It’s been more than 35 years since his last at-bat, but Hank Aaron remains baseball’s most beloved player.
That’s according to updated data from The Marketing Arm’s Celebrity DBI, an independent index which quantifies consumer perceptions of more than 2,500 celebrities. The 25-time All-Star tops the DBI’s “Most Beloved Baseball Player” list, which includes both active and retired players.
To calculate the scores, researchers from The Marketing Arm analyzed the four key DBI attributes – Trust, Appeal, Aspiration and Awareness – that best define “beloved.” The formula discounts the Awareness attribute by 50 percent to neutralize widespread negative publicity and the impact of market size.
Three other retired players – Willie Mays, Cal Ripken and Nolan Ryan – join Aaron in the top 5. Seattle outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, the only active player to score among the top 5, ranks fifth on the list. At 260, Mays’s “Beloved” score was eight points lower than Aaron’s. Ripken posted a score of 249; Ryan’s is 240; and Ichiro’s 228.
Dave Winfield, Reggie Jackson, Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Larkin and Ozzie Smith round out the top 10. Bo Jackson came in at No. 11.
Besides Ichiro, the highest-scoring active players are Derek Jeter (12), Justin Verland er (14), Cliff Lee (15), Chipper Jones (17), Stephen Strasburg (18), Joe Mauer (19), and Chase Utley (20).
Evan Longoria and Curtis Grand erson scored just outside the top 20 at No. 21 and No. 22, respectively.
For more information on “Baseball’s Most Beloved” list or the Celebrity DBI, please contact Matt Fleming at (214) 259-3200.
