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On Feb. 5, 1934, a star was born. Although he had no clue, baby Hank would grow up to be a baseball legend. In 1954,Aaron made his 1st appearance as a left fielder of the Braves. Only two years in baseball, Aaron won his first N.L. batting title. In the next year, not only did he belt an 11th inning homer to clinch the pennant, he was named the N.L. MVP. In 1958, he and the Braves won the pennant, but lost the World Series. The following year, he won another batting title with a .355 average. As the Braves moved to Atlanta, he led the N.L. with 44 HRs. In '67, he won his 4th HR title. Three years later, he hit his 3,000 career hit. In '74, he set a new MLB record with 715 HRs. The next year he was traded to the Brewers, and in '82, was elected into the Hall of Fame.
The 4-1-1 on Sammy Sosa:
Hometown: San Pedro de Mecoris, Dominican Republic
B-Day: Nov.12, 1968
Age: 30
Weight: 210 lbs. Height: 6'
Team: Chicago Cubs #: 21
Position: Right Field
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Pets: 6 dogs!
Favorite Food: Rice and Beans
Favorite Movie: Independence Day
Favorite Athlete: Michael Jordan
66 HRs, .308 batting average, and 158 RBIs. Who could ask for more? No one. Sammy Sosa was raised in San Pedro de Mecoris, Dominican Republic. His family was very poor. Sammy's dad died when he was seven. Sammy sold oranges,washed cars, and shined shoes for money. As a kid, Sammy used a milk carton for a glove, balled-up socks for a baseball, and a big stick for a bat if he wanted to play baseball. At sixteen years old, he tried out for a scout from a Texas Rangers. The scout loved his power! He gave Sammy a $3,500 bonus, so he could sign a pro contract. He gave all the money to his mom. Well, not all the money! He used his share to buy his first bicycle.
His skills were raw during his first pro season in 1986. He was traded twice before he became a star with the Cubs in 1993. Sammy hit 33 HRs and drove in 93 runs. Now, almost everything has changed. Mark Grace, the first baseman says,"Sammy isn't just a great hitter, he always plays with a smile. He's fun to be around." The homerun race of 1998 was one of the most exciting events in baseball history. Sammy Sosa versus Mark McGwire, what a match! The media pressure was extreme, though not to Sammy. "I never feel pressure. Pressure was when I was a kid and didn't have food on the table," he says. Every time he pounds a homerun, Sammy kisses two fingers, touches his heart, and blows a kiss. His famous "heart gesture" goes to his mom who is always watching. During the race, Sammy always said, "Mark is going to break the record. He's the man." As it turned out, Mark did win. He belted the record-breaker against the Cubs in St.Louis. Sammy ran out from right field and gave Mark a big hug. At the season's end, Mark hit 70 HRs and Sammy hit 66. Even though Sammy didn't win the race, he was named the N.L. MVP. During the off-season, he returns to his hometown. Sammy plays baseball with the neighborhood children and buys them equipment. He donates a lot of money to the shelters there, too. Sammy says he enjoys doing what he does for people. He also says, "My life is pretty much a miracle." No wonder he's always happy!
Birth Date: May 27, 1968
Birth Place: Columbus, Georgia
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 275 lbs.
First Year in Majors: 1990
After less than two years in the minors, Frank Thomas moved up to the major leagues. Before Frank steps up to the plate he stares down the pitcher. It's like Frank is daring the pitcher to throw it over the plate. Frank's nickname is "The Big Hurt", because he is so good on offense, it is painful for his opponents to think of what he might do next. He is the first player since 1900 to hit .300 with 20 home runs, 100 RBI's 100 runs scored, and 100 walks in five straight seasons. In his first five seasons, Frank Thomas hit 170 home runs. Only two others in American League history reached that mark sooner. In 1993 Frank won the American League MVP award. He hit .317, with 41 homers and 128 RBI's. In 1994 he hit an incredible .353 on his way to another MVP award! Only 11 players have won back-to-back MVP awards. Hitting has always been easy for Frank, but it was not his only athletic skill when he was growing up. In 1986, he went to Auburn University on a football scholarship. After just one season he decided to concentrate on baseball. GREAT MOVE! Frank holds Auburn's Career (49) and single-season (21) home run records. In 1989, the White Sox drafted him in the first round.
Birth Date: August 24, 1960
Birth Place: Harve de Grace, Maryland
Height: 6'4"
First year in majors: 1981
Weight: 220 lbs.
Position: Shortstop
Baltimore Oriole short stop, Cal Ripken, Jr., did not miss a baseball game in 14 years!!! That would be like going from Kindergarten all the way through college without missing a day of school. On Sept. 6, 1995, Cal Ripken, Jr. played in his 2,131 straight game. He broke a record that no one thought would ever be broken. From 1925 until 1939, New York Yankee Lou Gehrig played in 2,130 straight games. Cal's accomplishment amazes a lot of people, but it does not impress him. "I've always approached the game the same way," he explains. "I'm going to come to the ballpark every day until something cues me not to play." Cal comes to play not just to go to work. In his 16 year career, Cal has been named Rookie of the Year, won two M.V.P. awards, and helped the Orioles win one World Series. His spectacular defense has given Cal a dozen fielding records at his position, including most consecutive games without making an error (1995) and highest consecutive games without an error (.996).
Baseball has always been in Cal's family. His dad, Cal senior, was a player, a coach, and a manager with the Orioles for 36 years. And Cal, Jr.'s little brother, Billy, has played parts of seven seasons for the Baltimore. In fact, in 1987 and 1988, Cal, Jr. played shortstop, and Billy played second base and Cal senior managed the team.
Cal as a Kid
Cal, Jr. hardly ever ate junk food, but always ate vegetables. His father, Cal senior, worked in the minor leagues and was away from home almost all the time. So Cal's mother, Vi, taught him how to hit a baseball. "She was a pretty good hitter," says Cal senior. He loved soccer as a kid. Cal senior says the agility and endurance he gained playing high school soccer helped him keep his consecutive game streak alive.
Birth date: Dec.14,1965
Height: 5'11'' Weight: 180 lbs.
Bats: right Throws: right
Entered majors: 1988
From '94 to '98 the Astros' Craig Biggio hit .308 and stole 25 bases every year. In his first 10 seasons he slammed 20 or more homers, and scored at least 100 runs. Craig led the N.L. with 51 doubles and 50 stolen bases in '98. People are saying that he is the all around best second baseman. Through '88 to '92 Biggio played catcher. Craig is the only All-star that played catcher and second base. Let's see if he keeps up the good work.
Date of Birth: May 9,1960
Height: 5'11'' Weight: 220
Entered Majors in: 1982
In his 15-years he hit 300 or better. He has won 6 batting titles. Tony actually thought basketball was the bomb (BOO!). In his second season he hit safely 25 times. Two years later he won his first batting title. His lifetime average was .337, 19th highest. Let's hope he doesn't retire now.
Fred McGriff had a batting average of .552 at the end of the 1991 season. Fred McGriff led all the active players to have over 2,000 at bats by the end of the season.
Birth date: June 26, 1974
Height: 6'3''
Weight: 195 lbs.
Entered majors in: 1995
Bats: Right Throws:Right
New York shortstop Derek Jeter hit .314 and 104 runs on his way to winning the American Ledge Rookie of the Year award in '96. His performance also helped his team capture the World Series that same season. He hit .291, scored 116 runs, and improved his defense. The next season he did better batting .324, hit 19 homers, and scored a whopping 127 runs. Derek went up a notch in 99. He hit .380 with 11 homeruns in the first 60 games of 99 season. At age 25, he was putting up M.V.P numbers. David Cone loves having Derek on his team. "Defense is the most important job for a shortstop," says Derek. His top talent might be his glove work. He always wanted to play for the Yankees, "It's a dream come true." He is the Yankees top player. Girls ask Derek for dates as much as boys ask him for autographs!
Birth date: Sept.10, 1963
Height: 6'10'' Weight: 230 lbs.
Entered majors in: 1988
Randy, known as the "Big Unit" has an incredible pitching arm. He is the tallest leaguer in history. In 95, he finished the season with the league best 18-2 and won the Cy Young award for the American League. In 99, he got traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Now he has a 98 m.p.h fastball and has lead his league 4 times.
Date of birth: Dec.1, 1966
Weight: 237 Height: 6'3
Bats: left Throws: right
Entered majors: 1989
This right fielder from the Colorado Rockies has so much fun. He burps the alphabet for his teammates. In 96, Larry hit 49 homeruns with an average of .366 to win the national M.V.P award. He almost made a career in hockey (Boo!). In 98, he made faces and stuck his tongue out at a former teammate in the batter's box during the game. He always has a smile on his face. The pitchers rarely have fun when he's at bat. In 98, he won the N.L batting title with a .363 average and 23 homers. Despite his wacky behavior, his skills are no jokes at all. "He wants everybody to think he doesn't know what's going on out there," says Tony Gwynn. Larry always knows what he's doing. He signed with the Expos after high school. But we are lucky to have him in baseball and not hockey!
Birth date: Nov.21, 1969
Height: 6'3 Weight: 205 lbs.
Entered majors in: 1989
He has been a major league star since he was 19. Jr. entered '99 with 350 career homeruns. He has stolen 143 bases. He has won 9 Golden Glove awards. His best season was 1997. Ken has always wanted a Series ring like his father, Ken Senior. Ken is baseball's most electrifying player. One minute Seattle Mariner's centerfielder is crashing into the outfield wall making a spectacular grab. The next, he's at bat hitting another monster shot over the outfield wall. He makes baseball look easy. He makes it look like it's a kids' game (no offense). In each of his five seasons from '91 to '95, Jr. batted .300 or better.
Birth date: Nov.30, 1971
Height: 5'9 Weight: 205 lbs.
Bats: right Throws: right
Entered majors in: 1991
Ivan was 19 in 1991 when he entered majors and joined the Texas Rangers. Ivan was catcher in his second year and caught for Nolan Ryan. He became one of the best defensive catchers. He has seven Golden Glove awards and seven All-Star appearances. His main weapon is his rocket arm. From '91 to '98, Ivan threw out 46.3% of the runners who tried to steal on him. "I don't steal on him anymore," says speedster Chuck Knoblauch of the New York Yankees. "He's gotten me tons of times." (He's not an all-star for nothin'). He is almost as good at batting as he is behind the plate.
Birth date: Oct.1, 1963
Height: 6'5 Weight: 250 lbs.
Throws: right Bats: right
Entered majors in: 1986
There are not many players who can give the ball a trip out of the ballpark, Oakland's star Mark McGwire can. Despite missing 33 games in 95 with a back problem, Mark hit 39 homers in just 317 at-bats. Not even Babe Ruth can hit that many. In '96 he led the majors with 52 goners. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 1990. In '97, he was traded to the Cardinals and now you never know what is going to happen next. He is the first hitter to belt at least 50 homers in three straight seasons. In '98 he bashed an astonishing 70 big ones (WOW!). He can hit a ball 500 feet. In '92, still on the A's, he hit 42 homers. In the meantime, Mark can keep teaching baseballs to fly out of the ballpark (Now boarding flight 70 out of the ballpark, have a nice ride). Kiss that ball GOOD BYE!
Ty Cobb, the bad boy of baseball, really puts up the numbers. Ty Cobb's career numbers are destined to last for many decades, for example, 4191 life time hits, and 96 stolen bases in a single season. Ty Cobb won 12 league batting championships. Ty Cobb had a liftime average of .368 or higher. In the eyes of many people, Ty Cobb had everthing; such as wealth, a reputation of baseball greatness, a wonderful family including several kids, and a good healthy body that kept him alive into his late seventies. Ty Cobb thought he owned the bases, and if anyone was in his way, they would taste cold steal. Many people still think that Ty Cobb was a great player and many people think that he is the greatest player of them all.
Jackie Robonson was born on January 31, 1919, John Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson. Undoubtedly Jackie was a great player. He was the Rookie of the Year in 1947 & the MVP in 1949. In 1962, Robinson was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was the first African-American to ever be admitted to the Hall of Fame. In the 1949 season, Robinson led the National League in batting with an average of .342, as well as 37 stolen bases. He batted .328 in 1950, and 338 in 1951. In 1951, he set a new fielding record with a percentage of .992. Clearly, he had become one of the stars of the game. It was very hard being the first black player in the Major League. One of his strongest surrporters was Pee Wee Reese, the Dodgers' shortstop. He was a good friend and stood by Jackie's side during hard times. Robinson was one of the greatest players to play the game.
Babe Ruth was one of the best baseball players to ever play. In an exciting World Series game, Ruth supposedly pointed to the center field bleachers, and then hit a pitch to the astonished crowd that was seated there. Stories still live on today about how many hot dogs Ruth would eat in between innings. There are other stories too such as his willing ness to be kind to kids by visiting them in the hospital. other stories tell that he was a wild drinker ,a man who would stay up all night with women befor going to yhe ballpark the next day. during the 1920 season he hit .376. He also hit 54 homeruns in that season when he finaly retierd in 1934 Babe had a total of 714 homeruns. If any body could do that they are truly great.