The 100 Greatest in 100 Days: #93 Paul Molitor

Entering the list at #93 is Paul Molitor, one of the premier run/hit threats in Major League Baseball history. All “Molly” did was rack up 3,319 hits, 1,782 runs, 605 doubles, and 504 stolen bases. If those numbers sound unique, it’s because they are. Only three players in MLB history have at least 3,300 career hits, 600 doubles, and 500 stolen bases, and Molitor is the only player to do it since 1920. Over his 21-year career, Molitor led the American League in hits and runs three times, and finished in the top 10 in batting average 11 times. As good as Molitor was in the regular season, he was even better in the playoffs. In 132 postseason plate appearances, he hit a robust .368 with a .435 on-base percentage and a .615 slugging percentage. He led the Brewers to the 7th game of the World Series in 1982 and then put the Blue Jays over the top in 1993 on his way to being named World Series MVP.

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Hi (hopefully) awesome reader! I welcome your comments. However, please be aware that I make all of my arguments using facts, statistics, and logic. Unfortunately, the average comment on a top-100 list goes something like this:

"UR StooPid. (Insert player) is trash. I've watched (pick a sport) for (pick a number of years) and (pick a player) is better than everyone. UR DUMB. HAHA6969."

–Some Jabroni

As cognitively stimulating as this species of comment is, it ends up being a missed opportunity to share a nuanced perspective. I reply to all comments that show even the most basic levels of thought and humility. The people who make the comments like the example above are under the assumption that the three seconds of thought that popped into their brains after reading the list is more than the 1000s of hours that I put into creating and maintaining the lists. I would be happy to defend any placement, or make an adjustment if one is warranted. If you are a jabroni, like the one above, then your comment will die in the lonely void of the unpublished comments section.

For everyone else, I look forward to your comments!

P.S. The theme of this site and the top-100 lists is that athletes from previous generations have historically been grossly overrated by sports publications in a way that is statistically improbable. Click on the "About" dropdown menu to see just how badly the average top-100 list disproportionately favors athletes from older generations when leagues were smaller, race quotas existed, and globalization wasn't a thing. Also, please consider reading "The History" section of the sport you are commenting on.

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