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West Ham have made a £24m bid for a top forward in France and will bid £25m for another in England this week if they are unsuccessful, co-owner David Sullivan has confirmed. Sky sources reported back in March that the Hammers had made Marseilles Michy Batshuayi, Lyons Alexandre Lacazette and Liverpool striker Christian Benteke their three priority targets this summer.Speaking to Sky Sports News HQ as part of a special farewell to the Boleyn Ground on Monday, Sullivan said the club are intent on signing a top-class striker and are confident of bringing one to their new home at the Olympic Stadium. We are hopefully going to bring one or two top players in. The Olympic Stadium gives us about £12m extra revenue a year, but not £100m, he said. Michy Batshuayi is a target for a host of clubs across Europe this summer We put in a bid today for €30m (£23.7m) for a player and other bids will be going in. We are going to make a £20m or £25m bid for a player in England this week. So whatever happens, well bring a top striker in.Its a statement of intent. Well spend between £30m-£50m on transfers this summer. But youve got to build it up gradually. You cant compete with the likes of Manchester United overnight.We might have to put our own money in - weve done it before - but we hope were clever enough for the €30m bid. Liverpool are understood to be open to the sale of Christian Benteke Sources in France say that both West Ham and Juventus have already had one offer for 22-year-old Batshuayi rejected in recent months, while the likes of Tottenham, Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid are also interested in the Belgium striker.Several British newspapers including the Daily Telegraph have reported that West Ham also like Manchester Citys Ivory Coast international forward Wilfried Bony. Also See: Transfer Centre Latest transfer news Transfer betting Paper Talk . Nigeria beat surprise package Ethiopia 2-0 in the second leg of their playoff for a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Victor Moses converted a 20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene Stadium. . Its 1987 and a Brazilian playmaker, known as Mirandinha, is being paraded around St James Park to the passionate Newcastle fans. . The FA rejected Wilsheres appeal that the length of his punishment was "clearly excessive" and said Thursday his suspension begins with immediate effect. He will miss league matches against Chelsea on Monday and West Ham on Dec. . "Were just throwing s--- at the wall hoping something sticks," said Tortorella about the possible line combinations for Fridays game against Columbus. The Canucks have lost five straight games and six of their last seven, leaving them in a logjam in the Pacific Division, currently sitting fifth - good for ninth in the Western Conference. . Listen to the game live on TSN Radio 1050 at 7pm et. The Raptors traded Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray to the Sacramento Kings on Monday, in exchange for Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes. Do you want big names? Big numbers? Big personalities? Welcome to All-Time #MLBRank, our ranking of the top 100 players in baseball history.To create our list, an ESPN expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups of 162 players, based on both peak performance and career value.The top 100 will roll out next week. This week, we bring you the top 10 at each position. Thursday brings the top 10 infielders by position of all time, followed by pitchers and catchers on Friday.Have fun!TOP 10 CATCHERSJoin the discussion by using the #MLBRank hashtag, and follow along?@BBTN?and on Facebook.10. Gary CarterTeams Montreal Expos (1974-84, 92), New York Mets (85-89), San Francisco Giants (90), Los Angeles Dodgers (91)Honors 11-time All-Star (1975, 79-88), three Gold Gloves (80-82), two-time All-Star MVP (81, 84), five Silver Sluggers (81-82, 84-86), Hall of Fame (2003)Championships 1 -- New York (1986)Career stats .262/.335/.439, OPS -- .773, Hits -- 2092, HRs -- 324, RBIs?-- 1,225The playerHes remembered as a leader of the 1986 Mets, but Carters best seasons came with the Expos, when he was the best all-around catcher in the majors in the post-Johnny Bench era. He had a tremendous throwing arm, power and an enthusiasm for the game that earned him the nickname Kid. It took him six years to get elected to Cooperstown, but he should have gone in right away as one of the top 10 catchers ever. -- David Schoenfield, ESPN senior writerThe Kid was always true to his nickname, playing baseball with as much sheer joy as youd expect in a kid. He was a heck of a catcher, too, with the sixth-most homers and fourth-most games caught of any catcher. -- Tristan Cockcroft, ESPN senior writerGary Carter was a great hitter and a great defensive catcher, whose time at the position took a major toll on his knees. Ill remember Carter for his clutch hits -- he had a walk-off home run in his first game with the Mets, a game-winning hit in Game 5 of the 1986 NLCS and Game 1 of the 1988 NLCS, and hit two home runs in Game 4 of the 1986 World Series, and got the hit that started the Mets 10th-inning rally in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. If you needed a hit in a big spot, Gary Carter was a guy to turn to. -- Mark Simon, ESPN Stats & InformationCarters career trailed Benchs in every sense: His started in Benchs wake, he was a great hitter but not quite as great; a superb receiver but not quite as good. What set him apart was his obvious joy for the game, because that smile and his energy as a receiver were signatures you could read from the nose-bleediest of seats. You can make the case that his 1982 season was the single greatest put up by a catcher, in any era. -- Christina Kahrl, ESPN MLB writer9. Mickey CochraneTeams Philadelphia As (1925-33), Detroit Tigers (34-37)Honors Two-time MVP (1928, 34), two-time All-Star (34-35), Hall of Fame (47)Championships 3 -- Philadelphia (1929-30), Detroit (35)Career stats .320/.419/.478, OPS -- .897, Hits -- 1,652, HRs -- 119, RBIs -- 830The playerOne of the most beloved players of Depression-era baseball, Cochrane was the catcher on the 1929-31 Philadelphia As dynasty and then the player-manager for the 1935 Tigers, the first Detroit team to win the World Series. He hit for high averages (.320 career), although he played in a time of high averages, and drew a lot of walks while rarely striking out -- he fanned only eight times in 1929 in over 600 plate appearances. He assumed GM duties as well in 1936 and suffered a mental breakdown, and then a beaning to his head in 1937 ended his playing career. The Tigers fired him in 1938 and he oddly never got another opportunity to manage. His legacy has diminished, but his peak value makes him an all-time top 10 catcher. -- SchoenfieldWhen youre a player-manager who wins the pennant and the MVP award, all in one season (1934), whats left to win? Well, the World Series as a skipper, but Cochrane did that the next year, and already had two titles as the As catcher in 1929 and 1930. Cochrane was already throttling back on his playing career when he was nearly killed by a pitch in 1937, leading to an order to end his playing days at 34. Front of the second rank, and a solid choice to include here. -- Kahrl8. Buster PoseyTeams San Francisco (2009-present)Honors Rookie of the Year (2010), MVP (12), four-time All-Star (12-13, 15-16), three Silver Sluggers (12, 14-15)Championships 3 -- San Francisco (2010, 12, 14)Career stats* .309/.374/.483, OPS -- .857, Hits -- 935, HRs -- 113, RBIs -- 489*Stats through July 10, 2016The playerWere only in mid-career, but Posey has already checked off everything except career longevity: Peak value, three World Series rings, and an MVP Award. Hes 29 and still going strong, although Joe Mauer would have ranked similarly at the same age. The Giants have been careful about his workload, mixing in games at first base and DH, so he should age well into his 30s and settle in as a Hall of Famer. -- SchoenfieldBuster Posey isnt quite the Tim Duncan of MLB, but hes in the discussion. He puts up high-end All-Star numbers with consistency. Hes great at the little things, like pitch-framing. And even though he has the commercials, I feel like your average human being is unaware of Buster and just how good he is. -- SimonIts a good thing Buster Posey doesnt pitch, or hed probably win the Cy Young. Thats the only award I can think of that isnt sitting on the mantel of Poseys home. Hes an All-Star starter every single year who has been a Rookie of the Year, an MVP, a Silver Slugger. Heck, he even has been the comeback player of the year. And the most amazing part is: He hasnt even turned 30 yet. -- Dan Mullen, ESPN.com senior MLB editorThe first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Buster Posey is winning. He has 3 World Series titles, a rookie of the year award and an MVP. Now more than ever, it is difficult for a team to achieve sustained success, and Posey has done just that. --?Kenneth Woolums, ESPN Stats & InformationHe began his career hailed as the next Johnny Bench. How did he respond? In his first five full seasons during 2010-14, Posey won three World Series titles, a Rookie of the Year award, and an MVP award. Bench won rookie honors and 2 MVPs in that span. Only two catchers in the Hall of Fame have as many World Series rings as Posey has. --?Sarah Langs, ESPN Stats & InformationBarring the kind of catastrophes that seem all too common for catchers, the man well be ranking No. 1 when we repeat this exercise in 20 years. -- Kahrl7. Mike PiazzaTeams Los Angeles Dodgers (1992-98), Florida Marlins (98), New York Mets (98-2005), San Diego Padres (06), Oakland As (07)Honors NL Rookie of the Year (1993),?12-time NL All-Star (93-98, 99-2002, 04-05), 10 Silver Sluggers (93-02), All-Star MVP (1996), Hall of Fame (16)Championships NoneCareer stats .308/.377/.545, OPS -- .922, Hits -- 2,127, HRs -- 427, RBIs -- 1,335The playerThe best-hitting catcher of all time, Piazza owns three of the top five individual seasons by a catcher based on OPS+ (including the top two). A 12-time All-Star with a .308 career average, he hit .362/.431/.638 in 1997, when he somehow failed to win MVP honors. Yes, he didnt have a strong arm (although it should be noted he caught a lot of good staffs and played for a lot of winning teams), and there will always be accusations about his steroid use, but his rise from 62nd-round draft pick to Hall of Famer remains a great story. -- SchoenfieldMike Piazza was a home run-on-demand kind of hitter, an honor bestowed to very few players of a given era. But he was the kind of guy who when he came to the plate, you said please hit a home run. And more often than not, he did. -- SimonHe waas a 62nd-round pick, drafted as a favor to his father who was friends with Tommy Lasorda.dddddddddddd He became the best-hitting catcher ever, slugging his way to Cooperstown. He was an All-Star every year during 1993-2002 and received MVP votes in all but one of those seasons. His power was captivating, and every at-bat, it felt as if there was a chance it would be unleashed. -- LangsA case where the career value is piled up almost entirely on the offensive side of the ledger (with a position-leading 65.9 offensive-only WAR and a record 396 home runs as a catcher), but his home parks hurt him -- he has a career road OPS of .960. If not for merely adequate defense, wed talk about him in the same breath as Bench. -- Kahrl6. Ivan RodriguezTeams Texas Rangers (1991-2002, 09), Florida Marlins (03), Detroit Tigers (04-08), New York Yankees (08), Houston Astros (09), Washington Nationals (10-11)?Honors 14-time AL All-Star (1992-2001, 04-07), 13 AL Gold Gloves (92-01, 04, 06-07), seven AL Silver Sluggers (94-99, 04), MVP (99)Championships 1 -- Florida (2003)Career stats .296/.334/.464, OPS -- .798, Hits -- 2,844, HRs -- 311, RBIs -- 1,332The playerBefore there was Yadier Molina, there was Ivan Rodriguez. Perhaps throwing out a runner trying to steal should be called a Pudge. After all, he caught over 50 percent of runners trying to steal against him nine times. --?WoolumsThe man who swiped Pudge from Carlton Fisk and made it his own is the guy who gets into best ever conversations because of his durability and long-term value, with 16 seasons worth two or more wins via WAR plus the most defensive value via dWAR. At the plate, he was good for a lot of hard contact; behind it, his 46 percent career caught-stealing rate is a testament to an arm that never lost its zip. -- Kahrl5. Roy CampanellaTeams Brooklyn Dodgers (1948-57)Honors Eight-time All-Star, (1949-56) three-time MVP (51, 53, 55), Hall of Fame (69)Championships 1 -- Brooklyn (1955)Career stats .276/.360/.500, OPS -- .860, Hits -- 1,161, HRs -- 242, RBIs -- 856The playerLong before the Giants did even years, Campy did odd years better than anyone. This list is about how good players were at their best and few stars can boast something as impressive as Campanellas NL MVP awards won in 1951, 1953 and 1955. To put in perspective just how special that stretch was: the runners-up for NL honors those years? Stan Musial in 51, Eddie Mathews in 53 and teammate Duke Snider followed by Ernie Banks and Willie Mays in 55. -- MullenLike fate -- considering Campys tragic immobilization in a car accident that ended his playing career before the 1958 season -- history has not been kind to Campy. Partially, thats because we were subsequently spoiled, by Bench and the Kid and a couple of Pudges and now Buster, but Campys trio of MVP awards and brief, brilliant run with the Dodgers belong here. -- Kahrl4. Carlton FiskTeams Boston Red Sox (1969, 71-80), Chicago White Sox (81-93)Honors Rookie of the Year (1972), 11-time All-Star (72-74, 76-78, 80-82, 85, 91), Gold Glove (72), three Silver Sluggers (81, 85, 88), Hall of Fame (2000)?Championships NoneCareer stats .269/.341/.457, OPS -- .797, Hits -- 2,356, HRs -- 376, RBIs -- 1,330The playerCarlton Fisk will always be remembered for his winning home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series. The television image of him waiving the ball fair was a revolutionary one and it captivated the country. Fisk is also known for his remarkable longevity; he spent 24 years behind the plate as a member of both the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox. -- Katie Strang, ESPN.com Tigers reporterNothing sums up Fisk better than the time he told the showboating Deion Sanders -- after Sanders drew a dollar sign in the dirt at home plate -- to start playing the game right or hed kick his butt right there. A son of New England -- he grew up in Charlestown, New Hampshire -- who became a star for the Red Sox, Fisk played forever, playing his last game at 45. In career WAR among catchers, he ranks behind only Johnny Bench, Gary Carter and Ivan Rodriguez, although on a per-season basis hes a little lower. Still, hes comfortably in the top 10. -- Schoenfield3. Yogi BerraTeams New York Yankees (1946-63), New York Mets (65)Honors 18-time AL All-Star (1948-62*), three-time AL MVP (51, 54-55), Hall of Fame (72)*Played in two All-Star Games in 59, 60 and 61Championships 10 -- New York Yankees (47, 49-53, 56, 58, 61-62)Career stats .285/.348/.482, OPS -- .830, Hits -- 2,150, HRs -- 358, RBIs -- 1,430The playerCasey Stengel once explained the Yankees success this way: I never played a big game without my guy. He meant Berra. Yogi will live on with his quotes and quips, but above all he won, playing in 14 World Series and winning 10 of them. He finished in the top four of the MVP voting seven consecutive seasons, a testament to his durability, respect and, yes, good numbers at the plate. During those seven seasons he averaged .295/.364/.502 with 27 home runs and 108 RBIs -- and, despite being a notorious bad-ball hitter, just 24 strikeouts per season. -- SchoenfieldSo much could be said about Yogi; hes one of the games most iconic historical characters. But Im a stats guy, and this stat always amazed me: Berra homered 358 times but struck out only 414; he and Joe DiMaggio are the only players in history with at least 300 homers and fewer than 500 Ks. -- CockcroftThe most fascinating thing about Yogi Berra is that there are very few highlights in which he is portrayed as the star. Hes always the other guy-- hes the guy leaping into Don Larsens arms, or the guy arguing with the ump when Jackie Robinson steals home, or the guy watching helplessly at the outfield fence as Bill Mazeroskis homer wins the World Series. But though Yogi was rarely the man of the moment, he was an amazing player. From 1949 to 1958, he hit 257 home runs and struck out 250 times. I thought only Joe Dimaggio was capable of numbers like that. -- Simon2. Josh GibsonTeams Homestead Grays (1930-31, 37-40, 42-46)*, Pittsburgh Crawfords (32-36)*, Veracruz Azules (40-41)*Negro League teamsHonors Hall of Fame (1972)Championships 6 - Homestead (1937-38, 42-45)Career stats* .350/.401/.624, OPS -- 1.026, Hits -- 638, HRs -- 107, RBIs -- 351*Negro LeagueThe playerThe black Babe Ruth, except he could play a position in the Negro leagues, and play it exceptionally well, with some of his peers calling him their best player by the time the possibility of integration arrived. The usual question marks about how much of his power would have translated to the majors apply, but Im glad to see him remembered here. His early death in 1947 was a last bit of historical robbery, because even though he was already 35, it would have been well worth seeing what he could do on an MLB diamond. -- Kahrl1. Johnny BenchTeams Cincinnati Reds (1967-83)Honors Rookie of the Year (1968),?10 Gold Gloves (68-77), 14-time All-Star (68-80, 83), two-time MVP (70, 72),?World Series MVP (76), Hall of Fame (89)Championships 2 -- Cincinnati (1975-76)Career stats .267/.342/.476, OPS -- .817, Hits -- 2,048, HRs -- 389, RBIs -- 1,376The playerAs distinctive a player as they come, because his one-handed catching stance made it look too easy (and encouraged a lot of people to try -- and fail -- to do it too). In essence, Bench was the perfect archetype for his position, catchings answer to Willie Mays, the guy whose game was all power. Power to the fences, a cannon behind the plate, the guy on the Big Red Machine who would beat at the plate after Morgan and Rose got on base. -- Kahrl ' ' '
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