19. Rogers Hornsby
The second greatest hitter in the history of baseball, Rogers Hornsby could also lay claim to being the greatest second baseman that ever lived, a fitting tribute given how he obsessed about the sport.
One of the great power hitters of his time, Hornsby had seven seasons with 20 or more home runs, while getting over 200 hits seven times and winning seven batting titles. He also had a brilliant eye at the plate, leading the league in walks four times. A two time MVP, Hornsby refused to do anything that he thought would strain his eyes and cause himself to be less productive at the dish.
That strategy certainly panned out. He retired with a .358/.434/.577 batting line, hitting 301 home runs and 541 doubles. Only Ty Cobb ranks ahead of Hornsby in career batting average, and when he retired, Hornsby was the National League leader in career home runs. To this day, he ranks seventh in OPS, eighth in on base percentage and 11th in slugging.
The one knock on Hornsby’s claim as the greatest second baseman ever was his defense. He was considered to be, at best, below average, with experts feeling that drops him behind the likes of Nap Lajoie and Joe Morgan. Even though he usually ranked among the leaders in errors, Hornsby was still an effective player, ranking in the top 50 in putouts, assists and double plays.
One of the players who could truly claim to rival Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby was a solid power hitter whose ability to put the ball in play was incredible, even during his era. His obsession with the game, and protecting his eyes to continue in the game he loved, certainly seemed to have worked.
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