1. Who was your favorite player when you were growing up?

This page should answer that.

2. Why?

The hero of the Miracle Mets, the personable and youthful personification of that team.

3. What do you most remember about that player?

My single greatest memory of Seaver was attending the game where he beat the Yankees to win his 300th game. At Yankee Stadium, no less, with everyone rooting for the Yankees to lose. Great theater.

4. Did you ever come into contact with him?

Nope.

5. Do you have any special memorabilia (baseball card, autograph, etc.)?

My ticket stub and scorebook -- along with a bunch of clippings -- from that 300th win.

1. Alomar
2. Was probably the best player on the 93 Jays, which is when I first started watching baseball
3. That catch in game 1 of the 93 WS
4. NOpe
5. Nope.

Carlton Fisk
He's a prick, but he is still the player that I think most embodies what I like about the game.

1. Matt Nokes
2. I geniunely have no idea, I guess because he hit 22 HRs for the Yankees one year
3. Cruelly, him striking out to end a game I went to with my day camp one summer.
4. Nope
5. An autographed card that I wrote to him and he very nicely signed and returned

1. Dale Murphy
2. Best player (by a lot) on my favorite team.
3. How great a hitter he was when he was using the opposite field. And a Sports Illustrated cover when he won his 2nd MVP that made him look like a space alien.
4. No.
5. I had that cover for a long time but no longer do.

1. Don Mattingly
2. He was the only legit All-star on the first Yankee teams I remember. He played hard, he used to be great and his sucked, he was some kind of tragic hero for me.
3. First game at Yankee stadium in 93, Mattingly hits a shot, everyone thinks its gone, hits off the top of the wall for a double. Some jackass in the stands screams "thats why you'll never win a ring Mattingly". Still really bothers me.
4. Nah.
5. Not really.

1. Dave Winfield
2. I grew up (a short, skinny white kid from Long Island) telling people I looked exactly like him, and volunteered to play RF in Little League just to be more like him, even though me and flyballs is a very, very bad combination, especially at that age, before I realized I needed glasses.
3. Him and Don Mattingly hitting back to back doubles in the bottom of the ninth to win the first game I ever attended at Yankee Stadium.
4.nope
5. An autographed ball, his Padres rookie card, and a very worn signature series franklin glove. Also, any wooden bats I buy now, I always get the half black/half natural style that he used.

KIKO GARCIA AND TITO LANDRUM!!!!

THEY HAVE FUNNY FIRST NAMES!!!!

FOR KIKO, IT WAS SEEING HIM IN THAT BRIGHT ORIOLE ORANGE, AND FOR TITO IT WAS THE FARTHEST PRE-MAC HOME RUN I'D EVER SEEN AT BUSCH STADIUM!!!

NOPE, BUT I DID MEET STAN MUSIAL AND HE'S THE GREATEST!!!!!!

I HAVE KIKO AND TITO BASEBALL CARDS I'M HIDING FROM THE LITTLE TOLAXORS, AND I HAVE AN AUTOGRAPH FROM WHEN I MET STAN!!!

1) Eric Davis.

2) His combination of speed & power, his poetic defense, his solid character. He was the lynchpin of a good Reds team in the mid 80's, and the heart of the 1990 Champs. There is also a certain bittersweet pathos about him: all the talent and potential sapped by all the injuries, but he wouldn't stay broken, he kept coming back.

3) The list is too long, but here's a couple: walkoff to the upper deck against the Giants, that hands-down-low stance, he was a virtual guarantee to steal third every time he hit a double, that pinch hit homer in the playoffs while he was undergoing chemo, etc etc etc

4) No but I sent him a get well card after he tore his kidney in the World Series.

5) His rookie card and a couple others.


Damn, getting all nostalgic. He was the hero of my youth, as well as my brothers Jeff & Andy.

1. Brian Downing

2. There was nothing fancy about him. He just went out every day and worked as hard as he could at his job. And he always seemed to come through in big moments.

3. The Good: Getting beaned by Calvin Schiraldi in game 4 of the 1986 ALCS. Late '80s I vividly remember a home run he hit to right field at a game I attended. Don't know why I remember it, but I do.

The Bad: When Donnie Moore gave up the home run to Henderson, there is a precise moment where Downing's shoulders slump as he realizes the ball is gone. That's the precise moment that the Angels lost that series.

4. No.

5. I bought his bobblehead, part of an exclusive fan giveaway, on ebay, so I have that. And I pay for the sponsorship of his baseball reference page.

3. The Good: Getting beaned by Calvin Schiraldi in game 4 of the 1986 ALCS.

I should say, that was good because it came with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth and drove in the tying run.

1. Dave Winfield
2. He just seemed to be able to do it all back then, he could hit for power, he could run, he could throw.
3. This game, where he homered twice and threw out a runner.
4. No
5. No

1. The greatest pitcher in the history of the National League. No, not Tom Seaver.

2. The nerdiness grew on me.

3. The Eric Gregg Game.

4. No.

5. I had two rookie cards that my mother gave me for my birthday a couple years ago. I gave them back to her when he started getting knocked around immediately afterward.

1. Tim Teufel and Will Clark

2. Not sure, I was just drawn to him while watching the crappy mid-80s Twins teams (I was keeping score by the age of 4 and my family had season tickets so it does make sense even if I was extremely young). Oh, and he shared my name.

3. No particular memory of Teufel except him getting traded away for the Billy Beane. As for Clark, I remember him dominating the 1989 NLCS and infuriating my Cubs-loving cousin.

4. Never bumped into Teufel, I tried to get Clark's autograph during BP once and he just ignored me.

5. I don't believe I have any Teufel memorabilia. As for Clark, I have about 250 of his baseball cards from back when I used to collect including one that is signed (he sent it back in the mail). I also have an autographed bat.

What a great idea for an article...

1. Who was your favorite player when you were growing up?
Kirk Gibson.

2. Why?
When he came to the Dodgers in 1988, he instantly became the most intense and bestest player on the team. He was already my favorite player by the end of April that year. And when you're 11 years old and your favorite player happens to hit the most dramatic homer in baseball history... well, you tend to remember that.

3. What do you most remember about that player?
Honestly, not the home run, but the game he won in August 1988 by scoring from second base on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 9th. I still remember Don Drysdale's call word-for-word: "And the ball gets by Santovenia... HERE COMES GIBSON! He's gonna keep on coming! The throw to the plate-- HE SCORES! DODGERS WIN!"

4. Did you ever come into contact with him?
I've never met Gibson. However, once when he did a rehab assignment in Albuquerque, I sent him a letter asking for his autograph and he replied. (I figured I'd have a better chance since not many kids would think of writing him there.)

Later, as a grownup journalist, I was able to interview him over the phone. I tried not to fawn but I'm not sure I succeeded.

5. Do you have any special memorabilia (baseball card, autograph, etc.)?
Does the Pope sh** in the woods?

Pennants, posters, anything with Gibson's name on it, I owned it. I used to have an entire album exclusively dedicated to Gibson: baseball cards, autographs, photos, etc. It's still around, although I haven't looked at it in a while.

1. Who was your favorite player when you were growing up?

Two guys

2. Why?

Two guys


3. What do you most remember about that player?

Durham: that he let me down big time by getting busted as a cokehead.

Baines: steady, consistent, modest never talking, always hitting good. I also remember his first at bat in Comiskey after the Sosa trade when the crowd went apeshit with a standing ovation, someone threw a (Baines 3 retired numbe sign over the OF wall) and Harold had to step out of the box and wave to the crowd to get them to calm down. I remember how wildly unpopular that trade had been (the Trib ran a special bit on it on the one-year anniverary of it). I remember he hit a homer at the first game I ever attended. The only time I ever sat in a skybox was at an Orioles-White Sox game. Baines made a stupid out (got hit by a batted ball while running to second) but ended the game with a great great diving catch (yes, he could field once upon a time).

He was a like a combination of Charlie Gehringer and Bob Love - always dependable and always silent.

Finally, I remember the first half of his '99 season when it looked like he was going to improbably set new career highs in everything, only to crash and never rise up again.

4. Did you ever come into contact with him?

Nope.

5. Do you have any special memorabilia (baseball card, autograph, etc.)?

I trade a '84 Traded series Dwight Gooden for a postcard size Donruss Baines, a similar Gooden card, a Terry Landrum error rookie card, and a Rickey Henderson rookie card. Nice move by me, but the Henderson one overshadows the Baines momento, which is fitting I guess for the silent slugger.

2. Why?

Two guys games.

1. Dale Murphy
2. He was the best player on some very crappy teams.
3. Was really great with the fans before the game started, signing autographs and being very giving of his time.
4. Yes, sort of. Some pre-game chatter while signing autographs.
5. Yes. I've got 2 cards that I had him autograph before the game as well as a poster that featured all the 1980 Braves, a team baseball and a bat card I pulled a year ago.

1. A succession of White Sox players were favorites of mine while growing up: Dick Allen, Ken Henderson, Eric Soderholm. None stayed with the Sox long. My alltime favorite player is Harold Baines, even though he's only a few years older than I am.

2. Even when he was the youngest member of the team, he carried himself like a quiet leader. He didn't celebrate homers or throw his helmet when he struck out. He didn't complain to umpires. And every summer, there would be a two-week stretch when nobody could get him out.

3. His batting stance, with the lead foot lightly touching the dirt, then kicking high to time his Lau-style swing. The way he could drive the ball to the opposite field. He wasn't a big slugger, but probably hit as many opposite-field homers as anyone.

4. No.

5. A rookie card, nothing more.

1) Mark McGwire

2) He broke into the league on a tear the year I first started following baseball.

3) Going to this game. McGwire hit the GW HR in the 8th.

4) No.

5) I have a Mark McGwire clock, poster, and rookie card shoved in a closet somewhere at my parents' house.

Frank White

Sublime defense on the turf, contrary to the era pop for a 2b in the 70s.

Sparkling defensive plays almost every game - leaping high to snag would be doubles, his range, esp in the early years, HR in all-star game, solid citizen. And he was the subject of one of my fave SABR ignorant statements you would hear from Royals fans all the time: Frank White's defense is worth a run a game.

no contact, no problem.

Every topps Frank White baseball card from his rookier year through retirement.

1) Pete Rose
2) I bought into all the hype
3) Slapping singles and flying around first base in case the outfielder bobbled the ball
4) No. Thank goodness.
5) Probably some old baseball cards. I would have burned anything he touched. He was my first great betrayal.

My ticket stub and scorebook -- along with a bunch of clippings -- from that 300th win

I was at that game, too, in the right field stands with a bunch of Met fans. I was no Mets fan, but it was a chance to see history and root against the Yankees. It's still my only game in Yankee Stadium.Thanks for jogging the memory, Sam M

1. Rod Carew, baby.

2. Sweet-swingin' slap hitter for my favorite team when I first started rooting for them in the early 1980's. Quiet, professional, and extremely proficient at his craft — qualities that my father also possessed, and ones I wanted to emulate.

3. His batting stance looked as if he were power-sliding on rollerblades, with the bat held parallel to the ground, twirling slowly and loosely in his hands. Everything was a single to left-center.

4. No.

5. A couple of cards, and a couple of bobbleheads of him.

I am totally with Sam M. on this one. Sam may have been the guy I spilled beer on during the game of 8/4/85.

I met The Franchise at a card show once. It was pretty uneventful. I have his rookie card, which somehow is less coveted than Ryan's.

Also-

1. Joe Namath

2. The coolest most electrifying player an 8-12 year old can have the pleasure to watch.

3. 44-34 vs. Colts 1972.

4. No.

5. None.

1. This guy.

2. He was the starting pitcher in the first two games I ever watched, including the one where he pinned Roger Clemens with his first loss of the '86 season, a 4-2 Jays victory. Didn't have the best arm, but he made up for that by doing everything else right - good fielder, left-handed, good pickoff move, intelligent, composed, great control.

3. Game 4 of the '92 Series.

4. Never met him (or any ballplayer) but his wife used to go to the video store where my brother worked.

5. I've got a poster that I've since had framed.

1. Who was your favorite player when you were growing up?

Johnny Ray.

2. Why?

There wasn't much else to cheer about with the 1986 Pirates.

3. What do you most remember about that player?

Staying up late at my grandparents' house to watch him in the '88 All-Star game, even though he'd been traded to the Angels.

4. Did you ever come into contact with him?

No.

5. Do you have any special memorabilia (baseball card, autograph, etc.)?

The card from my '86 team set.

My single greatest memory of Seaver was attending the game where he beat the Yankees to win his 300th game.

One of my strongest memories of Harold Baines was his outstanding catch against the wall in the ninth inning to help preserve Seaver's 300th win.

What SamM said... (I say that a lot, don't I?)

1) Mark Grace
2) Not sure, I think my Dad liked him. To be fair, I didn't get really into baseball until I was 15 during Wood's 20K game. Since then, Wood has been my favorite.
3) For some reason, all the other good Cubs were never playing when I went ot the games. Someone was always getting a rest the day I went to the game. Except Grace. I suppose its coincidence, but that stuck with me.


That and cursing at my computer when I downloaded a clip of him after the 2001 WS.... I've been convinced by Retro-Shiite that I shouldn't like him anymore.

4)nope
5)nope

Also-

1. Joe Namath

2. The coolest most electrifying player an 8-12 year old can have the pleasure to watch.

3. 44-34 vs. Colts 1972.

4. No.

5. None.


If we're doing football (my baseball answer is in part deux of this article), I was a Dave Casper fan. I always liked the tight end position because of the dual lineman receiver role. ANd the Raiders seemed to be in the playoffs often when I was a kid, so I saw them alot during the Madden era. I wrote a letter to him in grade school, but Idon't remember if I ever sent it.

1. Barry Larkin
2. IMO, best all-around player in the NL over the peak of his career.
3. That my mom went to the game in which he hit 3HR
4. Nope.
5. Just my hope that he'll make it into the HoF.

Honorable mention: Saberhagen. As Saberhagen, I could strike out my older brother at-will on RBI Baseball. He won everything else.

1) Larry Walker
2) I was at his MTL debut and was so thrilled that he was a Canadian playing for the Expos
3) When he threw out (a guy I can't remember) at first base after the batter loafed a bit thinking he had a sure single.
4) I met him on an Expos Winter Caravan in 1993. Looking back, I'm a little embarassed to admit that I said to his wife, "You're a very lucky woman..."
5) I have a photo with us together and an autographed baseball I keep on my desk at home.

Re: 9's Eric Davis moments

How could you exclude the homer in the first inning of Game 1 of the 1990 WS?

Of course, I got to be there, and was the second blow to Oakland immortality in two halves of an inning. (Rijo sitting down the A's in the top of the first was the first)

How could you exclude the homer in the first inning of Game 1 of the 1990 WS?

I didn't exclude it per se, there simply isn't enough bandwidth on the web for me to include all my Eric Davis moments.

1.) Carlton Fisk

2.) At a very young age, receiving a pile of early '80s Pudge baseball cards was my first step in being a fan of the ChiSox and the game, generally. Later, I came to appreciate the dedication, durability and consistency he brought to my favorite team(s).

3.) Despite his lasting images ('75 WS, Yanks fight, Deion conflict) my strongest memory will always be his last game at Comiskey, riding the Harley. I also cherish the huge number of mediocre catchers he overshadowed (Karko, Merullo, Skinner) in his time with Chicago.

4.)Nope
5.)The mentioned cards and piles of dusty miscellany

Joe Namath

Aw, hell, if we're doing favorite athlete of all time...

1. Tim Hardaway

2. From ages 8-12, he was the best player on my beloved UTEP Miners. Best crossover dribble of all time (Iverson carries the ball). The most exciting college basketball player I've ever seen. (Brevin Knight would be second.)

3. Favorite moment would be the 1989 NCAA tournament, when Hardaway went off for 33 points/9 assists, knocking out LSU and Chris Jackson's overrated áss.

4. Met him dozens of times. The parents of a kid on my B-Ball team were Hardaway's "host family" while he was in college, so he used to come to watch many of our games and give us pointers. I also attended his basketball camp.

5. Memorabilia? Yeah, tons of it. I was obsessed.

1) Lloyd Moseby

2) He struck me as cool. I liked his nickname ("Shaker"). He played center field. He was fast and could hit for power. His name seemed unusual to me for some reason. He played for my favorite team.

3) General memory: The way he looked at the plate -- very eager to swing, wired up, agitated and the fact that he would often miss BADLY on sweeping breaking balls.

Specific memory: The pennant-clinching series in October 1985 versus the Yankees. Moseby made the error that led to the winning run in a 4-3 loss on Friday, but came back to homer in the clincher the next night.

4) Never seen the man in the flesh, though I was pumped when he was the Jays first base coach for a brief time recently.

5) Somewhere, I have a SI from around 1987 with Moseby on the cover. That is all.

1) Frank Robinson
2) He was the reigning ROY when I remember following baseball. (My Mom claims I listened to games when I was 3, which would have been the Kluszewski prime years.)
3) When I'd make teams out of my baseball cards and play games on my bed, he would always hit home runs and make leaping catches over the wall (my headboard). No real individual highlights, he was just awesome day in and day out.
4) No
5) Just some cards from '58 through '64. I also have a battered '57 yearbook with him on the cover.

1) Pete Incaviglia

2) He never looked terribly athletic to me, but he managed to hit the ball a mile. Besides, I always had fun watching him in the outfield.

3) No one moment stands out (I remember hearing about him hitting the ball through the wall in Pompano Beach in '86, but I never saw it), but he's prominent in many of my memories of the '86 Rangers. He was definitely the hitting sensation that year (though, upon reflection, he really wasn't all that special except for the 30 dingers).

4) Nope.

5) I remember being incredibly excited about his '87 Topps RC, though I can't say I went out of my way to get them (I bought the complete set, plus assorted packs, etc.)

1. Who was your favorite player when you were growing up?

Alan Trammell.

2. Why?

Everyone around me were Royals fans and George Brett was obviously declining. My dad was a Tigers fan and the Tigers won the '87 Division with Trammell playing my favorite position.

3. What do you most remember about that player?

It seemed like him and Lou played every single game for a few decades.

4. Did you ever come into contact with him?

Nope.

5. Do you have any special memorabilia (baseball card, autograph, etc.)?

Not really. Just a Starting Lineup figure.

1) Pete Incaviglia

2) He never looked terribly athletic to me, but he managed to hit the ball a mile. Besides, I always had fun watching him in the outfield.

3) No one moment stands out (I remember hearing about him hitting the ball through the wall in Pompano Beach in '86, but I never saw it), but he's prominent in many of my memories of the '86 Rangers. He was definitely the hitting sensation that year (though, upon reflection, he really wasn't all that special except for the 30 dingers).

4) Nope.

5) I remember being incredibly excited about his '87 Topps RC, though I can't say I went out of my way to get them (I bought the complete set, plus assorted packs, etc.)

A)From my 7-10 year old Yankee fan period

1)Reggie Jackson

2)Because he was the most exciting player on the team, he had a candy bar, and he was always in the news. I've often had a weakness for flashy athletes - I like Terrell Owens a lot, for example.

3)I don't recall watching all of his famous moments in 77-78, but I remember reading about them, especially the 3-home-run game in the World Series.

4)No

5)I got a Reggie Jackson model bat at Bat Day (in 79, I think), but it got used up.

B)From my high-school years, after I saw the light and became a Mets fan.

1)Howard Johnson.

2)Probably because my best friend was a big Ray Knight fan, so I had to take the other side.

3)His breaking out in 1987, and the stunt when he left a bat in St. Louis with corks on it - that still makes me chuckle.

4)No

5)I went to a Binghamton game last year, and he was probably about 25 feet away from me at one point.

1. Dale Murphy
2. He was the best player on my favorite team and exuded class.
3. Less memories of him and more the feeling of being glad he was on my team. Curiously, I have far stronger memories of players I liked less (like Craig McMurtry) and those from the period just after when I really fell for baseball and picked Dale as my favorite (Kal Daniels, Gregg Jeffries, some guy named Brad). Maybe the end of his career has given me a brain cloud.
4. Nope.
5. Not any more. I had a poster from a Braves' yearbook up through college (also featured Horner, Chambliss, and Washington).

I always loved watching Molitor bat.

But my favorite was Don Mattingly.

By the way, there's some competition, but the worst player on this page might be Matt Nokes.

Jon, nice company you're keeping in that article.

1. Who was your favorite player when you were growing up?

Alan Trammell (current)
Ty Cobb (historical)

2. Why?

Best player on my team growing up. Plus he played shortstop and I played shortstop. Made me into one of the only people who hated Cal Ripken.

(Cobb: Cause he's the best player in the history of Detroit and my dad used to tell me how great he was all the time. And he was a complete bad ass.)

3. What do you most remember about that player?

July 29, 1988, Trammell hits a two run homer in the bottom of the ninth to beat Texas 3-2. It landed about 2 rows in front of me and my dad.

(Cobb: Taking pleasure in rooting for the guy everyone loves to hate. Might explain my love for Bill Laimbeer.)

4. Did you ever come into contact with him?

Nope.

(Cobb: Uh...no.)

5. Do you have any special memorabilia (baseball card, autograph, etc.)?

No special memorabilia, just special memories. Thanks Alan. You too Tyrus, you ornery SOB.

(Close runner up: Kirk Gibson. For 1984 and one special at-bat in 1988.)

I just realized how cool/lucky it was that I ended up on Post #33 for Larry Walker!

1. Tie: Al Bumbry and Ken Singleton

2 & 3. Bumbry for defense, and because whenever he appeared on TWiB, and they always played "Flight of the Bumblebee." Nice to know, looking at the stats retroactively, that he actually WAS an above average centerfielder for most of those years in the 1970s.

Singleton for offense. "Come on Ken, hit it in the bullpen!" Consistently great from 75-81 in Baltimore.

4&5;. No actual contact or memorabilia. But as one of my earliest memories, I was 5 or 6 years old and my neighborhood was competely devestated by some sort of terrible blight of "tent caterpillars." The adults were in a panic, and calling exterminators, and "will we be able to save the tree" and all that. I, as a little kid, was completely oblivious to the potential for severe property damage. Instead, I had picked up 2 of the zillion caterpillars, and put them in a jar, with some sticks and leaves and two holes punched in the lid. They were my only pets. I named them "Al Caterpillar Bumbry" and "Ken Caterpillar Singleton."

1. Tim Raines
2. Before I ever heard of Bill James or this Sabrmetric crap I liked Raines because he played an exciting brand of baseball. My dad would never spring for NESN when I was younger, so I ended up watching more Braves games than Red Sox games... and I always enjoyed the Braves Expos games the most because of this really fast guy who stole a boat load of bases.
3. Grace and power. He was the best all around ball player I have ever seen. He could run, he could field (though not the best still solid), he could hit for average, he could hit for power, he had a great eye. And he was SMART... REALLY REALLy smart. Just great instincts for the game. Plus he was the first player i ever drafted in statomatic... in 1986!
4. Even though I never met him, I feel like I did. Last summer my ex-roomate and I drove up to Montreal to attend Tim Raines day, as they retired his number. There were only maybe 6,000 people at Olympic Stadium, but Rock got a 15 minute standing ovation, which maybe the loudest 6,000 people have ever been.
5. I bit of stuff. An Autographed bat, a starting lineup figure, A couple of old baseball digests from the early 80's with him on the cover. A huge collection of stuff from the retirement weekend... I really wanted an offical Raines Expos jeresy but they wanted 400 USD for it :(

1. Michael Jack Schmidt

2. Unlike most Phillies fans of that era I actually DIDNT boo Schitty. What can you say about the best 3B is the history of baseball.

3. Despite the MVPs and Playoffs etc, my favorite memory is the day he hit his 500th at Three Rivers Stadium.

4. Nope

5. A jersey and a few baseball cards I think, I used to have a cool autographed poster of him but it got lost during some move somehwere along the line.

Those 70s Phillies teams were just fun and it is easier to enjoy them now knowing they won in 80. There is nothing better than being 12 and having your team win the World Series.

1. Roberto Kelly

2. I honestly thought he was going to be the next great Yankee centerfielder, a sure-fire Hall-of-Famer. I was devestated when he was traded for Paul O'Neil.

3. I was watching a Yankee game on TV at my grandmother's house (it was a WPIX game -- we were too far away from the city to get MSG), and he was up to bat; it was during his first time up with the Yankees. My grandmother, whould couldn't have cared less about baseball, came in and asked who was up to bat. "Roberto Kelly," I said. "Oh, goody," she said. "An Irishman."

4. Nope.

5. Nope.

1. Ron Guidry
2. Left-handed, skinny, like me.
3. Fukking over the Sox in 1978. Just winning everytime he hit the hill.
4. I taught his nephew in college
5. Nope

Football:

1. Ray Guy
2. Skinny, like me. Plus he shares initials with Guidry, which I just noticed.
3. One handed catch of the bad snap against the Skins in the Super Bowl (and subsequent punt). Knew then the game was over.
4. Nope
5. Nope

1. Roberto Clemente
2. He could do everything that needed to be done on the baseball field.
3. Mostly, seeing that big #21 on his back from behind the RF screen at Forbes Field (AKA "the Knothole Gang seats").
4. No
5. I had a couple of his cards in my baseball card collection, but when I was a kid baseball cards were for flipping, trading, and putting in your bike spokes - not for keeping. They are long gone. Somewhere I still have a baseball signed by the 1960 Pirates.

-- MWE

1. Who was your favorite player when you were growing up?

Lance Blankenship

2. Why?

I grew up in Berkeley rooting for the A's. He went to Berkeley and played for the A's. He was also the same kind of player I was, 2B, all speed and patience, but otherwise couldn't hit.

3. What do you most remember about that player?

When I first got the 1990 set of Pursue the Pennant cards, I suggested to my brother that we make teams of our favorite players. I picked Blankenship. He took Barry Bonds. It's not always advantageous to fall in love with utility infielders.

4. Did you ever come into contact with him?

No.

5. Do you have any special memorabilia (baseball card, autograph, etc.)?

The only jersey I own. He wore it in a game.

1- George Brett, Darrell Porter

2- George Brett was the one I HAD to like best because we were Royals fans. I picked Porter off of a Royals place mat we had when I was 2-4 years old. He had glasses (like my dad). I think that's why I liked him.

3- My most vivid memories of George Brett specifically were his run for the batting title in 1990 and his run to 3,000 hits in 1992. He had a horrible first half both those years and ended up doing great in the second half to get those goals anyway. I, of course, remember 1985 and all its glory as well. For Porter, I remember watching the 1982 World Series (I was 5). I had a one of those plastic helmets I would hold over my heart during the national anthem. Porter won the MVP of both the NLCS and World Series that year.

4- I never met either of them, but I meet my current favorite, Morgan Ensberg, when he spoke at our church a couple of weeks ago. I was in charge of meeting him and getting him set up and everything. We talked about a lot of things. He's the nicest, most genuine guy you could meet. And to top it off, someone asked Morgan during the Q & A time who HIS favorite player growing up was. His answer: George Brett.

5- Someone gave me a framed set of George Brett cards, and I have some of those commemorative books the Royals put out when he made the Hall. I have Darrell Porter's 1983 autobiography "Snap Me Perfect: The Darrell Porter Story," where he talk about his drug addiction and recovery. I read it when I was probably 9-10 years old. It upset me deeply when he died from cocaine a few years ago. It just goes to show how powerful those addictions can be.

1. Carlton Fisk

2. I was a catcher, for one. When the White Sox signed him as a free agent, it was a huge deal for the franchise. At the time, Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn were seen as a breath of fresh air for an organization that had struggled financially for the better part of two decades. Signing Fisk gave them credibility.

3. The most vivid specific memory is Fisk tagging out two Yankees at home plate on the same play on a Friday night in the Bronx. I was watching in the basement with my dad. The more general memory that sticks in my mind is of Fisk wearing his pants high ("bloused at the knees," as John Rooney likes to say). He had a high-stepping way of running, ever so slowly, on the basepaths.

4. Nope.

5. No. I do have an autographed ball from my second-favorite player growing up. "Best of luck, Harold Baines," it says. And I have an autographed portrait of my all-time favorite player, Frank Thomas. I've tried buying a 1981 road jersey with 72 on it (not a game-worn) -- the navy blue one with the collar -- on eBay, but I haven't been successful yet.

1. Stan Hack

2. He gave me a ball signed by many of the '38 Cubs around July of that year.

3. Our first meeting.

4. Yup.

5. Ball, bat, all kinds of stuff.

Referencing how we met my father would make the trip to Chicago once a year to ostensibly to see his older brother while at the same time see some major league baseball games. It's July(?) 1938, I'm on my first real trip away from home, and we go to Wrigley to see Cubs vs. Pirates. (of that much I am sure). So anyway, my Uncle Herb always knew the happening spots so after the game we end up at a tavern where the ballplayers would hang out.

I'm keeping myself amused when Gus Suhr came over to me, knelt down, and asked "did you enjoy the game today sonny?" I proceed to scowl fiercely and then spit out in a loud voice, "My name is NOT sonny!" thereby turning on heel and stalking away leaving Suhr on his haunches and everyone laughing.

Stan Hack, old Smiling Stan, got the guys in the bar to sign a ball, found me outside where I was reportedly hitting stones with a stick, and we end up playing catch.

We met up with Stan on a few more trips to Chicago but then the war hit, etc. so getting away wasn't so easy. I never rooted harder than I did for Stan in the '45 Series. Well, maybe for Robin in the '82 Series. But it's close.

Just curious, Harvey: How did you make the transition from a Cubs fan to a Braves fan (if you did), and then later to a Brewers fan? Was it gradual, or did you adopt the Milwaukee teams right away?

1. Mickey Mantle
2. I grew up in NY in the '60s
3. Pinch hit a ground rule double in the first MLB game I ever attended
4. Years after he retired when he was pitching Natural Light, he walked into a bar I happened to be hanging out at and bought a round (actually, he didn't buy us the beers, b ut you knew that); as an aside, I once met Muhammad Ali at the same bar.
5. My son got a gift card to a local memorabilia shop for his ninth birthday, and spent it on a photo of Mantle from his rookie year; it's hanging in his room, not mine, but it was still a pretty awesome gesture on the kid's part; you young whippersnappers might understand when you grow up and have kids of your own.

favorite player:

1. Fernando Valenzuela (Pedro Guerrero and Rickey Henderson were close behind)

2. Fernandomania + being too young and naive to realize players won't maintain 0.50 ERA's for an entire season.

3. Besides his famous delivery, the scroogie, and his portliness, two anecdotes, which are perhaps apocryphal, but sum up his image in those early years:

a) Vin Scully related that prior to a game in Houston which Fernando would start, Fernando looked outside, saw rain, and wondered, "I wonder if we'll be able to play today?"

b) Jay Johnstone (or was it Steve Garvey) poured shampoo into Fernando's hair as he rinsed with his eyes closed. It apparently went on for a while before Fernando figured it out.

4. Nope.

5. My first internet usernames in '94 were based on his name, but those are long gone.

Kirby:

The Brewers existed then as part of the American Association (pretty sure--memory's going) and we would go to those games. But I was just a baseball fan. I became a Stan Hack fan that's for sure.

I was overseas for most of the 50's so missed many of the best Braves moments. But again, I identified with any baseball I could see in person as opposed to focussing on one team from afar.

I probably didn't "have" a team until the latest version of the Brewers arrived. Around the same time I had stopped dragging the family hither and yon so it was something of a harmonic convergence. Of course, the wife has said MORE THAN A FEW TIMES that if she had known all it would take for her to be able to stop packing and grow a garden she would have bought a blankety-blank team herself and dropped them in next door.

Lloyd Moseby. I liked his smile. And I was a quick, limited power, no walking centerfielder as well. Stieb, too.

My favorite Fernando memory is the lasso. You guys remember that?

He didn't speak any English the first few years and therefore was extremely quiet in the clubhouse. But he loved playing practical jokes, and his favorite trick was walking around the clubhouse/dugout with a rope and lassoing players like steers whenever they weren't expecting it. He was very good at it, too.

1. Catfish Hunter.
2. Backbone of the A's and Yankees championship teams of the 1970s, and I thought the nickname and mustache where the coolest.
3. Everyone liked Catfish, teammates, fans, the press. Loved how he some how came back from injuries in 1978 to help the Yankees take the title from the Sox.
4. Nope.
5. The biggest news after the 1974 season was that the Yankees landed Catfish. I had the 1975 Topps card of Catfish, which I loved. He was in the bright A's uniform with the yellow jersey. The first card of Catfish as a Yankee was put out by Hostess, in 1975, when they had three cards on the bottom of each box of snack cakes. My family was so poor, I couldn't afford a box of Twinkees with Catfish (as a Yankee) on the bottom. But, I wanted that card sooooo bad. So, I stole the whole damn box from the supermarket. I don't have that card any more, but I've thought about buying it off ebay.

Hey Harvey, my dad's favorite player was Stan Hack.

For me it was Willie Mays. I don't think that really needs much explanation. My 2 favorite Mays moments:

1. Watching him hit a HR in the bottom of the eighth on the last day of the 1962 season to break a 1-1 tie and let the Giants tie the Dodgers for first.

2. Watching him score from first on a single to left in the 12th inning to beat the Dodgers 4-3.

1. Who was your favorite player when you were growing up? 2. Why? 3. What do you most remember about that player? 4. Did you ever come into contact with him? 5. Do you have any special memorabilia (baseball card, autograph, etc.)?

1. George Brett
2. My dad took me to a game at Royals Stadium in 1975, we sat on the 3rd baseline, and the rest is history.
3. The summer of '80. We lived close to KC and, when he was hovering above .400, everyone all over town was carrying around radios and talking about it all day long.
4. When I was 8 years old, he signed an 8x10 for me at a Sears.
5. His RC and all his cards through '85. 3 years ago, my sister got me an autographed ball for Christmas.

Oh man.

I could answer "Pass" for 2-3-4-5, but I'll give it a shot.

1) Jose Canseco

2) I had never seen at-bats as exciting as his before. Of course, I had really only seen the mid-1980s Sox lineups for comparison, before Big Frank.

3) Positive memories -- that homer he hit in the Skydome was one, and it was great to see him in a Sox uniform for half a season. He hit the longest foul ball I'd ever seen that game.
Negative memories -- Heh. Besides the roiding (then and now), the ball off the head, the gun in the car, the pitching disaster, the injuries, and the so-called blacklisting? None.
As a result, I basically am still trying to figure out how to deal with the fact that my favorite ballplayer is one of the game's biggest ########.

4) No, and I'm glad I didn't. I'd love to give him a piece of my mind, but like that would matter.

5) I just have the usual -- tons of cards, Starting Lineups, etc.

1) George Brett
2) a) born in Kansas City in 1977; b) provided efficient way for a shy, mumbling kid to correct the impression that his first name was "Brad" (said designation shared w/ Saberhagen post-1984)
3) The first game I scored
4) No
5) One copy of "Brettball," a low-rent table-top baseball game

"Carlton Fisk
He's a prick, but he is still the player that I think most embodies what I like about the game. "

I honestly can't say if he's a prick or not, but he was my favourite player growing up.

The Vancouver Canadians (AAA at the time) had the White Sox as their major league affiliate. I just latched onto Carlton Fisk for some reason because he seemed to 'embody what I like about the game'

I later turned to Frank Thomas as my favourite player once Fisk was put to pasture. I must have a thing for moody guys.

I probably have a few $.05 baseball cards, but nothing special.

I must say that this was an enjoyable read and a great idea for an article.

As for the guy who picked Canseco...I don't think he should be ashamed at all. Canseco was one of the more entertaining ball players to watch. Between the monster home runs, stolen bases, and blooper-reel defense, he was always one of my favourites to watch.

1) Will 'The Thrill/The Shrill' Clark
2) His joining the Giants happened about the same time I started following baseball, which wasn't until high school. My friends were Giants fans, so they became my team to. And a lifetime of baseball misery commences, thanks A's and Angels...
3) That sweet swing, that shrill voice, the goofy middle name. Skipping school to head out to the 'Stick for day games.
4) Nope.
5) Nope.

Nuschler!

I've always thought that should be some sort of expletive.

My favorite current player is also Frank Thomas, whom I've followed since he was pounding pitchers in AA. Lately I seem to have an affinity for supremely talented players who are disliked by the media: Thomas, A-Rod, Bonds.

1. Tim Raines

What are his chances at the Hall of Fame?

My Favorite
1. Joe Carter
2. He was the best player on those awful Indian teams (except maybe Julio Franco...remember him?)
3. The Homer and Joe hopping all round the bases, but by that time the Tribe was 2 teams ago.
4. No personal contact
5. He did send me back a signed Topps "Indians Team Leaders" card with a picture of him and Cory Snyder on it.

1)Nolan Ryan
2)Most famous player on the '80s Astros teams of my youth.
3)My greatest memory was in 1987 or 1988 when he took a no hitter one out into the 9th inning but was broken up by Mike Schmidt. Dave Smith, in typical Dave Smith fashion, came in, gave up the tying run, then vultured the win.
4)No
5)I have several of his baseball cards, best is 1981 topps.

1) Will Clark/Mike Stanley
2) Louisiana guy, sweet swing/no earthly idea
3) The Swing (TM)/Underrated player, crux of argument between myself and Bobby Valentine, the season where he hit .300 with 28 homers.
4) Yes, at a signing in a grocery store/Never.
5) Gobs of it - signed card, ball - framed things I put together/Nothing.

1. Wally Joyner

2. I was at a young and impressionable age when he had his rookie year, and he was always a nice guy and someone easy to root for.

3. There was a great series in AnaheimLos Angeles in 1991 where Wally won three straight games: he hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to erase a two-run deficit one night, singled in two to win in the 10th(?) the next, and was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to win the game in the bottom of the 9th the next afternoon. Wow, I need to check Retrosheet ...

... also, remember when Texas thought Dean Palmer could play LF? Wally got two doubles to left off of bloopers down the line, where he just took these outside off-speed pitches and dumped it down the line, and kept running because he knew Palmer didn't have a clue out there.

My other "favorite" moment was JT Snow completely whiffing on Luis Sojo's triple in the 1995 one-game playoff, because I know that Wally would have made the play with relative ease.

4. No.

5. I have several baseball cards and some magazine articles somewhere ...

1. Hubie Brooks
2. Cool name
3. I was at the game where he set the then Met record hitting streak @ 24 games
4. Nope
5. Just the tons of Met scorecards and Baseball card from the era.

RB in the UK,

I was at a Tigers game in 1987, and Chuck Morgan, the Rangers' PA guy, introduced Nokes as "Matt Snokes". This was so close to "The Snorks" (the TV show), and so weird sounding, that from that day on, he's been Matt Snokes to me.

About Fisk, I remember in sixth grade in 1993, I had worn a Sox jacket to school. The local paper came by to ask questions to young Sox fans, so they took everybody with Sox clothes on and asked them a question or two.

I was in the photopoll with three other kids. The question was "Who is your favorite Sox player?"

The other three all said Frank Thomas, and two said exactly, "'cause he hits a lot of home runs." I said, "Carlton Fisk -- They shouldn't have let him go, especially during a pennant race."

As a follow up, I need to honor my favorite hometown player, Robin Yount.

Robin isn't the fave simply because he was the best all around player to ever grace a Brewer uniform. It's because:

--he hustled at age 18 and age 38
--everything he worked at it improved. He led the AL in errors at short and eventually won a Gold Glove. He hurts his arm, moves to centerfield, and becomes d*mn good. He was a singles hitter who used Nautilus to become a doubles/homer guy. He went from being fast on the bases to being fast and clever.
--the only time he ever b*tched it was because the team stunk and he thought he was wasting his time so why not play golf

Paul Molitor was the more talented of the two. Paulie could likely step in the box tomorrow and rope one into right-center.

But if you wanted a guy who set a great example of how to play day in, day out with class Robin Yount was your guy.

1) Harold Baines
2) When I was a kid, the White Sox gave out free tickets to kids who went to the local schools. The first game I went to, the tickets were in right field where Baines was playing. That was in 1981, when I was six and he was in his second year. I didn't know anything about him, so it was just as likely that my favorite player could have been Wayne Nordhagen or Rusty Kuntz. By chance, my favorite player played until I was 26.
3) The White Sox sucked in the mid and late 1980's, but if Baines got a couple of hits, it was ok with me.
4) I got his autograph at a baseball card show in about 1985, but I was scared to death and didn't say anything. I shook his hand before a game in Anaheim in 1999.
5) I have about 100 of his cards and my mom used to buy whatever Harold Baines stuff was on ebay for me for Christmas.

1)Ron Cey and my nom de primer (Keith Moreland)

2)Cey for a silly numbers reason (he wore 11 - I was born on 11/11, and also wore #11) and also because he was lights out whenever I was in attendance. Never saw him take an o'fer in person - even in '86, when he was near the end -- saw him hit 3 of his 13 HRs that year.
Moreland for "standard" reasons - I liked his versatility (he could play C, 3B, 1B, and LF/RF.... though all of them badly). He also carried the '84 Cubs in August, and was something of a Kruk before-his-time, personality wise.

3)stated above (always came up big when I was at the ballpark) for Cey - too many good games to remember. As for Zonk, nothing jumps out other than a myriad of clumsy errors (dropped balls, etc).

4)no and yes -- "met" Moreland at a Cubs caravan in the 85 offseason, if you can call standing line for an autograph "meeting" a player.

5)A whole lot of scorecards and baseball cards, including Cey's rookie card, better known for also being Mike Schmidt's rookie card.

Johnny Ray

There wasn't much else to cheer about with the 1986 Pirates.

We you upset when Lee Lacy left the Pirates? I think I've got about 7000 1984 Lee Lacy cards at home. : )

My favorite player was Ryne Sandberg.

Why? Well, being at The Sandberg Game was about all I needed. I was young enough at the time to think things like the '84 Cubs happened every year.

As for memories, I'd have to say The Sandberg Game is pretty damn high. I remember his 40 hr season well, and him winning the home run derby at the All Star Game. I also remember him making the last out of the 1989 NLCS with a grounder to second and Jerome Walton on base in a game they lost 3-2. Boo. Not that they weren't overmatched by SF.

I met him at a Cubs Convention (1988?). I got his autograph.

Memorabilia? Scads of it. Cards, a jersey, the autographed ball, I've got his model bat, the SI with him on the cover, etc.

I'll be in part three of Rich's exicting foray in zero worshiping...but one thing I forgot to add...

Merlyn Mantle had some ass!

Awesome, Vlad and I had the same favorite growing up. I also adored the members of the 1990-1992 Pirate teams, especially Bonds, AVS, Drabek, Lavalliere, Walk, etc. Those guys were so awesome... sucks that they never won a WS to cement their dominance during a time when it was tough to be dominant.

Oh yeah, and I also loved Tony Pena on those 80's Bucs teams. I mimicked his squat when I was catching in Little League.

Zonk,

I was a big Cey fan too. My little league teamates called me the "The Penguin" as well because I played third and ran funny.

I had a lot of love for Sutcliff too, especially after his injuries and figured out how to get guys out without the heat he had lost.

Paulie could likely step in the box tomorrow and rope one into right-center.

No doubt. Of course, he'd tear both hammies jogging to first.

1. Jose Oquendo

2. He could play any position (and did) and played them all well. He switch hit, he was a good defender at 2B (his, and my, main position). He was like me in my little league days. OK at everything, not great at anything.

3. This game - I watched this game from my grandparents' house. I told them I just wanted to stay up late enough to see the end. I got to stay up late that night!

Turns out there were other cool things about that game (Jose DeLeon playing the OF, for example), but it was Oquendo's 3 scoreless innings that I truly remember. And Ken Griffey's game-winning double (though I remembered it being Dale Murphy).

Also, I remember the time he stepped out of the box and called time after the pitcher started his windup. The umpire did not grant time out, so he had to step back in, and he laced a double down the RF line.

4. No, but I might be able to get an autograph if I had a seat on the 3rd base line at Busch.

5. I have his rookie card. It is beat up and worthless, but that's OK. I wish all baseball cards were worthless, it would make collecting much more fun.

1. Tim Raines

2 & 3. He was the first baseball player I was aware of by name. Every time he got on base it seemed the excitement level went up. In the first game I ever went to (June 12, 1988) he got and HBP to lead off the ninth when the Expos were down 3-0 to the Mets. Another guy got on and Galarraga homered to tie the game. In the 11th Raines led off with a walk. He then stole second and ended up scoring the winning run of the game.

4. Nope.

5. Not anymore. At one point I had almost every Tim Raines card made. Now I'd really like a jersey. One of the white ones.

1. John Tudor
2. 1985
3. Tudor started 1-7 that year but turned it around winning 20 of 21 decisions after a hitch in his mechanics was corrected by an old high school friend. I thought that was so neat that no professional pitching coach could see the problem, but only a dilettante who personally knew the pitcher had the answer.

Tudor's sea-change made him as good or better than junkie Dwight Gooden that year, and he and Cesar Cedeno put the stake in the heart of the god awful Mets.

4. No

5. Not anymore

NTDW:

Paulie only got hurt playing defense. Never hitting or running the bases. It's what made him truly unique as he was a pretty good glove man at second, short, and third base. But no matter where you put him, even the outfield, he would pull or bang something while playing defense.

One other guy I remember from growing up, even though he wasn't a Pirate, was Don Mincher. My best friend at the time owned Ethan Allen's All-Star Baseball, which we played a lot, and Mincher was one of the players in that set. Because he had a cousin named Don Minch, he took Mincher's circle and blacked out the last two letters of his last name. Of course, when making up teams, he took "Minch" - and he was probably the greatest clutch hitter ever in All-Star Baseball that year!

-- MWE

As a fan of mediocre/bad Yankee teams in the 87-92 years, I was always trying to find that next great guy to root for and, selfishly, be able to claim that I "knew he was great when he first broke in." As such, I loved Oscar Azocar and Dan Pasqua and Kevin Maas. And they all tanked.

It shows you how much baseball insight I had when I would proclaim that Jay Buhner and Don Mattingly and Hal Morris and Radny Velarde would be out of the league and forgotten in 2 seasons.

Why? Well, being at The Sandberg Game was about all I needed. I was young enough at the time to think things like the '84 Cubs happened every year.

Wow! Jack, even knowing many, many Cubs fans - you're the first I've "met" that was actually at the Sandberg game. Still my favorite game to catch on ESPN classic, though it's always seems tough to catch (by comparison, I think I've seen the Kerry Wood 20 K game about half a dozen times).

Times slipping away, (and the dead brain cells are piling up) - but it would be a tough call to me as to which season had more "memorable" games -- 84 or 89.

From '84, there's the obvious Sandberg game... I also remember most of the mid Sept series with the Mets, where JD hit a salami in, I believe, game 1. I also - unfortunately - remember the 10-0 shutout Gooden threw against the Cubs earlier (August, I think), and Sutcliffe returning the favor the next day. Of course - the 13-0 game 1 against SD is also a pleasant memory (I actually got to skip school for that one).

In '89 - 3 games stick out... First, the 9-0 comeback game (I think vs. the Astros?), where Dwight Smith went nuts. Next would be the Les Lancaster game, where Lancaster doubled in a run even though EVERYONE was screaming about Zimmer not pinch-hitting for him. The 3rd was a blowout against the Mets where Dunston stretched a routine single to right into a double when Strawberry lollygagged after the ball - a perfect exposition of the difference between Straw and Shawon.

Tom glavine.

Because he was the best!

Can anyone say game six?

I have seen him pitch in st. louis, old houston, montreal and ATL, but never came in contact with him.

I have his autobiography, "None but the Braves," which was given to me as a gag gift after he left. And yes, the present situation chaps my ass. I pretend that nothing ever happened and that he retired, like i pretended sheffield didn't play for us a couple of years back.

3. This game - I watched this game from my grandparents' house. I told them I just wanted to stay up late enough to see the end. I got to stay up late that night!

What was the deal with moving Oquendo and Brunansky back and forth from LF to RF and back.

We you upset when Lee Lacy left the Pirates? I think I've got about 7000 1984 Lee Lacy cards at home. : )

I do too! That's weird.

Players I was irrationally a big fan of: Rico Rossy, Al Newman, Domingo Ramos, Kevin Reimer, Warren Cromartie, Pat Tabler, Jose Oquendo, Keith Miller, Mike Heath (because he had to catch knuckleballers - Doyle Alexander?), Sil Campusano, and of course Bill Pecota.

Sometimes when you're a kid, you read about a player coming up and you think you've "discovered" him. That's how I felt about Sil Campusano, I read about how he was scouted and I thought - he'll be the next big star. Safe to say, I don't have a future in scouting.

1. Who was your favorite player when you were growing up?

Johnny Damon.

2. Why?

I am 4. He has a funny beard. He gave me a ball at the first game I ever went to -- May 31, 2003 (I think) at the SkyDome.

3. What do you most remember about that player?

His funny beard. I always notice him when he is on the TV.

4. Did you ever come into contact with him?

No, except when he threw the ball to my daddy.

5. Do you have any special memorabilia (baseball card, autograph, etc.)?

The ball. It is in a case in my room and sometimes I take it out to hold it.

I responded to Rich's survey (lamely, not hard to see those other guys are way better writers than I am), so you'll see that tomorrow.

But in a somewhat related vein, a question I've always found kinda fascinating is who were/are some of your favorite players who never played for your favorite team(s)? I've got almost a full lineup:

C -- Fisk
1B -- Tony Perez
2B -- Rod Carew
SS -- Dave Concepcion or Campy Campaneris
3B -- nobody really, Brooks in the 70 series though
OF -- Hank Aaron
OF -- Joe Rudi
OF -- Matty Alou

Pitchers are a bit different

RHP -- Bob Gibson. But really I was too wrapped up in Fergie, then Reuschel, then Maddux to ever truly be a fan of another RHP, but Gibson scared the bejeezus out of me and I greatly respected him.

LHP -- Vida Blue (with a special place in my heart for Woody Fryman, Mickey Lolich, and David Wells)

RP -- I'd say Wilhelm for the same reason Blanda was my favoite football player from another team, but he pitched 3.7 innings for the Cubs. Most of your other great relievers of my lifetime spent some time on the Cubs and how excited can one get about a not-great reliever on another team.