The Best Defensive Third Baseman You've Seen?

Let's credit a recent thread over at Baseball Think Factory for sparking this blog idea. Who's the best fielding third baseman you've ever seen? As a fan and observer of the game, my memories go back to the early 1970s. So forgive me for selecting an old favorite like Brooks Robinson, who had ultra-soft hands, excellent range, an accurate arm, and a surprising degree of athleticism (especially for someone who was a slow runner). Year after year, Robinson graded out as a "1" for his fielding on his Strat-O-Matic cards, and deservedly so. While Robinson was a supreme defender for most of his career, his 1970 World Series effort against the Reds, in which he seemingly robbed every one of Cincinnati's right-handed batters of at least one extra-base hit, remains the standard bearer among postseason defensive performances.

After Robinson, I'll have to make Graig Nettles my second choice. I saw Nettles play almost every game--at least every game that was televised, which was the majority of Yankee games at that time--from 1976 to 1983, so I feel especially comfortable in assessing his fielding acumen. In addition to remarkable reflexes that allowed him to make those patented parallel-to-the-ground diving catches, he had excellent hands, tremendous range, both to his left and to his right, and had an accurate (though not particularly strong) throwing arm. Simply put, Nettles was a brilliant defender.

Nettles ranks just ahead of another one of his contemporaries, Aurelio Rodriguez. Rodriguez had a much better arm than either Nettles or Robinson, an absolute cannon, and had very good range, but was not as athletic as Nettles or Brooks. Rodriguez tends to be forgotten because of his mediocre-to-weak bat and his lack of postseason heroics, but he was an exceptional fielder for the Tigers, Padres, and Yankees. 

The 1960s and 1970s were an unusually good time for great defensive third basemen. Darrell Evans deserves to be mentioned, too, as does Buddy Bell. That's five terrific defenders at third base, all deserving of high praise. And we must throw in a sixth, the late Clete Boyer, whom some historians believe deserves equal billing with Robinson and Nettles. I never actually saw Boyer play, so I'll have to leave him off this particular list, but second-hand accounts and a review of the available statistics support him as arguably the best ever at the position. (And before anyone gets wise, I never saw Pie Traynor play either.)

And what of today's third basemen? In general, the quality of defensive play at third base is not what it was 30 to 40 years ago, primarily because teams have become much more offensive-minded in what they want from the hot corner. Frankly, basing the comparison solely on defense, I would take Robinson, Nettles, or Rodriguez over any of today's third basemen. Still, there are several contemporary players worthy of mention. The best is probably Scott Rolen. When he plays, no one can match his combination of hands, quickness, and dexterity; unfortunately, he doesn't play the position often enough because of chronic injuries. Mike Lowell, perhaps not now but when he was two or three years younger, should also be mentioned in Rolen's class, largely because of his superior range to his left. And then there's Washington's Ryan Zimmerman, whose youth and athleticism figure to make him the eventual successor to Rolen's throne.

Those are just a few of the names from baseball's recent past and present-day game. So who is the best defensive third baseman that you've seen?