Braun makes greatest list

Leftfielder Ryan Braun is the only member of the Milwaukee Brewers to be named to Sporting News' list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball.

Braun ranks No. 32 on the list, which includes both position players and pitchers.

What gives weight to this list is the panel of 100 baseball people Sporting News polled to arrive at its choices.
Many of the panelists are members of the Baseball Hall of Fame and winners of major baseball awards.

Among the voters with Brewers connections are former players Gorman Thomas and Rollie Fingers and former managers Tom Trebelhorn and Phil Garner.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols was chosen as the greatest current player in baseball, followed by Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees, Johan Santana of the New York Mets, Manny Ramirez of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Hanley Ramirez of the Florida Marlins.

Two of the top four players, Rodriguez and Ramirez, have been linked to performance-enhancing drugs.

Rounding out the top 10 are Chase Utley of the Philadelphia Phillies, Roy Halladay of the Toronto Blue Jays, Derek Jeter of the Yankees, Mariano Rivera of the Yankees and Chipper Jones of the Atlanta Braves.

The Mets led with six players in the top 50, followed by the Yankees with five.

(jsonline.com)