How many brothers have played together in MLB?

Table of Contents hide

1. Introduction: Brothers in Major League Baseball

2. History of Brothers in Baseball

3. Brothers Who Played in MLB

4. Brothers Who Managed in MLB

5. Famous Brotherly Duos

6. Conclusion

7. References

8. Further Reading

Introduction: Brothers in Major League Baseball

In Major League Baseball (MLB), it is not uncommon to see brothers playing together. Brothers have been playing in MLB since its inception in 1876, and there have been many notable brotherly combinations over the years. From Hall of Fame duos to teams with multiple siblings, brothers have been a major part of the game for a long time. In this article, we will take a look at how many brothers have played together in MLB and some of the most famous brotherly duos in the history of the sport.

History of Brothers in Baseball

The history of brothers in baseball is a long and storied one. The first brotherly duo to take the field together was the Wright brothers — George and Harry — who debuted for the Washington Nationals in 1882. The brothers played together until Harry’s retirement in 1890, but they would go on to have a huge impact on the game. The Wright brothers were two of the first professional players and they would go on to become the first professional African-American players in the history of baseball.

Since then, there have been countless brotherly duos that have taken the field in MLB. Some of the most famous include the Alou brothers — Felipe, Jesus, and Matty — who debuted for the San Francisco Giants in 1963 and the Molina brothers — Bengie, Jose, and Yadier — who debuted for the Los Angeles Angels in 2001.

Brothers Who Played in MLB

Throughout the history of MLB, there have been many brothers who have taken the field together. Here is a list of some of the most famous brotherly duos in the history of the sport:

Alou Brothers: Felipe, Jesus, and Matty Alou debuted for the San Francisco Giants in 1963 and were part of the first all-brother outfield in MLB history. They would go on to become one of the most successful brotherly duos in baseball history, with each of them making multiple All-Star teams.
Molina Brothers: Bengie, Jose, and Yadier Molina debuted for the Los Angeles Angels in 2001 and were part of the first all-brother battery in MLB history. Yadier, the youngest brother, would go on to become one of the best catchers in the history of the game, winning nine Gold Glove awards and two World Series titles.
DiMaggio Brothers: Joe, Dom, and Vince DiMaggio all debuted for the San Francisco Seals in 1933 and 1934. Joe, the oldest brother, would go on to become one of the greatest players in the history of the game and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1955. Dom and Vince were also successful players, though they never reached the same heights as Joe.
Bonds Brothers: Bobby and Barry Bonds debuted for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986 and 1987, respectively. Bobby, the elder brother, was a four-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, while Barry, the younger brother, was arguably the greatest player of his generation and one of the best players in MLB history.
Niekro Brothers: Joe and Phil Niekro debuted for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves in 1964 and 1967, respectively. Joe was a five-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner, while Phil was a five-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner. Together, they would combine for over 4,000 strikeouts and five All-Star appearances.
Alomar Brothers: Sandy, Roberto, and Sandy Alomar Jr. debuted for the San Diego Padres in 1984, 1988, and 1990, respectively. Roberto, the elder brother, was a 12-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner, while Sandy Jr. was a six-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner. Together, they combined for over 2,500 hits and 20 All-Star appearances.

Brothers Who Managed in MLB

In addition to playing together in MLB, there have also been several brothers who have gone on to manage in the league. Here is a list of some of the most famous brotherly duos who have managed in MLB:

Gaston Brothers: Cito and Jesse Gaston both managed in MLB, with Cito managing the Toronto Blue Jays from 1989 to 1997 and Jesse managing the Detroit Tigers from 1979 to 1995. Cito was the first African-American manager in the history of the Blue Jays and was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001. Jesse won a World Series title with the Tigers in 1984 and was inducted into the Detroit Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.
Bowa Brothers: Larry and Bobby Bowa both managed in MLB, with Larry managing the San Diego Padres from 1987 to 1988 and Bobby managing the Philadelphia Phillies from 2001 to 2004. Larry was the first manager in the history of the Padres and was inducted into the San Diego Padres Hall of Fame in 2011. Bobby won a World Series title with the Phillies in 2008 and was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.
Torre Brothers: Joe and Frank Torre both managed in MLB, with Joe managing the New York Yankees from 1996 to 2007 and Frank managing the Atlanta Braves from 1982 to 1984. Joe won four World Series titles with the Yankees and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014. Frank was the first manager of the Braves in Atlanta and was inducted into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame in 2002.

Famous Brotherly Duos

Throughout the history of MLB, there have been many famous brotherly duos that have taken the field together. Here are some of the most famous:

Ripken Brothers: Cal and Billy Ripken both played in MLB, with Cal playing for the Baltimore Orioles from 1981 to 2001 and Billy playing for the Orioles and the Texas Rangers from 1987 to 1998. Cal was a two-time American League MVP and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. Billy was a two-time All-Star and was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 2002.
Kaline Brothers: Al and Harvey Kaline both played in MLB, with Al playing for the Detroit Tigers from 1953 to 1974 and Harvey playing for the Tigers from 1967 to 1974. Al was a 15-time All-Star and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980. Harvey was a three-time All-Star and was inducted into the Tigers Hall of Fame in 2003.
Aaron Brothers: Hank and Tommie Aaron both played in MLB, with Hank playing for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves from 1954 to 1976 and Tommie playing for the Braves and the Oakland Athletics from 1962 to 1971. Hank was a 25-time All-Star and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982. Tommie was a three-time All-Star and was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame in 1999.

Conclusion

Throughout the history of Major League Baseball, brothers have been playing together in the league since its inception in 1876. From Hall of Fame duos to teams with multiple siblings, brothers have been a major part of the game for a long time. While it is difficult to determine exactly how many brothers have played together in MLB, it is safe to say that there have been many notable brotherly duos throughout the history of the sport.

References

Barker, M. (2020, January 24). Alou Brothers: The First All-Brother Outfield in MLB History. Retrieved from bleacherreport.com/articles/2846863-alou-brothers-the-first-all-brother-outfield-in-mlb-history
Baseball Reference. (n.d.). Brothers Who Played Together. Retrieved from baseball-reference.com/friv/brothers.shtml
Kershaw, S. (2020, April 22). 10 Famous Brothers Who Played in the MLB. Retrieved from mentalfloss.com/article/63740/10-famous-brothers-who-played-mlb