Status: RETIRED HERO A three-time all-star and one of the greatest pitchers in Houston Astros history, Roy Oswalt had humble beginnings. He pitched at a small high school and scouts brushed him off as being too small to be a good pitcher. However, one scout for the Houston Astros saw his potential and he was […]
Modern Heroes
Troy Tulowitzki
Status: RETIRED HERO Troy Tulowitzki had talents as a shortstop comparable to some of the greats—such as Cal Ripken Jr., Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez. However, he was injury-prone and rarely played more than 140 games in a season due to various ailments. Tulowitzki was selected to five All-Star games, won two Silver Slugger awards, […]
Joe Nathan
Status: RETIRED HERO Joe Nathan was a six-time all-star closer and is a member of the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame. His 377 saves is eighth all-time. Nathan underwent Tommy John surgery twice in his career. After his first surgery in 2010, he bounced back and was selected for two All-Star games for the Texas […]
Paul Konerko
Status: RETIRED HERO Paul Konerko is a White Sox legend. He played in Chicago for 16 of his 18 years in the MLB. Konerko was a consistent power-hitter who was selected as an All-Star six times and was the team captain for nine years. He led his team to win the 2005 World Series and […]
Hanley Ramirez
Status: RETIRED HERO From his debut in 2005 through 2010, Hanley Ramirez put up Hall of Fame-caliber numbers. His batting average during that time period was .313, and he averaged 27 home runs and about 40 stolen bases each season. But something happened at the end of 2010 season—maybe the elbow injury that he tried […]
Javier Vazquez
Status: RETIRED HERO Javier Vazquez was one of those players who played a lot of above-average baseball, but never truly dominated. Over the course of his 14-year career, he amassed 2,536 strikeouts—enough for 35th on the all-time list. He was only selected to one All-Star game in his career and never accomplished any remarkable feats. […]
Troy Glaus
Status: RETIRED HERO Troy Glaus was a four-time All-Star, World Series MVP, and fan-favorite of the Anaheim Angels. A shoulder injury in 2004 caused him to miss much of the season. He was plagued by injuries for the rest of his career. When he became a candidate for Hall of Fame voting after his retirement, […]
Billy Wagner
Status: RETIRED HERO He grew up in a poor and unstable family in rural Virginia. Naturally right-handed, Billy Wagner learned to pitch left-handed after breaking his right arm twice as a kid. He concluded a 16-year MLB career with seven All-Star nods, 422 saves, and the highest strikeouts per 9 innings ratio of all-time (for […]
Jimmy Key
Status: RETIRED HERO As one of the greatest control pitchers of his time, Jimmy Key pitched in four All-Star Games, won two World Series rings, and was runner-up for two Cy Young Awards. He was a consistently great pitcher throughout his career, but also injury-prone. He never received serious consideration for the Hall of Fame, […]
Brian Giles
Status: RETIRED HERO Brian Giles spent his entire fifteen-year MLB career being a star player for small-market teams. As a result, he’s perhaps one of the most underrated players out there. He played in only two All-Star games, though by my count, he should have been in at least six All-Star games. In fact, he […]