The Five Greatest Baseball Players of All Time

Let's face it, baseball is the greatest American pastime. We have had the privilege of witnessing the most remarkable athletes to ever play the game.

Some might say that it is impossible to narrow this list down to a paltry sum but it is definitely worth the effort. Take me out to the ball game are words heard and sung by tens of millions of people throughout time and they were words that brought people together and still bring people together to share in moments of glory.
It is baseball that connects everyone. These great players connected with the masses throughout time and left impressions that will be remembered throughout history.

For their tremendous efforts and contributions to the best of times, here are the five greatest baseball players who ever lived.

Mickey Mantle. He covered centerfield like it was his own backyard. He was very possibly the greatest switch hitter in the history of the game of baseball. Unlike many of the greats to play the game, Mantle had the nearly impossible to accomplish upon joining New York's roster: he had to replace Joe Dimaggio in center. Mickey Mantle spent eighteen years with the New York Yankees. During that time he helped the Yankees grab twelve American League pennants and seven World Series titles. He holds the record for most home runs during the World Series with a total of eighteen. He also won the MVP award three times for 1956, 1957 and 1962.

Willie Mays. Easily one of the most remarkable to ever play the game, Mays was the original highlight reel. Mays was chosen to participate in the All-Star game twenty-four times. Very few could match his defensive play as demonstrated by his astounding twelve golden glove awards. He was a two time National League Most Valuable Player. He hit 660 home runs during the course of his career and is ranked fourth on the all-time home run list. During every season from 1957 to 1966 Mays finished no lower than 6th in the National League MVP voting. He was the first player to collect 3000 hits and 500 home runs.

Babe Ruth. It should be noted that he was both an outfielder and a left-handed pitcher. He also just so happened to hit the first home run in Yankee Stadium, clearly a sign of what was to come. He was arguably the game's first great hitter and arguably the most celebrated athlete of his time. As a pitcher he won 89 games in six seasons with the Boston Red Sox and helped them win World Championships in 1915, 1916 and 1918. Then he was sold to the New York Yankees and the true legend began to take form. He took the Yankees to seven American League Pennants and four World Series crowns. He hit a total of 714 home runs throughout his career.

Joe Dimaggio. He had a pretty good 56 game hitting streak in 1941. The numbers he posted during the course of his career are simply spectacular. He had a career average of .325 while crushing a total of 361 home runs. He won three American League MVP awards and two batting titles. During his incredible 1941 season, he led the American League with 125 RBIs. He hit 30 home runs, 43 doubles and 11 triples. Amazingly, he only struck out thirteen times that year. Oh, and by the way, he was married to Marilyn Monroe. Sure, she would look like Andy Griffith today but that was still pretty impressive back then.

Hank Aaron. He is the only man to date to break the Babe's home run record. He was the last NAL player to also play in Major League Baseball. He is probably most remembered for his sheer home run power, nobody has topped his career 755 dingers. He also holds records in career RBIs, extra base hits and total bases. He was the National League's MVP in 1957 and was a 24 time all-star. Defensively, he wasn't too shabby either considering he won three golden glove awards.

That's the list. It wasn't easy. I'm happy to give honourable mention to greats like Ted Williams, Nolan Ryan, Reggie Jackson and Honus Wagner. I'm sure that still won't be enough for some. No doubt good arguments could still be made for others. However, there were several I left off the list for a variety of reasons including sportsmanship, fair play and who knows what else. I'm sure there's going to be lots of opinions and I look forward to hearing them.