Tag Archives: best first basemen

H2H 113: Hank Greenberg vs. Johnny Mize – Who was Better?

During World War II, many of MLB’s biggest stars lost years of their playing careers to military service, e.g. Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Bob Feller, etc., just to name a few.  Two of the most productive first basemen of the 1930s, Hank “Hammerin’ Hank” Greenberg and Johnny “The Big Cat” Mize, both served in the war effort for three plus seasons during their prime and consequently, their overall career numbers were impacted greatly by the prolonged absence.  Nevertheless, when they were in the lineup, the duo were among the best first basemen to ever play in the major leagues – in addition to thinking about what could have been, let us compare these two great sluggers and ask:

Who was better – Hank Greenberg or Johnny Mize?

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H2H 82: Harmon Killebrew vs. Willie McCovey – Who was Better?

When you think of the archetype first baseman, probably the first image that comes to mind is that of a big and powerful middle-of-the-order slugger who smashes home runs and drives in runs with the best of them.  Among the greatest first basemen in MLB history, two sluggers who perfectly fit this description are Harmon Killebrew of the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins and Willie McCovey of the San Francisco Giants.  Their careers overlapped for over 15 season, one on the junior circuit and the other on the senior circuit, with each player hitting over 500 career home runs – in fact, in comparing their playing days, the statistics and achievements for Killebrew and McCovey are remarkably similar, leading to the inevitable question:

Who was better – Harmon Killebrew or Willie McCovey?

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H2H 46: Jimmie Foxx vs. Lou Gehrig – Who was Better?

When it comes to a discussion about the greatest first basemen in MLB history, the shortlist usually includes names like Albert Pujols, Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, Hank Greenberg, etc.  In particular, with Babe Ruth helping to usher in a new age of baseball post the dead-ball era, offense exploded in the 1920s and 1930s. At the vanguard of this renaissance were Jimmie Foxx and Lou Gehrig, two first basemen who are closely linked to Ruth: Foxx was arguably the second-greatest power hitter of the era (after Ruth), while Gehrig protected Ruth as the cleanup hitter in the New York Yankees’ lineup for a decade.  Between these two legendary sluggers, as fans continue to debate their careers and places in history, we ask the question:

Who was better – Jimmie Foxx or Lou Gehrig?

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H2H 24: Frank Thomas vs. Jim Thome – Who was Better?

First base has historically been a position for sluggers, from Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx in the early 20th century to Harmon Killebrew and Willie McCovey mid-century to Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera in the 21st century.  During the 1990s and into the early 2000s, the AL Central was home to some of the most feared power hitters in baseball, namely Frank Thomas of the Chicago White Sox and Jim Thome of the Cleveland Indians. Over the course of their careers, both players would join the exclusive 500-home run club and set a standard of consistency and excellence that remains a benchmark for first basemen today.  In comparing these two sluggers, the question is:

Who was better – Frank Thomas or Jim Thome?

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