Alright it's prediction time in MLB

Ted Williams. First four years played were all full years.

127 HR
515 RBI
.356 BA

Plus he blows Pujols away in runs scored, on base and slugging. Has that .406 year in 1941, too. Does it playing eight less games per season.

Pujols has a better HR total and nothing else.

Pujols best first four years ever? no way.

 

That's a fair point. It sure looks to me like Ted's first four were better. By the same token will you concede that because we have to compare him to Ted Williams just to find someone equal (or arguably better), that it's much more reasonable to state that Pujols could become the best of all-time than you suggested?

 

I will concede that anything's possible. Carlos Beltran could end up being the best ever. A couple years ago, there were probably more than a handful of people ready to annoint A-Rod the future best ever. Same could be said of Ken Griffey. Look what happened with Griffey. A good solid career, but in the grand scheme of things, nowhere near the best ever.

 

Sadly it seems that reasoning with you is impossible. You had to look all the way back to Ted Williams in order to find Pujols' equal, and yet you cannot bring yourself to admit that he is extraordinary and has a significant chance to be the greatest hitter ever. That's your perogative, but it's a shame nonetheless.

 

wtf? did I not say that, yes, it's possible, that Pujols could someday be listed among baseball's greats. Don't get upset because I refuse to fawn all over him.

And I didn't realize there was a statute of limitations for finding a player who had a better first four years than Albert. I just assumed that when one uses the phrase "best first four years EVAH," it's inviting comparison to all players who've ever played the game.

Keep in mind, here's the original quote that set off this debate.

maybe it's just me, but this game has been around for well over 100 years and there have been a shitload of great players during that time. For the life of me, I can't see how anyone can say a guy that's been playing all of four years is on his way to becoming the best player of all time.

You say he has a "significant chance to be the greatest hitter ever." what does that mean, significant chance? His chances of being the second greatest hitter ever are equally significant, wouldn't you agree?

 

You said "Anything's possible." Does that sound like recognition of how special Pujols' early career has been? Does that sound like you're extending any respect to Pujols at all? Does that sound like you're being reasonable?

And I agreed with you that Ted's first four definitely look better. I'm guessing that Pujols has been talked about in those terms because Ted didn't get 30 homers each year, but that's pretty arbitrary. Overall, though, it's incredibly impressive that Ted Williams is the only player you've found (at least so far) who could surpass what Pujols did. Since Williams probably is the best hitter ever (if not Ruth), that should have made any reasonable person reconsider their position that it was somehow ridiculous to suggest that Pujols could eventually be the best hitter ever.

When Ted Williams is the only one we've found with better numbers, that's how.

It means that the possibility is great enough to merit discussion. It means the probability merits more than an "anything's possible" sarcastic response. You need to have proven something in order to have a legitimate discussion. Pujols has.

 

for Christ's sake. How 'bout I jack off on Albert's rookie card. would that give him the measure of adulation you seem to think he deserves?

Basing this guy's status among the game's elite, by making projections based on what he's done in four years, is ludicrous. let's say Pujols has an off-year this season and next, hitting, say, 25 homers and driving in 90 a year. Granted, it's probably not gonna happen, but it could (injuries happen). Then you add up his career totals and find that he's got the eighth best first six years ever. Does he suddenly lose his cred? Do his chances of becoming the Baseball's All-Time Grand Poo-Bah become less significant?

I'm sorry, but four years doesn't get a guy into a discussion about being the greatest hitter the game has ever seen. He's good. I'm content to leave it at that for now.


You're a Cards fan, aren't you?

 

Sarcasm and exaggeration are a frequent refuge for people who cannot answer simple questions. The fact is that you haven't shown Pujols any respect at all.

Being outstanding for four years doesn't guarantee anything except that you've been outstanding for four years. But when you're better than anyone ever except Ted Williams, that's extremely significant. It has a lot to say about how incredible you were during that period, and how good you have a chance of being.

Saying that "he's good" is like saying that Heidi Klum is pretty. No one is actually asking you to accept that Pujols "will" be the greatest hitter ever. In fact, I don't think anyone gives a damn what you think at all. But when you take it upon yourself to correct someone and challenge their opinion, you had better have justification for your position, and you have absolutely none for pretending that suggesting Pujols could be the greatest ever is somehow ludicrous. You're just making an ass of yourself by continuing to pretend that he's "just good" and saying that "anything's possible."

No, I'm an Orioles fan. I'm just irritated by people who don't acknowledge reality.

 

well boo-fucking-hoo.

Look, my argument was that this guy's got a long, long, long way to go before establishing himself as the best ever. Your problem is you can't acknowledge that as reality. That's OK. You go ahead and start chiseling his bust for placement in Cooperstown if you like. I'll wait and see how he does in the long run.

BTW: that part abut him having the best four years ever. where did you come up with that shit? Please tell me it wasn't simply by comparing batting averages, HRs, RBIs and nothing else.

 

I don't think that there is any way that you can say someone will be one of the best ever after 4 years.