The Best of All Time: 1930s

Mel Ott started young at just 17 years old in 1926, and went on to play 21 seasons all with the New York Giants. He finished his career with a .304 batting average and 511 homeruns. He was the first person in the National League too hit the 500 homerun mark and was also the youngest player to reach 100 homeruns. Ott was a six-time NL homerun leader, participated in twelve All Star Games and led his team in a Triple Crown category (homeruns) for 18 consecutive seasons, a feat that is yet to be broken. In 1951, he was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame.


From the other New York team, Joe DiMaggio batted a career .325 with a .579 slugging percentage and 2,214 hits from 1936-1951 with the Yankees. He was AL MVP three times, helped the Bronx Bombers win nine World Series and he made the All Star team 13 times, making him the only player to ever be an All Star every year of his career. Most notably, DiMaggio still holds the record for consecutive games with a hit at 56. He entered the Hall of Fame in 1955.


Another slugger of the time was Jimmie Foxx. Fox played from 1925-1945 and racked up a .325 batting average, .609 slugging percentage, 534 homeruns, 1,922 RBI and a .990 fielding percentage. He was the second player to reach 500 homeruns and the second youngest to reach that feat after Alex Rodriguez. He was a nine-time All Star, three-time MVP and entered Cooperstown in 1951.


Carl Hubbell is a little more less-known to today’s fans, but his numbers warrant him mention on my list. He was a little older entering the league at 25 years old and played from 1928-1943 for the New York Giants. He finished with a 2.98 ERA, 1,677 strikeouts and a .622 win percentage. He no-hit the Pirates in 1929 and threw 18 shutout innings against the Cardinals in 1933. During the All Star Game in 1934 he did the unthinkable when he set a record for striking out five consecutive opposing All Stars; those five players: Ruth, Gehrig, Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin, all future Hall of Famers. Hubbell also won 24 consecutive games from 1936-1937, which still stands as the most consecutive wins ever. In 1943, he was chosen for the Hall of Fame.


One of the most neurotic players of all time, Dizzy Dean was also one of the best. In his career spanning from 1930-1947, he had a .302 ERA with 1,163 strikeouts. He was the last pitcher in the National League to ever have a 30-win season. He made the All Star roster four times, was the MVP in 1934 and became a Hall of Famer in 1953.


Lefty Grove was another great pitcher of the time. From 1925-1941 he had a 300-141 career record with a 3.06 ERA and struck out 2,266 batters. He was also a six-time All Star, back-to-back World Series champ in 1929 and 1930 and the 1931 AL MVP. Grove was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1947.


Another Lefty finishes off the list of 1930s greats. Lefty Gomez spent 13 years as a Yankee from 1930-1942 and played his last season in 1943. He had a 189-102 record giving him a .649 win percentage. Gomez also had a 3.34 ERA and 1,468 career strikeouts. Seven consecutive seasons he was named an All Star from 1933-1939 and he helped earn his team five World Series rings. In the 1934 and 1937 seasons, he led the AL in wins, ERA and strikeouts. In 1972 he was elected into the Hall of Fame.