The Best I’ve Seen, Part One: Father to Son

By Gary Armida, Sr., Special Guest FCP Writer

Editor’s Note: It is with a great sense of pride that I can post an article written by my Father, the man who taught me all I know about baseball. I asked him if he would be interested in writing an article where he would write about the best players he saw and then I would do the same, a link between the generations. Of course, three days later, the article was in my inbox. So, baseball fans I proudly present to you part one of a two part series: The Best I’ve seen Part One:  Father to Son.

My earliest recollection of watching baseball goes back to the 1960 season. Even though I was only six years old, I clearly remember watching the Yankees win the A.L. pennant, crushing the Pittsburgh Pirates for most of the World Series, only to end up in tears as Bill Mazeroski stunned Yankee fans with a walk off home run that still makes me sick to my stomach to watch.Of course things got much better in 1961, as once again the Yankees were in the World Series, taking care of the Cincinnati Reds, and we all got to watch Mickey and Roger chase Babe Ruth’s home run record. You have to understand that Mickey Mantle was a bigger than life hero to every kid who followed baseball. We all walked like Mickey, swung like Mickey, ran like Mickey, and of course used a Mickey Mantle Model Rawlings glove.  Our neighborhood was pulling for Mickey to set the record, but after Mickey was out of the race because of an infection caused from a needle to help heal a hip injury, we got behind Roger, and I can remember all of the back doors in the neighborhood flying open at the same time when Roger deposited Tracy Stallard’s pitch over the short right field porch at Yankee Stadium for home run number 61.I’ve watched a lot of baseball over the past 47 years and here are the best players I have seen:Catcher: #5, Johnny Bench-Cincinnati Reds: Bench revolutionized the position, being the first catcher to use a single break model catcher’s mitt, so he could pick balls in the dirt like a first baseman. Johnny had a gun behind the plate and deterred a lot of teams from trying to run against the Reds. At the plate, Bench was a clutch hitter with power.

Lifetime Stats: Games-2158, HR-389, RBI-1376, BA-.267, MVP’s-2

Best Year: (1970) Games-158, HR-45, RBI-148, BA-.293, MVP-Yes

First Base: I have to go with #14, “Mr. Cub”, Ernie Banks. Ernie was originally brought up as a shortstop, but I remember him more as a first baseman. Ernie had power (he is a member of the 500 Home Run Club) and was a clutch hitter with a great glove at first base. The Cubs actually had a great defensive infield with Banks at 1^st, Glenn Beckert at 2^nd, Don Kessinger at Shortstop, Ron Santo at 3^rd and Randy Hundley behind the dish. Ernie of course was also known for his love of baseball, his famous quote is well known; “It’s a beautiful day, the sky is blue, the sun is shining, so let’s play two.”

Lifetime Stats: Games-2528, HR-512, RBI-1636, BA-.274, MVP’s-2

Best Year: (1959) Games-155, HR-45, RBI-143, BA-.304, MVP-Yes

2^nd Base: This is a tough call. There was not much talent at this position. Even though I wasn’t a big fan, I would have to go with #8, Joe Morgan, another member of the ‘Big Red Machine” of the 70′s. Morgan had good speed, a lot of pop at the plate and was a solid defensive second baseman. Winning an MVP also helps his case.

Lifetime Stats: Games-2649, HR-268, RBI-1133, BA-.271, MVP’s-2

Best Year: (1976) Games-141, HR-27, RBI-111, BA-.320, SB-60, MVP-Yes

3^rd Base: The best defensive 3^rd baseman I ever saw was #5, Brooks Robinson (the Yankees Clete Boyer was a close second). The highlight film you have probably seen from the1970 World Series was indicative of the type of defense Robinson played day in and day out. Brooksie wasn’t much of a stick, but he got his share of big hits. I could make a good argument for Mike Schmidt at this spot, but Brooks Robinson could actually dominate a game with his defense, so I will stick with him.

Lifetime Stats: Games-2896, HR-268, RBI-1357, BA-.267, MVP’s-1

Best Year: (1964) Games-163, HR-28, RBI-118, BA-.317, MVP-Yes

Shortstop: This was my position growing up so I always paid attention to every team’s Shortstop. I have some weird choices, such as Gene Alley (Pirates), Don Kessinger (Cubs), Eddie Brinkman (Senators&Tigers), Mark Belanger (Orioles), Zoilo Versalles (Twins), and Dal Maxvill (Cards) because I always loved defense.  Overall, taking offense into account as well, I would have to go with #8, Cal Ripken, Jr.. Yes, “The Streak” does come into play because Shortstop is a position where a player is involved in a high percentage of plays and the chance for injury is high. Cal also was a Shortstop in a Third Baseman’s body, so he stood out as a very strong and powerful player at short.

Lifetime Stats: Games-3001, HR-431, RBI-1695, BA-.276, MVP’s-2

Best Year: (1991) Games-162, HR-34, RBI-114, BA-.323, MVP-Yes

Outfield: I’m not going to go by position, so I’ll just name the 3, make that the 4 greatest Outfielders I have seen play.

Number one has to be #24, “The Say Hey Kid”, Willie Mays. Willie was the original Five Tool player, who could truly do it all. Willie played the game with the reckless abandon of a child and every kid in our neighborhood tried to copy Willie’s “basket catch” on fly balls. Willie could fly on the bases, hit with power and his defense was Gold Glove quality. Willie always had a smile on his face and looked like he truly played for the love of the game. The only knock against Willie is that he hung on too long. The former NY and San Francisco Giant was a shell of the ballplayer he once was when he signed on with the Mets in 1973.

Lifetime Stats: Games-2992, HR-660, RBI-1903, BA-.302, MVP’s-2

Best Year:  (1965) Games-157, HR-52, RBI-112, BA-.317, MVP-Yes

Next in the outfield of course would be #7, The Mick. Mantle was a raw, big, strong, old country boy, who could hit a baseball close to 600 feet. Before all of his leg injuries, he could run like the wind and it wasn’t uncommon to see Mickey hit a 500 foot home run in his first at bat and then beat out a drag bunt in his second at bat. He was never a base stealer but he was a great base runner. Mickey’s defense was above average, only because he could run balls down in Yankee Stadium’s “Death Valley” that nobody else could get to. There were times when the routine fly ball or base hit would get by. Everybody knows about Mickey’s propensity to strikeout, but when he came to the plate both the opposing teams and Yankee fans expected The Mick to hit a home run every time he swung.  Just like Willie Mays, The Mick hung on too long and it ended up costing him a lifetime .300 batting average.

Lifetime Stats: Games-2401, HR-536, RBI-1509, BA-.298, MVP’s-3

Best Year:   (1956) Games-150, HR-52, RBI-130, BA-.353, MVP-Yes (Triple Crown)

My third Outfielder would have to be #21, Roberto Clemente. The Pirates Right Fielder stands out in my memory for his rifle of an arm, his slicing doubles or triples into the right-center gap and the graceful way he went from first to third on a base hit. I can remember several times when I saw Clemente go into the deep right field corner and come out throwing a seed to third base or home plate to nail a runner. Clemente wasn’t as well known as Mays and Mantle, but if you were a real baseball fan, he was at the top of your list of favorite ballplayers.

Lifetime Stats: Games-2433, HR-240, RBI-1305, BA-.317, MVP’s-1

Best Year:  (1967) Games-147, HR-23, RBI-110, BA-.357, MVP-No (3^rd)

My fourth Outfielder would be the Rodney Dangerfield (“I get no respect”) of baseball in the 1960′s, the Home Run King, #44, Hammerin’ Hank Aaron. Henry Aaron did everything well, but he also did things very quietly, which is why he was dwarfed by Mantle and Mays. Aaron and Clemente always battled for the All-Star nod in Right Field and Hank’s easy going style of play never really made people stand up and take notice of his play.

Lifetime Stats: Games-3298, HR-755, RBI-2297, BA-.305, MVP’s-1

Best Year : ( 1951) Games-151, HR-44, RBI-132, BA-.322, MVP-Yes

Well, that’s my Outfield. I never really saw Ted Williams until the very end of his career so I couldn’t include him. Some of the other great Outfielders I saw play were, Frank Robinson, Al Kaline, Carl Yastremski, Dale Murphy, Curt Flood, Lou Brock, Billy Williams, Tommy Davis, and Jim Rice.

Starting Pitchers: This is an easy one, # 45, Bob Gibson from the right side and #32, Sandy Koufax from the left side. These two pitchers were by far the most dominant pitchers in a very pitching rich era. Gibby was just plain nasty and was one of the toughest competitors in any sport. Players who got lucky and hit one out off of Gibby would put their heads down and get around the bases as quickly as they could, never making eye contact. They also knew that during their next at bat they would be knocked down. Bob Gibson was one of my baseball heroes growing up and his poster hung right beside The Mick’s in my bedroom.

Lifetime Stats: Games-528, Complete Games-255, W/L-251-174, ERA-2.91, K’s-3,117 MVP’s-1, Cy Young’s-2

Best Year : ( 1968) Games-34, CG-28, W/L-22-9, ERA-1.12, K’s-268, MVP & Cy Young

Koufax was just as dominant as Gibson, but in a quiet, laid back way. His stuff was just too tough for hitters to handle. He had a great fastball and an even better curveball. Teams were happy when they could scratch 2 runs off of Koufax. The Dodgers were a light hitting team so if they managed to score 3 or 4 runs when Sandy was pitching, the other team pretty much knew the game was over. Although Sandy’s career was cut short by injury, he was Hall of Fame dominant during the 10 full seasons he pitched. If he was right-handed he would have been one the players I would copy when we played baseball in our neighborhood.

Lifetime Stats: Games-397, Complete Games-137, W/L-165-87, ERA-2.76, K’s-2,396, MVP’s-1, Cy Young’s-3

Best Year: (1966) (His last year): Games-41, CG-27, W/L-27-9, ERA-1.73, K’s-317

MVP-No, Cy Young-Yes

 Some of the other great pitchers I saw were: Whitey Ford, Jim Palmer, Tom Seaver, Jim Maloney, Joey Jay, Don Drysdale, Jim Bunning, and Juan Marichal.

Relief Pitchers: The “Closer” wasn’t really around when I was growing up. Starters pitched a lot of complete games. Relief pitchers were guys who weren’t good enough to start but could still pitch although occasionally there was a true reliever like Luis Arroyo of the 60′s Yankees, Ron Peranoski and Phil “The Vulture” Regan of the LA Dodgers or Dick “The Monster” Raddatz of the Boston Red Sox.

Well, there it is. I think I was pretty lucky to see the ballplayers that I have mentioned. The 1960′s and 1970′s were great times for a kid to fall in love with baseball; a love that has lasted for 47 years.

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