Image: HSW / jimkruger/E+/GettyImages
About This Quiz
Plaques are used to commemorate accomplishments across all sports at a variety of levels. To get a plaque with your face on it, though, your achievements have to be significant, and even more so if you want that plaque to end up in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Hall of Famers, of course, sit at the top of the baseball world. They have set themselves apart from even the greatest players in the game, as only athletes of the highest level actually make it into the Majors. That makes MLB a competitive league, and only the hardest working and most gifted talents rise to the top of that league.
Some Hall of Fame players led their teams to championship after championship, while others set records that held for years or have never been broken. There's no one way to make it into the Hall of Fame, after all, but it's usually pretty clear that a player has Hall of Fame potential soon after they take the field.
Are you ready to see if you can make out the faces of these all-world athletes from their Hall of Fame plaques? You might recognize some of the recent entries, but what about the players who starred in the league over a century ago? Get started and find out for yourself.
Stan Musial
Mickey Mantle
Babe Ruth
The Boston Red Sox probably made the worst decision in franchise history when they traded Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees, following the 1919 season. The Red Sox went 86 years without winning another title in what became known as "The Curse of the Bambino."
Hank Aaron
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Hank Aaron
Willie Mays
Frank Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson was clearly meant to play in the Majors, evidenced by the Rookie of the Year Award he won in 1947. He topped that honor in 1949 when he was named the NL MVP after winning the NL batting title and leading the National League in stolen bases.
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Billy Williams
Ernie Banks
Making his MLB debut in 1953, Ernie Banks was the first African American to play for the Chicago Cubs. Fans in Chicago fell in love with Banks from the start, eventually honoring him with the nickname "Mr. Cub."
Andre Dawson
Bob Gibson
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Roberto Clemente
With speed that allowed him to cover the field and a rocket arm, Roberto Clemente was one of the best fielders in baseball during his prime. His fielding skills earned him 12 straight Gold Glove Awards, from 1961 until 1972.
Tom Seaver
Joe Johnson
Fernando Valenzuela
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Pete Rose
Hank Aaron
Hank Aaron was the first person to surpass Babe Ruth's career home run record of 714 home runs. Aaron finished his career with 755 homers but has since been passed by Barry Bonds, though Bonds' record is controversial because of his association with steroids.
Reggie Jackson
Rickey Henderson
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Stan Musial
Honus Wagner
Joe Jackson
Ty Cobb
Excellent on both sides of the field, Ty Cobb really shined while at bat, recording 4,191 hits in his career. Even though he retired in 1928, he still holds the MLB record for career batting average at .367.
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Yogi Berra
Frank Robinson
Barry Bonds
Willie Mays
As with most Hall of Fame players, Willie Mays had many talents on the field, including hitting home runs. In a game against the Milwaukee Braves in 1961, Mays hit four home runs, which puts him in a category with only 17 other players.
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Ty Cobb
Ted Williams
With the ability to knock the ball out the park or place it in the field, Ted Williams might've been the greatest hitter the game has ever seen. He finished his career with 521 home runs and 2,654 hits, while recording an outstanding .344 batting average.
Stan Musial
Walter Johnson
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Roger Clemens
Greg Maddux
Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan played for four teams throughout his lengthy MLB career. Of those four teams, three retired his number: the Los Angeles Angels, the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers.
Tom Seaver
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Randy Johnson
Though he was drafted in 1982, Randy Johnson decided to skip out on the minors to attend college at USC, where he played both baseball and basketball. By his sophomore year, he gave up on basketball and focused on the sport that would turn him into a legend.
Sandy Koufax
Greg Maddux
Nolan Ryan
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Nolan Ryan
Bob Gibson
Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax is one of the rare pitchers in MLB to pitch a perfect game, which he accomplished on September 9, 1965. The impressive thing about the timing of this event was that Koufax was already in decline as injuries racked up. He played one more season before retiring.
Greg Maddux
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Roger Maris
Yogi Berra
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle was a great New York Yankees players who helped establish the franchise as one of the best in professional sports. Mantle won seven World Series while playing for the Yankees, with his first title coming during his debut season.
Derek Jeter
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Joe DiMaggio
Though he won nine World Series and was elected to 13 All-Star Games, Joe DiMaggio's greatest accomplishment might be his 56-game hitting streak, a record that stands today. He recorded this streak in the 1941 season.
Mickey Mantle
Yogi Berra
Babe Ruth
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Kirby Puckett
After debuting in 1984, it took Kirby Puckett only four years to help the Minnesota Twins win a World Series. He didn't have to wait long to win another title, which he was able to do in 1991.
Tony Gwynn
Rod Carew
Tony Olivia
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Honus Wagner
Honus Wagner was so skilled in defense that he played just about every position on that side. That doesn't mean he couldn't play offense, though, as the man known as "The Flying Dutchman" could also do everything from batting to stealing bases.
Roberto Clemente
Willie Mays
Joe Jackson
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Oscar Charleston
Josh Gibson
Much of Josh Gibson's legacy is left to legend because he played in the Negro League, where statistics weren't as well kept. However, one thing is certain — Gibson is one of the greatest power hitters of any era, a fact recognized by many of the greats from the time he played.
Buck Leonard
Rube Foster
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Mike Schmidt
Chipper Jones
George Brett
Ron Santo
Ron Santo retired from baseball in 1974, having nine All-Star appearances and five Gold Gloves under his belt. He reentered the Chicago Cubs' organization in 1990 as a broadcaster, where he was known for giving his honest opinion, whether it was good or bad.
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Chipper Jones
Mariano Rivera
Mike Mussina
Edgar Martinez
Though he played third base at times in his career, Edgar Martinez had the most success as a designated hitter because his true talent was on the offensive side of the ball. His hitting prowess was evidenced by his five Silver Slugger Awards and two AL batting championships.
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Barry Bonds
Frank Thomas
Willie Mays
Ken Griffey Jr.
The first overall draft pick in 1987, Ken Griffey Jr. came into the league with the expectation that he was going to be a star. Griffey lived up to the hype, earning a place in 13 All-Star Games and winning the AL MVP in 1997.
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Tom Seaver
Tom Glavine
Greg Maddux
In recognition of his greatness, Greg Maddux won four straight Cy Young Awards, from 1992 through 1995, with the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves. This made him the first player to win the award four consecutive years.
Roger Clemens
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Sandy Koufax
Nolan Ryan
Cy Young
A hard thrower who was also crafty with the ball, Cy Young holds numerous pitching records, including career wins and career completed games. One of his greatest accomplishments came in 1901 when he won a Triple Crown by leading the league in wins, strikeouts and ERA.
Randy Johnson
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Grover Cleveland Alexander
Walter Johnson
Early in his career, Walter Johnson relied on his fastball, which rivaled that of anyone who ever played the game and earned him the nickname "The Big Train." However, once he added a curveball to his arsenal, Johnson was almost unstoppable, recording at least 20 wins for 10 straight seasons.
Tris Speaker
Lefty Grove
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Joe DiMaggio
Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig, a player who was known for his durability and effort on the field, had a tragic ending to his life after he was diagnosed with ALS, now commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The disease took his life only two years after he retired. Gehrig was only 37 years old.
Ted Williams
Mickey Mantle
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Walter Johnson
John McGraw
Christy Mathewson
Christy Mathewson spent most of his 17-year career as a pitcher for the New York Giants. While playing in New York, Mathewson won the 1905 World Series by defeating the Philadelphia Athletics in five games. Mathewson was the starting pitcher for three of those five games.
Sandy Koufax
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Lefty Grove
Bill Terry
Carl Hubbell
It took Carl Hubbell two innings during the 1934 All-Star Game to establish himself as a legend on the mound. During those two innings, Hubbell struck out five Hall of Fame sluggers: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin.
Dizzy Dean
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Charles Radbourn
Charles Radbourn had the greatest season of his career and one of the greatest seasons of all time in 1884, when he won 60 games, leading the MLB in wins for the year. He was also the ERA leader and strikeout leader, earning him the Triple Crown for the season.
Eddie Plank
Will White
Christy Mathewson
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Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby won the only World Series championship of his career in 1926, with the St. Louis Cardinals. That season, his team, which he also managed, defeated a loaded New York Yankees squad in seven games.
Ty Cobb
Stan Musial
Jimmie Foxx
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Tris Speaker
Al Simmons
Heinie Manush
George Sisler
Recording a batting average over .400 for a season is rare for any player, but George Sisler, also known as "Gorgeous George," was able to do it twice in his career. The second time he accomplished the feat, in 1922, Sisler was named the AL MVP.
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George Sisler
Willie Keeler
Willie Keeler played in an era when home runs were extremely rare, and he only finished with 33 of them. However, his ability to make contact with the ball was unmatched, recording 2,932 hits with a .341 batting average.
John McGraw
Nap Lajoie
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Bill Terry
Mickey Cochrane
Bill Dickey
Buck Ewing
Buck Ewing played every year of his career in the 19th century, finally retiring in 1897. He continued to serve as a manager for the Cincinnati Reds and later the New York Giants until the turn of the century, leaving the game after the 1900 season.
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You Got:
/30
Image: HSW / jimkruger/E+/GettyImages
About This Quiz
Plaques are used to commemorate accomplishments across all sports at a variety of levels. To get a plaque with your face on it, though, your achievements have to be significant, and even more so if you want that plaque to end up in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Hall of Famers, of course, sit at the top of the baseball world. They have set themselves apart from even the greatest players in the game, as only athletes of the highest level actually make it into the Majors. That makes MLB a competitive league, and only the hardest working and most gifted talents rise to the top of that league.
Some Hall of Fame players led their teams to championship after championship, while others set records that held for years or have never been broken. There's no one way to make it into the Hall of Fame, after all, but it's usually pretty clear that a player has Hall of Fame potential soon after they take the field.
Are you ready to see if you can make out the faces of these all-world athletes from their Hall of Fame plaques? You might recognize some of the recent entries, but what about the players who starred in the league over a century ago? Get started and find out for yourself.
