The Newest Shadow of Willie Mays

With the death of the immortal Willie Mays this week, the New York Times - or, as I call it, "The Times" - is asking who the greatest living player is now.

I don't want to sound like the old man screaming on the porch, but I don't really think it's controversial to suggest that after Willie, such a thing doesn't matter any more. Willie played in an era that included a largely radio-only audience and was allowed to create & roam through entire mythologies about himself and there's just no way that in today's EVERYTHING IS IN YOUR FACE EVERYWHERE AT ALL TIMES world such a figure can even exist; CERTAINLY not in any sort of agreed-upon universal way.

I mean, look at this list of players under consideration:

Barry Bonds
Roger Clemens
Alex Rodriguez
Rickey Henderson
Mike Schmidt
Greg Maddux
Albert Pujols
Randy Johnson
Carl Yastrzemski
Cal Ripken Jr.
Bert Blyleven
Adrian Beltre
Wade Boggs
Steve Carlton
George Brett
Mike Trout
Chipper Jones
Fergie Jenkins
Pedro Martinez
Ken Griffey Jr.
Mike Mussina
Justin Verlander
Nolan Ryan
Rod Carew
Tom Glavine

Of course it's insane how incredible most of them were, I've even personally underrated/taken for grated most of them. But do any of these players live in the minds of grown men the way Willie did for decades after he retired? I'm gonna hafta go ahead & say no.