Who Made The Baseball Hall Of Fame?
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The Baseball Hall of Fame is a place where the sport’s greatest players are honored. But who makes the cut? Learn about the process and the players who have been inducted.
Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb was a legendary baseball player who played for the Detroit Tigers from 1905 to 1928. He was a dominant hitter and an excellent fielder. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.
His playing career
Cobb played for the Tigers from 1905 to 1928, winning the batting title 12 times and the American League Most Valuable Player Award in 1911. He established numerous Major League Baseball (MLB) records during his career, including the highest career batting average (.366) and most career hits (4,191). Cobb ranks fifth all-time in number of games played (3,035), and is the only player in MLB history to compile more than 4,000 hits and steal more than 900 bases. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.
His post-playing career
After Cobb’s retirement, he became a successful businessman, most notably as CEO of Coca-Cola from 1923 until his forced resignation in1942. On July 17, 1961, Cobb died of a massive heart attack in Atlanta.
Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth, also nicknamed “The Bambino” and “The Sultan of Swat”, was an American baseball outfielder and pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1914 to 1935. Ruth established many MLB batting records, including career home runs (714), runs batted in (RBIs) (2,217), bases on balls (2,062), slugging percentage (.690), 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.
His playing career
Babe Ruth played for 22 seasons on four teams: the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Brooklyn Dodgers, and Boston Braves. He is considered by many baseball fans and experts to be one of the greatest sports figures in history.
Ruth began his career as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, and achieved great success early on. He helped the team win the World Series in 1916 and 1918. In 1919, Ruth was sold to the New York Yankees. It was with the Yankees that Ruth truly became a legend. He led the team to seven American League pennants and four World Series titles. Ruth also set several records during his time with the Yankees, including most home runs in a season (60) and most home runs in a career (714).
In 1935, Ruth retired from baseball after 22 seasons. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, becoming one of its first five members.
His post-playing career
After his retirement from baseball in 1935, Ruth tried his hand at managing and coaching, but he was not successful. In 1948, he was diagnosed with cancer and underwent surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his neck. Although the operation was successful, Ruth’s health continued to decline and he died on August 16, 1948. He was 54 years old.
Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson was an African American baseball player who became the first black player in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. As the first black man to play in the major leagues, he was subjected to racial epithets and threats from opponents.
His playing career
From 1947 to 1956, Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. As the first black man to play in the major leagues since 1880, he was met with considerable racism and discrimination both on and off the field, but became one of MLB’s first superstar players and one of its first black icons.
Robinson played in six World Series and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. In 1997, Major League Baseball retired his uniform number 42 across all major league teams in honor of his achievements; he is the only player to be so honored by MLB.
His post-playing career
After his retirement from baseball, Robinson remained active in the Civil Rights Movement. He was appointed by President Lyndon Johnson to the National Council on Equal Opportunity in Housing. In January 1972, Robinson was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by Congress. In 1973, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Richard Nixon.
