[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

Jeter is a good one, and will probably be in the HOF, no doubt, but he's never been a great defensive shortstop - never. He's made the highlight reel plays in the playoffs (the non-slide Jeremy Giambi toss, the Hollywood-esque jump into the stands, etc.), but as an everyday shortstop, he consistently has ranked as below average in every measurable defensive rating.

How one makes a list of shortstops that doesn't include Cal Ripken above Jeter is beyond me. Don't get me wrong, Cal was a lot more hype than substance, but the guy could hit in his day and was more than adequate defensively on a ton of really, really mediocre Orioles teams.

Don't get me started on Trammell (or Whitaker). If you stack up Trammell with the SS members of the HOF currently, he is at least in the top half. Trammell's 1987 season is still one of the finest non-roided up seasons for a shortstop in baseball history. Whitaker getting dropped from the ballot after his first year of eligibility while Ryne Sandberg gets in on the second or third ballot is one of the true travesties of Hall of Fame voting of the last 15 years.

Now, talking about the best second baseman ever - that's tough. Roberto Alomar definitely deserves some consideration, but his career ended so amazingly quickly, he's really hard to judge. I think you'd have to look to an old timer like Rogers Hornsby (highest career AVG, OBP, HR, and SLG for a second baseman) as your all-time best.

I did screw up by forgetting Ripken. Jeter was good enough defensively that it doesnt subtract from his overall rating as a player. Trammell is a borderline case. he compares well to some SS candidates from the earlier years but in modern terms he is questionable. Hornsby is a clear choice at 2nd.