Firsts
Number 42 paved the way for many, including this man, who would be the first black player in the American League when he signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1947.
Larry Doby
Known for power and speed, this outfielder hit 25 homers for Milwaukee in 2009 and later made stops in both Boston and Chicago’s South Side.
Mike Cameron
In 2023 this Venezuelan struck out 214 times--leading the Major Leagues--though he still managed to bat the league average: .248
Eugenio Suarez
Everybody knows Gibby's famous walk off win in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. Who could forget it? Definitely not this man who threw him the pitch.
Dennis Eckersley
Michael Fulmer
This man became the first black pitcher to record a strikeout when he took the mound for the Dodgers in August of 1947. He would also hit his first career home run in that same game, his MLB debut.
Dan Bankhead
This lefty pitcher was an All-Star only once in his 15 year career; the same year he finished 10th in Cy Young voting while with the White Sox in 2016. Later he would play one season for the Brew, but not before a brief stint with the "Redbirds" in 2022.
Jose Quintana
Look, he wasn't magic quite yet when he batted the league average in his 1978 campaign. Still, .258 ain't too shabby for a rookie.
Ozzie Smith
Nolan Ryan is the no-no king, throwing his 7th such game at this ripe age.
44
Not many "could have been" stories are as famous as this one: The lanky man who posted a 2.34 ERA in his Rookie of the Year season would capture the hearts of the whole country, being the first athlete to ever be featured on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine.
Mark Fidrych
Babe Ruth hit a mammoth home run in 1934 at Meiji Jingu Stadium, Tokyo as part of an All Star exhibition tour, making him the first MLB player to hit a homer outside of the United States. The first homer to come on foreign ground as part of an official MLB regular season game however, wouldn't come until 1977 when Gary Carter went yard in this city.
Montreal
He led the AL with 59 steals for the White Sox in 2005. He later had brief runs with both Milwaukee and Boston, where he would finish his career.
Scott Podsednik
Later in his career this third basemen would be crowned World Series MVP, batting a whopping .400 in the Fall Classic. However in 2000, he only batted the league-wide average: .270
Mike Lowell
Bill Mazeroski etched his name into the history books when he sent the Pirates over the Yankees in the 1960 world series, clobbering a 9th inning home run in Game 7 to break the tie at this score.
9-9
This Cubs catcher is the 2008 ROY recipient, a campaign in which he hit 23 home runs. He would spend the rest of his career as a less than spectacular backstop.
Geovany Soto
The advent of the Designated Hitter was a controversial change to America's pastime when it was implemented in 1973. Though the Twins didn't mind when this man became the first DH to hit a homer on April 6 of that year.
Tony Oliva
This manager started his coaching career in the White Sox system before going on to manage both the Reds and the Red Sox during his long decorated managerial career. He also played for the Brewers in his final year as a player.
Terry Francona
This switch hitter didn't have his breakout season until 2019 when he hit 37 home runs and earned an All Star Selection. But back in 2017 he was still right around average, batting the league-wide .255
Josh Bell
Joe DiMaggio is responsible for baseball's most famous streak: 56 straight games with a hit. It ended July 17, 1941 when he went 0 for 3 with a walk. The next day he got a hit, starting a new streak that lasted this long.
17 games
This Rays pitcher traded a slot as a franchise ace for a life as a journeyman when he couldn't quite get back to the magic of his ROY-winning season. His 2.95 ERA that year is still among the best for a rookie this century.
Jeremy Hellickson
Pitchers aren't usually known for their power, let alone their Grand Slam prowess, though the first pitcher to hit a Salami came much earlier than you'd probably think; in 1898 this Phillie got the win as the pitcher and cleared the bases in his first Major League At Bat.
Bill Duggleby
This two time All-Star pitcher barely makes the cut. He spent the first six years of his short career with the Reds, before splitting his seventh and final year in the majors between the White Sox and Brewers in 1995.
Ron Dibble
One of the best first basemen of his time, this man hit for .300 or better four times in his career. In 1920, he hit well above the league average of .273. However, in his World Series campaign with the Cleveland Indians that year, he went 3 for 11, batting the league average in the Fall Classic alone. By the way, the Indians would go on to win the series, where this man gained bragging rights over his brother who played third base for the opposing Brooklyn Robins.
Doc Johnston
Ichiro showed off his arm in his first week of his Rookie season as an MLB player by gunning down Terrance Long from right field. Dave Niehaus of the Seattle radio broadcast famously called the throw this.
"Something out of Star Wars."
Boy, it's grim when this happens. He won the Rookie of the Year in 1954 with the Yankees, winning 20 games, but arm troubles the following season made him a reliever for the rest of his unstoried career.
Bob Grim