The smell of fresh-cut grass, the crack of the bat. Munching on the little snacks while trying to avoid being hit by that massive beer being loosely clung into by the intoxicated fan sitting right behind you. Nothing says summer quite like the American national pastime – baseball! Baseball’s place in America comes from its long history of the baseball game over decades. This consistency makes it so much easier to compare players from different eras than it is for other sports. Here what we have managed to put together.
Stan Musial
Stan the Man is most likely the greatest player on this list. He was an outstanding player and not forgetting, a model citizen. The adored St. Louis icon played his full 22-season career for the Cardinals franchise and is as indistinguishably linked with his town. Stan Musial led the Cardinals to three World Series titles in 1942, 1944, and 1948 and had amassed a lifetime batting average of .331. His hitting was so consistent that opponents often resigned themselves to their fate each time they had to face him on the field.
Wagner, Honus
A percentage of modern fans would most likely have heard of Honus Wagner as the subject of the most valuable baseball card in history. We are talking about the rare 1909-11 T206 Wagner card that was made by the American Tobacco Company. The rarity of this card is a huge reason why it is valued beyond $2 million in a sale. Honus Wagner was nicknamed The Flying Dutchman who led the National League in batting for an average of eight times over the entire course of his career. He retired with a stellar .328 average even when he was playing during the dead-ball era.
Walter Johnson
Walter Johnson was a flame throwing generational talent who, for decades, defined dominant pitching. He was so talented at what he did that he led the AL in strikeouts to the extent of topping the league for a total of 12 times over the course of his 21-year career. He threw 110 career complete-game shutouts which are still considered a record that will never be broken.
Hank Aaron
He held the Home Run King title for a generation and is often thought of as simply a powerful hitter. Hank Aaron is arguably one of the best hitters ever with 755 career homers over a course of 33 years. That is just the top of the iceberg as compared to his all-time-best 6,856 total bases and 2,297 runs batted in. Hank Aaron was selected to the All-Star Game for 21 straight years where he continued hitting at least 30 home runs throughout 15 seasons.
Willie Mays
Mays needs no made-up thought patterns to justify his place on our list. He racked up astounding totals at the plate which include 660 home runs, 3,283 hits, and 1,903 runs batted in. his outstanding play in the outfield made 12 consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1957 to 1968 which led to many observers calling him the best all-around player the scene has ever seen.
