Pleskoff: The View from Under the Big Straw Hat

Bernie Pleskoff was a Professional Scout for the Houston Astros and the Seattle Mariners.  He lives in Cave Creek, Arizona and writes for Rotowire.com

...People often ask me about the best baseball players I have ever seen.

...Here they are in order:

1-Roberto Clemente-pure poetry in RF for the Pirates.  He could hit for average, hit for power, run, throw with accuracy and with arm strength and field his position better than most right fielders I have ever seen.  The ball jumped off his bat.  He played with flair and the greatest of skill.  There really wasn’t anything this man couldn’t do on a baseball field.

6-Ted Williams-I did get to see Williams play at the end of his career.  He had a tremendous, very disciplined swing.  He was the supreme contact hitter with power.  Bat speed and selectivity were the keys to his success.  He got just enough loft in that swing to carry the ball over the fence.  He is best known as a great hitter, but he could really do it all.

11-Omar Vizquel- No list of mine can be complete without the name of this great defensive shortstop.  He could make plays other middle infielders only dreamed of.  My favorite?  Scooping a ball up bare handed, planting his feet and just getting the runner at first by a step.  Or how about going to the hole, planting his feet and barely getting the runner with the gun he called an arm.  And how about the way he could smoothly glide behind the second base bag and without planting his feet fire a strike to first to get the runner!  He did the same thing day after day, game after game.  Simply the best!  (Note:  Alcides Escobar of the Milwaukee organization is showing some of the same defensive qualities as Omar.  While I doubt lightning can strike again, he could be a very good shortstop).

Lives in Cave whatever is correct…