Very well constructed and researched.  I applaud your inclusion of early guys like Cobb and Hornsby, any list without them would be bogus. It makes me cringe to see that recent poll  “Who is the greatest US President” and #1 is Reagan;  heck I loved Ronnie but people who answered that should be waterboarded with history textbooks.

You mention Ted Williams lost time to the military in 2 wars (he was really mad that they dragged him back for Korea). Those lost years were outside his control. I’m thinking Shoeless Joe Jackson had a shot at breaking onto list if he hadn’t gotten caught up in the Black Sox scandal and lost his career. We will never know.

No catchers on the list. Wear and tear cuts into their longevity and productivity. Because of that, maybe the greatest catcher of all time deserves a #11 and an asterisk.  Johnny Bench, Berra?