Derek Jeter is a true superstar. The seven-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1996 and the World Series MVP in 2000. He has helped bring four World Championships to the New York Yankees, and as Yankees captain has been a dedicated team leader admired by every Yankees fan. He is one of the best hitting shortstops of all time, and one of the game's true clutch players. And Jeter is a leader off the field as well: His Turn 2 Foundation is one of the nation's most successful youth programs. Filled with informative career statistics and...

Like a powerful locomotive, Lou Gehrig slugged his way through 14 years as the pride of the Yankees. Never missing a game during his career, the six-time All-Star set the American League record with 184 RBI in 1931, hit a record 23 grand slams, won two Most Valuable Player awards, and won the 1934 Triple Crown. Refusing to see himself as a natural, Gehrig achieved greatness through an unwavering dedication to practice. Then suddenly, the Iron Man began to rust. The home runs ceased. The hits became misses. Gehrig had contracted amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. Yet harnessing the...

When right fielder Ichiro Suzuki signed a contract with the Seattle Mariners in 2000, he became the first everyday position player from Japan to enter Major League Baseball. Few people believed that the small, slender Suzuki, who wore his first name on the back of his jersey, would be able to succeed. But Ichiro Suzuki, who was already a superstar in his native Japan, rapidly showed that his hitting literally knew no bounds. Although he has only played in the major leagues for six seasons, Suzuki has quickly established himself as one of the game's top players. Not only has he won a Gold...

Standing 6 feet 10 inches tall, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson is one of the tallest players in Major League Baseball history, and his accomplishments on the diamond have taken the sport to new heights. Nicknamed the "Big Unit," the five-time Cy Young Award winner leads active players in strikeouts per nine innings (10.77) and is second in both strikeouts (4,544) and shutouts (37). And his achievements don't end there: Johnson holds the MLB record for consecutive seasons with 300 strikeouts (five) and ranks third all time in career strikeouts behind Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens....

Before 1947, professional baseball was as segregated as the rest of American society: Black baseball players were forced to compete in the Negro Leagues, rather than in Major League Baseball. But on April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier and changed history by becoming the first African American to play in the Major League Baseball. Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers and managed by the visionary Branch Rickey, Robinson spent 10 seasons in the major leagues, during which time the Dodgers won six pennants. Robinson was a six-time All-Star, the National League Rookie of the Year in...

During his 16-year MLB career, Bernie Williams has helped bring four World Championships to the New York Yankees. Widely considered one of the best-hitting center fielders of all time, Williams is celebrated for being a fast and graceful fielder as well. Williams is Major League Baseball's all-time leader in postseason home runs (22) and runs batted in (80) and ranks second only to Lou Gehrig in career doubles by a Yankee with 534. And his talents go beyond the baseball field: an accomplished jazz guitarist and composer, Williams has an album, The Journey Within, and a writing contract with...

Considered too slow and a poor fielder by major league scouts, Mike Piazza was the last player drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988 (the 1,390th overall pick). But by the time Piazza made his major league debut in 1992, he shocked his detractors by quickly rising through the ranks, becoming one of the best catchers in MLB history. A 12-time All-Star, Piazza holds the all-time record for home runs by a catcher with 419 and has twice finished as the runner-up for MVP. Remarkable full-color photographs, relevant career statistics, and insightful sidebars enhance this inspiring new...

Minnesota Twins' center fielder Kirby Puckett emerged from the rough housing projects of Chicago to become the jewel of Major League Baseball from 1984 to 1995. Better known by Twins fans as "Puck," number 34 is still considered by most to be the greatest Twin ever. During his 11-year career, Puckett was a six-time Gold Glove winner, a 10-time All-Star, a five-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and led the Twins to their only two World Series titles in 1987 and 1991. But his remarkable career came to a shocking halt in 1995 when glaucoma caused irreversible damage to his right eye, and in 1997...

Major League Baseball's all-time home run leader, Hank Aaron broke into the major leagues in 1954 with the Milwaukee Braves and spent the next 21 seasons making baseball history with the organization. In addition to his record 755 home runs, he also owns the major league record for total bases (6,856), extra-base hits (1,477), and RBI (2,297). Aaron, who appeared in a record-tying 24 All-Star games, won three Gold Gloves for his play in right field and was the 1957 National League MVP. And in 1982, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Career statistics, along with lively...

In 1990, the Yankees paid a signing bonus of $2,000 to acquire a young shortstop from an amateur baseball team in Panama. Mariano Rivera had never even considered a career in baseball until he became a Yankee. Now, he is considered the best postseason closer--and perhaps the best closer--of all time, as well as one of the main reasons the team won four World Series titles between 1996 and 2000. In close games, Rivera's clutch "saves" have secured wins with the Yankees' continued appearances in the postseason. Off the field, Rivera has been recognized for his philanthropic work in the United...