The Greatest Players No One Has Ever Heard Of

[packs]

Inspired by the greatest of all time thread. I'd like to see cards and hear a little bit about the greatest players no one has ever heard of. I'll start things off:

This is Buzz Arlett's rookie card. He played 17 seasons in the PCL and one in the MLB. He won 29 games as a pitcher in 1920 and then switched to hitting full time in 1923. As an outfielder, he hit 4 home runs in one game twice, drove in 189 runs in 1929 and hit 54 homers in 1932. His career minor league average is 336 and he's considered by many to be the greatest minor league player of all time. When he retired, he led the PCL in career home runs and RBI's:

[packs]

One more from me:

Francisco Coimbre was from Puerto Rico and is widely considered by many to be the greatest player the island ever produced. He played most of his career in his native Puerto Rico, going three straight seasons without striking out. In 1,915 career Puerto Rican league at bats, he struck out only 29 times. He was also a two time Negro League All Star.

“Coimbre could not be pitched to. No one gave me more trouble than anyone I ever faced, including Josh Gibson and Ted Williams.” - Satchell Paige

[Peter_Spaeth]

Three straight seasons without striking out does not seem plausible. Unless it was a slow-pitch softball league.

[packs]

He had three other seasons where he only struck out once.

[clydepepper]

Originally Posted by packs

Inspired by the greatest of all time thread. I'd like to see cards and hear a little bit about the greatest players no one has ever heard of. I'll start things off:

This is Buzz Arlett's rookie card. He played 17 seasons in the PCL and one in the MLB. He won 29 games as a pitcher in 1920 and then switched to hitting full time in 1923. As an outfielder, he hit 4 home runs in one game twice, drove in 189 runs in 1929 and hit 54 homers in 1932. His career minor league average is 336 and he's considered by many to be the greatest minor league player of all time. When he retired, he led the PCL in career home runs and RBI's:

My vote is for Buzz also- but Jim Creighton should be mentioned.

BUZZ.jpg

[Cozumeleno]

Never made it in the majors due mostly to injuries, but I'll throw out Ray Necciai since hardly anyone has ever heard of him. Threw the only minor (or major, obviously) league no-hitter where he struck out 27 batters in a nine-inning game. Struck out 24 in his next start in a two-hitter.

[AndrewJerome]

Another vote for Buzz Arlett. And another PCL great is Jigger Statz. Combined 4,000+ hits between MLB and the minors.

[Orioles1954]

Japanese (and Russian) baseball legend Victor Starffin. Fascinating story!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlF8TP7mdKU

[packs]

Maybe not as unknown as some, but Lefty O'Doul is not a name you hear very often outside of San Francisco. Lefty was an incredible hitter and baseball presence for close to 50 years. He is beloved in Japan due to his persistence in expanding the game there. He led the league in hitting twice after flaming out as a dead arm pitcher: hitting 398 in 1929 and 368 in 1932. In parts of 11 seasons he batted 349 for his career.

Here he is as part of a 1941 San Francisco Seals stamp album:

[cool-vintage]

Jake "Eagle Eye" Beckley
All-Time Leader in putouts
More career hits than Hornsby,Wheat,Ott,Ruth,Griffey (Beckley is 35th all time. He was second all-time when he retired)
Holds record for best batting average among Pirates 1st basemen (.300)
Second all-time: Games played at 1st (2,376)

I might be a little biased picking Beckley. I have family in the Hannibal,MO area, Beckley's birthplace and where he played for a minor league team. (About a year ago I visited his gravesite) I also live near KC where he played for the Kansas City Blues and later operated a grain business.

[kkkkandp]

Not exactly an unknown, but not a household name either despite his accomplishments.

20 years in the big leagues, 2705 career hits, a .296 lifetime batting average, 5 All Star appearances, a 1945 World Series title (during which he had 11 hits and a .379 average), and a fielding average way above league norms (for which he earned the sobriquet "Flit" playing on the old-time insect repellant, which was "death to flying things.")

They do love him in his old stomping grounds in Manahawkin, NJ, though!

[darwinbulldog]

I've got my own list of unknown greats, but give me a few more years to buy up their cards before I share it.

[packs]

Harry Stovey is often considered the prototype for the modern superstar. He had a unique combination of power and speed, which allowed him to lead two separate leagues in home runs and twice led the National League in home runs and triples in the same season. Stovey is often said to be the greatest 19th century player not in the HOF:

[Kenny Cole]

Negro Leagues:

John Beckwith
John Donaldson
Grant Johnson
Dick Lundy
Dick Redding
Nip Winters
Spottswood Poles

Majors:

Bob Caruthers
Jim McCormick
Tony Mullane
Jimmy Ryan
George Van Haltren
Bill Dahlen

I no longer own the Poles or the Beckwith

[judsonhamlin]

I agree with Spotswood Poles and Stovey, andwould also add Bobby Mathews and Mike Tiernan on the 19th century list. Mathews had almost 300 wins and Tiernan retired 2nd or 3rd on the HR list at the time, and was a valuable member of the Giants teams of the 1880's and 1890's.

[clydepepper]

We tend to forget those whose careers were killed amide their promising careers or had them derailed by serious injury:

I wouldn't call these three 'unknown' but they were great and are all but forgotten today (unlike Bo Jackson):

Lyman Bostock

Tony Conigliaro
.
.
and I'm hoping that the D'backs' Archie Bradley doesn't wind up like...
Herb Score.
.
.

[rgpete]

Wally Yonamine, born in Hawaii played football for SF 49ers. Played one year with the Seals in Salt Lake managed by Lefty O’Doul, and O'Doul was a scout for the Yomiuri Giants.

[K-Nole]

Fredrick "Cy" Williams