The best baseball players born on Dec. 7
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. 7.
1) Johnny Bench (1947)
The legendary catcher and one of the leaders of the 1970s' Big Red Machine, Bench is without question one of the best backstops in the history of the game. He had it all: solid behind the plate, a great arm, and he could hit, putting up numbers as few catchers ever have. Bench had well more than 100 RBIs six times, including 148 in 1970, 125 in '72 and 129 in '74 while throwing out close to or well more than 50 percent of would-be basestealers each year in his prime. He led the AL/NL in homers twice, the only catcher to do so. He was the NL MVP in '70 and '72, and World Series MVP in '76. There are few comparisons among catchers.
2) Tino Martinez (1967)
The first baseman for the dynastic Yankees of the last turn of the century, Martinez was an All-Star only twice but he drove in well more than 100 runs six times in seven seasons from 1995-2001, with a career high of 141 RBIs in 1997, when he finished second to former Mariners teammate Ken Griffey Jr. in AL MVP voting. Martinez, who succeeded legendary Yankee Don Mattingly in '96, hit two big World Series homers for New York, the first a grand slam in Game 1 of the 1998 Series against the Padres, the second a game-tying shot with two out in the ninth in Game 4 of the 2001 Series against the D-backs. Martinez moved to the Cardinals in 2002, where he succeeded another legendary first baseman in Mark McGwire.
3) Pete Alonso (1994)
Alonso hit an MLB-leading 53 homers for the Mets in 2019, setting the rookie home run record on his way to NL Rookie of the Year honors. His 131 RBIs in 2022 set a Mets franchise record and led the NL. The two-time Home Run Derby winner made his third All-Star team in 2023, when he tallied 46 homers and 118 RBIs for the season.
4) Eric Chavez (1977)
A premier defensive player, Chavez was a six-time Gold Glove-winning third baseman (2001-06) for the A's, for whom he played 13 of his 17 seasons. He twice led the AL in double plays and putouts by a third baseman and three times in assists. Though he never made an All-Star team, he drove in more than 100 runs four times from 2001-05. Back ailments later curtailed him, and he moved on to play two seasons for the Yankees and two for the D-backs, finishing with a .268/.342/.475 batting line with 260 homers and 902 RBIs. Chavez joined the Mets' coaching staff in 2022.
5) Dick Donovan (1927)
A Boston native signed by the hometown Braves in 1947, Donovan's career didn't get going until 1955 after bouncing around and spending time in the military. The right-hander went 15-9 for the White Sox that season. In this first four full seasons, Donovan went 58-39 with a 3.18 ERA and was named to an All-Star team for the first of five times in '55. He led the AL/NL with a .727 winning percentage (on a 16-6 record) in '57. He was selected by the expansion Washington Senators following a difficult season in '60 and led the AL/NL with a 2.40 ERA, as well as a 163+ ERA and 1.026 WHIP, while going 10-10 for the first-year team. Traded to Cleveland following that season, Donovan went 20-10. He finished in '65 with a career record of 122-99 with a 3.67 ERA. He died in 1997, at age 69, in his home state of Massachusetts.
Others of note:
Kyle Hendricks (1989)
Still active, Hendricks has spent his entire nine-year career with the Cubs, compiling an 93-69 record with a 3.74 ERA. He led the AL/NL with a 2.13 ERA in 2013, when he went 16-8 and finished third in NL Cy Young voting. He held Cleveland to one earned run in nine innings, over two starts, as the Cubs won the '16 World Series. Hendricks was 22nd among active pitchers in career wins following the '23 season.
Yasiel Puig (1990)
Puig was a dynamic rookie for the Dodgers in 2013 and an NL All-Star in '14 after defecting from Cuba. He last appeared in the Majors in '19, when he spent the season with Cincinnati and Cleveland.
Don Cardwell (1965)
Cardwell was a three-time double-digit winner for the Cubs and Pirates in the 1960s and a member of the Miracle Mets pitching staff in '69.
Shane Mack (1963)
Mack was the starting right fielder for the 1991 World Series champion Twins.
Hal Smith (1930)
Smith hit a dramatic three-run homer to give the Pirates a 9-7 lead in the eighth inning of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series. The Yankees tied the score in the ninth, setting up Bill Mazeroski's famous walk-off homer for Pittsburgh in the bottom of the inning.
Denny Galehouse (1911)
Galehouse pitched for the St. Louis Browns, Red Sox and Cleveland from 1934-49, going 109-118.
Want to see more baseball birthdays for Dec. 7? Find the complete list on Baseball Reference.