Dbacks All-Time Franchise Player

[FArting]

Dbacks All-Time Greatest Player

Baseball Tonight is running a feature. People vote on who they think is each team's all-time greatest player.

1) Who is the all-time greatest player in Diamondbacks history?

Randy Johnson
Won four straight Cy Youngs with Diamondbacks.

Luis Gonzalez
Hit 57 home runs in breakout 2001 campaign. Walk-off hit in World Series.

Brandon Webb
Won 2006 Cy Young award.

Curt Schilling
Four wins, sub-1.50 ERA in 2001 postseason.

Steve Finley
Hit .368 in 2001 World Series win.

I will make this into a poll.

 

[Mulli]

Steve Finley? Seriously? RJ. End of story.

 

[devilalum]

Steve Finley? Seriously? RJ. End of story.

This is a waste of good internet space.

 

[BC867]

All-time greatest player, as the poll is phrased? RJ, of course. Hall of Famer.

All-time franchise player, as the thread is titled? Franchise players tend to be everyday players, rather than pitchers. That would be Gonzo.

'Must be a slow baseball day.

 

[Mulli]

All-time greatest player, as the poll is phrased? RJ, of course. Hall of Famer.

All-time franchise player, as the thread is titled? Franchise players tend to be everyday players, rather than pitchers. That would be Gonzo.

'Must be a slow baseball day.

Did you just make that up?

 

[BC867]

Did you just make that up?

I think you'll find that most "franchise" players in baseball history have been position players, rather than pitchers.

Both as marketing symbols and having an impact on the team and the league -- for 162 games vs. 1/5 of the schedule.

They want the turnstyles going every game, rather than every fifth game.

Isn't that why the D'backs, following Gonzo, featured Eric Byrnes on their advertising at the start of the season instead Webb or Webb & Haren?

I'm not saying it's right (certainly not in the case of the flaky, underachieving Eric Byrnes). But it is understandable.

 

[Mulli]

I think you'll find that most "franchise" players in baseball history have been position players, rather than pitchers.

Both as marketing symbols and having an impact on the team and the league -- for 162 games vs. 1/5 of the schedule.

They want the turnstyles going every game, rather than every fifth game.

Isn't that why the D'backs, following Gonzo, featured Eric Byrnes on their advertising at the start of the season instead Webb or Webb & Haren?

I'm not saying it's right (certainly not in the case of the flaky, underachieving Eric Byrnes). But it is understandable.

See what you are saying now.

 

[DWKB]

I would say he's mostly correct, however taking into consideration the youth of our organization and the vast performance difference between RJ and all the other players make him the right pick right now.

Young organizations make this a hard choice anyways (see Rays choices), but I selected Seaver for the Mets and thought hard about Koufax for the Dodgers (although eventually going with Robinson)

RJ is still the correct choice over Gonzo. When people think DBacks, they think RJ.

 

[Black Jesus]

i clicked randy but must of hit tab without noticing and i voted luis by accident.

 

[Dback Jon]

I think it is hard to compare position players and pitchers. Gonzo dominates every offensive category (except walks and SB) by a large, large margin. RJ dominates most pitching categories, but in many by a smaller margin, and Brandon Webb will likely surpass him in total Dback wins next year, or 2010 at the latest.

I voted Gonzo for his dominace AS A DBACK compared to other Arizona players.

 

[Desert Rat]

The way the question was written, RJ is it, absolutely. I can't believe Rick Helling wasn't on the list.

 

[DWKB]

I think it is hard to compare position players and pitchers. Gonzo dominates every offensive category (except walks and SB) by a large, large margin. RJ dominates most pitching categories, but in many by a smaller margin, and Brandon Webb will likely surpass him in total Dback wins next year, or 2010 at the latest.

I voted Gonzo for his dominace AS A DBACK compared to other Arizona players.

So are wins how you'd choose to measure a pitchers dominates?

I think I'd go with his 2.82 career ERA as a DBack (this includes his second stint as well, during his first his ERA was under 2.50) which Webb won't likely get close to surpassing. Webb would have to throw up an ERA of 1.40 over the 320 or so IP that he's behind RJ to tie him in ERA.

Then maybe his 37 CGs to second place Schilling with 18 (Webb 3rd with 15).

Then say his 14 Shutouts with Webb second at 8

Then finally his 2025 Strikeouts with Webb second at 1019.

Not to disparage Gonzo, he had a really good stint with the DBacks, but RJ's was other worldly.

 

[Dback Jon]

So are wins how you'd choose to measure a pitchers dominates?

I think I'd go with his 2.82 career ERA as a DBack (this includes his second stint as well, during his first his ERA was under 2.50) which Webb won't likely get close to surpassing. Webb would have to throw up an ERA of 1.40 over the 320 or so IP that he's behind RJ to tie him in ERA.

Then maybe his 37 CGs to second place Schilling with 18 (Webb 3rd with 15).

Then say his 14 Shutouts with Webb second at 8

Then finally his 2025 Strikeouts with Webb second at 1019.

Not to disparage Gonzo, he had a really good stint with the DBacks, but RJ's was other worldly.

Did I say wins were the ONLY measure? Nope - I gave it as an example (of a prominant stat). My point, which seems to be lost, is that Gonzo is so far ahead of any other Dback in the main offensive categories it is not even funny. I also prefaced my remarks that you really, really can't compare pitchers and position players in this type of analysis. Gonzo and RJ are 1 and 1 - both dominant forces on the Dbacks first 10 years.

 

[Lefty]

This is BS! Where is Eric "The Face of the Franchise" Byrnes? He is the only player who also has his own TV show.

 

[scXfreakX]

Easy question. It has to be Luis Gonzalez.

 

[Black Jesus]

rick heilling??, hell i cant believe Russ Ortiz isn't on there.

 

[Desert Rat]

Albie Lopez and Troy Brohawn missed the cut, too.