New York Yankees Greats

The club was founded in Baltimore, Maryland in 1901, and moved to New York in 1903. From 1923 to the present, the Yankees have played at Yankee Stadium, "The House That Ruth Built". One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Yankees have been Major League Baseball's most storied franchise, with some of the greatest teams in Major League history and an all-time roster that reads like a players list from the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. The "Bronx Bombers" have won 26 World Series titles in 39 appearances (which, since the first World Series in 1903, currently amounts to an average appearance every 2.7 seasons and a championship every 4.0 seasons). Their 26 titles makes them the most successful franchise in North American pro sports history. They have thrilled millions of fans and given a lifetime of great memories helping make baseball the "Great American Pastime".

Boston Red Sox Greats

This is the ultimate Red Sox plaque. Great Players! Great Teams! Great Memories! Centered is a classic old photo of the "Splendid Splinter" Ted Williams surrounded by a "Who's Who" of Sox Legends. Cy Young (all-time winningest pitcher), Jimmie Fox (club record 175 runs and 50 home runs), Carl Yastrzemski (the last major leaguer to win the Triple Crown), Fred Lynn (1st player to win the MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season), Roger Clemens (won the Cy Young Award and the MVP in 1986), Pedro Martinez (an amazing .174 ERA in 2000), etc. It's a perfect gift item or that special piece for the collector.

Chicago Cubs Greats

Ernie Banks! Ron Santo! Billy Williams! Hack Wilson! Their names and faces along with many other Cub greats have left an indelible mark on the heart and soul of every Cubs fan. And for those that have had the privilege to attend a game, all come away saying there is no better place to watch a game than at the "Friendly Confines" of Wrigley Field. Now you can cherish the memories of your lifetime as a die-hard Cubs fan through this beautifully crafted Cub's Greats plaque.

St. Louis Cardinals Greats

The team was formed as part of the American Association in 1882. The Cardinals built themselves into a winner during the mid-1920's, led by the great second baseman Rogers Hornsby and won their first title in 1926. The 1930's brought 2 more world championships (1931, 1934) led by the Gashouse Gang of Dizzy Dean, Joe Medwick, Pepper Martin, and Leo Durocher. The 1940's saw 3 more titles in 1942, 1944, and 1946 by Stan "The Man" Musial, who spent 23 years in a Cardinals uniform. After a slump that ran for much of the next 20 years, the Card's regained dominance during the 1960's and won 2 World Series Championships in 1964 and 1967. These teams featured future Hall of Famers Lou Brock, Orlando Cepeda, and pitching greats Steve Carlton and Bob Gibson. The Cardinals played "Whiteyball" and brought home another championship in 1982 and several NL Pennants. Although the 90's were devoid of titles there was a great resurgence of interest in baseball following the "home run race" between the Cards Mark McGwire and the Cubs Sammy Sosa. McGwire went on to finish with 70 home runs and had a section of Interstate 70 running through downtown St. Louis re-named "the Mark McGwire Highway". Old Busch Stadium was demolished in the 2005 offseason and the Cardinals dedicated their new stadium with a win in the 2006 home opener. The season ended with their 10th World Series Championship over the heavily favored Detroit Tigers.

Milwaukee Brewers Greats

The Brewers franchise reached its pinnacle in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Their first winning season took place in 1978 when the Brew Crew won 93 games. The next season, Milwaukee finished in 2nd place due to their home run power led by Cecil Cooper, Ben Oglivie (who led the league in homers in 1980 along with Reggie Jackson), and Gorman Thomas (whose 45 home runs in 1979 is still the Brewers' single season home run record). In 1982, the Brewers won the American League pennant. The team's prolific offensive production that season (they lead the league in runs and home runs) earned them the nickname Harvey's Wallbangers. In the 1982 ALCS the Brewers defeated the California Angels 3 games to 2 and become the first team to win a playoff series after trailing 2 games to 0. The Brewers then played the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. The Brewers started out strong, taking the first game of the series 10-0. Unfortunately, Hall-of-Famer Rollie Fingers had been injured prior to the postseason, and relief pitching became a problem for the Brewers. St. Louis eventually triumphed in the series, winning 4 games to 3. During the 1980s the Brewers produced three league MVP's (Rollie Fingers in 1981 and Robin Yount in 1982 and 1989) and two Cy Young Award winners (Rollie Fingers in 1981 and Pete Vuckovich in 1982).

Baltimore Orioles Greats

One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1901. Then the Milwaukee Brewers (not to be confused with the current Milwaukee Brewers who were a 1969 expansion team), the team moved to St. Louis in 1902 and became the St. Louis Browns. It was not until 1954 that the team moved to Baltimore and became the Orioles. On April 15, 1954, thousands of Baltimoreans jammed city streets as the new Orioles paraded from downtown to their new home at Memorial Stadium. The team peaked during its Glory Years from 1966-1983. The Orioles farm system had begun to produce a number of high quality players and coaches who formed the core of winning teams. During this period the Orioles won three World Series titles (1966, 1970, and 1983), six American League pennants (1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1979, 1983), and five of the first six American League Eastern Division titles.

Oakland Athletics Greats

One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1901and named the Philadelphia Athletics. In the early years, the A’s quickly established themselves as one of the dominant teams in the new league, winning the A.L. pennant six times (1902, 1905, 1910, 1911, 1913 and 1914), and winning the World Series in 1910, 1911 and 1913. In 1909, the A's moved into the majors' first concrete-and-steel ballpark, Shibe Park. On October 12, 1954, after many meager years the team was sold and moved to Kansas City for the 1955 season. During their 13-year stay in Kansas City, the Athletics were arguably one of the worst teams in baseball history. It was not until 1968 that the team moved to Oakland. They moved into the one-year-old Oakland-Alameda Coliseum (now McAfee Coliseum.) Everything finally came together for the A's as the 1970s dawned winning World Series titles in 1972,73, & 74. The A's earned their 9th World Title with a four-game sweep of the cross-bay rival San Francisco Giants in the 1989 World Series.

Philadelphia Phillies Greats

One of the 19th century National League franchises, the club was founded in Philadelphia in 1883. Then the Philadelphia Quakers, the names "Quakers" and "Phillies" would coexist starting with their second year of existence, and continue until 1889. Originally, the team made its home in the Baker Bowl. After much fighting to get out of their lease and the badly aging stadium, they moved into Connie Mack Stadium (then Shibe Park)in 1938. By 1970, Connie Mack Stadium was aging, and the Phillies opened the new Veterans Stadium in 1971. The Phillies achieved some success in the mid-1970s winning three straight division titles (1976-78). In 1979, the Phillies acquired Pete Rose, the spark that would put them over the top. The Phils won the NL East in 1980. In a memorable NLCS, with 4 of the 5 games needing extra innings, they fell behind 2-1 but battled back to squeeze past Houston on a tenth-inning game-winning hit by center fielder Garry Maddox, and the city celebrated its first pennant in 30 years. Facing Kansas City in the 1980 World Series, the Phillies won their first and only world championship in 6 games, thanks to the timely hitting of Mike Schmidt and Pete Rose.

San Fransisco Giants Greats

One of the most storied clubs in American professional sports, the Giants began life as the second baseball club founded by John B. Day and Jim Mutrie. The Gothams (as the Giants were originally known) were their entry to the National League in 1883. It is said that after one particularly satisfying victory, Mutrie (who was also the team's manager) stormed into the dressing room and exclaimed, "My big fellows! My giants!" From then on, the club was known as the Giants. The Giants' original home stadium, the Polo Grounds, also dates from this early era. In 1957, while seeking a new stadium to replace the crumbling Polo Grounds, the Giants began to contemplate a move from New York. In the summer of 1957, both the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers announced their moves to California, and the golden age of baseball in the New York area ended. When the Giants moved to San Francisco, they played in Seals Stadium for their first two seasons. In 1960 the Giants moved to Candlestick Park. In 2000, after 40 years at Candlestick Park, the Giants bid a bittersweet farewell to their old home and relocated to Pacific Bell Park, later renamed SBC Park and then in February 2006 AT&T Park.

Seattle Mariners Greats

The "Mariners" name originates from the prominence of the marine culture in the city of Seattle. They are nicknamed "the M's", which was featured in their primary logo from 1987 to 1992. The current team colors are navy blue, "northwest green" (teal), and metallic silver, after having been royal blue and gold from 1977-1992. Their mascot is the Mariner Moose. An expansion franchise, the club was founded in Seattle in 1977. Then based in the Kingdome, the Mariners would face little success until 1995, when they won their division and defeated the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the ALDS, the winning hit being an iconic moment in team history that is honored by a mural in Safeco Field. The Mariners share the record for most wins in a single season with 116, which they achieved in 2001. Despite this, they have never played in a World Series, being one of four MLB teams to have never won a league championship.

Cincinnati Reds Greats

The original Cincinnati Red Stockings, baseball's first openly all-professional team, were founded as an amateur club in 1863, and became fully professional in 1869. The Red Stockings won 130 straight games throughout 1869 and 1870, before being defeated by the Brooklyn Atlantics. Star players included brothers Harry and George Wright, Fred Waterman, and pitcher Asa Brainard. The 1869 Red Stockings made an eastern swing of 21 games and went undefeated. According to Walter Camp, the team received a banquet and a "champion bat...this rather remarkable testimonial was twenty-seven feet long and nine inches in diameter." The following year, the team lost only one game. They were defeated at the Brooklyn Atlantics' Capitoline Grounds.

L.A./Brooklyn Dodgers Greats

The Brooklyn baseball club that eventually became the NL Dodgers was established in 1883, and the team joined the upstart American Association the following year. Originally the Brooklyn team was known as the "Trolley Dodgers," a reference to Brooklyn pedestrians who "dodged" the trollies that ran over the maze of streetcar lines that criss-crossed Brooklyn. After several of the team's players were married in succession in 1888, the press began referring to the team as the "Brooklyn Bridegrooms." The Bridegrooms won the AA pennant in 1889. Upon switching to the National League in 1890, the franchise became the first of only three major league sports teams, and the only major league baseball team, to win championships in different leagues in consecutive years. Eight years passed before any more success followed. Because of joint ownership between the two clubs, several Hall of Fame players were sold to Brooklyn by the soon-to-be-defunct Baltimore Orioles, along with their manager, Ned Hanlon. This catapulted Brooklyn to instant contention, and "Brooklyn Superbas" (as the team was known in the late 1890s) lived up to their name, winning pennants in 1899 and 1900.

Pittsburgh Pirates Greats

The Pirates began as a charter member of the American Association (19th century) in 1882. Their various home fields in the 19th century were in a then-separate city called Allegheny City, across the Allegheny River from Pittsburgh. The team was listed as "Allegheny" in the standings, and was sometimes called the "Alleghenys" (not the "Alleghenies") in the same generic way that teams from Boston, New York, and Chicago were sometimes called the "Bostons", the "New Yorks", and the "Chicagos", in the sportswriting style of that era. The Allegheny club transferred to the National League in 1887. By about 1890 the team had redesignated itself as "Pittsburgh", although Allegheny remained a separate city until it was annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907.

Atlanta Braves Greats

The Atlanta Braves were established in 1871 and began play as the Boston Red Stockings (1871-1882). The Braves are one of the only two remaining charter members left in the National League along with the Chicago Cubs and can lay claim to being the oldest continuously playing team in all of professional sports. They won their first of 3 World Series titles in 1914. The Braves moved from Boston after the 1952 season to Milwaukee and won their second Championship in 1957, led by Hall of Famers Henry Aaron, Eddie Mathews and Warren Spahn. After the 1965 campaign the Braves again relocated and have played in Atlanta from 1966-present. The Atlanta Braves have won their division title 14 consecutive times beginning with 1991 and ending in 2005, omitting the strike-shortened 1994 season in which no division champions were officially crowned. Since their founding the Braves have won 16 divisional titles, nine National League pennants, and three World Series championships (1914, 1957, and 1995).

Cooperstown Hall of Famers

The earliest known mention of baseball in the United States was in a 1792 Pittsfield, Massachusetts bylaw banning the playing of the game within 80 yards of the town meeting house. In 1866, Charles A. Peverelly wrote, "The game of base ball has now become beyond question the leading feature of the outdoor sports of the United States ... It is a game which is peculiarly suited to the American temperament and disposition; ... in short, the pastime suits the people, and the people suit the pastime." Baseball is the common thread of our national spirit. America "grew-up" watching its heroes and teams and the game evolved as the countries true National Pastime. The first 20 years of the 20th century saw an unprecedented rise in the popularity of baseball. Across the baseball diamonds of America boys became men, men became champions, and champions became legends. Consider the first 5 players inducted into the Hall of Fame: Cobb, the most prolific hitter in history; Ruth, the game's greatest home run hitter; Wagner, star shortstop and batting champion; Mathewson, the winningest pitcher in National League history; and Johnson, considered one of the hardest throwers ever to take the mound. Those players and others, are the true legends of the game and have laid the groundwork for future generations of players from all backgrounds and nationalities to play the game of Baseball. Play Ball!

New York Mets Greats

On March 6, 1961 The New York Metropolitan Baseball Club Inc., (nicknamed the "Mets") formally receives a certificate of membership from National League President Warren Giles. On October 10, 1961 in the first expansion draft in National League history, the Mets spend $1.8 million to draft 22 players. The Mets began their on-field play in 1962, losing their first nine games en route to a 40-120 record. In 1964, the Mets, who played their first two seasons in the old Polo Grounds, moved to the newly constructed Shea Stadium, a 55,300-seat multipurpose facility built in the Flushing neighborhood of the Borough of Queens. The Mets' image as lovable losers was wearing a little thin as the decade progressed, but things began to change slowly in the late '60s. The Mets acquired top pitching prospect Tom Seaver in a lottery and he became the league's Rookie of the Year in 1967, despite the team finishing last again. In 1969 the Mets completed an incredible late season turnaround winning 38 of their last 49 games to finish in first place with a 100-62 record for the season, their first winning year ever. The "Miracle Mets" went on to defeat the Orioles 4-1 to cature their first World Series Championship. In 1986, following a miracle two-out comeback from 2 runs down in the bottom of the 10th in Game 6, the Mets defeated the Red Sox 8-5 in Game Seven to win their second World Series title.

Cleveland Indians Greats

From its start on April 24, 1901, Cleveland's American League franchise has reached its 100th anniversary, one of just four Charter A.L. clubs (along with Chicago, Boston, and Detroit) to play continuously in one city. In fact, professional baseball in Cleveland is one of the city's oldest traditions, dating well back into the 19th century and approaching its 139th year in 2007. >From its roots to the present, Cleveland baseball has been distinguished by great ballplayers and great moments. It is through the fortunes of the men that have played for the Indians, and the memories they have created, that the history of the Cleveland Indians is learned and appreciated. Cleveland had the honor of playing in the first A.L. game in its major league history, April 24, 1901 at Chicago. All the other games scheduled for that date were rained out. The Indians played at League Park from 1890-1931, Cleveland Stadium from 1932-1993 and currently play at Jacobs Field, beginning in 1994.

Minnesota Twins Greats

The franchise originated in Washington, D.C. in 1901 when the American League was formed, and played there through the 1960 season. According to Povich, the club was comprised of the management and the best players from the Kansas City franchise. The Twins were eagerly greeted in Minnesota when they arrived in 1961. They brought a nucleus of talented players: Harmon Killebrew, Bob Allison, Camilo Pascual, Zoilo Versalles, Jim Kaat, Earl Battey, and Lenny Green. The Twins won 92 games in 1962, the most by the franchise since 1933. The Twins won the American League Pennant in 1965, driven by the exciting play of superstar sluggers Harmon Killebrew and Tony Oliva and flashy play of league MVP Zoilo Versalles. However, they were defeated in the 1965 World Series by the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games; each home team had won until Game 7, when Sandy Koufax shut out the Twins 2-0 in Minnesota. The Twins scored a total of two runs in their four losses, and were shut out three times, twice by Koufax. Although disappointed with the near miss, the championship drive cemented the team's relationship with the people of Minnesota. The Twins would wait 22 years to return to the World Series; they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games in the 1987 Series.

Latino Legends

Latino Legends Team is an all-time all-star baseball team selected in 2005 to honor the history of Latin American players in Major League Baseball. The Major League Baseball Latino Legends team commemorates the storied history and immense contributions that players of Latin American heritage have made to the Majors over the years. The players were chosen by fan voting. Ballots were available both online at MLB.com and at Chevrolet dealerships, and over 1.6 million total votes were cast. The team was announced at a ceremony hosted by actor Edward James Olmos prior to Game Four of the 2005 World Series. As of Opening Day 2005, 204 players born in Latin American countries were on Major League Baseball rosters, accounting for nearly 25 percent of the overall MLB player base. The Dominican Republic had 91 players, followed by Venezuela with 46 and Puerto Rico with 34.

Detroit Tigers Greats

Founded in 1894 as a charter member of the American League, the Detroit Tigers have won 10 American league pennants and 4 World Series Championships. The team featured Ty Cobb, one of Baseball's all-time greats, in the early 1900's. The Tiger teams of the 1930s were consistently among the league's best with "Black Mike" Mickey Cochrane behind the plate, Hank Greenberg, one of the greatest Jewish baseball players of all time, at first, and Charlie Gehringer, "The Mechanical Man" at second. The Tigers began a slow ascent to success during the 1961 season and after winning records in the early 60's the stage was set for an historic 1968 season. Behind the hitting of Al Kaline, Norm Cash, Jim Northrup, and Bill Freehan and the pitching of Mickey Lolich and Denny McLain, the Tigers beat the Cardinals in 7 games to become Champions of Baseball again. Another World Series title followed in 1984 behind the heroics of stars like Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker, Lance Parrish, Jack Morris and the Kirk Gibson, who provided one of the World Series all-time greatest moments as he launched a Goose Gossage fastball into the upper deck of Tiger Stadium to win the game and the title.