UConn's all-time Top 10 players

[j66kicker]

Well, Williams' .406 season isn't a record, it's just the last time someone hit over .400.

The consecutive games hitting streak is difficult to break, obviously, but not actually an impressive record. It's a statistical oddity. It's one of those things that only means something because Joe DiMaggio did it. As a feat, it pales compared to hitting over .400 for the season.

Well hitting .400 for a season certainly isn't a statistical oddity. 20 players have done it. Three did it three times.

ONE player hit in 56 straight games. No one else has even come close. Pete Rose (who had 1600 more hits and was a MUCH better baseball player than Ted Williams) came the closest, hitting in 44 straight games.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I think we need to include Moriah Jefferson in the top 10. Only she, Sue Bird, and Diana Taurus, among UCONN players, won the Nancy Lieberman Award more than once. Sue won the first three. Also Moriah was terrific on defense, a skill that does not get enough attention.

Moriah and Lindsey Harding are the only players to win a Lieberman Award and National Defensive Player of the Year award. Mo, Tuck, and KML were all overshadowed by Stewie. Moriah was good enough to win POY in a normal season.

 

[JonathanXIV]

Well hitting .400 for a season certainly isn't a statistical oddity. 20 players have done it. Three did it three times.

ONE player hit in 56 straight games. No one else has even come close. Pete Rose (who had 1600 more hits and was a MUCH better baseball player than Ted Williams) came the closest, hitting in 44 straight games.

I know this is a post on the top 10 UConn players, but I can't let this go. Pete Rose was NOT a much better player than Ted Williams. Williams was the considerably better player. Consider the following, when one looks over their career stats in the following categories - Hits, Walks, 2B, HR, Runs, RBI, BA, OBP, SLG, OPS and Total Bases, Rose lead his league in these categories 25 times. Impressive. Williams lead the league in these categories 67 times! (despite missing 5 years of his prime due to two wars). Including leading both leagues in these categories 42 times, and leading the league in OBP or SLG an astounding 21 times. Williams was the much better player.

As for which to choose among the two accomplishments, hitting in 56 straight games is the record less likely to be equaled and the more unlikely achievement, but hitting .406 in a season is the more impressive achievement, given that it doesn't rely as much on lucky bounces and was sustained over a longer period of time.

 

[Wally East]

Pete Rose (who had 1600 more hits and was a MUCH better baseball player than Ted Williams)

You don't say.

 

[tchalla1]

Well hitting .400 for a season certainly isn't a statistical oddity. 20 players have done it. Three did it three times.

ONE player hit in 56 straight games. No one else has even come close. Pete Rose (who had 1600 more hits and was a MUCH better baseball player than Ted Williams) came the closest, hitting in 44 straight games.

Well you're correct--batting .400 is not a record per se, but I do consider something that hasn't been done in baseball for nearly 80 years, a "statistical oddity"; and am skeptical of the records kept in the 1800s and early 20th century... So to me, since the Splendid Splinter is the last to hit .400, it is kind of his record in the truly modern game...

 

[Wally East]

Best:

1. Stewie
2. Maya
3. DT
4. Sue
5. Mo
6. Rebecca
7. Tina
8. Nykesha
9. Kerry Bascom
10. Kara Wolters

Favorite:

1. Maya
2. Stewie
3. Swin
4. Nykesha
5. KML
6. Shea Ralph
7. Kerry Bascom
8. Rebecca
9. KLS
10. Tina

 

[JonathanXIV]

Well Pete had 3 of these (probably find them on E-Bay).

View attachment 52565

Neither here nor there, but this particular one is my favorite because it came from beating the Red Sox.

Think Joe Morgan and Johnny Bench had a little bit to do with that ring.

 

[Wally East]

Well Pete had 3 of these (probably find them on E-Bay).

Neither here nor there, but this particular one is my favorite because it came from beating the Red Sox.

Yes, because Player A having better teammates than Player B definitely means that Player A is better than Player B. I think we've definitely established that in this thread. Yes, we definitely have.

 

[Wally East]

Oh, and there WERE those 1600 more hits...

Pete Rose, whatever you think of him (I'm a Yankee fan and am totally indifferent), had an unbelievable competitive drive - maybe too much, in some people's opinions. Talent isn't enough - it takes competitive spirit (i.e. "the heart of a champion") to win at the highest level. Pete won. Joe won. Mickey won. Ted stuffed stats for 19 years and never won a thing.

Yeah, see, the thing is -- Pete didn't win. The Reds won. Joe didn't win. The Yankees won. There's a bunch of other guys, especially pitchers, that make a big difference in how teams fare.

As for Pete Rose vs. Ted Williams. No, this isn't close.

I hate batting average as a stat but: Pete's lifetime average is .303. Ted's was .344.

On-base:
Pete: .375
Ted: .482

Slugging Percentage:
Pete: .409
Ted: .634

Oh, and just in case there's any question about home vs. road.

AWAY: BA/OBP/SLG
Pete: .296/.366/.393
Ted: .328/.467/.615

Ted was a better hitter, better at getting on base, and hit for a lot more power. This isn't even a comparison.

 

[JonathanXIV]

Oh, and there WERE those 1600 more hits...

Pete played 23 years and Ted only played 19 because of serving in the wars. If Ted had played 23 years, and if he had gotten his career average # hits during those 4 more years, then he would have only gotten 1043 fewer hits than Pete. If you say he probably missed what would have been his most productive years, and you give him DOUBLE his career average # hits for each of those years (a ridiculous 279 hits per year), then he would still have 485 fewer hits than Pete.

Pete Rose, whatever you think of him (I'm a Yankee fan and am totally indifferent), had an unbelievable competitive drive - maybe too much, in some people's opinions. Talent isn't enough - it takes competitive spirit (i.e. "the heart of a champion") to win at the highest level. Pete won. Joe won. Mickey won. Ted stuffed stats for 19 years and never won a thing.

And Pete made about 5000 more out than Ted. That stuff counts too. And can we stop this stuffing stats nonsense. I suppose Naphessa was just “stuffing stats” her last three years at UConn? Let’s move on.

 

[Golden Husky]

I note that the Boneyard has a chat forum devoted to UConn baseball.

 

[tchalla1]

And Pete made about 5000 more out than Ted. That stuff counts too. And can we stop this stuffing stats nonsense. I suppose Naphessa was just “stuffing stats” her last three years at UConn? Let’s move on.

Personally a comparison between Williams and Rose is an apples to oranges comparison, or at least apples to pears because they played in entirely different eras, for the most part. Williams played mostly in an era where there were no night games, little or no relief pitching and most importantly, for much of his career in the American League, Williams played in era of segregation where there were no black or Latino players. So for much of his career, unlike Rose, Williams didn't have to face pitchers like Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, or bat against outfields with a Mays, Aaron or Clemente in it like Rose did. Both great players, but they played in entirely different eras...

 

[Waquoit]

I just watched the only Kerry Bascom game I could find: the Final Four game in 1991 against Virginia. Bascom had a mediocre game because of early foul trouble, but Uconn played well and kept it close.

She, and we, got jobbed.

 

[JonathanXIV]

Top ten favorite Huskies (a personal list)

1. Gabby Williams
2. Kelly Farris
3. Crystal Dangerfield
4. Moriah Jefferson
5. Svetlana Abrosimova
6. Naphessa Collier
7. Morgan Tuck
8. Stefanie Dolson
9. Diana Taurasi
10. Total cop out, and it depends on the day of the week that you ask me, but a tie between Sue Bird, Jen Rizzotti, Jamelle Elliot, Tina Charles, Maya Moore, Kia Nurse, Shea Ralph, Swin Cash, Renee Montgomery, Pam Webber, Katie Lou Samuelson, Rebecca Lobo, Caroline Doty, Stacy Hansmeyer, and a few more I no doubt forgot.

What a pleasure it has been to be a UConn fan.

 

[uconnjunkie]

There's 3 above all. My pick. DT.

Look at the roster. Compare DTs roster on her last 2 championships to any of Stewies 4 championship rosters or Mayas 2.

Which of her teammates, would crack the other starting lineups?

Foster from Ohio State stated that if DT played on 10 different teams, each would be the favorite to win it all.

She gave me the same feeling that MJ did. As long as he/she's on that team. That team will win. No matter who the other 4 were. Killers

 

[EdSaid]

Let's look at their career splits (home/away).

DiMaggio
HR RBI BA OBP SLG OPS
Home 148 684 .315 .391 .547 .936
Away 209 854 .334 .406 .611 1.017

Williams
HR RBI BA OBP SLG OPS
Home 248 965 .361 .496 .652 1.146
Away 273 873 .328 .467 .611 1.078

Both great, great players. But Williams ability to not make outs (all time leader in on base percentage) sets him apart. Not much of a fielder or base runner (DiMaggio far exceeded him in those categories), but the best hitter who ever lived.

What about rings?

 

[From France]

For me, it would be the 2001 team of Shea, Svetlana, Tamika, Ajha, Swin, Sue, Dee + Maya, Tina & Breanna - But how to miss Kerry who got it all started, Rebecca who was the main factor in becoming champs, Nykesha , KML, KLS, Kia Nurse, Pheesa , and so on - You can't make a top 10 of UCONN players without misses, that's the reason why I only downloaded the starting pic of UCONN's best of the best bracket - The TEAM is Hall Of Fame, simply said & after that the players.

 

[boontonbomber]

anybody who doesn't have Sales in their top 5 could not have seen her play. My first game at Gampel was during her freshman season, and I was amazed at how she impacted the game at both ends. I could not believe that a female could play the game that way. She was so much better( at least in that game) than anyone else on the floor. everyone else look like they were standing still. reminded me of the time I saw Bobby Hull play at the Civic Center against the Whalers.