Baseball Legends: Ted Williams (Red Sox 1939-1942, 1946-1960)

“It was typical of him to become a Marine Air Corps pilot and see action and almost get shot down. He was a remarkable American as well as a remarkable ballplayer. His passing so close to a national holiday seems part of a divine plan, so we can always remember him not only as a great player but also as a great patriot.” – Vin Scully

Ted Williams made his Major League debut on April 20, 1939. In his first season he finished fourth in the MVP voting. Just three short years later he won the American League Triple Crown. His season of 1941 was overshadowed at the time by Joe DiMaggio, but it was one of the greatest in baseball history. He was hitting .400 going into the last day of the season, but played in the doubleheader anyway raising his average to .406 for the season. He is the last player to hit .400 in a season. In 1942 Ted won the first of two Triple Crowns. He hit .356 with 36 home runs and 137 RBI’s. He came in second in the MVP voting to Joe Gordon of the Yankees.

Baseball Legends: Ferguson Jenkins (Phillies 1965-1966, Cubs 1966-1973, 1982-1983, Rangers 1974-1975, 1978-1981, Red Sox 1976-1977)

“The game is easy. Life is hard — No guarantees.” ~ Ferguson Jenkins

Known as “Jenks” to his teammates, he was better known as “Fergie” to the baseball fans of the time. The day Jenkins was traded to the Chicago Cubs, one newspaper headline read “Ferguson Who?” In 1966 Jenkins pitched in relief and won 6 games. On August 25, 1966 Leo Durocher made him a starting pitcher. Jenkins pitched every fourth day for the next six years accumulating more than 20 wins each year. From 1967 to 1980, Jenkins led Major League Baseball with the most wins (251) in that 14-season span while often pitching at home in hitter’s ballparks.

Baseball Legends: Bobby Doerr (Red Sox 1937-1951)

“The kids can look up the statistics, but that won’t tell them who Bobby was.” – Johnny Pesky

Bobby Doerr played his entire career at second base for the Boston Red Sox. He was one of the best second basemen of his era. Defensively he was very good. He once held the American League record for errorless chances by a second baseman with 414. He was a good hitter as well. He hit .288 with 223 home runs and 1,247 RBI’s in his career.

Baseball Legends: Tony Perez (Reds 1964-1976, 1984-1986, Expos 1977-1979, Red Sox 1980-1982, Phillies 1983)

“When there’s a runner in scoring position, I can’t think of any batter I’d rather have at the plate than Perez.” ~ Sparky Anderson

Impressive words about Tony Perez, considering Anderson could have chosen Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Pete Rose, or George Foster, some of the most prolific hitters of the era. Perez was overshadowed by these players on the Big Red Machine, but he was a consistent producer, driving in over 100 runs seven times in his career. He ranks 24th on the all-time RBI list with 1652 ribbies.

Though some argue that Perez does not belong among the Baseball Legends because he was not the dominant player at his position or even on his own team, his consistency and the respect he was given by opposing pitchers attest to his right to be included.

Baseball Legends: Wade Boggs (Red Sox 1982-1992, Yankees 1993-1997, Devil Rays 1998-1999)

The 1980s were a special time in baseball history. Pete Rose, nearing the end of his career, broke Ty Cobb’s record for most hits in 1985. Just a few years prior, in 1982, two other players started careers that would see them reach the 3000-hit milestone: Tony Gwynn and Wade Boggs.

Like Rose, Boggs faced off-field problems during his career (though of a different nature than Rose). However, his play was apparently never affected by those difficulties. Only three times in 18 seasons did Boggs bat lower than .300, contrasted with five seasons over .350 between 1983 and 1988. His career batting average was .328, good for 36th on the all-time list. His 3000th hit was a home run, coming in his final season with the Rays.

Baseball Legends: Tom Seaver (Mets 1967-1977, 1983, Reds 1977-1982, White Sox 1984-1986, Red Sox 1986)

“He’s so good that blind people come to the park just to hear him pitch.”
—  Reggie Jackson

Tom Seaver is one of those guys that you knew early on was a lock for the Hall of Fame. He had a great control, and an overwhelming fastball.  He was also a very cerebral pitcher. That combination proved to be too much for most of his opponents. He pitched for 20 seasons in the Major Leagues piling up 311 wins and 3,640 strikeouts. He is one of 23 members of the 300 win club, and one of 15 members of the 3,000 strikeout club. During his career he was a 12 time All Star. He really was a dominant pitcher.

Baseball Legends: Juan Marichal (Giants 1960-1973, Red Sox 1974, Dodgers 1975)

I have heard the legend of Juan Marichal all my life. He played minor league ball in Michigan City, Indiana, for a local minor league team. I looked into his career because of that and found out how great it really was.

He won 243 games in his career posting a 2.89 ERA and striking out 2,303. He made his Major League debut on July 19, 1960 against the Phillies. Juan made his presence known right off the bat by pitching a one hit shutout striking out 12 in the process. Three years later on June 15, 1963 he threw his only no-hitter. Just under a month later on July 2, 1963 he matched up against Warren Spahn in a great pitchers duel. Both pitchers went the distance in a sixteen inning game. Willie Mays hit a home run off of Spahn to end the game 1-0. What a day it must have been to see two great pitchers duel for 16 innings.

Baseball Legends: Carlton Fisk (Red Sox 1969, 1971-1980, White Sox 1981-1993)

When you think of all-time iconic moments, one moment in World Series history always stands out. October 21, 1975. Game six of the 1975 World Series between the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox. The image of Carlton Fisk waving his famous home run ball fair will always be associated with the game of baseball in the lexicon of America’s pastime.

Fisk was the first round pick (fourth overall) for the Red Sox in the 1967 amateur draft. He made his MLB debut in 1969. Carlton played in a total of sixteen games in 1969 and 1971. 1972 would be the year that he would break through and stay in the majors. It was in this year that Fisk won the American League Rookie of the Year honors. He also made the All-Star team and placed fourth in MVP voting in his rookie season.