This work uses practical measures to scientifically rank major league players, position by position, according to their offensive and defensive skills. The author has adjusted individual statistics for the era in which the player was active and for the “home park factor” in order to put all eligible players on a level playing field. For each position, the author has identified the top contenders for best offensive, defensive and all-around player, and provides a brief history of each of the candidates.

William F. McNeil is a longtime baseball historian and the author of numerous books on the game. A member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), he is the recipient of five Robert Peterson awards for increasing the public’s awareness of the Negro Leagues. He lives in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

William F. McNeil
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 243
Bibliographic Info: 41 photos, appendix, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2009
pISBN: 978-0-7864-3500-5
eISBN: 978-0-7864-5246-0
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      viii

Preface      1

1. Baseball’s All-Time All-Star Teams Through the Years      3

2. Methodology      13

3. The Nineteenth-Century All-Stars      36

4. Baseball’s Greatest Catchers      62

5. Baseball’s Greatest Pitchers      84

6. Baseball’s Greatest First Basemen      113

7. Baseball’s Greatest Second Basemen      133

8. Baseball’s Greatest Shortstops      147

9. Baseball’s Greatest Third Basemen      161

10. Baseball’s Greatest Right Fielders and Left Fielders      175

11. Baseball’s Greatest Center Fielders      199

12. Baseball’s Legendary All-Stars      216

Appendix: The Steroid Problem      223

Bibliography      229

Index      231