Billy Herman

Herman's consistency was remarkable. He played nearly 2,000 games while maintaining that .304 average, a testament to both durability and skill in an era when fielding gloves were barely more than leather mittens. The 47 career home runs might seem modest, but power wasn't expected from second basemen then — getting on base and making the routine play was the job description.

The Veterans Committee recognized Herman's value in 1975, understanding what his contemporaries knew: he was the steady heartbeat of Cubs teams that consistently contended. In a position often filled by glove-first players, Herman provided both reliability and offensive production that made him indispensable for nearly two decades.