Medien Diskussion » October, espnWs weekly essay series will focus on

Its here: The countdown of All-Time #MLBRank moves into the top 100 baseball players across all positions.To create our list, an ESPN expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups of 162 players, based on both peak performance and career value.The Top 100 will roll out this week. Here are Nos. 90-81.Earlier Monday, we released Nos. 100-91.Weve also rolled out the top 10 players at each position: LHP | RHP | Catchers | Shortstops | Third basemen | Second basemen | First basemen | Left fielders | Center fielders | Right fieldersAll-Time #MLBRank: 90-81Join the discussion by using the #MLBRank hashtag, and follow along @BBTN and on Facebook.Paul MolitorPosition(s) Designated hitter, third base, second baseTeams Milwaukee Brewers (1978-92), Toronto Blue Jays (93-95), Minnesota Twins (96-98)Honors Seven-time All-Star (1980, 85, 88, 91-94), four Silver Sluggers (87-88, 93, 96),?World Series MVP (1993), Hall of Fame (2004)Championships 1 -- Toronto (1993)Career stats .306/.369/.448, OPS -- .817, Hits -- 3,319, HRs -- 234, RBIs -- 1,307Did you know? Molitor had 3,319 career hits in the regular season and 43 more in the postseason, including 23 in 13 World Series games. Molitors .418 World Series batting average is tied with Pepper Martin for the highest among players with at least 60 plate appearances. -- Mark Simon, ESPN Stats & InfoRobin YountPosition(s) Shortstop, center fieldTeams Milwaukee Brewers (1974-93)Honors Three-time All-Star (80, 82-83), three Silver Sluggers (80, 82, 89), Gold Glove (82), two-time MVP (1982, 89), ?Hall of Fame (99)Championships NoneCareer stats .285/.342/.430, OPS -- .772, Hits -- 3,142, HRs -- 251, RBIs-- 1,406Did you know?Yount won the AL MVP as a shortstop in 1982 and as a center fielder in 1989. Hes one of four players to win the award at multiple positions, along with Hank Greenberg, Stan Musial and Alex Rodriguez. -- SimonOzzie SmithPosition(s) ShortstopTeams San Diego Padres (1978-81), St. Louis Cardinals (82-96)Honors 13 Gold Gloves (1980-92),?15-time All-Star (81-92, 94-96), Silver Slugger (87), Hall of Fame (2002)Championships 1 -- St. Louis (1982)Career stats .262/.337/.328, OPS -- .666, Hits -- 2,460, HRs -- 28, RBIs -- 793, SB -- 580Did you know?580 The Wizard is considered the best defensive shortstop of all time -- from a time long before defensive runs saved existed to quantify it (he won 13 Gold Gloves). Smith had 76.5 wins above replacement in his career, third among shortstops in the live ball era. The two ahead of him on the list (Cal Ripken Jr. and Robin Yount) each had at least 250 home runs. -- Sarah Langs, Stats & InfoDuke SniderPosition(s) Center fieldTeams Brooklyn Dodgers (1947-57), Los Angeles Dodgers (58-62), New York Mets (63), San Francisco Giants (64)Honors Eight-time All-Star (1950-56, 63), Hall of Fame (80)Championships 2 -- Brooklyn (1955), Los Angeles (59)Career stats .295/.380/.540, OPS -- .919, Hits -- 2,116, HRs -- 407, RBIs --1,333Did you know? Snider might not have been as strong of an all-around player as the players with whom hes most often brought up: Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle. But he did something that neither Mays nor Mantle did: hit at least 40 home runs in five straight seasons. At the time he did it, Snider was the third with at least five straight such seasons, joining Babe Ruth and Ralph Kiner. -- SimonJohn SmoltzPosition(s) Right-handed starter, relieverTeams Atlanta Braves (1988-99, 2001-08), Boston Red Sox (09), St. Louis Cardinals (09)Honors Eight-time NL All-Star (89, 92-93, 96, 02-03, 05, 07), NL Cy Young (1996), NL Silver Slugger (97), Hall of Fame (15)Championships 1 -- Atlanta (1995)Career stats W-L: 213-155, 16 shutouts, 3,473.0 innings pitched, 3.33 ERA, 3,084 strikeouts, 1.176 WHIP, 154 savesDid you know? Smoltz began his career as a starter, winning 157 games for the Braves from 1988-1999 including 24 games and the Cy Young award in 1996. He became a reliever following Tommy John surgery in 2000 and saved 154 games over the next four seasons. He is the only pitcher in MLB history with 200 wins and 150 saves. -- Jacob Nitzberg, Stats & InfoBryce HarperPosition Right field?Teams Washington Nationals (2012-present)Honors Rookie of the Year (2012), MVP (15), Silver Slugger (15), four-time All-Star (12-13, 15-16)Championships NoneCareer stats .283/.386/.512, OPS -- .898, Hits -- 604, HRs -- 116, RBIs -- 300Did you know? In 2015, Harper became the first player in Expos/Nationals history to win an MVP award and was the fourth-youngest player to win it, per the Elias Sports Bureau. Harper became just the 6th player in the expansion era to lead the National League in runs, home runs, and OPS in a single season. -- Marty Callinan, Stats & InfoTim RainesPosition(s) Left fieldTeams Montreal Expos (1979-90, 2001), Chicago White Sox (91-95), New York Yankees (96-98), Oakland As (99), Baltimore Orioles (01), Florida Marlins (02)Honors Seven-time NL All-Star (1981-87),?NL Silver Slugger (86),?All-Star Game MVP (87)?Championships 1 -- New York (1996)Career stats .294/.385/.425, OPS -- .810, Hits -- 2,605, HRs -- 170, RBIs -- 980, SB -- 808Did you know? Argued by many as the most underrated player of the 80s and 90s, Raines possessed a remarkable blend of on-base skill and speed. He stole more bases (808) than all but four players in MLB history and reached base more times (3,977) than Tony Gwynn, Lou Brock and Mike Schmidt, among others. He was named an All-Star in seven consecutive seasons (1981-87) and owns the fifth-highest career WAR (69.1) among those whose primary position was left field. -- Paul Hembekides, Stats & InfoVladimir GuerreroPosition(s) Right fieldTeams Montreal Expos (1996-2003), Anaheim Angels (04), Los Angeles Angels (05-09), Texas Rangers (10), Baltimore Orioles (11)Honors Four-time NL All-Star (1999-02), five-time AL All-Star (2004-07, 10), three NL Silver Sluggers (1999-00, 02), five AL Silver Sluggers (2004-07, 10),?AL MVP (2004)Championships NoneCareer stats .318/.379/.553, OPS -- .931, Hits -- 2,590, HRs -- 449, RBIs -- 1,496Did you know? Vlad the Impaler is best remembered for his ability to hit practically any pitch and his extraordinary throwing arm from right field. Guerrero owns the second-highest career batting average (.318) among members of the 400-home run club to debut since World War II (Miguel Cabrera, .320). The 2004 AL MVP and nine-time All-Star led NL right fielders in assists on three occasions and is the only player in the live ball era (since 1920) to lead the NL and AL in total bases in a season. -- HembekidesEddie CollinsPosition(s) Second baseTeams Philadelphia As (1906-14, 27-30), Chicago White Sox (15-26)Honors MVP (1914), Hall of Fame (39)Championships 4 -- Philadelphia (1910-11, 13), Chicago (17)Career stats .333/.424/.429, OPS -- .853, Hits -- 3,315, HRs -- 47, RBIs -- 1,300, Sacrifice hits -- 512 (all-time leader)Did you know? Even despite a record 515 sacrifice hits, Collins still ranks 10th all time with 3,313 hits. Collins also ranks in the top 10 in stolen bases and was the only player in the first 90 seasons of the modern era to steal six bases in one game. -- Dan Braunstein, Stats & Info*Note that although Baseball-Reference lists Collins with 512 sacrifice hits and 3,315 hits, the Elias Book of Baseball Records lists him with 515 and 3,313, respectively. (Reference also lists Collins as 11th all-time in hits instead of 10th).Don DrysdalePosition(s) Right-handed starterTeams Brooklyn Dodgers (1956-57), Los Angeles Dodgers (58-69)Honors Nine-time All-Star (1959*, 61-65, 67, 68),?Cy Young (62), Hall of Fame (1984)*Played in two All-Star Games in 59Championships 3 -- Los Angeles (1959, 63, 65)Career stats W-L: 209-166, 49 shutouts, 3,432 innings pitched, 2.95 ERA, 2,486 strikeouts, 1.148 WHIPDid you know? Drysdale is best remembered for a 58-inning scoreless streak in 1968. How good was he that season? Consider this: After the streak was over, Drysdale had five starts in which he allowed at least five earned runs (including one in which he allowed eight). But he still finished the season with a 2.15 ERA, the best of his career. -- Simon Air Force 1 Cheap Online . Zvonareva, who won the tournament in 2009 and 10, couldnt handle her opponents big groundstrokes in only her third event back after 17 months out with a shoulder injury. Zvonareva made her comeback in January in Shenzhen and played in the Australian Open but lost her first matches at both tournaments. Cheap Air Force 1 Shoes Wholesale . Fellow centre Pavel Datsyuk remains out because of a concussion. Zetterberg has 11 goals and 19 assists for a team-high 30 points, and Datsyuk has a team-high 12 goals and 11 assists. http://www.airforce1outlet.com/ . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. Cheap Air Force 1 China . The 29-year-old from Port Colborne, Ont., has nothing but good things to say about former U.S. marine Liz (Girlrilla) Carmouche ahead of their co-main event Wednesday on the UFCs "Fight for the Troops" televised card in Fort Campbell, Ky. Air Force 1 Clearance Sale . -- Aaron Murray threw for 408 yards and three touchdowns, ran for another score, and led No. In October, espnWs weekly essay series will focus on heroes.A runner knows her city: Block by block, she knows where the uptick of a curb tricks her feet, where the slow, mean slope of a final hill can make her lungs heavy.This is how I learned Memphis. Late summer mornings, I ran through our gated neighborhood down a narrow road lined on one side by chain-link and on the other by extraordinary hydrangeas peering atop high, solid wood fences. I traveled patiently, alone, to the crosswalk at the intersection of Poplar and Lafayette, then crossed to a long lawn of yellow grass and the track at East High, a monolith public school I have never set foot in. I looped circle after circle around the black kids playing football, practicing marching band, then weaved my way back through the high fences to home.That was 15 years ago.I learned to run in heat. Salt streaked down our foreheads, we met at closing bell, a row of us girls on a row of houses, feet tottering on the curb. We started with a 2-miler. Our careful line of small, white girls moved in steady puffing breaths down the city blocks. The adults gave us maps, small laminated things that could be held in our hands while we ran, winding the almost-suburbs of east Memphis, continuous loops around our beautiful school, its Bible Belt spiritualism.We could hold it ourselves, our pathway through a city they told us at any wrong turn could be dark. Black.The way we lived in Memphis was on purpose. A white life, something evangelical and wonderful for us -- it is daily decided on. We liked our class differences right between our fingers: in our clothing, our food, our cars, our houses, our booze. New money brought a new God, and year by year we were cleaner and brighter.The woman who taught us French was brought up in Memphis by a mother from New Orleans. White, working-class Catholic Memphians, a small but stalwart clan, their stony churches and thronging, imperfect gardens. Her name was Nanette.In the fall of 2002, Memphis opened its first half-marathon, and Nanette took it upon herself to lead a group of us. For the first time, we had to leave the knot of well-kept residential lanes around our campus for some real distance. We ran through the Tennessee wilderness outside of town at Shelby Farms. We ran through midtown, red and gold leaves making slick the cypress-covered paths of Overton Park. Through downtown, its empty blocks and dead neon signs, crossing Beale Street to where the city opens into the delta, the Mississippi brown and endless, our horizon.After that first race, Nanette and I went on to do New Orleans, this time without the army of girls accompanying us. With my Northern parents and my godlessness, I was no ones favorite in those years. Except hers. Nanette taught me to love these Souths, her homes, this brassy, sturdy woman who ran through, with me by her side.ddddddddddddNanette taught me how to use my body to love a city, to find home by the unfailing rhythm of feet on ground.In the fall of 2005 when we found out she had cancer, the letters came in enormous drifts. When I left school in the afternoons to see her, first at the hospital and then at home, fresh piles came in daily, students from decades past, younger students who hoped to get into her class in the years to come, neighbors, churchgoers, acquaintances.When we buried her one February morning, her South and her God were never more evident. Her priest swung his incense down the stone cathedral aisle, its waft something old. After decades of teaching us and praying to the bright white vaults of our Protestant haven, this time we came to her, droves of us in our pressed clothing, soft hair falling right. Girls she taught. Girls she led on runs.In the days and months that followed her death, my mailboxes too filled up. High, threatening piles of unread emails, card stock I left scattered on the shelves of the East Los Angeles apartment I never cleaned. I opened none of them, turned over no postcards. I was afraid to see the words of prayer of the women I grew up with, ran with. The sadness and the God that belonged to them did not belong to me. The sharp scent of citrus and rind came through my second-story porch windows, my overgrown lemon tree crawling upward through that spring, summer, and then the next fall.I waited 12 years to run the Memphis St. Jude Half Marathon again. This time, I did it with my mother. The faces of my high school classmates and teachers passed by me in uncanny blurs. This marathon was high-tech, massive in scale, a beautiful winding way through Memphis old residential gardens and its rapidly gentrifying downtown blocks. Well-designed, pressure-washed sidewalks and clever storefronts dislodge me from what I knew of that place.When I dont sleep, I conjecture about the somewhere else, as being a child down there taught me to do. What might have happened if it hadnt been that school, that life. That river, that town. Would she have died, and young? Would she have had those years of illness? Moll, she would often say, my oily cafeteria lunch in front of me, her empty classroom, the sounds of girls drifting along the walkway outside. Dont be in the business of comparing one life to another. She twirled in her desk chair, an old, mashed pillow underneath her. No one ever wins.Today on the day that I am writing this and some other day when you are reading this, a woman will run in Memphis. I do not know her. I do not know where she goes, where shes running to. ' ' '