I voted Niekro, because I have always been enamored of the knuckleball. Now let's see how many shallow Bauxites vote for the A-Rod contract!

The knuckleball was my #2 choice. I'll take the Rivera cutter.

I'm not proud of voting for Phil's knucklball, but it's the only thing of any use to me.  I can't get to the majors at age 38 with any of those other tools.  Sure I could impress the girls at party's with my Nolan Ryan fastball, but the girls at the parties I go to are 2 - 3 years old.

p.s.  I now see Arod's salary as a choice at the bottom.  Well that would be the obvious selection, but it isn't any fun.

Other: Derek Jeter's clutch abilities! =)

Other: Orlando Hudson's gift for gab.

Did we have this poll last year? I remember talking about Arod's paycheque in an eerily similar poll like this before...

I'm with ayjackson...an awesome knuckleball is about the only skill I could see getting me a shot at playing professionally. It's still a long shot, but I've never understood why no teams seem willing to develop a knuckleballer. Maybe because so many catchers end up as managers and hated trying to catch one?

I voted on the paycheck. I figure I can buy Nolan Ryan's right arm off of him. Heck, I'd have enough left over to buy Bagwell's facial hair. 

With A-Rod's paycheck, I can now buy all of the other skills.

Eckstein's Heart

I can't get to the majors at age 38 with any of those other tools.

I doubt I could either, and I'm 21... the knuckle ball is really the only skill that one can thrive on despite having nothing else. Well, and Rivera's cutter.

P.S. I think I could find some fun things to do with A-Rod's paycheck...

ARod's paycheck and Niekro's knuckleball are the only two skills worth anything on its own. You cannot survive in the big league just with a fastball or curveball, or just with good power, good eye, speed, durability, or defence. As a ballplayer, you need a combination of other skills. However, if you can throw a knuckleball, basically all you need to do is occasionally throw a  75mph "fastball" down the middle for strike. You can survive with only a knuckleball, but without any secondary pitches, you still won't amount to much of a career. From a prudence standpoint, I will take Arod's paycheck, the other skills do not do me any good as I don't really have any other skills as a baseball player

Speed Baby...Rickey was the most exciting player ever to play.I heard that he once hit a line drive up the middle and got hit in the head with the ball sliding in to second.

I'd take the knuckleball too.  Knuckleballers are a dying breed, and Wakefield is really the only good one around and he probably doesn't have too many years left.  I could pitch in the majors for 20 or 25 years (i'm 24) with a knuckler and continue to the knuckleball and maybe even win 300 games too.  It's nice to dream.

Bert Blyleven's Curve Ball  - Bert has led my Whatifsports.com Progressive Theme League team for 7 seasons, and reading Bill James' "Bert Blyleven 125 Curve Balls a game - family" line always makes me laugh.

I liked watch Henderson take a walk and then steal second and third base. That was so devastating to the other team as the fielders basically watched helplessly as it happened to the pitcher.

As a former all-field, small bat shortstop in HS and college, I picked the Oz's defense.  Not practical at all, as I always harboured delusions that my glove and arm were good enough to play at least at the NCAA level if not the minors so if anything I should be asking for hitting, but I just love playing defense.  And of course it would make me dominant on the softball field, where only Reggie's power would be a real asset out of the other skills. 

Rod Carew's batting eye might not get me to the majors as a hitter, but it might have a chance of getting me there as a hitting coach (I thought about A-Rod's paycheck, but some narrow, dark corridor of my mind can't accept that as a baseball skill).

I haven't picked one yet, but I know it won't be Cal Ripken Jr.'s durability. Great, I can suck completely at MLB games for hundreds and hundreds in a row? Craptacular.

One lesson from the Mitchell report is that players will take a short-cut to get the big major league payday.  Now we see bauxites are no different, the poll shows they go straight to the cash and not to the skills. 

Suggestion for the next poll question "you are in your third year of AAA ball, you are an outfielder with warning track power or a pitcher with a 90 mph fastball.  Would you take something to give you ten more home runs or 2 mph on your fastball which you know will get you a major league job?"

Gerry, I would love to earn my money but the singular skills offered would just make me more fun at parties, help my soft ball team more, or make me better at winning prizes at the Exhibition.  They would not get me into the Majors, so whats the point?

I therefore would take the money .  I'd be even more fun at parties, replace my soft ball team like Mr Burns did, and own the damn prize factory!

I picked a skill, Rod Carew's batting eye, as I answered the question with the assumption of being a baseball player.  If I had answered it as a non-baseball player then I would have taken the cash.  By that measure 99% of bauxites should have voted for the cash.

Suggestion for the next poll question "you are in your third year of AAA ball, you are an outfielder with warning track power or a pitcher with a 90 mph fastball.  Would you take something to give you ten more home runs or 2 mph on your fastball which you know will get you a major league job?"

For me, it depends on the scenario. If I'm someone like Chad Mottola or something where there's no shot for me, I've got four kids to feed, and a mortgage to support...with no real prospects for after I retire, it's a definite yes. I'd probably get there, stop, see how I do, and continue as necessary.

The first second you see a side effect or something scary like that, I'd stop (it might be too late), but I wouldn't regret it.

as a pitcher myself, who is 18 and stuck at 87 or 88 mph, i will take the nolan ryan fastball. if nothing else it would get me drafted and to A ball. however the knuckle would also be interesting, but no where near as much of a sure thing for my future