The Legends of Baseball

The Legends of Baseball is a blog about America’s Favorite Pastime From the history of the game to the modern day, we cover it all.

Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth born George Herman Ruth Jr., was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 to 1935. Nicknamed “the Bambino” and “the Sultan of Swat”, he began his MLB career as a stellar left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox but achieved his greatest fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees Ruth established many MLB batting records, including career home runs (714), runs batted in (RBIs) (2,213), bases on balls (2,062), Slugging percentage (.772), and on-base plus slugging (OPS) (1.164); the latter two still stand as of 2019. Ruth is regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes in American culture and is considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of all time.

Ty Cobb

Ty Cobb is one of the greatest players in baseball history He played for the Detroit Tigers from 1905 to 1928, amassing a batting average of .366 and 4,189 hits. He also holds the record for the most stolen bases in a career, with 897. Ty Cobb was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, his first year of eligibility.

Hank Aaron

Hank Aaron was born in 1934 in Mobile, Alabama, and by the age of 20 was playing professional baseball After a few years in the minor leagues, he joined the Milwaukee Braves in 1954 and quickly became one of the best players in the game. He was selected for his first All-Star game in 1955 and helped lead the Braves to a World Series title that year.

Aaron continued to be one of baseball’s biggest stars throughout the 1950s and 1960s. In 1957, he won the first of his two National League MVP Awards He also led the NL in home runs four times and in RBIs three times. His greatest season came in 1961, when he hit a league-leading 44 home runs and drove in 132 runs.

In 1962, the Braves moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta, and Aaron became one of the first African-American players on a southern team. He continued to play well, winning another MVP Award in 1963 and leading the NL in Home Runs again in 1966 and 1967. He also broke Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record on April 8, 1974, hitting his 715th career homer off Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Al Downing.

During his 23-year career, Aaron played for only two teams — the Braves and their NL West rivals, the Houston Astros He retired after the 1976 season with 755 career home runs a record that stood until Barry Bonds surpassed it in 2007. Hank Aaron was inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1982.

Willie Mays

Willie Mays, nicknamed “The Say Hey Kid”, is an American former Professional Baseball center fielder who spent almost all of his 22-season career in Major League Baseball with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing his career with the New York Mets He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility.

Mays won two National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards, was a 24-time All-Star, and won 12 Gold Glove Awards and led the NL in home runs six times. He is regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time. He hit more home runs than any other NL player between 1951 and 1966, and his 660 career home runs ranked fifth in Major League history when he retired in 1973. TheSay Hey Kid is widely considered one of the game’s very best all-around players: he hit for both average and power; he hit more triples than any other NL player between 1951 and 1971; he produced consistently excellent stolen base and slugging percentages; he excelled defensively both in reads and arm strength he hadgeistand energy which enlivened both dugoutand crowd; baserunners did not enjoy running on him given his outstanding arm strength.

Stan Musial

Stan Musial was born in 1920 in Donora, Pennsylvania, a small steel town southwest of Pittsburgh. He was one of the greatest hitters of all time, with a career batting average of .331. He played his entire 22-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969.

Pete Rose

Pete Rose was one of the most popular and controversial players in baseball history He played for the Cincinnati Reds from 1963 to 1986, and was a member of the “Big Red Machine” that won consecutive World Series championships in 1975 and 1976. Rose is the all-time leader in hits (4,256), and he also holds records for most games played (3,562) and at-bats (14,053). A versatile player, he won three batting titles and was a nine-time All-Star.

Rose was a controversial figure even during his playing career. In 1969, he was involved in a bench-clearing brawl with the New York Mets In 1973, he was suspended for seven games after punching an umpire. And in 1984, he was accused of betting on baseball games though he denied those charges.

Despite his on-field success, Rose’s off-field problems overshadowed his career. In 1989, he was permanently banned from baseball after an investigation found that he had bet on baseball games while he was managing the Cincinnati Reds In 2004, after years of denial, Rose finally admitted that he had indeed bet on baseball games

While Rose is ineligible for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame because of his lifetime ban from baseball, his accomplishments on the field cannot be denied. He is one of the greatest players in baseball history

Ken Griffey Jr.

Ken Griffey Jr. is one of the most legendary baseball players of all time. He played for 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), and was a 13-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glove winner, and 6-time Silver Slugger Award winner. He is also the son of another MLB legend, Ken Griffey Sr.

Junior was born in 1969 in Donora, Pennsylvania. He began his Major League career in 1989 with the Seattle Mariners and quickly became one of the best players in baseball In his first 10 seasons with the Mariners, he was named to the All-Star team every year, won 10 Gold Gloves, and won 5 Silver Slugger Awards. He helped lead the Mariners to their first ever appearance in the MLB playoffs in 1995.

After being traded to the Cincinnati Reds in 2000, Griffey continued his success. In his first season with the Reds, he was named National League Comeback Player of the Year. He played for the Chicago White Sox for a short time in 2008 before returning to the Mariners for his final season in 2010. Griffey retired with a .284 batting average 2,781 hits, 1,836 RBIs, and 630 home runs

In 2016, Griffey was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility with a record 99.3% of votes cast. He is widely considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time

Derek Jeter

Derek Jeter is one of the most accomplished and respected players in baseball history A five-time World Series champion, he is the all-time leader in hits by a Yankee. He is also a 14-time All-Star and has won five Gold Glove Awards Jeter was an integral part of the Yankees’ dynasty that won four World Series titles in five years from 1996 to 2000. He is one of only four players to have been on all five of those teams.

Alex Rodriguez

Alex Rodriguez is one of the most prolific sluggers in baseball history A three-time American League MVP, he has amassed 696 home runs and over 3,000 hits in his career. He is also a 14-time All-Star and has won two Gold Glove awards

Born in New York City in 1975, Rodriguez began his Major League career with the Seattle Mariners in 1994. He was just 20 years old when he made his debut, and he quickly established himself as one of the game’s brightest young stars In 1996, he became the youngest player in Major League history to hit 40 home runs in a season.

Rodriguez was traded to the Texas Rangers following the 2000 season. He would spend four seasons with the Rangers, winning another MVP award in 2003. In 2004, he signed a massive 10-year contract with the Yankees worth over $250 million. He would go on to play 12 seasons in New York, winning a World Series title in 2009.

Though he has not played since 2016, Rodriguez remains one of baseball’s most iconic figures. His accomplishments on the field have cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players of all time.

Albert Pujols

Albert Pujols is one of the legends of baseball. A ten-time All-Star, he has been one of the sport’s premier players for over a decade. Born in the Dominican Republic Pujols was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 1999. He made his Major League debut with the Cardinals in 2001, and was promptly named the National League Rookie of the Year.

Pujols quickly established himself as one of baseball’s best hitters, winning three National League batting titles and being named the NL Most Valuable Player in 2005 and 2008. He has also been a force in the Cardinals’ lineup, helping them to win two World Series titles (2006 and 2011). Pujols is currently signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, where he continues to be one of baseball’s Top Players