Numbers Game

Numbers Game

By: Barrett Elkins

For the next couple of posts of mine I am going to do something recommend to me by a colleague.  This colleague is not just a colleague, but a great former college soccer player from Bowling Green.  I use the word “former” because watching him walk around the office now (due to past soccer injuries) looks similar to my 95-year old grandmother.  Anyway, I am going to be breaking down the top 50 athletes to wear the numbers 1-50.  I will be writing me next piece on the numbers 11-20.  Please keep in mind that these are my opinions and some of the decisions were very tough, but came down to the players that I most enjoyed watching or hearing stories from family members who enjoyed watching them. 

I would like to recommend a great book on the subject called, Right On The Numbers, by Nino Frostino.

No. 1. Ozzie Smith

It is very fitting that The Wizard of Ozz is the first on this list.  I was born in St. Louis and grew up idolizing Smith.  Smith was arguably the best defensive shortstop of all time.  He won an incredible 13 Gold Golves and played 15 All Star games.  While he played his first season in San Diego, he was known as one of the best Cardinals of all time and had his number retired a year after his retirement.  (I still have an Ozzie Smith rookie card in mint condition.  Make me an offer!)

No. 2 Derek Jeter

I chose Derek Jeter as the best No. 2 because he has done a couple of things that I truly admire.  He has played under the microscope of New York City his entire career AND has remained a true role model (This has the potential to make me look dumb if he does not work out his new contract this offseason).  He might not be the best defensive shortstop, or even close on the list of Yankees, but he brings so much maturity and leadership to a team that he is worth every penny of his absurd contract (Don’t get me started on Alex Rodriguez). 

No. 3 Babe Ruth

The Sultan of Swat does not need much said about him.  All I am going to say about The Babe is that I lived with a guy from Boston one year, and I very thankful that Ruth was a Yankee.  While I will admit that Boston fans are some of the most loyal fans in the country, it is best for one’s mental health not be around one for a long period of time. 

No. 4 Lou Gehrig

There are many stories about why Wally Pipp was benched as the Yankees first baseman.  The most popular story is that Pipp came to the game that day with a headache.  Rather than play through it, he told his manager to give the young Gehrig a chance.  Whatever the reason was, Gehrig went on to play 2130 straight games for the Yankees.  Wally Pipp was traded to the Reds a couple of years later, and the rest, as they say, is history.  I still consider his retirement speech as one of the greatest of all time.  His attitude is one that should be admired by any athlete in any sport.  “Today, I consider myself, one of the luckiest people on the face of the earth.”

No. 5 Joe DiMaggio

As much as I wanted to stay away from just one sport, and especially a single team, I cannot help but picking DiMaggio over any No. 5 of all time.  Anyone who knows any history of baseball knows his impact on the game.  As much as I don’t like his personal life, I cannot take away what he did on the field.  His hitting streak will never be beaten.

No. 6 Bill Russell

Now I know I was not old enough to ever see him play, but this is a player whose numbers speak for themselves.  11 championships in 13 seasons is going to be tough to beat…ever.  He had seven games of over 40 rebounds (that is not a typo).  He makes it impossible to stay away from Boston with my picks.  He is not just a part of those 11 championships; he is the reason for the Celtics early dominance.

No. 7 Mickey Mantle

This was a tough choice for me over Peter Maravich, but Mantle earned my choice.  His seven World Series rings might have sealed the deal.  Or, it could have been the fact that he had to fill some of the biggest shoes in baseball history (taking over in center field after DiMaggio left), and rewriting the history books.  He was truly one of the greatest players to ever play the game.

No. 8 Cal Ripken Jr.

This was the toughest choice yet, but Ripken Jr. gets my vote because he is the perfect athlete.  Not only was he great on the field, he was always on the field.  His streak of consecutive games played will never be close to being threatened.  He was truly a team player and a player from which all athletes can learn.  His attitude remained consistent through decades and his work ethic is still admired by all.

No. 9 Ted Williams

Ted Williams, even being a member of the Red Sox, earned this spot.  He is arguably the best pure hitter that baseball has ever seen.  He won the Triple Crown twice in his career and finished up with a career average over .300.  His career could be summed up by his final plate appearance which he sent flying over the wall for his 521^st home run. 

No. 10 Chipper Jones

I will admit that recently I have been down on Chipper.  Chipper gets the nod for two reasons.  First, this is a choice over his entire career, not his previous season.  Secondly, I did not find anyone with the number 10 that jumped out at me (please feel free to let me know how wrong I am).  Chipper has been a huge contributor to ONE team his entire career and has proven that he can both hit for average and for power.  The home runs he has accumulated over the seasons have come at times when he had no power on either side of him and pitchers could have easily pitched around him. 

When I started this list, I wanted to stay away from just having one sport or team.  But after doing some research, I realized that there is a reason that baseball is considered America’s national past time.  Please feel free to show me where I am wrong.  I know picking Cal Ripken Jr. over Kobe might upset some people.  Anyway, 1-10 is complete, so I must leave you to start researching 11-20.  Have a great week!