Hall of Fame shortstop Willie Wells was probably every bit as great at hitting a baseball as Rogers Hornsby was.
Lou Boudreau may have had the greatest season a shortstop ever had. He’s the man who perfected the defensive shift, and was the player-manager of the last Cleveland team to win the World Series.
Just when baseball seemed to be getting drunk on home runs, Tony Gwynn emerged to reveal the beauty of hitting a baseball.
Among Hall of Famers, Roberto Alomar may be the least attached to any one team or city. Like a nomad, or maybe a villain, Alomar ping-ponged around the league.
Willie McCovey is best remembered for the hit he did NOT get. But even that was a screaming line drive, and had it fallen in, baseball history would have changed.
Of the great shortstops, Larkin had the most complete skills: he could run as fast as Eric Davis, he had the strongest arm in a generation, and only Ozzie was better with the glove.
What do people want from Joey Votto? The answer to that question will tell you what they think of him. But he doesn’t give a damn.
You can watch a lot of baseball games and try to find a pitcher who was in the zone. You won’t find many who were more locked in than Doc Halladay was on October 6, 2010.