by Lynette Alice

Created on: August 18, 2008   Last Updated: August 30, 2010

The hot corner has been manned by some legendary players dating back so far as anyone living can recall so picking just a few men as being the best third baseman in the history of baseball is no easy task. The ideal third baseman is an offensive weapon with a slick glove and cannon arm the shows no fear moving up and crowding the line during bunt situations even though a screaming line drive may come his way. While many have exhibited onn of these attributes very few have put the full package of skills together and these men, the men that have distinguished them self as elite follow in my assessment of the greatest third basemen in baseball history, in no particular order of course.

Brooks Robinson is the standard all third basemen are compared to when it comes to defense. Over a twenty three year career, all with the Orioles Brooks posted many great numbers and achieved greatness, but the one thing that in my mind stands out among all others is his sixteen consecutive Gold Gloves from 1960-1975. Imagine being that dominant at a posotion that during an entire era, almot your whole career, the record book reflects you as the single best defender at the hot corner. Robinson's glove is where many seemingly garunteed hits went to die.

He made the impossible look ordinary. His skills weren't limited to the infield, Robinson was a gifted hitter as well making his way to eighteen All-Star rosters while picking up an AL, ML, and World Series MVP award as well as being one of the most durable men in the game at a physically demanding position which helped the orioles go 2-2 in World Series during his tenure. When Brooks left the game for the final time he had compiled an impressive, 2,848 hits, a .267 average, 268 homeruns, with 1,232 runs scored and an adittional 1,357 driven in. For offense and defensive domination Brooks is hard to beat, in fact it is possible we may never see another third baseman approach his sixteen total Gold Gloves, much less sixteen in a row. It is easy to see why he was a 1983 Hall of Fame inductee.

Michael Jack Schmidt was one of the consumate sluggers in baseball history and an often forgotten outstanding defensive player. In an eighteen year career all played with the Phillies, Schmidt not only slugged 548 career homers , he grabbed a World Series ring, three MVp Awards as well as a World Series MVP, and ten Gold Gloves. Schmidt was a twelve time All-Star with six Silver sSlugger awards fueled by leading the league in homers eight times,

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>