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Culture Class S1 #4
Top 5 Most Famous Athletes in
Baseball
LESSON NOTES
CONTENTS
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Cultural Insight
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CULTURAL INSIGHT
Did you Know?
# 5: J oe DiMaggio
Our number five most famous athlete in baseball is Joe DiMaggio. Joe DiMaggio was a
center fielder who played his entire career with only one team, the New York Yankees. He was
solid and dependable on the field and at bat. During his 13 years playing baseball, he hit a
total of 361 home runs, 1534 RBIs, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955.
His most well know feat is a series of 56 games in which he hit the ball in every single game.
That may not seem unusual—baseball players hit baseballs in games, don't they?—but
when you consider that the typical baseball player only hits 3 out of every 10 balls pitched at
him, then the number is a bit more impressive. Then consider that no one has ever done it
since and you realiz e that this was pretty amaz ing.
# 4 : Cal Ripkin
Our number four most famous athlete in baseball is Cal Ripkin. Cal Ripkin is called the Iron
Man of baseball. His name appears in the record books repeatedly, most notably as one of
only eight players in baseball history to achieve 400 home runs and 3,000 hits. When Cal
Ripkin was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007, he received the highest number of
votes ever.
Other in-game achievements include Ripken breaking Lou Gehrig's Major League record for
consecutive games played at 2,130 in 1995, in 1996 he surpassed Japanese great Sachio
Kinugasa's streak of 2,215 straight games. In 1998, he voluntarily ended his streak on
September 20 after playing 2,632 consecutive games.
He received the American League Rookie of the year, the MVP award twice, two-time All-Star
MVP award, and was voted by baseball fans into the MLB All-Century Team at shortstop.
# 3 : J ackie Robinson
Our number three most famous athlete in baseball is Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson is
famous and special for many reasons but one in particular - he was the first African-
American to play Major League baseball since 1889. Baseball had been segregated in 1889
which means African-American's played in their own leagues. His life and his achievements
are iconic.
To complete the story, the President of the Brooklyn Dodgers wanted to break the
segregation barrier. He was also more than aware that the discrimination against any black
baseball player would be tremendous. He wanted a great player but almost more important
he wanted a great person—someone who could handle the persecution and come off
smiling. He found Jackie Robinson.
Not only was he a great person, but he was a great role model. In his rookie year he hit 12
home runs. In 1949, he became the National League's MVP. In 1962 he was voted into the
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CULT URE CLAS S S 1 #4 - T OP 5 MOS T FAMOUS AT HLET ES I N BAS EBALL
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Baseball Hall of Fame. Jackie Robinson was discriminated against his entire career but
never fought back.
# 2 : Hank Aar on
Our number two most famous athlete in baseball is Hank Aaron. This one was a difficult
choice. In baseball, Hank Aaron is much more famous than really anyone. His baseball cards
usually sell for twice what other cards sell for. However, for people unfamiliar with baseball,
you may have heard the name, but you don't know much about him.
Hank Aaron is one of the most decorated baseball players of all time and by many
considered the greatest baseball player of all time. Hank made the All-Star team 20 times,
hit at least 24 home runs almost every year of his career, holds the record for most career
runs batted in at 2,297, and got "on base" a grand total of 6,856, more than anyone...ever.
He is also the only player to hit 30 or more home runs in a season for 15 seasons. He was
also the first to break Babe Ruth's home run record and was inducted into the Baseball Hall
of Fame in 1982. Hank Aaron is so famous that the Major League Baseball Association
created a "Hank Aaron Award" for the most effective hitter of the year.
# 1: Babe Rut h
Our number one most famous athlete in baseball is Babe Ruth. Babe Ruth. The Great
Bambino. The Sultan of Swat. These are all nicknames for the great baseball player George
Herman Ruth, Junior. Babe Ruth is famous for setting several hitting records but most
notably, the home run record. He started as a pitcher, then moved to a right fielder, only then
did Babe Ruth show his full potential.
In 1927, Babe Ruth was the first player to hit 60 home runs in one season. This record held for
34 years. His lifetime record for home runs of 714 remained unbroken until 1974, when Hank
Aaron broke it.
Babe Ruth is the most famous baseball player for a reason. His consistent home run hitting
change baseball. Until then, baseball was mostly a strategy game of few points where being
fast on your feet was the most important talent. When Babe Ruth was able to put up 5 points
in a single game, on his own, walking, that called for a complete rethinking of game
strategy. It also attracted fans because Babe Ruth was fantastically charismatic and
watching someone hit a baseball into the stands is impressive.
The change to "home runs" was so significant that baseball stadiums built after the time of
Babe Ruth are smaller than they were in his time so there can be more home runs.
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