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20th Century Top 50: Maryland
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Rank |
Profile |
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1
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Babe Ruth ,
Baltimore
Larger-than-life ballplayer slugged 714 homers; 94-46 with 2.28 ERA as pitcher; won seven World Series rings with Red Sox and Yankees from 1914 to '35.
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| 2
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Cal Ripken Jr. ,
Aberdeen
Played in record 2,632 consecutive games for Orioles; AL MVP in 1983 and '91;
needs only nine hits for 3,000.
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| 3
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Lefty Grove ,
Lonaconing
Nine-time AL ERA champ had 300 wins and .680 winning percentage; 1931 AL MVP with A's.
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| 4
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Jimmie Foxx ,
Sudlersville
Three-time AL MVP was first righty to hit 500 homers;
58 came in 1932 with Red Sox.
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| 5
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Al Kaline ,
Baltimore
Became youngest major league batting champ when he hit .340 for Tigers in 1955, at age 20; 16-time All-Star; 11 Gold Gloves.
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| 6
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Morgan Wootten ,
Hyattsville
Entered 1999-2000 basketball season -- his 44th at DeMatha High -- with 1,185 wins, 31 conference crowns, and five mythical national titles.
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| 7
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Sugar Ray Leonard ,
Palmer Park
Took light welterweight gold medal at 1976 Olympics; was 36-3-1 as a pro; won belts in five weight classes.
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| 8
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Adrian Dantley ,
Hyattsville
All-America at DeMatha and Notre Dame in 1970s; twice led NBA in scoring.
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| 9
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Pam Shriver ,
Lutherville
Became youngest women's singles finalist in U.S. Open history in 1978, at age 16; won 20 Grand Slam doubles titles with Martina Navratilova.
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| 10
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Gene Shue ,
Baltimore
All-America forward at Maryland; five-time NBA All-Star; coached Bullets to 1971 NBA Finals.
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| 11
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Walt Williams ,
Temple Hills
Set Maryland single-season scoring record in 1991-92; has averaged more than 13 points in eight NBA seasons.
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| 12
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Joe Gans ,
Baltimore
Turn-of-century pugilist is considered alltime best lightweight; had 120 wins, 55 by knockout.
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| 13
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Leon Day ,
baltimore
Hall of Fame Negro leagues pitcher, infielder and outfielder in 1930s and '40s; once struck out 19 batters in a game.
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| 14
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Chuck Foreman ,
Frederick
Vikings' running back rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 1975, '76, '77; also had 73 receptions and 22 TDs in '75.
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| 15
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Mike Curtis ,
Rockville
Hard-hitting Colts middle linebacker went to four Pro Bowls between 1969 and
'75; got Super Bowl ring in '71.
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| 16
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Harold Baines ,
Easton
In 1999 had 25 homers and 103 RBIs with Orioles and Indians, at age 40; 373 homers and 2,783 hits for career.
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| 17
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Joe and Vince Dundee ,
Baltimore
Boxing brothers each won championship: Joe took welterweight belt in 1927, Vince NYAC middleweight title in '33.
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| 18
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Eddie Rommel ,
Baltimore
Knuckleballer won 171 games for A's, including 27 in 1922;
AL umpire for 22 seasons.
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| 19
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Len Bias ,
Landover
Two-time ACC player of the year at Maryland; taken with second overall pick by Celtics in 1986, but died of drug overdose 40 hours later.
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| 20
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Jim Tatum ,
College Park
Coached Maryland football to three unbeaten regular seasons (1951, '53, '55) in nine seasons at the helm.
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| 21
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Robert Garrett ,
baltimore
Hero of first two modern Olympics won two gold medals, two silver in track and field at 1896 Games; two bronze in 1900.
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| 22
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Reggie Lewis ,
Baltimore
Helped Dunbar High to two state titles; twice averaged more than 20 points for Celtics before death in 1993 at age 27.
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| 23
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Frank (Home Run) Baker ,
Trappe
Dead Ball era slugger led AL
in homers four times but never hit more than 12 in a season.
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| 24
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Louis (Bosey) Berger ,
Baltimore
Maryland's first basketball
All-America (1931 and '32); hit .236 in six major league seasons with three teams.
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| 25
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William Kelso Morrill Sr. ,
baltimore
Led Johns Hopkins to two national lacrosse titles as player (1926 and '27) and five more as coach.
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| 26
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Antonio Freeman ,
Baltimore
Hauled in more than 80 passes in two of his first four seasons with Packers; led NFL with 1,424 receiving yards in 1998.
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| 27
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Jack Scarbath ,
Baltimore
Quarterbacked Maryland to 24-4-1 record, including a perfect 1951 season; runner-up in '52 Heisman voting.
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| 28
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Don Kelly ,
Baltimore
Won 11 letters at Johns Hopkins; helped lead lacrosse team to national titles in 1932, '33 and '34.
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| 29
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Gallant Fox ,
Belair
Won 1930 Triple Crown, the Dwyer Stakes and the Wood; only Triple Crown winner
to sire another Triple Crown winner (Omaha in 1935).
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| 30
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Charlie (King Kong) Keller ,
Middletown
Four-time All-Star for Yankees; hit 30 homers in a season three times (1941, '43, '46).
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| 31
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Brian Jordan ,
Baltimore
Picked off five passes in three years with Falcons; has two 100-RBI seasons in majors, including 115 for Braves in 1999.
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| 32
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Deane Beman ,
Bethesda
Won U.S. Amateur in 1960, '63; dynamic PGA Tour commissioner for 20 years is considered
the Pete Rozelle of his sport.
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| 33
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Cal Ripken Sr. ,
Aberdeen
Mainstay in Orioles' third base coach's box spent 36 years in Baltimore organization; managed sons Cal (#2) and Bill in 1987.
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| 34
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Kevin Glover ,
Largo
Standout offensive lineman
at Maryland has spent
15 years with two NFL teams; has made three Pro Bowl appearances.
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| 35
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Jim Lacy ,
Baltimore
First college basketball player to score 2,000 points in career (2,154 at Loyola in 1940s).
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| 36
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Tara Heiss ,
Bethesda
First Maryland women's basketball player to score 1,000 points; member of 1980 Olympic team.
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| 37
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Kid Williams ,
Baltimore
Danish-born, Baltimore-bred 5'1" bantamweight held world title from 1914 to '17.
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| 38
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Ronald Abercrombie ,
Baltimore
Lacrosse great played at Johns Hopkins at turn of century; served as Blue Jays' athletic director for nearly
40 years.
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| 39
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Tom Scott ,
Baltimore
First two-sport All-America at Virginia (football and lacrosse); Eagles end played in 1958 and '59 Pro Bowls.
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| 40
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Harry Jeffra ,
Baltimore
Held world bantamweight belt from 1937 to '38; won featherweight championship
in '40.
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| 41
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Tony Greene ,
Gaithersburg
Maryland safety spent
nine years with Bills; picked off nine passes in 1974,
again in '77.
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| 42
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Denny Neagle ,
Gambrills
Crafty lefthander was 20-5 with 2.97 ERA for Braves in 1997; has been named to two
NL All-Star teams.
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| 43
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George Hepbron ,
Still Pond
Wrote first instructional basketball book, How to Play Basketball, in 1904; longtime referee helped codify rules.
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| 44
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Sam Cassell ,
Baltimore
Won NBA titles with Rockets in 1994 and '95; averaged career-best 19.6 points and 8.0 assists for Nets in 1997-98 season.
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| 45
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Ed and Phil Lotz ,
Ellicott City
Brother duo anchored defense for 1931 St. John's College lacrosse team that outscored opponents 150-6.
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| 46
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Millard Lang ,
Baltimore
Three-time lacrosse All-America at Johns Hopkins in 1930s; won 1934 American Soccer League scoring title with Baltimore.
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| 47
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Reggie Williams ,
Baltimore
Played on Georgetown's 1984 NCAA basketball champions; 23.6 ppg as senior; averaged 12.5 points in 10 NBA seasons.
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| 48
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Steve Barber ,
Takoma Park
Tossed eight shutouts for Orioles in 1961; won 20 games for Baltimore in '63.
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| 49
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Harold Solomon ,
Silver Spring
Reached finals of 1976 French Open and semis at '77 U.S. Open; coached Jim Courier and Jennifer Capriati.
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| 50
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Elizabeth (Toots) Barger ,
Baltimore
Before Johnny Unitas, 13-time world champion duckpin bowler was biggest athlete in kegling-mad Baltimore; shoes and
ball sent to Smithsonian. |
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