Home Town Hall-of-Famers

[Appling]

How many players now in Cooperstown did you see play for your hometown team at least once? Future HOF'ers that played for the opposing team, or even your "adopted" favorite team, don't count here. That must have played at least one season for your hometown team.

There are thirteen Hall-of-famers who played for my "hometown" team at some point, while that city was my "hometown". (I may have moved around more than most of you. I listed the seasons they played for my "home town team" -- even though in some cases the player may have been past his prime.)

Here are the player on my personal HOF list. List shows the years I lived in those cities, and the portion of those years when each player listed played for my "home team".

Chicago White Sox (1947-1957) (Cubs don't count!)
* Luke Appling (1947-1950)
* Nellie Fox (1950-1957)
* Luis Aparicio (1956-57)

Manhattan Kansas (1958-1959) (No MLB team)

Milwaukee Braves (1960)
* Eddie Mathews (1960)
* Hank Aaron (1960)
* Warren Spahn (1960)

Fort Smith, Arkansas (1961) (No MLB team)

Cincinnati Reds (1962-1965)
* Frank Robinson (1962-1965)

Minnesota Twins (1966-1974)
* Harmon Killebrew (1966-1974)
* Rod Carew (1967-1974)

Pittsburgh Pirates (1975-1978)
* Willie Stargell (1975-1978)

Norman OK (1979-1980) No MLB team

Minnesota Twins (second tour: 1981-1998)
* Kirby Puckett (1984-1995)
* Dave Winfield (1993-1994)
* Paul Molitor (1996-1998)

And three other players who may yet make it to Cooperstown some day:
* Pete Rose (Cincinnati 1963-1965)
* Tony Oliva (Minnesota 1966-1974)
* Bert Blyleven (Minnesota 1970-1974; Pittsburgh 1978; Minnesota again 1985-1988)
Yes, Blyleven belongs in the Hall of Fame!

I realize that this list may well be beaten by lifetime New Yorkers, with just players that played for the Yankees.

[RedSoxVT92]

To bad ive never lived in a big city. The closest profesinol team is the low A Vermont Sea Monsters (Orlando Cabrea played there). At least we Vermonters can boast that Carleton Fisk was born here.

[RuthMayBond]

All I can say for sure is Eddie Murray & Dave Winfield. Not sure if I saw Steve Carlton & Phil Niekro during their "vast tenure" with da Tribe. I even saw Murray hit one into the mezzanine just below the upper deck when with Baltimore. It was just down the line, maybe not such a big deal but it looked like he checked his swing. The paper confirmed it the next day.

[Ubiquitous]

Wade Boggs, Fergie Jenkins and Ryne Sandberg

When Maddux and Mariano Rivera retire I'll be able to say I saw them play as well, and if Curt Schilling gets in I'll be able to say him as well.
Others guys on the bubble:
Andre Dawson
Tim Raines
Derek Jeter
Bernie Williams
Sammy Sosa
Rafael Palmeiro

[wamby]

From the Indians:

Gaylord Perry
Frank Robinson
Phil Niekro
Eddie Murray
Dave Winfield
possibly Steve Carlton (1987 is an Indians year I would rather forget)

I also remember seeing Warren Spahn in an Indians uniform as a pitching coach.

From the Padres:

Tony Gwynn

From the California Angels:

Reggie Jackson
Don Sutton

[leecemark]

--Sadly, in 40 years as a Tiger's fan only Al Kaline has gone on to the Hall of Fame. I might have seen Eddie Mathews playing out the string with the Tigers, but I don't remember anything about him from that year (he didn't play much and I was only 8). None of my Mariners have yet to grace Cooperstown either, although at least 3 (Griffey, Johnson and A-Rod) are very likely to get there in time.

[johnny]

--Sadly, in 40 years as a Tiger's fan only Al Kaline has gone on to the Hall of Fame. I might have seen Eddie Mathews playing out the string with the Tigers, but I don't remember anything about him from that year (he didn't play much and I was only 8). None of my Mariners have yet to grace Cooperstown either, although at least 3 (Griffey, Johnson and A-Rod) are very likely to get there in time.

As a fellow M's fan, I wonder if any of the three will go in wearing an M's cap. Maybe Jr?

[leecemark]

--Junior would be the most likely of the 3. For sure, Seattle is where he earned his plaque and it would be nice to see him wear our cap on it.

[Bothrops Atrox]

Ozzie Smith
Dennis Eckersley
Bruce Sutter

[Brian McKenna]

brooks robinson
reggie jackson
eddie murray
cal ripken
jim palmer
earl weaver

driven to philly to see maddux and schmidt
seen a ton at spring training in florida and arizona

[baseballPAP]

I have adopted the Reds and consider them my "hometown" team....they're 3 hours away, but its the closest I've got. I have seen a fair share of good ones since my first game in '81....Bench, Rose, Perez and Seaver I believe are the only HOFers though. I've had the good fortune to hit a bunch more in away games, including Sandberg, Schmidt, Carlton, Ryan, Gwynn, Ozzie Smith, and about 8 or 10 more that aren't elligible yet. I pick my 3 or 4 games a year well....I've always tried to do this to hit the greats if possible.

[Captain Cold Nose]

Like Mark, my stay in Motown saw scant HOF players but many good ones. Only Kaline, I still have a couple of the Al Kaline Day pins they handed out. It was a pleasure watching Sparky Anderson manage all those years after the Reds fired him.
With Cincinnati, Barry Larkin probably will get in. There is the debate on what team Junior will represent. Bottom line, his Reds career has been disappointing, as year of lack of training have caught up with him, seemingly. He earned his plaque in Seattle, but it's been nice seeing him homer practically every game I've seen him in either at Riverfront or Cinergy.

[mordeci]

Reds 75-present
Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, Joe Morgan, Tom Seaver, Sparky Anderson

Red Sox 72-74
Carlton Fisk, Carl Yastrzemski, Orlando Cepeda, Luis Aparicio, Juan Marichal

Dodgers 67-71
? - I supposedly went to several Dodgers games around the ages of 2-3. It's possible I saw Don Sutton and/or Don Drysdale, but I have no idea.

Honorable mention:
It wasn't my home town and wasn't even a baseball game, but I did see Wayne Gretzky in my one and only NHL game.

[ElHalo]

I've only seen, to my knowledge, one HoF'er in a game I actually attended... Nolan Ryan in Game 5 of the 1986 NLCS. I believe the next in line would be Rickey Henderson (who I saw at a Red Sox/Yankees game in 2004).

[KCGHOST]

For the Royals you have Brett, Killebrew and Perry.