I wanted to have a list of 10, so I used some editorial judgement with three or four of these--they could have been replaced by other pairings with one HOF'er and one career star. Those three or four aren't going to win anyway, and neither would the three or four I left out. Also, I prematurely included Acuna/Ohtani; you'll have to project a bit with them.
― clemenza, Sunday, 15 October 2023 04:14 (ten months ago) link
Poo hole + ichiro followed closely by seaver and carew prob
― Its big ball chunky time (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Sunday, 15 October 2023 04:46 (ten months ago) link
If you have 100% faith in (b)WAR:
1. Tom Seaver & Rod Carew - 191.12. Frank Robinson & Luis Aparicio - 163.13. Albert Pujols & Ichiro Suzuki - 161.54. Andre Dawson & Eddie Murray - 133.45. Bryce Harper & Mike Trout - 131.4*6. Scott Rolen & Nomar Garciaparra - 114.47. Dick Allen & Tony Oliva - 101.78. Mike Piazza & Tim Salmon - 101.19. Willie McCovey & Bob Allison - 98.610. Ronald Acuna Jr. & Shohei Ohtani - 60.5**
The most evenly matched pair is Dawson (64.8) and Murray (68.6).
* will increase a little** will increase a lot
― clemenza, Sunday, 15 October 2023 04:49 (ten months ago) link
Harper and Trout will be #2 on the list in WAR, and even have a shot at being #1. Not to mention five MVP awards between them.
Seaver/Carew and Pujols/Ichiro are generation-defining players who transcended the game, I'm not sure you can say that about any other pairings.
― NoTimeBeforeTime, Sunday, 15 October 2023 12:45 (ten months ago) link
I drew up the WAR list assuming Pujols/Ichiro would be #1, not accounting for Pujols' decline and Ichiro's late start. So I'm voting Seaver/Carew, not because of WAR but for the very scientific reason that they're two of my favourite players from my favourite decade.
Harper/Trout probably will end up second--I'd say there's a slight chance of them falling short because of Trout's uncertainty--and the five MVPS is a strong argument in their favour.
― clemenza, Sunday, 15 October 2023 13:28 (ten months ago) link
good thread title
― mookieproof, Sunday, 15 October 2023 19:05 (ten months ago) link
Probably should have saved it for the worst duo...Does anyone besides us (and an ILB poster not here) recognize the quote? Pretty famous, I think.
― clemenza, Sunday, 15 October 2023 19:40 (ten months ago) link
It's a (paraphrased) Yogi Berra quote, I think?
― NoTimeBeforeTime, Sunday, 15 October 2023 20:50 (ten months ago) link
I think it was a broadcaster everyone loved to dunk on?
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Sunday, 15 October 2023 20:53 (ten months ago) link
Casey Stengel talking about Greg Goosen (who's in Ball Four).
― clemenza, Sunday, 15 October 2023 21:06 (ten months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKZCtjoIy8Y
(Not the quote, but great anyway.)
― clemenza, Sunday, 15 October 2023 21:09 (ten months ago) link
Had to look into it, and the pitcher replacing Gentry--"He's a young man...the idea is, with three men on base, can you throw a strike?"--was, of course, Nolan Ryan.
― clemenza, Sunday, 15 October 2023 21:22 (ten months ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Tuesday, 24 October 2023 00:01 (ten months ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Wednesday, 25 October 2023 00:01 (ten months ago) link