The best baseball players born on Jan. 5

Here’s a subjective rating of the highest 5 for Jan. 5:

1) Bill Dahlen (1870)
This infielder was within the Majors again when the “Wild West” was nonetheless a factor, so his nickname of “Bad Bill” is relatively becoming. Dahlen obtained that moniker for his notable mood — he had an especially quick fuse as a participant and a supervisor and was reportedly ejected from 65 video games in his profession. Dahlen spent 11 of his 21 enjoying years in New York, first for the Brooklyn Superbas after which for the New York Giants, and was the shortstop for the World Series-winning Giants in 1905. He completed his profession with 548 stolen bases, which ranks twenty eighth all-time, and a couple of,461 hits. He additionally hit in 42 straight video games in 1894, which continues to be the fourth-longest streak in MLB historical past. Though Dahlen didn’t initially obtain a lot Hall of Fame assist, he has since been thought of for election by a number of Veterans Committees.

2) Bob Caruthers (1864)
How did this right-handed hurler, nicknamed “Parisian Bob,” amass 218 wins in 9 seasons, you ask? He received over 20 video games in six straight years from 1885-1890, and twice received 40 video games in a season over that span. After throwing 2,828 2/3 innings over these 9 years, Caruthers completed his enjoying tenure with a really respectable 2.83 ERA. He additionally spent a while as an outfielder and constantly held his personal with the bat, notching a .282 profession batting common.

3) Charlie Hough (1948)
Hough was identified for throwing a fluttering knuckleball. He made his knuckler final for 25 Major League seasons, which is tied for the third-longest enjoying tenure in MLB historical past. After tossing over 3,800 innings from 1970-1994, largely for the Dodgers and Rangers, Hough completed his prolonged profession virtually proper the place he began, at .500 — his 216-216 report offers him the excellence of successful extra video games than some other pitcher with a .500 report. He was additionally the latest pitcher to begin 40 video games in a season (1987) and toss 13 innings in a sport (June 11, 1986). Need yet one more Hough enjoyable reality? He was the very first pitcher in Marlins historical past when he began Opening Day of their inaugural 1993 season.

4) Art Fletcher (1885)
Though Fletcher spent most of his enjoying profession with the Giants, it was throughout city with the Yankees the place he loved extra group success. The right-handed-hitting shortstop performed in 4 World Series with the Giants (1911-1913, 1917), although his group misplaced all of them. Fletcher additionally led the NL in hit-by-pitches 5 occasions in his profession, all with the Giants. After hanging up his cleats in 1922, Fletcher had a four-year stint because the Phillies’ supervisor earlier than becoming a member of the Yankees’ teaching workers in 1927, the place he remained till 1945. In that span, Fletcher was part of 10 pennant wins and 9 World Series championships.

5) Riggs Stephenson (1898)
Though Stephenson struggled with accidents all through his 14-year profession, solely topping 100 video games in a season 5 occasions, he was an elite contact hitter. The Alabama native hit .336 for his profession, which is the third-highest batting common ever for a participant eligible for, however not enshrined in, the Hall of Fame. Despite his excessive common yr after yr, and the truth that he hit over .360 in three separate seasons, Stephenson by no means led the league in hitting.

Eduardo Escobar (1989)
Escobar led the NL and tied for the Major League lead with 10 triples in 2019, and was named to his first All-Star group in 2021. He could also be a cool cat himself, however Escobar is outwardly very afraid of cats, so don’t attempt to get on his good facet with a feline good friend.

C.J. Cron (1990)
Cron comes from a household with large league pedigree. His father, Chris, had temporary stints with the Angels and White Sox within the early ‘90s, and his brother, Kevin, was teammates with the afore-mentioned Escobar on the D-backs in 2019 and 2020.

José Iglesias (1990)
Iglesias was traded in the course of the 2013 season from the Red Sox to the Tigers, and ended up ending second in that yr’s AL Rookie of the Year voting to the Rays’ Wil Myers. Two of Iglesias’ new Tigers teammates, Miguel Cabrera and Max Scherzer, received the 2013 AL MVP and Cy Young awards, respectively.

Norichika Aoki (1982)
After breaking out with Nippon Professional Baseball in 2004 and main Japan to the 2009 World Baseball Classic title, Aoki jumped over to MLB in 2012 with the Brewers. He later helped propel the Royals to the 2014 AL pennant earlier than returning to Japan in 2018.