best OF throwing arms

[Houston]

I've been in the Outer Banks for the past few days and am just catching up with last week's posts. I wanted to take HH up on his challenge about outfielders' throwing arms.

So, name the 10 best throwing arms you've seen during your time as a baseball fan. Here are mine in no real order:

Ichiro Suzuki
Glenn Wilson
Cory Snyder
Dave Parker
Rick Ankiel
Ellis Valentine
Richard Hidalgo
Jesse Barfield
Vladimir Guerrero
Jeff Francoeur

[MikeyBoy]

Jose Guillen

[MusicMan]

Vlad, Ichiro, and Ankiel exist on a different plane, from what I've seen.  (recent memory)

[JackAstro]

The HOF thread reminded me that Larry Walker had a hell of an arm out there when healthy.

[Jose Cruz III]

I always was a fan of Dwight Evans and he had a cannon out there. But Dave Parker may have had the best outfield arm I have ever seen.

On a related note, I loved to watch Garry Maddox play center field when I was a kid. He tracked down everything.

[TheWizard]

If you guys saw me in little league, I'd be on your lists.

[Houston]

If you guys saw me in little league, I'd be on your lists.

I've heard you're on a lot of people's lists.

[VirtualBob]

Off the top of my head and with a dose of nostalgia, ...

1.  Clemente

6.  Parker
7.  Norhtrup
8.  Conigliaro
9.  Kaline
10. Maris

Just based on personal observation, probably colored by the time I saw Clemente throw a guy out at first base on what should have been a single.

[Noe]

Jose Guillen

People actually forget that this guy and Raul Mondesi had the best arms in the outfield, better than Walker and others.  Guillen could throw flat footed (as well as Mondesi) and get the ball to the bag on a frozen rope.

[JackAstro]

People actually forget that this guy and Raul Mondesi had the best arms in the outfield, better than Walker and others.  Guillen could throw flat footed (as well as Mondesi) and get the ball to the bag on a frozen rope.

Mondesi is a good one. I had forgotten him.

[das]

Mondesi is a good one. I had forgotten him.

Mondesi and Hildago are the best i've seen in person.  TV viewing of a cannon arm is great but you get such a wonderfully real perspective when you see a frozen rope from OF to catcher in person.  Just amazing.

[Randy Watson]

Jose Guillen is the best I have seen.

[Noe]

Mondesi and Hildago are the best i've seen in person.  TV viewing of a cannon arm is great but you get such a wonderfully real perspective when you see a frozen rope from OF to catcher in person.  Just amazing.

First time I saw Willy T. throw from deep centerfield to third base, I was in awe of him (Round Rock).  I told my brother he was going to enjoying seeing Willy throw from CF once he came up.  So one day my bro tells me he has duckets and if I was in town that weekend, he wanted me to go with him just to watch Willy play in the bigs (Taveras got a callup).  We both watched as one of the first deep drives to CF was hit by Jim Edmonds and a Cardinal player was tagging up at second.  I told my brother "watch this!" and sure enough, Willy threw a b-b to third and nailed the runner.

The next year, Willy seemed to lose a little bit on the cannon, perhaps for accuracy sake.  But when I first saw Willy, that was a cannon in CF for sure.

[jaklewein]

First time I saw Willy T. throw from deep centerfield to third base, I was in awe of him (Round Rock).  I told my brother he was going to enjoying seeing Willy throw from CF once he came up.  So one day my bro tells me he has duckets and if I was in town that weekend, he wanted me to go with him just to watch Willy play in the bigs (Taveras got a callup).  We both watched as one of the first deep drives to CF was hit by Jim Edmonds and a Cardinal player was tagging up at second.  I told my brother "watch this!" and sure enough, Willy threw a b-b to third and nailed the runner.

The next year, Willy seemed to lose a little bit on the cannon, perhaps for accuracy sake.  But when I first saw Willy, that was a cannon in CF for sure.

What about Bo Jackson?

[Houston]

What about Bo Jackson?

Bo Jackson is probably the best athlete most of us will see in our lifetimes. He lacked discipline in baseball, but he had every skill. Then there's his football talent.

[legs_of_eggs]

vlad guerrero had the highest peak of any defensive outfielder and its because of his gun.

[Limey]

Bo Jackson is probably the best athlete most of us will see in our lifetimes.

Not me.

[jaklewein]

Bo Jackson is probably the best athlete most of us will see in our lifetimes. He lacked discipline in baseball, but he had every skill. Then there's his football talent.

I remember (and not vividly) watching a special on him where George Brett told a story about Bo throwing a ball to home on the fly from the warning track in LF.  Again...memory's a little sketchy, but that was the jist of it.

[HudsonHawk]

Not me.

I remember him.  He could hit a fastball, but throw him a wrinkle and he was lost.

[Mr. Happy]

I remember him.  He could hit a fastball, but throw him a wrinkle and he was lost.

Yep. I saw lots of Bo in the SEC. Couldn't hit a hook to save his own life. Frankly, he had so many holes in his swing back then that I wasn't sure that he could hit consistently in the bigs. Showed me, albeit for too short a time.

[HudsonHawk]

Yep. I saw lots of Bo in the SEC. Couldn't hit a hook to save his own life. Frankly, he had so many holes in his swing back then that I wasn't sure that he could hit consistently in the bigs. Showed me, albeit for too short a time.

Actually, I was sarcastically referencing Daley Thompson.

[strosrays]

Speaking of the 1970s. . . At least in his Oakland days, Reggie Jackson had a cannon.  As strong as Parker's, who was phenomenal.  Willie Stargell had a gun, too.  In fact, he and Clemente may have been the best LF-RF combination ever, by arm strength.  Another '70s outfield cannon was Reggie Smith.  Also Bobby Bonds.  Next to Clemente, Bonds was the best RF I ever saw.

A really good CF arm was Amos Otis.  Possibly the best I've seen, unless Smith was.

[Mr. Happy]

Actually, I was sarcastically referencing Daley Thompson.

You just struck a nostalgic chord with me. I'm still glad that I didn't have to pitch to him. He was one of the first real power hitters in the SEC, together with Raphael Palmeiro, Bruce Castoria (I played against this guy, and he took me deep once or twice as I recall) and Will Clark of Mississippi State. We never had anyone break into double digits. i think that five led one year and seven another.

[DVauthrin]

Yep. I saw lots of Bo in the SEC. Couldn't hit a hook to save his own life. Frankly, he had so many holes in his swing back then that I wasn't sure that he could hit consistently in the bigs. Showed me, albeit for too short a time.

bo jackson's approach at the plate sounds exactly like hunter pence now.