Baseball Legends: Hazen Shirley “Kiki” Cuyler (Pirates 1921-1927, Cubs 1928-1935, Reds 1935-1937, Dodgers 1938)

An outstanding hitter and the fastest player in the NL in his prime, KiKi Cuyler reached the majors in 1921 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and was a regular in the lineup in 1924, when he hit .354. In 1922, he hit .357 with 45 doubles, 26 triples, 18 homers, 102 RBIs, 144 runs scored, and 41 stolen bases.

In the 1925 World Series against the Washington Senators, he had a game-winning home run in the second game, and in game seven his 2-run double in the 8th defeated Walter Johnson and Washington 9 to 7, making it the only time in his career he would be part of a championship team.

Baseball Legends: Honus Wagner (Colonels 1897-1899, Pirates 1900-1917)

Honus Wagner is most famous for his 1909 T-206 baseball card, one of the most sought-after and valuable sports collectibles ever produced. Wagner’s status as a Baseball Legend, however, has much more to do with his playing ability than his picture on a piece of cardboard.

He started his career in 1897 with the Louisville Colonels of the National League, and by 1898 he was proving himself with the bat. Wagner slugged 10 home runs that year, good for a second-place tie during the deadball era. It was also his first of nine 100+ RBI seasons. The only downside to 1898 really was his .299 batting average, but that was the last season he would finish under .300 until 1914.

Baseball Legends: Ralph Kiner (Pirates 1946-1953, Cubs 1953-1954, Indians 1955)

Ralph Kiner is crucial to my love of baseball; to me he will always be the voice of Mets play-by-play, along with the wonderful Lindsey Nelson and Bob Murphy. His signature home run call: “It is gone, goodbye.” Mr. Kiner is still contributing to broadcasts and can offer a great story for any occasion.

He had a great postgame show called Kiner’s Korner in which he interviewed perspiring Mets about all the reasons they lost. He is known for some malapropisms, but Kiner also came up with gems. One of my favorites: in describing Phil Niekro’s knuckleball he said, “It’s like watching Mario Andretti park a car.”