What if this player?

[suave1477]

To all members here is an interesting topic:

WHAT IF????

What if you could change a certain players history on how they played or something they did to creat an alternate out come of there career?
Who would you change an what would you think the outcome would be?

Ill will start by saying 2 players

Darryl Strawberry - If he didn't down the wrong side of the road with all his drug usage and contraversial things off the field - I definitely think he could have made it easily into the 500 Home Run Club with out a blink of an eye and easily been an indutee to the Hall of Fame.

Ken Griffey Jr. - I feel if he wasn't plagued with his Injuries he could have easily had a chance at break Hank Aarons HR record and I think Last season, the season before and this season is definitely proving that. Everyone I know has pretty much given up on Griffey Jr. and yet even though he was plague yet again at the end of his season last year with another Injury. He still managed 27 HR and the year before 35 and this season already at 18.

Who do you think could of had a different future?

[3arod13]

Re: What if this player?

Juan Gonzalez - If he didn't use steroids, which could have contributed to the injuries he had over his last few years, he also would have been a 500 Home Run hitter. However, I now wonder, without steroids, would he have hit as many home runs as he did (434)

[bubbrubb25]

Re: What if this player?

Pete Rose...you know the story

[staindsox]

Re: What if this player?

I think Paul Molitor would probably have been the all-time hit leader. He missed over 500 games from injury (and player injured at great deal more). Even if he .250 in those games (1-4), that puts him over 3800 hits. He was actually healthier in his mid-30s and consequently put up bigger numbers. Had he done that throughout his career (he would have without those nagging injuries), he would be the hit king. But, this is what if. Joe Wood threw his arm out, Tony C took one off the head, even Mickey Mantle with healthy knees or Ted Williams missing 5 of his best years because of war. It's a pretty subjective topic, but I think Paul would have been the hit king...but would Barry be chasing/robbing Mickey or Ted right now? Great thread!

Chris

[harpt]

Re: What if this player?

Paul Molitor!

He was plagued with injuries his entire career (including missing nearly two full years during his prime) and still assembled 3,319 hits. I believe that if he had not had injury problems, he could have sniffed 4,000 hits.

[skipcareyisfat]

Re: What if this player?

Dale Murphy. He's two homers short of 400 and I would've loved to see him get there. Not even 26 games as a Colorado Rockie (arghhh) helped. Had it not been for the '81 strike though, which lasted about a month and a half, he'd likely be in the 410-420 range. Subtract the late-career injuries and maybe he gets another 20-30.

[staindsox]

Re: What if this player?

or how about if Babe Ruth got to hit...

in today's smaller parks.

with lighter, maple bats.

with a strike zone half of what it was when he played.

with 30 team instead of 16...which means there are twice as many pitchers as there were then. Think if you got rid of the bottom half of pitchers in the majors.

with nicer travel (an un-airconditioned train IS rougher than a first class plane trip for one or two hours).

and if he actually hit every day in his Boston years...

I don't think anyone yet would be close to him.

[harpt]

Re: What if this player?

Oops, i was writing mine while you posted yours. Great monds think alike.

[yanks12025]

Re: What if this player?

I would pick Lou Gehrig. If he did not die he could have a longer game streak and also add on to his stats. If he could have played acouple of years more he could have reached around 600 to 650 home runs maybe more.

Also Thruman munson i dont know if he was going to be a hall of famer but let him add some more stats on and maybe help the yank's win another world series back then.

[both-teams-played-hard]

Don't know the past, don't know the future.


How does someone call themselves a "World Champ" when they haven't even faced the best competition in their own damn country?

[ham1963]

Re: What if this player?

suave1477:
Darryl Strawberry - If he didn't down the wrong side of the road with all his drug usage and contraversial things off the field - I definitely think he could have made it easily into the 500 Home Run Club with out a blink of an eye and easily been an indutee to the Hall of Fame.

How about Doc Gooden I wonder if he would have won 300 games if he did not go down the same path as Strawberry.

[RobSteinmetz]

Re: What if this player?

I'm with Warren on Satchell Paige, and I'd add Josh Gibson to the list.

[camarokids]

Re: Don't know the past, don't know the future.

How does someone call themselves a "World Champ" when they haven't even faced the best competition in their own damn country?

I agree 100% . I don't see why they are called world champs now . Did I miss the tournament ?

If the USA and baseball was de-segregated , say 50 or 75 years sooner than Jackie R. (no dis-respect to JR) . Just think how different the History books of Baseball (even just life as well, our country & it's heroes, etc) would be . The Hall of Fame in Cooperstown would have quite a few different members and quite possibly have some taken away ???

[otismalibu]

Re: What if this player?

Some hoopsters off the top of my head...

What would their career numbers look like if they would have had full careers?

Connie Hawkins (banned - point shaving scandal)
Bill Walton (injuries)
David Thompson (injuries)
Sugar Ray Richardson (banned - drugs)
Andrew Toney (injuries)

[staindsox]

Re: What if this player?

David, I love your point!!! I actually think there would be some very large surprises if baseball had never been segregated.

I have read in so many places that Josh Gibson couldn't hit a curveball to save his life and I think we would be greatly disappointed with him. Not compare these two at all, but Wily Mo Pena has tremendous power, but having power and hitting homeruns are two different things, as the Red Sox have found out. Bo Jackson may have been able to hit them as far as Babe Ruth or Reggie Jackson, just not nearly as often.

Hilton Smith is an excellent example of the other scenario. I read that Satch who throw the first inning or two and Hilton would come in and pitch the last 7 innings, but Satchel would get the win. His plaque was long overdo.

I put as much faith in the Negro League stats as Paul Bunyan and the Tooth Fairy. There are obviously some that shouldn't and wouldn't be in the Hall. On the otherhand, I am absolutely sure there are others that have been left out that can't go in based on their numbers...if you only looked at numbers, would Ozzie Smith gone in??? It's a shame we will never know who those players are.

Chris