Tag Archives: sports comparisons

H2H 39: Carlos Beltran vs. Larry Walker – Who was Better?

Note: Updated for Larry Walker’s 2020 Hall of Fame selection.

Every major league baseball team is constantly on the lookout for the next great five-tool player (speed, power, hitting for average, fielding, arm strength), with the best example in today’s game being Mike Trout.  In recent memory, two of the best five-tool talents of the 1990s and 2000s were Carlos Beltran and Larry Walker, who between the two of them, had nearly 5,000 hits, 800 home runs, 3,000 runs scored, 3,000 runs batted in, and 500 stolen bases, and were honored with All-Star selections, Gold Gloves, Silver Sluggers, batting titles, and MVPs.  Though each player’s respective Hall of Fame credentials have been (and in Beltran’s case, will be) debated among Cooperstown voters, between the two of them, the question is:

Who was better – Carlos Beltran or Larry Walker?

Continue reading

Countdown 8: Top 10 Goal Scorers in NHL History

Who are the top goal scorers in NHL history?  Here is our top 10 countdown:

Continue reading

H2H 38: Jacques Plante vs. Terry Sawchuk – Who was Better?

Up until towards the end of the NHL’s Original Six era, goaltenders were absolutely fearless in net and did not wear any type of masks to protect themselves from pucks flying at them.  That all started to change when after yet another facial injury, this time a broken nose, Hall of Fame goaltender Jacques Plante debuted the first goalie mask in NHL history, thus starting a revolution; today, masks are not only functional for their safety, but highly aesthetic in their design and one of a goalie’s most distinguishing features.  Yet Plante was not only a trailblazer in safety, he was also one of the greatest netminders ever to play the game – during an era that featured legendary skaters such as Gordie Howe and Maurice Richard, Plante and his peer Terry Sawchuk (who is well-known for NOT wearing a mask) stood tall in net as the dominant goalies of the time and retired with a slew of records.  With one being the all-time leader in Vezina Trophies and the other having the most career wins at retirement, it is fascinating to look back on this golden era of hockey and ask:

Who was better – Jacques Plante or Terry Sawchuk?

Continue reading

Countdown 7: Top 10 Strikeout Pitchers in MLB History

Who are the top strikeout pitchers in MLB history?  Here is our top 10 countdown:

Continue reading

H2H 37: Steve Carlton vs. Nolan Ryan – Who was Better?

In the long and storied history of professional baseball, while power pitchers have been an enduring archetype, very few fireballers have achieved both dominance and longevity.  In fact, there are currently only four pitchers in the 300+ win, 4,000+ strikeout club: Steve Carlton, Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, and Randy Johnson. While today’s fans may better remember the more recent Cy Young-winning ways of the right-handed Clemens and the southpaw Johnson, the duo of Carlton and Ryan was the original lefty/righty power pairing – given their careers essentially overlapped and the interesting contrasts between their games (besides righty and lefty, Cy Youngs vs. no-hitters, NL vs. primarily AL, etc.), this inevitably leads to the question:

Who was better – Steve Carlton or Nolan Ryan?

Continue reading

Countdown 6: Top 10 Three-Point Shooters in NBA History

Who are the top three-point shooters in NBA history?  Here is our top 10 countdown:

Continue reading

Countdown 5: Top 10 Men’s Tennis Players of All Time

Who are the top men’s tennis players of all time?  Here is our top 10 countdown:

Continue reading

Countdown 4: Top 10 Five-Tool Players in MLB History

Who are the top five-tool players in MLB history?  Here is our top 10 countdown:

Continue reading

H2H 34: Oscar Robertson vs. Jerry West – Who was Better?

When you think about iconic NBA players of the 1960s and 1970s, a few players come to mind – the great Russell vs. Chamberlain rivalry (and the great Celtics teams and players in general), Oscar Robertson and his triple-double season, Jerry West gracing the NBA logo with his silhouette, just to name a few.  Much like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in the 1980s, the careers of Oscar Robertson and Jerry West were closely intertwined and highlighted by many of the same contrasts between the two players, e.g. black vs. white, East vs. West, etc. Today, both are remembered as among the all-time greats, with West’s silhouette gracing the NBA’s logo, but it is impossible not to compare the two players and ask:

Who was better – Oscar Robertson or Jerry West?

Continue reading

Countdown 3: Top 10 Goalies in NHL History

Who are the top goalies in NHL history?  Here is our top 10 countdown:

Continue reading