OT: Greatest Pittsburgh Sport Star
- Thread starter TFBaum
- Start date
Mario Lemieux .... and personally, I don't think it is close.
As great as Clemente was, he was never considered the best player in baseball while he was playing - Top 5, yes.... but his career overlapped with Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, etc.
Mario Lemieux was indisputably the greatest player in his sport - by a wide margin - from 1989 through 2000. And he is at worst the 2nd-best player in the history of his sport.
Clemente is not one of the Top 10 players in the history of his sport. Top 25, for sure.
While smoking a pack a day and drinking wine like it was water. Crazy.
As well as serious back issues and cancer.
My only sports loyalties to Pittsburgh are with Pitt, so this is an outside perspective, but it really is a fantastic sports town. This is a tough question because Pittsburgh has been solid across all of their three sports (Pirates have fallen on hard times but they’re still a great franchise). The Steelers are the crown jewel of Pittsburgh sports. Problem is, the Steelers despite all their championships have never had a Joe Montana or Tom Brady, or even anybody remotely close to that level. The Penguins have three all time greats with Lemieux, Jagr, and Crosby. Pirates have Clemente.
Anyway sorry for the long winded rant. At the end of the day, again from an outsider’s perspective, it’s probably Lemieux.
Anyway sorry for the long winded rant. At the end of the day, again from an outsider’s perspective, it’s probably Lemieux.
Too many to name. The city has been blessed. My picks in any order:
Roberto Clemente
Tony Dorsett
Mario Lemieux
Roberto Clemente
Tony Dorsett
Mario Lemieux
Not sure if you mean in our lifetime but Honus Wagner was considered by some to be the GOAT in his time as "all around" baseball player.
17 consecutive .300 seasons, 8 batting titles, 6 time stolen base leader, etc., etc
"Wagner retired with more hits, runs, RBI, doubles, triples, games and steals than any other National League player" basically the greatest hitter of his time while playing shortstop
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Clemente is revered in Pittsburgh like no other person. Who else has their own museum? Who else has several murals with their face on them around the area? And streets and bridges named after him. He’s bigger than just a baseball player. Not to mention, 2 world championships, had a hit in every World Series game he played in, 3000 hits, and the greatest outfield arm of all time. He’s been gone for 50 years and people still idolize him.
I worked at a local country club where a baby faced Lemieux was a frequent golfer in his rookie year. I recalled that when we saw him that he was usually by himself (rode a cart); I don't think that his language skills were all that good and I recall that he was painfully shy. Even so, he was always super nice to all of the guys working on the course and always had a smile and a wave or a head nod hello.
Apart from his amazing ball striking capabilities on the golf course (he was a big dude even then) the thing that amazed us was that he was frequently seen on the course with a cigarette in his hand. A lot of us puffed on cheap cigars to keep the gnats away, so it was sort of funny to see him smoking as well.
50 years from now, there will be a Lemieux museum, a Lemieux bridge, a Lemieux street, etc.
Again... Clemente is not in the Top 10 in the history of his sport.... though probably in the Top 25. Clemente is revered as much for what he did away from baseball and how he died selflessly trying to help people as he is for his baseball career. It can be argued that Clemente is not even the best player in Pittsburgh Pirates history (Honus Wagner).
Lemieux is either #1 or #2 in his sport *ALL-TIME*. His number is informally retired across the NHL. Lemieux dominated his sport in ways that Clemente never even came close to in his.
Pro Sports
1. Mario - too easy. Some say he's the most talented to ever lace the skates. Most say at a minimum he's the 2nd greatest hockey player ever.
2. Wagner - wasn't he considered the best baseball player of his era?
College
1. Dorsett
2. Hugh
High School
1. Kolat (WPIAL not Pittsburgh)
1. Mario - too easy. Some say he's the most talented to ever lace the skates. Most say at a minimum he's the 2nd greatest hockey player ever.
2. Wagner - wasn't he considered the best baseball player of his era?
College
1. Dorsett
2. Hugh
High School
1. Kolat (WPIAL not Pittsburgh)
J
JGregor
Guest
“Greatest Pittsburgh Sports Star”
1. Roberto Clemente:
he played in ‘Pittsburgh’ 18 years, won 2 World Series, greatest outfield arm, was idolized by the fans in the most popular sport at the time he played. Other players admired him, has more than 100 assists than Willie Mays who played CF for 22 years, always hustled when running the base paths, he and Mays are the only two players to score from first base on an infield hit without there not having been an error. Other players admired him and he was an inspiration to millions of Latin people giving the City and the Pirates an identity for them.
His tragic death opened up the Hall of Fame early for him. Only the second player to be accorded that honor, the other being the NY Yankee great Lou Gehrig. He played big and in big games as he had a hit in all 14 games World Series games.
Honorable mention:
Terry Bradshaw.
The Steelers do not win four super bowls without him. He gave Pittsburgh and the Steelers an identity that they are now recognized as the most followed team in the most popular sport in America. Prior to that the Steelers were not followed by football fans including many Pittsburghers.
Honus Wagner
One of the All Time greatest BB players who played in the dead ball era when baseball was starting to become the national pastime.
Mario Lemieux
Saved hockey in Pittsburgh creating a large and ribbit fan base. While he is arguably one of the greatest, hockey is not as popular nor followed as well as BB or FB.
Tony Dorsett
The greatest Pitt star player. Unfortunately, he only played 4 years in Pittsburgh but those 4 years were great. Pitt’s last national championship and their only Heisman winner. Too bad the Steelers could not have drafted him or kept Johnny Unitas!
1. Roberto Clemente:
he played in ‘Pittsburgh’ 18 years, won 2 World Series, greatest outfield arm, was idolized by the fans in the most popular sport at the time he played. Other players admired him, has more than 100 assists than Willie Mays who played CF for 22 years, always hustled when running the base paths, he and Mays are the only two players to score from first base on an infield hit without there not having been an error. Other players admired him and he was an inspiration to millions of Latin people giving the City and the Pirates an identity for them.
His tragic death opened up the Hall of Fame early for him. Only the second player to be accorded that honor, the other being the NY Yankee great Lou Gehrig. He played big and in big games as he had a hit in all 14 games World Series games.
Honorable mention:
Terry Bradshaw.
The Steelers do not win four super bowls without him. He gave Pittsburgh and the Steelers an identity that they are now recognized as the most followed team in the most popular sport in America. Prior to that the Steelers were not followed by football fans including many Pittsburghers.
Honus Wagner
One of the All Time greatest BB players who played in the dead ball era when baseball was starting to become the national pastime.
Mario Lemieux
Saved hockey in Pittsburgh creating a large and ribbit fan base. While he is arguably one of the greatest, hockey is not as popular nor followed as well as BB or FB.
Tony Dorsett
The greatest Pitt star player. Unfortunately, he only played 4 years in Pittsburgh but those 4 years were great. Pitt’s last national championship and their only Heisman winner. Too bad the Steelers could not have drafted him or kept Johnny Unitas!
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If Clemente played for the Yankees or Dodgers he’d be considered top 10.
I respectfully disagree. One major reason is he is the greatest Pittsburgh sports star is he took hockey that wasn't very popular at all in the city and made it nearly as popular as the Steelers in town in addition to the championships, saving the franchise (3 times), etc...
That's the thing.
Lemieux didn't have to play for the Rangers, Kings, Canadiens, Blackhawks, Bruins, or Maple Leafs to be the undisputed best player in the sport for a decade and top 2 all time.
Clemente is my all time hero. But you are correct. Lemieux is the greatest ever including Gretzky. If Mario didn't have the injury and cancer issues and was able to play without being touched like Gretzky he would have obliterated everything Gretzky did. Roberto is a close second. There is a reason they were both referred to as "The Great One".
Although Mario is good, there are schools in America named after Clemente including a major school in Chicago. Remember, Clemente's life was cut short while trying to help victims of a hurricane. There is even a movie about him. When he was playing, being a black athlete was still a challenge. I saw him throw a batter out at first base from a base hit to right field.
I always said Pittsburgh's greatest sports figures was:
1. Mario
2. Now you can start the discussion.
Ain't close fellas despite your age or your favorite sport/team attachment. It ain't close.
1. Mario
2. Now you can start the discussion.
Ain't close fellas despite your age or your favorite sport/team attachment. It ain't close.
A. Greatest player has nothing to do with the wonderful things a person did away from the field/court/ice.
B. Clemente's life was cut short, but not really his career. He had at most a year of two left of playing.
C. I've seen a runner thrown out at first base from right field at least 10 times in my life. It is a rare and exciting play, but Clemente is not even close to being the only one to do it.
D. Jackie Robinson may be the most important baseball player in MLB history. But he isn't even in the Top 50 as far as best to ever play the game. Clemente is great for many reasons - but he isn't even in the discussion to be amongst the best 10 to ever play the game.
Good topic. I went to YouTube to look at some of Clemente’s throws. Incredible. I also learned that he was the 11th player all time to collect 3000 hits. Amazing player. Better human.
Mario Lemieux. Aside from ya know, beating cancer, arguably the best player in his sport of all time. Inarguably one of the top 3. And here's the thing, not did he just save hockey here and make this a hockey town, the Penguins have been the most successful franchise in the city the past 3 decades and one can argue one of the top 5 in pro sports.
Yes, Clemente was great, Joe Greene was great, Clemente was a humanitarian, but Lemieux has raised millions for cancer research, and everything he has done has benefitted this area.
Yes, Clemente was great, Joe Greene was great, Clemente was a humanitarian, but Lemieux has raised millions for cancer research, and everything he has done has benefitted this area.
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