The 25 most eccentric MLB players of all time

Even before the modern era of the game, there were unique characters to grace the diamond. A dominant pitcher, notably with the Philadelphia Athletics and St. Louis Browns, Waddell recorded more than 2,300 strikeouts. He also, according to legend, left a game to go fishing, played with dogs in the stands during a contest and wrestled alligators in the offseason, among many other eccentricities. An alcoholic, Waddell often battled with managers, and died at age 37 after being diagnosed with tuberculosis.

Back in the day, the Babe was a celebrity right up there with actors and the president. Of course, he also played at a time when ballplayers didn't necessarily adhere to a strict fitness regime. Ruth loved his drink and his women. Though one of the most charitable and giving athletes of all time, Ruth was also a free spirit who loved the limelight. His baseball greatness and larger-than-life personality transcended the game, as he remains a pop culture icon.

A star of both the Negro and Major League Baseball, Paige won a World Series in both leagues. Among the great pitchers of all time with 127 career wins and 2.74 ERA, the Hall of Famer was also famous for his unique arsenal of pitches. Paige had one of the fiercest fastballs in the game at the time and would release the ball from various arm angles while constantly experimenting. Paige also named his pitches, like "Long Tom" for the fastball. Plus, his off-speed or "trick" pitches were dubbed the "Whipsy-Dipsy-Do" and "Midnight Creeper." 

A true Hall-of-Famer on and off the field. A career .285 hitter with 385 home runs, the legendary catcher was a three-time MVP, 18-time All-Star, and won 13 World Series with the New York Yankees. Also a fine MLB manager, Berra still might be best known for his quirkiness. Specifically, his "Yogi-isms." Such as, "It ain't over 'til it's over." "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." ^{Or, "It's déjà vu all over again."}

Like the aforementioned Rube Waddell, Piersall's quirkiness went beyond good-natured playfulness. He dealt with bipolar issues that played a part in some of his more memorable incidents during a player career that featured two All-Star appearances with the Boston Red Sox and a pair of Gold Gloves. Piersall punched the Yankees' Billy Martin before a game in 1952, wore Beatles-member-like wig and a little league batting helmet at the plate, and circled the bases backward after hitting his 100th career home run in 1963. Piersall's early baseball life and mental health are detailed in his 1955 memoir Fear Strikes Out, which was also made into a movie.

If there were a Hall-of-Famer for characters of the game, Uecker would be a first-ballot selection. Now, he is a Ford C. Frick Award winner as one of the great broadcasters of the game, but Uecker's quirkiness and humor were evident while he sported a .200 career batting average and led the league in passed balls in 1967 — notably while catching knuckleballer Phil Niekro. Uecker made a career out of making fun of his playing days, beginning with those Miller Lite commercials, on The Tonight Show (with Johnny Carson) and via his broadcasting. The thing is, Uecker kept things light in the clubhouse and was considered a valuable teammate.

An All-Star and World Series champion (1971) with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Ellis posted a 138–119 (.537) record , a 3.46 ERA , and 1,136 strikeouts during his career, which also included time with the New York Yankees. However, Ellis is still best known for throwing a no-hitter against San Diego on June 12, 1970. OK, a lot of guys have thrown no-hitters, but Ellis admitted after the fact that he completed his under the influence of LSD -- as he lost track of what day he was supposed to start. Surely, one of the craziest stories in MLB history.

When your nickname is the "Spaceman," there will always be a spot on this list. Lee spent most of his big-league career with Boston, where he won 17 games in three consecutive seasons (1973-'75). An All-Star, the left-handed Lee relied on his version of the eephus pitch, referred to as the "Leephus" pitch. Outspoken and opinionated on more than just baseball, Lee claimed one benefit of using marijuana was that it prevented any harm from the bus fumes he encountered by walking or taking a job to Fenway Park. Lee also threatened to bite off an umpire's ear.

Known as the "Mad Hungarian," Hrabosky recorded 97 career saves during his lengthy big-league career, including an NL-leading 22 in 1975 for St. Louis. Hrabosky, who also pitched for Kansas City and Atlanta, was known for his in-game move, usually before the first batter he faced -- after coming out of the bullpen or an inning. The left-hander would walk behind the mound, with his back toward home plate, pause, then abruptly slam the ball in his glove and quickly turn around, then march to the hill. It was antic that defined his career.

Eccentric might be too kind of a word to describe Randle. Infamous, controversial, could be better fits. He played for five different franchises and batted .257 for his career. Of course, Randle is best known for his antics on the ball field. In 1974 while with Texas, Randle laid down a bunt fielded by Cleveland pitcher Milt Wilcox, who threw behind the Ranger one pitch earlier. Running down the baseline, Randle veered and charged after Wilcox, which led to a benches-clearing brawl. During spring training in 1977, Randle punched Rangers manager Frank Lucchesi. Then, in 1981, while playing third base for Seattle, Randle tried to make a slow-rolling ball go foul by blowing it out of fair territory.

The AL Rookie of the Year, an All-Star and a top-notch manager, Hargrove enjoyed much success while spending most of his playing career with Texas and Cleveland. However, he was notorious for his lengthy routine in the batter's box before each at-bat and pitch. Dubbed "The Human Rain Delay," Hargrove can be witnessed (thanks to the Internet), stepping out of the batter's box to adjust his helmet, then batting gloves, before pulling each sleeve of his uniform up. Finally, Hargrove would wipe each hand on his pants. All while driving pitchers batty.

The right-hander pitched 18 seasons in the majors, most notably for Houston and Philadelphia. While registering a career 3.15 ERA as one of the league's most dependable relievers, Andersen was also known for being a prankster. Like the time he and some Seattle teammates filled manager Rene Lachemann's hotel room toilet with jello. Andersen was also a master of the "Hot Foot." Andersen then became a popular commentator on Phillies broadcasts, where he pondered, "What is the speed of dark?" Or, "If a visiting player hits it, why is it still called a HOME run?" 

Nicknamed "The Bird," Fidrych just might be the greatest character of the game. The 1976 Rookie of the Year with Detroit, when the right-hander went 19-9 with a 2.34 ERA, Fidrych appeared in just 58 games spanning parts of five seasons, as injuries eventually took a toll. However, he was truly unforgettable with his thin frame, long hair, and wiry, unorthodox, whirling pitching motion. The right-hander would often smooth over cleat marks on the mound dirt, asked for a new ball after every hit and shook hands with each one of his teammates after a start.

The little-remembered Rhomberg's major-league career consisted of 41 games and 47 at-bats over three seasons with Cleveland. He homered once but actually hit .383 for this career, which was defined by his compulsion for touching someone -- or something -- immediately after he was touched. The aforementioned Mike Hargrove nicknamed him "Touch Me, Touch Me." One of the many recorded tales is when teammate Rick Sutcliffe reached under a bathroom stall to touch the toe of Rhomberg, who then went and touched every player in the clubhouse to make sure the touch was reciprocated. Rhomberg, an infielder and outfielder, also refused to make right-hand turns because that's not how a baseball diamond is laid out.

One of the all-time greats, Boggs is a 12-time All-Star and five-time batting champion, mostly spent with the Boston Red Sox. However, Boggs won his only World Series with the rival Yankees in 1996, when he rode a police horse around Yankee Stadium during the postgame celebration. However, when it came to pregame meals, Boggs preferred chicken for every such dining experience. Among other Boggs superstitions, he wrote the Hebrew word "Chai" (or "life") in the batter's box before plate appearance

Browning won 123 games during his solid big-league career, including 20 in 1985 for Cincinnati, and was an All-Star and World Series champion and threw a perfect game. Although Browning had his off-field issues and passed away at the age of 62, the left-hander is one of the more beloved Reds of all time and knew how to have a good time. During a 1993 game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, Browning snuck out of the park and watched a half-inning of the game, in full uniform, from a rooftop in right field. 

Better known as "Wild Thing," after the famed Charlie Sheen character from Major League . A hard-throwing reliever, notably for Texas, the Chicago Cubs, and Philadelphia, Williams earned the nickname for his rather wild windup and delivery, which caused him to land hard to the right of the mound. Williams (192 career saves), who stated he "pitched like his hair is on fire," often dealt with control issues and served up Joe Carter's walk-off World Series-winning homer in 1993, while with the Phillies. He also dabbled in the spray-on hair fad, jokingly, of course.

Sure, there was the corked bat incident in 2003 and his alleged performance-enhancing drug use, but Sosa was a fun-loving personality who is also one of nine players to reach the 600 home run mark. From his sprint to right field to warm up the Bleacher Bums at Wrigley Field to the kisses he blew at the camera, usually after a homer, the seven-time All-Star and 1998 NL MVP was fun to watch and seemed to enjoy every pitch of his career.

Wendell was more superstitious than anything. He pitched in more than 550 games, mainly with the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets, and always jumped over the foul line to and from the pitching mound. Wendell was also prone to brushing his teeth between innings and proclaimed that he wanted to play his final MLB season for free. 

It's just "Manny being Manny." A true character, Ramirez is also one of the great hitters of all time. A 12-time All-Star, he was a high school baseball star in New York City, but helped Boston end its World Series curse in 2004. The moments of Ramirez's eccentricity are countless. The guy would disappear into Fenway Park's Green Monster during mound visits. Or the time in 2008, when he caught a fly ball in the outfield, then high-fived a fan before throwing back to the infield to complete a double play. He put his $4,000 grill up for sale on eBay in 2007. Red Sox fans also can't forget the time Ramirez, while still in the outfield, cut off a throw from teammate Johnny Damon, on the warning track, during a game. Simply, "Manny being Manny."

A two-time All-Star, Dempster pitched for five teams and won a World Series in his final season while playing for Boston. A standout starter (17-game winner in 2008) and closer (33 saves in 2005), Dempster has long been considered one of the good guys of the game, and particularly funny. He's known for his spot-on Harry Carey impersonation and once told a newspaper he'd be a ninja if not playing baseball. After his playing days finished, Dempster did a piece for Booking.com, where he went undercover as a St. Louis Cardinals fan.

Another Hall of Famer, Beltre is one of the great third basemen in the history of baseball. Beltre, whose 21 seasons spanned stints with the Angels, Mariners and Rangers, won five Gold Gloves and was a four-time All-Star who collected more than 3,100 hits. Beltre, who loved his teammates, hated Gatorade showers after a big win or anybody touching the top of his head. 

A three-time All-Star closer and World Series champion with San Francisco, Wilson was known for wearing blinding-orange spikes and growing his lengthy, jet-black beard that was a fan favorite. Wilson, who recorded 163 saves from 2008-'11, also sported a mohawk hairstyle and produced a locally aired reality show entitled Life of Brian.

Call him eccentric or a downright pest, but Morgan proved to be quite a character during a rather serviceable MLB stint. Morgan, who played junior hockey before transitioning to a professional baseball career, was flashy, posting a lifetime batting average of .282 and stealing 120 bases. He also became involved in several on-field physical altercations with opponents. On a more playful note, Morgan developed the so-called stage name of "Tony Plush," while playing for Milwaukee in 2011 and '12. He also amassed a sizable following on social media, where he frequently posted pictures of himself in goofy poses and outfits. 

No, the former San Francisco Giants ace and Mitch Kramer (Wiley Wiggins) from Dazed and Confused are not the same person. Sporting his long hair on top of a lanky, but slight, frame, Lincecum marched to the beat of his own drum. He won two Cy Young Awards and was a three-time World Series champion and a fan favorite, nicknamed "The Freak," for his unlikely physical ability to throw the ball hard and well. Lincecum, a true free spirit, was arrested for marijuana possession in 2009. That prompted fans to create t-shirts that read "LET TIMMY SMOKE."