A lock to join Cobb in Cooperstown when he retires, Gwynn is often considered the best pure hitter of his era. He entered the 1998 season hitting an incredible .340 for his career. Gwynn's remarkable total of eight batting titles (tying him with Honus Wagner for the most in NL history) includes five of the top eleven batting averages compiled since the end of World War II. A fan favorite in San Diego, Gwynn's loyalty -- eighteen straight years with the Padres -- is exceeded only by Cal Ripken's streak in Baltimore.
One of the most aggressive players in baseball history, "The Georgia Peach" was also one of the most hated. While Cobb's sharpened spikes struck fear into any opposing infielder daring to double up the Tiger legend, there was no doubt that Cobb's hitting could be as destructive as his baserunning. After finishing his career in 1928 with the highest career batting average in history (.366), Cobb was the leading vote-getter among charter members of the Hall of Fame in 1936.
HITTING
HITTING
A dedicated, studious hitter, Gwynn has found success by constantly re-adjusting his style to compensate for mistakes and flaws in his swing. The few criticisms leveled at Gwynn when he first arrived in the majors (trouble with low breaking stuff, soft against lefties) have disappeared from his dossier long ago. Gwynn's patience and fantastic bat speed have brought him stratospheric batting averages, especially in recent years. After posting a .394 average in 1994 (the highest since Ted Williams' .406 mark in 1941) he won four consecutive batting titles. Gwynn's power numbers are unimpressive -- in fact, his home run totals are remarkably similar to Cobb's, although Gwynn's career took place in a much more homer-prevalent era.
Cobb won twelve batting titles over his twenty-four seasons, including nine straight. Only once did he hit below .300. His amazing success was due mainly to quickness and bat control; choking up on the bat with his hands about a foot apart, Cobb was able to slice balls to all fields. Always a threat to bunt, Cobb had decent power for his era and once hit three homers in a game. He never led the league in walks but seldom struck out.
DEFENSE
DEFENSE
Not blessed with a cannon for an arm, Gwynn is a smart and competent fielder in other respects. Like his hitting, his fielding has constantly improved throughout his career.
A very good outfielder with a decent enough arm, Cobb could play all three outfield positions, but spent most of his time in center field.
BASERUNNING
BASERUNNING
Gwynn swiped 56 bases in 1987, but after some good years in the late 1980s as a basestealing threat Gwynn's penchant for larceny has steadily declined. However, his natural speed has brought him more than a few infield hits during his career and his high extra-base hit totals show no signs of slowing down.
A good argument could be made that Cobb was the greatest of all time on the basepaths. What he lacked in pure speed was made up with an aggressive, intimidating style that distracted opposing pitchers and dominated the game. In his career Cobb, hit for 5,856 total bases (placing him fourth on the all-time list) despite slugging only 118 homers; he led the league in triples four times. His 892 stolen bases still stand as the fourth-highest total in baseball history.
LEADERSHIP/CHARACTER
LEADERSHIP/CHARACTER
Gwynn is well-respected and liked by opposing players and teammates alike and the Padres' most popular player ever. He has spent his entire seventeen-year career in San Diego and will most likely finish his career there. But however active Gwynn may be on the field and in the community, he is by most accounts one of the quieter players in the clubhouse. Gwynn was known to grumble early in his career whenever he was asked to move out of right field. Since he joined the club in 1982, the Padres have rarely been more than an average team. An exception was a first place NL West finish in 1984 (in which Gwynn played a large part), but after a dramatic win over the Cubs in the NLCS, his club fell to the Tigers in a five-game World Series.
Hated throughout his career by most opposing players, managers, and fans, Cobb's win-first attitude nevertheless won him respect from his teammates. A perfect example came in 1912, when Cobb was suspended after charging into the stands and brutally assaulting a heckler; his teammates refused to play until Cobb's punishment was revoked. The Tigers only won three pennants with Cobb in the lineup, however, and never won more than 86 games with him as manager.
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