Best Left Fielder in Baseball

If you're a GM and have your choice of left fielders over the next five years, who are you taking? Vote and then give reasons why! If you vote other, please tell us who you think it should be. Poll will be up for five days or until it's clear who the winner is. We will do all positions, including Starter, Setup Man, Closer, and Designated Hitter.

<u>Previous Selections:</u>
Catcher: Joe Mauer (Minnesota)
First Base: Albert Pujols (St. Louis)
Second Base: Chase Utley (Philadelphia)
Third Base: Alex Rodriguez (NY Yankees)
Shortstop: Hanley Ramirez (Florida)

 

It's Holliday, by a long shot.

 

Pat Burrell.

LMAO.

Holliday, Crawford and then Braun.

 

Matt Holliday by a long shot. Dunn in that list? That dudes defense is pa-the-tic

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (THE DADDY @ Apr 29 2008, 08:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Pat Burrell.

LMAO.

Holliday, Crawford and then Braun.</div>

Braun over Crawford. In fact, I'll take Braun over Holliday. I don't get this "long shot" stuff.

I bet this is the position where Miguel Cabrera winds up. Maybe Joe Mauer, too.

 

I have bias but you have to pick Crawford. He is one of the most dangerous players to leave on with a career 285 Stolen Bases and 77 triples. Also his speed helps him track down a lot of balls, and can easily turn a double into a single with his closing speed.

If I wasnt a Rays fan and Carl Crawford wasnt my favorite player, I would probably vote for Holliday because he has the power, but Carl is a beast on the basepaths and on defense.

 

I've always been a Soriano fan. He's what a guy like Hanley Ramirez prays to become. I don't see how anyone can mention Braun being near the top and then leave out Soriano. Holliday is a nice player but his numbers get a huge boost from playing at Coors field all the time.

 

Yea, I don't get the "by a long shot" thing either.

I think Holliday and Crawford are tops, and you can go either way depending on what you want. I wouldn't want to choose Braun just because he's only one year in, and I'd like to make sure he shows consistency.

Someone change my vote from Holliday to Crawford.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Charles @ Apr 29 2008, 10:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I've always been a Soriano fan. He's what a guy like Hanley Ramirez prays to become. I don't see how anyone can mention Braun being near the top and then leave out Soriano. Holliday is a nice player but his numbers get a huge boost from playing at Coors field all the time.</div>

I think Soriano relies a lot on speed and athleticism as well as incredible bat speed and wrist strength.

All of those things have already shown signs of breaking down. He is not a big guy and he won't get the benefits that others like him got in the past.

The reason I picked Braun is because I think he's the best hitter listed.

 

This is a nice little competition between Holliday, Braun, and Crawford. Crawford and Holliday are both around the same age. When Crawford passes 30, though, his speed will probably start to diminish, and that's a large part of his value. I see no reason why Holliday couldn't continue to do the same thing for the next five years. As for Braun, he could be a stud, but his strikeout/walk, strikeout/AB, and walk/AB ratios are not indicative of a superstar. I want to see another season from him.

Of course, we all know that Bonds would win this hands down if MLB was not colluding against him.

 

1. Bonds is a DH.

2. Bonds will be 48 in five years!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ Apr 29 2008, 09:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>1. Bonds is a DH.

2. Bonds will be 48 in five years!</div>

Don't undervalue his 200 walks.

 

When Bonds came up, he was a GREAT defensive LF (although he had no better than an average arm).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (panthersare#1 @ Apr 29 2008, 09:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I have bias but you have to pick Crawford. He is one of the most dangerous players to leave on with a career 285 Stolen Bases and 77 triples. Also his speed helps him track down a lot of balls, and can easily turn a double into a single with his closing speed.

If I wasnt a Rays fan and Carl Crawford wasnt my favorite player, I would probably vote for Holliday because he has the power, but Carl is a beast on the basepaths and on defense.</div>

Im not a Ray's fan, but I voted for Crawford becouse this is all true.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dumpy @ Apr 29 2008, 11:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>When Bonds came up, he was a GREAT defensive LF (although he had no better than an average arm).</div>

Pittsburgh actually thought he was going to play center for them and be a leadoff type guy. But he ended up winning 8 gold gloves playing left field. All pre, uh, strength conditioning program. The last couple years he was a major liability though. You could tell he wasn't putting in 100% effort.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dumpy @ Apr 29 2008, 11:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ Apr 29 2008, 09:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>1. Bonds is a DH.

2. Bonds will be 48 in five years!</div>

Don't undervalue his 200 walks.
</div>

But he's not a LF. That sort of disqualifies him from this particular poll.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Charles @ May 1 2008, 07:41 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dumpy @ Apr 29 2008, 11:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>When Bonds came up, he was a GREAT defensive LF (although he had no better than an average arm).</div>

Pittsburgh actually thought he was going to play center for them and be a leadoff type guy. But he ended up winning 8 gold gloves playing left field. All pre, uh, strength conditioning program. The last couple years he was a major liability though. You could tell he wasn't putting in 100% effort.
</div>

He was a leadoff hitter in those early years.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ May 1 2008, 07:44 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dumpy @ Apr 29 2008, 11:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ Apr 29 2008, 09:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>1. Bonds is a DH.

2. Bonds will be 48 in five years!</div>

Don't undervalue his 200 walks.
</div>

But he's not a LF. That sort of disqualifies him from this particular poll.
</div>

Details, details. Stop being so "S-J."