News
Races for Cubs' All-Time 9 heating up
Fans can cast votes online through Sept. 23
By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
09/22/09 8:07 PM ET
CHICAGO -- Mark Grace or Derrek Lee? Ryne Sandberg or Rogers Hornsby? Ron Santo or Aramis Ramirez? Which Cubs player had the greatest offensive season at each position?That's to be determined by you, the fan.
More than 4.1 million votes have been cast since the 9/9/09 debut of the "All-Time 9s," a platform for fans to debate the greatest single-season performances for all 30 Major League franchises. The voting marks the start of MLB.com's Lineup Card campaign, a gathering place for the posting and never-ending discussion of the greatest past and present lineups.
The debate continues. Here's a look at how the Cubs' closest races are shaping up:
At first base, fan favorite Grace has his work cut out for him if he wants to catch Lee, who is having his best season since 2005, when he won the National League batting title with a .335 average. Lee hit 46 homers and drove in 107 runs that year. Grace was the Major League's all-time hits leader in the 1990s.
Sammy Sosa trails Andre Dawson and Hack Wilson by about 1,200 votes in the balloting for the top outfielders. Hall of Famer Billy Williams is the leader.
Fergie Jenkins and Carlos Zambrano are battling it out to prove which Cubs hurler reigns supreme. Jenkins leads by 2,000 votes.
Sandberg, who won the National League MVP in 1984, appears to have wrestled away the second-base job from Hornsby, with a 2,000-vote lead.
Santo, the popular third baseman, who had 13 triples in 1964 to go along with 30 homers, 33 doubles and a .313 batting average, leads the field, with Ramirez in pursuit.
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
