The best baseball players born on Oct. 31
Who are the best players born on each day of the year? We have a list for every day on the calendar.
Here¡¯s a subjective ranking of the top five for Oct. 31.
1) Fred McGriff (1963)
The Crime Dog burst onto the baseball scene as a rookie with Toronto in 1987, blasting 20 home runs over 107 games and setting the stage for a run of seven straight campaigns of 30-plus homers, during which time he was dealt to the Padres. The sweet-swinging first baseman and five-time All Star batted .284/.377/.509 over his career with 493 home runs, also playing for the Braves, Devil Rays, Cubs and Dodgers. Oh, and of course McGriff is well known to a generation of early ¡®90s kids for his appearances in commercials for Tom Emanski's Baseball Fundamentals training videos, which aired frequently on cable TV. McGriff was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023 after being elected unanimously on the Contemporary Era ballot.
2) Ken Keltner (1916)
Keltner was a seven-time All-Star during an impressive 12-year run with Cleveland, winning a World Series in 1948. He remains among the franchise leaders for third basemen in hits (1,561), doubles (306), runs (735), games played (1,513) and RBIs (850) and bWAR (33.1). But his name is often associated with a different feat. On July 17, 1941, Joe DiMaggio was attempting to extend his hitting streak to 57 games, but Keltner made two difficult defensive plays to rob The Yankee Clipper and help bring an end to his history-making run.
3) Dave McNally (1942)
The Orioles' all-time leader in wins, starts, shutouts and strikeouts among left-handers, McNally was on the mound for the final out of Baltimore¡¯s first World Series victory in 1966 and became the only pitcher to hit a grand slam in a Fall Classic when the O¡¯s won it again in ¡®70. During his five-year peak from 1968-72, McNally was a three-time All Star and averaged 20 victories, a 2.85 ERA and 14 complete games per season.
4) Mike Napoli? (1981)
Party at Napoli¡¯s, anyone? If there was one thing Napoli seemed to have over his 12-year career, it was popularity -- among fans in the cities where he played and among players in clubhouses. Napoli¡¯s charm -- and power at the plate -- especially shined in the postseason, where he played in three World Series, including Boston's championship run in 2013. He had his best campaign in ¡®16, when he helped lead Cleveland to the Fall Classic after delivering career highs in home runs (34) and RBIs (101).
5) ?Steve Trachsel? (1970)
Mark McGwire broke Roger Maris' single-season home run record on Sept. 8, 1998, launching No. 62 against the Cubs at Busch Stadium. Who was on the mound? Trachsel. While on the opposite end of history on that day, the righty otherwise spun a solid 16-year career, finishing fourth in Rookie of the Year voting in ¡®94 and earning an All-Star nod in ¡®96.
Others of note:
Jane Jarvis (1915)
Though not a baseball player herself, the longtime Mets and Braves organist provided the soundtrack for thousands of ballgames from 1954-79. Jarvis was classically trained and spent many years before, during and after her ballpark career as a professional jazz pianist.
Want to see more baseball birthdays for Oct. 31??Find the complete list?on Baseball Reference.