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Posted By: Howard W. Rosenberg

Perhaps the "most famous" construct is too limiting. Maybe it can be divided three ways, as follows, for each decade in question:

1. Who was the biggest superstar (by contemporaneous standards, which includes warts and all)?
2. Who was the biggest role model (by contemporaneous standards)?
3. Who was the biggest role model (by 21st-century standards)?

I'll try just the 19th-century end:

1870
Superstar: George Wright
Role Model (Contemporaneous): Harry Wright
Role Model (21st-Century): Harry Wright

1880
Superstar: Cap Anson
Role Model (Contemporaneous): Cap Anson
Role Model (21st-Century): Billy Sunday

1890
Superstar: Cap Anson
Role Model (Contemporaneous): Cap Anson
Role Model (21st-Century): Cy Young