The 1950’s and Six Hall of Fame Baseball Outfielders

 

by Guy Belleranti


The 1950’s saw six great outfielders begin their Major League Baseball careers. All were later inducted into the Hall of Fame. The players and the years they began their big league careers were:

Willie Mays, 1951.

Mickey Mantle, 1951.

Al Kaline, 1953

Henry Aaron, 1954

Roberto Clemente, 1955

Frank Robinson, 1956

Willie Mays played center field, for the New York (then San Francisco) Giants. He finished his career with the New York Mets in 1972-73. Mays was one of the greatest defensive center fielders in history. He had a very strong throwing arm and made numerous memorable catches. He won 12 Gold Gloves at his position.

Mays was an All Star 20 straight years and the National League’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1954 and 1965. He hit 660 career home runs, had 3,283 hits, 338 stolen bases and a lifetime batting average of .302.

Mickey Mantle was also primarily a center fielder, replacing the New York Yankees’ Joe DiMaggio at this position in 1952. He spent his entire 18-year career with the Yankees. Before injuries and the osteomyelitis in his left leg took their tolls Mantle was blessed with great base running speed.

Mantle played in 12 World Series – 7 in the 1950’s and 5 in the 1960’s. He won the American League Triple Crown in 1956 leading the league in batting average, home runs and runs batted in. Mantle also won three MVP awards – 1956, 1957 and 1962. He was an All Star 16 times and finished with 536 career home runs and a lifetime batting average of .298. He batted both left and right and was the greatest switch hitter in baseball history.

Al Kaline played right field for the Detroit Tigers from 1953 to 1974. A great fielder with 10 Gold Gloves, Kaline became the youngest player to ever win a Batting Title in 1955 when he won with a .340 average at age 20 (one day younger than Ty Cobb had been when he had won at the same age).

Kaline was a 15 time All Star. He finished his career with 3,007 hits, 399 home runs and a career batting average of .297.

Henry (Hank) Aaron played right field for the Milwaukee (then Atlanta) Braves from 1954 to 1974, then finished out his career with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1975-76. Aaron had an incredible career, hitting 755 home runs while batting .305 lifetime. He finished with 3,771 hits, third all-time behind only Pete Rose and Ty Cobb.

Aaron won two Batting Titles, one MVP and was an All Star for 21 straight years from 1955 through 1975. Like Willie Mays he is one of a select group of players to hit 30 or more home runs and steal 30 or more bases in the same season. He still owns the career records for home runs, total bases, most extra base hits and runs batted in.

Roberto Clemente was right fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates for his entire career. He had a cannon for an arm, and is without doubt one of the greatest defensive right fielders in baseball history. He won 12 straight Gold Gloves from 1961 to 1972, and was an All Star for 12 years. Clemente was a superb hitter. He won 4 Batting Titles, finishing with a .317 career batting average and 3,000 hits.

Tragically, Roberto Clemente’s career was cut short at 38 years of age. He was en route to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua on December 31, 1972 when the plane he was on crashed. He will always be remembered both a great baseball player and humanitarian.

Frank Robinson began his Major League career in 1956 as a right fielder for the Cincinnati Reds. He is the only player to win MVP awards in both leagues – 1961 while with the National League Reds, and 1966 while playing for the American League Baltimore Orioles. Robinson also won the Triple Crown in 1966, leading the league in hitting, home runs and runs batted in. He then followed this up by winning the World Series MVP award.

Frank Robinson was an All Star in 12 seasons. He finished with 586 home runs, 2,943 hits and a lifetime batting average of .294. He hit back to back grand slam home runs in a game against the Washington Senators on June 26, 1970. And in 1975 he became the first African American Major League manager as a player-manager for the Cleveland Indians.

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