There is nothing quite as exhilarating as watching professional athletes excel at their sport. Here are 10 outstanding accomplishments by the best of the best baseball players.

Home Runs

These days home run hitters are a dime a dozen. But the power hitters of yesterday set records that stand today.

Joe Adcock, Milwaukee Braves first baseman, went five for five with four home runs against the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets field on July 31, 1954.

Stan Musial, the St. Louis Cardinal great outfielder and first baseman, hit five home runs in the double header against the New York Giants played at Sportsman’s Park on May 2, 1954 . Musial had six hits, 21 total bases and nine RBIs.

Gil Hodge, Brooklyn Dodgers first baseman, hit four home runs and drove in nine runs against the Boston Braves on August 31, 1950 at Ebbets Field.

20 Game Winners

When pitchers were real men, it was not unusual for them to pitch nine innings without relief. And a few of the best pitchers were 20-game pitchers year after year.

The Cleveland Indians enjoyed 13 years with five 20-game winners. What a pitching rotation!

1939 Bob Feller 24- 9 1940 Bob Feller 27-11 1941 Bob Feller 25-13 1946 Bob Feller 26-15 1947 Bob Feller 20-11 1948 Gene Bearden 20-7 1948 Bob Lemon 20-14 1949 Bob Lemon 22-10 1950 Bob Lemon 23-11 1951 Bob Feller 22-8 1951 Mike Garcia 20-13

1951 Early Wynn 20-13 1952 Mike Garcia 22-11 1952 Bob Lemon 22-11 1952 Early Wynn 23-12 1953 Bob Lemon 21-15 1954 Bob Lemon 23-7 1954 Early Wynn 23-11 1956 Bob Lemon 20-14 1956 Herb Score 20-9 1956 Early Wynn 20-9

In Boston and Milwaukee the refrain was “Spahn and Sain and pray for rain” as Warren Spahn and Johny Sain racked up wins. Hall of Famer Spahn had 13 20-game seasons for the Braves.

1946 Johnny Sain 20-14 1947 Johnny Sain 21-12 1947 Warren Spahn 21-10 1948 Johnny Sain 24-15 1949 Warren Spahn 21-14 1950 Johnny Sain 20-13 1950 Warren Spahn 21-17 1951 Warren Spahn 22-14 1953 Warren Spahn 23-7 1954 Warren Spahn 21-12

1956 Warren Spahn 20-11 1957 Warren Spahn 21-11 1958 Lew Burdette 20-10 1958 Warren Spahn 22-11 1959 Lew Burdette 21-15 1959 Warren Spahn 21-15 1960 Warren Spahn 21-10 1961 Warren Spahn 21-13 1963 Warren Spahn 23-7

In Philadelphia, right-hander Robin Roberts posted six consecutive 20-game seasons with the Phillies: 1950 20-11, 1951 21-15, 1952 28- 7, 1953 23-16, 1954 23-15,and 1955 23-14.

Jim Palmer, Baltimore Orioles, had seven 20-game seasons from 1970 through 1978.

30-Game Winners

Only Dizzy Dean, St.Louis Cardinals, and Denny McClain, Detroit Tigers, have won 30 or more games in one season. In 1968, McClain completed 28 of 41 starts to go 31-6. Dean was 30-7 for 33 starts, 17 reliefs and 24 complete games.

Near Perfect Game

Pitching nine innings of perfect baseball is hard enough. But imagine pitching 12 perfect innings and then losing the game on one hit in the 13th. That’s what happened to Harvey Haddix, Pittsburg Pirates, on May 12, 1959 against Lew Burdette and the Milwaukee Braves.