12 Days of a Cleveland Christmas: Day 6
Written By: Rick | Category: 12 days of Christmas | Comments: 120
Our 12 Days of Christmas giveaways reaches the half-way point today. Congratulations are in order to Alexander who won the pair of tickets to see the Browns play the Raiders on the 27th. Alexander’s favorite defensive Brown was Clay Mathews. (Alexander was not alone in that thought however, a strong showing by number 57 in our comments.) Hope you are enjoying the answers as much as we are.
Today we go back to the ticket drawer and specifically back to the diamond. Today’s prize is a pair of tickets to see the Indians take on the Cincinnati Reds, May 22nd. It is a Saturday game, which means there will be a giveaway!
Once again, here’s the skinny…
That’s right WFNY loyal readers- the December giveaway is back! Each weekday from now until Tuesday the 22nd we will be giving away a great Cleveland sports prize pack. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on the daily prize post answering the question of the day. It’s that simple. Look for the posts at noon.
- You may only enter once each day. You are free to comment on each other’s answers, however.
- The winner will be chosen at random from the qualifying entries. Winners will be notified the following day by email (make sure the email address you registered to comment with is a real one!) You must be at least 18 years old to win, and only one winner per household during this giveaway please.
-Entries must be made before Midnight EST to qualify.
Last year I made everyone give their answer in exactly 64 words, (last Cleveland title) but this year I’m going to be a bit more lenient. As long as you actually answer the question, it doesn’t matter how many words you use.
Today’s prize- A pair of tickets to see the Tribe play the Reds!
Today’s question- Who is your favorite baseball player that never wore a Cleveland uniform?
Good luck!
Author: Rick
Rick is a co-founder and editor of WFNY. His love of Cleveland sports is surpassed only by his faith and love of his family. Follow him on Twitter- @rickwfny.Rick has written 887 articles for Waiting for Next Year.
Pedro Martinez… the man dominated when most of the hitters were juiced up, and did he dominate.
Tony Gwynn. Great player – seemed like a class act.
Albert Pujols- he’s the best hitter in the game right now, is quiet and reserved, and hasn’t been linked to steroids (and hopefully he never will be).
Ken Griffey Jr. My brother played little league with his cousin, so we got to meet him at his hotel after the Tribe played Seattle one year. He was telling us about his commercials he was doing and was really cool to hang out with. Class act!
Curt Schilling….he dominated and he was a really cool guy
blasphemy! I have no such thing. All of the likable players are ex-Indians anymore, anyway. For the purposes of getting in on this though I’ll say Ichiro. That man is a pleasure to watch.
Greg Maddux. The guy had no fastball and was still able to dominate the game for more than a decade by out thinking hitters. Hopefully he’ll get back into the game as a coach, or even scout/GM some day.
Currently: Nyjer Morgan (threw me a ball at Wrigley and was absolutely hilarious in LF basically playing around with the bleachers)
Historically: Barry Larkin and Chris Sabo
Vladimir Guerrero.. no batting gloves is awesome
Even though he was in our division and I hate the white sox, Frank Thomas was the man.
Frank Thomas because he did everything right. I hated the guy with all my heart for his career with the White Sox. I hated him because he was a terrific player on and off the field. But, if he was a Cleveland Indian, he would have been mine (and many others) favorite player. A great player and a great human being (in the Jim Thome model).
Cal Ripken, Jr. Stayed in Baltimore his whole career, was an amazing player, and has a record that will never be broken.
/ineligible
Definitely Ken Griffey Jr. He has the prettiest looking swing i’ve ever seen. Plus, his video games were awesome!
Kirby Puckett. Mostly because my middle name is Kirby. But he was also a cool guy.
Reggie Jackson
Sadaharu Oh. awesome!
Ken Griffey Jr. All around great guy and fabulous player.
Sadaharu Oh. awesome!
Ken Griffey Jr., no doubt. Unquestionably the prettiest swing ever, always looked like he loved being on the field, and put up huge numbers the right way–unlike many of his era. Sad that injuries kept him from the top of the HR list.
Lou Gehrig. The only way I can pick a Yankee for anything is if it happened before I was born.
Whenever my friends and I would play backyard baseball I was always Jeff Bagwell or Jim Edmonds if Kenny Lofton was already taken….not sure why, but both were pretty solid when I was growing up.
For me it’s Albert. I mean that guy is an absolute machine. He is one of the only guys who can make me stop and watch NL baseball. To be able to watch that guy play the game is unbelievable. AND, He’s CLEAN. He always says let’s test right now and take the issue head on. Probably the greatest hitter of all time when it’s all said and done.
BONUS COVERAGE: Barry Bonds is my 2nd favorite. Who was more entertaining than Big Barry? I never really got to see him when he was little Barry, but the guy made heads turn. The season he hit 70 HR’s was unbelievable. Definitely made for some really fun baseball.
Greg Maddox – An extremely smart pitcher who was always a step ahead of batters, without the extreme power game. And a great person.
Durp, Maddux
Overlooked in these Maddux votes is the fact that the “Chicks Dig the Longball” commercial will always be classic!
Ken Griffey Jr. He did in the field, at the plate and on the bases. Just a phenomenal player who, to me, embodied some of the major disappointment we’ve known in Cleveland through his injuries.
Ken Griffey, Jr. Read his bio in 4th grade and was sold.
Andy Van Slyke
Benji Molina. It’s nice knowing that I am faster than at least one player currently in MLB.
Edgar Martinez, Jr.
I’m sure I’ll be discounted because mine is a current (very current) player. My favorite non-Indian is Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Boston Red Sox. He was the 07 AL ROY and followed that up with the 08 AL MVP. The kid is like 4’8″ 115Lbs. (that me exaggerated)and playes the game like a giant. Usually always comes thru with a clutch hit, and he’s one of the best fielders in the game today. He’s got talent, heart, and had become a great leader for that team. If he ever signs with the Indians, I’ll have his jersey the day it comes out.
My idol growing up was Will Clark.
Cal Riplin Jr. Hands down.
Vlad is a beast! He would’ve looked great in a Tribe uni
Randy Johnson…we could use his speed and skill on the mound right now.
Gotta be bad Vlad for me…not too many guys playing nowadays that could be considered a true “old school” type player, and for me, he is one of the best…
Griffey – an all-time great and he did it the right way.
I’m suprised at all the love for Griffey, Jr. I always thought he was a grumpy little punk. Loads of talent, though…
Definitely Ken Griffey Jr. His time with Seattle, he was easily the best player in the game…too bad injuries really hurt his career in Cincinnati. His video games definitely don’t hurt this choice either (not really anything new here).
Derek Jeter… Watched him play here in Columbus and I feel like he does everything the right way. Not the greatest talent in the league but he’ll out work anybody.
what a tough call. dick pole was fantastic. johnny dickshot was amazing. pete lacock was pretty dependable. but my favorite has to be rusty kuntz.
Kirby Freaking Puckett. No way a guy that size and shape should have been a great ball player, but he was.
Ichiro. Dude just plays. He’s the most consistent hitter in baseball. Plays great defense.
Jeter- As much as I want to hate him for being a Yankee, I love the way he plays the game. Granted, I’ll never root for him (as long as he’s with the Yanks), but how can you not like the way he goes out and plays the game day in and day out.
Runners-up: Ripken Jr., Pujols, Maddox
Chris Sabo. Nothing but awkward runs, sports specs, and production.
Greg Maddox
Jose Canseco – fun with steroids and a homerun off his head. Doesn’t get any better
Tom Glavine. No one, in my mind, has ever had as much control as Glavine.
Sandy Koufax. Class, style…and didn’t play on Yom Kippur.
All time – Nolan Ryan…. any pitcher has throws 90+ and gets a no-hitter over the age of 40 is awesome.
Currently playing – Carl Crawford… the man can fly.
Another for Greg Maddux.
Another for Ken Griffey Jr.
Has to be Cal Ripken Jr. He’s the epitome of a hard worker
cal ripken, jr… the loyalty and the work ethic alone, brings me choose him
I just wanted to give a public “Thank you” to WFNY and Lyndall Insurance for the tickets. I can’t wait for the game.
Also, if I were eligible I would have gone with Cal Ripken, Jr. for today’s question. I think he’s the kind of guy we all wish we had on our team.
An active player would have to Vlad. I love his strike zone, or lack of one. I also enjoy watching Ichiro play being in AK, i see him ALL the time. Also Chone Figgins (soon to see him a lot more). As far as retired players, I’d have to go with Craig Biggio. Guy never complained about what position he played and he played all of them! Dude was just a baller.
This one’s easy. John Smoltz. No other pitcher in the history of the game had 200 saves and 200 wins, and when it came to the postseason, the man was money. Come back another year, Smoltzy!
It is amazing looking back on your childhood how simple we perceived things. It was the mid-80s and there was a player named Don Mattingly who played first base for the New York Yankees.
His name was Don. My name is Don.
He played first base. I played first base.
Yup, “Donnie Baseball” was my guy.
So much so, I wanted to be him for Halloween. I already had the first baseman’s mitt and eye black, I just needed a Mattingly jersey. This was well before all the replica jerseys were available everywhere. I asked my mom if she could get one made. “No problem,” she said. A week later, she showed me the Mattingly jersey she got made.
It looked great. It had 23 on the back. It said “Mattingly,” but there was one problem: It was orange and blue. Yup, it was a Mattingly Mets jersey.
Luckily, there was time for her to get another one made and this time it had pinstripes.
Thankfully, I was able to be Mattingly for Halloween. This Donnie Baseball was able to honor THE Donnie Baseball and earn some candy in the meantime.
I’d have to say Griffey Jr. as well
Rickey Henderson – people didn’t (still don’t) like him b/c he was/is cocky and not too smart, but man could he play – plus he once compared himself to a lion – sometimes sleeping 18+ hours a day
Nick Swisher. Not only is he an OSU alum but he is hilarious and a great clubhouse guy. I sat in the bleachers for one game and got him to do an O-H-I-O chant during hang on sloopy.
Also, Wade Boggs simply because he is reported as having drank 64 Miller Lites from the end of a game until his cross country flight landed in California. The man is a legend.
The one baseball player no one on Earth can hate or criticize, for any possible reason: Cal Ripken.
Ryne Sandberg – Great offensive and defensive 2B.
Griffey Jr. I love n64 baseball games!
Adam Miller. He was so highly touted and the expectations were endless. My hopes and dreams died a little with each new finger surgery.
John Kruk. Waved to me once at a Reds game when he was playing LF for the Padres
Ken Griffey Jr. I used to wake up every morning, and hope to hear that the tribe had traded for Griffey.
Griffey,
Remembering his swing alone makes me giddy.
Also, never a hint about steroids.
Another for Greg Maddox.
Pete Rose
Andy Pettite — I know, I know, that pesky HGH thing, not to mention he’s a Yankee. But he consistently gets the job done and I’ve always loved his old-school temperament.
My favorite non-Tribesman baseball player has to be Roberto Clemente.
Living in Cincinnati (but still a Tribe fan originally from NE Ohio) I have to say I was ecstatic when the Reds traded for Ken Griffey, Jr. right after their run to a one-game playoff loss to the Mets in ’99. He was my favorite (non-Indian non-Red) player and I always appreciated what he did coming back to his hometown, even though it did not work out as much as everyone would have liked.
Ozzie Smith. He was not only a fantastic defensive SS — maybe the best ever — but also a decent hitter and a superb, unassuming leader of his team and in his community.
Tim Lincecum. He was once drafted by the Indians, but unfortunately never signed with us. Dominating the national league for the last two seasons. The thought of him pitching with CC Lee and Fausto just gives me goosebumps.. too bad it never was.
mike piazza…never heard the end of it because my mom only knew him as “the cutie”…she could care less about sports but she would for sure point out the guys she thought were good looking
Gotta go Kirby Puckett
Bo Jackson, incredible athlete. He would make a the 51st game of the regular season on a Wednesday afternoon must see tv.
My favorite play was Ken Griffey Jr. He had the sweetest swing and held down center field better than anyone else. I remember going to a playoff game in 95? when Seattle played Cleveland and was rooting for The Kid the entire game. Loved that dude, always hoped the best for him.
Ken Griffey Jr. He’s got the best swing in baseball, I could watch him take batting practice all day. I was actually at the Indians Reds game where he hit his 498th and 499th home runs, followed by a late comeback by the Indians to take the game. Good times.
Barry Larkin
Roy Halladay, second best pitcher in baseball.
Cal Ripken Jr…. Just the way he enjoyed playing the game the right way and how he still supports baseball now.
Ken Griffey Jr. One of the more exciting athletes to watch in his prime.
Rickey Henderson. For some reason I loved those A’s teams growing up in the 80′s.
Brandon Inge. A versatile player who plays the game the right way.
Nolan Ryan. He was on the Frosted Flakes box when I was younger and I thought he was the coolest for that.
This might seem a bit obscure, but my favorite non-Indians player was Terry Kennedy, the San Diego Padres catcher in the mid-1980s. This was simply because my Little League team was the Padres and I was the catcher. I had his two 1987 Topps cards laminated and I kept them in my back pocket during games. It started a trend on the team, though, the other guys didn’t stick to the analagous association like I did.
Ken Griffey, Jr., far and away
Cal Ripken Jr is my choice…total class…..nuff said
Not for nothing, but I hope the 12 days of a Cleveland Christmas never end. I enjoy reading everyone’s picks, and the reasons why. I’m sure WFNY will run out of prizes, but I think this should be a weekly segment. Maybe on Monday or Friday each week, ask us fans to post Who was….? or Which team…? or Where were you when…? I absolutley love this.
Ken Griffey Jr. Great ballplayer, great guy.
Clu Haywood
For whatever reason, I was a big Jesse Orosco fan in the early-mid 80′s, but then he donned a Tribe uni for a short time. that was joyful. So to never wear one? I’ll go with Carney Lansford. Great name, great mustache.
Mine has to be Kirby Pucket. Great Player.
Joe Mauer. Talk about a class act, he’s a killer backstop, has an impressive swing, and he got that through training hard with his father and a ball machine in his garage. Genuinely nice guy too. I love watching the Twins, division foe or not. Watching their run to the playoffs and the last couple of games in the Dome this past season was wild.
I saw a lot of Griffey Jr. above and I can’t disagree. The most beautiful swing I have ever seen. Could have been the best to ever play the game, a la Roy Hobbs. One of my other favorites, pre-steroids Barry Bonds. Going to a handful of Pirates games as a kid, I used to love watching him and Bonilla.
I’m gonna have to throw another vote Kirby Puckett’s way.
Ozzie Smith, what a joy to watch…
Mike piazza. He was a hundredth round pick and worked his way to being an allstar
agree with 92
Tony Gwynn. What a hitter.
Ozzie Smith – just an absolute magician at SS. I love Omar and he is the 2nd best defensive SS I have seen, but Omar was/is no Ozzie.
Ken Griffey Jr.
Cal Ripken Jr. – The consumate professional.
Ichiro Suzuki.
Jackie Robinson
Never saw him play live, but without him, we may never have seen a lot of great players.
Tribe (Spiders, actually) may have broke the color barrier with Louis Sockalexis and broke the AL taboo against African-American players with Larry Doby, and, even, managerial discrimination with Frank Robinson, but without Jackie Robinson’s calm, humble courage, baseball fans would have totally missed some of the greats (Satchel Paige?) and waited, perhaps too long, to see others. People forget he was traded to the Giants and chose to retire. Perhaps, if he had been traded to the Indians he would have declined to wear Lil red Sambo, as well.
Kirby Puckett
I would have to go with Derek Jeter. the dude is just a gamer and knows the game so well
Barry Bonds
Joe Mauer, he is a stud
Ichiro
And the guy that said Curt Schilling is a cool guy has got to be joking.
Also I agree with 92
Ken Griffey, Jr. We seemed to be in the mix for him when he was traded to the Reds. If he never got hurt, we’d be talking G.O.A.T.
Keith Hernandez.
Mariano Rivera…a dominant closer for such a long time. Always a hole on the Tribe.
Ryne Sandberg. I used to watch the Cubs a lot after school on WGN.
Nolan Ryan…he was the ultimate competitor on the mound and was as fearless as they come. Just ask Robin Ventura when he was stuck in that headlock.
Mark Grace – The guy went 1 for 4 every night (it seemed that way anyway — never 2 for 4, but never 0-4 either). And who can forget the “If you worked at Wrigley Field, you’d work slow too” commercial. And the guy who brought us the term “slumpbuster”.