Prime 9 Shortstops (1 Viewer)

[Doctor Detroit]

9. Luke Appling

8. Barry Larkin

7. Derek Jeter

6. Arky Vaughn

5. Ozzy Smith

4. Ernie Banks

3. Cal Ripkin Jr

2. A-Rod

1. Honus Wagner

I'm actually surprised they had Wagner 1st which is how it should be. If A-Rod was still a SS, I'd put him first but he never eclipsed Wagner IMO.

Joe Cronin probably should have been on the list before Larkin and Appling should have been ahead of Larkin also but Larkin probably falls in between 8 and 12 which is pretty good when you are talking all-time.

 

[oso diablo]

once again, a pretty good list from Prime 9. nothing i fundamentally disagree with.

was somewhat surprised that Robin Yount was not on the list, though i couldn't say which guy he was definitively better than.

I do have to disagree with Dr. Detroit on one thing... imo, Larkin > Appling. Larkin was superior defensively (Appling was barely average), AND Larkin had a higher OPS+.

 

[jfranco77]

Yeah, nothing I really disagree with either.

I'd go:

1. Honus

2. A-Rod

3. Ripken

4. Arky

5. Larkin

6. Banks

7. Ozzie

8. Jeter

9. Appling

 

[shadyridr]

Cant really disagree with the list.

 

[shadyridr]

I never heard of Arky Vaughan. Just did some research on him and wow he was pretty f'in good. And hes a HOFer. How come he doesnt get more pub?

 

[Tom Servo]

I never heard of Arky Vaughan. Just did some research on him and wow he was pretty f'in good. And hes a HOFer. How come he doesnt get more pub?

He played in Pittsburgh.

 

[Koya]

I never heard of Arky Vaughan. Just did some research on him and wow he was pretty f'in good. And hes a HOFer. How come he doesnt get more pub?

He played in Pittsburgh.

In an era with the true legends of the legends of the game...I actually had contact with the Vaughan family a few years back. During one of our WIS fests (you know, before jfranco ruined everything), I had Arky on my team. His page on baseball-reference was not sponsored and available for like 10 bucks. As was my shtick at the time, I sponsored some relative unknown who was on my sim team, and this time it was Arky.So, one day I get this letter in the mail - I had my business address listed from baseball reference or something. It is from a decendent of Arky, who thanked me for recognizing Arky and detailed some nice snippets about his life in baseball and out. We exchanged a few letters back and forth - was REALLY cool. I ended up transferring the page over to them - no idea if they still have it today but it was damn cool.

 

[Eephus]

Well somebody has to disagree to keep the thread going so I'll take the position that Cal Ripken Jr. is a bit overrated here. He saved the game and brought his lunch pail to work everyday, but if you measure his production against the greatest who ever played the position, he's probably closer to #9 than #1. That's mostly because Hans and A-rod are head and shoulders above the rest--it gets pretty muddled from #3 on down.

Ripken's career OPS+ is 112, which is lower than Yount's. Ripken's had a huge dropoff after his age 31 MVP season. Feeding the streak arguably hurt him and his team into his mid 30s. He never had 100 R after age 25 and only had four 100 RBI seasons in spite of batting in the middle of the lineup every day. He's renowned for his consistency but even in his prime had some seasons with AVG in the .250-.260 range. His career year in 1991 is very impressive but it's immediately preceded and followed by average and sub-par seasons. Defensively, Ripken was underrated at the beginning of his career because he didn't fit the stereotype of a SS. He used his arm and positioning to make up for his lack of range, but by the second half of his career, his RF9 stats weren't as good as his reputation. In retrospect you could probably make the case he was better suited for 3B by his early 30s, but it's hard to tell who the Orioles had as a SS alternative because he never saw any action.

There's definitely some value in being able to write Cal's name on the lineup card in ink at the start of the season, particularly when compared to guys like Larkin who seemed to have a DL stint every year. But when you're considering the greatest of all time, ABs aren't the most important stat.

 

[Tau837]

By the time his career is over, ARod will almost certainly have played more games at third base than shortstop. (Currently 1252 games at SS, 752 games at 3B.) In that case, will/should he even qualify for this list?

Ernie Banks played more games at first base than shortstop (1259 at 1B, 1125 at SS, plus 69 at 3B and 23 at LF). Given that, does/should he qualify as one of the best shortstops of all time?

Consider the others on the list:

Smith 2511 games at SS

Ripken played 2302 games at SS

Appling 2218 games at SS

Larkin 2085 games at SS

Jeter 1973 games at SS and counting

Wagner 1887 games at SS

Banks and ARod are far below the others in games played at short. IMO they shouldn't be on the list.

 

[Bogart]

I'm not sold on Larkin being on the list. During his playing career I never thought of him being a transcendent player.

Take him out and slide Rabbit Maranville into the 9 spot.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

By the time his career is over, ARod will almost certainly have played more games at third base than shortstop. (Currently 1252 games at SS, 752 games at 3B.) In that case, will/should he even qualify for this list?Ernie Banks played more games at first base than shortstop (1259 at 1B, 1125 at SS, plus 69 at 3B and 23 at LF). Given that, does/should he qualify as one of the best shortstops of all time?Consider the others on the list:Smith 2511 games at SSRipken played 2302 games at SSAppling 2218 games at SSLarkin 2085 games at SSJeter 1973 games at SS and countingWagner 1887 games at SSBanks and ARod are far below the others in games played at short. IMO they shouldn't be on the list.

This is an interesting argument because I think this really makes me want to include Yount in the top 9 also since he played almost 1500 games at SS although his best hitting years were after he left for the OF.As far as Banks his best years were at SS. Two MVPs (five times in the top 6), five stright seasons of OPS+ between 136 and 156, all while playing above average defense. He was 201/558/.291/.379/.574/.933 in those games at SS. He had more HRs than Larkin did in his whole career in less than half the games while playing SS. Banks definitely deserves to be on the list IMO.

 

[Tom Servo]

Well somebody has to disagree to keep the thread going so I'll take the position that Cal Ripken Jr. is a bit overrated here. He saved the game and brought his lunch pail to work everyday, but if you measure his production against the greatest who ever played the position, he's probably closer to #9 than #1. That's mostly because Hans and A-rod are head and shoulders above the rest--it gets pretty muddled from #3 on down.Ripken's career OPS+ is 112, which is lower than Yount's. Ripken's had a huge dropoff after his age 31 MVP season. Feeding the streak arguably hurt him and his team into his mid 30s. He never had 100 R after age 25 and only had four 100 RBI seasons in spite of batting in the middle of the lineup every day. He's renowned for his consistency but even in his prime had some seasons with AVG in the .250-.260 range. His career year in 1991 is very impressive but it's immediately preceded and followed by average and sub-par seasons. Defensively, Ripken was underrated at the beginning of his career because he didn't fit the stereotype of a SS. He used his arm and positioning to make up for his lack of range, but by the second half of his career, his RF9 stats weren't as good as his reputation. In retrospect you could probably make the case he was better suited for 3B by his early 30s, but it's hard to tell who the Orioles had as a SS alternative because he never saw any action.There's definitely some value in being able to write Cal's name on the lineup card in ink at the start of the season, particularly when compared to guys like Larkin who seemed to have a DL stint every year. But when you're considering the greatest of all time, ABs aren't the most important stat.

I think you're overlooking the one prime reason he's so high on the list. That reason is that he revolutionized the position. Previously, SS were expected to be "all glove/no bat". You need look no farther back at least in O's history than Mark Belanger who IIRC struggled to hit .240 but caught everything hit to him. It's because Ripken demonstrated you could be 1) taller than 5'8" and 2) hit with power to play the position. In this case, its more than numbers.

 

[Eephus]

Well somebody has to disagree to keep the thread going so I'll take the position that Cal Ripken Jr. is a bit overrated here. He saved the game and brought his lunch pail to work everyday, but if you measure his production against the greatest who ever played the position, he's probably closer to #9 than #1. That's mostly because Hans and A-rod are head and shoulders above the rest--it gets pretty muddled from #3 on down.Ripken's career OPS+ is 112, which is lower than Yount's. Ripken's had a huge dropoff after his age 31 MVP season. Feeding the streak arguably hurt him and his team into his mid 30s. He never had 100 R after age 25 and only had four 100 RBI seasons in spite of batting in the middle of the lineup every day. He's renowned for his consistency but even in his prime had some seasons with AVG in the .250-.260 range. His career year in 1991 is very impressive but it's immediately preceded and followed by average and sub-par seasons. Defensively, Ripken was underrated at the beginning of his career because he didn't fit the stereotype of a SS. He used his arm and positioning to make up for his lack of range, but by the second half of his career, his RF9 stats weren't as good as his reputation. In retrospect you could probably make the case he was better suited for 3B by his early 30s, but it's hard to tell who the Orioles had as a SS alternative because he never saw any action.There's definitely some value in being able to write Cal's name on the lineup card in ink at the start of the season, particularly when compared to guys like Larkin who seemed to have a DL stint every year. But when you're considering the greatest of all time, ABs aren't the most important stat.

I think you're overlooking the one prime reason he's so high on the list. That reason is that he revolutionized the position. Previously, SS were expected to be "all glove/no bat". You need look no farther back at least in O's history than Mark Belanger who IIRC struggled to hit .240 but caught everything hit to him. It's because Ripken demonstrated you could be 1) taller than 5'8" and 2) hit with power to play the position. In this case, its more than numbers.

I don't think Ripken revolutionized anything. He was big for his position, but there had been big, slow, slugging shortstops before him (Boudreau, Banks, Ron Hansen). The prototypical SS today is still a little (usually Dominican) guy.Ripken was more of an outlier than a trend setter. His lasting impact on the game is the streak.

 

[Tau837]

Well somebody has to disagree to keep the thread going so I'll take the position that Cal Ripken Jr. is a bit overrated here. He saved the game and brought his lunch pail to work everyday, but if you measure his production against the greatest who ever played the position, he's probably closer to #9 than #1. That's mostly because Hans and A-rod are head and shoulders above the rest--it gets pretty muddled from #3 on down.

Ripken's career OPS+ is 112, which is lower than Yount's. Ripken's had a huge dropoff after his age 31 MVP season. Feeding the streak arguably hurt him and his team into his mid 30s. He never had 100 R after age 25 and only had four 100 RBI seasons in spite of batting in the middle of the lineup every day. He's renowned for his consistency but even in his prime had some seasons with AVG in the .250-.260 range. His career year in 1991 is very impressive but it's immediately preceded and followed by average and sub-par seasons. Defensively, Ripken was underrated at the beginning of his career because he didn't fit the stereotype of a SS. He used his arm and positioning to make up for his lack of range, but by the second half of his career, his RF9 stats weren't as good as his reputation. In retrospect you could probably make the case he was better suited for 3B by his early 30s, but it's hard to tell who the Orioles had as a SS alternative because he never saw any action.

There's definitely some value in being able to write Cal's name on the lineup card in ink at the start of the season, particularly when compared to guys like Larkin who seemed to have a DL stint every year. But when you're considering the greatest of all time, ABs aren't the most important stat.

I think you're overlooking the one prime reason he's so high on the list. That reason is that he revolutionized the position. Previously, SS were expected to be "all glove/no bat". You need look no farther back at least in O's history than Mark Belanger who IIRC struggled to hit .240 but caught everything hit to him. It's because Ripken demonstrated you could be 1) taller than 5'8" and 2) hit with power to play the position. In this case, its more than numbers.

I don't think Ripken revolutionized anything. He was big for his position, but there had been big, slow, slugging shortstops before him (Boudreau, Banks, Ron Hansen). The prototypical SS today is still a little (usually Dominican) guy.Ripken was more of an outlier than a trend setter. His lasting impact on the game is the streak.

IMO you are underrating Ripken's career.He won the following awards/honors:

1982: American League Rookie of the Year

1983: American League Most Valuable Player

1983: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1984: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1985: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1986: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1989: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1991: American League Most Valuable Player

1991: MLB All-Star Game Most Valuable Player

1991: American League Gold Glove Award (SS)

1991: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1992: Roberto Clemente Award

1992: Lou Gehrig Memorial Award

1992: American League Gold Glove Award (SS)

1993: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1994: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1995: Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year"; The Sporting News' "Sportsman of the Year"

1999: Ranked Number 78 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players

1999: Elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

2001: MLB All-Star Game Most Valuable Player

2001: Ranked third greatest shortstop all-time in the The New Bill James Historical Abstract.

2001: Uniform number (8) retired by the Baltimore Orioles

2007: Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by 98.53 percent of voters. The highest percentage of votes ever for a position player, as well as third highest overall.

And he set these records:

Most consecutive games played at 2,632

Most consecutive innings played at 8,243

Most home runs by a shortstop at 345

Most double plays by a shortstop, American League, at 1,682

All-time leader in MLB All-Star fan balloting (36,123,483)

Most American League, MLB All-Star team selections (19) - 1983-2001

Most MLB All-Star Game appearances at shortstop (15) - 1983-1996, 2001

Most consecutive MLB All-Star Game starts (17)

With regard to his defense, this is from his Wikipedia. page:

Ripken demonstrated the ability to play excellent defense at shortstop, and as a result remained a fixture there for well over a decade, leading the league in assists several times, winning the Gold Glove twice, and, in 1990, setting the MLB record for best fielding percentage in a season at his position. Though not a flashy fielder, Ripken displayed excellent fundamentals, and studied batters and even his own pitching staff so he could position himself to compensate for his lack of physical speed, even calling pitches at times. Ripken's legacy as a fielder is reflected by his place near the top of almost every defensive statistical category — he holds at least one all-time record (for either season, career, or most seasons leading the league) in assists, putouts, fielding percentage, double plays, and fewest errors.

Also, his 1991 season was a season for the ages. Again from Wikipedia:

His 1991 season is the fourth-greatest in baseball history (second among non-pitchers) as measured by WARP3 at 17.0 wins, bested only by Walter Johnson's 1913 (18.1 wins), Babe Ruth's 1932 (18 wins), and Amos Rusie's 1894 season (17.6 wins).

Ripken won his second AL MVP award, the Gold Glove Award, 1991 All Star game MVP award (going 2 for 3 including a 3-run home run off Dennis Martínez), the Gatorade Home Run Derby contest (hitting a then record 12 home runs in 22 swings, including 7 consecutive homers to start the contest), Louisville Slugger "Silver Slugger Award", AP Player of the Year Award, and The Sporting News Player of the Year Award. The only other player in MLB history to win all those awards in the same season, excluding the Home Run Derby, was Maury Wills in 1962.

 

[whoknew]

By the time his career is over, ARod will almost certainly have played more games at third base than shortstop. (Currently 1252 games at SS, 752 games at 3B.) In that case, will/should he even qualify for this list?Ernie Banks played more games at first base than shortstop (1259 at 1B, 1125 at SS, plus 69 at 3B and 23 at LF). Given that, does/should he qualify as one of the best shortstops of all time?Consider the others on the list:Smith 2511 games at SSRipken played 2302 games at SSAppling 2218 games at SSLarkin 2085 games at SSJeter 1973 games at SS and countingWagner 1887 games at SSBanks and ARod are far below the others in games played at short. IMO they shouldn't be on the list.

Well in fairness, Jeter doesn't really "play" shortstop either. He just kind of stands there and waits for a ball to be hit directly at him.

 

[Mr Capicollo]

By the time his career is over, ARod will almost certainly have played more games at third base than shortstop. (Currently 1252 games at SS, 752 games at 3B.) In that case, will/should he even qualify for this list?Ernie Banks played more games at first base than shortstop (1259 at 1B, 1125 at SS, plus 69 at 3B and 23 at LF). Given that, does/should he qualify as one of the best shortstops of all time?Consider the others on the list:Smith 2511 games at SSRipken played 2302 games at SSAppling 2218 games at SSLarkin 2085 games at SSJeter 1973 games at SS and countingWagner 1887 games at SSBanks and ARod are far below the others in games played at short. IMO they shouldn't be on the list.

Well in fairness, Jeter doesn't really "play" shortstop either. He just kind of stands there and waits for a ball to be hit directly at him.

Yeah he'll never be confused with Ozzie Smith.

 

[avoiding injuries]

Well somebody has to disagree to keep the thread going so I'll take the position that Cal Ripken Jr. is a bit overrated here. He saved the game and brought his lunch pail to work everyday, but if you measure his production against the greatest who ever played the position, he's probably closer to #9 than #1. That's mostly because Hans and A-rod are head and shoulders above the rest--it gets pretty muddled from #3 on down.

Ripken's career OPS+ is 112, which is lower than Yount's. Ripken's had a huge dropoff after his age 31 MVP season. Feeding the streak arguably hurt him and his team into his mid 30s. He never had 100 R after age 25 and only had four 100 RBI seasons in spite of batting in the middle of the lineup every day. He's renowned for his consistency but even in his prime had some seasons with AVG in the .250-.260 range. His career year in 1991 is very impressive but it's immediately preceded and followed by average and sub-par seasons. Defensively, Ripken was underrated at the beginning of his career because he didn't fit the stereotype of a SS. He used his arm and positioning to make up for his lack of range, but by the second half of his career, his RF9 stats weren't as good as his reputation. In retrospect you could probably make the case he was better suited for 3B by his early 30s, but it's hard to tell who the Orioles had as a SS alternative because he never saw any action.

There's definitely some value in being able to write Cal's name on the lineup card in ink at the start of the season, particularly when compared to guys like Larkin who seemed to have a DL stint every year. But when you're considering the greatest of all time, ABs aren't the most important stat.

I think you're overlooking the one prime reason he's so high on the list. That reason is that he revolutionized the position. Previously, SS were expected to be "all glove/no bat". You need look no farther back at least in O's history than Mark Belanger who IIRC struggled to hit .240 but caught everything hit to him. It's because Ripken demonstrated you could be 1) taller than 5'8" and 2) hit with power to play the position. In this case, its more than numbers.

I don't think Ripken revolutionized anything. He was big for his position, but there had been big, slow, slugging shortstops before him (Boudreau, Banks, Ron Hansen). The prototypical SS today is still a little (usually Dominican) guy.Ripken was more of an outlier than a trend setter. His lasting impact on the game is the streak.

IMO you are underrating Ripken's career.He won the following awards/honors:

1982: American League Rookie of the Year

1983: American League Most Valuable Player

1983: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1984: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1985: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1986: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1989: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1991: American League Most Valuable Player

1991: MLB All-Star Game Most Valuable Player

1991: American League Gold Glove Award (SS)

1991: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1992: Roberto Clemente Award

1992: Lou Gehrig Memorial Award

1992: American League Gold Glove Award (SS)

1993: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1994: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1995: Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year"; The Sporting News' "Sportsman of the Year"

1999: Ranked Number 78 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players

1999: Elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

2001: MLB All-Star Game Most Valuable Player

2001: Ranked third greatest shortstop all-time in the The New Bill James Historical Abstract.

2001: Uniform number (8) retired by the Baltimore Orioles

2007: Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by 98.53 percent of voters. The highest percentage of votes ever for a position player, as well as third highest overall.

And he set these records:

Most consecutive games played at 2,632

Most consecutive innings played at 8,243

Most home runs by a shortstop at 345

Most double plays by a shortstop, American League, at 1,682

All-time leader in MLB All-Star fan balloting (36,123,483)

Most American League, MLB All-Star team selections (19) - 1983-2001

Most MLB All-Star Game appearances at shortstop (15) - 1983-1996, 2001

Most consecutive MLB All-Star Game starts (17)

With regard to his defense, this is from his Wikipedia. page:

Ripken demonstrated the ability to play excellent defense at shortstop, and as a result remained a fixture there for well over a decade, leading the league in assists several times, winning the Gold Glove twice, and, in 1990, setting the MLB record for best fielding percentage in a season at his position. Though not a flashy fielder, Ripken displayed excellent fundamentals, and studied batters and even his own pitching staff so he could position himself to compensate for his lack of physical speed, even calling pitches at times. Ripken's legacy as a fielder is reflected by his place near the top of almost every defensive statistical category — he holds at least one all-time record (for either season, career, or most seasons leading the league) in assists, putouts, fielding percentage, double plays, and fewest errors.

Also, his 1991 season was a season for the ages. Again from Wikipedia:

His 1991 season is the fourth-greatest in baseball history (second among non-pitchers) as measured by WARP3 at 17.0 wins, bested only by Walter Johnson's 1913 (18.1 wins), Babe Ruth's 1932 (18 wins), and Amos Rusie's 1894 season (17.6 wins).

Ripken won his second AL MVP award, the Gold Glove Award, 1991 All Star game MVP award (going 2 for 3 including a 3-run home run off Dennis Martínez), the Gatorade Home Run Derby contest (hitting a then record 12 home runs in 22 swings, including 7 consecutive homers to start the contest), Louisville Slugger "Silver Slugger Award", AP Player of the Year Award, and The Sporting News Player of the Year Award. The only other player in MLB history to win all those awards in the same season, excluding the Home Run Derby, was Maury Wills in 1962.

I just got a little teary eyed.

 

[Eephus]

Well somebody has to disagree to keep the thread going so I'll take the position that Cal Ripken Jr. is a bit overrated here. He saved the game and brought his lunch pail to work everyday, but if you measure his production against the greatest who ever played the position, he's probably closer to #9 than #1. That's mostly because Hans and A-rod are head and shoulders above the rest--it gets pretty muddled from #3 on down.

Ripken's career OPS+ is 112, which is lower than Yount's. Ripken's had a huge dropoff after his age 31 MVP season. Feeding the streak arguably hurt him and his team into his mid 30s. He never had 100 R after age 25 and only had four 100 RBI seasons in spite of batting in the middle of the lineup every day. He's renowned for his consistency but even in his prime had some seasons with AVG in the .250-.260 range. His career year in 1991 is very impressive but it's immediately preceded and followed by average and sub-par seasons. Defensively, Ripken was underrated at the beginning of his career because he didn't fit the stereotype of a SS. He used his arm and positioning to make up for his lack of range, but by the second half of his career, his RF9 stats weren't as good as his reputation. In retrospect you could probably make the case he was better suited for 3B by his early 30s, but it's hard to tell who the Orioles had as a SS alternative because he never saw any action.

There's definitely some value in being able to write Cal's name on the lineup card in ink at the start of the season, particularly when compared to guys like Larkin who seemed to have a DL stint every year. But when you're considering the greatest of all time, ABs aren't the most important stat.

I think you're overlooking the one prime reason he's so high on the list. That reason is that he revolutionized the position. Previously, SS were expected to be "all glove/no bat". You need look no farther back at least in O's history than Mark Belanger who IIRC struggled to hit .240 but caught everything hit to him. It's because Ripken demonstrated you could be 1) taller than 5'8" and 2) hit with power to play the position. In this case, its more than numbers.

I don't think Ripken revolutionized anything. He was big for his position, but there had been big, slow, slugging shortstops before him (Boudreau, Banks, Ron Hansen). The prototypical SS today is still a little (usually Dominican) guy.Ripken was more of an outlier than a trend setter. His lasting impact on the game is the streak.

IMO you are underrating Ripken's career.He won the following awards/honors:

1982: American League Rookie of the Year

1983: American League Most Valuable Player

1983: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1984: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1985: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1986: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1989: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1991: American League Most Valuable Player

1991: MLB All-Star Game Most Valuable Player

1991: American League Gold Glove Award (SS)

1991: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1992: Roberto Clemente Award

1992: Lou Gehrig Memorial Award

1992: American League Gold Glove Award (SS)

1993: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1994: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1995: Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year"; The Sporting News' "Sportsman of the Year"

1999: Ranked Number 78 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players

1999: Elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

2001: MLB All-Star Game Most Valuable Player

2001: Ranked third greatest shortstop all-time in the The New Bill James Historical Abstract.

2001: Uniform number (8) retired by the Baltimore Orioles

2007: Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by 98.53 percent of voters. The highest percentage of votes ever for a position player, as well as third highest overall.

And he set these records:

Most consecutive games played at 2,632

Most consecutive innings played at 8,243

Most home runs by a shortstop at 345

Most double plays by a shortstop, American League, at 1,682

All-time leader in MLB All-Star fan balloting (36,123,483)

Most American League, MLB All-Star team selections (19) - 1983-2001

Most MLB All-Star Game appearances at shortstop (15) - 1983-1996, 2001

Most consecutive MLB All-Star Game starts (17)

With regard to his defense, this is from his Wikipedia. page:

Ripken demonstrated the ability to play excellent defense at shortstop, and as a result remained a fixture there for well over a decade, leading the league in assists several times, winning the Gold Glove twice, and, in 1990, setting the MLB record for best fielding percentage in a season at his position. Though not a flashy fielder, Ripken displayed excellent fundamentals, and studied batters and even his own pitching staff so he could position himself to compensate for his lack of physical speed, even calling pitches at times. Ripken's legacy as a fielder is reflected by his place near the top of almost every defensive statistical category — he holds at least one all-time record (for either season, career, or most seasons leading the league) in assists, putouts, fielding percentage, double plays, and fewest errors.

Also, his 1991 season was a season for the ages. Again from Wikipedia:

His 1991 season is the fourth-greatest in baseball history (second among non-pitchers) as measured by WARP3 at 17.0 wins, bested only by Walter Johnson's 1913 (18.1 wins), Babe Ruth's 1932 (18 wins), and Amos Rusie's 1894 season (17.6 wins).

Ripken won his second AL MVP award, the Gold Glove Award, 1991 All Star game MVP award (going 2 for 3 including a 3-run home run off Dennis Martínez), the Gatorade Home Run Derby contest (hitting a then record 12 home runs in 22 swings, including 7 consecutive homers to start the contest), Louisville Slugger "Silver Slugger Award", AP Player of the Year Award, and The Sporting News Player of the Year Award. The only other player in MLB history to win all those awards in the same season, excluding the Home Run Derby, was Maury Wills in 1962.

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[Tau837]

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[Hoos First]

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