The best baseball players born on Oct. 30

October 30th, 2023

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 Oct. 30:

1) Ed Delahanty (1867)
Nicknamed “Big Ed,” Delahanty dominated the 1890s at the plate over his 16-year career with Philadelphia, Cleveland and Washington, batting over .400 three times with a career average of .346 and leading baseball in RBIs in 1893 (146), 1896 (126) and 1899 (137). He was also known for his strong arm and all-out hustle, tallying 238 career assists mainly as a left fielder and stealing 455 bases, including a Majors-best 58 in 1898. Delahanty tragically died at age 35 in 1903 when he exited a train and fell off the International Railway Bridge that crossed over Niagara Falls. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1945 by the Veterans Committee.

2) Bill Terry (1898)
After failing to break into the big leagues as a pitcher and leaving pro ball for a time, Terry found success when he converted to playing first base and became one of baseball’s top hitters of the 1920s and ‘30s. Terry took the reins as the New York Giants' everyday first baseman in 1925 when he hit .319 at age 26 in his first season as a starter. A three-time All-Star who finished in the top 10 in MVP voting six times, Terry succeeded John McGraw as manager in the middle of the 1932 season and led New York to the 1933 World Series title while hitting a team-best .322. In all, he totaled 823 wins, three NL pennants and one World Series championship in his 10 seasons as Giants manager. Terry was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1954.

3) Jim Perry (1935)
The brother of Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry, Jim Perry spun an impressive career of his own, winning the Cy Young Award in 1970 and finishing with a 3.45 career ERA over 17 years in the big leagues as both a starter and reliever. The brothers combined for 529 career wins, just behind the record 539 wins tallied by Phil and Joe Niekro. The brothers Perry got a chance to play together with Cleveland in 1974 and '75 before Jim was traded to Oakland, where he finished his career.

4) Joe Adcock (1927)
Adcock’s best seasons came during his 10 years as a Brave from 1953-62. While he was overshadowed by Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews, the slugging first baseman was a key member of the lineup, launching 239 homers with Milwaukee, including a career-high 38 in 1956. With his first home run as a Brave, Adcock made headlines when he became the first player to hit a ball into the center-field seats at the Polo Grounds, a shot estimated at 475 feet.

5) Mickey Rivers (1948)
Known as “Mick the Quick,” Rivers was a speedy center fielder and leadoff hitter who helped the Yankees win two World Series titles in 1977 and ‘78. He stole an AL-high 70 bases in 1975 with the Angels before being dealt to New York and earned his only All-Star selection in 1976, finishing third in the AL MVP race. Rivers was traded to the Rangers in 1979 and the next season would set the franchise record for hits in a season with 210, a mark later eclipsed by Michael Young. Over 15 years in the Majors, Rivers had a .295 average, 267 stolen bases and 1,660 hits. He hit .308 in 29 postseason games.

Others of note:

Jim Ray Hart (1941)
In Hart’s first full season with the Giants in 1964, the third baseman slugged 31 home runs -- setting the franchise record for a rookie -- and was the runner-up in Rookie of the Year voting. Over 11 seasons with San Francisco, Hart batted .282 with 157 home runs and 526 RBIs over 1,001 games. Hart finished in the top 20 in NL MVP voting three times and was a member of the 1966 All-Star team.

Buck Freeman (1871)
While standing just 5-foot-9, Freeman was one of the first players in history to display true home run power, slugging 25 homers to lead baseball in 1899 while with Washington. In each of his first three seasons with the Red Sox (1901-03), he hit double-digits homers while notching 100-plus RBIs, leading baseball twice. He split time between first base and right field.

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