Who do you think is the best leadoff hitter ever?

[CuseCubFan69]

Bruce's article got me thinking about the great leadoff hitters in the game. I just keep getting back to Rickey Henderson. I just can not think of a better leadoff guy. Speed, power, and high OBP...Rickey had it all.

 

Also, who was the best Cub leadoff hitter ever? I just can not think of one....not one that had 3 or more good years with the Cubs.

[BigbadB]

I'd be happy to give Rickey Henderson claim as the greatest lead off hitter of all time.

 

Wasn't Pete Rose a lead off hitter at one point or another in his career?

 

 

As far as the Cubs are concerned, I'll have to give Jose Cardenal the nod as their best lead off hitter.

[CuseCubFan69]

I'd be happy to give Rickey Henderson claim as the greatest lead off hitter of all time.

 

Wasn't Pete Rose a lead off hitter at one point or another in his career?

 

 

As far as the Cubs are concerned, I'll have to give Jose Cardenal the nod as their best lead off hitter.

 

I forgot about Jose.

 

Did Rose have a decent OBP? I can't remember.

[BigbadB]

Career .375

 

12 seasons of .380 or better. He had an OBP of .395 when he was 44.

[CuseCubFan69]

Career .375

 

12 seasons of .380 or better. He had an OBP of .395 when he was 44.

 

Interesting. Baker would have batted him 7th or 8th.

[AlwaysaCub]

He led the league in OBP twice. Rose I mean.

 

Tim Raines also had excellent OBPs as well as a large number of steals.

[Balsa]

Lofton's gotta be up there. The guy is a workhorse. Although it seems he's become quite the one-year mercenary, he's still a good leadoff hitter.

[burnt out cubbie fan]

Career .375

 

12 seasons of .380 or better. He had an OBP of .395 when he was 44.

Steroids.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I think the discussion should begin and end with Rickey.

 

Rickey played 25 seasons with a career line of 279/401/419. He led his league in runs scored six times. He was in the top five six other times and another top ten finish. He also led his league in steals 12 times! He was the perfect combination of speed and OBP that could be utilized at the top of the order.

[RockTheIvy]

I think the discussion should begin and end with Rickey.

 

Rickey played 25 seasons with a career line of 279/401/419. He led his league in runs scored six times. He was in the top five six other times and another top ten finish. He also led his league in steals 12 times! He was the perfect combination of speed and OBP that could be utilized at the top of the order.

 

He also has close to 300 HRs. He's by far the best leadoff hitter ever.

[BigbadB]

I think the discussion should begin and end with Rickey.

 

Rickey played 25 seasons with a career line of 279/401/419. He led his league in runs scored six times. He was in the top five six other times and another top ten finish. He also led his league in steals 12 times! He was the perfect combination of speed and OBP that could be utilized at the top of the order.

 

And, he could have done a better job of getting on base this year than Neifi, Macias or Patterson.

[CoolHandLuke]

While trying to look at some historic Cub leadoff hitters, I stumbled onto this puzzling tidbit.

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHC/1929.shtml

 

You can check out the world series box scores. Guess who they have hitting first and second. Yeah thats right McMillan and English, the guys with the worst OPS+ in the starting lineup. McMillan had the worst OBP on the team and he was leading off for crying out loud!

 

Of course they had no idea what OBP was but McMillan and English still had quite pedestrian batting averages. Cuyler would have made an excellent leadoff hitter.

 

EDIT: The manager of that team was Joe McCarthy who went on to win 7 world series with the Yankees.

[CubinNY]

CubinNY thinks Rickey Henderson is the best in his lifetime. CubinNY says it is hard to judge Rickey against guys he hasn't seen. Edited October 3, 2005 by CubinNY

[CuseCubFan69]

CubinNY thinks Rickey Henderson is the best in his lifetime. CubinNY says it is heard to judge Rickey against guys he hasn't seen.

 

I suppose Rickey should have had the nickname "3rd Person".

 

I wonder what the top all-time leadoff OBP's are?

 

Also, what are the percentage leaders of guys that get on base that end up scoring. For example...Juan Pierre gets on base 175 times and scores 110 while Kendell gets on base the the same amount of times and scores 90 runs. I understand that the guys behind them are responsible for the most part but how much does speed play a part in them scoring? Is there a reliable scource that can measure these kinds of things? Also, to take away points for getting thrown out as well as giving points for stealing that extra base. I know Tim has shown me something that discusses this before.

 

Of course it doesn't take into account the mental aspect of a speed threat on first.

[Backtobanks]

I'd be happy to give Rickey Henderson claim as the greatest lead off hitter of all time.

 

Wasn't Pete Rose a lead off hitter at one point or another in his career?

 

 

As far as the Cubs are concerned, I'll have to give Jose Cardenal the nod as their best lead off hitter.

 

Even better than Neifi & Corey?

[OleMissCub]

Ricky Ricky Ricky Ricky

 

no contest

[RockTheIvy]

He doesn't really walk enough, but during his time in the league, there haven't been many leadoff guys better than Ichiro!.

[dalgreen]

A blast from the past:

 

I know one guy who used to kill the Cubs as a leadoff hitter. How many of you remember Omar Moreno? I don't recall how he did overall, but against the Cubs it seemed like he was always on base.

[neely crenshaw]

what about ty cobb?

if you are talking all time his average is pushing .370!

[CuseCubFan69]

what about ty cobb?

if you are talking all time his average is pushing .370!

 

Did Cobb bat leadoff?

[sonofsamiam]

what about ty cobb?

if you are talking all time his average is pushing .370!

 

Did Cobb bat leadoff?

 

I'm pretty sure Cobb batted 3rd, though am not certain.

 

And I concur that Rickey is almost certainly the best leadoff man ever.

 

If Stan Hack led off (and I seem to remember reading he did), then he's got my vote as far as Cubs go.

[illiniguy]

what about ty cobb?

if you are talking all time his average is pushing .370!

 

Did Cobb bat leadoff?

No wonder that team never won it all with him then, that dude was fast. He should have led off.

[TruffleShuffle]

Not even close, Rickey Henderson... one of the more underappreciated players in recent memory, I think.

[illiniguy]

Not even close, Rickey Henderson... one of the more underappreciated players in recent memory, I think.

I would go with who(whom)?ever the Cardinals are using. Be it Vina, Hart, Womack, or Eckstein they all seem to get much better after putting on the two birds uniform. Rickey would have had a .457/757/1890 line for them :wink: