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| Photo courtesy of Goldpanners.com |
OF - 1983 Alaska Goldpanners
Bats: Left - Throws: Left
Height: 6'1" - Weight: 185 lb
Drafted: 1985, Pittsburgh, 1st round
MLB Career: 1986-2007
MLB Teams: Pittsburgh, San Francisco
UPDATE: Did I miss your favorite player? I'm accepting suggestions for a follow-up "Fan Picks" list. Check out the comments section in this post and let me know who your picks are and why.
Here it is. The end of the line. The #1 all-time ABL player is none other than Mr. Barry Bonds, the all-time home run king, both single-season and career. Barry's career in the ABL was short: he missed most of the regular season, coming up to AK just in time to join the Panners for their second-place run at the NBC title in 1983. In Alaska he barely broke the Mendoza Line and hit no homers. But he did manage to swipe four bases in six games. In any event, his punctuated summer-ball season didn't seem to hold him back. He went on to break a record or two in professional ball, as you know by now.
Now, I know what you're thinking. Steroid user? Maybe. Cheater? Probably. One of the biggest jerks to ever wear the uniform? Well, yeah.
But there's something else you cannot deny. You simply can't argue against this statement and if you try you're obviously so blinded by your anger that you cannot see reality. Barry Bonds is one of the greatest players to ever play the game, and he would have been a Hall-of-Famer even without 'roids. The irony is that he's probably done more to hurt his chances of getting in the hall by using performance enhancing drugs -- if he actually did, which is pretty much implied but has never been confessed to or otherwise proven -- than if he had "just said no". And that, my friends, is the tragedy of the man known as Barry Bonds. The man who could have been widely regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time if he didn't have a knack for destroying himself.
I will confess, I am a "hater" as much as anyone. But I can suspend those feelings for long enough to look at the objective truths. In his prime, Bonds was a five-tool player. His career may not have been as long without the alleged PEDs. He might have only hit 600 homers. He might have only had 2000 hits. Perhaps he would have only been picked to the All-Star team half as many times...that's only seven. Throw in only 2 or 3 MVP's. I'm sure he would have had plenty of steals and Gold Gloves regardless. Bonds was so far ahead of the curve, especially during his early years when we can assume his talent was more "natural", I really truly believe that he was naturally an elite player. And, yeah, OK, so I want to write something controversial once in a while. But that doesn't matter. Bonds is the #1 greatest all-time ABL Player and I don't care what anyone thinks!
Well there, there it is, take it or leave it. And with that we conclude our countdown of the greatest ABL players of all time. The list recap is below. How would you have done it different? Who did I miss (sorry to the person who suggested Wally Joyner!) You can leave your comments and let me know. Anyway, here's the list again:
#1-#10 individually:
1) Barry Bonds
2) Randy Johnson
3) Jeff Kent
4) John Olerud
5) Mark Grace
6) Jason Giambi
7) Mark McGwire
8) Luis Gonzalez
9) Jimmy Key
10) JD Drew
#11-#15 combined:
11) Jeff Cirillo
12) JT Snow
13) Eric Karros
14) Keith Flouke
15) Terry Francona
#16-20 combined:
16) Bobby Thigpen
17) Geoff Jenkins
18) Rich Aurilia
19) Craig Counsell
20) Dan Plesac
Excellent series. I'd love to share how I'd do it differently but to be honest, everything I know about the ABL is because of your site. I didn't know that all these great players were a part of this little known league. This is why I love this blog! Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteBret Boone?
ReplyDeleteTom Seaver?
ReplyDeletePerhaps you should do a series mentioning the many great players who played in Alaska that you left off the list...I think you really limited yourself by saying only certain years was there a league....actually ask any GM up here and they will tell you that there really is no league..just because only 2 or 3 teams existed in the "Early years" does not mean that you are not a league..it was just as much a league than as it is now...surely if you included all years your list would be quite different...I mean really 4 North Pole Nicks players....How about Rick Auguilera,Aaron Boone,Rick Cerone,Casey CandelMark Gardner,Eddie Guardaro,Chris Gwynn,Darryl Hamilton,Mickey Hatcher,Eric Hinske,Steve Howe, Cy Young winner Randy Jones,Bobby Thigpen,Chris Chambliss or Ken Phelps just to mention a few....Lastly, I think putting Barry Bonds as the #1 all time ABLer is just wrong...not because of his drug issues but simply because he was only a Panner for 2 weeks and was simply picked up for Wichita...he was a pick up for a tournament not a true Alaska player...ther is a long list of noteable players that were picked up to go to the NBC at the end of the year that were not part of an Alaska team all year....Sorry if this all seems to critical but you did ask for input!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous Poster(s):
ReplyDeleteLike you said, I asked for input and I think that your suggestions are great. I based my rankings and methods merely off of my own opinion. I realize in doing so that there will be disagreement. I don't see that as a bad thing at all because my goals with this series was to foster discussion amongst fans and expose some of the great players in the history of the league. Anything to generate more discussion about these guys and add to the list only helps further these goals.
I also REALLY dig the idea about doing a post about the players I left off. I would really like to keep this discussion going and maybe do a follow-up next week, something like "Top ABL Players: Fan Picks".
It would just be an open thing...no qualifications, just your top players and why you picked them. I'll list them all, maybe include some of my comments and readers' thoughts, and link back to these comments in case people want more in-depth discussion. Does that sound like something interesting?
Again, I want to write things that people will read, and build discussion around them. I'm appreciative of all constructive comments so anyone with anything thoughtful to add, please do so.
As much as I despise this guy, good call for #1. He is definitely the most prolific major leaguer to come out of Alaska.
ReplyDeleteThis is fun, and I love your blog and your Twitter feed. I think most of your list makes decent sense, but I'm completely bewildered by your including some of these guys and leaving out Hall of Famers Dave Winfield and Tom Seaver. Did I miss something in an earlier post about criteria that would exclude them?
ReplyDeleteKesler: there is a reason, and I may have already explained it, but for the sake of those just joining us I'll go over it (hopefully) briefly.
ReplyDeleteThe Goldpanners of Fairbanks have been around since 1960. At that point, they were the only team in the state. In 1969 the Anchorage Glacier pilots were founded and the two teams played each other sometimes, and contested for the right to represent the state at the NBC tourney. But I don't believe that it was until the Oilers were founded in 1973 that the teams met and made much of a coordinated schedule, agreement on rules, etc. So I determined that the cutoff for "league" players to be 1973 and later.
Now, you could argue against this. One reason, as has been mentioned above, is that even today it's not so much of a "league" with a central authority as it is a federation of independent teams. Sure. But this is still far more organized than it was when there was only ONE team in the "league". That's my logic, take it or leave it.
Another quick comment on that topic before we move on....I'm not saying my way is better or worse than any others. I will gladly accept pre-1973 players for the Fan Picks article.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the explanation about pre-1973. I knew there had to be something I was missing. That makes sense.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, just to defend myself...I *DID* pick Bobby Thigpen. Just sayin'
ReplyDelete