Aaron, Cobb, Mays, Ruth, Wagner.  They need no first names to identify themselves because they are Hall of Famers.  Here I pick 10 players active and under 30 who I think will join their ranks.

A loogie is a conglomeration of saliva, phlegm and other goodies that you generally want to get rid of as quickly as possible.  A LOOGY is a baseball player who could sometimes fit into the same category.  But here I recognize the best LOOGYs in the business as well as giving a tip of the hat to the originator of the phrase.

For 40 or so years, a rite of passage for youngsters in this country was to go to the local candy/drug store and pick up a pack of Topps baseball cards. They were always right there on the counter, wrapped in that familiar package. It was like getting a mini-Christmas in late spring or summer. You got to unwrap your gift and see what was inside.

The MLB Draft is just over a week away and the foregone conclusion is that the Nationals will use the first overall pick on Stephen Strasburg. Most years, there is a consensus top overall pick so one might think that with the 44 years of the draft that we had several Hall of Famers go as the first overall pick. But until Ken Griffey Jr. and Chipper Jones retire and wait five years, we will not have one single guy with that distinction. 

This is Memorial Day Weekend. We think of it as the kickoff to summer, the traditional opening of the pool season, a great time to have a picnic or take off for a vacation. But let’s take a moment to remember the real reason behind the federal holiday. Memorial Day honors men and women who died in service while defending our country during war or military action. 

Major leaguers Elmore Gedeon and Harry O’Neill died in World War II. Alex Burr, Larry Chappel, Harry Glenn, Eddie Grant, Newt Halliday, Ralph Sherman and Bun Troy perished in World War I. Countless minor league players also died in these and other conflicts. 

Many major leaguers served their country in the military. While some served basically by playing baseball there was no shortage of those who saw active combat around the globe. So here are just 10 of hundreds who distinguished themselves in service.