While we have no current players in this group of the best 1,000 MLB players ever, we do have a couple of players who hit four homers in a game. We also have a player who had an unassisted triple play, one who played in the NFL, and one with a batting title in a league he didn't finish the season in. Let's continue our journey as we finish the first 25% of our massive list.
Be sure to check out the rest of our series: MLB 976-1,000 | 951-975 | 926-950 | 901-925 | 876-900 |850-875 | 826-850 | 801-825 | 776-800
#775 - Mike Donlin - Outfield - 1899-1906, 1908, 1910, 1911-1912, 1914
There have been many players whose careers beg the question "What if"? Donlin may be the first. Despite a career .333 average and a slugging percentage of .468, which is higher than Honus Wagner and Sam Crawford, Donlin only played just over 1,000 games. He only played over 100 games five times in his career yet batted at least .329 in each of them. Donlin had his best year in 1905 when he led the league with 124 runs while leading the Giants to a World Series.
#774 - Andy Benes - Right-handed Pitcher - 1989-2002
Benes had a solid decade of production from 1989-1998. He finished sixth in CYA voting in 1991 winning 15 games and pitching to a 3.03 ERA. He won 15 games again in 1993 and made his only All-Star game while tossing over 230 innings for the second year in a row. The shortened 1994 season was one of Benes's best despite leading the league in losses with 14, he also led the league in strikeouts with 189. He finished third in CYA voting in 1996 with the Cardinals and won a career-high 18 games. He ended his career with exactly 2,000 strikeouts.
In his first full season in the majors, the 6-foot-6 Veale led the NL in strikeouts with 250. He followed that up with 276 in 1965. That season he also led the league with 119 walks but only allowed five home runs. From 1964-1970, the intimidating Veale had a 3.01 ERA and averaged 214 strikeouts in 241 innings.
#772 - Benny Kauff - Outfield - 1912, 1914-1920
After a cup of coffee with New York Highlanders in 1912, Kauff played in the Federal League in 1914 and 1915. He led the league in batting both years while stealing a total of 130 bases. His next five years with the Giants didn't quite live up but in an era where runs were hard to come by Kauff excelled. From 1916-1920, he slashed .287/.357/.413 (136 OPS+) and averaged 30 steals per 162.
#771 - Slim Sallee - Left-handed Pitcher - 1908-1921
The lanky lefty won 142 games and had a 2.44 ERA from 1911-1919. He was mostly a starter, but Sallee saved 30 games in that span and appeared in relief 98 times. He even led the league in saves three times. He set career bests in wins (21) and ERA (2.06) with the champion 1919 Cincinnati Reds. He also tossed a complete game victory in Game Two of the World Series.
#770 - Brian Jordan - Outfield - 1992-2006
Jordan could've had a career in the NFL. He played for the Atlanta Falcons from 1989-1991 and was coming into his own at strong safety. However, Jordan decided to devote his time to baseball and made his MLB debut with the Cardinals in 1992. It led to a 15-year career in the bigs. Jordan had a stretch of 11 years from 1993-2003 where he averaged 22 home runs and 14 stolen bases with 99 RBIs per 162.
#769 - Willie McGee - Outfielder - 1982-1999
Mcgee started his career with a third-place finish in ROY voting and a World Series victory. He followed that up with his first All-Star nod and his first Gold Glove. In 1985, McGee had his best season. He led the league in batting (.353), triples (18), and hits (216) on his way to winning the MVP. In 1987, he set career highs in home runs (11) and RBIs (105). A strange thing happened to McGee in 1990. He was traded from the Cardinals to the A's at the end of August. Despite playing the last month of the season in the AL, McGee won the NL batting title.
#768 - Bobby Murcer - Outfield - 1965-1966, 1969-1983
After 32 games at shortstop with the Yankees in 1965 and 1966, Murcer was drafted into the Army. He returned to New York in 1969 and started to play the outfield shortly after. In 1971, Murcer set a career-high in batting average at .331 and led the league with a .4276 OBP and .969 OPS. The following year he hit 33 home runs, drove in 96 runs, and won his only Gold Glove while finishing fifth in MVP voting. He was a five-time All-Star.
#767 - Doug Drabek - Right-handed Pitcher - 1986-1998
Drabek had a solid peak from 1988-1994. In that time, he was 102-74 with a 3.02 ERA and finished top 5 in CYA voting three times. He won the award in 1990, winning 22 games with a 2.76 ERA for the Pirates. In the postseason, Drabek was a tough-luck pitcher. Despite a 2.06 ERA in 48.1 innings, he has a 2-5 record.
#766 - Kevin Youkilis - First Base/Third Base - 2004-2013
Youkilis wasn't a full-time player for the Red Sox until 2006 when he was 27 years old. From that season until 2010, Youk was a force at the plate. He slashed .297/.396/507, averaging 44 doubles, 25 home runs, and 102 RBIs per 162. In 2008, he set career highs in home runs (29), RBIs (115), and Batting (.312). He finished third in MVP voting that season.
#765 - Johnny Pesky - Shortstop/Third Base - 1942, 1946-1954
Pesky began his career in 1942 leading the league in hits with 205 and finished third in MVP voting. World War II stole the next three years. When he came back, he picked up where he left off leading the league in 1946 and 1947 in hits. He averaged 123 runs and 90 walks per 162 through 1951. In 1949, Pesky was the last player to have 100+ walks, fewer than 20 strikeouts, and bat over .300.
Gant had an intriguing power-speed combo and put it on display for six years from 1990-1996. He slashed .269/.349/.501 while averaging 33 home runs, 30 stolen bases, and 105 RBIs per 162. Although injuries and age caught up with Gant early, he still managed 321 home runs and over 1,000 RBIs.
#763 - Chick Stahl - Outfield - 1897-1906
Stahl was a speedster who had over 16 triples four times and led the league in 1904 with 19. From 1897-1904, Stahl slashed .314/.377/.437 averaging 17 triples, 25 stolen bases, and 200 hits per 162. En route to helping Boston win the first World Series in 1903, Stahl was 10-for-33 with three triples in the series.
#762 - Gene Woodling - Left Field - 1943, 1946-1947, 1949-1962
When Woodling started his career in earnest in 1949, he began with the Yankees who won five straight World Series. During that run, Woodling was the left fielder and a big part of the offense. In those five years, he slashed .291/.393/.447 and led the league in OBP with a .429 mark in 1953. During the five-year run, Woodling was a tough out in the playoffs. He slashed .318/.442/.529 with five doubles, two triples, and three home runs. He walked 19 times compared to eight strikeouts.
#761 - John Valentin - Shortstop/Third Base - 1992-2002
Valentin was an excellent player from the get-go. From 1992-1997, he slashed .296/.375/.479 averaging 19 home runs and 88 RBIs per 162. In 1995, Valentin had an MVP-caliber season and probably should've won over his teammate Mo Vaughn. Valentin hit 27 home runs, stole 20 bases, and led all position players with 3.0 dWAR. He also turned an unassisted triple play on July 8, 1994.
#760 - Rick Monday - Centerfield - 1966-1984
Monday was a consistent on-base threat throughout his career as well as someone who could put the ball over the fence. He hit a career-high 32 homers in 1976 for the Cubs. He also had a .370+ OBP in seven of the 13 years in which he played over 100 games.
Byrd's hitting success overlapped with his pitching success for a couple of years. In 1941 and 1942, Byrd combined to slash .316/.376/.509 in 362 plate appearances while also going 19-6 with a 2.57 ERA in 200 innings. He led the league twice in strikeouts and once in ERA. Byrd was also an eight-time All-Star.
#758 - Wally Pipp - First Base - 1913, 1915-1928
While Pipp's headache in 1925 is legendary for opening the door for Lou Gehrig, people forget that Pipp was an excellent player in his own right. He led the league in home runs in 1916 and 1917. He also led the league in triples in 1924. Pipp drove in over 100 three times. He received MVP votes three times and was considered one of the best fielding first basemen ever.
#757 - Mort Cooper - Right-handed Pitcher - 1938-1947, 1949
While Cooper's career was quite good overall with a career 2.97 ERA, he had a three-year peak that was incredible. From 1942-1944, Cooper was 65-22 with a 2.17 ERA. He threw 23 shutouts, leading the league twice in that category. He won the NL MVP in 1942 as he led the league with a 1.78 ERA. Cooper also led the league twice in strikeout-to-walk ratio.
#756 - Bob Allison - Outfield - 1958-1970
Allison won the AL ROY award in 1959, leading the league in triples with nine and blasting 30 home runs. After a down year in 1960, the Senators moved to Minnesota and Allison enjoyed a nice four-year stretch from 1961-1964. During that time, he slashed .267/.378/.510 and averaged 34 home runs and 103 RBIs per 162.
#755 - Josh Hamilton - Outfield - 2007-2015
Hamilton certainly took a different route to the majors. He was the first pick overall in the 1999 MLB Draft. However, he wouldn't play his first major league game until 2007 due to injuries and addiction. In 2008, Hamilton led the league in RBIs with 130. Two years later he won the AL MVP and slashed .359/.411/.633. Hamilton was also the ALCS MVP as he blasted four home runs and stole three bases in six games. He set a career-high in home runs in 2012 with 43 and also became the 16th player to hit four home runs in a game on May 8.
#754 - Joe Adcock - First Base - 1950-1966
In a career marred by injuries and platooning, Adcock played just 115 games per season. However, his prodigious power is legendary. He, like Hamilton, hit four home runs in a game (July 31, 1954). Adcock's 10 years in Milwaukee were the peak of his career. He slashed .285/.343/.511 and averaged 32 home runs and 102 RBIs per 162. He received MVP votes four times.
#753 - Roy Cullenbine - Outfield - 1938-1947
Cullenbine had an impeccable eye at the plate. He never struck out more than he walked in any of his 10 seasons. He played for six teams in his 10 years and has the strange distinction of setting a career-high in home runs in his last season (24 in 1947). Cullenbine's final season in 1947 is historic. That season is the only time since 1901 that a player batted under .225 but had an OBP over .400 (min. 500 PA).
#752 - Smoky Burgess - Catcher/Pinch Hitter - 1949, 1951-1967
Burgess may have caught over 1,100 games in his career, but he was also the first bat off the bench when he wasn't behind the plate. He probably could've won a batting title or two if he ever qualified as he only surpassed 425 plate appearances once. From 1952-1962, Burgess slashed .304/.369/.470 while having the same number of doubles as strikeouts (203). In 1960, Burgess was 6-for-18 in the World Series. He was one of the best pinch-hitters the game has ever seen. For his career, Burgess slashed .285/.376/.434 with 16 home runs and 147 RBIs in 593 plate appearances.
#751 - Monte Irvin - Outfield/Shortstop - 1938-1943, 1945-1956
Irvin was a Negro League star before he got to the Giants in 1949. He won three batting titles with the Newark Eagles, led the league in doubles twice, and paced the circuit with 11 home runs in 1947. As a Giant between 1950-1953, Irvin slashed .314/.403/.511 averaging 24 home runs and 115 RBIs per 162. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1973.
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