6. Buck Leonard
Fans of the Negro Leagues liked to compare Buck Leonard to Lou Gehrig. As left handed power hitters, that comparison was easy to see.
With a swing that would later be considered to be the left handed equivalent of Hank Aaron, Leonard was a tremendous power hitter. Although he did not begin playing professional baseball until he was 26 years old, he made up for lost time quickly. He typically finished in the top two in homers, either leading the league or trailing teammate Josh Gibson, who he hit behind in the lineup.
Leonard also had a great hitting stroke, batting .395 in 1948 to lead the Negro Leagues. A slick defensive player with a great deal of speed, the closest major league comparison to Leonard may actually be Jeff Bagwell. He had that same all around game, and a quick, compact swing that led to far more power than his smaller frame would have been expected to carry.
He also changed the way first was played in the Negro Leagues. At the time, first base was a bit of a clown position, with the person at first performing different antics to engage the crowd. Leonard, in contract, was all business on the diamond, treating the game as a serious matter.
The fourth black player inducted into the Hall of Fame, Leonard was considered the black Lou Gehrig. Had baseball not been segregated, it is possible Gehrig would have been known as the white Buck Leonard.