Best hitter you've seen

[epo]

Tonight on Baseball Tonight they are talking about the great Ted Williams and the quest for .400. Unfortunately like many, I never saw Williams hit. The discussion leads me to one question:

Who is the best pure hitter that you've seen in your lifetime?

[Death Metal Moe]

http://www.420auction.com/auctions/dugout.jpg

[Marc with a c]

2001-2004 barry bonds

[razorboy]

Manny Ramirez, Barry Bonds and Frank Thomas. Take the HRs out of the conversation, they were the best hitters that I ever had the chance to see.

[epo]

I'll throw in that I grew up watching Paul Molitor and can't find a single fault with his swing.

[Suspect Chin]

Ken Griffey Jr.
Edgar Martinez
Albert Pujols

[TheMojoPin]

Bonds, Frank Thomas, Pujols and ARod are the best all-around hitters I've seen, though Griffey has the single best swing I'll ever see.

[TheGameHHH]

theres seriously so many, i would have to take a while and compile a list but off the top of my head i'd have to go with......Manny, A-Rod, Bonds, first Seattle stint Griffey and Gywnn

[Suspect Chin]

theres seriously so many, i would have to take a while and compile a list but off the top of my head i'd have to go with......Manny, A-Rod, Bonds, first Seattle stint Griffey and Gywnn

Tony Gwynn. Good call.

[Suspect Chin]

The stats would say Ichiro, but his poke hitter swing just doesnt seem natural to me.

[MacVittie]

In person, Frank Thomas last summer in the twilight of his career. The best single performance I ever say in person was Chipper Jones, 2 doubles and a homer in Cincy back in '97.

[Gvac]

Wow. Tough call.

I've seen Pete Rose, Rod Carew, George Brett, Wade Boggs, and all the hitters mentioned above.

Tons of great ones.

I don't know how to pick just one, but steroid Bonds is sure hard to beat with his combination of average and power.

[El Mudo]

Jose Alberto Pujols....i'll never forget the way he destroyed Brad Lidge in the LCS a few years ago.


If we were to flip this around and say best pitcher, I'm going with Pedro, who had arguably the greatest season a pitcher has EVER had in 2000

ERA+ 291

K: 284 (in 217 IP!!)

WHIP: .73 (!!!!)

He struck out over 11 batters per 9 innings (and the year before, struck out 13 per 9)

Not to mention that the year before, he had and ERA+ of 243, 313 Ks, and a .92 WHIP

Those are video game numbers

[A.J.]

Chris Brown.

[WampusCrandle]

Chris Brown.

Don't forget James Brown and Bobby Brown.

[TjM]

Manny

[foodcourtdruide]

Nomar in his primer was great, deserves a mention. And as far as pitching, anyone under 30 that doesn't say pedro is lying.

[Jujubees2]

Chris Brown.

Yeah, but isn't he one of those slap hitters?

Oh, and I'd go with Cam Neely in his prime. He could hit!

[El Mudo]

Nomar in his primer was great, deserves a mention. And as far as pitching, anyone under 30 that doesn't say pedro is lying.

His numbers become even more mind boggling when you consider he doing it at the height of the steroid era in a hitter's ball park

[ADF]

Without a doubt, Tony Gwynn. My favorite (but maybe not best) lead-off hitter would have to be Brett Butler.

[EliSnow]

http://www.mitcharf.com/mitcharf/pictures/images/Rod-Carew.jpg

[foodcourtdruide]

His numbers become even more mind boggling when you consider he doing it at the height of the steroid era in a hitter's ball park

They are so amazingly baffling. If the question was "which pitcher had the best career?", the answer probably would be different. But I can't imagine a better pitcher than Pedro during those years with the Red Sox.

And I wasn't alive for Koufax or Gibson.

[drjoek]

Tony Gwynn