Malik Sealy

popular name: Babe Ruth

date_of_death: August 16, 1948

age: 53

cause_of_death: Cancer - an inoperable malignant tumor at the base of his skull and in his neck

claim_to_fame: Sports

best_know_for: Considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of all time, over the course of his career, Babe Ruth went on to break baseball's most important slugging records, including most years leading a league in home runs, most total bases in a season, and highest slugging percentage for a season. In all, Ruth hit 714 home runs—a mark that stood until 1974. The Bambino was among the first five players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

popular name: Billy Martin

date_of_death: December 25, 1989

age: 61

cause_of_death: Alcohol related single car auto accident

claim_to_fame: Sports

best_know_for: Billy Martin played second base and as a utility infielder for 11 seasons, but made his true mark on Major League Baseball as a manager for 16 years and five different teams. As a manager, Martin developed a reputation as a genius who could turn almost any kind of team into a winner. But he was also considered a long-term disaster whose erratic personal behavior, usually because of drinking too much, and his inability to handle veteran players or young pitchers led to early dismissals. Billy’s volatile relationship with Yankees’ owner George Steinbrenner and Yankees’ Hall of Fame slugger Reggie Jackson were legendary and will forever be remembered among New York fans. Billy Martin compiled a 1,253-1,013 record in 2,267 games over 16 years as a Major League manager, won two American League pennants (1976, 1977) and one World Series (1977).

popular name: Ted Williams

date_of_death: July 5, 2002

age: 83

cause_of_death: Cardiac arrest

claim_to_fame: Sports

best_know_for: Ted Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, primarily as a left fielder, for the Boston Red Sox from 1939 to 1960; his career was interrupted by military service during World War II and the Korean War. Nicknamed "Teddy Ballgame", "The Kid", "The Splendid Splinter", and "The Thumper", Williams is regarded as one of the greatest hitters in baseball history and to date is the last player to hit over .400 in a season. During his 19 years with Boston he had the American League's highest slugging average eight times, won the batting crown six times, led in runs batted in and in home runs four times and runs scored six times and captured the triple crown twice (a feat equaled only by Rogers Hornsby). He had 2,654 hits, and in perhaps the greatest tribute to his batting prowess, he led the league in walks eight times, finishing with a total of 2,019, second only to Babe Ruth at the time. Williams was a nineteen-time All-Star, a two-time recipient of the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player Award and a six-time AL batting champion. He finished his playing career with a .344 batting average, 521 home runs, and a .482 on-base percentage, the highest of all time. His career batting average is the highest of any MLB player whose career was played primarily in the live-ball era, and ranks tied for 7th all-time (with Billy Hamilton). Naturally he is in the Baseball Hall of Fame.