Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365

Left Fielders are the Labrador Retrievers of the baseball world: solid, steady, and unspectacular. However, they are extremely capable at getting their job done, and they can do great damage to their opponent when the need arises. They aren't as glamorous as their CF neighbors, but they can be deceptively and even strikingly graceful. While they don't have the Gary Cooper mystique or rifle arms of RFers, they can gun down runners with lethal aplomb.

So, to celebrate these Left Fielders/"Golden Retrievers," the first half of this poll/thread will address the Greatest Left Fielders since WWII. The second half of the poll/thread will address our Favorite Songs of the Oughts/00s. The Oughts saved us from the loathsome Frat-rock and Neo-Grunge of the late 90's. Marked by experimentation, a return to 80's Alt-rock, and a Folk renaissance, it was definitely a remarkable music decade. So, without having to look back too far, pick up to ten of your favorites. Quality is preferred, but not required...

Note: This is the final Greatest Players Thread: I had planned to do greatest closers and managers. However, after a fun, engaging run, I decided against it. A few have interjected their negativity (particularly last week), but we've still had 9 excellent threads with mostly courteous, interesting discussions about many topics. So, I would like to thank all who contributed....particularly fredpaii, Steve F, Ninersphan, and alk58.

Greatest Left Fielders (Bonds would have been #1, and Manny would have been #4...but they got greedy)
1. Ted Williams. The Greatest hitter ever. Also a mediocre defender, but who cares.
2. Stan Musial. Maybe the 2nd best hitter ever, and The Man played defense as well.
3. Rickey Henderson. There will never be a better leadoff hitter...EVER. Played a mean left field, too.
4. Carl Yastrzemski. Awesome D, excellent O, sublime class...and watch out for his grandson Mike in Baltimore.
5. Willie Stargell. Pops was a slugging LF before his storied move to 1b and astounding 1979 Playoff performance.
6. Billy Williams. Smooth left-handed hitter. Maybe the most forgotten HOFer of recent years.
7. Jim Rice. Dominant offensive player of his era. Others' roids stats of the late 90's almost kept him out of HOF
8. Ralph Kiner. Short career, but devastating power for his time. Also unfairly forgotten.
9. Tim Raines. Second best leadoff hitter of modern era. Will HOF voters ever come around?
10. Lou Brock. First great devastating base stealer. Solid hitter, too....Poor Ernie Broglio.

Favorite Songs of the 00's (
1. Read My Mind by The Killers. Las Vegas rockers brilliantly blend Springsteen Americana with 70's Glam sheen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKghBQbNxWA

2. All My Life by The Foo Fighters. The Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers of the Info age return to Grohl's Punk roots.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ04WbgI9rg

3. The Cave by Mumford and Sons. The Millennium's U2 rule the New-Folk movement. This is their best.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KkUeRPjc-Y

4. Vicarious by Tool. Danny Carey is the greatest Rock drummer since Neal Peart. He truly shows it on this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOKV9Stri_M

5. Wake Me Up When September Ends by Green Day. Billie Joe's gorgeous and poetic dirge of pain and loss.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdpBZ5_b48g

6. Hysteria by Muse: Muse is Radiohead if they continued in The Bends direction, as seen on this hook-filled rocker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYWklAV_cwQ

7. Everybody's Changing by Keane. Bacharach-esque gem with Keane's signature pianos and Chaplin's angelic voice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx4Hjq6KwO0

8. Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon. Tennessee rockers mix G. Allman growls with Glam exaltation of libidinal rapture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF0HhrwIwp0

9. Soul Meets Body by Death Cab for Cutie. REM-ish ditty is a Wordsworthian meditation on mind, nature, and love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uizQVriWp8M

10. (tie)The Scientist by Coldplay. Their best song: a lovely acknowledgment of failure and recognition of love's end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s70OsXlDD94

10. (tie) Evil by Interpol. New York Alt-rockers evoke Joy Division with this cynical pitch to an uncertain lover.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqfiHfDmOnw

10. (tie) Wake Up by Arcade Fire. Springsteen-inspired Canadians turn Young's "Old Man" on its head with this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zdNdjF-htY

10 (tie) Last Night by The Strokes. NY Dolls meet T-Rex on this engagingly cocky song of romantic frustration.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOypSnKFHrE

If you look at Manny Ramirez numbers 19 years .312 555 1831 OPS .996
Finished 2nd ROY 12 Time All star Finished in the top ten MVP 9 times 9 Silver Sluggers and 1 helluva WS MVP that I thought I would never live to see.
Best LF of his ERA
Billy Williams 18 years .290 426 1475 OPS .853
Won ROY 6 time All Star Top Ten MVP 2

Now I never really saw Williams play in the days before cable I never saw Cubs play but I'm sure he was better defender than Manny.

Ralph Kiner 10 years .279 369 1015 OPS 946 avg 36 hr/yr Manny 39/yr

Again I never saw Kiner play I don't necessarily like going just by numbers its all i have

All great songs and bands no argument there, really love Death Cab and Kings of Leon,
btw listened to the new Pink Floyd today, sounded like Pink Floyd

dude named Barry Bonds played alot of LF

I have to throw Brock into the mix

few LF had more hits or SB

the splinter wrote:dude named Barry Bonds played alot of LF

I have to throw Brock into the mix

few LF had more hits or SB

Well, I clearly needed to put my caveats about Bonds and Ramirez in bold type...

I actually posted this, but I apologize for it not being easier to see:

Greatest Left Fielders (Bonds would have been #1, and Manny would have been #4...but they got greedy)

Bonds' roiding is particularly tragic, as I am sure he still would have been one of the ten greatest players of all time without the help. His batting eye was that sublime, and his defense in left field might have been the greatest ever. He just wanted some of that lovin that Sosa and McGwire were unfairly getting...and I don't entirely blame him.

I did have Brock at # 10, however, so i definitely agree he belongs in the mix.

And, Alk, I remembered you liked Death Cab; so, I thought you'd appreciate it's inclusion in the list. I am definitely a 90's guy, but I have to say the Oughts are fast becoming my other favorite decade, and my Oughts list is easily my favorite. If you ever have the time, dude, I'd love to hear some of your other OO's faves.

Greatest Left Fielders (Bonds would have been #1, and Manny would have been #4...but they got greedy)

wow I totally missed that, i just read the list

I tend to fall in love with bands more than just songs, hell lots time I don't even know the titles.
in no particularly order
Snow Patrol
Coldplay
moe.
Guster
Killers
Modest Mouse
Gomez
Those bands I love everything they put out, just dump them all in winamp and let it rip.
Songs that stick out from the 00's
One Thing - Finger Eleven
Hanging By a Moment - Lifehouse
Drive - Incubus
21 Guns - Green Day
Know Your Enemy - Green Day ( green day could also go above except nothing out lately)

and i did all that work with numbers that will teach me to read the whole post

We definitely have similar tastes, Alk. I'm a huge Killers fan, and--considering their huge Springsteen influence--I'm still puzzled why they have been more successful in Europe than here. I always appreciated Modest Mouse's innovations, and Incubus' "Drive" is one of my favorite songs of the 00s, as The Cars' "Drive" is one of my favorite of the 80's. And while Green Day has lagged quite a bit since American Idiot, I'm sure they're shoo-ins for the Hall-of Fame this year.


P.s. I forgot to give you the definition of "hubristic" on the other thread. It means one with exaggerated pride and/or ambitions, and is used commonly--along with hamartia--to describe tragic heroes and general managers throughout literary and regular history. The best example is Daedalus' son Icarus, who flew with wax-girded wings too close to the sun; you can imagine the rest...

I forgot to give you the definition of "hubristic" on the other thread.

I looked it right up, its how I learn words. I play a lot of scrabble on the Internet.
Like I said in the post my "pride" wouldn't let me look up hubristic

I think some of the problem with bands like The Killers they are 20 and 30 year olds making music for 50 year olds.
This weeks playlist for me 'scars on 45' new Pink Floyd and have been on a Queen binge lately.