Faster than a Speeding Bullet

I realize there are many people out there for whom the MLB All-Star Game has very little appeal. However, as a lifelong baseball fan, I still find myself enthralled like a little kid when the best players in the world get together for a game that highlights much of what is best about our great National Pastime. In addition to the tear-jerking tribute to the “All-Stars Among Us,” I loved watching Carl Crawford play.

You see, fast runners excite me every time. In the realm of sports, there is no aspect of athleticism that sparks the childlike emotion of wonder in me more than foot-speed. Crawford may be the fastest player in the majors right now. And he knows a thing or two about over-the-wall catches.

In light of this, today’s J.W. List highlights some of the greatest speedsters in baseball history. (Note that it’s not necessarily the best base-stealers, but the fastest runners. Therefore, some names could potentially surprise you. For the most dedicated baseball fans, this could be a fun trip down memory lane.)

Don’t Blink:

1920s/30s
- Cool Papa Bell (St. Louis Stars, Kansas City Monarchs, Pittsburgh Crawfords, Homestead Grays) Considered by many the fastest baseball player ever

1940s/50s
- Jackie Robinson (Kansas City Monarchs, Brooklyn Dodgers)

1960s
- Maury Wills (Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Montreal Expos)
- Luis Aparicio (Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox)

1970s
- Lou Brock (St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs)
- Cesar Cedeño (Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers)
- Davey Lopes (Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland A’s, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros)

1980s
- Vince Coleman (St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers)
- Juan Samuel (Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays
- Willie Wilson (Kansas City Royals, Oakland A’s, Chicago Cubs)
- Eric Davis (Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants)

1990s
- Deion Sanders (Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees)
- Tom Goodwin (Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs)
- Otis Nixon (Atlanta Braves, 8 others)
- Brian L. Hunter (Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners, Colorado Rockies, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies)
- Tony Womack (Pittsburgh Pirates, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds)
- Steve Finley (Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco Giants, Colorado Rockies)
- Kenny Lofton (Cleveland Indians, 10 others)
- Lance Johnson (Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees)

2000s
- Carl Crawford (Tampa Bay Rays)
- Juan Pierre (Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers)
- Jose Reyes (New York Mets)
- Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle Mariners)
- Willy Taveras (Houston Astros, Colorado Rockies, Cincinnati Reds)
- Roger Cedeño (New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Cardinals)