Bill Terry Marquee Hall of Fame 1954

He took over first base for John McGraw in 1925. In 1930 he had 254 hits in 633 at-bats, an average of .401. No National League player has batted .400 since, and only Ted Williams has done it in either league, in 1941. Those 254 hits tie the league record, set by Lefty O'Doul the year before.

He spent all fourteen of his seasons with the Giants and played 1,578 games at first base, finishing with 2,193 hits, a .341 average and 1,078 runs batted in. He led the league in runs with 121 in 1931 and in triples with 20 that same year, and was an All-Star in 1933, 1934 and 1935.

He replaced McGraw as manager in 1932 and kept playing first base; the Giants won the World Series in 1933 and pennants in 1936 and 1937. Asked whether Brooklyn worried him, he said, 'Is Brooklyn still in the league?' Brooklyn beat the Giants at the end of that season and the pennant went to St. Louis. The writers elected him in 1954.