Gabby Hartnett Marquee Hall of Fame 1955

In 1929 his throwing arm gave out. He got into 25 games all season and batted 22 times, and at twenty-eight a catcher with a dead arm had no career left. He came back in 1930 and hit 37 home runs, the most any catcher had hit in a season to that point, with 172 hits and 122 runs batted in.

He caught 1,787 games across twenty seasons, batted .297 with 1,179 runs batted in, won the Most Valuable Player award in 1935, and was named to each of the first six All-Star Games. His 236 home runs were more than any catcher had hit when he finished in 1941.

The Cubs won four pennants with him behind the plate, in 1929, 1932, 1935 and 1938, and lost the World Series every time. The home run he hit in near darkness during the 1938 pennant race is the one Chicago still tells stories about. The writers elected him in 1955 with 195 votes of 251.