For those who knew him and watched him as a player in the 1950s and 1960s, Ernie Banks epitomized the love of baseball wrapped in a talented athlete who clubbed 512 career home runs, captured two National League MVP Awards and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1977.
Because of his exuberance of putting fun into the game of baseball, despite playing on clubs that never appeared in postseason play during his career, Banks is known as Mr. Cub and will forever be the identifying face of the N.L. Chicago franchise.
Banks gave to the game as much as it had given him by constantly expounding on its virtues, by patiently signing thousands upon thousands of autographs for kids, by continually making himself available to the public for talks on baseball, and by his refusal to knock a teammate or foe.
As a young boy, I had the opportunity to meet Banks at the Baseball Writer’s dinner in Chicago many years ago, an event I attended with my Dad, who had been a Cubs baseball beat writer for the Chicago Daily News and knew Banks well.
When introduced, I was speechless, but Banks put his arm around me and called me, “my little buddy.” He signed his autograph on a program several times that night and as he chatted with my Dad, he continued to smile and include me in on their conversation.
For the Chicago Cubs, Banks’ many attributes as a player and fan favorite make him an easy choice as the face of the franchise. Here are selections for each MLB club’s best and most recognizable player in franchise history.
 
Arizona Diamondbacks: Randy Johnson—The franchise will celebrate its 19th season in MLB in 2016, so the list is not long for the player who can be identified as the greatest contributor to the team’s history and success. Johnson played only eight of his 22 major league seasons in Arizona, but no player did more for the credibility of the D’backs being a postseason contender than the Big Unit. During his time with the club, he won four Cy Young Awards, led the team to its only World Series title and captured Fall Classic MVP honors. He also pitched a perfect game, had a 20-strikeout performance and was considered the most intimidating hurler in the majors. When you see the Diamondbacks logo, memories of Johnson’s numerous accomplishments follow.
Atlanta Braves: Hank Aaron—Aaron’s consistent greatness will always be linked to the Braves clubs in Milwaukee and Atlanta. Aaron helped bring the only World Series title to the city of Milwaukee and Atlanta was the home where Aaron closed out his pursuit of Babe Ruth and established a new career home run record. Although Warren Spahn and Eddie Mathews are historic figures in Braves baseball annals, it is Aaron who is the face of the franchise.
Baltimore Orioles: Cal Ripken—A Rookie of the Year Award, two A.L. MVP honors, two All-Star game MVP awards, one World Series title, 19 All-Star appearances and 3,184 hits etch Ripken’s name in stone as one of the greatest players in Orioles history. But his record-setting feat of playing in 2,632 consecutive games, including a record of 8,243 consecutive innings played, have made Ripken the most documented player in franchise history—surpassing those of fellow Hall of Famers George Sisler, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer and Eddie Murray.
Boston Red Sox: Ted Williams—He is often referred to as the greatest pure hitter whoever played the game, and his numbers reflect that he was among the very best. Williams’ offensive totals are impressive despite missing several of his prime seasons serving in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps as an instructor and fighter pilot in World War II and the Korean Conflict. On the field, his six batting championships, two Triple Crown titles and two A.L. MVP Awards rank him as one of the top performers in the game and the face of Red Sox ballplayers.
Chicago Cubs: Ernie Banks—He not only had a great impact on the major league game as an outstanding player, he impacted the lives of many people in a positive way that endeared him to the city and many Cub followers.
Chicago White Sox: Frank Thomas—The White Sox have a long and impactful history in Major League Baseball but not with standout names that are remembered through different eras. Joe Jackson has the bad rap of the Black Sox scandal. Great players such as Ted Lyons, Eddie Collins, Nellie Fox, Luis Aparicio, Carlton Fisk and Paul Konerko are Chicago icons, but Lyons is from a long ago era and Fox did not have the offensive punch that keeps players at a regal level. Collins, Aparicio and Fisk all had careers split with other teams. Konerko is close but did not have the individual stardom that Thomas enjoyed with his MVP Awards, batting title and all-around supreme hitting ability. Although Konerko has the 2005 postseason heroics on his side, Thomas will be the one remembered as the better offensive performer and the top producer in White Sox history.
Cincinnati Reds: Pete Rose—Despite his rough downfall in the major leagues, Rose continues to be the player synonymous with Reds baseball. Although Johnny Bench is a close second, it was Rose who epitomized the style of how the Reds played during their championship seasons in the 1970s. When characterizing a great hustling player, most envision Rose sprinting around the bases or diving on the field. His play influenced a whole generation of ballplayers and he remains the face of the organization.
Cleveland Indians: Bob Feller—Like fellow Hall of Famer Ted Williams, Feller is admired more for his time serving his country in World War II than as his time as the greatest pitcher of his era. He served as one of the best pitchers in Indians history and one of the club’s best spokesmen. He led the A.L. in wins, innings pitched and strikeouts in each of three seasons before entering the Navy and missing almost four complete years of his prime due to combat missions during World War II. When he returned, Feller again led the A.L. in wins, innings pitched and strikeouts in his first two full seasons back. Had he not missed time in military service, his career numbers would be significantly better. But with his service to the country and ability to be a dominating pitcher, he is the most respected man in Cleveland Indians history.
Colorado Rockies: Todd Helton—Like other expansion teams, the Rockies have a short history and one that features many players with short stays with the club. Helton, on the other hand, played his entire 17 years in Colorado and put up Hall of Fame worthy numbers to place his name as the best and most recognizable in franchise history. He is the club record holder in games (2,247), at-bats (7,962), hits (2,519), runs scored (1,401), doubles (592), home runs (369), RBI (1,406) and walks (1,335). Helton also hit .316 with a .414 on-base percentage and .539 slugging mark. The face of Rockies baseball is spelled H-E-L-T-O-N.
Detroit Tigers: Ty Cobb—He is the owner of the highest career batting average in the game’s history with a .366 mark and hit over .300 in 23 of his 24 seasons, including three campaigns with a average above .400. Cobb also holds the mark for the most league batting titles with 12 and at the time of his retirement in 1928, he was the modern all-time leader in hits (4,189), runs (2,244), RBI (1,933), on-base percentage (.433) and stolen bases (897). Today, he still ranks among the top players in each of these categories making him one of the best players to ever play the game and the most venerated in Tigers franchise history.
Houston Astros: Jeff Bagwell & Craig Biggio—The two were teammates for 15 seasons and hit their prime years in the major leagues together, helping develop Houston into one of the most competitive clubs in the N.L. During Bagwell and Biggio’s leadership years, they led Houston to six postseason appearances, including the 2005 World Series, while the club posted a .531 winning percentage during their 15 years together. They are ranked one and two in almost every offensive category in Astros club history—games, at-bats, runs, hits, total bases, doubles, RBI, walks, extra-base hits, runs created and hit by pitch. Bagwell is first in homers and Biggio ranks third, while Biggio is second in stolen bases and Bagwell ranks sixth among Houston players. Their names are synonymous with one another and with the success they shared as teammates in helping build Houston into a great baseball franchise. Both of their names evoke wonderful memories of the Astros and they are mirror images of the greatness they shared as the best players in team history.
Kansas City Royals: George Brett—Kansas City has had several players with long careers in Royal blue, but none had the flair and accomplishments as Brett. He won batting titles, MVP awards and totaled more than 3,000 hits while helping guide the club to its first World Series title in 1985. He is considered one of the best clutch hitters of his era in both regular and postseason games and is the only player with a Hall of Fame plaque displaying a Royals cap. He also created a cult following when he chased a .400 batting average in 1980, with his pine-tar home run, and his ALCS homer off Goose Gossage. When creating the perfect Royals player, KC fans would sculpt a figure created out of George Brett’s mold.
Los Angeles Angels: Mike Trout—During the club’s 55 years in the major leagues, the Angels have had numerous star players performing for them, but none of them were home grown or played for the club for a long time without creating a splash of greatness in other cities for different big league franchises. They have had Reggie Jackson, Rod Carew, Fred Lynn and Frank Robinson—among others—who played for the team but captured MVP seasons with other clubs. The Angels have had their own MVP winners in Don Baylor and Vladimir Guerrero, but those two players also had starring roles with other teams. At 23, Mike Trout has been branded the player who symbolizes the greatest baseball talent to dress in an Angels uniform. In his first four full seasons in the majors, he has won Rookie of the Year honors; an A.L. MVP award along with three second-place finishes in the MVP balloting. He is a four-time Silver Slugger award winner and a four-time All-Star, who is the only player in major league history to win consecutive All-Star game MVP awards. Trout is viewed as the face of the franchise and the club could probably change its logo from the letter “A” with a halo to a mug shot of their star center fielder without any complaints.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Jackie Robinson—The history of the team is steeped in legendary baseball personalities that include Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese, Gil Hodges, Roy Campanella, Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale and Steve Garvey. But the most exceptional identity tied to Dodgers baseball is Jackie Robinson. Not only did he lay the path for African Americans in MLB with honor, integrity and character, he did it with Hall of Fame talent that earned him great fame on the field and tremendous respect from every true baseball fan off it.
Miami Marlins: Giancarlo Stanton—The franchise was introduced to the major leagues in 1993 and with a revolving door of star players coming and going, they have two World Series titles under their belt. But behind the frequent building and dismantling of teams by ownership, the rebuilding process has not allowed a player to stay in the Sunshine State for an extended period of time. Stanton’s signing of a 13-year, $300 million deal and his prodigious power and hitting ability are an attempt to create a strong fan base in Miami. This move and Stanton’s popularity make him the face of Marlins baseball.
Milwaukee Brewers: Robin Yount—The two greatest players in Brewers history were Yount and Paul Molitor, but Yount came up through the organization as a teenager and spent his entire career with the club. He was the top player on the franchises only pennant winner and collected all of his 3,142 hits in a Brewers uniform, making him the most popular player in team history.
Minnesota Twins: Kirby Puckett—This selection may be the most difficult when reviewing such names as Walter Johnson, Harmon Killebrew and Rod Carew. Although Johnson may have been the greatest right-handed pitcher in MLB history, he created his legend in the early 20th century as a member of the Washington Senators before the club moved to Minnesota. Killebrew was the best right-handed home run hitter in the A.L. during his time with the Twins and Carew was a perennial batting champion. But Puckett was the leader of a Twins team that captured two World Series titles and his all-around ability on the field of play along with his leadership in the clubhouse and joyful exuberance among fans helped him become admired by all. With his clutch postseason performances and Hall of Fame career, Puckett is the face of the franchise.
New York Mets: Tom Seaver—He spent the majority of his Hall of Fame career with the Mets and brought them out from being perennial losers to world champions in 1969. Nicknamed Tom Terrific, he gave the Mets their first superstar and helped create a tremendous fan base generated through his outstanding pitching intelligence and performances along with his charismatic personality.
New York Yankees: Babe Ruth—No MLB team has more iconic names on its all-time roster than the Yankees with Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Berra, Ford, Jackson, Jeter, Rivera and so on. But none of those names, no matter what their accomplishments are in pinstripes, can measure up to Ruth. Ruth changed the game with his home run power and was the greatest offensive force in the game’s history. His greatness extends past his hitting exploits with his two 20-win seasons and American League ERA title as a pitcher. Ruth’s ability as a ballplayer made him an international star and his name is synonymous with greatness. When a performer outshines all stars in his sport or occupation, he is often referred to as the Babe Ruth of his sport or occupation. That certainly makes Ruth not only the face of the Yankees franchise, but also arguably the face of MLB.
Oakland A’s: Reggie Jackson—The Athletics have played in Philadelphia and Kansas City before moving to Oakland and had high profile players such as Eddie Collins, Frank Baker, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and Lefty Grove during their championship years in Philadelphia during the early 1900s. But because of his undeniable ability to hit clutch home runs along with his flamboyant and controversial personality, Reggie Jackson is the most identifiable name and face in franchise history—especially with the clubs he helped guide to three consecutive World Series titles in the 1970s.
Philadelphia Phillies: Mike Schmidt—Although he didn’t have the charm of an Ernie Banks or Roberto Clemente, Schmidt earned his admiration through his never-ending desire to be the best player he could be. During his time in Philadelphia, he won eight N.L. home run titles, three MVP awards and10 Gold Glove awards while earning 12 All-Star appearances, a World Series title and clubbing a franchise record 548 home runs. He had some rough times in the city of brotherly love, but in the end Phillies fans will forever love him.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Roberto Clemente—He brought pride, leadership and great baseball performances to the Pittsburgh franchise during his 18 years with the club. Clemente helped the Pirates win two World Series titles while capturing four batting crowns, one league MVP, 3,000 hits and 12 Gold Glove Awards. He was one of the greatest players of his generation and he was more known for being one of the greatest humanitarians of his time.
St. Louis Cardinals: Stan Musial—The Cardinals have had so many great players during their history, but no individual compares to “The Man.” Musial was the perfect player who was among the best in the game. He was loyal and gracious to the Cardinals, his teammates and his fans. No player represents the great St. Louis organization better than Stan Musial.
San Diego Padres: Tony Gwynn—There is no player in Padres history who can measure up to Gwynn in terms of ability to play the game or the admiration he earned for his style in showcasing the sport. He was a great MLB ambassador who earned the respect of fans and legendary players like Ted Williams, while keeping opponents in awe of his hitting ability. He was an eight-time batting champ and owner of a 3,141 hits and a .338 lifetime batting mark—standards that make him the stamp of the San Diego Padres franchise.
San Francisco Giants: Willie Mays—when he broke into the major leagues in 1951, many baseball experts labeled him as the greatest player in the game. Today, more than 42 years after he played his last big league game, Mays is still revered as one of the game’s greatest players. He is what all five-tool players have been compared to for decades and his career numbers are among the best in history. He brought a class and style to the game that has never been duplicated—and for that, Mays will always be the name all Giants fans will refer to when discussing the franchise’s top performer.
Seattle Mariners: Ken Griffey Jr.--Griffey possessed everything fans look for in a player—youth, extreme all-around ability and a love for the game that he displayed in his performances. He helped put Seattle baseball on the map and was followed by more fans around the major leagues during his time in a Seattle Mariners uniform than any other player. With his 10 consecutive Gold Glove awards as the best defensive center fielder in the game and his fluid swing that generated monstrous home runs, Griffey was frequently the main attraction on highlight reels. His image was the centerpiece for MLB during the 1990s and because of his dominance and popularity, Griffey is the face of the franchise.
Tampa Bay Rays: Evan Longoria—The Rays suffered a losing season in their first 10 years in MLB (1998-2007), but when Longoria made his debut in 2008, the tide began to turn in Tampa Bay. Longoria’s first eight seasons in the majors helped the Rays to six winning campaigns, four postseason appearances and one A.L. pennant. During his time with the Rays, he has averaged 26 homers and 88 RBI per year while helping Tampa average 88 wins per year as a club. Along with his Rookie of the Year award in 2008, two Gold Glove awards and three All-Star appearances, Longoria’s most memorable accomplishment was his two-homer game—including an 11th inning walk-off blast—in Tampa’s final game of the season on Sept. 28, 2011 to clinch a wild card playoff berth. Those accomplishments make Longoria the most identifiable player in franchise history.
Texas Rangers: Nolan Ryan—The Rangers are a storied franchise that has been a part of Major League Baseball since 1961 as the Washington Senators before moving to Texas to become the Rangers in 1972. They have had a number of Hall of Famers play for the club and some players like Ivan Rodriguez and Michael Young, who are identified as the superstars who had the longest tenure as successful performers as members of the Rangers—both players rank high among club offensive leaders. But it is Nolan Ryan, the Texas born, living legend who is most identified as the team’s face of the franchise. Despite playing only five of his 27 big league seasons with the Rangers, it was Ryan’s status as a future Hall of Famer and his ageless fastball that elevated his stardom in the Lone Star State. Ryan joined the Rangers at the age of 42 and during his stay with the club, he added to his career strikeout record, became the oldest pitcher to fan 300 batters in a season and tossed two of his seven no-hitters with Texas at an advanced age. It also helped that Ryan was the team president when the Rangers appeared in consecutive World Series in 2010-2011.
Toronto Blue Jays: Joe Carter—The franchise has been in existence for almost 40 years and during that span (1977-2015) the club has two World Series titles, three Cy Young winners and two league MVPs, but the name that sings the greatest tune in club annals is Joe Carter. He is the author of the most memorable and exciting home run in club history with his walk-off, three-run blast that clinched the 1993 World Series in Game 6 over the Philadelphia Phillies. With six 100-RBI seasons during his seven years with the Blue Jays, Carter earned his reputation as a clutch performer. But his crowning achievement remains to be his series-winning home run that keeps his face as the one that identifies the 40 years of Toronto Blue Jays baseball.
Washington Nationals: Bryce Harper—The original home of the franchise, the Montreal Expos, never brought home a championship team to identify the city to a historic player. Andre Dawson, Gary Carter and Tim Raines are the top players in club history during its time in Montreal, but all three players found fame in other cities with different teams. Harper has already established his baseball skills with top rookie honors, an MVP and a playoff appearance at only 22 years of age. When the Nationals are the topic of conversation, no player from the early Montreal days are as prominent as the current and future stardom of Harper.
 

A double is a hit that has excitement with a play at second—clutch when accomplished with runners on base, and underrated in the aspect of a hitter’s power. “I am not a singles hitter,” Pete Rose once proclaimed to a reporter who labeled him as a hitter with little power. “I hit a lot of doubles. A power hitter is one who gets a lot of extra-base hits and I have done that.”
During his career, Rose hit 746 doubles, the second most in baseball history behind leader Tris Speaker, who banged out 792 two-base hits in his 22-year career with the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators and Philadelphia A’s.
Speaker is the all-time leader with the most seasons with 40 or more doubles (10), the most campaigns with 50-plus two-baggers (five) and most years leading the American League in that offensive category with eight. The left-handed hitting center fielder, who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1937, hit 20 or more doubles in 20 consecutive seasons (1909-1928) and reached 40 or more in a season with three different teams — Red Sox (1912, 1914), Indians (1916-17, 1920-23, 1926) and Senators (1927).
From 1910-1919, Speaker hit more doubles (367) than any other major league player and during the decade of the 1920s (1920-1929), his 397 two-base hits were tied with Harry Heilmann for second most during that time frame behind Rogers Hornsby’s 405. Speaker set a single-season record for doubles in 1923 with 59 before it was surpassed in 1926 by George Burns (64) and current record-holder Earl Webb (67) in 1931.
Over the last 115 years of Major League Baseball—since 1901 when the American League was formed—there have been 92 occurrences in which a player hit 50 or more doubles in a season, a feat accomplished by 69 players.
Among those 69 big leaguers, 16 of them had multiple 50-double campaigns with Speaker totaling the most with five years of 50-plus two-baggers. The other players with two or more 50-double seasons include Paul Waner (3), Stan Musial (3), Brian Roberts (3), Albert Pujols (3), George Burns (2), Joe Medwick (2), Hank Greenberg (2), Charlie Gehringer (2), Chuck Klein (2), Todd Helton (2), Billy Herman (2), Craig Biggio (2), Nomar Garciaparra (2), Edgar Martinez (2) and Miguel Cabrera (2).
Speaker (Red Sox/Indians), Cabrera (Marlins/Tigers) and Pujols (Cardinals/Angels) are the only players to achieve the feat with different teams while Cabrera and Pujols are the only two batters to do it in both leagues.
Baby Doll Jacobson and Ben Chapman are the only players to hit 50 doubles in a season while splitting the year with different teams. In 1926, Jacobson clubbed 15 doubles for the St. Louis Browns and 36 for the Boston Red Sox for a total of 51. In 1936, Chapman belted 14 for the New York Yankees and 36 for the Washington Senators for a season total of 50.
In 1929, Dodgers outfielder Johnny Frederick became the first and only rookie to hit 50 doubles in a season when he finished the year with 52. This rookie record has been in place for 86 years.
There have been 10 players who had back-to-back 50-double seasons, counting Stan Musial who hit 51 doubles for the Cardinals in 1944, before missing the 1945 season due to his military service during World War II in 1945. and returning in 1946 to lead the N.L. with 50 two-baggers for St. Louis.
The other players with consecutive 50-double seasons include Speaker for the Indians (1920-21), George Burns, Indians (1926-27), Billy Herman, Cubs (1935-36), Joe Medwick, Cardinals (1936-37), Edgar Martinez, Mariners (1995-96), Craig Biggio, Astros (1998-99), Todd Helton, Rockies (2000-01), Albert Pujols, Cardinals (2003-04) and Brian Roberts, Orioles (2008-09).
The Cleveland Indians have the most 50-double seasons by individual players with 11, accomplished by seven different players. Only two other clubs have seven players with a 50-two-base season—the Red Sox and Tigers. The most by a club in the N.L. are five by the Cardinals.
There have been six teams with two players who hit 50 or more doubles in the same season. The 1926 Indians (George Burns/Tris Speaker), 1934 Tigers (Hank Greenberg/Charlie Gehringer), 1936 Tigers (Charlie Gehringer/Gee Walker), 1946 Senators (Mickey Vernon/Stan Spence), 1996 Mariners (Edgar Martinez/Alex Rodriguez) and the 2000 Rockies (Todd Helton/Jeff Cirillo).
Lou Gehrig of the Yankees was the first of nine players to have a season with 50 or more doubles and 40 or more home runs in 1927, while Albert Belle is the only player to club 50 home runs and 50 doubles in the same year when he belted 52 two-base hits and 50 homers for the Indians in 1995. Other players with a 50-double/40-homer season include Greenberg, Tigers (1940), Juan Gonzalez, Rangers (1998), Carlos Delgado, Blue Jays (2000), Klein, Phillies (1930), Helton, Rockies (2000-01), Pujols, Cardinals (2003-04) and Derrek Lee, Cubs (2005).
Since 1901, there are only six active franchises that have not had a player club 50 or more doubles in a season—the New York/San Francisco Giants, Boston/Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays.
Here is a list of players with 50 or more doubles in a season.
 

After the baseball season ends, I often refer to the quote by Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby, “People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.”
With an array of media outlets to plug into, fans can continue to follow the MLB game in the off-season with the announcement of awards, the discussions of free agent signings and trades, the Hall of Fame ballot elections and various social media channels to challenge our baseball intellect with trivia.
There are also other ways to exercise the baseball mind with intriguing games to kill time that doesn’t seem to be moving.
Long ago, my Dad and I would travel to work—those rides were filled with bumper-to-bumper, slow moving vehicles and the drive usually ranged anywhere between 90 and 115 minutes to complete.
During those inch-crawling trips, my Dad would often come up with the game of picking baseball All-Star teams, and his favorite was selecting a letter from the alphabet and naming an All-Star team by position of players whose last name begins with a certain letter.
The rules were that the player named to a position must have played in the major leagues and must have played the assigned position at the big league level.
For example, for the letter “A,” he would choose Luis Aparicio as the shortstop. For third base, there are few players whose last name begins with “A” that played the hot corner so his selection for third would be Luke Appling, who went into the Hall of Fame as a shortstop, but played several games at third base.
For the letter “X,” in the exercise in naming an All-Star team for each letter, I am selecting any player who has an “X” in their first or last name. The one catch I have in naming this team is that the player chosen could not have been named on a club with another letter. For example, Jimmie Foxx would be a perfect name for the X team, but because he is mentioned as the first baseman for Team F, he is not eligible for Team X—giving Mark Teixeira the first base slot on that club.
This is a fun, but meaningless exercise with no incorrect answers. For each team, I selected eight position players, a designated hitter, two starting pitchers and a closer. Some letters had an abundance of players to choose from. Thus, some great names may be missing—sorry Pedro Martinez and Juan Marichal, but I went with Christy Mathewson and Greg Maddux as my starting pitchers for letter "M." Share your thoughts on my selections. Here are my clubs, using 312 different big league names:
 

Rating or comparing great major league players has always been a popular topic among fans. Whether it’s workshop chat during a coffee break, barbershop talk waiting for a haircut or general badgering among friends, baseball has always been a   subject of interest.
Examining the strength and weakness of Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams, Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle, Christy Mathewson and Grover Alexander or Bob Feller and Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver and Greg Maddux, the list goes on.
We can’t help but compare great players from the past to those currently playing or from different generations.
“You can’t compare players from different generations,” Bob Feller said in 1994. “The players were different, the game was different, the ballparks were different, the equipment was different, the social times were different. You can’t compare Babe Ruth to Hank Aaron. They faced different pitchers and played on different teams. They can’t be fairly compared to one another. The best way to rate them is say that they both were one of the greatest players of their time.”
Feller’s assessment is correct, but it takes away the fun these comparisons are intended to be. Ten different people can’t agree on the best way to tie a shoe much less rank the top 10 players at each position in major league history.
The players ranked in this book are major league players only, and I can say with certainty that my selections are correct. But in the same breath, I cannot deny that the opinions of other fans and writers are also correct.
Writing a book on ranking the greatest big league players was a project I never thought I would be able to accomplish, but with the encouragement of the many outstanding writers I have worked with during my career, it is a goal I can now mark off my bucket list. 
I learned the love of the game through my Dad, John Kuenster—who was a baseball writer for the Chicago Daily News in the 1950s and 1960s as well as the long time editor of Baseball Digest—and my brothers Jim and Kevin. We often had lunches, dinners and family gatherings where the topic of conversation frequently directed towards who the best players were in major league baseball.
The idea for this book came from such debates and long conversations with my dad during our travel times to and from work. We put these thoughts into print in Baseball Digest when the major league game came to a work stoppage in 1994. During the strike, that lasted 232 days and forced the cancellation of 948 games in 1994-95, we believed Baseball Digest needed a series to keep our readers’ interest, and what better way than to rate the greatest players in history by position—a job I anticipated would take long hours digging up information, facts and figures on the game’s most gifted players.
The rankings of these major leaguers changed during the 20 years I first started making selections, but the timing of creating the chapters for this book in 1994 gave me the opportunity to talk with and interview some great baseball personalities who have since passed—Al Lopez, Bob Feller, Stan Musial, Lou Boudreau, Andy Pafko, Ron Santo, Harry Caray and Harry Kalas.   
These men and and other former players, coaches, and announcers gave me great insight in the talents of the many major league stars discussed in this bound collection of pages.
Along with the accomplishments and statistics used to determine which players would make my cut, I also used other factors to determine my rankings. These factors included whether the player had an impact on the game, did he have an influence on the winning performance of his club and were these players a major contributor to their team and the game by being a dominant and productive player.
Grading players by position had another obstacle to overcome. At what position do I rank some of these men who played different positions during their time in the majors? Ernie Banks played more games in the big leagues as a first baseman than as a shortstop, but Banks was a dominant player at short, becoming the first player at that position to club 40 homers in a season and the first to win consecutive league MVP honors—so it was an easy choice to rank Banks among the shortstops. Rod Carew is in the Hall of Fame as a second baseman, Paul Molitor as a third baseman, Harmon Killebrew as a first basemen and Craig Biggio accomplished most of his feats as a second baseman, but they are rated among the best multi-position players because of their versatility as big league stars.
After listing the top 10 players at each position, I included a group of Honorable Mentions players who deserved consideration in these rankings for their contributions to the game.
Also, the changes that have been made in the baseball record books due to the use, or alleged use, of steroids by some players cause complications in how to rate such cheaters. I mention these players, who put up Hall of Fame type, but unreliable, statistics—but have been ignored by voters for entrance into the Cooperstown museum, by casting them among the Dishonorable Mentions.

Complete games are a dying achievement in the major leagues. A starting pitcher working 27 outs in a game has been disappearing for sometime now and are becoming more rare each season.
“My goal as a starter was to go deep into a game—eight, nine innings—and keep my team in a position to win,” said former pitcher Billy Pierce in 2009. “You never wanted to be pulled. A pitcher’s job is to go the distance and help your team win. And there is a skill to completing a game, especially when a pitcher doesn’t have his best stuff. He has to work the corners of the plate—in, out, up, down—if you can move your pitches around the strike zone without giving in to a hitter, then a pitcher can find success.”
Hall of Famer Bob Feller agreed with those comments and added: “It took me six years to learn how to pace myself. I learned I didn’t have to strike everybody out. I’d bear down hard on the first batter of each inning and then try to get the next guys by jamming them on the fists or making them hit the ball off the end of the bat.”
In his first six major league seasons, Feller started 175 games and completed 117 of them.
He then served more than three years with the U.S. Navy during World War II, missing some of his prime years—ages 23 through 25—as a big league star. But in his first full year back on the mound in the majors, the hard-throwing right-hander did something that he took great pride in.
“In 1946, I pitched 36 complete games,” he said. “I think that was the most complete games anyone had pitched since the advent of the livelier ball in 1920.”
Researching Feller’s sharp memory found that he was correct. The most complete games in a season from 1920 through 1945 were 33 by Grover Alexander of the Cubs in 1920, Burleigh Grimes of the Dodgers in 1923 and Dizzy Trout of the Tigers in 1944.
When Feller completed his 36 games in ’46, he started 42 (he also appeared in a relief role six times) with a 26-15 won-lost record, 10 shutouts, 371.1 innings pitched, four saves, 348 strikeouts and a 2.18 ERA.
After 1946, a pitcher completing 30 or more games in a single season occurred six times by five different pitchers —Robin Roberts (30) in 1952 and (33) in 1953 for the Phillies, Juan Marichal (30) of the Giants in 1968, Fergie Jenkins (30) of the Cubs in 1971, Steve Carlton (30) of the Phillies in 1972 and Catfish Hunter (30) of the Yankees in 1975.
The last starter to complete 20 or more games in a season was Fernando Valenzuela of the Dodgers, when he led the majors with 20 complete games in 1986.
The last pitcher with 15 or more complete games was Curt Schilling of the Phillies in 1998 when he topped MLB with 15. Since 2000, only two pitchers have saved 10 or more games in a season—James Shields finished 11 starts for the Rays in 2011 and CC Sabathia, who topped the majors with 10 complete games in 2008 when he split the season between the Indians and Brewers.
Last season the most complete games by a pitcher was four, a feat accomplished by six starters—Jake Arrieta, Cubs; Madison Bumgarner, Giants; Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers; Max Scherzer, Nationals; Mark Buehrle, Blue Jays and Corey Kluber, Indians.  
The game has certainly changed from the days of Bob Feller and Billy Pierce. Starters don’t complete many games and don’t go deep into a contest the way they were expected to before 1990. Relief pitchers are more prominent and have many roles that force managers to utilize their high-priced middle relievers, specialty pitchers and closers.
Take Zack Greinke, who had one of the best seasons by a starting pitcher in the game’s history with his 19-3 record, 1.66 ERA and 222.2 innings in 32 starts. He completed only one game and averaged seven innings per outing. In fact, the top dollar starter’s lone complete game in 2015 was only his 14th of his career in 323 starts—he has only two complete games over the last five years.
For his outstanding campaign last season, Greinke cashed in on a $206.5 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks that will earn him more than $34 million per season.
At age 32, it’s not likely Greinke will duplicate his 2015 numbers and it will be very important for the D’backs to have a strong and consistent bullpen to get a return on the dollar for Greinke’s contributions.
The great hurlers in the past who saved 30 or more games in a season, since 1920 when the live ball era began, certainly would not be put in the position to match those feats in today’s game, but it would be mind boggling to see what a pitcher like Feller would earn in salary in the current era had he won 26 games and completed 36 in a season before free agency.
 

Over the last 96 major league seasons since the live ball era began in 1920, there have been 192 home run titles combined in both the American League and National League. These championships have been won by 109 different players, with Mark McGwire and Fred McGriff the only batters, in that time frame, to win a home run crown in both leagues. Among those home run leaders, there  have been 50 who won multiple titles, including Babe Ruth (10), Harmon Killebrew (6), Alex Rodriguez (5), Ken Griffey Jr. (4), Reggie Jackson (4), Mickey Mantle (4), Hank Greenberg (4) and Jimmie Foxx (4) in the A.L. and Mike Schmidt (8), Ralph Kiner (7), Mel Ott (6), Hank Aaron (4), Willie Mays (4), Johnny Mize (4), Chuck Klein (4) and Hack Wilson (4) in the N.L. McGwire won four, but two were won in the A.L. and two in the N.L.
Also among the 96 championships won in each league, there have been 22 instances when the home run title was shared between players—10 in the A.L. and 12 in the N.L., including last season’s dead heat race between Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals and Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies.
Here is how the 22 home run titles that ended in a draw transpired.
 
AMERICAN LEAGUE
1931—Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig
The Yankee sluggers were neck and neck in a close battle for the A.L. home run crown throughout the season. At the end of May, Ruth (9) held the lead over Gehrig (8) in homers by one. By the end of June, Ruth had 18 homers and Gehrig had 19. The Yankees first baseman had a big month in July with 11 long balls to bring his season total to 30 while Ruth slugged 10 homers to bring his season tally to 28 and keep pace with his teammate in the HR race.
As the Yankees tried to keep pace with the eventual pennant-winning A’s behind the game’s top two home run hitters, Ruth ended the month of August with 37 home runs and Gehrig finished with 38.
Entering the final days of the campaign, Gehrig held a 45-to-44 home run lead over Ruth with seven games remaining in the season. On September 25, Ruth clubbed two home runs off Washington’s General Crowder to retake a one HR lead against Gehrig. In the final game of the season, New York defeated the A’s 13-1 as Ruth went homerless in a 3-for-5 outing with three singles while Gehrig blasted his 46th homer off Lefty Grove to tie Ruth for the A.L. home run championship.
 
1935—Jimmie Foxx and Hank Greenberg
The powerful first basemen were two of the most consistent home run hitters throughout the ’35 campaign. Already a two-time champion over the last three seasons, Foxx was trailing the 24-year old Greenberg in the race 35 to 33 going into the final two weeks of the regular season. Foxx closed the gap with his 34th homer of the year on Sept. 15, but Greenberg belted his 36th and final homer of the campaign on Sept. 17. In the season finale on Sept. 29, Greenberg’s Tigers split a double header against the White Sox with the right-handed slugger going 0-for-7 with three strikeouts to end his season. Foxx went 3-for-4 with two home runs—his 35th and 36th— off Henry Coppola of the Senators in the A’s 11-8 win, giving Double X co-ownership of the A.L. home run title.
 
1959—Rocky Colavito and Harmon Killebrew
The two sluggers were the A.L.’s top home run hitters in 1959 and battled for HR leadership throughout the year. Colavito was coming off a season in which he fell one homer short (42 to 41) of winning his first home run crown, losing to Mickey Mantle in 1958. In his five previous major league campaigns (1954-1958), Killebrew played in only 113 games with 11 home runs, but in ’59 the right-handed power hitter became the Senators everyday third baseman and proved his value with big time production. At the All-Star break on July 5, Killebrew had 28 homers to lead the league with Colavito second in the chase for the HR crown with 24, followed by Killebrew’s teammates Bob Allison with 21 and Jim Lemon with 20.
Colavito and Killebrew took off in the second half of the campaign. The Rock hit his 40th homer of the year on Sept. 7 and Killebrew equaled the mark on Sept. 10. But Killer would go homerless in his next 47 at-bats that covered 12 games, while Colavito smashed two in that span to take a 42-40 lead heading into the final weekend of the season.
In the last two games, the Cleveland right fielder went 1-for-8 without a homer to end the season with a new career high mark of 42. Killebrew, 24, hit his 41st homer on Sept. 26 and was one homer shy of tying Colavito in the season finale.
In that game, Washington manager Cookie Lavagetto put Killebrew in the leadoff spot to get more chances to tie or win the A.L. home run championship out right. Killebrew singled in the first inning and doubled in the third before hitting his 42nd homer in the fifth off Red Sox pitcher Jerry Casale. In the seventh, he singled and took his final at-bat in the ninth with one out, the Senators trailing Boston 6-2 and relief pitcher Frank Baumann on the mound. Trying to win the HR crown with one powerful swing, Killebrew proceeded to ground out to third and finish the season with 42 dingers, tied with Rocky Colavito.
 
1967—Carl Yastrzemski and Harmon Killebrew
For Carl Yastrzemski, the final two games of the 1967 season were pressure-packed, not just because he was trying to capture the Triple Crown, but because his club, the Boston Red Sox, were attempting to capture its first pennant in 21 years. Yaz entered the final two games leading the A.L. in batting average —.319 to .314 over Baltimore’s Frank Robinson—pacing the league in RBI 115 to 111 over Minnesota’s Harmon Killebrew and tied with Killebrew with 43 home runs.
But for the Boston slugger, the most important element entering the last two games of the season was the fact the Red Sox were tied with the Tigers in second-place—one game behind the Twins, who the Red Sox were scheduled to play in the final two contests. 
In the game on Saturday Sept. 30, the Red Sox defeated the Twins, 6-4, to move into a tie for first place while the Tigers split a double header, thus eliminating Detroit from contention for the pennant. In Boston’s 6-4 win, Yaz went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI, padding his lead for the batting title (.322 to Robinson’s .311) and in RBI, bringing his total to 119 against Killebrew’s 113. Killebrew also homered in that game, so the two All-Stars entered the season finale tied at 44 HR. In that pennant-deciding game, neither player homered, but Yaz went 4-for-4 in Boston’s 5-3 victory to secure a World Series appearance and the Triple Crown with totals of   .326 BA, 121 RBI and 44 homers—tied with Killebrew.
 
1975—Reggie Jackson and George Scott
Reggie Jackson of the A’s and George Scott of the Brewers tied for the home run title with 36, but John Mayberry of the Royals and Bobby Bonds of the Yankees were also in the race during the final stages of the season. Jackson was the first to reach the 30-homer plateau on Sept. 1, followed by Mayberry on Sept. 3, Scott on Sept. 15 and Bonds on Sept. 21. On the date Bonds hit his 30th, he trailed Mayberry (33), Jackson (32) and Scott (31).
On Sept. 22, Scott blasted two dingers to tie Mayberry at 33. The Milwaukee first baseman hit his 34th on Sept. 24 to surpass the Kansas City first sacker, but Jackson hit two homers that same night. So the HR race at the closing of that date was Jackson (34), Scott (34), Mayberry (33) and Bonds (30).
On Sept. 26, Scott blasted his last two homers of the year to bring his season total to 36 and the following night Mayberry clubbed his 34th and Bonds hit two in a double header to hoist his mark to 32. Going into the final game of the season on Sept. 28, the HR leadership board read: Scott (36), Jackson (34), Mayberry (34) and Bonds (32). Only Jackson would add to his final output before the ’75 campaign ended as he hit two homers—one off Gary Ross and one against Sid Monge of the Angels—to boost his total to 36 and tie for his second A.L. home run crown.
 
1980—Reggie Jackson and Ben Oglivie
Heading into the final week of the 1980 season, there was a three-man race for the A.L. home run crown with Reggie Jackson of the Yankees, Ben Oglivie of the Brewers and reigning A.L. home run champ Gorman Thomas—also from the Brewers. All three were in the hunt for bragging rights as the leagues top slugger. At the end of September, Oglivie led with 39 HR, followed by Jackson and Thomas, who were tied with 38. The Yankees had five games remaining on the schedule while Milwaukee had three. Thomas went homerless in 15 at-bats in October. Jackson clubbed his 39th on Oct. 1 to tie Oglivie, who homered later in the day for his 40th of the season. Jackson belted his 40th on Oct. 2 and took the lead on Oct. 4 when he blasted his 41st and final homer of the year off Tigers pitcher Roger Weaver. With a one-homer edge going into the final game of the campaign, Jackson tripled in his first at-bat to bring his season average up to .300 before being pulled from the game. In Milwaukee, the Brewers beat the Oakland A’s, 5-4, in 15 innings but trailed 4-3 with one out in the bottom of the ninth when Oglivie tied the game with a solo shot—his 41st of the year—off A’s pitcher Rick Langford. The Brewers left fielder collected two singles in his three extra-inning at-bats and scored the game-winning run, but he came up short trying to win the home run title outright and had to settle for a tie with Mr. October.
 
1981—Tony Armas, Dwight Evans, Eddie Murray and Bobby Grich
During the strike interrupted 1981 season, the home run champs were crowned with a low total of 22 home runs, the first and only time since 1920 that more than two players tied for the league lead in homers. When the player strike began after games played on June 11, the home run leaders in the A.L. were Gorman Thomas of the Brewers (15), Dwight Evans of the Red Sox (13), Tony Armas of the A’s (13) and Gary Gray of the Mariners (13). While Armas and Evans were in the thick of it, Eddie Murray of the Orioles had eight and Bobby Grich of the Angels had six at the time of the strike.
The second-half of the season resumed on Aug. 10, and going into the final week (Sept. 28 – Oct. 4) of the shortened campaign, the home run race was lined up with Armas and Thomas leading with 21, followed by Evans with 20 and Murray and Grich tied at 19.
Grich clubbed three homers between Sept. 29 and Oct. 2 to take the lead with 22 long balls. On Oct. 3, Armas equaled the Angels second baseman by belting No. 22. So going into the season finale, the A.L. home run race was paced by Grich and Armas with 22 followed by Murray and Thomas with 21 and Evans with 20. In that last game, Thomas, Grich and Armas went homerless as Murray belted one while Evans produced a two-homer game to force a four-way tie for the A.L. HR crown—the lowest total to win a home run championship since Nick Etten of the Yankees paced the A.L. with 22 in 1944. Thomas finished fifth in the race with 21.
 
1982— Reggie Jackson and Gorman Thomas
For the third consecutive season the A.L. had a shared ownership for the home run title. Jackson of the Angels, who already had three home run titles under his belt, including two in which he tied for the league lead, battled Thomas, the A.L. home run champion in 1979 for the Brewers. Dave Winfield of the Yankees was also in the mix for a shot at capturing a league home run crown.
On Sept. 26, with a week remaining in the season, Thomas belted his 39th and final homer of the year and was trailed by Jackson, who hit his 36th homer on that date, and Winfield, who also had 36. Thomas went homerless in the Brewers last seven games that included 25 at-bats. Winfield clubbed his 37 on Sept. 28 to move behind Thomas before Jackson equaled his total the following night and passed him with homer No. 38 on Oct. 2. In the Yankees last game, Winfield did not play while Jackson hit his 39th homer of the season in the first inning of the Angels 7-6 win over the Rangers. Jackson produced a double in his final three at-bats of the game to end the season in a tie with Thomas for the A.L. homer title.
 
1991—Cecil Fielder and Jose Canseco
Fielder of the Tigers and Canseco of the A’s eventually ran away with the home run race as the 1991 season progressed, but at the end of June, the A.L. leadership was Chili Davis, Twins (19), Canseco (18), Fielder (18) and Dave Henderson, A’s (18). By the end of August, Canseco and Fielder were tied with 36 while Davis and Henderson fell out of the race and replaced by Joe Carter of the Blue Jays (29) and Frank Thomas of the White Sox (28). But the as the final weeks played out, Canseco and Fielder were in a battle between each other. The Tigers slugger was the first to reach the 40-homer mark on Sept. 11 and by Sept. 15, he moved into the lead with 42. Canseco hit homers Nos. 40 and 41 on that mid-September date to keep pace. As the month of September closed out, the two right-handed power hitters were tied with 43 with Detroit having six games remaining on the schedule with Oakland having five. Canseco hit his 44th on Oct. 1 to put him in the HR lead, but on Oct. 3, Fielder blasted his 44th and final homer of the season. Canseco went homerless in his final 20 at-bats and Fielder in his last 10 to end the season in a tie for the home run title.
 
2009—Mark Teixeira and Carlos Pena
At the All-Star break, the A.L. home run race was tight with 10 players between 20 and 24 homers. Rays first baseman Carlos Pena was leading the league with 24, followed by Russell Branyan, Mariners (22), Nelson Cruz, Rangers (22), Brandon Inge, Tigers (21), Justin Mourneau, Twins (21), Mark Teixeira, Yankees (21), Jason Bay, Red Sox (20), Jermaine Dye, White Sox (20), Ian Kinsler, Rangers (20) and Aaron Hill, Blue Jays (20). By the end of the season, 13 players finished the year between 30 and 39 homers.
With two weeks remaining in the campaign, the leadership board was Pena (39), Teixeira (37), Bay (35), Cruz (32) and Hill (32). Pena clubbed his final homer of the year on Sept. 1 because injury ended his season on Sept. 7 forcing him to miss the final 25 games. With Pena sidelined, Teixeira equaled Tampa Bay’s left-handed swinger’s season total when he blasted his 39th of the year on Sept. 29 off Anthony Lerew of the Royals. Bay stood at 36 HR on Sept. 21, but went homerless in his final 40 at-bats of the season while Hill connected for three homers during that span to finish with a career high 36 and leaving Teixeira and Pena as co-home run champions in the American League with 39.
 
NATIONAL LEAGUE
1927—Hack Wilson and Cy Williams
At the season midpoint in 1927, the A.L. home run race was generating all the excitement in the majors as Yankee teammates Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig were both on a record pace with 30 homers. Ruth would finish the year with his record-setting total of 60 and Gehrig would end the year with 47. In the N.L., the home run race was a little more subdued as Cy Williams of the Phillies paced the league with 18 at mid-July while Rogers Hornsby of the Giants had 16 and Hack Wilson of the Cubs had 15. Those three would battle it out the rest of the way with Williams attempting to become the oldest player, at age 39, to win a league home run crown. He entered the final weekend of the year (Oct. 1-2), pacing all N.L. hitters with 30, Wilson’s total was 29 and Hornsby was at 26. Williams and Hornsby went homerless in the final two games, but Wilson clubbed his 30th of the season in the sixth inning off Cardinals pitcher Jesse Haines in the season finale to tie Williams for the N.L. home run championship.
 
1928—Hack Wilson and Jim Bottomley
Wilson was in line to win his third consecutive N.L. home run crown, a feat accomplished by only one other player in the senior circuit—Gavvy Cravath. Challenging the stocky Cubs center fielder was Cardinals first baseman Jim Bottomley, who during the 1928 campaign became only the second player in baseball history to hit 20 or more doubles, triples and home runs in the same season. He also topped the N.L. with 136 RBI that year. At the end of June, the home run leaders were Wilson (16), Del Bissonette of the Dodgers (15), Bottomley (15) and Rogers Hornsby of the Braves (14).
Heading into September, the race came down to Wilson, who held the lead with 30 homers, and Bottomley, who was comfortably holding the second spot with 27. 
During the month, Bottomley homered on Sept. 9, Sept. 17 and clubbed his 30th to tie Wilson on Sept. 23. The following day, the Cardinals left-handed hitter belted his 31st homer to take the lead over Wilson, who was struggling with his power numbers. Wilson had hit his 30th homer on August 25 before going 28 games (Aug. 26-Sept. 28) without a home run, a streak that covered 103 at-bats. But on Sept. 29, the day before the season ended, Wilson connected against Giants pitcher Freddie Fitzsimmons for his 31st homer to tie Bottomley for the N.L. title.
 
1932—Chuck Klein and Mel Ott
The midway point of the 1932 season came on July 4, and at the juncture of the campaign, Chuck Klein looked to be a runaway in the home run race, leading the N.L. with 25, followed by Bill Terry of the Giants (15), Hack Wilson of the Dodgers (15), Ripper Collins of the Cardinals (14) and Mel Ott of the Giants (14). But as the season progressed, Klein couldn’t keep up with his pace for a 50-homer season while Ott continued in consistent pursuit to capture his first home run crown at age 23.
By July 28, Klein was the first N.L. player to reach 30 homers, as Ott was still 10 homers off the Phillies slugger’s pace. After a two-homer game on Aug. 12, Klein’s HR total was at 35 and Ott’s was at 22 before Klein fell into a homer slump that lasted 26 games and 110 at-bats. During that slide, Ott belted 12 homers to bring him within one of Klein’s league-leading total.
Klein padded his lead with his 36th homer on Sept. 13, but Ott hit his 35th the following day. Klein again took a two-homer lead with his 37th on Sept. 15, but on that same date, Ott belted his 36th. Klein responded with his 38th dinger on Sept. 19, but once again Ott answered the call with two homers against the Braves on Sept. 20. Both players went homerless in the final week of the season, ending the year in a dead heat with 38 homers.
 
1934—Mel Ott and Ripper Collins
The National League home run race of 1934 was a three-man race among Mel Ott of the Giants, Ripper Collins of the Cardinals and Wally Berger of the Braves. At the end of June, the home run leaders were aligned with Ott leading the league with 19 homers, followed by Chuck Klein of the Cubs (18), Collins (16) and Berger (13).
Through July, the same four players were the top sluggers in the league, but the rankings shuffled a bit with Ott still leading the league with 24 homers, as Berger and Collins trailed behind him with 23 and Klein, who hit only one home run during the month, still among the leaders with 19.
Heading into September, the order remained the same with Ott holding his leadership spot with 32 homers, Berger and Collins in second with 30 and Klein—going homerless in August—held on to fourth place with 19 homers but was out of the race for the HR crown.
On September 9, Berger hit his 32nd homer of the season, placing himself in a three-way tie with Ott and Collins for the N.L. leadership with three weeks remaining in the season. After games played on Sept. 25, Ott held the lead with 35 homers and Collins and Berger were close behind with 34. During that final week, Ott went homerless in 11 at-bats and Berger went 4-for-15 with four doubles to end his season with 34 homers. Collins also went without hitting a home run until his final at-bat in the last game of the regular season when he connected off Reds pitcher Allyn Stout in the bottom of the seventh to give him 35 homers for the year, tying him with Ott and making him the first switch hitter in big league history to win a home run crown.
 
1937—Mel Ott and Joe Medwick
Ott was in the middle of another close home run chase in 1937 when his main competitor was Joe Medwick of the Cardinals, who was attempting to win the Triple Crown and become the third player since 1900 to capture the honor in the National League.
At mid-season, the HR race between Medwick and Ott began to form as the St. Louis slugger led the league with 20 homers, followed by Ott with 19.
On September 14, Ott blasted his 31st and last homer of the season before he went homerless over the last 20 games and 80 at-bats of the season. On that date, Medwick had a comfortable lead for both the RBI and batting title, but trailed in the HR race by three. The Cardinals left fielder tied Ott on Sept. 29 by clubbing his 31st homer off Pirates pitcher Cy Blanton and when the season ended on Oct. 3, Ducky Medwick was a Triple Crown winner with league-leading totals in RBI (154), batting average (.374) and tied with Ott in the home run department with 31.
 
1947—Ralph Kiner and Johnny Mize
Kiner and Mize put on one of the greatest home run races in baseball history and for the first time in National League annals, two players hit 50 or more homers in the same season.  By the end of May, Mize led all N.L. hitters with 14 homers while Kiner got off to a slow start, generating only three long balls. The Pirates slugger got hot in June, blasting 14 homers to bring his season total to 17, but still trailed Mize who finished the month with a league-leading total of 20.
Entering September, Mize had a major league high 44 homers with Kiner keeping pace with 39. Over the next three weeks, Kiner would blast 12 homers to bring his season total to 51 on Sept. 23, giving him a one-homer lead over Mize, who had hit his 50th on Sept. 20. With five days remaining in the season, Kiner and the Pirates had four games left to play while the Giants and Mize had six games left on the schedule. Kiner went homerless in his final four games and 15 at-bats to closeout the year with 51 homers. Mize hit his 51st on Sept. 25, but in his final four games, he went 16 at-bats without putting one over the fence, making it the only time two players tied for a league home run title with 50 or more homers.
 
1948—Ralph Kiner and Johnny Mize
Not only did Kiner and Mize put up another exciting race in the home run title for the second year in a row, but Stan Musial—the N.L.’s best hitter—was also involved in the chase. At the end of August, the leader-board was headed by Kiner with 35 homers and Musial was right behind him with 34 while Mize was situated in third place with 32. At that time in the season, Musial had a 41-point lead in the batting title race and was up on Mize in RBI 109 to 101, so Stan The Man was in the hunt for Triple Crown recognition.
After games played on Sept. 23, the three-man race was tightening as Kiner and Mize paced the league with 39 and Musial followed with 38. Kiner became the first to reach the 40-HR plateau that year when he connected off Reds pitcher Kent Peterson on Sept. 26, but Kiner ended the year without a homer in the final five games. Musial tied Mize for second in the home run competition with his 39th on Sept. 30 and the two players both had three games remaining in their season to tie or pass Kiner in the home run derby. Musial lost his bid for the Triple Crown when he failed to homer in a three-game, season-ending series against the Cubs. Mize’s total was at 39 when he entered the season finale on Oct. 3. The Giants slugger came to bat only once in that contest and homered off Braves pitcher Nels Potter, to tie Kiner for the home run title with 40. It is the only time the same two players tied for the home run crown in consecutive seasons.
 
1952—Ralph Kiner and Hank Sauer
The end of the 1952 season witnessed Ralph Kiner winning his seventh consecutive home run crown and the third time that he shared the honor with another slugger. But it was Hank Sauer of the Cubs who got off to a quick start in ’52, leading the majors with 20 homers by the end of June. Gil Hodges of the Dodgers ranked second in the N.L with 15 homers heading into July and Kiner had 12. On August 31, with clubs heading into the final stretch of the year, Sauer was pacing the N.L. with 34 homers, followed by Kiner with 30 and Hodges with 28.
Hodges would homer only four more times in the Dodgers’ 28 games scheduled in September to finish the year with 32 and leaving the home run race in the N.L. between Kiner and Sauer. On Sept. 11, Sauer clubbed his 37th and final homer of the year while Kiner belted his 34th. On the following night, Kiner hit two homers against the Braves, leaving him one HR behind Sauer with 11 more games remaining to be played. Kiner went homerless in his next 35 at-bats and time was running out for him to catch Sauer. For most of the ’52 campaign, Kiner was regularly penciled in as the cleanup hitter in the Pirates lineup, but with only two games remaining and Kiner trying to hold on to his home run championship belt, Bucs manager Billy Meyer moved Kiner up to the No. 2 spot in the batting order so he could get more at-bats to tie or surpass Sauer for the N.L. leadership in homers.
Kiner slammed his 37th homer on Sept. 27 in the bottom of the seventh inning off Bubba Church to tie for the league lead. The Pirates left fielder could not capitalize with another long ball in the season finale, so he had to settle for co-ownership of the 1952 home run crown.
 
1963—Hank Aaron and Willie McCovey
The top four N.L. home run hitters at the close of the 1963 season were all future Hall of Famers in Hank Aaron of the Braves and a trio of San Francisco Giants in Willie McCovey, Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda. At the Midsummer Classic break that year, the four All-Star performers were at the top of the home run race with Aaron leading the N.L. with 24, followed by McCovey (22), Mays (16) and Cepeda (16). But as the season progressed, it was the two uniformed No. 44 sluggers who battled for the coveted HR crown. On September 15, Aaron appeared primed to capture his second career home run championship with a league-leading total of 42 with McCovey behind him at 38, and Mays (35) and Cepeda (30) slipping off the pace with only two weeks remaining in the regular season.
After a two-homer game on Sept. 20, Willie Mac trailed Aaron 42 to 40, but the powerful Giants hitter belted three homers against the Mets on Sept. 22 to overtake Hammerin’ Hank 43 to 42. On Sept. 25, Aaron hit his 43rd homer but McCovey responded with his 44th and final homer of the year on Sept. 26.
The final day of the season was Sept. 29 and while Aaron hit his 44th homer of the year in the first inning of a Sunday afternoon game in Milwaukee against the Cubs, McCovey suffered through an 0-for-4 performance against the Pirates and the two No. 44 power hitters ended the year tied for the league home run title with 44.
 
1984—Mike Schmidt and Dale Murphy
This was a battle of the two N.L. MVPs as Mike Schmidt of the Phillies was the winner of the award in 1980 and 1981 and Dale Murphy of the Braves the recipient in 1982 and 1983. So the 1984 HR race had a little added flavor with two of the league’s best players competing for the crown. During that season, Schmidt and Murphy were the only two players in the senior circuit to pass the 30-homer barrier. The Phillies third baseman was the first to reach the mark when he blasted his 30th homer on Aug. 19 off Reds pitcher Don Gullett. Murphy tallied his 30th dinger on Sept. 4 against Houston reliever Dave Smith. On that September date, Schmidt held a 34-30 edge on Murphy with 26 games remaining in the season for Schmidt and the Phillies and 24 for Murphy and the Braves.
Schmidt would club two more home runs with his 36th—and last of the season—coming on Sept. 12 before he fell into a 10-for-68 slump (.147) with no home runs to closeout the season. Murphy on the other hand, came through with six home runs during that span, including his 36th on Sept. 28, to tie Schmidt for the league HR title.
 
2013—Paul Goldschmidt and Pedro Alvarez
During the 2013 campaign, Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks and Pedro Alvarez of the Pirates were establishing themselves as the new breed of power hitters in the National League, and they did not disappoint as they battled for the league home run title throughout the season.
At the All-Star break, the N.L. home run leaders were Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies (25), Alvarez (24), Dominic Brown of the Phillies (23) and Goldschmidt (21). In the following weeks, Gonzalez and Brown tailed off considerably while Alvarez and Goldschmidt went down to the wire in a heated battle. On Aug. 17, the D’backs and Pirates were playing the middle contest of the three-game series in Pittsburgh with Alvarez and Goldschmidt tied for the HR lead at 29. Both players would blast their 30th homer in that game and go back-and-forth as the league HR leader in the remaining weeks of the campaign.
Alvarez hit his 31st homer on Aug. 19 and Goldschmidt clubbed his on Aug. 20. After games on Sept. 13, the Pirates first baseman had 33 homers, a number Goldschmidt matched on Sept. 16. The D’backs first sacker held a 36 to 34 lead in the HR race on Sept. 25 with four games remaining in the season. Goldschmidt would go 4-for-15 in those final contests with no homers to end his year with a career high 36. Alvarez proceeded to hit his 35th on Sept. 27 and 36th on Sept. 28 to tie for the league lead. In the season finale he went 0-for-1 with a walk and hit by pitch . . . not the kind of season-ending outcome he was looking for. But a home run title, shared or not, is an impressive accomplishment.
 
2015—Bryce Harper and Nolan Arenado
The home run race of 2015 in the N.L. was the breaking out of two outstanding stars—one in Bryce Harper of the Nationals, who was expected to reach such lofty numbers, the other in Nolan Arenado of the Rockies, who was considered the best defensive third baseman in the game, but was not a hitter most would expect to challenge for a home run title, especially after he combined to hit only 28 in his first two big league seasons. As the year unfolded, Harper jumped out to a quick start and led the N.L. in homers at the end of May with 18, as Arenado had 12 to his credit. At the All-Star break on July 14, the N.L. home run leaders were Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton with 27, followed by Harper (26), Todd Frazier of the Reds (25) and Arenado (24). Stanton would finish the year with 27 after he suffered a broken wrist prior to the Midsummer Classic that ended his season. Frazier, had a disappointing second half of the 2015 campaign with only 10 home runs, ending the year with a season high mark of 35 long balls.
For Harper and Arenado, the race was just beginning.
Heading into the month of September, Harper had 32 homers to Arenado’s 30, and as the month began, the Rockies third baseman went on a six-game homer streak to bring his total to a league-leading 36, a two homer edge over Harper through games of Sept. 5
Harper hit his 34th homer on Sept. 6 before tying Arenado with a two-homer game on Sept. 9, giving him 36. Arenado followed with his 37th of the year on Sept. 10 before Harper put on a show in Philadelphia when he clubbed four homers in a three-game series, giving him 40 for the year—making him the sixth youngest player in baseball history to reach 40 homers in a single season.
Arenado went on to club his 38th homer on Sept. 10, his 39th on Sept. 15 and his 40th on Sept. 26, bringing him within one of Harper’s league-leading 41. Arenado hit his 41st the following night before taking the lead with his final HR of the year on Oct. 2. With two games remaining in the Nationals schedule, Harper clubbed his 42nd dinger on Oct. 3 before ending the campaign on Oct. 4 without going deep. Both Arenado and Harper belted 42 homers, as they shared the N.L. home run crown for their first title of their promising careers.