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Writer’s Roundtable: Who makes the franchise Mount Rushmore?

By Joel Reuter
ATLANTA - OCTOBER 2: Left fielder Barry Bonds #25 of the San Francisco Giants waits for his at bat in the on-deck circle during in Game one of the National League Divisional Series against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field on October 2, 2002 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Giants won 8-5. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
ATLANTA - OCTOBER 2: Left fielder Barry Bonds #25 of the San Francisco Giants waits for his at bat in the on-deck circle during in Game one of the National League Divisional Series against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field on October 2, 2002 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Giants won 8-5. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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Willie Mays (6 votes)

Haille Saal: The “Say Hey Kid” is an obvious choice. He currently sits at No. 5 on the all-time home run list with 660, his 12 Gold Glove awards are tied for the most ever, and “The Catch” stands as one of the most memorable moments in MLB history.

Hiren Patel: Mays quite literally did everything for the Giants. He was Rookie of the Year, MVP, and a World Series winner in his first three seasons for the New York Giants. He played center field in the Polo Grounds and in Candlestick Park, winning 12 Gold Gloves along the way. Over his career, he accumulated 660 homers, 3283 hits, 156.4 WAR, and even stole 338 bases. He has a legitimate claim to being the best baseball player of all time.

Joel Reuter: The question was not so much which four players would be on the franchise Mount Rushmore. It was which three would join Mays. He’s one of a handful of players with a legitimate case for being called the greatest player in MLB history. With a .302 career average, 3,283 hits, 660 home runs, 338 steals, 195 outfield assists and 12 Gold Glove Awards, he was the definition of a five-tool player.

Matthew Oscodar: Even though I was never able to watch him play, everything I’ve seen and heard says that this man was the greatest all-around baseball player ever. Of course, his era will be scrutinized, but he got the ring in 1954 and put up some of the greatest numbers ever. He also played in an era where being a black athlete was not easy. The “Say Hey Kid” will have the biggest head.

Nick San Miguel: Mays and McCovey are pretty self-explanatory. Both are Giant legends and both are Hall of Famers. It’s a shame neither was able to bring a title to San Francisco, but both will be synonymous with the Giants for eternity.

Steve Klein: I’m starting with Willie Mays, who I knew of before knowing anything about baseball, through the lyrics to Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Free.” A superstar who transcended the world of sport and represented the franchise with eternal grace and class. He was also an absolute monster of a player.

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