Major League Baseball
Ken Griffey, Jr. - "Last name 'Ever'...first name 'Greatest'."Junior was the greatest centerfielder of his time. Over the 22 year stretch of his career, I cannot think of anyone who was close. Other than Willie Mays, I think he is the greatest centerfielder of all-time and other than Barry Bonds (ignoring the big, muscled up elephant in the room) the greatest player of his time.
I could spend all day throwing out batting averages, home runs, RBIs, stolen bases, gold gloves, etcetera. Simply consider how many games Junior missed due to injury. Take his numbers, which already blow away all but a handful of men ever to play the game, and extrapolate them over just half of the games he missed and add those numbers to his career totals. What always made me stare in awe at Griffey, Jr.'s resume is that one can reasonably say that Griffey DID NOT REACH HIS POTENTIAL due to injuries!!!
Of course, like many all-time greats, Griffey stayed in the game a little longer than he should have. Griffey stopped being the premier power threat he had been in 2008 and his 2010 campaign ended in a somewhat embarrassing fashion. He retired, mid-season, very shortly after a story broke that the 40 year old Griffey fell asleep in the Seattle Mariners clubhouse during a game and missed a pinch-hitting appearance when called upon. Come on! The old man needed his rest!
Still, Griffey is one of my all time personal favorite athletes and I know that I am not alone. The baseball world got a little colder this past summer.
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| Gee, Barry. You're looking good! A little too good.... 1 |
Lou Pinella - Sweet Lou, former World Series winning manager of the 1990 Cincinnati Reds and manager of the Chicago Cubs last season, announced that the 2010 campaign would be his last early in the year. However, due to family commitments (and a Cubs season going down in a ball of flames like a Kamikaze pilot), Pinella had to ramp his retirement up and leave the game in August.
In a touching moment, Pinella wept after his final game as a manager, an 11 run thrashing at the hands of the Atlanta Braves, as he said it hit him that it would be the last time he would wear his uniform. There are times when a grown man can cry, without question of one's masculinity, and that moment was one of those times. But I could not help but wonder if the opportunity to get a "man pass" for tearing up was as good a time as any for Pinella to let out the waterworks in response to that day's game or the Cubs season as a whole.
Bobby Cox - Bobby Cox, manager of the Atlanta Braves for a total of 25 seasons and leader of the most dominant National League ballclub in a generation, finally hung it up after this past season. Cox is yet another example of someone who achieved amazing accomplishments, yet did not live up to his full potential.
In spite of 14 consecutive National League East Division Championships (1991-1993, 1995-2005, no 1994 post-season - strike), and five National League Pennants ('91, '92, '95, '96, '99), the Braves only won one World Series, in 1995 over the Cleveland Indians. Cox's final game was a loss in game 4 of the 2010 National League Divisional Series against the eventual World Series Champion San Francisco Giants. It was not a storybook ending, but it was fitting that Cox was able to leave the game in the postseason (after a four year absence), in which Cox had the most memorable moments of his managerial career.
National Basketball Association
Allen Iverson - Allen "The Answer" Inverson was one of the quickest, most explosive and exciting young star players in the NBA when he was drafted out of Georgetown in 1996. He is also the only player that I have ever seen break Chicago Bulls Michael Jordan's ankles. Iverson ended his career ranked sixth in career points per game (minimum of 10,000 points scored) 2 and was the MVP of the league in 2001. He also led the 76ers to an Eastern Conference Championship in 2001, losing the NBA Finals to the Lakers in 5 games.
As great as Iverson was on the court, he will also be remembered for being outspoken, leading some to question whether he needed an attitude adjustment. Men lie; women lie; numbers don't. Throughout most of A.I.'s career, he talked the talk while he walked the walk. Just do not ask Ivvy about "practice".
"PRACTICE???" I am sure that Allen Iverson could find some empathy from Jim Mora ("PLAYOFFS?!?) 3
Rasheed Wallace - Rasheed Wallace had a standout career in the NBA. He was a lengthy forward who could do it all - shoot, post up, rebound, block shots, play defense, and he could dish the ball pretty well for a big fella, when called upon. He was also a walking technical foul. Many an office pool could have been taken on not if, but in which quarter would Sheed get tee'd up. If he racked up two in a quarter, should you get a double payout?
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| The NFL named its championship trophy after Vince Lombardi, one of its greatest coaches. Should the "tech" be renamed to a "Sheed"? 4 |
National Football League
Kurt Warner - Have there been many more inspirational careers that concluded in the last 10 years than that of Kurt Warner? The story has been told dozens of times, but it never gets old. Warner went from bagging groceries to playing in the Arena Football League to becoming an unheard of backup with the St. Louis Rams, to a Super Bowl MVP, eventual two-time league MVP, three time Super Bowl starting quarterback, and (in my opinion) future Pro Football Hall of Famer.
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| How did he throw with that glove on his hand? 5 |
Junior Seau - A lot of people may have assumed that Seau had been long retired in 2010. Seau did fade into relative anonymity, spending 2008 and 2009 as a reserve with the New England Patriots, playing until age 40. However there is no denying the ferocity and dominance with with Seau played the middle linebacker position during his 20 seasons in the National Football League (1990-2009). A 12 time Pro Bowler, six time All-Pro, and two time Super Bowl participant, Seau should be a slam dunk for the Hall of Fame when he is eligible in 2015.
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| Photo from 2010 crash in which Junior Seau drove his car off of a cliff. I hope that Seau approaches improving his skills behind the wheel as much as he sharpened his skills on the gridiron. 6 |
Jeff Feagles - Can anyone name the record holder in the NFL for consecutive games played. Here is a hint: he is not known for "Dillo huntin'" or overestimating the aesthetic appeal of his private parts. Feagles record 352 consecutive games played may never be broken. During his 22 years in the NFL, he was known as one of the best coffin corner punters in the league. Regardless of the average fan's awareness of or attention paid to NFL punters, defenses and coaches appreciate the luxury of having a cushion of 95 yards, as opposed to 80 or 70, between the line of scrimmage and their own end zone.
Jason Elam - Elam is the only kicker to match Tom Dempsey's, 40 year old, record 63 yard field goal. He played in the NFL for 17 years, winning two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos. He was one of the most accurate kickers of his time. as I have stated before, a reliable kicker may be the most underrated asset on any football team.
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1) Image from http://cheapseatsplease.files.wordpress.com
2) Source: basketball-reference.com
3) Source: You Tube
4) Image from hardwoodhoudini.com
5) Image from vikingsgab.com
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