3rd Baseman
3rd Baseman
Games
Birth year
For many players, fans and coaches, Scott Rolen was the picture of what a baseball player should be: The way he played the game, his accomplishments on the field and how he composed himself off the field.
"Rolen's the perfect baseball player," longtime manager Ned Yost told Sports Illustrated in 2004. "It's his tenacity, his preparation, the way he plays. He tries to do everything fundamentally sound. And he puts the team first – there's no fanfare with him."
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Scott Rolen used this bat as a St. Louis Cardinal in Game 5 of the 2006 WS. He extended his post-season hitting streak to 10 games. (Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)
Scott Rolen wore this Phillies road jersey in 1998 when he earned the first of his eight Gold Glove Awards. (Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)
Explore the archives and go deep into the lives, careers, and stories of the Hall of Fame's honorees.
3rd Baseman
3rd Baseman
Games
Birth year
He was the premier position player on the Atlanta Braves of the 1990s and 2000s, a club defined by its pitching.
But Chipper Jones made sure those Braves teams had a potent offense as well – one that resulted in 11 straight trips to the Postseason for Jones’ Braves.
Explore the archives and go deep into the lives, careers, and stories of the Hall of Fame's honorees.
3rd Baseman
3rd Baseman
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Birth year
Ray Dandridge never had the chance to play in the American or National leagues. But the record shows he was clearly one of the greatest third basemen of all time.
Born in Richmond, Va., in 1913, Dandridge was signed off a Buffalo, N.Y., sandlot in 1933 by the Detroit Stars of the Negro National League at the age of 19. He was a contact hitter who could hit to all fields, and a fancy fielder at third base who could also play shortstop, second base, and the outfield.
Explore the archives and go deep into the lives, careers, and stories of the Hall of Fame's honorees.
3rd Baseman
3rd Baseman
At one time in Deacon White’s professional career, he played all nine positions on the field, including two appearances pitching. But it was as a barehanded catcher – and later as a third baseman – that White left an indelible mark on the game.
White was a standout catcher in a catcher-important era. Catchers did not use any equipment and were positioned much farther back from the pitcher than in modern baseball. Just catching the ball was considered an advantage, but White could catch and throw runners out.
Explore the archives and go deep into the lives, careers, and stories of the Hall of Fame's honorees.
3rd Baseman
3rd Baseman
Jimmy Collins was a star as baseball entered the 20th century, acclaimed by many as the “king of the third basemen.” And while he was a good hitter, finishing with a .294 lifetime average, it was as a fielder he won the headlines.
“Collins was a model for all third basemen, the king of trappers and footworkers,” wrote 1978 J.G. Taylor Spink Award winner Tim Murnane. “Collins was always graceful. Bill Bradley, another great third baseman, would get twice the applause on the same play Collins made easy.”
3rd Baseman
3rd Baseman
Games
Birth year
Wade Boggs was an artist whose medium was the National Pastime, whose tool of choice was a bat, and whose canvas was a ball field. His mother may have summed it up best when she said, “It seemed like he was born to hit just like some kids are born to play the piano.”
A 12-time All-Star third baseman, Boggs ended his 18-year (1982-99) major league career with 3,010 hits, a .328 batting average and a .415 on-base percentage. In his 2,432 career games, Boggs reached base safely in 85 percent of them.
Explore the archives and go deep into the lives, careers, and stories of the Hall of Fame's honorees.
3rd Baseman
3rd Baseman
Games
Birth year
For three decades, he was the standard by which other hitters were judged – seemingly mastering the art of hitting line drives.
In the simplest terms, George Brett was hitting royalty.
Born May 15, 1953 in Glen Dale, W.Va., Brett was the youngest of four brothers who all played pro ball, including older brother Ken Brett who pitched in the majors. Brett grew up in Southern California and was taken in the second round of the 1971 Major League Baseball draft by the Kansas City Royals.
Explore the archives and go deep into the lives, careers, and stories of the Hall of Fame's honorees.
3rd Baseman
3rd Baseman
Games
Birth year
By today’s standards, his nickname seems less than appropriate.
But in his time, John Franklin “Home Run” Baker – author of 96 big league round trippers – was the symbol of power on the diamond.
And more than 100 years after earning his nickname, Baker remains a part of baseball lore.
