30 Baseball Legends From The ’80s And ’90s Who Cemented Their Place In History
Whether it’s nostalgia or something deeper, the ’80s and ’90s are one of the most memorable eras of baseball history for many fans.
From the emergence of speed demons playing on artificial surfaces in multipurpose stadiums in the ’80s to questionable, eye-popping power numbers in the ’90s, there’s no shortage of baseball legends who played during this iconic era.
Nobody could hit like Tony Gwynn.
Tony Gwynn is a San Diego sports legend for good reason — after playing college ball at San Diego State, he went on to play his entire 20-season career with the San Diego Padres.
“Mr. Padre” won eight batting titles and was named an All-Star fifteen times in his Hall of Fame career.
Cal Ripken Jr. is baseball’s iron man.
Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. had a Hall of Fame career, complete with two MVP awards.
That said, he’s best remembered for surpassing Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games played streak, a record once thought to be unbreakable. In all, Ripken played in 2,632 consecutive games.
Rickey Henderson could steal bases at will.
The quintessential leadoff hitter, Rickey Henderson had the ability to get on base, and then use his elite speed to cause chaos on the basepaths.
Over a career that spanned a quarter of a century, Henderson set MLB records for stolen bases, runs, unintentional walks, and leadoff home runs.
Wade Boggs was a model of consistency.
Third baseman Wade Boggs is best remembered for his years with the Boston Red Sox, but he stayed productive late into his career, through stints in New York and Tampa.
Boggs was a twelve-time All-Star and five-time American League batting champion. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Barry Bonds was elite despite the controversy.
Barry Bonds is an enormously controversial figure in baseball, owing largely to speculation that he took performance enhancing substances.
This overshadows the fact that he was one of the best players in baseball long before these allegations took root. He holds a slew of MLB records, but has apparently been blacklisted by Hall of Fame voters.
Ken Griffey Jr. was a second-generation superstar.
It’s hard to overstate just what a sensation Ken Griffey Jr. was when he burst onto the baseball scene as a teenager in 1989.
Known as “Junior” or “The Kid,” Griffey was teammates with his dad for a couple of years before making his own mark. He was a 13-time All-Star and was named to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Mark McGwire had a memorable year in 1998.
“Big Mac” was already a feared power hitter by the late ’90s, owing to his time slugging for the Oakland A’s. But in 1998, his home run hitting prowess captivated the baseball world as he battled Sammy Sosa for the single season record.
Of course, magic quickly turned to misery as McGwire was hounded by allegations of performance enhancing substances.
Sammy Sosa slugged it out with McGwire.
Sammy Sosa was the other man involved in that legendary 1998 home run chase. Like Mark McGwire, Sosa was a slugger who soon became infamous for steroid allegations.
To date, Sosa is one of only nine players in MLB history to hit 600 or more career home runs.
“Donnie Baseball” anchored the Yankees.
Don Mattingly was a New York Yankees mainstay between 1982 and 1995, an era in which the Bronx Bombers didn’t have much on-field success.
While Mattingly never won a World Series, he did take home the 1985 AL MVP Award and was honored with a spot in Yankee Stadium’s Monument Park.
Kirby Puckett’s passion for the game was unparalleled.
Kirby Puckett is still the most popular player in Minnesota Twins history, and for good reason: Not only did he lead the Twins to championships in 1987 and 1991, but he was also one of the best players in baseball.
Puckett’s career was sadly cut short by vision loss, but he still racked up ten All-Star appearances in just 12 years.
Paul Molitor’s hitting ability was truly elite.
Paul Molitor was an excellent, if underrated player during the first phase of his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.
After signing with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993, Molitor became an integral cog in the team’s 1993 World Series victory. He retired with 3,319 career hits.
Eddie Murray was a smooth-swinging, slugging first baseman.
Known as “Steady Eddie,” Murray spent most of his career with the Baltimore Orioles. His blend of power and contact hitting made him one of only seven MLB players to rack up 3,000 hits as well as 500 home runs.
Murray was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003, his first year of eligibility.
George Brett is a Kansas City Royals legend.
The venerable George Brett spent his entire 21-year MLB career with the Kansas City Royals, culminating in a World Series victory in 1985.
Known as an intense, if affable, competitor, Brett maintained a career batting average in excess of .300 to go along with 3,000 hits and 300 home runs.
Fred McGriff starred for various teams.
It’s difficult to associate Fred McGriff with one team, as he was a vital component of strong teams in New York, San Diego, Atlanta, and elsewhere during his playing career.
Known as the “Crime Dog,” McGriff helped the Braves win the 1995 World Series.
José Canseco was a controversial star.
The outspoken José Canseco continues to make headlines to this day, to the extent that his playing career is often forgotten.
It’s easy to forget that Canseco was one of the most feared sluggers in baseball during the late ’80s and into the ’90s, as well as a two-time World Series champion.
Roger Clemens was an elite power pitcher.
“The Rocket” is another star whose legacy has been tainted by various allegations, but this doesn’t change his elite stats throughout the ’80s and ’90s.
Clemens spent more than a decade pitching for the Red Sox before moving to Toronto and then New York, where he won two championships with the Yankees.
Greg Maddux turned pitching into an art form.
The prototypical pitching ace has a blistering fastball and nasty breaking pitches, but Greg Maddux eschewed tradition and became dominant in his own way.
Thanks to pinpoint accuracy and a cerebral approach, Maddux became one of the best pitchers in baseball history despite not having an overpowering repertoire.
Tom Glavine played 22 MLB seasons.
Tom Glavine, along with Greg Maddux and John Smoltz, anchored the Atlanta Braves’ rotation in the ’90s — a group now seen as one of the best groups of starting pitchers of all time.
Glavine is one of only six left-handed pitchers to earn 300 career MLB wins.
John Smoltz was a Braves legend.
Before his MLB debut, the Detroit Tigers traded John Smoltz to the Braves — a decision the Tigers would come to regret.
Smoltz pitched for the Braves for two decades, earning eight All-Star nods, the 1996 Cy Young Award, and a championship along the way.
Pedro Martínez started in the NL, but starred in the AL.
Pedro Martínez was a solid if underrated pitcher for the Dodgers and Expos early in his career, but achieved superstardom after joining the Boston Red Sox in 1998.
Martínez earned his first of five consecutive All-Star appearances in 1996 and won Cy Young Awards in 1997 and 1999.
Randy Johnson was perhaps the most intimidating pitcher of all time.
Standing at an imposing 6’10”, Randy Johnson was the tallest MLB player in history at the time of his debut.
Combining his lanky frame with a blistering fastball, opposing hitters found it impossible to keep up with Johnson. Johnson retired with a remarkable five Cy Young Awards.
Nolan Ryan always brought the heat.
While postseason success eluded Nolan Ryan his entire career, Ryan still served as a model of consistency.
Many power pitchers flame out after a few years, but Ryan played for an incredible 27 years, between 1966 and 1993.
Orel Hershiser set an incredible record.
Dodgers ace Orel Hershiser had a solid MLB career between 1983 and 2000, but his 1988 season truly belongs in the record books.
Not only did Hershiser win the World Series and NL Cy Young Award that year, he also set an improbable record in throwing 59 consecutive innings without allowing a run.
Jack Morris won three championships.
Jack Morris spent the bulk of his career with the Detroit Tigers, with whom he won the 1984 World Series.
Later on, he spent one memorable year for his hometown Minnesota Twins, leading them to the 1991 World Series. In 1992, he joined the Toronto Blue Jays and won yet another championship.
Dennis Eckersley was a bullpen ace.
Dennis Eckersley spent his early career as a starting pitcher for Cleveland, Boston, and the Chicago Cubs — but made his mark as a closer for the Oakland A’s.
Eckersley took home both the AL MVP and Cy Young Awards in 1992 for his work out of the Oakland bullpen.
Lee Smith was a shutdown closer.
Lee Smith is a pitcher who helped invent the modern-day closer. He was the first pitcher to record 400 career saves, and for a time held the all-time saves record.
The imposing Smith stood 6’6″ tall and weighed more than 250 pounds and could throw a fastball in excess of 95 miles per hour.
Goose Gossage starred for nine teams.
Rich “Goose” Gossage enjoyed a long career between 1972 and 1994, reaching his peak in the ’80s.
Gossage was an early bullpen ace, racking up nine All-Star appearances for various teams. In 1978, he was named the American League’s best relief pitcher.
Dave Stewart had glower power.
Dave Stewart didn’t intend to intimidate hitters when he stared them down — but his natural facial expression still struck fear into opposing hitters.
He was a dominant pitcher who became even better in the postseason. He helped three different teams to World Series championships.
Bret Saberhagen was an underrated ace.
Bret Saberhagen is best remembered for his time with the Kansas City Royals in the 1980s, with whom he won the Cy Young Award in 1985 and 1989, along with the 1985 World Series.
Injuries limited his late-career effectiveness, to the point that it’s easy to forget just how elite he was during his peak.
David Cone was a strikeout king.
David Cone is best remembered for starring for the world champion New York Yankees later in his career, but he was even better in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
Cone led Major League Baseball in strikeouts in 1990, 1991, and 1992, and also won the 1994 Cy Young Award.
