Luckily for Sherry Magee there was no YouTube in 1911, otherwise, all that would ever be replayed of him would be time he decked an umpire with one punch following a called third strike.  Of course he played in the 1900s and 1910’s so it isn’t like there is any footage on YouTube of him at all.

The man called “Superchief” was one of the great right handed pitchers of the New York Yankees.  Allie Reynolds was the first man to toss two no-hitters in a season in the American League though that was just a small sample of what he accomplished.

Right now, it is hard to imagine a time when the Atlanta Braves were not relevant in the world of Professional Baseball, but in the 1980’s, frankly, Ted Turner’s team wasn’t a spectacular one.  The exception to that rule was Dale Murphy, who in his prime drew comparisons to legends such as Mays and DiMaggio.  No, really, he did.

For a five-year stretch, Dale Murphy was among the most feared hitters in the league.  He hit for power, had a decent average, and was excellent in the clutch.  In addition, Murphy knew how to handle himself in the field, as shown by his five Gold Gloves.  He played every day and was a huge favorite among the Braves faithful.  He was the only Brave at the time who could get National attention, and he did so quickly with his loud bat and quiet demeanor.

Unfortunately for Dale Murphy, his offensive numbers seriously took a tumble by the age of 32, and he posted substandard numbers thereafter.  Of course, all great players suffer a decline, but because it happened to him earlier than it does to others, he did not reach the milestones that stat lovers will point out.  Subsequently, he struck out a lot in his career, even during his MVP years.  Had his career tailed off at the age of 34, and he put up a career that added two or three hundred more hits, his stock would greatly improve, and his contributions on a bad Braves team might be celebrated more outside of Georgia than they have.

If you look at the Wikipedia article on Albert Belle you will find that the section on his controversies is longer than his accomplishments.  He fought with sportswriters, with fans, with other players and his temper was legendary.  So was his prowess with a bat.