Your Turn: Who’s your favorite Hall of Famer?
By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor
This year’s Baseball Hall of Fame inductions are set for Sunday afternoon in Cooperstown, N.Y., with the latest class of legends joining the other 306 former players, executives, managers and umpires already enshrined.
Joining the Hall this year are Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio, but we have a bigger question for you on this legendary weekend. (Click here to see their best early cards.)
Who’s your favorite Hall of Famer?
Tell us who and why — pick just one — in the comments below.
Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball and Beckett Sports Card Monthly magazines. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
Hank Greenberg
My favorite is “Mr. Cub” Ernie Banks. Nicest man to ever live. Best Cub to ever play and most positive player I have ever known.
Willie Mays, who in my opinion, is the best baseball position player ever. His combination of power, average, speed, glove, arm, and durability exceeds anyone, past or present. He also took a break to serve his country in the military.
Tom Seaver, of course! Top 10 pitcher of all time, best player in Mets history, and, alas, the only Metropolitan with the right team name on his plaque!
Mickey Mantle. He could do everything and was awesome to watch.
I hope Dale Murphy gets in as it would be great to have the classiest player of the last 40 years in the HOF.
Gary Carter. Played the game with unmatched passion and enthusiasm. A great role model for kids (like me in the 80s) and a true class act. Also one of the most prolific and clutch catchers of his era.
Bob Gibson and Sandy Koufax for pitchers. Johnny Bench for catchers.
Henry Aaron. Baseball’s true Home Run King!
My favorite is Reggie Jackson because he is so kind to autograph seekers-and photographers!
Kirby Puckett. One of the best clutch hitters in all of baseball!!
Warren Spahn. Would’ve had 400 wins if WWII hadn’t taken some of his early years away. He was also a great guy that never failed to make me laugh. Back in the day, he was one of many players to give fans like me a ride home from the ballpark after the game.
Nolan Ryan
mickey mantle
Babe Ruth because he is baseball. Saved the game after the Black Sox World Series. Not only is he one of the best all time hitters, he would have made the Hall of Famer as a pitcher as well. Babe Ruth forever! Doesn’t get any better.
Nolan Ryan was a spectacular & lights out pitcher who is a well known HOFer by many baseball fans. A crafty player who was dominant against hitters. Ryan was enjoyable to watch when I was a kid growing up and his 7 no-hitters in MLB is a stellar performance & milestone accomplishment. Ryan is my favorite HOF player…..
Randy Johnson, the guy throw a pitch so fast and hard it exploded a bird. Not into killing animals but dam man. And after that play he didn’t even flench a bit, somehow like he does that all the time in practice or something. Scariest pitcher I’ve ever seen.
I grew up idolizing Lou Gehrig, a great ball player and a better man.
Have to go with Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks!
Without any question – Pete Rose!
I offer another vote for Ernie Banks. I never had the chance to meet him, and that’s an odd thing for many of his fans to say. He was a special connection between eras and fans. There was and will be no one else like the Cubs’ eternal optimist.
henry aaron
Another vote for the Say Hey Kid Willie Mays…met him and got his autograph outside Seals Stadium in 1959…been my favorite ever since…not to mention his all-around greatness as a player!
Harmon Killebrew!
“The Iron Man” Cal Ripken Jr.
Rickey Henderson. Started games with power and changed games with his speed.
Kirby Puckett.
Steve Carlton! Lefty! Greatest Phillies Pitcher!
Jack Morris and Alan Trammell…. oh wait.
Since I was six years old in 1978, Paul Leo Molitor.
Kirby Puckett!!……..Nothing average about his career and life.
Bob Feller – All time great pitcher that missed the prime of his career while fighting in WWII.
Ken Griffey Jr (2016). If he would have stayed healthy at the end (thanks astro turf) His numbers would have be even better.
Lou Gehrig and Stan Musial. Legendary players – great role models.
George Brett-my first in person autograph as a kid. I still have the Budweiser cap he signed. 3 Batting titles in 3 different decades.
Gary Carter all the way. A true class act, and someone who genuinely loved to play the game. Always enjoyed seeing an Expos game when he was playing
Tony Gwynn
Teddy Ballgame all the way!
Greg Maddux! I started collecting in 1995 and his amazing command and lack of flashiness was amazing. It also nice that all of his rookie cards were so affordable.
Ozzie Smith
@ Paul K. …and left the game with attitude!
Hank Aaron, no wait, I didn’t REALLY get to see him play.
Don Mattingly, no wait, those fools didn’t put him in (even though his #’s are very comparable to Kirby’s).
Edgar Martinez (greatest righthanded hitter I’ve EVER seen), oh wait, they haven’t put him in yet.
I got it – Brooks Robinson! (if you haven’t seen him play then I’m just plain said for you.)
The Splendid Splinter, Teddy Ballgame. Even though he was well before my time I’ve watched plenty of video of him and boy he could do things with a baseball.
Greg MADDOG Maddux. I enjoyed watching him play from the time he was a cub till the time he retired. I am glad he stayed around to pass Roger Clemenss. His pitching was great but his fielding was incredible.
Babe Ruth is my favorite human being (excepting wife, kids , mom and gradparents) ever, let alone HOF’er. His stats verses what his contemperaries accomplished has everyone else, through til today, playing second fiddle.
Walter Johnson, Bob Feller, Ted Williams and Mike Schmidt honorable mention (I know you asked for only one).
Oh yea….Mike Trout (someday)
Ozzie Smith! The Wizard of Oz. The range he had on the field was breath taking. There are several outstanding fielders, but no one was able to match his fielding prowess (before or since) in arguably the most difficult defensive position for more than a decade.
For obvious reasons, #19…Mr. Padres …hardest working player in the Hall…Tony Gwynn!
Thanks Bob