MLB Athlete Number 44 - Hank Aaron

Hammerin' Hank is a baseball icon. Who hasn't seen that video of Hank trotting around the bases after swatting number 715, fans trying to touch a piece of history, swatted aside by the most prolific home run hitter of the 20th century?

Reggie Jackson and Willie McCovey could also be considered at this number, but there really is no other choice for the best MLB athlete to wear the uniform number 44 than Mr. Hank Aaron.

Logged in at number 5 on the 1999 Sporting News list of the greatest baseball players, Aaron put up some extremely gaudy numbers between the years of 1954 and 1976 in the big leagues.

• 755 career homers


• .305 career batting average


• 2,297 career RBI


• 3,771 career hits


• 6,856 career total bases (#1 all-time)

Hank Aaron was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in 1982.

Did you know.........that Hank Aaron's uniform number 44 has been retired by both the Braves and the Brewers?

MLB Athlete Number 43 - Dennis Eckersley

Definitely some controversy over who the best pro athlete to ever wear the jersey number 43 is? But, as you probably know, Nascar has been excluded from this list. Here we are listing ONLY the four major North American pro sports (football, baseball, hockey and lacrosse). Yeah, just kidding with that last one. It's basketball. But anyway, this is why you don't see Pele at number 10.

However, while some identify Mr. Petty with 43, there is ZERO doubt that Dennis Eckersley is the best MLB athlete to ever wear the jersey number 43.

MLB Athlete Number 42 - Jackie Robinson

You know who the best MLB athlete to ever wear the number 42 is. You also know that Jackie Robinson probably could have played pro football if he wanted to. Instead, he broke the color line in Major League Baseball. He is the best athlete ever to wear the number 42. Hands down. Check out my post on why he's the best number 42 athlete of all time.