished his career with 307 home runs and 1,128 runs batted in.  He was snubbed by the BBWAA for entrance into the Hall of Fame and he didn't make LeRoy's list either.

110 Greatest Baseball Players

105.  LF Ted Williams, Boston Red Sox

Williams got off to a quick start in the Majors with the Red Sox, but he didn't start to gain attention outside of Red Sox Nation until 1940 when he played in the All-Star Game.  In 1941, he played in the All-Star Game and won the American League Batting Title.  In 1942, Williams played in the All-Star Game, won the American League Batting Title, and won the American League Triple Crown.  He enlisted in the U. S. Navy during World War II and missed three seasons from 1943 to 1945 while serving in the Pacific Theatre.  In 1946, he made his return to the Major Leagues, hit for the cycle, played in the All-Star Game and was named the American League Most Valuable Player.  In 1947, he played in the All-Star Game, won the American League Batting Title, and won the American League Triple Crown.  In 1948, he played in the All-Star Game and won the American League Batting Title.  In 1949, he played in the All-Star Game, finished the season with 43 home runs, and was named the American League Most Valuable Player.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1950.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1951.  He enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps. during the Korean War and missed most of the 1952 and 1953 seasons, although he played in the All-Star Game in '53.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1954.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1955.  In 1956, he became a true franchise player by playing in his 15th season with the Red Sox and played in the All-Star Game.  In 1957, he played in the All-Star Game and won the American League Batting Title.  In 1958, he played in the All-Star Game and won the American League Batting Title.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1959.  In 1960, he played in the All-Star Game and hit his 500th career home run before retiring.  Williams hit three home runs in a game on three occasions in his career.  He finished his career with a franchise-record 521 career home runs during his time with the Red Sox.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1966.  He managed the Washington Senators from 1969 to 1971 and stayed on as manager when the team was contracted and relocated to Arlington, Texas and became the Texas Rangers.

Honorable Mention:

3B Arlie Latham, St. Louis Browns

Latham broke into the Majors with the Buffalo Bisons in 1880.  He went back to the Minors after that and returned to the Majors with the Browns (of the now-defunct American Association) in 1883.  He stole 129 bases in 1887.  He stole 109 bases in 1888.  He split the 1890 season between the Chicago Pirates (of the now defunct Players League) and the Cincinnati Reds.  He stole 87 bases in 1891.  He returned to the Browns (who by now had joined the National League) in 1896 before retiring.  He briefly attempted a comeback in 1899 with the Washington Senators and again in 1909 with the New York Giants.  Latham finished his career with 742 stolen bases.  It is hard to judge a player like Latham.  His claim to fame is probably stolen bases, but statisticians didn't even start keeping track of steals until 1886.  In addition he played in rival leagues such as the American Association and the Players League that the National League (and now MLB) has attempted to bury in baseball history.  Perhaps the best way to judge him would be based on contemporary reports and his place amongst old-time baseball historians.  But Latham's career basically ended in 1895 and the Hall of Fame wasn't even invented until 1935, so even old-time historians are uninformed about him.  Regardless, he's certainly worthy of an honorable mention.

1B Roy Sievers, Washington Senators

Sievers burst onto the scene in 1949 when he won the Rookie of the Year Award with the St. Louis Browns.  He enlisted in the U. S. Military during the Korean War and missed most of the 1951, 1952, and 1953 seasons.  He returned to the Majors full-time in 1954 and joined the Senators.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1956.  In 1957, he played in the All-Star Game and finished the season with 42 home runs.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1959.  He went to the White Sox in 1960.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1961.  He spent parts of three seasons with Philadelphia and returned to the Senators for parts of another two before he retired.  Sievers finished his career with 318 home runs but he was snubbed for the Hall of Fame.  And he won't make this list either.

LF Ron Gant, Atlanta Braves

Gant first came onto the scene in 1988 with the Braves when he was named to the Topps All-Rookie Team.  In 1990, he won a Player-of-the-Week Award and finished the season with 32 home runs and 33 stolen bases.  In 1991, he was suspended for one game for bumping an umpire, finished the season with 32 home runs and 34 stolen bases, and won a Silver Slugger Award.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1992.  He missed the entire 1994 season due to injury.  He returned to the Majors with Cincinnati in 1995 and was suspended for four games for participating in a brawl, won a Player-of-the-Week Award, participated in the Home Run Derby, played in the All-Star Game, won a Silver Slugger Award and was named the National League Comeback Player of the Year.  He finished his career by playing parts of two seasons with Philadelphia and Oakland, a season in San Diego and cups of coffee in Anaheim and Colorado.  Gant finished his career with 321 home runs but was snubbed for the Hall of Fame and didn't make the cut for this list either.

American League Silver Slugger Award Winners

Award season has begun in baseball.  While Major League Baseball has its system for picking and choosing its award winners (coaches, managers, and the BBWAA to be precise), LeRoy uses a mathematical formula and just a splash of common sense to determine our award winners.  We will begin with the American League Silver Slugger Award Winners.

1.  Catcher:  The Silver Slugger Award at catcher goes to Cleveland Indians C Carlos Santana.  Santana flew under the radar for most of the season for a number of reasons.  There was a lot of noise about Yankees C Russell Martin early on, Tigers C Alex Avila had a breakout year, and - the biggest reason for anyone not getting much attention - he plays in Cleveland.  But if you look at the numbers at the end of the year Santana comes out as the clear favorite for the award.  Santana hit 27 home runs, and that alone should be good enough for him to win the award in the AL this year.

2.  First Base:  The Silver Slugger Award at first base goes to Boston Red Sox 1B Adrian Gonzalez.  Unlike Santana, Gonzalez had been the favorite to win this award since he was acquired in a trade by Boston in the off-season.  And he didn't do anything to lose that award.  Gonzalez had 213 hits and batted .338, in addition to hitting 27 home runs, driving in 117 runs and scoring 108 runs.

3.  Second Base:  The Silver Slugger Award at second base goes to Yankees 2B Robinson Cano.  Like Gonzalez, Cano had been the favorite to win this award for a along time.  Mainly because he's been the best hitting second baseman in the American League for several years now.  Cano batted .302 with 28 home runs, 118 runs batted in and 104 runs scored.

4.  Third Base:  The Silver Slugger Award at third base goes to Texas Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre.  Unlike the races at first and second, this one didn't really have a favorite at the start of the season.  That was mainly because Rays 3B Evan Longoria started the year on the DL.  But Beltre got off to a fast start and never really relented his position as the best-hitting third baseman in the AL this year.  He finished with 33 home runs and 105 runs batted in.

5.  Shortstop:  The Silver Slugger Award at shortstop goes to Texas Rangers SS Elvis Andrus.  Andrus has been known as a good shortstop and a critical piece in the Rangers' potent offense for a long time now, but he's never been considered one of the elites in the AL, despite his appearances in multiple All-Star Games.  And this year he took a back seat to Yankees SS Derek Jeter (I don't know why either) and Indians SS Asdrubal Cabrera, who had a breakout season.  But at the end of the year it was Andrus who had the most balanced and productive offensive year among shortstops in the AL.  Andrus stole 37 bases.

6.  Outfield:  The Silver Slugger Awards account for three outfielders regardless of their positions.  I'm listing them here alphabetically and this is not necessarily the order in which they should be ranked.  But we'll start with RF Jose Bautista, who plays for the Toronto Blue Jays.  Bautista followed up his breakout season of last year with another terrific season this year.  He batted .302 with 43 home runs, 103 runs batted in, 105 runs scored and 132 walks.

7.  Outfield:  Next we'll move onto CF Melky Cabrera, who spent last season with the Kansas City Royals but has since been traded to the Giants.  Cabrera definitely wasn't a favorite to win very many awards this year and his big season probably came as a surprise to many.  But he ended up having a terrific year.  Cabrera batted .305 with 201 hits, 102 runs scored and 20 stolen bases.

8.  Outfield:  And finally our outfield pool ends with New York Yankees CF Curtis Granderson.  Big things were expected of Granderson upon his trade from Detroit to the Bronx, and he had a good season in 2010 despite missing significant time with an injury.  He finally had the season people expected him to last year after moving from spacious Comerica Park to minuscule Yankee Stadium and, in fact, had the breakout that never came in Detroit.  He even learned how to hit left-handers.  A little bit.  Granderson hit 41 home runs and drove in 119 runs, in addition to scoring 136 runs and stealing 25 bases.

9.  Designated Hitter:  The Silver Slugger Award at Designated Hitter goes to Texas Rangers DH Michael Young.  Young was moved to DH from third base this season after the Rangers acquired Beltre.  He wasn't happy about the move (the third time he's been forced to switch positions) and demanded a trade.  But he eventually knuckled under and settled in as the team's DH.  He finished the year with a .338 batting average and 213 hits, as well as 106 runs batted in.       

Two Arrested in Kidnapping Case

Two people have been arrested in the kidnapping of Washington Nationals C Wilson Ramos, a Venezuela native.  One man in also Venezuelan and the other is Colombian.  Police confiscated revolvers and a cell phone linked to the kidnapping in the arrest, and say that other suspects remain at large.

Ramos was kidnapped at gunpoint outside of his home last week and rescued two days later.  The two arrests move the total number of arrests up to eight (two of the eight have not been charged with kidnapping).  Alexander Bolanos has been linked to paramilitary groups such as FARC in Colombia.

Arturo Yepez is a native of Venezuela and doesn't appear to have a criminal history.  Venezuelan police have descriptions of several other Colombians and have been provided with their aliases.  Ramos had been playing Winter Ball with the Aragua Tigers. 

Ramos was kidnapped in front of his father and two brothers.  He has claimed that the kidnapping was carefully planned.  This is the first known direct kidnapping of a Major League Baseball player in Venezuela, though authorities say that five relatives of Major Leaguers have been kidnapped in recent years.

Dodgers give Kemp Contract Extension

In the first major signing of the off-season this year in baseball, the Dodgers have brought back CF Matt Kemp.  The Dodgers re-signed him to an eight-year, $160 million contract.  Kemp is 27.

This moves comes as a sign that the Dodgers are prepared to move on after the messy divorce and pending sale of the club by Frank McCourt plunged them into baseball bankruptcy.  In addition to signing Kemp, the Dodgers also signed free agent 2B Mark Ellis to a two-year, $8.75 million contract.  Rumors are rampant that the Dodgers will offer a long-term contract extension to LHP Clayton Kershaw sometime in 2012.

Also, the Dodgers re-signed LF Juan Rivera to a one-year, $4.5 million contract.  The Dodgers have been criticized somewhat for overpaying this off-season, with Ellis getting a two-year contract worth a tidy sum and Rivera getting almost five million dollars.  Add that onto Kemp's deal - the seventh biggest contract in baseball history - and you might be able to formulate a solid argument.

But the Kemp deal cannot be denied.  This is a win-win for the dodgers.

110 Greatest Baseball Players

106.  RHP Mike Timlin, Toronto Blue Jays

Timlin first gained notice in 1991 when he emerged as a top prospect with the Blue Jays.  He got to the Major Leagues that same year, where he immediately thrived as a setup man and part-time closer.  He won a World Series with the Blue Jays in 1992.  He won a World Series with the Blue Jays in 1993.  He was traded to Seattle in 1997.  He then spent parts of two seasons in Baltimore and parts of three seasons in St. Louis before having a cup of coffee with Philadelphia.  He landed in Boston in 2003.  He won a World Series with Boston in 2004.  He participated in the World Baseball Classic during Spring Training in 2006 where he represented the United States.  He won a World Series with Boston in 2007.  He ended his Major League career with Boston in 2008.  Timlin finished his career with 75 wins, 73 losses, 141 saves, and 872 strikeouts.  His most impressive stat is his longevity, though.  He played 18 seasons in the Majors as a setup man, pitching in 1,058 games along the way and maintaining a 3.63 ERA over that stretch.

Honorable Mention:

1B Mo Vaughn, Boston Red Sox

Vaughn first gained attention in 1989 when he was a first-round draft pick of the Red Sox.  He was named as a top prospect in both 1990 and 1991.  In 1995, he won a Player-of-the-Week Award, participated in the Home Run Derby, played in the All-Star Game, won a Silver Slugger Award, and was named the American League Most Valuable Player.  In 1996, he was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame for his career at Seton Hall, hit three home runs in a game, won two Player-of-the-Week Awards, a Player-of-the-Month Award, played in the All-Star Game, and finished the season with 44 home runs.  He hit three home runs in a game in 1997.  In 1998, he played in the All-Star Game and finished the season with 40 home runs.  He moved onto Anaheim in 1999 and won a Player-of-the-Week Award that year.  He won a Player-of-the-Week Award in 2000.  He missed the 2001 season due to injury and finished his career with two seasons with the Mets.  He retired with 328 home runs, the most ever by a player from Connecticut.  It was revealed that he'd taken performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career in 2008.  He looks like a Hall of Fame on paper, but his PED use kept him out of Cooperstown.  Without the drugs he probably wouldn't have been considered for this list.

CF Juan Pierre, Florida Marlins

Pierre first gained attention in 1998 when he was named the Sun Belt Conference MVP while attending the University of South Alabama.  He emerged as a top prospect in 2000 in Colorado.  Pierre moved onto the Marlins in 2003 where he won a World Series with them. He spent two more seasons with the Marlins, a season with the Cubs, three seasons with the Dodgers, and has spent the last two seasons with the White Sox.  Pierre has had a Hall of Fame career thus far and he has already stolen 554 bases.  He'll be 34 next season so his best days are probably behind him but he still has a lot of years left.  He isn't good enough to make the list yet, but he may be at that level when he retires.

2B Davey Lopes, Los Angeles Dodgers

Lopes was named to the Topps All-Rookie Team in 1973.  In 1974, he stole five bases in a game, hit three home runs in a game and won a Player-of-the-Week Award.  He finished the season with 77 stolen bases in 1975.  In 1978, he played in the All-Star Game and won a Gold Glove Award.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1979.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1980.  In 1981, he played in the All-Star Game and won a World Series with the Dodgers.  He spent parts of three seasons apiece with Oakland and the Cubs and parts of two seasons with the Astros.  After his playing career ended he became a Major League manager and was suspended for two games in 2001 for inappropriate actions during a game.  Lopes finished his career with 557 stolen bases and probably should have been inducted into the Hall of Fame but was snubbed by the BBWAA.  He wasn't good enough to make this list either.

110 Greatest Baseball Players

107.  LF Lou Brock, St. Louis Cardinals

Brock got to the Majors with the Cubs in 1961.  He was traded to the Cardinals in 1964 and won a World Series with them that year.  Brock finished the season with 74 stolen bases in 1966.  In 1967, he was an All-Star and won a World Series with the Cardinals.  In 1971, he won a Player-of-the-Month Award and played in the All-Star Game.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1972.  He finished the season with 70 stolen bases in 1973.  In 1974, he won a Player-of-the-Month Award, played in the All-Star Game, and finished the season with 118 stolen bases.  In 1975, he hit for the cycle and played in the All-Star Game.  He won a Player-of-the-Week Award in 1977.  In 1979, he won two Player-of-the-Week Awards, a Player-of-the-Month Award, played in the All-Star Game, and was named the National League Comeback Player of the Year before retiring.  Brock was a true franchise player, having spent 15-plus seasons with the Cardinals.  His number 20 was retired by St. Louis after his career ended.  Brock was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985.  His son Lou Jr. was drafted by Milwaukee in 1982 but opted to attend college instead and ultimately never played professional baseball.  He finished his career with a .293 batting average, 3,023 hits, 149 home runs, 900 runs batted in, and 939 stolen bases.

Honorable Mention:

RF David Justice, Atlanta Braves

Justice first made waves in 1985 when he became the first-ever player drafted from Thomas More College by the Braves.  In 1990, he won a Player-of-the-Week Award, a Player-of-the-Month Award, was named to the Topps All-Rookie Team and was named the National League Rookie of the Year.  He won a Player-of-the-Month Award in 1991.  In 1993, he participated in the Home Run Derby, played in the All-Star Game, finished the season with 40 homers and won a Silver Slugger Award.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1994.  He won a World Series with the Braves in 1995.  He moved onto Cleveland in 1997 and in his first season there he won a Player-of-the-Week Award, played in the All-Star Game, won a Silver Slugger Award and was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year.  He won a Player-of-the-Week Award in 1998.  He was traded to the Yankees in 2000 where he finished the season with 41 homers and won a World Series.  He moved onto Oakland in 2002 where he won a Player-of-the-Week Award before retiring.  Justice was also well-known for his high-profile marriage to former Miss America, model, and actress Halle Berry.  They divorced in 1996 amidst allegations of domestic violence which Berry attributed to 'roid rage.  Her allegations were proven correct when it was revealed that he'd taken steroids throughout his career in 2008.  Based on the empirical data we have at our expense, Justice had a pretty good baseball life, finishing his career with 305 home runs.  But he probably was a notch below that of a Hall of Famer and he won't make the cut for this list, either.  Oh by the way, without the PEDs he probably wouldn't have even been considered for inclusion on this list.

RF Darryl Strawberry, New York Mets

Strawberry first made waves when he was taken by the Mets as the number one overall draft pick in 1980.  He continued to make waves in the Minors in 1982 when he hit 34 home runs and stole 45 bases in the Texas League before being named the League MVP.  In 1983, he was named to the Topps All-Rookie Team and was named the National League Rookie of the Year.  In 1984, he won a Player-of-the-Week Award and played in the All-Star Game.  In 1985, he hit three homers in a game, won two Player-of-the-Week Awards and played in the All-Star Game.  In 1986, he participated in the Home Run Derby (a contest which he won), played in the All-Star Game and won a World Series with the Yankees.  In 1987, he won a Player-of-the-Month Award, played in the All-Star Game and finished the season with 39 homers and 36 stolen bases.  In 1988, he played in the All-Star Game and won a Silver Slugger Award.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1989.  In 1990, he won a Player-of-the-Week Award, participated in the Home Run Derby, played in the All-Star Game and won a Silver Slugger Award.  He moved on to the Dodgers in 1991, and in his first season with them he became the highest-paid player in the Majors, won a Player-of-the-Week Award and played in the All-Star Game.  He moved on to San Francisco in 1994.  In 1995 he went to the Yankees, where he was suspended for 60 games for violating the after-care program.  In 1996, he hit three home runs in a game and won a World Series with the Yankees.  In 1998, he won a Player-of-the-Week Award, was suspended for three games for participating in a brawl, was suspended a second time for three games for participating in a brawl and won a World Series with the Yankees.  He was suspended indefinitely for failure to comply with the drug program in 1999, and was then suspended for an additional 120 games after being arrested for possession of cocaine in 1999 and won a World Series with the Yankees.  He was suspended for 365 games for failure to comply with the drug program in 2000, which ended his playing career.  He had a Hall of Fame career on paper, finishing with 335 home runs and 1,000 runs batted in, but his problems with cocaine, suspensions and other legal entanglements kept him out of the Hall.  He won't make this list either.

LF Greg Vaughn, Milwaukee Brewers

Vaughn first made waves in 1987 when he hit 33 home runs and stole 36 bases in the Midwest League before being named the League MVP.  He gained attention again in 1990 when he became a top prospect for the Brewers.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1993.  He was traded to San Diego in 1996, where he won a Player-of-the-Week Award, participated in the Home Run Derby, played in the All-Star Game and finished the season with 41 homers.  In 1998, he won a Player-of-the-Week Award, played in the All-Star Game, finished the season with 50 homers, won a Silver Slugger Award, and was named the National League Comeback Player of the Year.  He moved on to Cincinnati in 1999, where he hit three homers in a game, won a Player-of-the-Month Award and finished the season with 45 homers.  He moved on to Tampa Bay in 2000.  In 2001, he won a Player-of-the-Week Award and played in the All-Star Game.  He played another season in Tampa Bay and then moved onto Colorado for a season where he finished his career.  Vaughn had a Hall of Fame career, finishing with 355 home runs and 1,055 runs batted in but was snubbed by the BBWAA.  Despite his good credentials, he won't make this list either.

110 Greatest Baseball Players

108.  LHP Dan Plesac, Milwaukee Brewers

Plesac first came to attention when he was drafted by the Brewers in the first round in 1983.  He got to the Majors in 1986 and established himself as a premier setup man and part-time closer.  Plesac played in the All-Star game in 1987.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1988.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1989.  After three more seasons with the Brewers Plesac spent two seasons with the Chicago Cubs, two seasons in Pittsburgh, parts of three seasons with Toronto and parts of two seasons with Arizona, had a second stint in Toronto for two more seasons, and finished his career with a two-season stretch in Philadelphia.  Over his career he posted 65 wins, 71 losses, 158 saves, and 1,041 strikeouts.  The proof is in the pudding though.  Plesac was a setup man who stayed in the Majors for 19 seasons.  Over those two decades he pitched in 1,064 games and maintained a 3.64 ERA over that time period.

Honorable Mention:

RF Jay Buhner, Seattle Mariners

Buhner got to the Major Leagues in 1987 with the Yankees and was traded in mid-1988 to the Mariners before being named to the Topps All-Rookie Team at the end of the year.  He hit for the cycle in 1993.  In 1995, he won a Player-of-the-Week Award and finished the season with 40 homers.  In 1996, he participated in the Home Run Derby, played in the All-Star Game, finished the season with 44 homers, and won a Gold Glove Award.  He hit 40 homers in 1997.  He was suspended for two games in 1999 for participating in a brawl.  He retired in 2001.  Buhner finished his career with 310 home runs, the most ever by a player from Kentucky.  Despite his great career Buhner was never considered to be a Hall of Famer and he didn't make the cut for this list either.

RF Jeromy Burnitz, Milwaukee Brewers

Burnitz first gained attention when he was drafted in the first round by the Mets in 1990.  He continued to draw attention in 1991 when he had a 30-30 season in the Eastern League.  People continued to take note of the young Burnitz in 1992 as he emerged as a top prospect.  Burnitz spent two seasons in the Majors with the Mets before he was sent to Cleveland for parts of two seasons.  He landed in Milwaukee after his time in Cleveland came to an end.  In 1999, he participated in the Home Run Derby, played in the All-Star Game and won a Player-of-the-Month Award.  In 2001, he twice hit three home runs in a game and won a Player-of-the-Week Award.  After leaving Milwaukee Burnitz returned to the Mets for parts of two seasons, had a cup of coffee with the Dodgers, and played one season apiece for Colorado, the Cubs, and Pittsburgh.  He finished his career with 315 home runs but probably falls a notch below the Hall of Fame level and he wasn't good enough to make this list.

LF Ralph Kiner, Pittsburgh Pirates

Kiner's baseball career was delayed when he served in the U. S. Navy in the Pacific Theatre during World War II.  He returned to the States and got to the Majors in 1946 with the Pirates.  He hit 51 home runs in 1947.  In 1948, he played in the All-Star Game and finished the season with 40 homers.  In 1949, he played in the All-Star Game and finished the season with 54 homers.  In 1950, he hit for the cycle, played in the All-Star Game, and finished the season with 47 homers.  In 1951, he played in the All-Star Game and finished the season with 42 homers.  He played in the All-Star Game in 1952.  He was traded to the Cubs mid-season in 1953 and played in the All-Star Game that year.  He spent another year with the Cubs and finished his career with a season in Cleveland.  Kiner hit three home runs in a game four times in his career.  He finished his career with 369 home runs, the most ever by a player from New Mexico.  After he retired his number 4 was retired by the Pirates.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975.  Despite his impressive credentials and place in Cooperstown Kiner didn't make the cut for this list.

110 Greatest Baseball Players

109.  OF Manny Ramirez, Boston Red Sox

Ramirez first came to prominence in 1991 when he was a first-round draft pick by Cleveland.  Over the next three seasons he remained on the baseball radar as one of Cleveland's top prospects.  In 1993 he cemented his reputation as a great Minor Leaguer by being named the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year.  He finally broke into the Majors in 1994, winning a Player-of-the-Week Award and being named to the Topps All-Rookie Team.  In 1995, he participated in the Home Run Derby, won a Player-of-the-Month Award, and finished the season by winning a Silver Slugger Award.  He won a Player-of-the-Week Award in 1997.  In 1998, he hit three home runs in a game, played in the All-Star game, won a Player-of-the-Week Award, and finished the season with 45 homers.  In 1999, he hit three homers in a game, played in the All-Star game, won a Player-of-the-Month Award, won a Player-of-the-Week Award, finished the season with 44 homers, and won a Silver Slugger Award.  In 2000, he played in the All-Star game, won two Player-of-the-Week Awards, and won a Silver Slugger Award.  In 2001 he signed with the Red Sox where cemented himself in baseball history.  He started off his Red Sox career by playing in the All-Star game, winning a Player-of-the-Month Award, two Player-of-the-Week Awards, finishing the season with 41 homers and winning a Silver Slugger Award.  In 2002, he played in the All-Star Game, won a Player-of-the-Month Award, two Player-of-the-Week Awards, won the AL batting title, and won a Silver Slugger Award.  In 2003, he played in the All-Star game, won a Player-of-the-Week Award, and won a Silver Slugger Award.  In 2004, he started out the season with the dubious distinction of being the highest paid player in the Majors before playing in the All-Star Game, finishing the season with 43 homers, winning the World Series with the Red Sox, being named the World Series MVP, and winning a Silver Slugger Award.  In 2005, he played in the All-Star Game, won three Player-of-the-Week Awards, finished the season with 45 homers and won a Silver Slugger Award.  In 2006, he played in the All-Star Game and won a Silver Slugger Award.  In 2007, he played in the All-Star Game, won a Player-of-the-Week Award, and won the World Series with the Red Sox.  In 2008, he won a Player-of-the-Week Award, played in the All-Star Game and hit his 500th career home run with the Red Sox before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.  He won a Player-of-the-Month Award in LA after the trade.  He was suspended for 50 games with the Dodgers for failing a performance-enhancing drug test in 2009.  It was later revealed that his name had been leaked to the New York Times as one of the 104 players who failed a drug test in 2001 before those results were sealed by a federal judge.  He split a season between the Dodgers and Chicago White Sox before moving onto Tampa Bay, where he retired after a handful of games due to what was believed to be another failed drug test.  Later on that summer he was arrested on domestic violence charges.  When you look at Manny's career numbers you probably see a Hall of Famer, but with the way his career ended his chances of getting into the Hall are pretty limited.  And what about those PEDs?  Well his status on this list is determined by his on-field performance and empirical data.  Without the drugs?  He still would have had an excellent career and finished with borderline Hall of Fame numbers, and he certainly would have been looked at for inclusion on this list, but he probably wouldn't have made the cut, instead landing an honorable mention somewhere.

Honorable Mention:

1B Cecil Fielder, Detroit Tigers

Fielder started off his career with the Toronto Blue Jays.  After four seasons of lackluster performance where he never truly conquered the Minor Leagues he had his contract sold to a team in Nippon Professional Baseball.  He returned to the show the next season with the Tigers with a vengeance, participating in the Home Run Derby, playing in the All-Star Game, winning a Player-of-the-Month Award, two Player-of-the-Week Awards, finishing the season with 51 homers and winning a Silver Slugger Award.  In 1991, he participated in the Home Run Derby, played in the All-Star Game, finished the season with 44 homers and won a Silver Slugger Award.  In 1993 he participated in the Home Run Derby, played in the All-Star Game and won a Player-of-the-Week Award.  He was the highest-paid player in the Majors in 1995.  He started the 1996 season as the highest-paid player in the game again with the Tigers before being traded mid-season to the Yankees, where he won a World Series.  He played another season in the Bronx and split a year between Anaheim and Cleveland before he retired.  He hit three homers in a game three times.  His son Prince is a Major League first baseman who is currently a free agent.  Cecil finished his career with 319 homers, but that won't make the cut on this list.

LF Adam Dunn, Cincinnati Reds

Dunn first came to prominence as a top prospect in the Reds organization, a distinction he held in 2000 and 2001.  In 2001 he split the season between AAA and the Majors, participating in the Futures Game on the USA Squad while in the Minors and being named to the Topps All-Rookie Team after being promoted to the Majors.  In 2002, he played in the All-Star Game and won a Player-of-the-Week Award.  He was suspended for two games in 2003 due to his participation in a brawl.  He hit 46 homers in 2004.  In 2005, he won a Player-of-the-Month Award and finished the season with 40 homers.  He hit 40 homers in 2006.  He hit 40 homers in 2007.  In 2008, he was traded to Arizona mid-season and finished the year with 40 homers.  He went to Washington in 2009, representing the USA in the World Baseball Classic during Spring Training.  He hit three homers in a game in 2010.  He spent last season with the Chicago White Sox.  He has the dubious distinction o having struck out in over 30 percent of his at-bats as a professional throughout his career.  Dunn isn't good enough to make our list yet and if he retired today he probably wouldn't profile as a Hall of Famer, but he's already hit 365 homers and he's only turning 32 next season.

3B Troy Glaus, Anaheim Angels

Glaus is a rare player who first became famous in high school after being named a High School All-American as an infielder in 1994.  He represented the USA at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta in 1996.  In 1997, he was named as a First-Team College All-American at UCLA and was drafted in the first round by the Angels.  He emerged as a top prospect with the Angels in 1998.  He won a Player-of-the-Week Award in 1999.  In 2000, he played in the All-Star Game, finished the season with 47 home runs and won a Silver Slugger Award.  In 2001, he participated in the Home Run Derby, won a Player-of-the-Week Award, finished the season with 41 homers and won a Silver Slugger Award.  In 2002, he hit three homers in a game, was suspended for two games for participating in a brawl in Spring Training, won the World Series with the Angels, and was named the World Series MVP.  In 2003, he played in the All-Star Game and won a Player-of-the-Week Award.  He played a season in Arizona before moving onto Toronto in 2006, where he participated in the Home Run Derby and played in the All-Star Game.  In 2007, he was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame for his career at UCLA and won a Player-of-the-Week Award.  He went to St. Louis in 2008, and in that same season it was revealed that he'd taken performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career.  After another season in St. Louis, he moved onto Atlanta in 2010 where he won a Player-of-the-Month Award and finished his career.  Glaus hit 320 home runs, but he doesn't profile as a Hall of Famer and doesn't make this list.  Again the PED question arises.  Without the drugs he probably wouldn't have been looked at for this list and wouldn't have gotten an honorable mention.

Lakers Move To #1 In USCHO.com Poll

Oswego edged out Norwich for the top spot in this weeks USCHO.com poll capturing seven of the twenty first place votes. The 5-1-0 Lakers have looked great in early season play with convincing wins over ranked opponents Elmria and Geneseo. Here's the full list courtesy of USCHO.com.

USCHO.com Division III Men's Poll: Novemeber 7, 2011

1. Oswego (7)
2. Norwich (6)
3. St. Norbert (4)
4. Adrian (1)
5. Plattsburgh (2)
6. Castleton
7. Utica
8. Bowdoin
9. Elmira
10. Neumann
11. Milwaukee School of
12. Wisconsin-River Falls
13. Wisconsin-Superior
14. Geneseo
15. Wisconsin-Eau Claire

110 Greatest Baseball Players

Beginning today the LeRoy Crew will countdown the list of the 110 greatest baseball players of all time.  This list has been formed after years of debate amongst the LeRoy Crew and it has been ratified by actual hand vote by the Crew.  One member, Pete, has objected to certain aspects of the list and voted against it, while all others voted in favor.  Let the countdown begin.

110.  LHP Mike Stanton, New York Yankees.

Stanton had an illustrious career and distinguished himself in two separate stints with the Yankees.  Stanton first came to prominence in the Minor Leagues when he emerged as a top prospect with the Atlanta Braves.  His career came to fruition in Atlanta, as he proved himself as a terrific setup man and a part-time closer.  After parts of two seasons with Boston and a cup of coffee in Texas, Stanton landed in New York where he really made his mark.  He became infamous for his five-game suspension in 1998 when he intentionally hit OF Eric Davis with a pitch.  He was also part of the Yankees dynasty team that won three World Series' in a row from 1998 to 2000.  He had one of the greatest seasons in the history of the game as a setup man in 2001, when he was named to the AL All-Star team.  After finishing his time with the Yankees he went to the crosstown Mets for two years.  He was most well-known there for striking out four batters in one inning in 2004.  After his time with the Mets came to an end he went back crosstown again and rejoined the Yankees.  But his career was beginning to decline in its twilight.  After one more for the road in the Bronx he returned to Boston for another stint, but wound playing that season with three teams, including cups of coffee with both San Francisco and Washington. He then finished his career by playing a year in Cincinnati.  A year after his playing career ended it was revealed that he'd taken performance enhancing drugs throughout his career, but this list was based on his on-field performance and measurable empirical data, not speculative arguments about how much his career was aided by PEDs.  And what about his career?  His career is most outstanding for its longevity, with 19 seasons in the bigs.  Some say that longevity doesn't count for much, but remember that Stanton was a setup man and setup men come and go.  They're basically dime a dozen players.  So when one lasts for 19 seasons it's a pretty good bet that he was a good pitcher.  And Stanton was one of the best setup men to ever play the game.  He finished his career with 68 wins, 63 losses, 84 saves, and 895 strikeouts.  But the real testimony to his greatness?  He pitched in 1,178 games throughout his career and maintained a 3.92 ERA.  Clearly, he was as a reliable setup man as there was in his time.  But the PEDs are disturbing and I am forced to admit that had it not been for the drugs, he probably wouldn't have made it on this list.

Honorable mention:

CF Otis Nixon, Atlanta Braves

Nixon had a great career where he distinguished himself with two separate stints with the Braves.  He began his career with the Yankees, where he first became known as a top prospect and a terror on the basepaths in the Minor Leagues, stealing 70 or more bases three times.  He then spent parts of four seasons with Cleveland where he made his mark as a pinch runner and defensive outfielder.  He then went to Montreal where he once again combined to steal 70 bases between the Major Leagues and the Minor Leagues.  He stayed there for two more years.  He then went to Atlanta where he stole 70 plus bases in the Majors for the first time in 1991.  He was also known for his tumultuous behavior in Atlanta, being suspended twice in 1991, the first time a four-game bid for charging the mound and the second time for the remainder of the season (and the postseason) due to cocaine-related charges.  He played with the Braves for two more years.  Nixon played a year in Boston, a year in Texas, parts of two years in Toronto, had a cup of coffee with the Dodgers, and a year in Minnesota before he returned to finish his career with the Braves.  When you look at his stat line you probably see a Hall of Famer, as he finished his career with over 600 stolen bases, but his cocaine addiction probably ruined any chance of him being enshrined in Cooperstown.  Hall of Famer or naught, Nixon still wasn't good enough to crack this list.

1B Richie Sexson, Milwaukee Brewers

Sexson first came to prominence in the Minor Leagues when he was named the Carolina League MVP in 1995.  He then gained notice over the next couple of years as a top prospect with the Indians.  After Jim Thome was permanently moved to first base Sexson was traded to the Brewers, where he really made his mark.  He gained national media attention when he hit three home runs in a game in 2001, and was hailed as a star when he finished the season with 45 homers.  In 2002, he participated in the Home Run Derby, was named to the National League All-Star team, and won a Player of the Week Award in the second half of the season.  In 2003, he again participated in the Home Run Derby and was again an All-Star, hit three home runs in a game again and finished the season with 45 homers again.  Sexson played a season in Arizona and then moved onto Seattle where he became notorious for two suspensions in 2005, one two-game bid for throwing garbage onto the filed following a strikeout and a subsequent one-game suspension for arguing balls and strikes.  He was suspended again with Seattle in 2008 for six games after charging the mound.  He was released by the Mariners shortly thereafter and finished his career with a cup of coffee with the Yankees.  Sexson finished his career with over 300 home runs, but that's not good enough to get him named to this list.

LF Vince Coleman, St. Louis Cardinals

Coleman first came to prminence in the Minor Leagues, stealing 145 bases in A ball in 1983 and another 101 the next season at AAA.  He eventually finished his Minor League career with 307 stolen bases.  He then brought his act to the Majors with the Cardinals in 1985, stealing 110 bases, being named to the Topps All-Rookie Team and winning the National League Rookie of the Year Award.  In 1986 he won a Player of the Week Award and stole 107 bases.  He stole 109 bases in 1987.  In 1988 he made the National League All-Star team and stole 81 bases.  He made the All-Star team again in 1989.  He finished his career with the Cardinals by stealing 77 bases in 1990.  He then spent three seasons with the Mets, parts of two seasons with Kansas City, had a cup of coffee with Seattle, spent a season in Cincinnati and finished his career in Detroit.  Coleman was stole 752 bases in his career and probably should have been a Hall of Famer, but was declined entry by the BBWAA, due in no small part to a rape allegation and an incident in which he blinded a fan with a firecracker.  Despite his obvious base stealing abilities and the fact that he may have been the fastest player ever to step on a baseball field he still isn't good enough to make this list.