Top 3 — Most Important

[Seven]

I'd argue Anson, Ruth and Jackie.

Anson was the first star to make the game marketable. He was the draw, he popularized the idea of a pitching rotation, and using signs as a means to communicate with players.

Ruth and Jackie because they ushered in new eras for baseball. It is ironic though that if it wasn't for Anson's extreme prejudice towards Black Americans, and the subsequent "gentlemen's agreement" that baseball should be segregated, then Jackie's impact would've been lessened, as their would've been no color barrier to break.

[53toppscollector]

Babe Ruth
Jackie Robinson
Curt Flood

[Rhotchkiss]

Cobb - first superstar
Ruth - the ultimate superstar
Jackie - broke color barrier

[robw1959]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

Cobb - first superstar
Ruth - the ultimate superstar
Jackie - broke color barrier

+1 Hard to argue with that, but it is tempting to put Willie Mays into the mix. Nobody drew fans like Willie, the most exciting player of his generation.

[BobbyStrawberry]

Originally Posted by robw1959

+1 Hard to argue with that, but it is tempting to put Willie Mays into the mix. Nobody drew fans like Willie, the most exciting player of his generation.

I would argue with it, as King Kelly was the game's first superstar, not Cobb

[vthobby]

Gehrig
Jackie
Hodges

You will not find any better gentleman of the diamond.

Ambassadors who embodied the purity of the game and played it the way it was meant to be played.

Matty begs to be on this list so he is tied with Hodges.

[Eric72]

Christy Mathewson

Babe Ruth

Jackie Robinson


Babe and Jackie, for obvious reasons. Matty broadened the appeal beyond where it had been; he brought an air of respectability to the baseball player as a professional.

[Rhotchkiss]

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

I would argue with it, as King Kelly was the game's first superstar, not Cobb

Baseball was a much more popular game when Cobb came along, as a result, I believe his influence was much greater on the general public. Just look at the popularity of baseball cards in 1909-1910 compared to earlier years or the rise of the Sporting Life and other publications that really took off after Kelly was big. Cobb was in every newspaper, he had a nickname, he was in plays, people loved and hated him and showed up in huge numbers when he played to see him or boo him. He held out and negotiated his contract, something nobody ever did before and he made being a "ball player" a more respectable career, whereas before ball players were bums who couldn't get real jobs. And, his face was all over trading tobacco, confectionary, and candy cards.

Maybe Kelley or Anson, or Lajoie or Wagner for that matter, were superstars on the field/to the people who played. To the general public, Cobb was the first superstar baseball player - which to me means he transcended the sport and thus did more for it than anyone prior.

[BobbyStrawberry]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

Baseball was a much more popular game when Cobb came along, as a result, I believe his influence was much greater on the general public. Just look at the popularity of baseball cards in 1909-1910 compared to earlier years or the rise of the Sporting Life and other publications that really took off after Kelly was big.

Totally fair.

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

Cobb was in every newspaper, he had a nickname, he was in plays, people loved and hated him and showed up in huge numbers when he played to see him or boo him.

While Kelly may not have been in as many newspapers, I believe all the rest of this applied to Kelly in his day.

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

Maybe Kelley or Anson, or Lajoie or Wagner for that matter, were superstars on the field/to the people who played. To the general public, Cobb was the first superstar baseball player - which to me means he transcended the sport and thus did more for it than anyone prior.

To me, Jim Creighton was the first star player and Kelly the first superstar. That said, I don't fault anyone for putting Cobb on their "3 most important" list. I do believe that there should be a 19th century player on the list though. For me that would be Anson for (both good and bad) reasons others have stated.

[bbcard1]

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

I would argue with it, as King Kelly was the game's first superstar, not Cobb

I came here to say that, though more in the context of Anson than Cobb. King Kelly was a fasciating player in that he was the first to transcend baseball and be a full blown celebrity.

[robw1959]

Originally Posted by bbcard1

I came here to say that, though more in the context of Anson than Cobb. King Kelly was a fasciating player in that he was the first to transcend baseball and be a full blown celebrity.

However, Anson was a renown racist and an influential one who probably was the MLB figure most responsible for delaying integration until Jackie Robinson finally broke that barrier.

[LEHR]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

Cobb - first superstar
Ruth - the ultimate superstar
Jackie - broke color barrier

It's hard to argue with that list, although my similar list that first came to mind was:

Cobb
Ruth
Clemente

[quinnsryche]

Originally Posted by rhotchkiss

cobb - first superstar
ruth - the ultimate superstar
jackie - broke color barrier

101%

[Rare Stuff]

King Kelly
Ty Cobb
Babe Ruth

[jayshum]

Originally Posted by 53toppscollector

Babe Ruth
Jackie Robinson
Curt Flood

+1

[brunswickreeves]

IMHO…Ruth-grew baseball internationally, Jackie-broke the color barrier, McGwire/Sosa-reinvigorated fan’s love of the game with the Home Run chase of ‘98.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Ruth, Jackie and Branch Rickey. I'll give Rickey a spot since he was a player years before. He deserves it. Find me three men who changed the game more than these.

[G1911]

Creighton
Ruth
Rickey

[RCMcKenzie]

Originally Posted by 53toppscollector

Babe Ruth
Jackie Robinson
Curt Flood

These were the 3 I thought of before I opened the thread. Tommy John, already said above, is another good one.

I had to read Rickey a few times before I realized you didn't mean Henderson.

For cards...

Wagner
Titus
Bartirome

[CurtisFlood]

Originally Posted by 53toppscollector

Babe Ruth
Jackie Robinson
Curt Flood

I like the way you think!

[BobbyStrawberry]

Originally Posted by Seven

I'd argue Anson, Ruth and Jackie.

Anson was the first star to make the game marketable. He was the draw, he popularized the idea of a pitching rotation, and using signs as a means to communicate with players.

Ruth and Jackie because they ushered in new eras for baseball. It is ironic though that if it wasn't for Anson's extreme prejudice towards Black Americans, and the subsequent "gentlemen's agreement" that baseball should be segregated, then Jackie's impact would've been lessened, as their would've been no color barrier to break.

Well said. These would be my three also

[Fred]

Ruth, Robinson and Tommy John!

[jcmtiger]

Cobb, Ruth, Jackie

[MR RAREBACK]

That’s easy
Anson
Cobb
Ruth

Side note
Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa brought me back in to collecting

[oldjudge]

John Ward
Babe Ruth
Joe DiMaggio

[cgjackson222]

Babe Ruth
Jackie Robinson
Curt Flood/Al Spalding (tie)

Honorable Mention: Clemente

[mrreality68]

Originally Posted by jcmtiger

Cobb, Ruth, Jackie

I agree with these 3


But flood was a game changer