Carl Yastrzemski (1961-1983)
The heir to the great Ted Williams in left field, Carl Yastrzemski forged an excellent career of his own for the Boston Red Sox.
Undaunted by the legacy that Williams had left behind, Yaz forged a great career of his own. He had one of the longest careers in baseball history, with over 3300 games played. His 23 years with the Red Sox tied Brooks Robinson for the longest career spent with only one franchise. He became a Boston icon, a player whose unique batting stance was copied by virtually every young Red Sox fan as they tried to emulate their hero.
Yaz became one of the greatest players in the history of the game. He was an 18 time All Star, the 1967 American League MVP when he became the last player in the 21st century to win the Triple Crown. A three time batting champion, Yaz led the league in hits twice, and doubles three times. He was also quite adept at getting on base, leading the AL in on base percentage five times.
Over the course of his 23 year career, Yaz produced a .285/.379/.462 batting line, hitting 452 homers and 646 doubles. He was an excellent outfielder in his career as well, winning seven Gold Gloves, and leading the league in runs saved in left five times. Yaz had a strong throwing arm, leading the league in assists eight times, and ranking fifth in baseball history. He was an excellent well rounded player, a worthy heir to Williams in Boston.
Carl Yastrzemski may not have been Ted Williams, but he was one of the greatest players in Boston Red Sox history in his own right. That was all anyone could ask for.