The Greatest Athlete of AL all time poll

[gkIrish]

Lewis was a great athlete but how great is really hard to determine. The early era of steroid use by track and field athletes casts a shadow over him - fairly or unfairly. Personally, I think he was clean when he was winning. My only reservations is when he started losing to known steroid users. And many of those athletes claimed Lewis started using late in his career.

Who knows who used Steroids? Maybe Winfield did. Maybe Jenner did. I don't consider that in my evaluations.

 

[ndfi78]

To me, if we're talking Greatest Athlete of all time, then I think you need to narrow your list to only those that participated in multiple sports or events. That eliminates guys like Jordan & Ali who only played one sport. I would then eliminate Lewis because he only ran the 100 and long jump. I would eliminate Sanders because he tried baseball, but couldn't make it. Jenner should be in the conversation since he either won every event or came close to winning every event in the decathalon.

Thorpe was well before my time and I did watch Bo in his prime. It really comes down to those two, because they played multiple sports at a high level and excelled at them. Thorpe participated in more sports so I would have to give the nod to Thorpe.

Completely agree, Ali and Babe Ruth should not be on this list IMO. You could make a case for Jordan since he played baseball as well. Then again, he did not play it well.

 

[RDU Irish]

From Wiki - "In four games of the 1992 World Series, Sanders batted .533 with 4 runs, 8 hits, 2 doubles, and 1 RBI while playing with a broken bone in his foot." But yeah, he sucked at baseball.

Bo Jackson is hard to beat in this conversation IMO. Jim Brown, Jim Thorpe and Deion Sanders are worth making the list.

 

[irishog77]

Isn't Ted Williams the only guy in 2 Hall's of Fame? Baseball and Fishing.

 

[Cackalacky]

Who knows who used Steroids? Maybe Winfield did. Maybe Jenner did. I don't consider that in my evaluations.

Damn performance enhancing drugs. It has scarred everything I loved about sports particularly in the modern era.

 

[T Town Tommy]

From Wiki - "In four games of the 1992 World Series, Sanders batted .533 with 4 runs, 8 hits, 2 doubles, and 1 RBI while playing with a broken bone in his foot." But yeah, he sucked at baseball.

Bo Jackson is hard to beat in this conversation IMO. Jim Brown, Jim Thorpe and Deion Sanders are worth making the list.

What was Sanders career baseball stats? Not very impressive. Loved some Prime Time but outside of leading the league in triples one year I believe and having a pretty good World Series, Deion was a below average baseball player. But yeah... he should still be in the conversation of great athletes.

 

[RDU Irish]

A below average professional baseball player as a hobby is pretty damn impressive in my book. Jordan took it on full time and sucked up the minor leagues. All while shutting down half a football field.

Deion had a once in a generation level of speed, agility and hand eye coordination that puts him as close to Bo Jackson as about anyone.

 

[ulukinatme]

Bruce Heggie overtakes Michael Jordan, as it should be.

 

[kmoose]

Jim Thorpe won 2 Olympic gold medals, and is a member of the College Football HOF, the Pro Football HOF, and the Track and Field HOF.

It's Thorpe, and then everyone else.

 

[irishog77]

Other multi-dimensional athletes of note:

Kareem Abdul Jabar-- basketball, kung fu, 747 pilot
Alex Karras-- football, horse fighting, brawling
Orenthal James Simpson-- football, detective, criminal activity
Carl Weathers-- football, boxing
Shaquille O'Neal-- boxing, rapping
Merlin Olson-- football, plains settling

 

[ulukinatme]

Other multi-dimensional athletes of note:

Kareem Abdul Jabar-- basketball, kung fu, 747 pilot
Alex Karras-- football, horse fighting, brawling
Orenthal James Simpson-- football, detective, criminal activity
Carl Weathers-- football, boxing
Shaquille O'Neal-- boxing, rapping
Merlin Olson-- football, plains settling

Don't forget professional wrestler. Great list. RIP, Mongo

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/SKRma7PDW10" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[ndfi78]

Jim Thorpe won 2 Olympic gold medals, and is a member of the College Football HOF, the Pro Football HOF, and the Track and Field HOF.

It's Thorpe, and then everyone else.

Yeah, when you put it that way... It's Thorpe

 

[ulukinatme]

Yeah, when you put it that way... It's Thorpe

C'mon, what kind of athlete is Thorpe if he only leads Heggie by 4 votes?!...or maybe that's a testament to all that is Heggie

 

[NDBoiler]

Other multi-dimensional athletes of note:

Kareem Abdul Jabar-- basketball, kung fu, 747 pilot
Alex Karras-- football, horse fighting, brawling
Orenthal James Simpson-- football, detective, criminal activity
Carl Weathers-- football, boxing
Shaquille O'Neal-- boxing, rapping
Merlin Olson-- football, plains settling

LOL, reps on th bolded

 

[ulukinatme]

Shaquille O'Neal-- boxing, rapping

LOL, reps on th bolded

You forgot Karate master, cop, and genie

 

[ACamp1900]

I went with The Babe,…

-first off, most of these options never even played in the AL (which is what the OP asked… ).
-He is easily among the most important athletes ever, and..
- the thought of a chunky white guy being known as the greatest athlete ever amused me.

 

[phgreek]

I went with Bo Jackson...because the question as worded seems kinda along the lines of god given talent...and that guy was amazing...one of a kind.

Had it been worded differently ...something along the lines of fiercest competitor, most skilled athlete...I go Jordan...Freak athlete in his own right, but what he had did not translate to other fields of play...

Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders were amazing...but I give Bo the edge...I never saw Neon run up a wall like it was a banked turn...

Bo could run over people, as well as outrun them...I hated the Raiders, but I loved watching that guy play football...and he was a masher at the plate...you figure he made the long ball gods of his day look like they were hitting lazy fly balls ...glad I lived when he was on the field...

 

[Irish#1]

A below average professional baseball player as a hobby is pretty damn impressive in my book. Jordan took it on full time and sucked up the minor leagues. All while shutting down half a football field.

Deion had a once in a generation level of speed, agility and hand eye coordination that puts him as close to Bo Jackson as about anyone.

I don't disagree that DS had great skills, but I think TTT is right. For the most part his baseball career wasn't that impressive as far as baseball players go. Baseball is littered with lesser skilled players who had a great breakout performance in a round of the playoffs then reverted back to their norm.. I will give him his due for being able to play baseball.

 

[Booslum31]

Only read a few of these but I checked the box of Bruce Jenner (recent endeavors aside). If all of these guys had to compete in 100 athletic endeavors...Bruce would win his unfair share. Greatest athlete on the list...not the most dominant in one or two sports.

 

[Irishman77]

Just stumbled on this thread...how in the hell does Gretzky not get nominated with 9 mvps?!

Most of any other major sport is 5!

Or Nolan Ryan with 7 no hitters.

Ty Cobb career batting avg of.366

 

[GoIrish41]

Just stumbled on this thread...how in the hell does Gretzky not get nominated with 9 mvps?!

Most of any other major sport is 5!

Or Nolan Ryan with 7 no hitters.

Ty Cobb career batting avg of.366

solid arguments all. If the question was best hockey player, pitcher or baseball player, I'd completely agree. When we are talking about an athlete, I think of someone who might have made it in multiple sports. I leaned toward the ones who actually did that. But, I can see the argument your way too.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

This thread is a joke that Jesse Owens is not even a choice. BTW he would be my choice.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

Also how is Jim Brown not listed. He is arguably the best football and lax player ever. SMH

 

[philipm31]

Was Ernie Davis a lax player too, Sherm?

 

[connect the dots]

This thread is a joke that Jesse Owens is not even a choice. BTW he would be my choice.

There are untold stories. Ralph Metcalfe and Eulace Peacock might have discerning and enlightening commentary on your choice and judgment! Leni Riefenstahl and Hilter's Olympics had a lot to do with Owen's track and field deification.

 

[Irish#1]

Only read a few of these but I checked the box of Bruce Jenner (recent endeavors aside). If all of these guys had to compete in 100 athletic endeavors...Bruce would win his unfair share. Greatest athlete on the list...not the most dominant in one or two sports.

Hard to argue with Jenner, but there have been four US men beat his record since he set it.

Rank Score Athlete Venue Date
1 9039 Ashton Eaton (USA) Eugene 2012-06-23
2 9026 Roman Šebrle (CZE) Götzis 2001-05-27
3 8994 Tomáš Dvořák (CZE) Prague 1999-07-04
4 8891 Dan O'Brien (USA) Talence 1992-09-05
5 8847 Daley Thompson (GBR) Los Angeles 1984-08-09
6= 8832 Jürgen Hingsen (GER) Mannheim 1984-06-09
6= 8832 Bryan Clay (USA) Eugene 2008-06-30
8 8815 Erki Nool (EST) Edmonton 2001-08-07
9 8792 Uwe Freimuth (GDR) Potsdam 1984-07-21
10 8790 Trey Hardee (USA) Berlin 2009-08-20

 

[RyCo1983]

This thread is a joke that Jesse Owens is not even a choice. BTW he would be my choice.

There was a nomination thread to make the list. If I could I'd edit it. But alas, I can not.

 

[Corry]

Isn't Ted Williams the only guy in 2 Hall's of Fame? Baseball and Fishing.

Fishing is not a sport. /ducks

 

[palinurus]

Not to be argumentative, but Jim Thorpe was at least as good a football player as Bo, probably not as good a baseball player (though the eras are hard to compare), but Thorpe won both the Decathlon and the Pentathlon in the same 1912 Olympics. He finished no lower than 4th in any of the Decathlon events, and he won four of five Pentathlon events. He also participated in the long jump and high jump as separate events.

Moreover, see this from Wiki:

"Even more remarkably, because someone had stolen his shoes just before he was due to compete, he found some discarded ones in a rubbish bin and won his medals wearing them. He is shown in the 1912 photo wearing two different shoes and extra socks because one shoe was too big."

I'm not bad mouthing Bo, because obviously he was a great athlete, but if you think he could have done what Thorpe did, you've got to argue "he could have if he wanted to." Thorpe actually did it.

 

[RyCo1983]

Not to be argumentative, but Jim Thorpe was at least as good a football player as Bo, probably not as good a baseball player (though the eras are hard to compare), but Thorpe won both the Decathlon and the Pentathlon in the same 2012 Olympics. He finished no lower than 4th in any of the Decathlon events, and he won four of five Pentathlon events. He also participated in the long jump and high jump as separate events.

Moreover, see this from Wiki:

"Even more remarkably, because someone had stolen his shoes just before he was due to compete, he found some discarded ones in a rubbish bin and won his medals wearing them. He is shown in the 1912 photo wearing two different shoes and extra socks because one shoe was too big."

I'm not bad mouthing Bo, because obviously he was a great athlete, but if you think he could have done what Thorpe did, you've got to argue "he could have if he wanted to." Thorpe actually did it.

I'm showering you with pure unadulterated reps.