Mike Schmidt, 3rd base, Philadelphia Phillies, 1972 to 1989. His Hall of Fame plaque reads: "Unprecedented combination of power and defense with unusual mixture of strength, coordination, and speed made him one of the game's greatest third basemen. 7th on all-time list with 548 homers. his 8 homerun titles (1 tie) bettered only by Babe Ruth. Belted 40 or more on 3 occasions and topped 30 ten other times. 48 homeruns in 1980 most ever by third baseman. Hit 4 in one game in 1976. 3-time mvp with 10 gold gloves for fielding excellence." While all his feats didn't take place in the 80's, nonetheless, I believe he was MLB's best player during those years. At the very least, he's likely to rank somewhere in the top three of any knowledgeable person's list. All things considered, I can't imagine who would be a better choice. The American Society for Baseball Research, or SABR, came up with a list of the top 100 players of all time. Schmidt comes in at #16, and no one who played during the 80s comes in higher. I will say that I disagree with the placement of several people, but it's interesting to read http://baseball-almanac.com/legendary/lisab100.shtml Having heard this issue debated by rabid baseball fans on several occasions, it's probably not far from the truth to say that men have marched off to war on lesser issues and the resulting disagreements. Since no answer will be "right" to everyone, below are the names of some other high-caliber 80�s players, in no particular order, so you can decide for yourself who you think is best. If I left your favorite off the list, let me know and I�ll edit the answer. George Brett, Don Mattingly, Eddie Murray, Ozzie Smith, Nolan Ryan, Robin Yount, Ryne Sandberg, Gumby (you awake? just checking). Cal Ripken, Kirby Puckett, Tony Gwynn, Rickey Henderson, Pete Rose, Wade Boggs, and Andre Dawson. Last, the weekly sports magazine, The Sporting News, named Schmidt "Baseball Player of the Decade" for the 1980's. If you go to the website, scroll down and look under "Honors". I read about this same award on other sites, but couldn't find archives older than Jan. 2005, on The Sporting News.com. I�m going to go out on a limb here and state that when information is included on the established website of a reputable organization, it's generally valid. Not always, but in this case, I believe it's a real award and Schmidt was the awardee. http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/phi/history/phi_history_schmidt.jsp I love baseball, so researching was fun. Thanks for asking the question, and I hope this is useful stuff. To RJ - Most men wait until they meet me to say, "ILY", but you're apparently much smarter than most men, LOL. Thanks! Alonzo - you're always awesome, whether you're commenting or answering. Or doing something else.

dwight evans top 4 hr rbis walks runs obp and 5 gold gloves batted leadoff in 86 l

The best player in what sport?

Rickey Henderson gets my vote. He was an impact player and where ever he went the teams he played for were successful. He was a 5 tool player who could hit for average, power, steal bases, and player great defense. He could change a game or adversely impact a pitcher just by his presence at the plate or on the bases.