Iowa’s Best Baseball Players of All Time [GALLERY]

Spring is unofficially here! Pitchers and catchers for several major league teams have reported to their spring training sites. Workouts have begun. The season is only weeks away, and spring isn't far behind! It's one of those events during the winter months that even if you're not a huge baseball fan, you look forward to hearing about. But if you are a baseball fan, like I am, it means so much more. Pitchers and catchers reported for my St. Louis Cardinals yesterday and begin full workouts later today. You can get the full spring training schedule for MLB HERE.

People love baseball because of its history. Some pretty good baseball players have come from right here in the state of Iowa. Here are some of the best Iowa-born baseball players.

Hal Trosky was born in Norway, Iowa and played for the Cleveland Indians in the 1930s and early '40s. He was a power hitting first baseman who led the league in RBI's in 1936, hit 25 or more home runs five times, and received AL MVP votes four different seasons. He was voted among the Top 100 Cleveland Indians of all time.

Mike Boddicker also grew up near Norway. Boddicker was never known as a power pitcher but featured many other great pitches including a changeup and slurve. Hitters often said that you got yourself out when facing Boddicker. He won the ALCS MVP in 1983 and helped pitch the Baltimore Orioles to the World Series win over Philadelphia. He was then traded to Boston where he helped the Red Sox to two division titles. He signed with Kansas City before retiring in 1991.

Cal Eldred grew up in Urbana, Iowa and starred at the University of Iowa. He was a first-round draft pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in 1989. He was called up in the 1991 season and went 11-2 with a 1.79 ERA and finished sixth in ROY voting. Eldred pitched for Milwaukee for nine seasons before being traded to the Chicago White Sox. He also pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals and was a relief pitcher on their 2004 pennant winning team. Eldred retired in 2005.

The greatest baseball player ever born in Iowa is easy. Bob Feller. Nicknamed 'The Heater from Van Meter', 'Bullet Bob', and 'Rapid Robert', Feller pitched for the Cleveland Indians for 18 seasons. The numbers are impressive. 266 career wins. 279 complete games. 44 shutouts. A career ERA of 3.25. But consider that the prime of his career was interrupted by four years serving in the United States Navy. Feller said that his time in the armed services robbed him of nearly 100 wins. But he didn't mind it. He was proud of his service and happy he returned home in one piece. Feller led the AL in wins six times, strikeouts seven times and helped Cleveland win the World Series in 1948. Ted Williams called Feller the best pitcher he ever saw. He was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1962 on his first ballot. Bob Feller passed away in 2010 at the age of 92.

[via Wikipedia.org]