First of all I would like to thank all the people who voted and left comments.  Everyones opinion was considered.  I don't want to give the entire list to you all at once though.  Check back to see who the next players are as I roll them out. 

  There was a lot to condiser when putting together a list like this.  Some of the things that were taken into consideration were not just based on stats.  There is only one pitcher on the list as well and you will find that out when I get to it.  I quickly realized that this was a tough subject due to the amount of players that have played the game.  Remember they have been keeping stats since 1876.  MLB was established in 1845 though.  One hundred and thirty years they have been keeping stats, at least by my reasearch.  I guess I would have been a Detroit Wolverines fan in 1883 and that was also the year that the Philadelphia Quakers team ERA was 8.96.  Anyway back to the list, coming in at number:

10. Pete Rose (Charlie Hustle) - Rose is the career leader in hits (4,256), singles (3,215), at-bats (14,053) and games played (3,562). He is second all-time in doubles, fourth in runs, and collected at least 100 hits in his first 23 seasons, a record. He had more than 200 hits in a season 10 times, also a record, led the league in hits in seven seasons, and is the most prolific switch-hitter in history.  He played 1B, 2B, 3B, OF, and managed as well as being a player manager several seasons.  He played for Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Montreal.

Pete is known for a lot of things in and out of baseball.  The important thing to remember with Pete is that he was nicknamed Charlie Hustle for a reason.  He is well known for crashing into Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game to score the winning run in the 12th.  Some may say he hung around way to long to pad his stats which is not true.  Many players have played until they just can't anymore.  Everyone always says they remember Willie Mays limping around the bases in his final season. It is more of a testament to the character, heart, and durability to a player if he plays a long time. It is about the love of the game.  Pete once said "I'd walk through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball."  Rose had more heart than almost all the other players from his era.  He was a great sports hero and will always be remembered for "hustling".



9. Stan Musial -  Stan was a three time NL MVP winner, two time player of the year, and winner of the Lou Gehrig award.  The Lou Gehrig Memorial Award was established by Lou Gehrig's college fraternity, Phi Delta Theta at Columbia University. The award is presented annually to the Major League baseball player who both on and off the field best exemplifies the character of Lou Gehrig.  His career stats are compared to the games best including several players to be named in this list.  On a 162 average of 22 seasons he has stats of 25 home runs, 104 RBI, and a .331 average. He played from 1941 - 1963.  One of the best things about his longevity in MLB is that all 22 seasons were played with the Cardinals.  He also was dubbed "Stan the Man".  In 1954, Stan Musial became the first player to hit 5 home runs in a double header against the New York Giants.  A statue of Musial was dedicated at Busch Stadium in 1968.  He played 22 seasons but every place and bio for him says he was selected to 24 straight All-Star games.  He won three World Series rings (42', 44', and 46')  and had 475 career home runs.  For one who played so long, Musial was unbelievably consistent. He smacked 1,815 hits at home and the same number on the road.  All the statistics and awards were accomplished by a 175 pound man,  the same size as Derek Jeter.  To top it all off he gave up the 1945 season to serve his country in WWII.  Stan Musial will always be remembered as one of the most feared hitters in the National League and for being a diplomat to the game.


8. Joe DiMaggio - Joltin Joe still holds the hitting streak record at 56 games!  He was a 3-time MVP winner and 13-time all-star who was widely hailed for his accomplishment on both offense and defense, as well as for the grace with which he played the game, at the time of his retirement at age 36 he had the fifth-most career home runs(361) and sixth-highest slugging percentage (.579) in history.  In 1969 a poll was conducted to coincide with the centennial of professional baseball voted him the sport's greatest living player.   The "Yankke clipper" was touted by sportswriters as Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Shoeless Joe Jackson rolled into one, he made his major league debut on May 3, 1936,  batting ahead of Lou Gehrig. The Yankees had not been to the World Series since 1932, but, thanks in large part to their sensational rookie, they won the next four. DiMaggio is the only athlete in North American pro sports history to be on four championship teams in his first 4 full seasons. In total, he led the Yankees to nine titles in thirteen years.  A 162 game average of his career would be 34 HR and 134 RBI per season, so in other words he would get paid about $12 million per season these days, maybe more playing for the Yankees.  He also enlisted in WWII but was sent to California because it was thought that if he were killed or injured in the war it would devastate morale.  Joe was also famous for visiting childrens hospitals.  Broadway Joe loved to visit with kids.  At the time he was probably the biggest icon in America and for him to take time away for the kids says something about how great of a person and player he was.  Once he retired he met, fell in love with, and married Marilyn Monroe.  The relationship was loving yet complex, marred by his jealousy and her ambition. DiMaggio biographer Richard Ben Cramer asserts it was also violent. One incident allegedly happened after the skirt-blowing scene in "The Seven Year Itch"  was filmed on New York's Lexington Avenue before hundreds of fans, director Billy Wilder recalled "the look of death" on DiMaggio's face as he watched.  When she filed for divorce just 274 days after the wedding, Oscar Levant said "it proved that no man could be a success in two pastimes". 


7. Ty Cobb - Tyrus Raymond (Ty or Georgia Peach) Cobb is a name that every baseball fan knows and it is for a reason. He didn't have a lot of power, but no one really did when he played.  He was known for his aggressive play and ability to will his team to victory.  He is also know as one of the best hitters of all-time.  After a mediocre year for the Tigers in 1906, owner Frank Navin hired the enthusiastic, aggressive Hughie Jennings to be the manager. Jennings knew what Cobb could do and let him run the bases on his own, without signals from the manager.  The main tenet of Cobb's baserunning strategy was that the base paths belonged to him. He felt that he had every right to do whatever he could to keep it that way. An example of this was against Cleveland in June 1907, when he tripled. Instead of stopping at third, Cobb continued to home where the catcher, Harry Bemis, was waiting with the ball. Cobb lowered his shoulder and plowed Bemis over, knocking the ball loose. Bemis picked up the ball and beat Cobb over the head with it until the umpire pulled Bemis off Cobb and ejected the catcher.  Cobb claims in his autobiography that because Bemis beat him over the head with the ball and verbally abused him, he became one of only two intentional-spiking victims in Cobb's career. He also claims that although he missed Bemis with his spikes, the message had been clear and Bemis never again bothered him. Cobb liked to talk about his exploits, and even in his autobiography, when he states that he is writing it to dispel vicious rumors about him, it is clear that he revels in the image of him as a demon.  It is hard to say whether or not most stories about him are true or the accuracy of them, either way he liked being portayed in the manner that he was.

One of Cobb's most devastating approaches to baseball and perhaps the one that left the most lasting impression was his psychological intimidation. One part of that particular program was to nurture his image as a monster that both he and the media were creating. The more horrible that opponents thought that he was, the more that he felt that he could manipulate them to his advantage. For example, it was a good thing that opposing fielders thought that he sharpened his spikes. It seems that in 1908 at Highland Park in New York, a couple of Detroit benchwarmers sat outside their dugout sharpening their spikes. Eventually, the story became that Cobb would sit "with mouth twisted and eyes ablaze" filing his spikes in front of the dugout. Cobb waited until after his playing days to publicly refute those allegations, since they undoubtedly helped add to the Cobb aura. Cobb once said "Baseball was one-hundred percent of my life." 

  Cobb won 12 batting titles, including 9 in a row from 1907 thru 1915 and he was the youngest AL player to reach 1,000 hit level (24 years old).  He played 22 seasons  for the Detroit Tigers and two years with the Philadelphia Athletics.  He never hit more than 12 HRs in a season but averaged over 100 RBI per season for his career. He batted over .400 three times and hit under .320 once.  One of the first five players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936 where he received 98.23% of the votes (222 out of 226).  He is number 2 on the all-time hits list and had a career batting average of .366 which puts him with the all-time greats of the game. A 162 game average fo Cobb would be 6 HR 103 RBI and a .366 BA.  The only thing that made him fall to number 7 is lack of power and the era he played in.  However he stole home 54 times in his career which is unheard of in todays era.    He could be argued as the best ever, but no matter where he is on a list like this he will always be a name synonymous with baseball greatness.



6. Barry Bonds - The book on Bonds stills has chapters to be written which may someday move him up this list (as if he cares).  Barry Bonds career has been one of the most prolific of all-time.  He is currently 2nd on the all-time career home runs list. He has already played 20 seasons and has averages of 42 HR, 110 RBI,
and a .300 BA.  He has only played for two teams, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Fransisco Giants.  Bonds is a 13 time All-Star, 7 time NL MVP, 8 Gold Gloves, and 3 time Player of the Year Award winner.  The 7 MVP awars is a record including 4 straight from 2001 through 2004.  Oh and there is that other thing, he holds the Home Run record for a single season with 73 in 2001.  Bonds has generally been known as reclusive in the clubhouse, and is not a favorite with the media. Teammates have occasionally remarked that they do not have any conversations with Bonds, but after passing Ruth on the all-time home run list, Bonds himself spoke of his teammates's support and their having celebrated the event together.   He is now in pursuit of Hank Aaron's all-time career home runs record which he will more than likely pass in the 2007 season. 

Players like Bonds only come along every so often.  Bonds has reached and raised the bar for players to come as players before had done for him in the past.  In order to measure greatness the bar has to be set, and later to be raised by the next great player.

Bonds career has been marred in steroid allegations the past few seasons.  He has had a syringe thrown at him, he is booed every at bat on the road, and fans yell at him every chance they get.  The thing that bothers me most about this is that Bonds has never tested positive for anything.  Steroids weren't even illegal in MLB at the time.   People have even said that the stats he has should have asterisks next to them.  Isn't this America?  We have found him guilty without even testing him positive?  Raphael Palmero tested positive after testifying to congress and pointing at them while he said he never took steroids.  What about all the current players that have tested positive, including pitchers?  No one really ever talks about it.  The U.S. Government launched an investigation into Bonds and steroids in baseball.  This is actually being lead by Senator George Mitchell.  I have an idea, how about we launch an investigation into why gas is almost $3.00 a gallon now.  I would like to see money they spend on this investigation (which could be hundreds of thousands) put into our school systems!  How about an investigation into why we have cut backs in education year after year or why so many jobs keep going over seas day after day with out any hope that will change.  "Nothing is more important to me than the integrity of the game of baseball," said Selig, commenting on the investigation after the publication Game of Shadows, a book written by two San Francisco Chronicle reporters that details alleged steroid use by Bonds and others.  No matter what is said about him he can still be argued as one the the best ever, and maybe he is or will be.



5. Lou Gehrig - Standing inside Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939, Lou Gehrig declared himself the “luckiest man on the face of the earth.” Remarkably humble and modest for a man of his stature, he was not used to the outpouring of public support showered upon him by 62,000 fans in attendance. It was on that day Lou Gehrig officially retired from Major League Baseball.  It is probably one of most famous speaches in baseball if not in American History.  The image of Gehrig a humbled man in front of his peers and fans will be remembered forever.  Lou Gehrig said "Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.  

 

Gehrig played seventeen years all in New York.  He had 162 game averages of 37 HR, 149 RBI, and .340 BA.  This does include three seasons (1923, 1924, 1939) in which Gehrig played less than 13 games.  He is considered one the most prolific hitters to ever play the game.  He won the Triple Crown in 1934 as well as winning the AL-MVP award in 1927 and 1936.  He is a seven time All-Star and helped the Yankees win 6 World Series titles.  Gehrig also holds the record for most grand slams in a career with 23.  He set a record by playing in a consecutive streak of 2,130 professional baseball games throughout his career, despite 17 fractures in his hands and other minor injuries. Gehrig’s record stood until Cal Ripken, Jr. broke it in 1995.  He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. In light of his progressive illness, the usual two-year waiting period after a player retires was waived in Gehrig’s case.

ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), is now known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is an incurable fatal neuromuscular disease characterized by progressive muscle weakness, resulting in paralysis.  On June 2, 1941, Lou Gehrig succumbed to ALS and the country mourned.  He is now honored by many and considered one of the best players to ever play and one of the finest men to represent the greatest game ever played, baseball.

4. Henry "Hank" Aaron - "Hammerin" Hank Aaron is the all-time Home run record holder with 755 in his career.  A career that spanned 23 season (21 with the Braves).  The Atalanta Braves were still in Milwaukee and then were moved to Atlanta.  He played his last two seasons back in Milwaukee with the Brewers.  In a 162 game average of his career he would hit 37 HR, 113 RBI, and a .305 BA.  The durability fort a player to accomplish such high numbers for suach a long period is only compounderd by the racism endured through this time period as well.  Lesser men would have broken.  The chase to beat the Babe heated up in the summer of 1973 and with it the mail. Aaron needed a secretary to sort it as he received more than an estimated 3,000 letters a day, more than any American outside of politics.  Unfortunately, racsist initially did much of the writing. 

The letters came from every state, but most were postmarked in northern cities. They were filled with hate; more hate than Aaron had ever imagined. "This," Aaron said later about the letters, "changed me."  Aaron hit his 700th home run off of the Phillies', Ken Brett. The 1973 season ended with Aaron at 713 homers after hitting a remarkable 40 in just 392 at-bats. He was 39.   Aaron broke baseball's all time RBI record in May of 75' and in July of 76' he hit his 755th and final home run.
 
Aaron was a 21 time All-Star, the 1970 Lou Gehrig award winner, and the NL- MVP in 1957.  He also is the All-time RBI leader (2,297), All-time total bases leader (6,856), All-time extra-base hits leader (1,477) and was the first player to reach 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.

3.  Willie Mays - Mays was a 20 time All-Starand is regarded as one of the finest players to ever play the game of baseball.  He played in a time when whites weren't exactly ready for the best baseball player to be black.  If you have ever heard the term "the catch" it is him.  With his back to home plate, Mays caught the ball over his left shoulder, and "then whirled and threw, like some olden statue o####reek javelin hurler, his head twisted away to the left as his right arm swept out and around ... And as he turned, or as he threw -- I could not tell which, the two motions were welded into one -- off came the cap, and then Mays himself continued to spin around after the gigantic effort of returning the ball whence it came, and he went down flat on his belly, and out of sight." The Catch helped the Giants win the World Series in four games, their first series win since 1933, and their last to date.  The catch is widely known as one of baseballs finest plays of all time and one of the most memorable.

In 1952 the "Say-Hey-Kid" traded in his spikes for military boots after being drafted.  The Giants lost Mays for most of 1952 and all of 1953.  He returned to the team in 1954.

Mays has no shortage of awards for his storied career as well.  He is also the first player to have 300 stolen bases and 300 home runs, he finished with 660 HR.   His combination of speed, fielding and hitting put him in the top five of the all century team created in the late nineties. 

For 22 seasons in baseball Mays had a 162 game average of 36 HR, 103 RBI, and a .302 BA.  Mays was a 12 time Gold Glove winner, 20 time All-Star, 1951 Rookie of the year, 1954 Player of the year (after returning from the Korean War), two time All-Star MVP, 1971 Roberto Clemete Award winner, and two time NL-MVP.  While he only won one World Series he apeared in four.  He led the Majors from 1956-1959 in stolen bases.  He was also in the top five in all of baseball every season he played in extra base hits.  Mays said that Joe Dimaggio was the greatest living player, until he died in 1999.  Now with Mays it's worth looking back at the 20-time All-Star,  who is now, officially, the "greatest living baseball player" -- much better late than never.

2. Ted Williams - He is also simply known as "Teddy Ballgame".   He is widely know as the pure hitter of all time.  He served in two different wars during his career which also only heightens the lure of one of baseballs greatest players.  In May of 1942 , Ted signed up for duty.  He went to the naval recruiting station on Causeway Street in Boston where he met with Lieutenant Donahue. Lt. Donahue swore him in and signed Ted up for naval aviation. He didn’t have to report until the end of the 42’ season.  He returned to baseball in 1946 and promptly hit 38 HR, 123 RBI ant batted .342 for the season.  In 1952 he again was serving his country in the Korean War.  He flew 39 missions before returning home of July 1953.

  Ted Williams has some hardware as well, and you knew I was going to let you know what it was.  It is quite a list of accomplishments.  He was the Rookie of the Year in 1939 (according to his website) he is a 17 time All-Star, two time AL_MVP, two time Triple Crown winner and five time Major League Player of the year award winner.  He had a 162 game average of 37 HR, 130 RBI, and a .344 average.  He is the last player to hit .400 as well.  He led the league in On base percentage as well.

  Ted Williams was not close at all with the media.  He was very uncomfortable around them.  He felt they liked to discuss his personal life as much as his baseball performance. Insecure about his upbringing, stubborn because of the immense confidence in his beliefs, Williams made up his mind that the "knights of the keyboard" were against him and treated most of them accordingly, as he describes in his memoir, "My Turn at Bat."  Williams also had an uneasy relationship with his fans as well.  He was great one-on-one with fans.  Williams felt at times a good deal of gratitude, for their passion and their knowledge of the game. On the other hand, Williams was temperamental, high-strung, and at times tactless. He gave generously to those in need, and demanded loyalty to those around him.

Ted Williams will be forever known as Teddy Ballgame and as one of the most iconic Personas in all of sports.  He fought in two wars, never won a World Series, and still managed to have one of the most prolific careers in all of sports.  Ted Williams retired from the game in 1960, and hit a home run in his final at-bat, on September 28, 1960, in front of only 10,454 fans at Fenway Park.


1. George Herman "Babe" Ruth - The Babe is the first name in baseball.  He is the name that all have heard.  He became a Major Leaguer at the tender age of 19. He pitched and played outfield for the Red Sox for the next six years. Ruth made an immediate impact both on and off the field. Stories of his off-the-field eating and drinking escapades have become as legendary as his baseball accomplishments.  He will always be remembered as one of the greatest hitters of all time, but he was an equally adept pitcher. In his first World Series game for Boston in 1916, Babe set a record that still stands today. Ruth took the mound in Game 4 against the National League Champion Brooklyn Robins. He got off to a rocky start in the first inning by giving up a quick run, but settled down to pitch 13 scoreless innings for the 2-1 win. The 14-inning gem stands as the longest complete game in World Series history.

During his 22-year professional career, Babe cemented his name as the most prolific home run hitter of his time. In 1927, he hit 60 home runs during a 154-game stretch. This record stood until 1961, when Roger Maris hit 61 homers in an expanded 162-game schedule. Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick decided Maris' record would enter the record books with an asterisk denoting the difference in the schedule. He may no longer be the career home run king, but his record .690 lifetime slugging percentage may never be topped. Writers attempted to capture the essence of his greatness by giving him nicknames like "The Great Bambino" and "The Sultan of Swat."


There is also the famous called shot.  Perhaps the most famous moment in baseball history, and certainly of Babe's career, came during Game 3 of the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs. In 5th inning, after he had already hit one homer, Babe came up to bat. He ran the count to two balls and two strikes. Before Cubs pitcher Charlie Root hurled the next pitch, amid the heckling of Cubs fans, Babe pointed to the center field bleachers. Then he slammed what is believed to be the longest home run ever hit out of Wrigley Field, directly above the spot where he had pointed. This story has been as debated as often as it has been celebrated. Did he really call his shot, or was he simply pointing at the pitcher? The world may never know. However, to many fans this moment symbolizes the golden age of baseball. The Yankees went on to win the 1932 World Series, their third sweep in four years.

The Babe was also a quite the elder statesman of the game and was almost always pictured with bunches of kids all around him.  He also promoted the game overseas as well.  Which at the time was a lot harder than it is today.  Babe spent his post-baseball years giving talks on the radio, orphanages and hospitals. He also served as a spokesperson for United States War Bonds during World War II. He was acknowledged for his legendary status as a player when he was among the first five inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, along with Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson and Honus Wagner.

While it was nearly impossible to compare these players through all the different eras than can be arguments made all around as to who should be on this list.  Mickey Mantle and Roberto Clemente should have maybe been on the list as well as Tris Speaker and many others.  The were so many factors that made the comparison almost impractical.  It is always imperative to remeber that some of the players didn't play intergrated baseball and todays players have strength and conditioning programs as well.  Anyway here you have it, my list of the top tep players in baseball of all time.