|
20th Century Top 50
|
|
Rank |
Profile |
|
1
| 
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.
|
| 2
|
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.
|
|---|
| 3
|
Lefty Grove,
Lonaconing
Nine-time AL ERA champ had 300 wins and .680 winning percentage; 1931 AL MVP with A's.
|
|---|
| 4
|
Jimmie Foxx,
Sudlersville
Three-time AL MVP was first righty to hit 500 homers;
58 came in 1932 with Red Sox.
|
|---|
| 5
|
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.
|
|---|
| 6
|
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.
|
|---|
| 7
|
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.
|
|---|
| 8
|
Adrian Dantley,
Hyattsville
All-America at DeMatha and Notre Dame in 1970s; twice led NBA in scoring.
|
|---|
| 9
|
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.
|
|---|
| 10
|
Gene Shue,
Baltimore
All-America forward at Maryland; five-time NBA All-Star; coached Bullets to 1971 NBA Finals.
|
|---|
| 11
|
Walt Williams,
Temple Hills
Set Maryland single-season scoring record in 1991-92; has averaged more than 13 points in eight NBA seasons.
|
|---|
| 12
|
Joe Gans,
Baltimore
Turn-of-century pugilist is considered alltime best lightweight; had 120 wins, 55 by knockout.
|
|---|
| 13
|
Leon Day,
baltimore
Hall of Fame Negro leagues pitcher, infielder and outfielder in 1930s and '40s; once struck out 19 batters in a game.
|
|---|
| 14
|
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.
|
|---|
| 15
|
Mike Curtis,
Rockville
Hard-hitting Colts middle linebacker went to four Pro Bowls between 1969 and
'75; got Super Bowl ring in '71.
|
|---|
| 16
|
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.
|
|---|
| 17
|
Joe and Vince Dundee,
Baltimore
Boxing brothers each won championship: Joe took welterweight belt in 1927, Vince NYAC middleweight title in '33.
|
|---|
| 18
|
Eddie Rommel,
Baltimore
Knuckleballer won 171 games for A's, including 27 in 1922;
AL umpire for 22 seasons.
|
|---|
| 19
|
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.
|
|---|
| 20
|
Jim Tatum,
College Park
Coached Maryland football to three unbeaten regular seasons (1951, '53, '55) in nine seasons at the helm.
|
|---|
| 21
|
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.
|
|---|
| 22
|
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.
|
|---|
| 23
|
Frank (Home Run) Baker,
Trappe
Dead Ball era slugger led AL
in homers four times but never hit more than 12 in a season.
|
|---|
| 24
|
Louis (Bosey) Berger,
Baltimore
Maryland's first basketball
All-America (1931 and '32); hit .236 in six major league seasons with three teams.
|
|---|
| 25
|
William Kelso Morrill Sr.,
baltimore
Led Johns Hopkins to two national lacrosse titles as player (1926 and '27) and five more as coach.
|
|---|
| 26
|
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.
|
|---|
| 27
|
Jack Scarbath,
Baltimore
Quarterbacked Maryland to 24-4-1 record, including a perfect 1951 season; runner-up in '52 Heisman voting.
|
|---|
| 28
|
Don Kelly,
Baltimore
Won 11 letters at Johns Hopkins; helped lead lacrosse team to national titles in 1932, '33 and '34.
|
|---|
| 29
|
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).
|
|---|
| 30
|
Charlie (King Kong) Keller,
Middletown
Four-time All-Star for Yankees; hit 30 homers in a season three times (1941, '43, '46).
|
|---|
| 31
|
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.
|
|---|
| 32
|
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.
|
|---|
| 33
|
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.
|
|---|
| 34
|
Kevin Glover,
Largo
Standout offensive lineman
at Maryland has spent
15 years with two NFL teams; has made three Pro Bowl appearances.
|
|---|
| 35
|
Jim Lacy,
Baltimore
First college basketball player to score 2,000 points in career (2,154 at Loyola in 1940s).
|
|---|
| 36
|
Tara Heiss,
Bethesda
First Maryland women's basketball player to score 1,000 points; member of 1980 Olympic team.
|
|---|
| 37
|
Kid Williams,
Baltimore
Danish-born, Baltimore-bred 5'1" bantamweight held world title from 1914 to '17.
|
|---|
| 38
|
Ronald Abercrombie,
Baltimore
Lacrosse great played at Johns Hopkins at turn of century; served as Blue Jays' athletic director for nearly
40 years.
|
|---|
| 39
|
Tom Scott,
Baltimore
First two-sport All-America at Virginia (football and lacrosse); Eagles end played in 1958 and '59 Pro Bowls.
|
|---|
| 40
|
Harry Jeffra,
Baltimore
Held world bantamweight belt from 1937 to '38; won featherweight championship
in '40.
|
|---|
| 41
|
Tony Greene,
Gaithersburg
Maryland safety spent
nine years with Bills; picked off nine passes in 1974,
again in '77.
|
|---|
| 42
|
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.
|
|---|
| 43
|
George Hepbron,
Still Pond
Wrote first instructional basketball book, How to Play Basketball, in 1904; longtime referee helped codify rules.
|
|---|
| 44
|
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.
|
|---|
| 45
|
Ed and Phil Lotz,
Ellicott City
Brother duo anchored defense for 1931 St. John's College lacrosse team that outscored opponents 150-6.
|
|---|
| 46
|
Millard Lang,
Baltimore
Three-time lacrosse All-America at Johns Hopkins in 1930s; won 1934 American Soccer League scoring title with Baltimore.
|
|---|
| 47
|
Reggie Williams,
Baltimore
Played on Georgetown's 1984 NCAA basketball champions; 23.6 ppg as senior; averaged 12.5 points in 10 NBA seasons.
|
|---|
| 48
|
Steve Barber,
Takoma Park
Tossed eight shutouts for Orioles in 1961; won 20 games for Baltimore in '63.
|
|---|
| 49
|
Harold Solomon,
Silver Spring
Reached finals of 1976 French Open and semis at '77 U.S. Open; coached Jim Courier and Jennifer Capriati.
|
|---|
| 50
|
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. |
|---|
