It shouldn’t come as a surprise at all that baseball has more than 500 million fans across the globe. From sandlots to stadiums, the game has evolved over the decades, shaped by legendary players who have only left an indelible mark. With their unparalleled performances, these players have transformed the game, influencing how we support and perceive it.
For instance, we now have a lot of fans who not only watch the games but also wager. In fact, according to Statista, in the US alone, baseball accounts for 22.2% of sports wagers. Thankfully, fans can easily find the best baseball betting sites that usually give an overview for baseball odds to help them make better decisions. With that said, let’s now look at some of the players in history who have changed the course of this sport.
Roberto Clemente
After making his major league debut on April 17, 1955, many other Latin American players would later join baseball. This 20th-century player seemed to be talented from a young age and would appeal to coaches and scouts with his defensive abilities, especially his arm and speed. In fact, Fred Haney, once a manager of Pirates, commended him for his tools and readiness to take instructions.
It is believed by many that, because of his strong arm, he won 12 Gold Gloves, leaving a reference for modern outfielders. His good hitting skills also saw him win up to four NL batting titles. And do you know what? He got his 3000th base hit in 1972, a mark only ten players had reached at that time.
Roger Clemens
Marked by his record of seven Cy Young Awards as the best pitcher of the year in both the American and National leagues, Clemens really had an amazing career. It’s actually recorded that he threw about 4672 strikeouts, the third most of all time.
He has ever been recognized among the rare starting pitchers to receive a league MVP award after posting a 24-2 record with a 2.48 ERA (earned run average) in 1986. It was during this time when he recorded 238 strikeouts for the Boston Red Sox. In honor of his stellar performance, the Rotary Smith Award (given to America’s best college player) changed its title to Roger Clemens Award.
Honus Wagner
Perhaps Honus Wager is not a new name, given his historical defensive prowess. By the way, you may be surprised to learn that this Pennsylvanian-born player grew up helping his family in the coal mines and that he only played sandlot baseball during his free time. Fortunately, he was able to master his craft and found himself playing for the popular Louisville Colonels towards the end of the 19th century.
While he was known for sure hands and exceptional range, his expertise at the plate is what really distinguished him. To further solidify his fame in the sport, he was quite versatile and had keen base-running skills. After leading the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1909 to their first World Series Championship, this ‘baseball deity,’ popularly known as the Flying Dutchman, became a generational symbol of excellence, commanding the attention of fans nationwide.
Stan Musial
During his 22-year-old career playing with the Louis Cardinals, this professional baseball player won seven National League batting championships, becoming one of the greatest game hitters. And can you imagine that he actually signed his first professional baseball contract while still in high school?
At this point, he was just a pitcher but later diversified his skills and switched to the outfield. After years of perfection, he joined St. Louis and teamed with Terry Moore and Enos Slaughter, forming one of the most offensive and defensive collaborations in baseball history.
His breakthrough came in 1943, when, after a remarkable performance for NL, he received the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the age of 22. In his career journey, he drifted slightly to join the US Navy during World War II but later returned in 1946. By the time he was retiring, he had a career batting average of .331.
Ty Cobb
If you know the Deadball Era, then you must be aware of Ty Cobb because he was the king. Playing in major leagues from 1905 to 1928, he became the first player ever to be voted into the Hall of Fame. An aggressive player who never wanted to settle for the second position, Cobb had an unmatched batting average of about .366.
And perhaps shocking, he batted over .400 in three seasons and retired in 1928 as an all-time leader in hits (4189). On top of that, Cobb won nine uninterrupted AL batting titles for eight years from 1907. His best offensive season came in 1911 when he won every major offensive category except a few home runs, such as the slugging percentage. And besides just playing, he served as the manager of the Tigers during the later years of his career.
What is Our Final Word?
At this point, it actually makes sense to see this game appeal to more than half a billion of the world’s population. With their unequaled performances, players like Roberto Clemente have really helped baseball push its boundaries beyond the USA.
And, of course, their undying legacies provide good grounds for contemporary players like Ole Miss to master their craft even more. Now that more talented individuals are emerging, the number of fans supporting this game could actually continue growing – not just in the US but globally as well.