7: Red Ruffing

Ruffing was a part of the Yankees dynasty from the 1930s to the mid-1940s. Ruffing held the record for career wins as a Yankee (231) until Whitey Ford passed him in 1965 on his way to the current record of 236. Ruffing was elected on his 15th and final BBWAA ballot in 1967 and was a part of 6 World Series champions (1932, 36-9, 41).

6: Don Newcombe

"The Newk" is the only player to ever win Rookie of the Year, league MVP, and the Cy Young Award in their career. He was the inaugural Cy Young Award winner in 1956, NL Rookie of the Year 1949, and the 1956 NL MVP. He was also a member of the 1955 World Champion Dodgers.

5: Mickey Mantle

Mickey Mantle was given his first name by his father Mutt because his favorite player was hall of fame catcher Mickey Cochrane. Mantle lived up to the expectations: winning the 1956 Triple Crown, three AL MVP awards (1956-7, 62), hitting 536 home runs, and winning seven World Series titles (1951-3, 56, 58, 61-2) and all of this while playing in constant pain. His personal life didn't mirror his success on the ball field, but Mantle became a spokesperson for liver cancer and for organ donations in the final year of his life...a brilliant end to a brilliant life/career.

4: Ted Williams

Williams set out to be the best: "I wanted people, when they looked down the street and saw me walking by, to say that I was the best damn hitter that they ever saw." Williams was just that. He ended up with two Triple Crowns and narrowly missed becoming the only player to ever win three. He served in the Air Force in World War II and Korea, which cut a good four years out of the prime of his career. However, he still ended up with 521 home runs, a .366 batting average (2nd), and ended up a two-time AL MVP (in seasons that he DIDN'T win the Triple Crown, go figure). He is also considered as a Top 1000 career fighter pilot and Top 250 career fisherman.

3: Hank Aaron

The former all-time home run king (755): Aaron still boasts records for the most extra-base hits (1477), most RBIs (2297), most total bases (6856), and was a member of 25 All-Star teams.

2: Stan "The Man" Musial

Musial is a recent winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award that can be received. Musial is so much more than that: he's a top-10 greatest player, one of the nicest people you would ever meet, and an icon that refuses to shy away from his fans (which says so much about his character). 'The Man' was 25 home runs from 500, is 4th on the career hits list (3630), which is a level of consistency: 1815 hits at home and 1815 on the road, 1951 RBIs, three NL MVP awards (1943, 46, 48), and three World Series titles (1942, 44, 46).

1: Willie Mays

There's no doubt in my mind that this blog had to start off with the one and only 'Say Hey Kid', Willie Mays. Mays doesn't really own records in anything, with the exception of All-Star Game selections (24), but he is the greatest when you see his numbers thrown together. Add in the fact that the majority of those that have seen him play believe him to be the greatest of all-time and you have a legend kicking off the blog the right way.