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3 Baseball Hall of Famers Born on Christmas Day

By Alexander Wildes

Rickey Henderson, the greatest base-stealer of all time, was born on Christmas Day 1958.
Rickey Henderson, the greatest base-stealer of all time, was born on Christmas Day 1958. / Jeff Carlick/Getty Images

Christmas Day is one of those special times worth cherishing. Students get the day off from school, kids get overly excited to tear open their gifts, and there are plenty of sports events to watch.

For some people, however, Christmas means even more, starting with these three MLB stars who ended up in the Hall of Fame -- each one was born on the 25th of December.

1. Nellie Fox

Nellie Fox was an incredibly consistent batter in the 1950's.
Nellie Fox was an incredibly consistent batter in the 1950's. /

Born on December 25th, 1927, Nellie Fox played 19 seasons in the MLB, with his best years coming with the Chicago White Sox, where he was a 12-time All Star. For his career, Fox had 2663 hits, a terrific number for any era of the game. He died in 1975 at just 47 years of age, but was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.

2. Pud Galvin

Pud Galvin was a dominant pitcher in the 1880's.
Pud Galvin was a dominant pitcher in the 1880's. /

Pud Galvin, born on Christmas Day in 1856, was an early baseball star. In his first 10 proessional seasons, Galvin had a 2.69 ERA and over 300 wins, twice winning 46 games in a season. However, due to the overuse of his arm, the last four years dragged his stats down, compiling a record of 60-55 and an ERA of 3.65. An owner of two career no-hitters, he entered the Hall in 1965.

3. Rickey Henderson

Rickey Henderson ranks No. 1 all time with 1,406 stolen bases and 2,295 runs scored.
Rickey Henderson ranks No. 1 all time with 1,406 stolen bases and 2,295 runs scored. / Focus On Sport/Getty Images

Rickey Henderson, one of the most iconic leadoff men in baseball history, was as good as it gets when it came to getting on base, stealing bags, and scoring runs. In fact, Henderson holds the all-time MLB records for steals, non-intentional walks, leadoff homers, and runs. The former MVP and 10-time All-Star was born on December 25, 1958.