Many MLB fans are disgruntled with this year’s overall hall of fame class. Only eight-time Gold Glove, former St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen, and five-time All-Star and two-time home run leader Fred McGriff were voted into the 2023 Hall of Fame. Some wonder why legendary names such as Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Beltran aren’t admitted into Cooperstown. Nevertheless, there are Hall of Famers who still deserve recognition for their contributions to the game.
This raises the question: out of all of the baseball hall of fame members, who is the most popular in each U.S. state? The friends at Sell Easy conducted a study answering this question. BBWA, NLC, or SCNL were the sources used to pull players’ data and Google Trends was used for analyzing each state’s search interest from 2004-2022. These legends will not be a surprise if you consider yourself a baseball connoisseur.
There is no surprise that Jackie Robinson was the most searched baseball Hall of Famer in the entire country, leading the results in seven states. His impact on April 15, 1947, revolutionized baseball and broke civil barriers within the majors. Significantly, Jackie Robinson Day is celebrated annually by all 30 MLB teams on April 15th.
The only other legend to win at least two states is Lou Gehrig. Gehrig is an adored Yankee first baseman, who played all 17 seasons for New York. He was nicknamed “the Iron Horse” due to his swing and hitting ability. Throughout his career, he hit nearly 500 dingers, and almost 2,000 RBIs, with a .340 batting average– there is no doubt he lived up to his nickname.
Although Gehrig will always be fondly remembered in New York, he was not the most popular baseball player in the state. Known as the greatest closing pitcher of all time, Mariano Rivera won New York. While playing for the Yankees, Rivera won five World Series titles in a span of 14 seasons. He is currently the co-president of the United International Baseball League and hopes to provide a roadway to the league for young baseball players living overseas.