Who is the best 40-40 player in baseball history?

[alexalonso]

there have been only FOUR 40-40 baseball players in history, meaning that you hit 40 homeruns and stole 40 bases in the same season.

- Jose Canseco, 1988, 42 home runs, 40 stolen bases
- Barry Bonds, 1996, 42 home runs, 40 stolen bases
- Alex Rodriguez, 1998, 42 home runs, 46 stolen bases
- Alfonso Soriano, 2006, 46 home runs, 41 stolen bases

Near misses:

Ken Williams, 1922, 39 home runs, 37 stolen bases
Willie Mays, 1956, 36 home runs, 40 stolen bases
Willie Mays, 1957, 35 home runs, 38 stolen bases
Bobby Bonds, 1973, 39 home runs, 43 stolen bases
Bobby Bonds, 1977, 37 home runs, 41 stolen bases
Eric Davis, 1987, 37 home runs, 50 stolen bases
Darryl Strawberry, 1987, 39 home runs, 36 stolen bases
Howard Johnson, 1989, 36 home runs, 41 stolen bases
Shawn Green, 1998, 35 home runs, 35 stolen bases
Vladimir Guerrero, 2002, 39 home runs, 40 stolen bases
Alfonso Soriano, 2002, 39 home runs, 41 stolen bases
Carlos Beltran, 2004, 38 home runs, 42 stolen bases
Matt Kemp, 2011, 39 home runs, 40 stolen bases

Many people speculate that Mike Trout of the Angels could be the next 40-40 guy.

[Coup]

Not a major Baseball guy....but Bonds hands down.

[Tricky69]

Alfonso Soriano might be the best because he has not been suspected/accused of using PED's.

[Quepolo3]

I say Soriano! Based on the fact that he's almost done it twice, and like Tricky69 said, He hasn't been suspected of using PED's.

[Coup]

Bonds was better then Soriano before he started taking the shit. Everyone forgets what ole boy did in Pittsburgh or in SF before the juice. Short term memory.

Canseco and Arod are out since they were juicing at the time the hit the record...according to reports or their own admission.

Bonds was not juicing until after 1998.....he hit it in 96...before the McGuire vs. Sosa derby sent his ego into overdrive.

[Quepolo3]

Bonds was better then Soriano before he started taking the shit. Everyone forgets what ole boy did in Pittsburgh or in SF before the juice. Short term memory.

Canseco and Arod are out since they were juicing at the time the hit the record...according to reports or their own admission.

Bonds was not juicing until after 1998.....he hit it in 96...before the McGuire vs. Sosa derby sent his ego into overdrive.

@ Coup- That's a great point, and I was thinking that too. No Doubt, He was balling when he was with the Pirates, but my question would be, did he have those numbers during his time with Pittsburgh or during the time he was thought to be using PED's. I can completely agree that overall bonds may have had the better career, but It's extremely difficult for me to give him that title with the juice accusations.

[Coup]

Quepolo3 - That's the problem with him and the HOF...Again, I am not a big baseball guy but you cannot deny how this dude dominated his era. Other names stuck out for whatever reason...Jr. Griffey, McGuire, Sosa, ARod, but overall Bonds career to date was better. The roids will hurt his image and his legacy forever.

[alexalonso]

I say Soriano! Based on the fact that he's almost done it twice, and like Tricky69 said, He hasn't been suspected of using PED's.

Im gonna agree with you, because he almost did it twice. He is a beast, and does it all. But Bonds was a great player without doping, but the doping did take him to another level.