worcat Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 When Tony Gwynn passed away, I thought about this list. What is one player, former and/or present, that you believe is the face of the franchise. Which player comes to mind as soon as you say the teams name, the first player you think of or the player you feel would be/is the ambassador of the club. Here is my list:•Arizona Diamondbacks - Luis Gonzalez•Atlanta Braves - Hank Aaron•Baltimore Orioles - Cal Ripken Jr. •Boston Red Sox - Ted Williams•Chicago White Sox - Frank Thomas•Chicago Cubs - Ernie Banks•Cinncinnati Reds - Pete Rose•Cleveland Indians - Jim Thome•Colorado Rockies - Todd Helton•Detroit Tigers - Ty Cobb•Florida Marlins - Josh Beckett•Houston Astros - Craig Biggio•Kansas City Royals - George Brett•Los Angeles Angels - Rod Carew•Los Angeles Dodgers - Jackie Robinson•Milwaukee Brewers - Paul Molitor•Minnesota Twins - Kirby Puckett•New York Mets - Tom Seaver•New York Yankees - Babe Ruth•Oakland Athletics - Rickey Henderson•Philadelphia Phillies - Mike Schmidt•Pittsburgh Pirates - Roberto Clemente•San Diego Padres - Tony Gwynn•San Francisco Giants - Willie Mays•Seattle Mariners - Ken Griffey Jr. •St. Louis Cardinals - Stan Musial•Tampa Bay Rays - Wade Boggs•Texas Rangers - Nolan Ryan•Toronto Blue Jays - Joe Carter•Washington Nationals - Frank RobinsonI look forward to seeing your lists. Bleeding Blue since 1986 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnWis97 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Where I disagree...•Cleveland Indians - Bob Feller•Los Angeles Angels - Vlad Guerrero (Carew's best years were with another team)•Milwaukee Brewers - Robin Yount (I love Molitor, but I think it's Yount)---•Tampa Bay Rays - David Price•Washington Nationals - Tim RainesThese two are tough...Tampa was such an afterthought for Boggs that I want to say someone else...so for now I'll say Price, but that could change as the franchise matures. For Washington, I am going with the word "Franchise" and hoping not to open a can of worms similar to the Browns/Hornets discussion we've had. Disclaimer: If this comment is about an NBA uniform from 2017-2018 or later, do not constitute a lack of acknowledgement of the corporate logo to mean anything other than "the corporate logo is terrible and makes the uniform significantly worse." BADGERS TWINS VIKINGS TIMBERWOLVES WILD POTD (Shared) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worcat Posted June 17, 2014 Author Share Posted June 17, 2014 I agree with your debate for Yount 100%. I only chose Boggs because he has the most successful career of any former/current player for that franchise. Evan Longoria and Price would be decent picks for the Rays.The Angels and Nationals were very tough for me. The Nationals haven't been around too long, I considered including the Expos history for them - which Guerrero would easily be the choice. Angels I considered Mike Trout and Jim Edmonds. Bleeding Blue since 1986 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnWis97 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Edmonds is a good one. Maybe better than my choice. Disclaimer: If this comment is about an NBA uniform from 2017-2018 or later, do not constitute a lack of acknowledgement of the corporate logo to mean anything other than "the corporate logo is terrible and makes the uniform significantly worse." BADGERS TWINS VIKINGS TIMBERWOLVES WILD POTD (Shared) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gothamite Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Agreed - it has to be Yount for the Brewers. Had Sal Bando not pushed Paul Molitor out the door, it'd be a much harder call.I wouldn't say Boggs for the Rays, if only out of spite. Selling ad space on his Hall of Fame plaque still bothers me. And anyway, that was a footnote to his career. I think the Rays' current face of the franchise is also their "All-Time Face of the Franchise": Evan Longoria.I'm also not sure about Rickey Henderson for the A's. That might be where he broke the record, and spent the most time, but he was a true vagabond. I'd put Reggie Jackson or Rollie Fingers there instead. The Green Bay Packers Uniform Database! Now in a handy blog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Admiral Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 •Los Angeles Angels - Vlad Guerrero (Carew's best years were with another team)I don't want to be the one to have to tell you, but ♫ oh yeah, board goes on, long after the thrill of postin' is gone ♫ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnWis97 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 •Los Angeles Angels - Vlad Guerrero (Carew's best years were with another team)I don't want to be the one to have to tell you, butI looked it up and true enough.I had a memory of Vlad having more time in Anaheim and less in MTL. I suppose I'd have Vlad for the Nats. Maybe Edmonds for the Angels. Or maybe just Carew anyway... Disclaimer: If this comment is about an NBA uniform from 2017-2018 or later, do not constitute a lack of acknowledgement of the corporate logo to mean anything other than "the corporate logo is terrible and makes the uniform significantly worse." BADGERS TWINS VIKINGS TIMBERWOLVES WILD POTD (Shared) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac the Knife Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 When Tony Gwynn passed away, I thought about this list. What is one player, former and/or present, that you believe is the face of the franchise. Which player comes to mind as soon as you say the teams name, the first player you think of or the player you feel would be/is the ambassador of the club. Here is my list:I look forward to seeing your lists. It's hard to argue with some of this list, easy to refute others. I don't think any franchise born less than a quarter century ago (Colorado, Florida, Arizona, Tampa) has a "face" yet.Some of these choices shows obvious youth and lack of long-term team historical knowledge. For example, there's no way Jim Thome is the face of the Indians. Loved Thome and have no real beef with the argument that he's the best to wear the Indians uniform in recent history, but Bob Feller, Bob Lemon, Rocky Colavito, Andre Thornton, Toby Harrah, and even my cousin (Buddy Bell) could make at least some claim to "face time." Rickey Henderson as the face of the A's? With Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers, Catfish Hunter, Vida Blue, Blue Moon Odom and even Charlie Finley just trolling around since the team moved from Kansas City?With Rod Carew you got the right player, but the wrong team: Minnesota, not California (ehr, Anaheim... ehr, Los Angeles of Anaheim). You could certainly insert Puckett, Kent Hrbek, or about 3-4 others from the 1990's era in there, but overall, it's Carew.Gary Carter is the "face" of the Nats if you include their time in Montreal. Otherwise, it's Strasberg (sp?), hands down. You could potentially make a case for Frank Robinson being the "face" of the Orioles, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worcat Posted June 17, 2014 Author Share Posted June 17, 2014 This is a thread made to get the list right - not to argue who's best. I'm trying to figure out who is the best player in "Said" uniform. Imagine if you were looking to play for a team, which hall of famer would you want to recruit you. That's what I'm looking for with this. Everyone will have a different opinion but it's fun to discuss. I chose Rickey for the fact that he was a very special player. All time leader in stolen bases and an almost perfect lead off hitter. Sure Dennis Eckersly or Rollie would have been great choices. Bleeding Blue since 1986 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Germanshepherd Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Evan Longoria would be my pick for the Rays. i have unquantifiable corpses on my conscience Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCall Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 You determine the "face" of a franchise not by who had the best career and happened to wear a certain team's uniform, but rather by who had the best career while wearing said team's uniform. https://dribbble.com/MakaioCall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigers6884 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Unique choice with Cobb as the face of the franchise, since they also have had Al Kaline and Alan Trammell, who won World Series with them. But I agree. Cobb unfortunately never won a Fall Classic with the Tigers (or with the Philadelphia Athletics, for whom he played for two seasons). The Georgia Peach never really had star players to team up with, except for "Wahoo" Sam Crawford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worcat Posted June 17, 2014 Author Share Posted June 17, 2014 You determine the "face" of a franchise not by who had the best career and happened to wear a certain team's uniform, but rather by who had the best career while wearing said team's uniform.If that's the case, some of these teams wouldn't have an entry at all. I'm trying to be subjective to that and I realize your point. Just trying to "fill shoes" if you know what I mean. Bleeding Blue since 1986 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJTank Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 When Tony Gwynn passed away, I thought about this list. What is one player, former and/or present, that you believe is the face of the franchise. Which player comes to mind as soon as you say the teams name, the first player you think of or the player you feel would be/is the ambassador of the club. Here is my list:•Arizona Diamondbacks - Luis Gonzalez•Atlanta Braves - Hank Aaron•Baltimore Orioles - Cal Ripken Jr. •Boston Red Sox - Ted Williams•Chicago White Sox - Frank Thomas•Chicago Cubs - Ernie Banks•Cinncinnati Reds - Pete Rose•Cleveland Indians - Jim Thome•Colorado Rockies - Todd Helton•Detroit Tigers - Ty Cobb•Florida Marlins - Josh Beckett•Houston Astros - Craig Biggio•Kansas City Royals - George Brett•Los Angeles Angels - Rod Carew•Los Angeles Dodgers - Jackie Robinson•Milwaukee Brewers - Paul Molitor•Minnesota Twins - Kirby Puckett•New York Mets - Tom Seaver•New York Yankees - Babe Ruth•Oakland Athletics - Rickey Henderson•Philadelphia Phillies - Mike Schmidt•Pittsburgh Pirates - Roberto Clemente•San Diego Padres - Tony Gwynn•San Francisco Giants - Willie Mays•Seattle Mariners - Ken Griffey Jr. •St. Louis Cardinals - Stan Musial•Tampa Bay Rays - Wade Boggs•Texas Rangers - Nolan Ryan•Toronto Blue Jays - Joe Carter•Washington Nationals - Frank RobinsonI look forward to seeing your lists. Where I digressD-Backs Randy JohnsonIndians Bob FellerAngels Tim SalmonDodgers Sandy KoufaxBrewers Robin YountA's Rollie FingersRays Evan LongoriaNationals Bryce Harper www.sportsecyclopedia.com For the best in sports history go to the Sports E-Cyclopedia at http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worcat Posted June 17, 2014 Author Share Posted June 17, 2014 I love all of your picks. I'm extremely surprised with your pick of Koufax. Not to take anything away from him, but the idea of Koufax over Jackie is a bold move. Randy Johnson for the D'Backs is a slippery slope. Then you get into discussion about Curt Schilling. I originally picked Randy when I first started this list but chose Luis for this exact argument. Co-MVP's will be a battle til the death for this pick. Bleeding Blue since 1986 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigers6884 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Randy Johnson for the D-Backs would be an unwise choice, as he was also a legend for the Mariners. Everyone has their own favorites, so we can never really come to an exact conclusion for any team on this list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raysfan12 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Here's mine based on longevity w/ team and accomplishments:Arizona Diamondbacks: Randy JohnsonAtlanta Braves: Hank AaronBaltimore Orioles: Cal Ripken JrBoston Red Sox: Ted WilliamsChicago Cubs: Ernie Banks or Sammy SosaChicago White Sox: Frank ThomasCincinnati Reds: Johnny BenchCleveland Indians: Larry DobyColorado Rockies: Todd HeltonDetroit Tigers: Al Kaline or Ty CobbFlorida Marlins: Jeff ConineHouston Astros: Jeff BagwellKansas City Royals: George BrettLos Angeles Angels: Tim Salmon and Vladimir Guerrero Los Angeles Dodgers: Jackie RobinsonMilwaukee Brewers: Robin YountMinnesota Twins: Harmon KillebrewNew York Mets: Tom SeaverNew York Yankees: Babe RuthOakland Athletics: Reggie JacksonPhiladelphia Phillies: Mike SchmidtPittsburgh Pirates: Roberto ClementeSan Diego Padres: Tony GwynnSan Francisco Giants: Willie MaysSeattle Mariners: Edgar MartinezSt.Louis Cardinals: Stan MusialTampa Bay Rays: Carl CrawfordTexas Rangers: Nolan RyanToronto Blue Jays: Carlos Delgado Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos: Ryan Zimmerman and Gary Carter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raysfan12 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Evan Longoria would be my pick for the Rays.I disagree. Carl Crawford is a better choice because he has been with them during the bad and the good. In a few years though, Longo would be the "all-time" face of the franchise. Until then, Crawford is the all-time face of the franchise as he still has most of the team's all-time records. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critical Thinker Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I disagree with Thome as an Indian as well. I think he's too distinctly associated with the Phillies be an Indian.This debating over the Nationals and Rays is pointless. There's no distinct top 10 even. They're just too young of teams to really associate any one player with them. The fact that we're suggesting players not even halfway into their careers as the face of the franchise just highlights this. It's _____________ and Toledo still sucks.[insert time here] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worcat Posted June 17, 2014 Author Share Posted June 17, 2014 I disagree with Thome as an Indian as well. I think he's too distinctly associated with the Phillies be an Indian.This debating over the Nationals and Rays is pointless. There's no distinct top 10 even. They're just too young of teams to really associate any one player with them. The fact that we're suggesting players not even halfway into their careers as the face of the franchise just highlights this.The rays I agree.For the Nationals, lets expand to the Expos past. They've had their fair share of talent. Pedro Martinez, Vlad Guerrero, Larry Walker etc. Bleeding Blue since 1986 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.