The all-time saves leader, Hoffman has certainly made life a little easier for the managers he has had over the last 15 years.  In 1998, he finished 2nd in Cy Young voting, posting a 1.48 ERA, 53 saves (at the time the NL record), and helped lead the Padres to the World Series.  He, too, has reached near-iconic status in San Diego. 

    San Francisco/New York Giants

Batter: Willie Mays, 1951-1972
Mays’ is officially The Greatest Living Ballplayer, elected by whomever picks that sort of thing.  As a child, I was always amazed at the look that came into people of my father’s generation’s eyes when they spoke of him.  Apparently, Mays was truly superhuman on the ballfield.  From 1964-1975, he could be counted on to score and drive 100 runs, bat .300, hit 75 extra base hits, and catch everything hit to him. 
*There is a big asterisk here, however, and that is Barry Bonds.  If Bonds is cleared of steroid suspicion, he has to be the Giants’ representative, because he was so dominant and frightening as a batter, and his career numbers are so mind-boggling. 
Pitcher: Christy Mathewson, 1900-1916
With apologies and respect to Carl Hubbell and Juan Marichal, Mathewson is the Giants’ greatest pitcher, and might be their finest ever player.  (He was, reputedly, the anti-Barry Bonds.)  He was a fantastic pitcher, for certain, winning 30 games in a season twice, posting 3 season ERAs under 1.50.  But it is his World Series numbers that are so impressive.  In 1905 he went 3-0, all complete game shutouts, as the Giants beat the A’s.  He never won another title, losing in 1911, 1912, and 1913, but his career World Series ERA is 0.97 and he only put 86 men on base in 101.2 innings.  He must have been really, really tough. 

    Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos

Batter: Vladimir Guerrero, 1996-2003
Andre Dawson was a dangerous power hitter, and Tim Raines was one of the most dangerous players on the basepaths in his time, but Guerrero is a once-in-a-lifetime sort of talent.  He hits for average (tops all time for the Expos), power, and is flat-out torture on pitchers who try to get by on junk and location.  His 162 game splits of .322-36-118 are impressive. 
Pitchers: Dennis Martinez, 1986-1993
I know, I thought this was the wrong Martinez, too, but Dennis had the same ERA as Pedro and won nearly twice as many games for the Expos.  He twice posted sub-2.50 ERA’s, and did have that perfect game. 
*Pedro Martinez is one of the best pitchers not on this list, and that is because, in this free agency era, he pitched for several teams.  In baseball, where history is so treasured, longevity is important.

That’s the list.  I hope that you enjoy it.  I find it interesting how clumped the historical talent is in the National League.  And I look forward to writing this article again in 25 or 50 years when those expansion teams have generated some history.

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