the definition:
a : widely recognized and well-established
b : widely known and acknowledged especially for distinctive excellence
I think a big part of being an iconic baseball player is that player's relationship with the public. Babe Ruth is the most iconic baseball player ever because his fame transcended the sport even beyond his talent. He was great with the press, the fans. He was in the public eye through movies, advertisements, and personal appearances.
Here in Detroit we have Miguel Cabrera who is the best baseball player I have ever seen - bar none. Al Kaline recently called him the best Detroit Tiger player he's ever seen - and he's seen them since the early 50's. I swear, when he's hitting, it looks like he's playing softball and everyone else is playing hardball - he's that good.
But is he iconic? He rarely gives interviews. His English is still horrible. He rarely does personal appearances. He does no ads, even locally. In short, we as fans, don't really know him. Would a soccer mom in California know his name or recognize his face? I doubt it. In my opinion, he's not an iconic player - not because his talent is lacking, but because he's never made any effort to be in the public eye. As a fan, I wish he did more because next to Ty Cobb, he's the best Detroit Tiger of all time.
I do wonder if the influx of Spanish speaking players, who seemingly make no effort to learn English, will sadly prevent some great players from ever becoming iconic.
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