“People ask me what I do in the winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.”

—Rogers Hornsby

For anyone not familiar with Rogers Hornsby – he was one of the greatest hitters of all time. Ponder this:

Rogers Hornsby (April 27, 1896 – January 5, 1963), nicknamed “The Rajah”.

Hornsby was one of the best batters ever to play major league baseball. Along with Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb he took advantage of the new live ball to redefine major league hitting. These comments may seem to be exaggerations until one considers Hornsby’s records.

He was the only player to win the National League Triple Crown twice.

His career batting average of .358 is the highest in National League history, and also the highest in major league history for any right-handed hitter. His batting average for the 1924 season was .424, a mark that no player since has matched. He is the only member of the 40–400 club—having 40 or more home runs and batting .400 or more in the same season.

Frankie Frisch once said of him, “Rogers Hornsby is the only man I ever knew who could hit .350, in the dark.”

The Baseball Hall of Fame elected Hornsby in 1942.

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