The best baseball players born on Dec. 30

Who are the best players born on each day of the year? We have a list for every day on the calendar.

Here’s a subjective ranking of the top five for Dec. 30, though if you disagree with our top pick, we will be stunned.

1) Sandy Koufax (1935)
When the New York Knicks showed up to scrimmage the Lafayette High School basketball team in 1953, they figured they'd have a little fun, put on a bit of a show -- maybe even let some of the kids score on them. But one Lafayette hoops star by the name of Sandy Koufax had other ideas.

As Jane Leavy detailed in her wonderful book, Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy, the Brooklynite was a hoops fanatic who grew up dreaming of playing for the Knicks. He was also famously intense and excelled at everything he tried. So when his boyhood team showed up, he gave it his all, more than holding his own against the pros until they decided to bring him down to earth a bit with a classic hard foul. That only stoked his competitive fire even more.

Koufax, of course, would achieve wild amounts of fame in an entirely different sport. But the anecdote still sums him up perfectly: He was a famously competitive golden boy who was bound to succeed through both natural talent and his willingness to take advantage of it by outworking everyone else.

• 11 stats that show why Koufax is a legend

Koufax would come to be known as "The Left Arm of God," but it took a while to get there. Signed as a bonus baby by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954, he was whipsawed in and out of the rotation due to his wildness. Though his command steadily improved, it wasn't until Spring Training 1961 when teammate Norm Sherry suggested he ease up a bit on his pitches. Koufax found his sweet spot and promptly began what might have been the most sensational five-year period for any pitcher in history.

From 1962-66, Koufax went 111-34 with a 1.95 ERA, striking out 1,444 batters and walking just 316 in 1,377 innings. He threw four no-hitters, won three National League Cy Young Awards and was voted NL Most Valuable Player in 1963. He paced the league in ERA all five years and led the Majors twice. Koufax was the first player to win World Series MVP twice; in 1965, he famously declined to pitch Game 1 because it fell on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, but pitched a shutout in Game 7 on two days' rest to clinch the Series.

For the final three years of his career, Koufax pitched with arthritis in his left elbow so painful doctors told him he would eventually lose use of his arm entirely if he persisted. Koufax had extended his career with a regimen that included ice baths and something called Capsolin, a caustic paste derived from chili peppers, he would rub on his elbow. But ultimately, those measures could only do so much, as he pitched -- albeit beautifully -- through enormous pain in virtually every game.

Koufax's motion was an angular amalgamation of limbs that would make Tim Lincecum blush. He threw just two pitches, a lightning fastball and a thunder curveball. When his elbow got bad enough, he'd ditch the hook and simply rear back and fire his fastball harder and harder. Fellow Hall of Famer Ernie Banks said he generally knew what pitch was coming, but it didn't matter.

"In the end you knew you were going to be embarrassed. You were either going to strike out or foul out," Banks once said. “He was the greatest pitcher I ever saw."

And then like that, he was gone, retiring at age 30 -- an appropriate exit for a relative recluse who always eschewed the trappings of fame.

It's always tempting to consider what might have been -- for example, what kind of ridiculous counting numbers Koufax would have put up had his precious left elbow held up for another decade or so. But perhaps this is the way it needed to be: Koufax's mystique endures not just because of the fantastical stories, but what he left untold.

2) A.J. Pierzynski (1976)
Pierzynski tended to rub people the wrong way -- even his own teammates. But he was a rock-solid backstop, logging a workmanlike 23.8 WAR for seven teams during a 19-year career. Pierzynski made two All-Star teams, won two Silver Slugger Awards and received a grand total of one MVP vote.

Pierzynski's high point was winning the World Series title, with the upstart 2005 White Sox. His signature moment came in Game 2 on a dropped third strike, when he sprinted to first base while everyone tried to figure out what was going on. He promptly was lifted for a pinch-runner, but his alertness directly led to a White Sox rally that won the game.

One other distinction for Pierzynski: He's the only player in history -- we assume -- who signed with a team and had the news break in a Honey Baked Ham store.

3) Frank Torre, 1931
A seven-year MLB veteran, Frank Torre is most well known for his inspirational role for the World Series champion 1996 Yankees, managed by his brother Joe. Frank underwent a heart transplant the night before the Yankees would clinch their first title in nearly two decades. The city rallied around Frank and Joe, who called it "a dreamland."

Frank Torre won two World Series rings of his own as a first baseman with a slick glove. After his career, he transitioned to selling bats for a sporting goods company, ultimately becoming a vice president at Rawlings.

4) Ray Prim, 1906
A true one-hit wonder, Prim's lone season in the sun was truly special. Prim debuted in 1933, and pitched sporadically as a journeyman the next 12 years. In 1945, with many of the sport's stars drafted to serve during World War II, Prim got his big chance -- and he took advantage of it. Prim led the National League with a 2.40 ERA as the Cubs won the NL pennant.

Prim reached his goal of starting a game in the World Series, though the Tigers beat him and ultimately won the title. He then injured his elbow in his first start the following season, his last in the Majors. But even though his time in the spotlight was short, he got to live the dream -- at least for a little while.

5) José Morales, 1944
José Morales put up a grand total of 0.1 WAR in 12 seasons, but he did one thing better than virtually anyone else: pinch-hit. Morales set the MLB record with 25 pinch-hits in 1976, a mark that would stand until John Vander Wal broke it with 28 in 1995. It was a perfect role for a player not known for a strong glove, and ultimately, his clinical nature at the plate allowed him to be a successful batting instructor for multiple teams. (He counts Will Clark and Kevin Mitchell as two of his more successful proteges.)

Others of note:

LeBron James, 1984
We know, we know. LeBron's not a baseball player. But the basketball wunderkind has had some notable connections to the national pastime over the years. Then with the Cavs, the King was a superfan during Cleveland's run to the Fall Classic in 2016. He's buddies with Ken Griffey Jr. And one day after being drafted to the NBA, he threw out the first pitch and took batting practice. (Perhaps his swing has improved since then ...)

Grant Balfour, 1977
A native of Sydney, Australia, Balfour originally cracked the Majors in 2001 but it took him quite a while to get going. It all clicked for Balfour -- and the rest of the Rays -- in 2008, when he posted a 1.54 ERA. Balfour would eventually find his way into a ninth-inning role, maxing out with 38 saves for the A's in 2013.

Want to see more baseball birthdays for Dec. 30? Find the complete list on Baseball Reference.