Curveballs and Sliders 04.29.07: Top 50 Icons

Posted by Jared Marcus on 04.29.2007

This week in a very special Anniversary edition of Curveballs and Sliders we unveil the Top 50 Baseball Icons. Spanning the history of the sport from the 1800's to present, we count down the most famous, influential, talented and notorious people in baseball history.

LEADING OFF

Hello all and welcome to a monumental addition of Curveballs and Sliders. This week we are gathered here today in celebration of……………..ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, that is right, this is a special Anniversary Edition of Curveballs and Sliders as this week marks my one year Anniversary at 411mania.com. I wrote my very first column for this site on April 25, 2006 and now here we are 12 months later, still going strong. I want to first thank Ashish for giving me this forum to write about my love and passion for the great game of baseball. I also want to thank all the writers and editors who are responsible for all the great content that is available on this site on a daily basis. Lastly, and most importantly, I want to thank all of the readers who have visited this column over the past year, whether it be only once or on a weekly basis. I put a lot of time and effort into this column for you and I hope you enjoy it, in turn I appreciate the time you all take to read it each week. With that being said, the column has a lot of great plans in the weeks and months ahead and I feel comfortable saying that the best is yet to come. So keep coming back.

Now in honor of this celebration I have a very special column this week, so let's get to it……………………


THE TWO HOLE

This week, as part of the celebration I wanted to do something big, bigger than big actually, something HUGE!!! I didn't want to just address current baseball topics, or even address something completely historical, like the greatest players at a position debate. Instead, I wanted to do something that captures the entire scope and history of the great game of baseball. While honoring myself and you readers, I also wanted to honor all of the most important people associated with the great game of baseball, whether they be players, managers, executives or media members. Then it hit me. Perhaps you remember a few years ago when VH-1 made their list of the Top 200 Pop Culture Icons. This list was an extremely big deal and quite frankly, was fascinating. My goal here to today is to produce a list similar to that one but that applies only to baseball.

As part of this I was planning to do my usual long, boring intro that explained my thinking and processes as to avoid any sort of hate mail or "how could you leave out so and so" e-mails. Then I realized that the whole aura around an "Icon" is almost impossible to define. "Icons" are larger than life, there is just something about them that is important, almost magical, and there is no way to really put a finger on what it is. This list is basically just the 50 people associated with the game of baseball that I feel fit the bill as "Icons". They are not all great people, some are on the list as much for dubious distinctions as grand accomplishments, but they all fit the mold as icons. No one would ever confuse Michael Jackson with Martin Luther King Jr., but they are both icons nonetheless. Just know that getting on this list is a combination of accomplishment, fame/infamy and legacy. As always, it was hard to narrow down the list but ultimately I am happy with the 50 selections. I know there will probably still be a lot of "how could you leave off ____" and I was going to include an "honorable mention" list to combat that, but then decided against it because it would never end. With each group that was included the door would be open for another round of second guessing, in other words, it would be impossible to mention everyone that deserves mentioning, so I am just going to stick with 50 and that's that. If you want to complain, be my guest, in reality, as I always say, that is the fun of doing these lists anyway. So now despite telling you that I wouldn't do it, I have bored you to death for several minutes with explanation, but don't worry I will stop right…………now. Without further ado, let's jump into the list…………………



THE TOP 50 ICONS OF BASEBALL (Nos. 50-26)

50) ROY HOBBS –Yes, I know he is fictional but this list is about true icons and that can include characters, especially the most famous fictional baseball character from the most famous fictional baseball story of all-time. Roy Hobbs is of course the main character in "The Natural" and everything about the film, from his bat "Wonderboy" to hitting a moonshot into the lights to hitting the cover off the ball, has become part of pop culture and baseball lore.

49) JOHNNY BENCH –Generally regarded as the greatest catcher of all-time, Bench is legendary as much for his personality as he is for his days with the "Big Red Machine". In addition to revolutionizing the catching position with his defensive prowess, Bench has been a fixture in television for three decades. He was the host of "The Baseball Bunch" in the ‘80's, has been a broadcaster, a professional bowler and has participated frequently on the PGA Champions tour. He is also a constant presence at Baseball's annual Hall of Fame ceremony, often acting as the events comic relief.

48) WALTER JOHNSON - Johnson hardly has the name or the fame of many of the other people on this list, but he is remembered quite simply as the greatest pitcher of all-time. "The Big Train" was an inaugural member of the Baseball Hall of Fame having won 417 games in his 20 year career. In 1999 the Sporting News ranked Johnson as the 4th best player in the game's history.

47) BUD SELIG - Some people may take issue over this as Bud seems to be generally disdained by most fans, but you can't deny the influence and impact he has had on the game. Other commissioners may have had just as many innovations or done more good, but Selig has presided over the game at the time of its greatest height and greatest fall. He is responsible for interleague play, the Wild Card, the World Baseball Classic and significant changes in baseball's economic policies. He was commissioner during the player's strike that wiped out the 1994 World Series as well as during the renaissance of the game in the late 1990's. Sadly, the most significant thing about Bud's tenure and the aspect that gets him on this list, is the steroid controversy that he has been right in the center of. Selig, along with Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire, will forever be the face of one of the most controversial periods in baseball history.

46) BOB UECKER - Uecker is by far the worst player on this list and is generally considered one of the worst hitters of all-time. That makes it all the more impressive that he makes this list. He used his sharp mind and wit to turn his on the field failures into incredible off the field successes. His self-deprecating humor has made him one of the most entertaining broadcasters of all-time and earned him many roles in Hollywood including that of George Owens in "Mr. Belvedere" and the legendary character Harry Doyle in "Major League". "Mr. Baseball" as he jokingly refers to himself, has been the voice of the Brewers for the past 37 years and he has worked many World Series and League Championship series for both ABC and NBC. In 2005 he was honored by the Hall of Fame as the recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award.

45) SADAHARU OH - The only man on the list who did not gain his fame in American baseball. In fact Oh never played a day in the Major Leagues, having played his entire career in Japan. However, as the All-Time baseball home run leader with 868 career jacks, Oh is known throughout the baseball world. After his playing career ended he became a very successful manager in Japan and was a natural choice to manage the Japanese team in the first World Baseball Classic. All he did there was lead them to the championship with a win over Cuba. In addition to his on field activities, Oh has done a lot to promote the game worldwide and in 1988 he and fellow home run king Hank Aaron formed the World Children's Baseball Fair, a baseball organization for youths.

44) JOE TORRE - Joe Torre has spent nearly 50 years in baseball, but it wasn't until the last 10 or so that he really made his mark. Don't get me wrong, he was a very good player, a borderline Hall of Famer with the Braves, Cardinals and Mets who was named league MVP in 1971, but nowhere near an icon. He then had unsuccessful runs as manager with the same three clubs but finally found his place in history when he became manager of the Yankees in 1996. In the last 11 seasons as Yankee manager Torre has guided the team to 10 division titles, 6 A.L. Pennants and 4 World Championships. More importantly, throughout all those years he has handled himself with unparalleled class and dignity and has had several public personal obstacles to overcome such as his brother's heart transplant and his own battle with cancer. Plus, he was the face of the Yankees, along with Mayor Rudy Giuliani, in the difficult weeks following 9/11.

43) BUCK O'NEIL - One of the true "good guys" in baseball history. He was a player and manager in the Negro Leagues and later went on to become the first African-American coach in MLB. In the later years of his life he became an ambassador for the Negro Leagues helping to establish the Negro League museum as well as being a strong influence in getting Negro League players inducted into the Hall of Fame. Sadly Buck O'Neil was not fully appreciated until very late in his life, but once he was he became a true icon of the game. What made him so special was the fact that he was never bitter about any anything, not even the fact that he was passed over for enshrinement in the Hall of Fame last summer. Instead he took to the stage during inductions and made one of the great speeches of all-time in honor of those Negro Leaguers who were going in. Buck died a few months later without ever having seen induction, but his legacy in the game is secure nonetheless.

42) SAN DIEGO CHICKEN - How can you have a list of icons without the most famous mascot of all-time. Although he is not the official mascot of the Padres, he earned the nickname for a span where he appeared at more than 520 Padres games in a row. Over the years he has appeared at numerous sporting events beyond Padres games and in fact, beyond baseball games. He was the first superstar mascot and his success led to mascots becoming so prevalent throughout professional sports. In 1999, The Sporting News named the Chicken as one of the 100 most powerful people in sports for the 20th century.

41) KENESAW MOUNTAIN LANDIS - Another person on the list whose ideals and morals leave a lot to be desired, but an icon nonetheless. Landis was a federal judge who was named the first commissioner in MLB history. He presided over the game during the Black Sox scandal and made the decision to ban eight players for life, including Joe Jackson. More than anything else, now 60 years after his death, Landis' key legacy is his vehement opposition to integration which prolonged the segregation of baseball for many decades. Baseball's MVP awards for both leagues are named in his honor for his contributions as the game's first commissioner.

40) JACK BUCK - From 1954 until the late 1990's, Jack Buck was the voice of the St. Louis Cardinals. During that span he called many great Cardinals moments including Lou Brock's 3000th hit, a Bob Gibson no-hitter, Ozzie Smith's walkoff home run in the 1985 NLCS ("Go Crazy Folks! Go Crazy!") and Mark McGwire's record tying 61st home run. In addition he was the lead announcer for several World Series moments including Kirk Gibson's home run in 1988 ("I don't believe what I just saw") and Kirby Puckett's home run in 1991 ("And we will see you tomorrow night"). Jack Buck made one of his final public appearances at the first Cardinals game after 9/11 where he read to the crowd a poem he had written for the occasion and proudly exclaimed "I don't know about you, but as for me, the question has already been answered: Should we be here? YES!".

39) GEORGE & ALFRED RAWLINGS - Other than Louisville Slugger, is there any brand name more associated with baseball than Rawlings? Louisville Slugger is a company and therefore missed the list, but the Rawlings brothers carry the name, so they make it. Since the 1880's Rawlings has been the standard for baseball gloves, baseballs and other equipment and they are the ones responsible for the improvements in them over the years. They initially developed the webbed glove, a change from the traditional pocket glove. Later on they developed the finger glove and eventually created different gloves for each position. In 1957 they established the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, which are still handed out to this day.

38) FRANK ROBINSON - Robinson is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of all-time, having ranked 4th on the all-time home run list at the time of his retirement. He was also the first player to win an MVP award in each league and the second to last player to win the Triple Crown. More amazingly Robinson has achieved even more since leaving the playing field. At the end of his career he became the player-manager for the Indians, making him the first African-American manager in baseball history. Following that he went on to manage the Giants, Orioles and Expos/Nationals and also worked in the MLB front office as the Director of Discipline.

37) HONUS WAGNER - "The Flying Dutchman" was one of the 10 or 12 greatest players to ever play the game and was a member of the inaugural Hall of Fame class. Wagner is known to have had a quiet personality and demeanor and for that reason he never reached the level of fame of contemporaries such as Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb. What gets him on this list as a baseball icon is a baseball card, the most expensive and most famous baseball card in existence. The T206 Wagner card from 1909 is the rarest card in the world with only around 50 known copies. Over the years the cards have been sold at auctions for as high as $2.35 million with it always being a big story. In fact one was even purchased by hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.

36) CHARLIE COMISKEY - Originally a player and then a manager in the 1800's, Comiskey went on to become one of the most successful owners of all-time. For 31 years he owned the Chicago White Sox, during which time he built Comiskey Park which was the team's home for the next 80 years. He was also one of the founders of the American League and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1939. In 1991 the White Sox built a new field and named it "The New Comiskey Park", once again after the great owner, and that remained it's name until 2003.

35) SATCHEL PAIGE - While Jackie Robinson went on to bigger and better things and Josh Gibson was probably the better player, Satchel Paige will always be remembered as the face of the Negro Leagues. He was by far the most famous of the Negro League players and tales of his pitching are legendary. He was the Nolan Ryan of the Negro Leagues and was definitely their greatest gate attraction. In 1948 he finally made it to the Major Leagues at the age of 42, making him the oldest debuting player in history. In 1971, Paige became the first player who spent the majority of his career in the Negro Leagues to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

34) PETER GAMMONS - Peter Gammons has to be considered the most famous baseball writer of all-time. Maybe not the greatest as many early century writers are held in high esteem, but Gammons came in an age where sports reporting became a full scale, 24-hour a day machine, and he was the face of it for baseball. Gammons is credited with changing a lot about the way baseball is covered being the first to report trade rumors and the first to write note columns. In 2004 he was honored by the Hall of Fame for outstanding baseball writing when he received the J.G. Taylor Spink Award and gave one of the best speeches in induction history.

33) SANDY KOUFAX - Koufax doesn't have nearly the statistical totals that the other players on this list have but he is just as legendary. That legend comes from a six year period that is considered by many to be the most dominating stretch by one athlete in sports history. From 1961 to 1966 Koufax was the definition of untouchable, three times unanimously winning the Cy Young award and three times winning the pitcher's triple crown. Adding even further to Koufax's legend was his abrupt retirement from the game due to arthritis at age 30 while he was still in his prime. Koufax is also known as the most prominent Jewish-American athlete of all-time having once refused to pitch in the World Series because it was Yom Kippur.

32) REGGIE JACKSON - "Mr. October" was a truly great power hitter but he was also a larger than life figure that was ahead of his time. Although some of it was done in jest or in "character", Reggie Jackson was one of the first "modern athletes" who was just as interested in image and ego as he was in winning. Make no mistake, Reggie wanted to win and his three home run game in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series ranks as one of the top moments in baseball history, but it was also his persona that made him an icon. He once referred to himself as "The straw that stirs the drink" and also stated that he was so good he should have a candy bar named after him, and in 1978 he did with the creation of "The Reggie Bar".

31) ABNER DOUBLEDAY - For over 100 years Doubleday was credited as the "Founder of Baseball", having invented it in Cooperstown, NY in 1839 . We have learned in recent years that that is almost assuredly not the case. He was an Army officer and a general in the Civil War, meaning he was a great American, he just wasn't the inventor of "America's Pastime". Interestingly enough, Doubleday himself never made the claim that he invented baseball making it shocking that the theory ever took on the life that it did. However, despite the fact that we now know Doubleday really had nothing to do with baseball, he still makes the list as an icon of the game, whereas Alexander Cartwright, the man now most associated with the title of "father of baseball" does not. This is because it is hard to erase decades and decades of history and Doubleday is ingrained in the fabric of baseball as the legendary creator right down to the fact that the Baseball Hall of Fame is located in Cooperstown, NY. At this point he may be more Santa Claus than Thomas Edison, but no one would dispute Santa as an icon.

30) NOLAN RYAN - Ryan was the greatest pitcher of all-time and in fact he often gets more credit than he deserves, but there is no denying that he is a legend. There were quite a few better pitchers, but no one ever threw harder than the "Ryan Express". No other pitcher in baseball history consistently hit the triple digits in miles per hour like Ryan did. It was that ability that he used to rack up over 5700 career strikeouts, the all-time record by more than 1200. It was also that unprecedented heat that led to him pitching 7 no-hitters, another all-time record by a ways, and a big part of his legend. In addition to those 7 no-no's Ryan also threw 12 one-hitters, which is tied for the most all-time.

29) BILL VEECK - One of baseball's greatest owners and top innovators, Veeck is the man responsible for some of baseball's best and wildest moments. In the 1940's as the owner of the Indians he signed Larry Doby to be the first African-American player in the American League. One year later he signed Satchel Paige, making him the oldest rookie in MLB history. During the 1951 season as owner of the St. Louis Browns, he signed midget Eddie Gaedel and had him play in a game, one of the most famous publicity stunts in baseball history. As owner of the White Sox he was responsible for "Disco Demolition Night" which ended with a riot at Comiskey Park in 1979. In addition, it was Bill Veeck who first put players names on the back of the uniforms and it was he who created many of the promotions that are common throughout baseball today such as Fireworks night, Bat Day and Fan Appreciation Day.

28) HARRY CARAY - With his trademark glasses and distinctive voice, Harry Caray is as legendary of a figure as they come. He spent over 50 years as a play-by-play announcer working during that span for the Cardinals, A's, White Sox and Cubs. The Cubs of course being the team with which he gained the most fame and notoriety, mostly for his singing of "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" with the crowd during the 7th inning stretch of every home game. Harry would lean out the window of the announce booth, say his trade mark line "Lemme hear ya! Ah-one, Ah-two, Ah-Three!" and then hold the mic out over the crowd. Since his death in 1998, the Cubs now use a celebrity guest to do the honors at most games as a tribute to the late broadcaster.

27) BILL JAMES - There were many writers/statisticians before James including Henry Chadwick who is credited with inventing the box score as well as batting average and ERA. However, none of them had as much influence or gained the level of fame that James has achieved. He has taken baseball statistics to the mainstream with the creation of sabermetrics and is one of the main reasons for the obsession fans currently have with stats and records, as well as fantasy baseball. The Bill James Historical Abstract, published annually from 1977-1988 has become "The Bible of Baseball". Among the statistics that James has developed are Runs Created, Range Factor and Win Shares, as well as being the first to factor things such as ballparks and defense into statistics. In 2006, Time Magazine named him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

26) CAL RIPKEN JR. - One of the most popular figures in baseball history, Cal is also one of the best shortstops to ever play the game. He revolutionized the position by not being the prototypical small shortstop and actually hitting for power. Ripken was the precursor the modern day power hitting shortstop boom that included players like A-Rod, Miguel Tejada and Nomar Garciaparra. Of course he is most famous for breaking Lou Gehrig's consecutive game streak on September 6th, 1995, a moment that was named the "most memorable in baseball history" by fans. That moment came on the heels of the baseball strike that canceled the 1994 World Series, and Cal is credited for beginning to heal the wounds of that. Many people came back to the game because of that moment and because of the fact that Cal Ripken represented all that was good and right about the game. Later this summer Ripken will be inducted into the Hall of Fame after having received the third highest percentage of votes of all-time this past January.



That will do it for the list this week, check back next week for part 2. Let's move on.



BATTING THIRD…….


LOLOLOLOLOLOL, I'm just messin' with ya. We are going to do part 2 right now.



THE TOP 50 ICONS OF BASEBALL (Nos. 25-1)


25) BOBBY THOMSON & RUSS HODGES - Russ Hodges was a legendary broadcaster who won the Ford Frick Award in 1980, but he never quite achieved the national fame of some of his colleagues. Bobby Thomson was a very solid player who was probably a notch or two below a Hall of Fame level. In other words, neither of these men would be considered "icons" of the game on their own, what gets them here is their combined effort in one historical moment. That moment of course is "The Shot Heard Round the World" in a 1951 playoff game between the Giants and the Dodgers. Thomson hit the game winning home run, probably the most famous on field moment in baseball history and what it made it even more legendary was Hodges call, "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant", the most famous call in the history of the sport.

24) CASEY STENGEL - "The Old Perfesser" was one of the great managers and the greatest minds in baseball history. He spent 54 years in professional baseball as a player and manager and is the only man to wear the uniform of all four New York baseball teams (Yankees, Mets, Dodgers and Giants). Later in his career Stengel became the face of the New York Mets franchise and became popular for his personality and spirit in the face of having the worst team in the game. It was Stengel that earned the team the label of "lovable losers" and "Amazins". Of course Stengel is best known for a run as manager of the Yankees were he led the club to 10 pennants and 7 championships in a 12 year stretch, one of the greatest managerial accomplishments of all-time.

23) STAN MUSIAL - Is there a more appropriate nickname in all of sports than "The Man". So simple, yet it says so much. For 22 seasons Musial was the face of the St. Louis Cardinals and in some ways he still is to this day. No player has ever played in more all-star games (24) and only three players in baseball history recorded more hits. Most importantly, Musial was one of many high profile players to serve his country during World War II, serving in the U.S. Navy from 1945 to 1946.

22) ROGER MARIS - Roger Maris is probably the most famous "decent" player in baseball history. In fact some people often mistake Maris as an all-time great because his name has been mentioned so often through the years. Obviously that is because for nearly 40 years he held one of the most famous records in all of sports, the single season home record. Everyone knows the stories of Maris' struggles with the media and with fans during his chase to break Ruth's record in 1961 and it was further documented in Billy Crystal's movie 61*. Maris' fame hit its peak in 1998 when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were chasing his record all season long with both ultimately passing the mark. Though he is no longer the official record holder, he will forever be referenced in discussions about the record, especially as long as only suspected steroid users have passed it.

21) CONNIE MACK - There were managers with better records and with more championships, but Mack is the most famous manager in the history of the game. He is first all-time with 3,776 wins and 7,878 games managed. He managed the Philadelphia A's for 50 consecutive seasons, appearing in 8 World Series and winning 5 of them. He is considered one of the nicest men to ever be associated with the game serving as a father figure to many of his players as well as being considered the true gentleman of the sport. In 1953 the Phillies renamed their field Connie Mack stadium in honor of "The Grand Old Man of Baseball".

20) BARRY BONDS - I purposefully tried to ignore active players on this list because I feel it is hard to really evaluate someone as an "icon" in the present tense, it has to be something you look back on. However, Bonds is the one player I could not deny. He is unquestionably one of the most controversial superstars in sports history as well as one of sports most talented athletes. You can't deny Bonds abilities and there is a good chance he would have made this list without steroid speculation, but the steroids sure bump him up the list. Later this summer he will surpass Hank Aaron as the all-time home run leader and it remains to be seen how that event will be received, but love him or hate him, Bonds is an icon.

19) MARK MCGWIRE - There are two versions of "Big Mac", the hall of fame home run hitter who electrified the country with his pursuit of Roger Maris and the shell of a man of sat in front of congress and hid from the truth. Both of them deserve to be on this list as icons. Those two moments are two of the most famous in the sports recent history, though it is unclear at this time which of them he will ultimately be remembered for. For over a decade McGwire was a modern day Babe Ruth hitting monstrous home runs and captivating fans wherever he went with his power displays. Now he is caught up in a steroid controversy that has fans debating the legitimacy of his home run total as well as his hall of fame candidacy. However he ends up being remembered though, one thing is for sure, he won't ever be forgotten.

18) BRANCH RICKEY - In a nearly six decade long career Branch Rickey revolutionized the game of baseball in several ways. Rickey was pretty much the first General Manager in baseball history, though he never carried that title. He was the first to put an emphasis on scouting and player acquisition and pretty much built the famed Cardinals "Gashouse Gang" from the ground up. He took that involvement a step further with the innovation of the farm system which then laid the groundwork for what would eventually become the minor leagues. Of course Rickey's greatest claim to fame is the signing of Jackie Robinson and the integration of baseball. Despite strong opposition from many, Rickey took it upon himself to break the color barrier in 1947 when he purchased Robinson's contract from the minor leagues. This move went on to change the course of history and eventually led to the full integration of the game. Several years later Rickey struck again when he became one of the first people to draft a Hispanic player, and that player was Roberto Clemente.

17) VIN SCULLY - For the past 57 years Vin Scully has been the voice of the Dodgers, both in Brooklyn and Los Angeles. It is the longest tenure any broadcaster has had with one club in professional sports history. Over that time he has called 14 NL pennants and 6 World Series Championships for the team, including the 1988 World Series when he called Kirk Gibson's historic home run. After the home run Scully paused for over a minute and deliver the legendary line "In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened". In addition to calling the Dodgers, Scully has been behind the mic for several other legendary moments and World Series, including game 6 of the 1986 Series. It was Scully who exclaimed "Little roller up along first…..behind the bag!..It gets through Buckner!! Here comes Knight and the Mets win it!!!".

16) CY YOUNG - Often mistakenly regarded as the best pitcher of all-time by casual fans due to his fame, Young was definitely not that but was the first superstar pitcher in the game's history. He is first all-time in wins with 511 but he's also first all-time in losses with 316. There is no doubt that he is among the great pitchers in history, but probably belongs more in the second tier rather than the first. However, since he was the first superstar pitcher he has attracted significant fame and deserves iconic status as every season the best pitcher in each league is given the "Cy Young Award" and the phrase "He's no Cy Young" has become part of the baseball lexicon.

15) JOE JACKSON - "Shoeless Joe" was at the epicenter of the first great sports scandal in American history. In 1919 Jackson was the star of the Chicago White Sox who were accused of throwing games to the Cleveland Indians in that year's World Series. Although Jackson was acquitted of any wrongdoing in the incident, he was banned from baseball for life with seven of his teammates. Generally regarded as one of the greatest hitters of all-time, Jackson remains ineligible for the Hall of Fame to this day. The Black Sox scandal is to this day one of baseball's most notorious incidents having been detailed in the book "Eight Men Out" and a movie of the same title. Jackson himself was immortalized forever in the greatest baseball book ever written, "Shoeless Joe" and the greatest baseball movie ever made, "Field of Dreams".

14) MEL ALLEN - Perhaps the most famous voice in baseball, Allen spent more than 50 years as a play-by-play man and to this day is still identified as "The Voice of the Yankees". He began in the ‘30's by working games for both the Yankees and Giants, but by the mid ‘40's he was working exclusively for the Yanks. He would continue as the voice of the Yanks for the next four decades and is best known for his signature calls "Going, going, gone" and "How about that?". Perhaps Allen is best known to non-Yankee fans as the voice of "This Week In Baseball" which he hosted from 1977 until his death in 1996. In 1978 he was honored by the Hall of Fame with the inaugural Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting.

13) WILLIE MAYS - Mays has never quite been the ambassador for the game that his peer Hank Aaron has been and perhaps doesn't always get the correct recognition because of it, but there is no denying that he was the better player. Mays is often given as the response by old ballplayers to the question "Who is the best you have ever seen play?". It is hard to argue with that as in 1999, "The Say Hey Kid" was named as the second greatest baseball player of all-time, behind only Babe Ruth. Mays revolutionized the game with his defensive play perhaps having the greatest combination of offensive and defensive skills of anyone, ever. Of course, more than anything else, Willie is remembered for a moment during the 1954 World Series that is so iconic it can be explained with only two words, "The Catch".

12) GEORGE STEINBRENNER - Whether you like him or not, you can't deny that "The Boss" is the most iconic owner in the history of sports. For more than 30 years Steinbrenner has owned and operated the most famous franchise in sports, The New York Yankees. Steinbrenner is well known for his famous quote upon buying the team that he would be an "absentee owner" and would "stick to building ships". Of course that turned out to be the farthest thing from the truth as he went on to become one of the most hands on owners baseball has ever seen, even earning a reputation as a tyrant due to his rapid firings of managers and personnel. Steinbrenner has been criticized for his outspokenness as well as his outlandish spending which many feel is the main reason for the rapid escalation of athlete salaries over the past three decades. However, you can't deny his commitment to the team, the fans and to winning and the fact that the Yankees have won 6 World Championships during his run as owner.

11) YOGI BERRA -While Yogi is considered one of the greatest catchers to ever live, what makes him iconic is his wit, or in some cases, lack thereof. Think about the 10 most famous baseball quotes of all-time and chances are that more than half of them came from the mouth of Lawrence Berra. These phrases, which have come to be known as "Yogiisms", include "It's like deja vu all over again", "Ninety percent of the game is half mental" and of course, "It ain't over till it's over". In addition, in 1958, Yogi Berra became the first and possibly only athlete to have a cartoon named after him with the creation of Yogi Bear.

10) ROBERTO CLEMENTE – Clemente was not the first Hispanic player in MLB, but he was the first prominent one and to this day, the greatest one. He is a hero in his native Puerto Rico as much for his work as a humanitarian as his baseball skills. He was constantly giving time and money to Latin American countries, most notably delivering food and supplies to them on a regular basis. Sadly that kindness is what would lead to his death in a 1972 plane crash, the plane was on it's way to Nicaragua to aid victims of an earthquake. In 1973 Clemente became the first Hispanic player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and every season MLB hands out the Roberto Clemente award to the player who best follows his example of charitable behavior.

9) TED WILLIAMS - Everyone knows that Ted Williams is an all-time great with many people including himself often referring to him as "The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived". He ended his career with 521 home runs and a .344 lifetime average and was the last man to hit .400 in a season. Those numbers would have been even more impressive had Williams not missed 3 full seasons and parts of two others while serving his country. From 1943 to 1945 Williams served with the Marines in World War II and then served again from 1952 to 1953 in the Korean War during which he flew 38 combat missions. Upon his retirement from the game Williams was inducted into the Hall of Fame and made one of the great speeches in hall history urging the Hall to induct Negro League players such as Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson. His speech was a major reason that the Hall began inducting Negro League players starting just five years later. One of his greatest and final public appearances came at the 1999 All-Star game at Fenway Park during the All-Century Team celebration where Williams finally tipped his cap to the crowd and received a long standing ovation.

8) TY COBB - As I mentioned above, not everyone on this list has to be a good person. Cobb was far from that, but he was also one of the greatest ballplayers that has ever lived. "The Georgia Peach" as he was called, is the all-time leader in career batting average and held the all-time hits mark for more than 50 years until Pete Rose broke it in 1985. Stories of his demeanor and dirty play (such as sliding into the bag with spikes up high) have become the stuff of legend. He is almost as famous to this day for his surly personality which was immortalized in Al Stump's book "Cobb" (And later a movie of the same name starring Tommy Lee Jones) as he is for his baseball ability.

7) MICKEY MANTLE - "The Mick" is one of the most fascinating figures in baseball history, as much for his off the field indiscretions as his on the field ability. It is thought by many that Mantle was the most talented and gifted athlete in the history of the game and if it wasn't for his "nightlife" activities, he would be remembered as the greatest of all-time. As it stands now, he is still one of the 10-15 greatest players ever. Mantle was the epitome of the larger than life athlete and to this day would probably be named as the boyhood idol of more people than any other player. Despite his "God-like" status on the diamond it was learned later in life that his personal life was far from "God-like". He struggled with family problems and alcohol abuse, the latter eventually leading to his death from kidney failure. Some feel that Mantle's finest hours came in his final months as he finally owned up to his mistakes and spoke out to children and families about the dangers of alcohol abuse. He received a liver transplant in June of 1995 but died just two months later from complications. Mantle was met with a hero's funeral and eulogized by Bob Costas who summed up Mickey like this: "Mickey Mantle, always so hard on himself, finally came to accept and appreciate the distinction between a role model and a hero. The first, he often was not. The second, he always will be".

6) JOE DIMAGGIO – "The Yankee Clipper" is often remembered as one of the true gentleman of the sport, though he was also one of its greatest performers. DiMaggio is best known on the field for leading the Yankees to 9 World Championships in 13 years and for his legendary 56 game hitting streak, which many feel is the greatest accomplishment in baseball history. Off the field, he is best known for his marriage to Marilyn Monroe, one of the biggest pop culture icons of all-time. "Joltin Joe" also is a armed forces veteran having served with the Air Force during World War II.

5) PETE ROSE - What can be said about "Charlie Hustle" that hasn't already been said. Rose was unquestionably one of the greatest hitters who has ever lived, but of course has become more infamous for his forays into gambling and subsequent banishment from baseball. Rose retired in 1986 as the game's all-time hit leader and still holds that record today. Three years later however he was found to have gambled on baseball and was banned for life from the game. Over the years Rose has been in and out of the public eye for various reasons, most notably for many years to deny the gambling charges and then ultimately admitting they were true in 2004. Although Rose belongs in Cooperstown and deserves to be on this list for his on field accomplishments alone, he would be a lot lower on it if he was nothing more than a great ballplayer. It is the gambling and suspension that make him one of the games most famous icons.

4) HANK AARON –With 755 career home runs Aaron is the all-time MLB home run king and the holder of the most famous and revered record in all of American sports. In addition Aaron is also the all-time leader in RBI and Total Bases and over the past 20+ years he has been an incredible ambassador for the game. In 1999 MLB created to Hank Aaron award to be presented annually to baseball's best offensive performer and in 2002 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.

3) LOU GEHRIG – Statistically Gehrig was one of the top five baseball players of all-time, but he will always be best remembered for the way he carried himself in the aftermath of his playing career. He was nicknamed "The Iron Horse" and was baseball's original ironman having played in a 2,130 consecutive games, a record that would last for over 50 years. His playing career was abruptly cut short by the disease ALS which has since been renamed Lou Gehrig's Disease in his honor. Despite this unfortunate circumstance, Gehrig took the field at Yankee Stadium on July 4th 1939 and proclaimed himself "The luckiest man on the face of the earth" in what has to be considered the most famous moment in baseball history.

2) JACKIE ROBINSON - There may have been better players or bigger stars, but Jackie Robinson is quite simply the most important American athlete of all-time. In 1947, he broke baseball's color barrier by becoming the first African-American player in history. In the face of resentment and hatred and pressure to quit, Robinson was strong and he was resolute. He knew that if he failed, it could set the cause back years, maybe even decades. So he rose up, he didn't just play, he played as well as anyone and was named rookie of the year. He went on to make six all-star teams and play in six World Series and in 1949 was named league MVP. In 1962, he became the first African-American inducted into the Hall of Fame. In the years after his playing career he continued to carry the torch for African-Americans by supporting Martin Luther King Jr. and becoming very involved with politics. In 1997, on the 50th Anniversary of Jackie breaking the color barrier, MLB retired his number 42 throughout all of baseball. An Icon he definitely was, but he was and remains, an even bigger hero.

1) BABE RUTH - Whether you call him "The Sultan of Swat", "The Great Bambino" or "The Babe", Babe Ruth is simply the greatest baseball player of all-time. He is the original superstar athlete who was larger than life. He is the definition of an icon and not just a baseball icon, he is an American cultural icon. Babe Ruth was in his time and still is to this day, the most famous American athlete of all-time. Ask anyone in the world who Babe Ruth was and they will tell you. In addition to compiling the greatest hitting stats in history as well as hall of fame worthy pitching stats, Ruth's legacy will be changing the game of baseball into what it is today. Ruth popularized the Home Run. He made personality equally as important as ability. He is the reason that the New York Yankees are the most iconic team in professional sports. He is the reason that Yankee Stadium is the most iconic building in sports and it is aptly nicknamed "The House That Ruth Built" in his honor. It is Babe Ruth who brought about the Red Sox curse and it was Babe Ruth who became the first athlete to make more than the President. In 1999 The Sporting News named Babe Ruth as the greatest baseball player of all-time. You cannot make a baseball list of any significance that reflects on the greats of the game without putting this man at the top of it. How do you define icon? BABE RUTH, that's how.


That will do it for the Top 50 Baseball Icons, hope you enjoyed it!!!


CLEANING UP

I know we are in the middle of doing the greatest active players in the game by position, but this week I am going to have to take a break from that. I really don't want to take away from this week's theme and I feel like today's game doesn't really fit in with that. I do however want to give a brief edition of "The Greatest" just because there were a few items that I was trying to find a place for on the above list that just wouldn't fit. I debated and debated about whether to include "things" on the list as they can be iconic as well but ultimately decided that the list should solely be about people. There were though a few things though that I wanted to recognize as iconic parts of the game of baseball and I feel this is the place to do it. So with that, I present……………..


"The 5 Greatest"…………………………….Iconic baseball things

5) Wrigley Field
4) The Green Monster/Fenway Park
3) Louisville Slugger
2) Yankee Stadium
1) "Take Me Out To The Ballgame"


Ok, that will do it for this week. I want to once again thank all of you who have read this column over the past year, I appreciate any time you take to stop by. As I said earlier though, the hits will keep on coming so keep checking back. Until next time……………………

Drop me a line………………[e-mail]



(Note: Bios and stats in the above column were taken from wikipedia.com and baseballhalloffame.com)