Who are the best baseball players in history? It seems that in a sport like that it is easier to know thanks to the statistics that are so present, but always influence diamond experts and lovers by adding their “buts” and moving the order of top. Anyway, here are the ones that for the gringos are the best 10 ever, and it’s funny that there are none of the current ones: maybe it is known that before there were not so many “vitamins”.
- Babe Ruth
He played a total of 22 seasons in Major League Baseball between 1914 and 1935 in the Boston Red Sox, The New York Yankees and the Boston Braves. He was introduced to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. He made 60 home runs in the 1927 season, the highest slugging percentage with .847 in 1920, the one with the most bases reached with his batches with 457 in 1921, plus extra bars with 119 and more bases by balls with 170 in 1923.
Ruth set the Quadrangular marks for life at 714, the best at-bat average with .690 in 1920, the highest home run frequency: one for every 8.5 shifts; more extra-bar hits with 1,356; more home runs with 2,113 and ball bases with 2,213. Over time those records have been handed over to others, but the legacy of the Bambino remains unforgettable.
- Stan Musial
1920 -2013. It was nicknamed “Stan the Man”, and he played 23 seasons in the Big Leagues for the St. Louis Cardinals, which won three World Series titles. In addition, he was 24 times selected for the Star Game, accumulated 3,630 hits and 475 home runs during his career, and was also the most valuable player on three occasions.
- Mickey Mantle
1931 – 1995. High-powered ambidextrous batter and one of the most popular players in Major League history. He played his entire professional career for the New York Yankees. He was the Most Valuable Player in the American League in 1956, 1957 and 1962. He participated twenty times in the Star Game. The final numbers to the offensive were :298 average, 1,509 RBIs and 536 home runs; considering his ailments, he played more times for the Yankees than any (2,401).
- Ted Williams
1918 – 2002. He played 19 seasons throughout his career, interrupted twice by military service as a pilot in the United States Marine Corps; in 1943 to 1945 in World War II and in 1952-1953 in the Korean War. Only played with the Boston Red Sox. It’s been discussed whether he’s the best batter in baseball history. Williams was twice the most valuable player in the American League, was a leader on batting average 6 times and won the triple batting crown twice. He finished his career with a batting average of .344, with 521 quadrangles. he participated 17 times in Star games and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966. He was the last Major League player to hit with a higher average .400 in a season (.406 in 1941).
- Willie Mays
It was nicknamed” The Say Hey Kid”, was chosen as the MVP twice and had 24 appearances in the Star Game. He finished his career with 660 home runs, the fifth in baseball history. When he was elected to the Hall of Fame, he was asked who had been the best baseball player he had ever known. Mays replied, ” I don’t want to be self-centered, but it was me.”
- Hank Aaron
Aaron, also nicknamed “The Hammer,” is famous for establishing the most quadrangular mark in a race (755), breaking the 714 records set by Babe Ruth, it was not until 33 years after they managed to beat that mark, now in the hands of Barry Bonds. Aaron is also the player with the most RBIs (2,297), extra-base hits (1,477), total bases (6,856), consecutive seasons with 150 or more hits (17) and consecutive seasons with 20 or more home runs (20). Aaron won a World Series with the Milwaukee Braves in 1957 and also won the MVP award that same year. He also won three Golden Gloves and participated in 24 Star Games.
- Lou Gehrig
1903 – 1941. It is known mainly for the record of 2,130 consecutive games played that was held for 56 years and its tragic end due to the degenerative disease that bears its name in the United States (better known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Apart from this data, Gehrig’s figure carries an impeccable career as a power hitter. It is considered the best first base in history, was the most voted player in the choice of the best player of the 20th century and the sixth best according to Sporting News magazine. His simple family man personality earned the esteem of the Yankees fans.
- Ty Cobb
1886 – 1961. At the time of his retirement in 1928, he held 90 Major League records. Cobb also received more votes than any other ballplayer in the initial Hall of Fame vote in 1936. He currently holds the record for the highest batting average for life in the Major Leagues at 0.367 and maintained for decades the record for most hits, presently held by Pete Rose. Although Cobb was considered the most significant baseball star of his time, his legacy as a sportsman has sometimes been overshadowed by his reputation for lousy temperament and aggressiveness, for which he was once described by the Detroit Free Press as “daring to the point of insanity.”
- Roberto Clemente
1934 – 1972. He won two World Series with the team for which he played his professional life: the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has been considered one of the best right gardeners in history, an opinion that is consolidated with the twelve “Golden Gloves” he earned in his career. He was also a notable hitter who won four individual titles and also reached the figure of 3,000 hits. Clemente was perhaps the player most dominant of the decade of the 1960s in the big tent, despite being elected only once as Most Valuable Player of the National League in the year 1966.
- Rogers Hornsby
1896 – 1963. Holds the record for an average of batting in a season in the 20th century of the National League (0,424 in 1924), and played most of his career for the St. Louis Cardinals with whom he won the 1926 World Series. He was known by the nickname of the Raja.