The best baseball players born on Sept. 3

September 3rd, 2023

Who are the best players born on each day of the year? We have a list for every day on the calendar.

Here’s a subjective ranking of the top five for Sept. 3:

1) Luis Gonzalez (1967)
Gonzalez was a five-time All-Star, a one-time Silver Slugger and the 2001 Home Run Derby champion. However, one moment stands well above the rest from Gonzalez's 19-year big league career, and it came on the final pitch of the '01 World Series. With the D-backs and Yankees tied at 2 with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7, Gonzalez lofted an 0-1 pitch from Mariano Rivera into shallow center field for a walk-off RBI single that sent Arizona to a World Series title in the franchise's fourth season. Gonzalez's best seasons -- including all five in which he was named an All-Star -- came during his eight-year stint with the D-backs, who made him the first player in club history to have his number retired in 2010. Gonzalez ended his career with a .283/.367/.479 slash line, 354 home runs, 1,439 RBIs and 1,412 hits in 2,591 games.

2) Eddie Stanky (1915)
Stanky played 11 big league seasons, including four for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was a member of the 1947 Dodgers team that is known for having Jackie Robinson break the color barrier. Stanky played second base for Brooklyn, which is why Robinson spent his rookie season at first base. Stanky was portrayed by actor Jesse Luken in "42," the 2013 film starring Chadwick Boseman as Robinson. In addition to being one of Robinson's first Dodgers teammates, Stanky is known for his incredible plate discipline. He drew more than 100 walks in six seasons, leading the Majors in free passes three times. Stanky, a three-time All-Star, also twice led the big leagues in on-base percentage, including in 1950, when he posted a .460 mark for the New York Giants.

3) Ed Konetchy (1885)
Nicknamed "The Candy Kid," Konetchy worked in a candy factory while growing up in La Crosse, Wisc. He eventually joined the factory's baseball team, before going on to play 15 big league seasons from 1907-21. Konetchy spent his first seven seasons with the St. Louis Browns, and he received National League MVP Award votes in both 1911 and '12. In '11, he led the NL in games played (158) and doubles (38) while batting .289/.384/.433. In 2,085 career games, Konetchy had a .281/.346/.403 slash line, 2,150 hits and 992 RBIs.

4) Tom Brewer (1931)
Brewer spent his entire eight-year big league career with the Red Sox, and he was a solid contributor to their starting rotation from 1954-61. The right-hander went 91-82 with a 4.00 ERA in 241 games (217 starts), recording at least 10 wins in each of his first seven seasons. Brewer's best year came in 1956, when he went 19-9 with a 3.50 ERA in 32 starts and earned his lone career All-Star selection. He retired after his age-29 season, as he dealt with arm and shoulder troubles late in his career.

5) Eric Plunk (1963)
Plunk had a solid 14-year big league career as a reliever. His best seasons came during a seven-year stint with Cleveland from 1992-98, during which he posted a 3.25 ERA in 373 appearances. Plunk earned the win in the first game in Progressive Field history, as he pitched 1 1/3 perfect innings of relief in Cleveland's 4-3, 10-inning win over Seattle on April 4, 1994. Plunk finished his career with a 3.82 ERA and 35 saves in 714 games.

Others of note:
George Stone (1876)

Stone won the AL batting title in 1906, when he slashed .358/.417/.501 over 154 games for the St. Louis Browns. He was a career .301/.360/.396 hitter over seven seasons. After playing two games for the Red Sox in 1903, he spent his final 846 games with the Browns.

Matt Capps (1983)
Capps recorded a 3.52 ERA over 444 relief appearances in his eight-year big league career from 2005-12. The right-hander earned his lone All-Star selection in 2010, when he had a 2.47 ERA over 74 games between the Nationals and Twins.

Carl Edwards Jr. (1991)
Edwards won the 2016 World Series championship with the Cubs, posting a 2.84 ERA over eight relief appearances that postseason. The right-hander had a 3.30 ERA in 192 games with Chicago from 2015-19.

Want to see more baseball birthdays for Sept. 3? Find the complete list on Baseball Reference.