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If you could have one player's single trait which of the following would you adopt? Tell us why!

Ted Williams' batting eye 79 (46.20%)
Dave Kingman's power 11 (6.43%)
Nolan Ryan's fastball 44 (25.73%)
Ichiro Suzuki's OF arm 2 (1.17%)
Rickey Henderson's speed 15 (8.77%)
Ozzie Smith's glove 12 (7.02%)
Other (please specify) 8 (4.68%)

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171 votes | 14 featured comments
If you could have one player's single trait which of the following would you adopt? Tell us why! | 15 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
js_magloire - Saturday, July 29 2006 @ 08:55 PM EDT (#151782) #
The single most important thing in the game is contact hitting: Ted Williams eye.
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Craig B - Saturday, July 29 2006 @ 09:12 PM EDT (#151783) #
I'd love to have the ultimate fastball, but I don't like pain and pitching means pain.  I should take Kong's power, because it's the most fun - but I'll take Ozzie's glove because I would love to be elegant and graceful, just once in my life.
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Mick Doherty - Saturday, July 29 2006 @ 09:17 PM EDT (#151784) #
I took Kingman's power. I guess "the most fun" is one way to look at it, but I think of all the traits listed, Kong power (and maybe the 100 MPH heater of that Lynn Nolan Ryan fellow) is the one most likely to be "noticed" and get a player far in spite of other deficiencies, of which I would have many.

The speed of Richie Zisk and the gracefulness of Frank Howard ... that's me! I better rely on a lot of 360-foot trots, 'cause anything involving speed on the basepaths would doom me for eternity. Maybe that Rickey footspeed should get another look ...

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CeeBee - Saturday, July 29 2006 @ 09:30 PM EDT (#151785) #
I'd take Ted Williams batting eye because not only did he hit for average but had power to go along with it. In my opinion one of the best, if not the best hitter of all time.
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Geoff - Sunday, July 30 2006 @ 07:44 AM EDT (#151793) #
I'd take Edmonds' flair for the spectacular outfield catch, or A-rod's paycheque.
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Mudie - Sunday, July 30 2006 @ 08:34 AM EDT (#151794) #

CeeBee I don't think you get anything other than Williams ability to judge whether it is a strike or not, but still I think the A's would have room in the minors for a guy with a line of .150/.300/.200 I'll take Williams Batting eye.

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Mike Green - Sunday, July 30 2006 @ 11:18 AM EDT (#151802) #
Other: Joe D's ability to make solid contact.  There is nothing sweeter than the "thwack" of bat connecting with ball.
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CeeBee - Sunday, July 30 2006 @ 03:23 PM EDT (#151849) #

"CeeBee I don't think you get anything other than Williams ability to judge whether it is a strike or not, but still I think the A's would have room in the minors for a guy with a line of .150/.300/.200 I'll take Williams Batting eye."

Darn.... and I thought I was getting the full package. :)

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Twilight - Sunday, July 30 2006 @ 06:01 PM EDT (#151876) #
I'll take the fastball. When I was growing up and played on teams, I loved to pitch, but I just couldn't consistently throw my fastball for strikes. In my entire pitching "career" I probably walked about one batter per inning, and the ones I got out just took swings at my crap.

If you have some serious heat and you can locate, you can be one hell of a pitcher and one hell of an asset to your team.

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chengy - Sunday, July 30 2006 @ 11:27 PM EDT (#151917) #
I would take the fastball. If I had any other trait I wouldn't be able to actually be a good player in the majors. If I had William's eye, I wouldn't be able to hit the ball nor have the power to make use of the batting eye. The power, I would whiff at every single pitch. The arm, wouldn't make me much money would it now if I couldn't bat more then the mendoza line. The speed..well what good is it if I can't get on base? Anyway I would take the fastball though erratic, being a lefty it would make me millions and millions of dollars which baseball clubs keep throwing regardless of being mediocre or not.
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laketrout - Monday, July 31 2006 @ 08:34 AM EDT (#151946) #
Went with the fastball.  I blew my rotator cuff out when I was sixteen and with it my fastball.   I miss my arm...   Once I could throw the from the fence in centerfield and have it cross homeplate for a strike.  Now I'm lucky if I can hit the infield.

That's what you get for playing scrub on a wet spring day without properly warming up your arm.

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Four Seamer - Monday, July 31 2006 @ 08:57 AM EDT (#151947) #

Definitely Ted Williams' batting eye. 

That's the one skill that has the most application outside of baseball - which is where I'd be, even with one of those traits!

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Ryan Day - Monday, July 31 2006 @ 09:50 AM EDT (#151959) #

  I'll take Rickey's speed.  It seems like guys who can run fast always get to hang around for a while, even if they don't hit very well.

  Ryan's fastball would be pretty nice, too.  I don't think Williams' eye would be much use without the hand-eye coordination to back it up, though.

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John Northey - Monday, July 31 2006 @ 10:21 AM EDT (#151965) #
Kingman's power for me for the fun of it.  If I was under 20 it would be Ryan's arm as that would get me a minor league contract for sure.  A great batting eye is useless if you have no power or ability to hit for average.  As to the outfield arm, I'd rather have seen Jesse Barfield listed as his arm was a sight to behold. 
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If you could have one player's single trait which of the following would you adopt? Tell us why! | 15 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.