History Of Minor League Baseball Players

Most major league baseball players get their start in the minor leagues. A few players will go directly from the amateur level -- high school or college -- directly to the majors, but most continue their training in the minor leagues. Some minor leaguers who have great achievements go on to the majors, but some only star on the smaller stage.

Joe DiMaggio

The Hall of Famer earned the nicknames of "Jolting Joe" and the "Yankee Clipper" while playing for the New York Yankees during his brilliant career. His most notable achievement of his major league career was his 56-game hitting streak set in 1941. However, DiMaggio set the all-time professional record when he was a minor leaguer with the San Francisco Seals in 1933. DiMaggio hit in 61 consecutive games while playing for the Seals. Neither his major league record nor his minor league record have ever been approached.

Joe Bauman

Joe Bauman never put on a major league uniform. However, that does not take away from his minor-league achievement. Bauman was a power-hitting outfielder for the Roswell Rockets of the Longhorn League in 1954. Bauman got on a hot streak early in the season and never cooled. He hit 72 home runs that season while hitting .400 and driving in 224 runs. No professional player hit more home runs until Barry Bonds belted 73 in 2001.

Jackie Robinson

Before Jackie Robinson broke the color line and became the first black player in modern major league baseball in 1947, he did the same thing by playing for the Montreal Royals of the International League in 1946. Robinson was welcomed by his Royal teammates and Montreal residents. While he faced many difficult days once he got called up to the Major Leagues, Robinson looked back on his days in Montreal with fondness and warmth. Robinson had four hits in his first game in a Montreal uniform and soon became one of the team's stars.

1920s Hitting Achievements

The 1920s was perhaps the most notable decade in minor league history for hitting achievements. Bill Diester hit a record .444 in 108 games while playing for the Salina Millers in 1926. Paul Strand had 325 hits while playing for Salt Lake City in 1925. Tony Lazzeri had perhaps the best minor league hitting season in history in 1927 while playing for Salt Lake City. He had 252 hits while scoring 202 runs, batting .355, belting 60 home runs and driving in 222 runs.