From the island of Cuba, Bert Campaneris would go down in history as one of the most versatile players in Major League history, and he would become the first man to ever play all nine positions in a Major League Game.  He accomplished that early in his career in 1965 when he was with the Kansas City Athletics.

Kansas City was the first team he played for, joining in 1964.  He was the starting Shortstop the following year, where he would lead the American League in Triples and Stolen Bases, a stat he would finish first in six times.  "Campy" went to his first All-Star Game in 1968, which coincided with the Athletics’ relocation to Oakland.

Campaneris was the cornerstone of what became a powerful dynasty when the A's won the 1972, 1973, and 1974 World Series, and he was also an excellent defensive player who finished in the top ten in Defensive bWAR nine times.

He also played for the Texas Rangers, California Angels, and New York Yankees, and he would finish his career with 649 Stolen Bases and 2,249 Hits.

The baseball historians have been batting a kind eye to Jack Glasscock, who many have regarded as the best defensive infielder of the 1880s.

“Pebbly” Jack (he had the habit of collecting pebbles in the infield) would lead his league in Defensive bWAR three times (1883, 1885 & 1889), and though there were no sabremetricians back then, the casual fan knew that he was a level above most of the other players with his defensive skills.

Glasscock played for eight different teams, many of which are no longer in existence, which does not help keep his name alive.  The West Virginian may always have been known for his defense, but he would surprisingly show exemplary offense in the late 1880s.  He finished second in Batting Average in 1889, and won the Batting Title in 1890, and in both seasons, he was atop the National League leaderboard in Hits.

He would accumulate 2,041 Hits over his career, and a BWAR that puts him higher than many Hall of Fame infielders.

There was a time when Nomar Garciaparra owned the city of Boston.  The “Nomah" chants rocked Fenway, and he was, at one point, one of the most well-known baseball players around in the game.

Playing at Shortstop, Garciaparra debuted in 1996 for 22 Games, which was not enough to exceed rookie limits, but more than enough to turn heads and win him the starting job the next year.  We mention this because Nomar would win the Rookie of the Year in 1997, and the hearts of Boston.  It would be his first of six All-Star Games, and first of four consecutive .300 Seasons.  The Californian would win the Batting Title in 1999 and 2000 with seasons of .357 and .372, respectively.  The Red Sox couldn't best their division rivals (New York), but the AL East's big star was Garciaparra. 

A wrist injury sidelined him for most of the 2001 season, and it is believed to have been the catalyst for turning his career around for the worse.  He still batted over .300 in 2002 and 2003, but he wasn't the same.  Injuries piled up, and he would continue to play for the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Oakland Athletics.

The magic may not have returned, but he did have the magic.  Not many players can say that.

Mickey Vernon arrived in the Majors in 1939 with the Washington Senators, and he was entrenched as their starting First Baseman in 1941.  Vernon would do well in the early 40s, with three straight 145-plus Hit seasons before World War II, and he would miss 1944 and 1945.  When he returned, he would take his place in the upper tier of First Basemen.

The popular player would be named an All-Star in 1946, leading the American League in Doubles (51) and Batting Average (.353), and he would place fifth in MVP voting.  Vernon was an All-Star again in 1948 and would join the Cleveland Indians for a year and a half before returning to Washington.  The 1950s saw Vernon go to four consecutive All-Star Games (1953-056), and he won his second Batting Title in 1953.  He also would top the leaderboard in Doubles in the AL in both '53 and 1954, both of which were top ten finishes in MVP voting.

Vernon would play two years with the Boston Red Sox (1956-57), another with Cleveland, and one more with the Milwaukee Braves.

In his final season in baseball (1960), he was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who won the World Series.  He didn’t play in that series, but it was a nice end to an excellent career that would see him accrue 2,495 Hits.