All Sport Report

In Part One of the Best Baseball Players of All Time, I discussed the #1 and #2 Players, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth. This second section discusses baseball players I believe to be in the top five ranked #3-#5. These individuals exhibit exceptional ability to play and legendary status with fans of the game. So, let’s get right into the list and find out which players made it.

#3 – Hank Aaron – This is the man that all the muss and fuss is about. For Barry Bonds to overcome Hank Aaron’s record and be placed in front of him is an absolute travesty. By not admitting or denying the use of steroids while under oath, Bonds has silently admitted guilt. By letting Bonds into the record books for a “steroid-induced” number of homeruns, the record of Hank Aarons, a man who used no supplemental assistance to aid his game, is being spit on.
Henry “Hank” Aaron was born in Mobile, Alabama on February 5, 1934. It was in 1954 when 20 year old Hank was first signed with the Milwaukee Braves. He stayed in Milwaukee until they moved to Atlanta and then was traded back to Milwaukee to join the American League in 1975. Hank primarily played outfield (both right and left field), but also spent time on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd bases. Hank was highly respected not only by his fans but by other ball players even those before and after his time.

Hank Aaron was a National League All-Star for 20 of the 23 seasons from 1955 until 1974 and an American League All-Star in 1975. During that time, he had 13 hits and two homeruns, hardly worthy of his regular game record, though the All-Star game is always a showdown of the best of the best in baseball.

Hank was known by the nickname “Hammerin’ Hank” for a reason. He had one heckuva swing and he knew how to hit. That is why he holds the record for the most homeruns in a baseball career at 755, a record Barry Bonds is just one run behind, though his victory is more bitter than sweet as he vies to not only tie but also beat Hank’s record in what most in the baseball community call an “illegal” fashion.

Hank is still the only player to ever hit more than 30 homeruns in a season at 15 different points in his career, an achievement most players these days would be hard pressed to attain. He is also the only player in baseball that has had 150+ hits in seventeen seasons within a single career. Off the field, Aaron helped to break a lot of stereotypes during a highly controversial and racially tense time in the United States. Having played in the Negro League from the age of 18 until he was offered a spot with the Braves, he was amongst the first true and famous black baseball players, paving the way for the multi-cultural, ethnic, and racially diverse league we know today.

Of course, Aaron had his share of racial troubles. On his quest to beat the homerun record previously held by Babe Ruth, he received death threats by those not wishing for a black man to beat “The Babe’s” record. Even Babe’s widow, Claire, supported Aaron during this tumultuous time knowing that if Babe were alive it would matter more about the baseball being played, not which player it was to beat his record.

Hank Aaron who has broken records, stereotypes and brought people together for the love of baseball was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. He has spent his time working behind the scenes in baseball since then, and has kept a low profile otherwise, choosing not to comment on the controversy on Bonds. Let’s just hope he knows most of us baseball fans think he should keep the record, no matter what happens in the next month of baseball.

#4 – Joe DiMaggio – If there was one player that people knew who had charm and charisma it was “Joltin’ Joe” DiMaggio. In fact, it was said that he had better presence while at bat then Lou Gehrig did and did for baseball what Hank Aaron did, only a generation earlier. Perhaps Joe was so loved because of his personal life being accessible to the public. From his marriage to Marilyn Monroe to his life as a child of Sicilian immigrants, no stone in his life was left unturned.
Joe DiMaggio was born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, Jr. on November 25, 1914 in Martinez, California. He was one of nine children. His parents were immigrants from Sicily and his father came from a long line of fishermen. One of five boys, Joe hated fishing, and his father, who wanted him to become a fisherman, too often called him lazy for not wanting to help out with the family trade. Of course, once it was clear how good a ball player DiMaggio was, his father had little to complain about.

Called the Yankee Clipper, Joe DiMaggio played his entire career for the New York Yankees. With as many Yankees that have been included on this list, you can see why the Yankees have always been considered one of the top teams in Major League Baseball. Joltin’ Joe played for 13 years with the Yankees and in that time accomplished more for baseball then many of those players who had/have careers twice as long.

Known best as a center fielder, Joe spent only one season in another position, first base. This was back in 1950 a decade after Lou Gehrig had retired from the position. Joe was first recruited by the Yankees in 1936, a year after the Babe had retired and three years before Gehrig would be forced to retire, as well. The team needed a solid player and they found it in Dimaggio.

The year before he went to the Yankees, Joe played in the PCL. He was named MVP of the League and though he had sustained an injury to his knee, it did not stop him from 154 hits, 34 home runs, and a batting average of .398. The Yankees recruiter knew he had a potential star in the midst. Joe was all that and more. He is best known in baseball for a 56 game hitting streak, which he accomplished in 1941. Joe was an American League All-Star for 11 years. He also helped lead the Yankees to multiple World Series.

Unfortunately, DiMaggio retired due to multiple injuries and too much negative press/gossip about him. Likewise, his personal life was also plagued with trouble. Joe was planning to ask Marilyn Monroe to remarry him, but she was found dead before he could. It is said that Joe was heartbroken and sent a half-dozen red roses to where her body was laid to rest, three times a week for at least twenty years following her death. After his own battle with lung cancer, Joe passed away in 1999. His supposed last words were, “I’ll finally see Marilyn.”

#5 – Ty Cobb – It was difficult picking the top five players in baseball, especially these last three. There are so many great players in baseball. I couldn’t leave out a player from my favorite team though, Mr. Ty Cobb. Ty Cobb played in baseball for 24 years. In that time, 22 of them were for the Detroit Tigers, with the last two for the Philadelphia Athletics. His style of play, temper, and various scandals plagued Cobbs’ career yet his magnificent ability to play was not lost on those who saw the potential and amazing ability in the man nicknamed “The Georgia Peach”.

Tyrus Raymond Cobb was born in Narrows, Georgia on December 18, 1886. He was one of three children in his family. When he was a teenager, his father was accidentally murdered by his mother, something that was said to affect his “war-game” mentality of playing for years. Ty ran the gamut when it came to positions played. He pitched for the Tigers in 3 different games. He also played center, outfield, right field, and all three base positions though he played most often at center and outfield. At the time in which Cobb played, he set 90 different records. His career spanned from 1905 until 1928. In that time, he helped the Tigers get to three World Series from 1907-1909
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In 2007, Cobb still holds numerous records. It is impressive that almost a century later he still holds the record for overall career batting average at .367, most runs scored at 2,245 and career batting titles at 11 or 12. He held many records until the 1970s and 1980s including career stolen bases, hits, and runs. Cobb had an amazing career with a consecutive batting average over .300 for the years 1906-1928. This is just one of the many amazing baseball feats attributed to Cobb. Cobb retired in 1928 one of baseball’s first millionaires. He had invested money in Coca Cola, General Electric, and General Motors. By the time he died in July of 1961, he was worth a considerable amount of money, part of which went to his children and the other to an educational fund he set up for needy Georgians.

Runners Up: There were so many great baseball players that it was hard to pick just five. That being said, I’d like to give props to both Ted Williams and Willie Mays. Both were exceptional ball players, but unfortunately they just didn’t make the cut for this particular list.

So, who do you believe are the top five all time ball players and why? Leave a comment and make sure to check out the Baseball Almanac’s Top 100 Players of All Time. It’s a great list of amazing players, most of whom are no longer in the game, but their accomplishments in baseball will live on in infamy.

Baseball, Top Players, Hank Aaron, Ty Cobb, Joe DiMaggio