KeepTheFaith and I were arguing the other day about who's the better ballplayer, and I know Gehrig's probably the best player of all time, so here it goes.

Comparisons

Highest Batting Average (500 At Bats): Gehrig, .379. Mays, .347

Highest RBI total: Gehrig, 184. Mays, 141

Most strikeouts: Gehrig, 84. Mays, 123

Most Triples: Gehrig, 20. Mays, 20

Most Doubles: Gehrig, 52. Mays, 43

Highest OBP (500 At Bats): Gehrig, .478. Mays, .419

Most Runs Scored: Gehrig, 167. Mays, 130.

Most Hits in one Season: Gehrig, 220. Mays, 208

100 Extra Base Hit Seasons: Gehrig, 2. Mays, 0

400 Total Base Seasons: Gehrig, 5. Mays, 0

.340 Batting Average Seasons: Gehrig, 8. Mays, 2

.350 Batting Average Seasons: Gehrig, 6. Mays, 0

150 RBI Seasons: Gehrig, 7. Mays, 0

RBI Per Season (162 Games): Gehrig, 149. Mays, 103

Career RBI Total: Gehrig, 1,995. Mays, 1,903

At Bats: Gehrig, 8,001. Mays, 10,881

As great as Mays is, KTF, he's no Lou Gehrig, and you can't use your little Polo Grounds crap either, he played more games and had more at bats in San Francisco than he did in New York. Gehrig had to deal with Spitballers and poor quality baseballs every day, he had far more disadvantages than Mays, yet he has far better stats in many categories, and in far less at bats and far less amount of Years. Gehrig had the best season of any baseball player ever in 1927, he had 47 homers, 52 doubles, 18 triples, 109 walks, a .373 batting average and 175 RBI, and amassed 447 total bases and 117 extra base hits. You can use your stats, but Mays doesn't compare with Gehrig, Gehrig hit .295 with 115 RBI and 30 homers and he was dying, he had ALS, Mays couldn't do that. At bat for At bat Gehrig is far better than Mays, also, Gehirg has more RBI per game than anyone at .92, he had more RBI per home run than anyone with over 300 home runs. I'd like to see your arguments.

There is no question that Lou Gehrig was better than Willie Mays

Yeah, and I just proved it, Lou Gehrig is the best player in history in my view, and I am a Die Hard Red Sox fan.

Oh yeah, and Gehrig's triple total, 163, Mays, 140 in 6 more years and like 2,900 less at bats, your buddy Mays doesn't compare with Gehrig, no one really does, except maybe Ted Williams and Babe Ruth.

Gerhig is better than any baseball player except Ken Griffey

For some reason I knew you'd say that.

Ted Williams is better than all of them.

He's the only man comparable to Gehrig, but Gehrig had a disease and didn't play a full career, you can't sit there and just say that, Gehrig would probably be a lot better if he played 22 or 23 years.

Gehrigs #1, and there really isn't any player that can match him, in any aspect of the game void of pitching.

Gehrig actually did pitch for his college team, but yeah, he's the best offensive player around, and he was good in the field too.

I love how you nitpick stats...Mays was the better all around player. 4th on the all-time home run list, even playing in Polo Grounds with that black hole in center field. He led the league in steals 4 times, and has twelve gold gloves. Awesome in every aspect of the game.

That's why I told you to present more stats, you can't, he played more years and had nearly 3,000 more at bats. He played at Polo grounds for 7 years out of 22.

Oh yeah, Gehrig's Home Run percentage is two points higher, pal.

KTF is using a website that has Joe Morgan ranked 6th and Bonds ranked 2nd on all time greatest players with mays ranked 1 to back him up. Nuff Said

IT wouldn't be, had Mays not played a third of his career in that black hole. We could be looking at 680.

Now you're just making lame excuses for yourself.

Your whole argument is based upon what Gehrig "could" have done.

Double Standards?

Mays got it done anyway, 660 career homers buddy. ;)

It's still double standards, and even if it's not what he could have done, it's pretty sad that a man with 3,000 less at bats has over 900 more RBI

Alright, I'm done wasting my time, peace.

Yeah, hitting behind Babe Ruth. :lol:

Personally, playing at the Polo Grounds coulda gotten him more. Did you ever watch his home runs?? You could Bunt a home run at the polo grounds, year Ceneter was deep, but it was like 100 on each side. I feel as if BK already looked through the stats matchup, but Gehrig is 6-1 in the WS....and batted .361 in those games, Mays is 1-3..and Batted .239

yea, cuz Ruth was known for his blazing speed

Yeah, and he won a WS for the Giants with "the catch." As for the Polo Grounds, yes it was shallow down the line but how many homers do you think he hit right down the line? You hit wayyyyyyyy more balls to center than down the line.

Um, a .474 career OBP, I think he might have been on base a little bit.

Mays averages 178 hits a season, and Gehrig, even though he fell out in the ned of his career, averaged 202. Mays averaged 37 HRs a season, Gehrig 37.

All-in-all, if Mays' numbers are better in certain catagories, its not to be seen other than the fact his career was prolonged, but when you take the two players career highs, Mays beats out Gehrig in 3 catagories, AB(621-619), HRs(52-49), SB(40-17)

So void of only Stolen Bases, he only had 2 more ABs and 3 more homeruns in his primed time.....and he had a nice little 6 extra games to work with to do it in....2 ABs and 3 HRs in 6 games????I think so.

Ummm, yeah, he was also an amazing defensive CF and led the league in steals four times, while Gehrig has the all-time worst steal percentage.

And going by your calculations, Mays would still have more homers in a season, since Gehrig didn't have half as many homers as games played.

He was a great CF at .981.....Gehrig was .991

I even made it clear Mays was a better stealer than Gehrig.

And your close...but Mays 162 games average would yeild him 36 Home Runs a season, Gerhig would rake in 37.

I think first base is justtt a tad easier than center field.

Gehrig is better than Mays no doubt about that.

please...I've played both First Base and Center in my life, and I would no doubt take 1B over CF in degree of difficulty. In center, all you need is a good read and some speed. You don't have to worry about bounces, line drives or any of that. At first, you need to have perfect footing, coverage, readiness, preparation, anticipation, and most of all hand-Eye-Corridination.

I'd still take Mays over Gehrig. Why? Because Mays is the best CFer ever, and Gehrig he might be a great hitter, but he's a first basemen. And in 20 years Pujols will be twice the player Gehrig was.

I don't think you know what you are saying. Anyways, Lou Gehrig might have been a better hitter than Mays, but Gehrig could have never run with Mays, never could have thrown with Mays, and never could've played defense like Mays. In baseball there are 4 things that you do, you hit, throw, catch (block), run. Mays has got Gehrig in 3 out 4. I say Mays was a better all around ball player.

Gehrig was a risk taker, he had more triples, yeah, steals is the most overrated stat besides wins. Natefizzle, doesn't know what he's talking about, have you ever checked their stats? In 16 total years in MLB, no one can do what Gehrig did, no one, he had damn near 2,000 RBI's in far less time than anyone, he has a higher home run percentage, in just about every category Gehrig dominates except a few, 1B is a hard position. Like Red said, man you have to be perfect, CF is actually a bit easier if you ask me, guys like Babe Ruth can take a 1B's arm right off. I'm sorry, but there is no point in arguing Mays is better than Gehrig, Gehrig OWNS Mays in just about every category.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/gehrilo01.shtml

http://www.baseball-reference.com/p/pujolal01.shtml

If you check their first five full years, natefizzle, it's not even close.

HAHAHAHAHA, here KTF, here's your strong argument...

http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/mayswi01.shtml

What about the obvious stats like Career home runs in which Mays has 660? Or most home runs in a year where Willie has 52 and Gehrig has 49? You can't blame the worse balls for that, he played during the Ruth era when the balls started to be improved.

Gehrig is a better average hitter. That's one tool. Willie Mays dominates him and most other people in the history of baseball in the other four. Willie was faster than Gherig, he had 330 carrear steals. He hit for more power (he even had a 50 HR year in the polo grounds). And Willie Mays is the best Center Fielder of his era and probably even in baseball history.

Willie is the best baseball player ever ;)

Yes, his home run percentage is 6.0, while Gehrig's is at 6.2. Owned.

Well, I also want to first say, I'm not taking anything away from Mays, I love him and think hes great, but I still have always felt Gehrig was, and is better, than anyone at that. Only 28% of Mays' 660 Homeruns came from playing in the pologrounds. And though he was easily faster, when you compaire the two based on what they did up to the point when Gehrig called it quits, you can easily see Gehrigs numbers are better in almost every aspect....but when you add the extra 800 more games Mays played, the numbers can seem squred.

If you compare them like that with home run percentages that is skewed because Gehrig didn't play until he was 42 like Mays did. Mays had six extra years of lower home run percentage or whatever that stat is.

And you guys seem to forget that Candlestick/3COM is a very hard home run with the howling bay winds that it was known for. Then you look at Yankee Stadium with its 314 foot fence out in right (Gehrig was a lefty). 100% of Mays' home games were played at pitchers parks (except for maybe Seal Stadium for that three year period but no one even knows about that).

Better power hitter? It's close but I still think Willie Mays.

Couldn't have said it better myself, Mays is great, but he's not Gehrig great, there are plenty better than Mays.