ARod or Griffey? Ruth or Gehrig? Each Franchise’s Greatest Players, Part 2

that era.  Hack Wilson’s short Cubs tenure was impressive.  They have 2 players who have hit 500 home runs in a Cubs’ uniform!  Banks is one of those, and his longevity, his power numbers as an infielder (he led the league in extra base hits four times), and his overall iconic status amongst Cubs fans gives him the nod over Sammy Sosa, though Sammy’s teams were more successful.  The steroid cloud works against Sammy, too.   
Pitcher: Mordecai “Three-Finger” Brown, 1904-1912, 1916
Brown is one of those near-mythical dead ball pitchers.  He averaged 23 wins per year in his prime, with an ERA of 1.51, which means that he was unhittable even by those standards.  His 26-6, 1.04 year in 1904 is one of those eye-opening years.  And the Cubs went to 4 World Series (4!) and won 2 while he was their ace.  With apologies to Ferguson Jenkins, Three-Finger is the one. 

    Cincinnati Reds

Batter: Johnny Bench, 1967-1983
Okay, I admit that I am stretching beyond my rules a little bit with Bench because I am taking his leadership and defensive ability into strong consideration.  He is the Reds’ leader in home runs and RBI, and his power ability as a catcher overrides his poor batting average.  In Bench’s defense, he did win 2 MVPS.  He makes it over Frank Robinson on longevity, and over Pete Rose because much of Rose’s accolades rest on his extra-longevity, and Rose’s achievements just pale in comparison to Bench’s
Pitcher: Eppa Rixey, 1921-1933
Okay, the Reds, the oldest franchise in all of baseball, have ONE hall of fame pitcher.  And it’s Rixey.  Case closed. 

    Colorado Rockies

Batter: Todd Helton, 1997-present
Though Helton has been saddled with injuries for the last four years, he is still Colorado’s franchise leader in most batting categories – and his .328 career average and 1.002 OPS are third amongst all active players.  His 2000 season (.372-42-147, 1.162 OPS) is one of the greatest single seasons in the modern era.  I hope that he is able to resolve his back issues and return to his rightful place among the games’ elite. 
Pitcher: Jeff Francis, 2004-present
Colorado’s pitchers, in the franchise’s history, have struggled.  Francis, too, is struggling this year, but the beginning of his Rockies’ career is enough to earn him this nod.  His performance in the 2007 NL playoffs (He was 2-0 with a 2.13 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings) is the clincher.

    Florida Marlins

Batter: Miguel Cabrera, 2003-2007
The young star of the Marlins’ 2003 World Championship team averaged .318-32-116 in his four years with the team.  He also finished in the top-5 in MVP voting twice.  He beats out Gary Sheffield on well-roundedness as a hitter (not as a fielder, because he is mediocre at best). 
Pitcher: Dontrelle Willis, 2003-2007

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