A few months ago, Brother Peek had an excellent suggestion: let's take a poll of the greatest Tigers by individual seasons rather than careers. (Hence, we'd probably find that fine ball players like Kaline and Freehan, who won our All-time Tiger Team elections, might fade a bit, since they were consistently good, not usually great.) This was initiated by a discussion at http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/fan_forum/all_time_nine/index.jsp?c_id=det
Of course, being the commissioner, I had to tinker with the ground rules. I think we should consider more than just offensive stats. What about his other contributions to the team, like fielding, leadership, etc. In this way, I think you would find Pudge Rodriguez even more valuable than his fine BA.
Also, I challenge you to consider the era these gents played in. Once again, how does Freehan's .300 BA in a "dead ball environment of 1964 compare to Pudge's .334 season four decades later?
In other words, I'm challenging you to defend your position! Go beyond SABRE stats, and think like a manager of the era.
Unlike the groupings at the above site, I'm going to nail down outfielders to the position they are historically known for, although they may have "played around" a bit. Eg. Kaline will be in rightfield, Cobb will be in centerfield, etc. I know some of the old records are a little dicey in this regard, but let's wing it.
Give me some comments on other "ground rules," and let's start the poll in a few days with catchers.
This is gonna be fun, and if anybody would like to take on the duty of writing up a position or two, just let me know. Glad to share the fun. All you need is the above-noted web site, maybe a Baseball Encyclopedia and a good memory.
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