5-time World Series champion (closed out 4 different World Series)
1999 World Series MVP
2003 American League Championship Series MVP
5-time American League Rolaids Relief Man Award winner
3-time Delivery Man of the Year winner
3-time Major League Baseball saves leader
Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019 on the first ballot (first inductee ever to receive 100% of the vote)
Pitched in 1,115 regular season games, which is fourth most in MLB history, most in American League history, and most all-time by a right-handed pitcher
2.21 ERA and 1.00 WHIP (walks + hits per innings pitched) are the lowest of any pitcher in the live ball era with at least 1,000 innings pitched
8–1 win–loss record and a 0.76 WHIP in the postseason
Postseason record lowest career ERA (minimum 30 innings pitched) (0.70)
Postseason record 42 saves
Postseason record most consecutive scoreless innings pitched (331⁄3)
Postseason record most consecutive save opportunities converted (23)
Postseason record most games pitched (96)
Almost exclusively threw a cut fastball, which hitters knew was coming, yet couldn’t do anything about
2-time National League pitching triple crown winner (wins, ERA, strikeouts)
4-time NL wins leader
5-time NL ERA leader
5-time NL strikeout leader
Pitched 2 no-hitters
World Series champion in 1905
Pitched 3 complete game shutouts in the 1905 World Series, allowing a mere 14 hits
Inducted into Baseball hall of Fame in 1936 as part of the inaugural class that included Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, and Walter Johnson
Named to Baseball’s All-Century Team in 1999
Ranked in 1999 #7 on The Sporting News’ list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players (highest ranked pitcher)
ESPN ranked his feats in the 1905 World Series as the greatest playoff performance of all time
Insisted on enlisting into the United States Army for World War One. In France, he was accidentally gassed during a chemical training exercise and contracted tuberculosis. He died of the illness in 1925 at the age of 45.
1914-1935, primarily for the New York Yankees, as well as stints with the Boston Red Sox and Boston Braves
.342 lifetime batting average
714 career home runs
2,214 career runs batted in (rbi’s)
2,873 career hits
94-46 lifetime record as a lefthanded pitcher for Red Sox, with a 2.28 earned run average (ERA)
7-time World Series champion
12-time American League home run leader
5-time American League rbi leader
2-time AL All-Star
1923 AL Most Valuable Player
1924 AL batting champion
Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as part of its first class in 1936
Led the game in its transition from the dead ball era to one that featured long home runs, earning him unending adulation from fans
Legendary nicknames include “The Bambino” and “The Sultan of Swat”
Ranked by the Sporting News number one on its list of “Baseball’s 100 Greatest Players”
In 1999, was named to baseball’s All Century Team
Honorable Mention: Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Frank Robinson, Mel Ott, Tony Gwynn, Reggie Jackson, Al Kaline, Ichiro Suzuki, Vladimir Guerrero, Dave Winfield, Paul Waner, Tony Oliva, Kiki Cuyler, Sam Crawford, Enos Slaughter, Harry Heilmann, Sam Rice, Chuck Klein
1951-1973, primarily for the New York/San Francisco Giants
.302 career lifetime batting average
660 career home runs
1,903 career runs batted in (rbi’s)
3,282 career hits
24-time National League All-Star
1954 World Series champion
2-time NL Most Valuable Player
1951 NL Rookie of the Year
1954 NL batting champion
4-time NL home run leader
4-time NL stolen base leader
12-time Gold Glove Award winner
MLB’s all-time leader in outfield putouts (7,095)
2,842 games as an outfielder third most all time
All-Star Game records for most at bats (75), hits (23), runs scored (20), and stolen bases (six)
Shares All-Star Game records for most extra-base hits (eight), triples (three), and total bases (40)
Career 156.2 wins above replacement (WAR) ranks third all time for position players
Led NL in on base plus slugging (OPS) five times
Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979
Named to Major League Baseball’s All Century Team and All-Time Team
Honorable Mention (this position is stacked with fantastic options): Ty Cobb, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Tris Speaker, Duke Snider, Mike Trout, Larry Doby, Richie Ashburn, Hack Wilson, Earl Averill, Edd Roush, Kirby Puckett, Vada Pinson, Andrew McCutchen, Max Carey
On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson, age 28, becomes the first African American player in Major League Baseball when he steps onto Ebbets Field in Brooklyn to compete for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson broke the color barrier in a sport that had been segregated for more than 50 years. Exactly 50 years later, on April 15, 1997, Robinson’s groundbreaking career was honored and his uniform number, 42, was retired from Major League Baseball by Commissioner Bud Selig in a ceremony attended by over 50,000 fans at New York City’s Shea Stadium. Robinson’s was the first-ever number retired by all teams in the league.
Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia, to a family of sharecroppers. Growing up, he excelled at sports and attended the University of California at Los Angeles, where he was the first athlete to letter in four varsity sports: baseball, basketball, football and track. After financial difficulties forced Robinson to drop out of UCLA, he joined the army in 1942 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. After protesting instances of racial discrimination during his military service, Robinson was court-martialed in 1944. Ultimately, though, he was honorably discharged.
After the army, Robinson played for a season in the Negro American League. In 1946, he spent one season with the Canadian minor league team the Montreal Royals. In 1947, Robinson was called up to the Majors and soon became a star infielder and outfielder for the Dodgers, as well as the National League’s Rookie of the Year. In 1949, the right-hander was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player and league batting champ. Robinson played on the National League All-Star team from 1949 through 1954 and led the Dodgers to six National League pennants and one World Series, in 1955. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962, his first year of eligibility.
Despite his talent and success as a player, Robinson faced tremendous racial discrimination throughout his career, from baseball fans and some fellow players. Additionally, Jim Crow laws prevented Robinson from using the same hotels and restaurants as his teammates while playing in the South.
After retiring from baseball in 1957, Robinson became a businessman and civil rights activist. He died October 24, 1972, at age 53, in Stamford, Connecticut.
Whipped Owl 