Greatest Double Play Duos Ever

[Trotski]

While we hope for a comeback of almost 2004 proportions over the next five days, I couldn't help but think if we may be staring future history in the face. Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve. Both under 28, and I can't help but think that by the ends of their respective careers, we could be looking at one of the top middle infield duos ever.

I grew up in the 80's, so when I think double play combos, I think Whitaker/Trammell or Smith/Herr. I know there are plenty of options, Robinson/Reese, Mazeroski/Groat, Aparicio/Fox, Jeter/Cano (Shudder), but I was looking at a list this morning and I was surprised to see pairings like Gantner/Yount and Grich/Belanger.

For my money, I'd have to put them like this.

1) Jackie Robinson/Pee Wee Reese
2) Lou Whitaker/Alan Trammell
3) Derek Jeter/Robbie Cano
4) Aparicio/Fox

Although by the time it's all over, I could see Correa/Altuve being at the top.

Who ya got? Best all time, your favorite, so if you were a fan of Owen/Barrett or Andrews/Petrocelli, let's hear it!

 

[Kliq]

Joe Tinker and Johnny Evers.

 

[edoug]

Alomar/Vizquel two of the best ever. I would've loved to seen more of the Iglesias/Pedroia combination.

 

[bankshot1]

Fox/Aparicio was the duo when I was a kid.

I'd throw out Omar Viz and Robbie Alomar they were pretty good for the Tribe in the late '90s

beaten by a step

heh

 

[Sam Ray Not]

Are we talking about just defense, or O+D?

If both: Altuve (age 27, career .816 OPS) and Correa (22, .863) could be the greatest young double play duo of all-time ... or the 1a/1b best of their era, with Lindor (23, .823) and Ramirez (24, .810). Offensively, I think all four of those guys will pretty well crush all the other DP combos on that list. Pretty scary to think of those four guys laying waste to the AL for the next 5-10 years.

Ah well, should be fun to watch them beat up on each other, at least, starting with this year's ALCS...

 

[Sad Sam Jones]

I'd take Lindor & Ramirez as the best combination of offense and defense at the moment, but that's not Cleveland's normal DP combo. Lindor and Jason Kipnis make a fine DP combo as well, and up until a couple weeks ago that was the DP combo when everyone was healthy, and while it's not as good as Lindor/Ramirez, Kipnis still has 2 years left on his contract. So as long as Kipnis is healthy and Bradley Zimmer (a potential Gold Glove center fielder) looks capable of hitting MLB pitching, Kipnis will probably return to 2B next spring, and Ramirez will mostly play 3B again.

*

 

[SoxJox]

Ozzie Smith & Tom Herr (I'm prejudiced, as TH was my HS teammate at Hempfield HS in Lancaster, PA.

 

[nolasoxfan]

Is the Jeter/Cano duo relevant if we're just talking defense???

 

[ehaz]

Jimmy Rollins/Chase Utley was a very underrated combo. Utley may go down as the best defensive 2B of his generation, and Rollins was a good fielder himself, winning a (somewhat undeserved) MVP in 2007. Between 2005 and 2009 they were averaging a combined 13 bWAR per season.

Jimmy Rollins 2007: 162 games, .296/.344/.531, 41 steals, *2.6 UZR/150
Chase Utley 2007: 133 games, .332/.410/.566, 9 steals, 14.8 UZR/150

*Was a down year for Rollins by advanced defensive stats. The next season, he posted a UZR/150 of over 15. Averaged around +8 during that stretch.

 

[Mugsy's Jock]

Pokey Reese and Barry Larkin were a ton of fun out there.

I hate to bring up Joe Morgan, but Joe Morgan and Davey Concepcion were pretty terrific.

 

[Jordu]

Trammel and Whittaker. Thing of beauty. And they did it so well for so many years.

 

[DanoooME]

I hate to bring up Joe Morgan, but Joe Morgan and Davey Concepcion were pretty terrific.

Joe Morgan, the baseball player, was awesome and should be acknowledged for that.
Joe Morgan, the baseball analyst, should know his role and shut his mouth.

 

[1918stabbedbyfoulke]

For nothing more than sandy and mental reasons, O Cab and Mute.

 

[Sad Sam Jones]

Cardinals DP combo from 1945-50: Red Schoendienst/Marty Marion. No Gold Gloves back then, but Schoendienst was very good in the field and Marion was considered the best shortstop of the era. The two combined for 9 of 12 possible All-Star appearances in those years. Not to mention, the one old baseball glove I own is a Marty Marion model.

*

 

[terrynever]

For about three seasons in the mid-1960s, Maz and Gene Alley, who was younger and quicker than Groat. Maz participated in 162 DPs in 1966 and Alley was in on 143.

 

[Brand Name]

Dial it back a bit and I'd add in, assuming longevity and success of both ends of the duo, of those unsaid:

Billy Roger-Charlie Gehringer of the 1930-39 Tigers, probably the best of the unsaid groupings. There's also Honus Wagner-Claude Ritchey of the 1000-06 Pirates, Jack Berry-Eddie Collins (2nd most all-time in wRC+ for a 2B) from 1908-15 of the Philly A's, and to really throw it back, the best combo Boston's ever had was in the 1890s with Herman Long (should be in the HOF!) and Bobby Lowe in the Beaneater days.

 

[Rough Carrigan]

Alomar/Vizquel two of the best ever. I would've loved to seen more of the Iglesias/Pedroia combination.

They looked fantastic in the field but the numbers never liked Alomar's fielding all that much. What he got done looked almost like freaking ballet but maybe his range was nothing special.

 

[terrynever]

Found this chart interesting. Maz's 161 DPs turned in 1966 easily most by a 2B. Not really what you guys are talking about.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/DP_2b_season.shtml