Iowa Baseball Greats: Sixteen Major Leaguers Who Were in the Game for Life

In the world of sports, Iowa is probably best known for wrestling but the state has also produced more than 200 major league baseball players. Sixteen of them are profiled here, including six Hall of Famers, the game’s brightest star of the 19th century, an American League batting champion, the only pitcher to lead the National League in strikeouts seven years in a row, the only catcher to catch two back-to-back no-hitters and one of the most dominant pitchers in American League history.

They made their presence felt off the field, too. One helped fortify the game’s racial barriers. One helped tear them down. One invented devices that changed the game. Two wrote instructional books on baseball. One became famous so young, he graced the cover of national magazines before graduating from high school. Each has a compelling story, some interwoven with the game’s greatest moments.