Tops at their Positions

Last week we saw Mariano Rivera pass Trevor Hoffman for #1 on the all-time saves list, with Rivera recording save #602. This mark cements and concludes any argument of who the greatest closer is. Rivera for fifteen seasons now has been near flawless, especially in the post season. This got me thinking. Has anyone dominated their position more than the Yankees stopper? This list contains players who were so far above the possible 2^nd and 3^rd place athletes at their positions, which is why you won’t see Michael Jordan on this list, as he is not that far ahead of Kobe Bryant for best shooting guard. I’ll consider any of the four major sports in any era, so Babe Ruth gets some consideration. Now, here it is, the top ten dominant players at their position:

10. Luc Robitaille, left winger – Think about this: there was really only one other option at left wing that could rival Robitaille, Bobby Hull. Then looking at the numbers, he has the most goals, assists and points than any other left wing in NHL history and is actually tenth all-time over all in goals among all NHLers. He was Rookie of the Year, All First Team five times and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.

9. Anthony Munoz, offensive line – 6’6” and 278 lbs is not the prototypical stature for a top notch offensive lineman, but it all worked out when he was inducted in to the NFL Hall of Fame in 1998. And while you can give some consideration to Art Shell, Jonathan Ogden and others, Munoz gets the nod for being All-Pro nine times.

8. Magic Johnson, point guard – Oscar Robertson, another point guard, was credited for introducing the triple-double to the NBA. Magic Johnson, however, perfected it and is the top all-time in the regular season and playoffs in that category. With all due respect to the Big O and John Stockton, Magic played point guard the way only he could play it, leading the Showtime Lakers to five NBA titles. When listening to his teammates talk about Johnson, it’s very clear who the leader of the Lakers was. Magic. He is his name.

7. Johnny Bench, catcher – There have been more gold gloves won by other catchers (Ivan Rodriguez). There have been more homeruns hit by other catchers (Mike Piazza). There have been more post season hits by other catchers (Yogi Berra). However, none of those names or any other are in the same class as Johnny Bench. He was the best player on arguably the best MLB team of all time, the Big Red Machine in the 1970’s. He was Rookie of the Year, a two-time MVP, and a fourteen time All-star and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988. 

6. Lou Gehrig, 1^st base – We all know about his amazing fight against the disease that killed him and is now named after him. We all know about his “Luckiest man” speech. What you may not know is that Lou Gehrig is 2^nd all-time in grand slams and also hit .340 for his career. He won the Triple Crown in 1934 and holds the single-season American League record with 184 RBIs. Perhaps more impressive than those stats, he also played 2130 consecutive games, most while protecting Babe Ruth in the lineup. Think about that. Who else could protect Babe Ruth in a lineup? At an offensive position, no one dominated like the Iron Horse.

5. Mike Schmidt, 3^rd base – I know, Brooks Robinson won sixteen gold gloves. He was great. But he wasn’t Mike Schmidt. He wasn’t even close. Schmidt won three MVPs, led his league in homeruns eight times and finished his career with 548 round trippers, when that number meant something. At the time of his retirement, he was 8^th all-time in that category. And while he didn’t win sixteen gold gloves, he did win ten. No one played the hot corner like Michael Jack Schmidt.

4. Tony Gonzalez, tight end – We have heard this name in past blogs. If he is the only tight end among the top wide receivers of all-time, clearly he has to be tops at his position. Not only tops at his position, but miles ahead of Shannon Sharpe, Ozzie Newsome and others. By the end of this season, Gonzalez could be as high as 10^th all-time in receiving yards, 6^th all-time in TDs and 2^nd all-time in receptions. Who doesn’t respect Tony Gonzalez?

3. Mariano Rivera, relief pitcher/closer – We noted it above, Rivera is 1^st all-time in career saves. But let’s just focus on his post season numbers, shall we? In 139.2 innings, his ERA is 0.71, ridiculous. He has 42 career post season saves. 2^nd is Brad Lidge, with 18. Since 1995, he has blown only four saves in the playoffs. Through this current Yankee run of success, there have been just two constants, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, the greatest closer of all-time.

2. Jerry Rice, wide receiver – I know a lot of you will want Rice at number one and some could make a strong case for it. Rice leads all receivers in all major categories, regular season and post season. He was a class act for three 49er Super Bowl wins, winning the MVP in Super Bowl XXIII. He had the best work ethic, ran the best routes and is arguably the best NFL player in history. Jerry Rice, dominant.

1. Wayne Gretzky, center – Ok, very similar to Rice, Gretzky is tops the NHL in goals, assists and points in regular season and post season. He won four Stanley Cups in a five year stretch, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy (MVP in the postseason) twice. Now, here is where Gretzky blows away Rice. Gretzky was the best player ON THE PLANET, for most of his career. Yes, Rice won Offensive player of the year twice and NFL MVP once. Gretzky won the MVP nine times, a record in the four major sports. Bob Miller said it best, “Wayne Gretzky, the Great One, is the greatest of them all.” He is also the most dominant player, by far, at his position ever.