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The tradition that is known as the NFL Draft came into existence in 1936. The first player ever taken in the NFL Draft was Running Back Jay Berwanger. The Philadelphia Eagles drafted Berwanger, unfortunately he would never play a pro football game due to salary disputes with multiple teams
Since then the NFL Draft has involved thousands of players, many of which have gone on to become all time greats. Many more however went on to have careers that would earn them the dubious distinction of being called a “Draft Bust”. The most coveted position for any team is the first overall pick. The team that holds this position is usually in desperate need of a break out rookie that can turn their franchise around. There is only one chance for first overall greatness every year.
There have been only 77 men who can call themselves the first overall pick in the NFL draft. The positions picked the most may not surprise you but the positions that were picked the least might shock you.
The quarterback position has the title of the most popular first overall pick in draft history. Twenty seven QBs have been nabbed by teams with the most coveted draft spot. Ten of those twenty seven became pro bowl players, names like Eli Manning (2004), Peyton Manning (1998), Drew Bledsoe (1993) and Vinny Testaverde (1987) just to name a few. Only Troy Aikman (1989), John Elway (1983) and Terry Bradshaw (1970) had careers so great they were inducted into the Hall Of Fame.
Twenty five Running Backs have been picked first overall. Seven of them became Pro Bowlers including Bo Jackson (1986), Billy Sims (1980) and Tucker Frederickson (1965). The Running Backs hold the record of most Hall Of Fame inductees with five. Running Back Bill Dudley (1942) was the first player at any position drafted first overall to become a Hall Of Famer. The most recent Running Back to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame is Earl Campbell (1978) who was drafted by the Houston Oilers.
Defensive End’s have also been a very popular choice with eleven picked first overall. Defensive Ends Mario Williams (2006), Ed “Too Tall” Jones (1974), Dave Parks (1964) and Leon Hart (1950) were all voted to the Pro Bowl. Bruce Smith (1985) and Lee Roy Selmon (1976) were the only Defensive End’s to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame.
Positions that were drafted the least with the top pick are Defensive Tackle (4), Line Backer (3), Offensive Tackle (3), Center (2) and Wide Receiver (2). Eight different positions have all seen the top choice. Wide Receiver, Defensive Tackle and Line Backer are the only positions to never have a first overall player reach the Hall Of Fame.
A few of the players drafted in the last decade will more than likely find a home in the Hall Of Fame. As of now the first overall pick has only been a future Hall Of Famer twelve of the seventy seven times. Who knows, we might see the next great NFL player drafted with the first pick tonight in the 2013 NFL Draft.
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2 comments | tags: 1936, 1942, 1950, 1964, 1965, 1970, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1993, 1998, 1st pick, 2004, 2006, 77, best, bill dudley, billy sims, bo jackson, bruce smith, busts, dave parks, defensive, drew bledsoe, eagles, earl campbell, ed too tall jones, eli manning, first, greatest, hall of fame, hall of famer, history, in, Jay Berwanger, john elway, lee roy selmon, leon hart, mario williams, never played, offensive, overall, payton manning, pick, player, QB, quarterback, salary dispute, terry bradshaw, troy aikman, tucker frederickson, vinny testaverde, was, who | posted in NFL, sports, Sports History
On Saturday night March 30, 2013 Kobe Bryant moved up on the all time scoring list. Kobe Bryant surpassed NBA Hall Of Famer Wilt Chamberlain to become 4th on the list of the basketball greatest scorers. Bryant scored 19 points in the Lakers victory over the Kings in Sacramento, CA. Bryant now stands at 31,434 points for his career.
He now is behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone and Michael Jordan. Jordan is holding the 3rd spot on the list with 32,292. There are only 858 points separating Jordan and Kobe now. Bryant has already scored 1931 points this season. He has scored 2,000 points per season through his career. It is highly likely he will pass Jordan next season and take the 3rd position on the all time scoring list. When he passes Jordan he will elevate his legacy to the highest degree. Jordan is the Babe Ruth of basketball and this feat will cause many to rethink who was greater.
Kobe Bryant (Getty Images)
Kobe Bryant has been a very talented, entertaining and accomplished player during his career. He has had some off court issues and even some locker room drama. However when his career is over, his off court issues will pail in comparison to what he accomplished in the game. Kobe Bryant is a legendary player and we are lucky to be able to see the greatness he produces every night. This will be an exciting year coming up.
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Leave a comment | tags: 19, 2013, 30, 4th, 858, abdul-jabar, all time, all time scoring leader, babe ruth, BASKETBALL, did it happen, hall of fame, history, how many, how many points, karl malone, kins, kobe bryant, lakers, leaders, legend, list, march, michael jordan, more, NBA, night, passed, points, saturday, when, wilt chamberlain, win | posted in NBA, sports, Sports History
In November of 1993 just shortly after the murder of his father, Michael Jordan retired from basketball. Jordan had revolutionized basketball with his high skill set and magnetic charisma. He had already cemented his position in the Hall Of Fame and was arguably the most popular athlete in the history of America. After nine seasons in the NBA and two straight NBA titles it was all over.
As 1994 began Michael Jordan soon announced that he would try his hand at professional baseball. Mostly because it was the one sport his father wanted to see him succeed at when he was growing up. It would be a tribute to his father he said. The owner of the Chicago Bulls was Jerry Reinsdorf and he also happened to own the Chicago White Sox. Reinsdorf being the smart and adventurous business man he was knew that Michael Jordan would be a huge money draw in baseball. He agreed to sign Jordan to a minor league contract and pay him the same amount that he was contracted to receive with his Bulls contract. It was a done deal and the media and fans clamored to see Jordan make his debut in baseball.
Michael Jordan the “baseball player” (Getty Images)
As spring training began for the White Sox in Sarasota, Florida the Michael Jordan circus began. The media was always around and were focused solely on Jordan. They followed his batting practices, fielding practices and watched his every move. The fans also swarmed him every chance they could get, hoping they could snag an autograph of one of the greatest basketball players ever. The attendance for White Sox games that spring shot through the roof and many fans were unable to even get a ticket to the spring games. Michael Jordan played his first official spring training game on March 3, 1994 as an outfielder. He would play 17 games that spring and on March 31, 1994 was optioned to the White Sox minor league affiliate the Birmingham Barons.
The city of Birmingham was set on fire by the Michael Jordan experience. They sold out more games than they had ever before and had major media at almost every game. It was a treat for the fans of the Barons to get to see such a great athlete trying to make it in a sport he had not played since high school. Jordan had an average season with many ups and downs. He batted .202, hit 3 home runs and batted in 51 runs. Jordan played 127 games in that season and struck out 114 times. He definitely had a rough time but did make improvements by the end of the season.
Jordan being Jordan wanted to work more on his baseball skills and decided to play in the Arizona Fall League following his first minor league season. In that short season for the Scottsdale Scorpions Jordan batted a .252. While not great by professional baseball standards he did improve even more in the fall league and was poised to continue his development in 1995.
Unfortunately Major League Baseball was still dealing with the 1994 players strike when the 1995 Spring Training season was to begin. As the battle between the owners and the players union intensified the lines were being drawn. The players were deciding whether to sit out until a deal could be arranged or to play anyways. Jordan reported to camp in Florida initially in February of 1995. He would end up deciding in March not to be involved in the drama and chose to sit out while the strike continued.
It was during this time in mid march of 1995 Jordan attended a Chicago Bulls game. just two weeks later he was on the court playing basketball again. Many fans where excited to have his talents back in basketball and did not care that he quite his baseball career. Jordan would go onto win three more NBA Titles and retired from basketball for good after the 2002-03 season.
Because his basketball career picked up right where it left off in 1993 not many questioned the decision. It makes one wonder almost 20 years later what would have been if not for the baseball players strike of 1994. Would Michael Jordan continued until he was either cut or made it to the Major Leagues? That is hard to say but it was clear he was on the right track to eventually play at the Major League level. He was only 32 when he went back to basketball and had time to develop into an even better baseball player.
We will never know where baseball could have taken Michael Jordan. We wont ever know where Jordan could have taken baseball had he stayed. The popularity of baseball would have likely increased after the horrible strike and maybe Jordan could have been the face of baseball. All we can do now is imagine what could have been but it is clear to see that the baseball strike deterred Jordan from continuing his baseball dream.
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Leave a comment | tags: 1994, 1995, arizona, barons, baseball, batting average, birmingham, chicago bulls, fall league, games, hall of fame, march 3, march 31, michael jordan, NBA, outfielder, owners, players strike, retired, retirement, return tobasketball, sarasot florida, spring training, strike, title, titles, white sox | posted in MLB, NBA, sports, Sports History
The NBA has had an All Star game since 1951. With the greatest of all time having competed in this contest it is no surprise it has been the place for great moments. The greatest NBA All Star moment came in the 1992 game.
The game took place in Orlando, Florida and featured a class of superstars the likes of which will never be seen again. Great players like Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone and David Robinson just to name a few. The roster was so stacked that 11 of the 12 players that would make up the 1992 “Dream Team” were on the floor that day.
(Photo: Magic Johnson with the MVP trophy/Getty Images)
The biggest name in the lineup was Magic Johnson. Magic had retired from the game of basketball in November of 1991. This came at the same time he made a shocking announcement that he had contracted HIV. The sports world was devastated by this news.
Magic Johnson had been revered as one of the greatest players of all time. He transformed the point guard position into what it has become today. The tragic news also brought the realization that he would never play again. There was however one thing that everyone forgot about, Magic’s determination and drive.
Magic Johnson came back to basketball after 3 months out of the game to a standing ovation. The stage was set for Magic to steal the show and boy did he. Magic played 29 minutes and scored a total of 25 points in this game for the ages. He battled it out with Michael Jordan who was also a mega star at that time. Magic played with a youthful spirit. You can watch now in 2013 and still feel the excitement and energy that was alive in the Orlando Arena.
Magic Johnson finished the game by going one on one with both Isaiah Thomas and Michael Jordan. He sank a 3 pointer with 14 seconds left on the clock to score the final points of the game. The final 14 seconds were not played. There was no reason the game was already out of reach for the East who lost by a score of 153-113. It was an incredible moment and the right way to end the game, with Magic on top. Magic was awarded the MVP trophy and lauded by all of his peers and the fans in the Arena.
It was to be Magic Johnson’s swan song. However he would end up on the 1992 Olympics Basketball team. Even though his career had more moments that followed that All Star game. His greatest came on that court in Orlando.
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1 comment | tags: 1992, 3 point, all star game, arena, award, BASKETBALL, best players, davi robinson, final game, greatest, hall of fame, isaiah thomas, karl malone, legend, line up, magic johnson, michael jordan, moment, mvp, NBA, orena, orland, patrick ewing, shot, stars, trophy, who was in the game | posted in NBA, Sports History
Tom Brady (Photo By Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
With the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft the New England Patriots select from Michigan, quarterback Tom Brady. Those words spoken by then NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue would change the future of the the Patriots and the NFL. Tom Brady has gone on to have a great career and is considered to be one of the best quarterbacks of not only his era but in football history. Brady has led the Patriots to 5 Super Bowl appearances and 3 Championships. He is the biggest late round draft pick ever, being selected in the 6th round. But their were 6 QB’s selected before Brady. Here is a look at the six that came before Brady and the teams that missed out on greatness.
1st Round
18th Overall Pick – Chad Pennington, New York Jets
Pennington was the most hyped QB going into the draft. Pennington had a solid college career with Marshall. Pennington retired after the 2010 season. He played for the Jets the majority of his career and played his final 3 season with the Miami Dolphins. Pennington would play in 4 post seasons and had a post season record of 2 wins and 4 loses. Pennington did make history during his career, holding the record for career passing percentage among QB’s with more than 1500 pass attempts at 66.0%.
2nd Round
No Quarterbacks Drafted
3rd Round
65th Overall Pick – Giovanni Carmazzi, San Francisco 49ers
Carmazzi played at Hofstra during his college years. He would never play in a regular season NGL game. Carmazzi finished his pro football career in the CFL in 2005.
75th Over All Pick – Chris Redman, Baltimore Ravens
Redman has played for the Ravens, Patriots, Titans and most recently the Falcons before his release in August of 2012. He was lucky enough to win a Super Bowl ring as a backup to Trent Dilfer on the 2000 Ravens championship team. Redman would best be described as a career back up QB.
4th Round
No Quarterbacks Drafted
5th Round
163rd Overall Pick – Tee Martin, Pittsburgh Steelers
Tee Martin played only one game for the Steelers and never started a game in his career. He spent the 2002 season in NFL Europe playing for the Rhein Fire. In 2003 he signed with the Oakland Raiders for his final NFL season. Martin ended his professional career in 2005 as a part of the CFL. In total Martin played only 3 games in the NFL.
6th Round
168th Overall Pick – Marc Bulger, New Orleans Saints
Marc Bulger was the only Pro Bowl QB selected before Tom Brady. In the first of his two Pro Bowl appearances Bulger won the MVP award in that game. He went on a crazy ride after the draft by signing with the Saints, Falcons and the Ravens before the 2000 season began. Bulger took over at QB for the Rams when Kurt Warner retired. Bulger retired in 2010 with the Ravens.
183 Overall Pick – Spergon Wynn, Cleveland Browns
Spergon Wynn spent his career as a back up QB. He played for 2 NFL teams and 4 CFL teams. Wynn retired from football in 2006.
The list QB’s selected before Tom Brady is pretty shocking. Only one of those players made it to a Pro Bowl. The majority were career back up QB’s and none of these players are still professionally active. There was a lot of belief that Brady’s frame was not built for the NFL which was the greatest ding against him. The Patriots saw something in Brady that no other team did and they were able to reap the benefits of that faith. When Tom Brady retires he will undoubtedly head to the Hall Of Fame and the history books. While all of the others before him are just history.
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Leave a comment | tags: 2000, 49ers, 6, browns, bust, busts, cfl, chad pennington, chris redman, doubters, giovanni carmazzi, great pick, hall of fame, jets, legend, marc bulger, miss, new england patriots, NFL, nfl draft, pro bowl, qbs, quaerterback, ravens, ring, saints, selected before, spergon wynn, steelers, super bowl, tee martin, tom bady, who did they select | posted in NFL, Sports History
Walter Payton was one of the greatest running backs in the history of the National Football League. He retired after the 1987 season with the Chicago Bears. Payton finished his career with 110 rushing TD’s, 15 receiving TD’s and 16,726 rushing yards. He was also on one of the best bears teams ever, the 1985 Chicago Bears. The Bears won Super Bowl XX and cemented Payton’s place in the Hall Of Fame as a Super Bowl winner. There however is one thing missing from his career. Payton never scored during the only Super Bowl appearance and you might be suprised to find out it was no fault of his own.
Walter Payton in Superbowl XX. (Getty Images)
When the season began Head Coach Mike Ditka was very high on his 1st draft pick William “the refrigerator” Perry. Perry came into camp very unimpressive and was overweight at 380lbs. The Defensive coach Buddy Ryan was not impressed by Perry and did not want to play him. During the early part of the season Ditka got the idea to use Perry in offensive plays to block for Walter Payton. Perry sometimes even rushed with the ball himself. He was later put into the defense and played well. During the season Perry became an offensive gimmick. He was the funny fat guy that the fans cheered for. Perry almost overshadowed the rest of the team in popularity.
William Perry (Getty Images)
The Bears made it through the season with a 15-1 record. They plowed through the divisional and championship games to make it to Super Bowl XX in New Orleans. Their challengers were the Cinderella team of that season, the New England Patriots. Nobody expected the Pats to make it as far as they did. They were the underdogs going into the title game. The Bears dominated the Pats on the defensive side of the ball. The Offense of the Bears was stifled a bit, although the score tells a different story. The Patriots based their defense around stopping Walter Payton. They did just that, Payton was held to 66 yards on 22 carries. Even with the lack of success Payton was still the Bears leading rusher in the game.
Mike Ditka made two decisions during that game that haunt him to this day. On the two opportunities where the Bears were close to the goal line and a rush for the touchdown seemed the best choice, Ditka chose William Perry and Quarterback Jim McMahon to make those TD’s. The most disappointing TD for Walter Payton was the Perry rush for the TD. Perry had been primarily a defensive player and a gimmicky running back. For Payton not to be allowed to gain the glory of scoring a TD in the biggest game of his career is a complete disgrace.
Mike Ditka after Superbowl XX. (Getty Images)
Walter Payton was always a stand up man and until the day he died he never openly questioned Mike Ditka for not letting him run in a TD in the Super Bowl. Ditka has come out in recent years an said if he could do it all over again he would have opted for Payton to get the Super Bowl glory. While Ditka can own up to his mistakes he will never be able to give those moments to the great Walter Payton.
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2 comments | tags: 1st, 20, 380, champion, defense, draft, final score, gimmick, glory, hall of fame, history, jim mcmahon, lbs, mike ditka, new england patriots, New Orleans, over weight, pats, pick, pounds, refrigerator, running back, stole, superbowl, superbowl shuffle, touchdown, walter payton, why did he not score, william perry, winner, xx, yards | posted in NFL, Sports History
Many modern football fans have never even heard the name Otto Graham. Decades before Bernie Kosar was taking the Browns through many playoff runs. Otto Graham was the best quarterback not only in Cleveland but in the NFL. Years before Jim Brown dominated teams, Otto Graham was dominating the league. Graham will go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. He was the 1st and possibly the biggest Cleveland sports star ever.
Otto Graham goes for a pass in Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium. (Getty Images)
Otto Graham started his professional career in Cleveland during the 1946 season. At the time the Browns played in the All American Football Conference (AAFC). In that season Graham lead the Browns to their 1st Championship and the team finished with a 12-2 record. The winning did not stop there. The Browns went on to win the 1947, 1948 and 1949 AAFC Championship prior to entering the NFL in 1950. During his first 4 seasons he played in 54 games and had 86 TD’s and 10,085 yards passing in total. Many people considered the AAFC to be the minor leagues so to speak. The Browns were not expected to be as dominant in the NFL.
The critics were completely wrong with their assumption. Graham had almost the same numbers in the NFL as he did in the AAFC. Graham would play in 72 games in the NFL and have 88 TD’s and 13,499 yards passing. Graham and the Browns made the Championship game from 1950 to 1955. In total Graham led the Browns to 10 straight championship games with them winning 7 of them. The only years during this period where they did not win a championship was 1951, 1952 and 1953. Their playoff record was 9-3 during those 10 seasons.
Otto Graham retired after the 1955 season. He retired with 174 TD’s and 23,584 yards passing. In his career Graham was a 5 time Pro Bowler and was a 7 time First Team All Pro. He was one of the first inductees into the Hall Of Fame in 1965.
Otto Graham’s Plaque (Getty Images)
Otto Graham was able to accomplish something that will never happen again by leading his team to 10 straight championship games. The only other player to come close was Jim Kelly with the Buffalo Bills. The Bills made it to the Super Bowl from 1990-1994 but never won any of those games.
There are many names that are discussed when talking about who was the greatest quarterback ever. Names like Dan Marino, John Elway, Johnny Unitas and Tom Brady but none of those players achieved the success that Graham was able to do. The only argument that any one might have against Graham would be that the playoffs were shorter with less games when he played. The fact of the matter is he still won those titles and in both leagues. The only reason that most people do not consider him the best is because they don’t know anything about him or what he did during his career.
As long as the stats and film are around no one can deny his greatness. For such a short career by today’s standards he really made an impact. Otto Graham passed away in 2003. He left a legacy that will never be forgotten, he will live forever in the Hall Of Fame.
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Leave a comment | tags: 10, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1965, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2003, 7, aafc, all american football conference, bernie kosar, best, browns, buffalo bills, championship, cleveland, dan marino, died, ever, games, greatest, hall of fame, hero, jim brown, jim kelly, john elway, NFL, one of, otto graham, passed away, playoffs, quarterback, record, star, straight, the, titles, tom brady | posted in NFL, Sports History
The day is January 20th, 1985 and the location is Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California. It was Super Bowl XIX and the Maimi Dolphins took on the San Fransisco 49ers. It was a battle between two Hall Of Fame quarterbacks, Dan Marino and Joe Montana. It was a very one sided game with the 49ers coming out victorious. The final score was 38-16 as seen on the scoreboard while Dan Marino jogged back to the locker room. Marino had an incredible second season and even though the Dolphins lost the big one it appeared he would be back again. As history would have it Marino and the Dolphins never made it back to the Super Bowl.
Dan Marino (Getty Images)
Dan Marino retired in 1999 after 17 seasons. Holding almost all of the records at his position, Marino was considered one of the best to ever play the game. There are many who consider Marino not to be one of the best because he never won a Super Bowl ring. Over the years the perception has been that Marino was talented enough to win a championship but never did because he never had an elite level running back.
I decided to crunch the stats and draft history to prove or disprove this theory. Here are the results I found while I plunged deep into the various statistical categories that would help me solve this mystery.
There is evidence that the Dolphins never made a play for a high level free agent running back. The Dolphins also never made a trade for a play maker at that position either. They were and are still to this day a team that is not willing to make trades of future draft picks to acquire top talent. The draft is a place where organizations can gain players that can affect their future. The Dolphins drafted Marino in 1983 when he retired in 1999 they missed numerous opportunities to achieve greatness at the running back position.
In 1983 the very draft where they acquired Dan Marino they missed out on on two pro bowl running backs. One of those running back was Roger Craig who turned out to be one of the best running backs of the 1980s. Craig was also on the 49ers team that defeated the Dolphins at Super Bowl XIX. Their draft picks only get worse from there.
The Dolphins only drafted 23 running backs of the 174 picks during the Marino era. A total of 9 of those 23 backs never played a down in the NFL. The dolphins did not draft one running back in 1994, 1995 and 1997. With the exception of the 1997 draft the Dolphins had not so great performances at the back position the previous season, Mark Higgs was the leading rusher in 1993 with just 693 yards and in 1994 Bernie Parmalee was the leader with 878 yards. The biggest blunder they made in one single draft would have to be the 1988 Draft. In that draft the Dolphins could have selected the Hall Of Fame running back Thurman Thomas but instead selected three players that would never play in the NFL. Thomas wound up as a Buffalo Bill and won 4 AFC Championships with the team from 1990-1994. In total the team missed out on 2 Hall Of Fame and 44 Pro Bowl running backs from 1983-1999.
During Marino’s time with the team they had only one season with a 1,000 yard rusher, Karim Abdul-Jabbar in 1996. If you look at all of the teams that won the Super Bowl from 1983-1999 only 3 of the 16 teams that won did not have a 1,000 yard rusher.
The Dolphins made the playoffs 10 times during Marino’s Career. They were 8-10 in all of those post season games. Some blame many of the playoff losses to playing the Bills in the winter in freezing Buffalo, NY, which they did lose there many times. The fact of the mater is if the Dolphins had at least a couple of the many running backs they passed up in the Draft history might have gone a little differently.
After looking at the stats, draft and history it leaves only one conclusion. Dan Marino was one of the best, unfortunately the Dolphins front office was not as skilled at what they did. The blame must shift to the general managers and Don Shula especially. Don Shula relied to much on Marino’s skill and talent and did not do enough to protect and enhance that talent. Marino would have had more opportunities to win he was if the opposing defenses did not know he was going to pass most of the time. They also would have been weary of a running attack if the Dolphins had one. If Marino had a top level running back he not only would have made it to more Super Bowl’s he would have won at least one Super Bowl ring.
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Leave a comment | tags: 1983, 1999, career, champion, dan marino, don shula, drafting, elite, hall of fame, high, horrible draft, joe montana, legend, level, Miami dolphins, no, not his fault, quarterback, roger craig, running back, super bowl, thurman thomas, XIX | posted in NFL, Sports History
Babe Ruth is by far the greatest Icon in American sports history. Some would even argue he is the greatest American Icon period. Everyone from Grandma to your 5 year old niece or nephew knows who Babe Ruth was. Most people associate Ruth with his legendary slugging days with the New York Yankees. Ruth even held the Home Run record in Major League Baseball until Hank Aaron broke that record in the 1970’s. What many people don’t know is that Ruth had a history before the all of those home runs and before the Yankees.
Babe Ruth while he was with the Boston Red. Getty Images
Babe Ruth made his Major League debut on July 11th, 1914 for the Boston Red Sox. Ruth won that game; it was the beginning of Ruth’s pitching career. His pitching career spanned from 1914-1919, all of those seasons with the Boston Red Sox. Ruth did however pitch 5 games with the Yankees years later and won all 5. He made the starting rotation for the Sox in 1915 and won 18 games in his first full season. Ruth started batting in the lineup when not pitching halfway through his time with the Sox. He had signs of being a great offensive player but was still used primarily as a pitcher.
He went on to have a very respectable pitching career. He helped pitch the Red Sox to 3 World Series Championships in just 6 seasons. When Ruth retired he had 94 career wins and a career ERA of 2.28 with 488 strikeouts. Babe Ruth would be sold to the Yankees in a deal that changed the face of American Sports history.
The Yankees played Babe Ruth in the Outfield and all but ended his pitching career. There are many people who feel that Ruth could have gone into the Hall Of Fame based on his pitching stats alone. There is no arguing that Ruth was a great pitcher, but his time in that position pales in comparison to his slugging years.
It really makes you wonder how American Sports would be different if Babe Ruth had not gone to the Yankees and become a baseball hero. The fact of the matter is as big of an icon Ruth became there would have been no way he would have become so without his years with the Yankees. The Yankees gave him a grand stage and opportunity to become the Icon he became. They also surrounded him with other legendary players.
It should not be forgotten just how great Babe Ruth was as an all around baseball player. While not the most athletic player to grace a baseball field, he was by far the most dynamic. Ruth was and forever will be America’s first sports legend.
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Leave a comment | tags: american, babe ruth, boston, champions, championship, could he have been a hall of fame pitcher, hall of fame, hank aaron, history, home run, home runs, icon, legend, new york yankees, pitcher, record, red sox, title, world series | posted in MLB
Everyone who is a sports fan wants to appear smarter and more knowledgeable than anyone else. Sports provide so many historical moments and stats. I will bring you closer to the high level of sports learning you seek. I will do all of the hard research so you can become the ultimate sports fan. Each edition will be on one particular sport. You may know some of the events but I will open your eyes to something about them you may not yet know. I bring to you the 1st edition of “Get Smart” So let’s get started.
Joe Dimaggio’s 56 Game Hit Streak
In 1941 Joe Dimaggio had 56 straight games with a hit. This record still stands in 2012 and is widely considered the most elusive of all sports records. The final and 56th game of the streak occurred on July 16th against the Indians at Cleveland’s famed Municipal Stadium. The pitchers in that game were Al Milnar and Joe Krakauskas, Dimaggio went 2 for 4 and scored 3 runs. The great streak came to an end one day later July 17 in a game also against the Indians.
Joe Jackson And The Throwing Of The 1919 World Series
In 1919 one of the worst happenings in the history of Baseball occurred. The heavily favored Chicago White Sox threw the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. The truth came out two years later that some of the White Sox players were involved with gamblers and payed off to lose. In 1921 eight players from the White Sox were found guilty of intentionally losing the series and banned from baseball for life. The most notable of those player was the sure Hall Of Fame candidate “Shoeless” Joe Jackson. Jackson is considered one of the best short stops to ever have played the game. The puzzling fact of Joe Jackson’s involvement in the throwing of the Series are his stats. The stats Jackson had in that series do not look like that of a man that was intending to lose. Jackson batted .375, had 5 runs scored, hit a home run and batted in 6 runs. Jackson played no different than he usually did at the plate and made no critical fielding errors. It has been said that he was aware that the games where fixed but did not actively participate in the plan. We will truly never know if he was involved but if you judge it by the numbers the answer looks like he was not.
The Beginning Of The MLB Draft
The amateur draft has a history of good picks by teams but it has a even greater history of players not panning out. It is the least popular of the drafts amongst casual sports fans. The die hard baseball fans look forward to it every June. The first ever MLB amateur draft took place in 1965. The first team to pick was the Kansas City Royals, who selected outfielder Rick Monday from Arizona State University. Monday went on to play 19 seasons and retired in 1984 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Monday had a career batting average of .264, 271 Home Runs and 775 RBI’s. He was also a World Series Champion with the Dodgers in 1981. After his playing career ended he moved on to Broadcasting.
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Leave a comment | tags: 1919 world series, 1921, 1965 mlb draft, 1st ever, 1st overall, 56 game hitting streak, al milnar, arizona state university, aware, banned for life, baseball, black sox, cincinnati, cleveland, eight players, first pick, fixed, hall of fame, home run, indians, involved, joe dimaggio, joe jackson, joe krakauskas, kansas city, los angeles dodgers, MLB, most elusive record, municipal stadium, rbis, record, reds, rick monday, royals, scandal, shoeless, short stop, stats, suspension, throwing, time enduring, what did he do, when did it end, when was the first draft, where did it end, yankees | posted in MLB, sports
