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Top athletes of the century, part two

If someone had my golf clubs on a table saw and demanded I compile a list of my own, I would have to break the candidates down into categories. I would have also had to witness some of their accomplishments and abilities.

My list

High School Basketball: Mark Hall of Commerce and Univ. of Minnesota; Adam Harrington of Pioneer High School, North Carolina State, Auburn University and the Dallas Mavericks; a tie: Ricky Wallace, Springfield Tech and the University of Minnesota, and Travis Best, Central High School, Georgia Tech and the NBA

High School Baseball: Al Stanek, Chicopee High School pitcher and San Francisco Giants; Kevin Collins, infielder, Springfield Tech, Mets, Expos and Tigers

High School Football: Nick Buoniconti (see above) and Joe Scibelli, Cathedral,  Notre Dame and Los Angeles Rams; Mark Chmura, Frontier Regional, BC and Green Bay Packers

Best all-around talented multi-sport athletes in no particular order:
Nick Buoniconti, Mark Belanger, Gene Ryzewicz, Archie Roberts of Holyoke High and Columbia University, Roger Walazek of Easthampton and Columbia Univ., Frank Scago of St. Joe of Pittsfield, Tom Kately of Drury High School and Bob Zwirko of Holyoke HS and Duke.

Others on the list, with comments:
No. 2, Angelo Bertelli, West Springfield/Cathedral: I guess if you win the Heisman at Notre Dame you should be on the list.
No. 3, Rabbit Maranville, Springfield Tech: If you are 5’5” tall and play 23 years in the major leagues, I guess that qualifies you for the list. (But could he dunk ?)
No. 4, Vic Raschi, Springfield Tech, New York Yankees, World Series winner: The Springfield Rifle has to be on the list, he has the rings. (He received the most 1st place votes, nine.)
No. 7, Tim Daggett, Olympic gymnast and medal winner from West Springfield: But could he hit a jump shot?
No. 15, Bill Guerin, Wilbraham: The long NHL career qualifies him for sure.
No. 17, Leo “The Lip” Durocher, West Springfield, no high school, 17 years playing in the majors, managed Dodgers and Giants: He only hit 24 homers in his career, but at 41 years old he married actress Laraine Day, who was 25. Put him on the list for that.
No. 18, Rodney Smith, Springfield: He won an Olympic medal in Greco wrestling, but could he hit a curve ball?
No. 27, Stu Miller, Northampton, 16 years in the majors, relief pitcher, 27 saves in 1963: He threw a mean knuckleball, but does that make him an athlete?
No. 50 was a tie between candlepin bowlers Charlie Jutras and Marcelle Aiken. Somehow standing on a bowling lane with a cigarette in the ashtray and a beer on the score table doesn’t seem to qualify someone as an athlete (with all due respect).

There were two names on the list whose fathers were probably better athletes than their sons. Vin DelNegro Sr. was a great athlete in Springfield. He went to Kentucky to play hoops and didn’t get along with Coach Rupp, so he came home, got a job and averaged 50 points a game in the “Y” leagues.

Son Vinny, at no. 10, after playing at Cathedral and Suffield Academy, went on to North Carolina State and then to the NBA. He currently is the coach of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Leo Best, father of Travis, no. 8, played for Classical High School in Springfield (now Central) and was the best player of his era. He and Travis both won the Lahovich Award as the top hoop  player in western Massachusetts multiple times.

Many people will tell me of the exploits of some athletes, and I will take their word and respect their opinions, although I never saw them perform. On that list is Bob Eichorn of Adams, Red Soldato of Pittsfield and John Allen and Roger Cirone of Drury.

Are there any athletes since 2000 that could crack that list?

Anytime there is a list compiled of opinions of sports fans there will always be debates. Who did the voters miss? Who did I miss? Let us know.

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Posted by on November 29, 2012. Filed under Berkshire Sports Guy,Columns,Opinion,Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
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