I will think about it but there are so many and I

I will think about it but there are so many and I think a lot depends on which teams or league you prefer to follow.  Hard also to compare players from different  generations IMO.  Growing up, I was given a book "Bill Sterns Favorite Baseball Stories" that had the most remarkable little known wrinkles of the players and the game.  I think Bill was a sportswriter or announcer.   I lived in that book for years.

My closest story was when I dated a lady who had been married to a relief pitcher for the Red Sox and Rangers. On his way up he was in the StL organization.  They were headed to the Dominican League but they brought the top prospects up for a couple of days with the big boys to give them a taste of what life is like at the top and to get them to work harder.  While there, a big party was thrown and she, being a young no-nothing, was all gaga over the opulence of the affair.  An older woman came up to her, asked who her husband was, chit chatted a bit, and wished her husband well.  When she asked the older woman if her husband was with StL she said "Yes, he is Stan the Man.  My friend replied "Stan Man, sorry but I never heard of him, what position does he play?  The older lady was mortified and huffily said "Not Stan Man, you little twit, Stan THE Man!!"  My friend said she felt like a fool, then she added "I met Stan, he was a perfect gentleman and would never say something like that to anyone!"  She finds it quite funny now.

My favorite players growing up were Eddie Matthews, Sandy Koufax, Johnny Bench, Rod Carew, and a host of others.  The old pitchers were such workhorses it is hard to believe they pitched as long and as well as they did.  I didn't like him but I don't think there was ever a better hitter than Ted Williams.  I liked the way he played, thought he was an ass as a person, but Pete Rose ranks right up there.  Never really got to see the magic of Ozzie Smith with the glove but I have heard he was remarkable.  That is what I mean in that I never saw so many of the legends it is hard to compare them.  I am funny in that I value the worth of a player by his character as much as his ability.  Thus, Manny Ramirez to me is a piece of crap regardless of whether he had hit 80 home runs in a season or hit 1,000 in his career.  Give me a few days.