Along with catcher, shortstop is arguably one of the most important positions in baseball, so much so that teams are willing to sacrifice offense for superior defense. Thus, when a team comes across a unicorn shortstop that excels with both the bat and the glove, that player can serve as a franchise centerpiece; in fact, looking through the history of baseball, many of the game’s greatest shortstops have spent their entire careers with one franchise, e.g. Ernie Banks of the Chicago Cubs, Robin Yount of the Milwaukee Brewers, Barry Larkin of the Cincinnati Reds, Alan Trammell of the Detroit Tigers, etc. At the top of this list are Derek Jeter and Cal Ripken Jr. – both spent their entire careers spanning 20+ years with one team, compiled over 3,000 career hits, won World Series titles, and were inducted into the Hall of Fame, leading to the inevitable question:
Who was better – Derek Jeter or Cal Ripken Jr.?
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