Who is the best baseball player from South Jersey?
Let the debate begin.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states.
In July, we will showcase our list of the top 250 overall athletes in South Jersey history.
But first we are going to take a look at athletes in their individual sports.
Next up, we’re honoring the stars of the diamond. Here are our selections for the baseball players who defined the South Jersey region. The 10 players (listed in alphabetical order) were all standout baseball players at the high school level before moving on to even greater heights.
Andrew Bailey, Paul VI
The Haddon Heights native was a two-time All-Star and an American League Rookie of the Year with the Oakland Athletics. He pitched eight years in the majors, including 33 games with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2016. In his first three seasons in Oakland, Bailey recorded 26, 25 and 24 saves. He finished his career with 95 saves. Bailey was a second team All-Parochial selection at Paul VI during his senior season in 2002.
Sean Doolittle, Shawnee
Doolittle did a lot even before he reached the major leagues. As a junior at Shawnee, the southpaw struck out a whopping 23 batters against Kearny in the state Group 4 final, leading the Renegades to the state title. He went 12-1 with 137 strikeouts and 18 walks during that season. As a senior in 2004, he was the Courier-Post’s Player of the Year, batting .506 and tying the school’s single-season home run record with 10. He finished 30-3 as a pitcher at Shawnee. He played collegiately at the University of Virginia, setting a then-program record for career wins (22). Doolittle was drafted in the first round by Oakland as a position player. After two injury-riddled seasons, Doolittle returned as a reliever pitcher. He would become a two-time All-Star and won a World Series title with Washington in 2019.
Rawly Eastwick, Haddonfield
A fireballer who racked up 296 strikeouts and a 24-7 record in three seasons at Haddonfield, Eastwick was a premier reliever in the majors. He pitched for six teams over his eight-year career, including a stint with the Philadelphia Phillies. He led the National League in saves twice, both during the Cincinnati Reds’ run to World Series titles in 1975 and 1976.
Walter French, Moorestown
A two-sport star who played in the National Football League with the Pottsville Maroons, French played six seasons in the American League for the Philadelphia Athletics. He was a .303 career hitter and was a member of the 1929 World Series champion Athletics.
Zac Gallen, Bishop Eustace
A second-team All-South Jersey selection as a senior at Bishop Eustace Prep in 2013, Gallen played three seasons at the University of North Carolina before being selected in the third round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. The right-hander has produced a solid career in the majors, currently in his eighth season. After making his MLB debut with Miami, Gallen has found a home in Arizona where he has won 12-or-more games in four straight seasons. He was an All-Star in 2023.
Kid Gleason, Camden
While better known as a manager including a stint with the Chicago White Sox in the infamous 1919 “Black Sox” World Series scandal, Gleason was a solid Major Leaguer, too. He logged nearly 2,000 games over his 22-year career, batting .261 with 1,946 hits, Gleason played for the Philadelphia Phillies twice, including the start of his career in 1888.
Goose Goslin, Salem
The Salem native was one of baseball’s best players in the early 20th century earning a spot in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Goslin played 18 seasons in the majors, including 12 with the Washington Senators from 1921-1930. An American League batting champion in 1928 with a .379 average, Goslin finished his career with 2,735 career hits. Goslin was also a two-time World Series champion, once with the Senators (1924) and the other with the Detroit Tigers (1935).
Orel Hershiser, Cherry Hill East
Before he was one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball, Hershiser was a standout at Cherry Hill East where he set several pitching records, including a single-game strikeout mark (15) before he graduated in 1976. Hershiser won 204 games and recorded over 2,000 strikeouts during an 18-year career in the majors. He was one of the greatest Dodger pitchers of all time, earning the Cy Young Award and World Series Most Valuable Player in 1988. A three-time All-Star, “Bulldog” boasts an MLB-record 59 consecutive scoreless innings pitched.
Blaine Neal, Bishop Eustace
The Haddon Heights native was a standout first baseman at Bishop Eustace Prep, collecting a single-season program record 53 RBIs as a senior. He signed with the Florida Marlins as a fourth-round draft pick in 1996 and remained as a first baseman due to elbow problems. His career would take a huge jump the organization later turned him into a reliever. He would pitch five seasons with four teams in the majors. He was the closer on the United States gold-medal winning team at the 2008 Beijing Games.
Mike Trout, Millville
Many regard the Millville native as the best player on the planet for over a decade. After setting a New Jersey record single-season home run record (18) as a senior at Millville High in 2009, Trout was selected in the first round (25th overall) by the Los Angeles Angels. Trout is in the middle of his 16th season with the Angels, a career that includes three American League MVP awards, 11 All-Star appearances and nine Silver Slugger Awards. He has accumulated over 1,800 hits over his career and should be a lock to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 35 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him by email at tmcgurk@usatodayco.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Who’s South Jersey’s all-time best baseball player? VOTE now
