in Major League Baseball history:
Ty Cobb, 1905-1928
Babe Ruth, 1914-1935
Lou Gehrig, 1923-1939
Joe DiMaggio, 1936-1951
Ted Williams, 1939-1960
Yogi Berra, 1946-1965
Jackie Robinson, 1947-1956
Roger Maris, 1957-1968
Jackie Robinson was the first African American (in the modern era) to play in the majors. At age 28, he broke the baseball color line when the Brooklyn Dodgers started him at first base in the first game of the 1947 season. In 1997, MLB retired his uniform number; 42.
Josh Gibson (active 1930-1946) did not play in the major leagues. (Gibson was known as "the black Babe Ruth”. Some fans called Ruth "the white Josh Gibson”.)
In 1961, Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth's single-season home run record from 1927 (60 home runs). Maris hit home run number 61 in the last game of the season. (Maris had 590 at-bats in 161 games that year. Ruth had 540 at-bats in 151 games.)
Ty Cobb is regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time.
Babe Ruth is the most famous player in baseball history.
Lou Gehrig is most known for his record of 2,130 consecutive games played; despite several injuries, he played in every game from June 1, 1925 - April 30, 1939 (a fourteen-year streak). He ended that streak because he felt something was seriously wrong with him - he had mysteriously lost strength and struggled with making easy outs at first base. A few weeks after this, Lou Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS and he died two years later, at age 37.
(Gehrig's "unbreakable record" of 2,130 games was broken by Cal Ripken Jr. in 1995. Cal Ripken Jr. ended his streak, at 2,632 games [17 years], by benching himself before a game in september 1998.)
Joe DiMaggio was an All-Star every season in his career. He is most known for his 56-game hitting streak (and for his marriage with Marilyn Monroe).
Ted Williams is considered one of the best hitters ever.
Yogi Berra won the World Series ten times with the New York Yankees. He is also well known for his "Yogi-isms"; Berra coined the phrase "It ain't over till it's over." He also said:
"You can observe a lot just by watching."
"It's like déjà vu all over again."
"Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical."
"Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."
Yogi Berra (1956)
