South Dakota. A land well known for its seemingly endless prairies dotted here and there with various cities and national landmarks. Nestled in its mass of farmland are such noteworthy examples of Americana as Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills. However, we\u2019re not here to sightsee. No, we\u2019re here to find out just who populates the list of South Dakota\u2019s best MLB players. Much like the aforementioned presidential mountain, these men should all have their faces carved into a granite efface; or, at least, have their names mentioned here.<\/p>\n
As with North Dakota, finding South Dakota\u2019s best MLB players wasn\u2019t tricky. Only 39 men from the state have ever made it to baseball\u2019s highest level. However, you might find some surprising names here. Players like Sean Doolittle<\/a>, Kerry Ligtenberg<\/a>, and Dave Collins<\/a> call the state home. Terry Francona<\/a> and Hall of Famer Sparky Anderson<\/a> are two of baseball\u2019s greatest managers from the state. Unfortunately, there\u2019s only room on our list for five stories. Here they are, in order of ascending WAR.<\/p>\n Terry Forster<\/a>, a Sioux Falls native, was one of baseball\u2019s better relief pitchers in the 1970s and \u201880s. Overall, he managed a 16-year career, during which he pitched to a respectable 3.23 ERA. He also had 127 career saves and a 116 ERA+. His best years were with the Chicago White Sox. He appeared in 263 games and his 75 saves are eighth in franchise history. In 1974, he led the league with 24 saves. After that, he bounced around the league. In total, he made four more stops, though he never quite reached the same level of success. Nevertheless, a 15.8 career WAR is good enough to earn him a spot among South Dakota\u2019s best MLB players.<\/p>\n South Dakota has something of a knack for producing great relief pitchers that wind up with the White Sox. Keith Foulke<\/a> is no exception. His 11 years as a big leaguer yielded 191 saves, a 3.33 ERA, and a 140 ERA+. He spent six seasons with Chicago and his 100 saves rank fourth in franchise history. However, his best season came in 2003 with the Oakland Athletics. He went 9-1 with a league-leading 43 saves and a sparkling 2.08 ERA. His good work led to his only career All-Star nod and his second top-ten finish in Cy Young voting. Foulke then contributed to the Boston Red Sox snapping their championship drought in 2004, recording the final three outs of the World Series. From there, his career took a tumble. But his good work with Chicago, Oakland, and Boston gives him a spot as one of South Dakota\u2019s best MLB players.<\/p>\n On this day in 2004, Boston ended the curse \ud83d\ude24<\/p>\n The Red Sox swept the Cardinals to win their first World Series title in 86 years<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa5: @ESPN<\/a> | #WorldSeries<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/BmLcUnoufU<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 FanDuel (@FanDuel) October 27, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nSouth Dakota\u2019s Best MLB Players<\/h2>\n
Terry Forster (15.8 WAR)<\/h3>\n
Keith Foulke (20.7 WAR)<\/h3>\n
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