Thursday, March 30th, was MLB Opening Day. Opening Day is always an exciting time. Hope springs anew. Every team starts with a fresh slate. Even the Oakland A’s are in first place for a day. We get to see all the new off-season acquisitions on their new teams in meaningful games for the first time. We get 30 aces squaring off in 15 games that are spread throughout the day. It’s a momentous occasion for baseball fans across the globe. It’s my personal opinion that MLB Opening Day should be a national holiday. To help celebrate I’m continuing with my top positions lists. This time I delve into The Top First Baseman…Of My Lifetime.

10. John Olerud

John Olerud was always an interesting player to me. One of the main reasons was because he wore a batting helmet while in the field. He was and still is the only player I can remember doing so. So when I first saw this oddity I was immediately curious. This was long before Google so I couldn’t just type in a search bar “Why does John Olerud wear a batting helmet in the field?”. I asked anyone and everyone I thought might know the answer. The general consensus was that it was a safety precaution and that being hit in the head by a batted ball or errant throw could be fatal. This actually ended up being true, but nobody that answered me at the time knew exactly why. I would learn the reason a few years later and it only increased my admiration for Olerud. In 1989 prior to his junior season in college at Washington State, Olerud suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage. In layman’s terms, a brain bleed. Further tests revealed a brain aneurysm and Olerud would have to undergo brain surgery. This turn of events was obviously unexpected and a huge blow to Olerud who was coming off one of the all-time great collegiate baseball seasons in his sophomore year. His second year college stats were mind blowing. He hit .464 with 23 HRs and 81 runs batted in. And if that wasn’t impressive enough, he also pitched. To the tune of a perfect 15-0 record with a 2.49 ERA and 113 strikeouts. John Olerud? More like John Ohtani. That historic season would see him garner consensus All-American at both first base and pitcher, as well as being named the Baseball America College Player of the Year. Olerud would return to the diamond four months post-surgery and bat an impressive .359. Following his junior year he was drafted in the third round by the Toronto Blue Jays. Olerud went on to have a very good big league career. Highlighted by 2 World Series titles with the Blue Jays. 2 All-Star selections, 3 Gold Gloves and a batting title (.363) in 1993. Pretty remarkable, truly memorable and definitely deserving of a spot on the list.

9. Chris Davis

“Crush” Davis got his nickname for a reason. Because he absolutely crushed baseballs. Being 6’4″, 255 didn’t hurt with that. A big man who hit big tape measure homers. Davis broke into the majors with the Texas Rangers in 2008. However, he didn’t break out until after being traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 2011. The following season Davis would set career highs in HRs and RBIs with 33 and 85, respectfully. His home run total was helped out a lot during the final week of the season when he hit 6 in the final 6 games. At a time when a lot of baseball fans weren’t paying attention, I most certainly was. I stored this little nugget away until my fantasy baseball draft the following spring and snagged Davis with a late round pick. Ca-ching!! I cashed in big time with Crush as he went absolutely ballistic to start the 2013 campaign. Davis picked up where he left off the previous season, setting an MLB record with 16 RBIs in the first 4 games. He also homered in each of those first four games, a feat that had only been accomplished three times prior. Davis propelled my fantasy team to an early season lead that I never relinquished. Largely in part to Davis not slowing down much for the rest of the year. He finished the year by leading the majors in HRs (53), RBI (137), and total bases (370). Davis makes the list because of how he demolished baseballs. Because of how he instantly became one of my favorite players due to that torrid start in 2013. Because he carried me to a fantasy baseball title, and all the bragging rights that come with it. Making me look like an absolute baseball savant in the process.

8. Mark Teixeira

As is the case with most MLB players who played college baseball for Georgia Tech, I followed Mark Teixeira’s career closely and he quickly became a favorite of mine. Teixeira had an outstanding college career for the Yellowjackets. He won the Dick Howser Trophy for national collegiate baseball player of the year at the culmination of the 2000 season. He was drafted 5th overall by the Texas Rangers in 2001 and made his MLB debut in 2003. He wasted little time establishing himself as one of the top first basemen in the game. Being a switch-hitter that hits for power and average while playing Gold Glove defense will do that for you. When Teixeira was traded to my Atlanta Braves at the 2007 trade deadline in a blockbuster deal, I was beyond pumped. Tex would make an immediate impact by hitting a 3-run homer in his Braves debut. He would go on to hit 16 more HRs and bat .317 for Atlanta down the stretch that season. But alas, the Braves would fall short of a playoff berth. Teixeira began the next season in Atlanta before again getting dealt at the deadline in a trade with the Angels. In the subsequent off-season Teixeira signed a massive 8-year, $180 million free agent deal with the Evil Empire Yankees. Despite the hefty price tag, the Yankees probably still got a bargain. In his first season in the Bronx Tex led the AL in HRs (39) and RBI (122) and helped lead New York to the World Series title. Overall Teixeira had a great MLB career highlighted by 3 All-Star selections, 5 Gold Gloves, 3 Silver Sluggers and 409 career HRs. I was disappointed when the Braves traded Teixeira in 2008 but I’ll always remember the excitement I felt at the 2007 deadline when Tex came down to Georgia, looking for a soul to steal.

7. Fred McGriff

Another memorable Braves first baseman acquired at the trade deadline, “The Crime Dog” was a premier power hitter during his career. McGriff hit 20 or more home runs in 15 different seasons and was the first player to ever lead both leagues in home runs. He topped the AL with 36 HRs in 1989 and led the NL with 35 in 1992. McGriff was also the first player to have a 30 homer season with 5 different teams. He finished his career with 493 HRs and was selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He will be inducted this summer (2023). Gaudy numbers and Hall of Fame credentials notwithstanding, what I remember McGriff for is his buggy whip, helicopter-like follow-through and the infamous press box fire that happened on the day he joined the Braves after a trade with the San Diego Padres at the deadline in 1993. Once the fire was eventually extinguished, the game that night was still played. McGriff sparked a Braves comeback with a game-tying, two-run HR. It turns out the press box fire wasn’t the only thing ignited. The Braves who were 9 games back of first-place San Francisco Giants at the time of the deal, were fueled by the addition of McGriff. They won 8 of the next 9 games and went 51-17 overall after the acquisition, overtaking the Giants to win the division. McGriff spent the next four seasons in Atlanta, making 3 All-Star teams and helping the Braves win the 1995 World Series. One would expect nothing less from the Tom Emanski’s Baseball Fundamentals spokesman.

6. Don Mattingly

Don Mattingly was a terrific player. He had a smooth lefty swing and could pick it with anyone at first base. No wonder he was known as “Donnie Baseball”. It’s also no wonder that he was my older brother Lee’s favorite player. Mattingly looked cool. With his eye black and iconic mustache. He could flat out hit. Evidenced by his .307 career average. Lee’s admiration of Mattingly must have worn off on me because I ended up being a big Mattingly fan as well. I can remember the excitement of pulling a Don Mattingly baseball card from a pack, eager to show my brother the newest gem in my collection. I had quite a few Mattingly cards and always enjoyed marveling at his stats on the back. They were impressive. Six consecutive All-Star selections. Nine Gold Gloves. 3 Silver Suggers. 1985 AL MVP. AL batting title (.343) in 1984. AL RBI leader (145) in 1985. AL hits leader in 1984 (207) and 1986 (238). He led the league in doubles from 1984-1986 (44, 48, 53). My studies of Mattingly cards actually served me well later in life at a Columbus RedStixx minor league baseball game. A group of me and my friends were at the game as part of the pre-bachelor party festivities for my buddy Joe, who was getting married the following weekend. One of the members of our party was our high school baseball coach, Coach Stripling. The trivia question on the scoreboard was “Who holds the MLB record for most grand slams in a single season?”. I bet Coach a round of beers that I would come up with the correct answer. Because of Lee’s love of Mattingly and my love of baseball cards, of course I knew it was Mattingly with 6 grand slams in the 1987 season. Beer man! Another round! This one’s on Coach Stripling! Courtesy of Donnie Baseball.

5. Freddie Freeman

Another great Atlanta Braves first baseman, Freddie Freeman was a member of the club for 12 seasons. He manned first base for the Braves from his rookie year in 2010 until the end of the 2021 season. Freeman bridged the gap from the “Chipper Jones” era to the current “Alex Anthopoulos” era. He carried the franchise through a lot of lean seasons as the Braves went through a rebuild. This was foreign for a lot of Braves fans. The Braves were postseason mainstays for all of the 90’s, 2000’s and into the 2010’s. It was hard to see the team struggle so mightily and oftentimes Freeman was the only bright spot on a bad team. It was so satisfying to see Freeman and the Braves bring home the World Series Championship in 2021. All of his hard work and dedication finally paid off. All the years spent languishing in mediocrity waiting for the replenished minor league system to make an impact on the big league level was worth it. The future for Freeman and Atlanta looked bright. The franchise had a solid core of young players and with Freeman leading the way they would certainly be contenders for years to come. Then in a whirlwind of unexpected events the Braves traded for young star first baseman Matt Olson and Freeman signed a free agent deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. At the time I wasn’t really bothered by Freeman’s departure too much. The Braves got a more than adequate replacement and were still in position to be one of the best teams in baseball moving forward. As more time passes, the more it gets to me that Freeman isn’t in Atlanta anymore. He was supposed to be a Brave for life. He was supposed to be the leader of the new era. But such is life and ultimately, baseball is a business. I still follow Freeman closely and root for his success. I’m still grateful for what he meant to the franchise and for bringing so much joy to so many by helping the Braves win the 2021 World Series.

4. Miguel Cabrera

Miggy, Miggy, Miggy, can’t you see? Sometimes your stats just hypnotize me. It’s easy to be mesmerized by Miguel Cabrera’s historic career numbers. 3000+ hits. 500+ home runs. A career .308 batting average. Back-to-back AL MVPs in 2012 and 2013. Four batting titles. Seven Silver Slugger Awards. 12 All-Star selections. A World Series ring with the 2003 Florida Marlins. In 2012 Cabrera led the American League in HRs (44), RBI (139) and batting average (.330). The Triple Crown. A feat that hadn’t been accomplished since Carl Yastrzemski last pulled it off way back in 1967. Miguel Cabrera comes in at number 4 on my list due to his amazing career, his hitting prowess and most impressively, by winning the first and only Triple Crown Of My Lifetime.

3. Frank Thomas

An all-time great, with an all-time great nickname, “The Big Hurt” was indeed big. And he hurt baseballs as well as opposing pitcher’s feelings. Checking in at 6’5″ and 240 pounds, Frank Thomas looked like he should be at Soldier Field hitting ball carriers instead of in Comiskey Park hitting homers. Thomas was big in stature and he put up similarly large numbers. 521 career HRs. A career .308 batting average. Back-to-back AL MVPs in 1993 and 94. The AL batting title (.347) in 1997. 5 All-Star selections. 4 Silver Slugger Awards. All these stats and awards would lead to his inevitable induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014. Befittingly, Frank’s baseball cards were big as well. His cards were the most popular and most valuable current cards in the early 1990’s, when Thomas was at the peak of his career and popularity. His name was always number 1 on the Beckett Hot List and pulling a Frank Thomas card from a pack back then immediately gave off Scrooge McDuck vibes. Although his cards never made me rich, they gave me a large amount of happiness. It would certainly be a big oversight to not include Frank Thomas on my list.

2. Albert Pujols

I’m not a machine, I’m just Albert. I would beg to differ, Mr. Pujols. Because Albert Pujols was just that, a hitting machine. Arguably the best right handed hitter in the history of the game, Pujols put together a truly legendary career. 3 NL MVPs (2005, 2008, 2009). Rookie of the Year in 2001. 11 All-Star teams. 6 Silver Sluggers. 2 Gold Gloves. The NL batting title in 2003 (.359). 2 World Series championships with the Cardinals in 2006 and 2011. Oh, I almost forgot to mention his 703 career home runs. Albert’s chase for 700 in his return to the Cardinals for his final season after spending 10 years in Los Angeles (9 with the Angels and 1 with the Dodgers) was a true feel good story and the proverbial cherry on top of his career sundae. At the age of 42, Pujols entered the 2022 season with 679 career home runs. He wasn’t expected to play much and 21 homers from a part-time player at that advanced age looked like something of a long shot. Heading into the All-Star break Pujols had only added 6 homers to his total and it looked certain that he would fall short of the majestic 700 milestone. Improbably he would catch fire in late July hitting 12 HRs in 38 games, leaving him just 5 shy of becoming the fourth player in history to reach 700. Pujols didn’t slow down much during the final months of the season and hit his 699th and 700th career HRs in a game versus the Dodgers on September 23, 2022. 703 is a ton of homers, but one Pujols blast in particular is etched in my memory forever. It came in Game 5 of the 2005 NLCS against the Houston Astros. The Cardinals were trailing in the contest 4-2 entering the bottom of the 9th. Houston called upon their All-Star closer, Brad Lidge to finish things up. It appeared like Lidge would do just that as he K’d the first two batters of the inning, looking dominant while doing so. But a David Eckstein single and a Jim Edmonds walk brought Pujols to the plate as the winning run. Pujols sent the 0-1 pitch sailing into the Houston night with an absolute rocket of a homer that would’ve made NASA jealous. The collective air was sucked out of the stadium and the soul of Brad Lidge now belonged to Albert. The home run would send Lidge’s career into a tailspin that would take years to recover from and propel the Cardinals to the World Series title. It was exciting to watch Pujlos hit throughout his career and following his pursuit of 700 HRs is yet another example of why I love baseball and Albert Pujols.

1. Mark McGwire

Mark McGwire was always my favorite baseball player who didn’t play his home games at Fulton County Stadium or Turner Field. Instead he played across the country for the Oakland Athletics in the cavernous Oakland Coliseum. That didn’t stop Big Mac from hitting a MLB record 49 HRs in his rookie season of 1987. This accomplishment earned McGwire the AL Rookie of the Year as well as my admiration. During the late 80’s a 40 HR season was pretty rare and a rookie hitting almost 50 was unbelievable. The A’s teams of the time were really good and stacked with stars. McGwire, Jose Canseco, Rickey Henderson, Dave Stewart, Dennis Eckersley. They had good looking uniforms. They were cool and a little cocky. McGwire and Canseco had the first HR celebration I can remember. Whenever one or the other went yard, which was often, they would bang their massive forearms together instead of high-fiving. This earned the duo the nickname of “The Bash Brothers”. It was hard to be an eight year old kid at the time and not be something of an Oakland A’s fan. I certainly was, but in particular, a McGwire fan. I had all of his baseball cards, including the highly coveted 1985 Topps Olympic Team “Rookie” card. I had a Bash Brothers poster hanging in my bedroom. I had all of his Starting Lineup figures. I played exclusively with the AL All-Star team on R.B.I. Baseball on Nintendo because it had McGwire on the roster. McGwire played the first 10 and a half years in Oakland before being dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals during the 1997 season. During his time with the A’s he had several years with high HR totals. But his first full season with the Cardinals in 1998 saw him reach a whole different plateau. During the summer of 98 McGwire and the Chicago Cubs Sammy Sosa entered into a historic home run race to see who could or would break the long-standing single season record of 61 HRs, held by Roger Maris. McGwire would indeed break the record and wound up hitting an unbelievable 70 round-trippers that season. The home run chase that summer between Sosa and McGwire captivated the nation and is largely credited with bringing many fans back to the game after the damage caused by the labor strike that ended the 1994 season prematurely. The summer of 98 was an exciting time in my life. I’d just graduated from high school that spring. I was in love with my high school sweetheart. Baseballs and love were both in the air. Although I never stopped loving baseball, seeing my childhood hero chase and eventually make history made me love it even more. It was an unforgettable time in my life, highlighted by an unforgettable feat from an unforgettable player. That is why Mark McGwire is The Top First Baseman…Of My Lifetime.