The Most Groundbreaking Players in MLB History

There are plenty of great players in the history of Major League Baseball, but there's something a little bit different about being designated as groundbreaking.

To be groundbreaking, a player basically needs to do something that had never been done before or do something better than anybody had ever done before.

Through this list we are going to look at 10 of the most groundbreaking players in baseball history. Of course, many of them will be groundbreaking for different reasons, but all of them were part of some momentous change that altered the landscape of Major League Baseball.

10. Mike Piazza

Mike Piazza change the idea of what a catcher was really supposed to be. He was an excellent offensive player and only mediocre defensively. Previously, most catchers were valued for their defensive prowess rather than what they did at the plate. Piazza ultimately became one of the better hitters of his generation, and that was a groundbreaking move in Major League Baseball.

9. Ty Cobb

Ty Cobb was the first true superstar in Major League Baseball. He was ultracompetitive to a fault at times, but there is also no doubt that that drive made him an outstanding baseball player. While I also can't defend his off the field conduct, people loved watching him play, and baseball needed a superstar to electrify the audience and legitimize it as America's pastime. Cobb helped do that.

8. Curt Flood

Curt Flood was the first player to really push for the right to free agency. Although it took a while for the system we know today to develop, without his initial question and actually challenging Major League Baseball all the way to the US Supreme Court, we would never have seen the groundbreaking salaries that we see now rising from the competitive bidding structure.

7. Ernie Banks

Before Ernie Banks, shortstops were generally valued for their speed and slick fielding. Banks revolutionized the position by crushing 512 home runs over his entire career. By helping change the previous perception, other players like Cal Ripken Jr. and Alex Rodriguez helped create a groundbreaking generation of offensive minded shortstops.

6. Joe DiMaggio

Joe DiMaggio was one of the best baseball players of all time, but he was groundbreaking in the way that he married in baseball to popular culture. His marriage to Marilyn Monroe solidified baseball players as true celebrities. That had happened to some extent before, but they had never really been so entrenched in the celebrity lifestyle. Now, it seems as if this is common place where baseball players are seen as celebrities just like movie stars or musicians.

5. Dennis Eckersley

It is a little hard to pinpoint who the first closer in baseball history was, but if you're trying to look at who was the first one to almost exclusively play the position, it was Dennis Eckersley. Superstars like Mariano Rivera have risen out of this pretty new position, and it has become a specialty niche. Prior to this, even the best closers did other things as well, but using a ninth-inning closer exclusively was groundbreaking.

4. Ron Blomberg

Ultimately, Ron Blomberg's personal stats will probably always be remembered after the fact that he was the first designated hitter in the history of Major League Baseball. While it wasn't his decision to create this rule, when he stepped into the batter's box, he was the first player to take a position that would ultimately change baseball strategy in the American League.

3. Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth changed the way that baseball was played. He made the home run the rule rather than the exception. When he hit 60 home runs, nobody had ever seen anything like it before, but after he started the move towards power hitting, baseball began to evolve in a similar way. Today, the home run is one of those celebrated feats in the game, and it truly became a weapon because of Babe Ruth.

2. Masanori Murakami

Masanori Murakami was the first Major League Baseball player from Japan. Even though he only played two seasons for the San Francisco Giants, the precedent had been set. Ever since then, Asian baseball has developed exponentially, and many great players have made the transition to Major League Baseball. Without Murakami, baseball very well could have remained a purely American phenomenon.

1. Jackie Robinson

Ultimately, breaking down the color barrier was the most groundbreaking moment in Major League Baseball history. Of course, Jackie Robinson himself was a highly talented player, but from a historical perspective, the simple fact that he had the strength and courage to fight the problems entrenched in the system was noteworthy. There is no way that he could not be on top of this list.

Whether you think I know everything or nothing about Major League Baseball, you should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook and keep in touch. I love hearing what you all have to say!

Follow @spinkickers