Today’s athletes are far superior to anything that was out there 20 years ago, let alone 50, 60 or 70 years ago. The general training and development we have now is just on a different level. Despite that, there are still guys in each generation that amazed the world with what they could do on the field. Their natural ability out shined those around them. Guys that were just far better than those around them. I sent this list out in a tweet recently, but given the lack of sports in the world, I thought I would expand on why these five players are the top guys I wish I could have seen play live and in person.

1. Babe Ruth

The Sultan of Swat, the Great Bambino, the Caliph of Clout. As portrayed in the cult classic Sandlot, this man had a lot of nicknames. The only thing he had more of was home runs. He hit more home runs than entire teams in some seasons. The Babe was special. Could he hit today’s 96 MPH cutters? Probably not right away but the man lived on a diet of hot dogs and beers. Get him some training and just imagine what he can do. He was the god of baseball. Easily tops on this list.

2. Satchel Paige

Much of Satchel’s true stats are unknown. Given the time period he played, much of his career was in the Negro Leagues. He didn’t play in the majors till he was a spry 42 year old rookie. That didn’t stop Satchel from being elite and helping the tribe take the World Series title in 1948 (Cleveland hasn’t had one since and I could really use it in my lifetime). Satchel played well past that age 42 season even throwing three scoreless inning for Kansas City at 59 years old. I can only imagine how much better he was than everyone at say 32 years old. Buy me a ticket back the early 1940s so I can what this wizard could do on a mound.

3. Josh Gibson

The only man that may have been better at hitting home runs than Babe Ruth was Josh Gibson. If you ever look at a picture of Josh Gibson, you can take one look at his forearms and tell just how much of beast he was. It was rumored between the barnstorming games and the Negro Leagues, he hit over 800 career home runs. Astronomical numbers. Oh and he did this as a catcher, the most physically demanding position on the field. Josh had his demons and health issues and he past away before his 40th birthday. Its a shame no one ever got to see him in a full major league season and not just a few exhibition games.

4. Willie Mays

The Say Hey Kid. Just a pure athlete. Willie was faster, stronger and just about better than everyone on the field. He played forever as well, all the way to his age 42 season. Logging over 600 home runs, 3000 hits, and 1900 RBIs, Willie is near the top of all the major statistical categories. He covered an absurd amount of ground in the outfield, making the historic over the shoulder catch. I gladly take a trip to the ballpark to see what he could do on a Sunday afternoon.

5. Lou Gehrig

This last one is a bit of a personal preference than the obviously best talent at the time. Lou Gehrig was obviously a talented ball player. Hitting almost 500 home runs and 2000 RBIs despite having his career dramatically cut short by ALS, now famously called Lou Gehrig’s disease. The reason he makes my list though is because as a little kid I did a project on Gehrig and fell in love with the way he played the game, never missing a day in the office. The Iron Horse got his chance and never looked back in fear that someone may take his spot. He believed everyday he should go out and do his job. In today’s world where “load management” is a common phrase, I would enjoy seeing a top talent taking his job seriously and showing up every day. A breath of fresh air and a good way to end this list.