Left to right: David Ortiz, Bill Russell, Ty Law and Bobby Orr.
Today, the Yankees begin another series in Boston against the Auld Enemy, the Red Sox.
Boston's 10 Greatest Athletes
This is athletes for Boston teams only, so, despite their achievements, boxers John L. Sullivan, Jack Sharkey, Rocky Marciano and Marvin Hagler are not included.
Honorable Mention to Boston Braves in the Baseball Hall of Fame: Harry Wright, George Wright, Deacon White, King Kelly, John Clarkson, Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn, Hugh Duffy, Tommy McCarthy, Billy Hamilton, Kid Nichols, Jim O'Rourke, Jimmy Collins, Vic Willis, Johnny Evers, Rabbit Maranville and Warren Spahn (who would make the Top 10 if the Braves hadn't moved to Milwaukee in 1953).
Honorable Mention to Boston Red Sox in the Baseball Hall of Fame: Jimmy Collins, Tris Speaker, Harry Hooper, Babe Ruth (yes, he counts), Joe Cronin, Lefty Grove, Jimmie Foxx, Rick Ferrell, Bobby Doerr, Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice, Dennis Eckersley and Wade Boggs.
Dishonorable Mention to David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, and you know why.
Dishonorable Mention to Pedro Martinez, for -- as far as we know -- a very different reason.
Dishonorable Mention to Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling, for reasons that may combine the previous two, but could also be one or the other.
Honorable Mention to Cliff Battles and Albert "Turk" Edwards, Hall-of-Famers from the Boston Redskins, before they moved to Washington.
Honorable Mention to New England Patriots in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Mike Haynes, Andre Tippett and Junior Seau. Presumably, they will be joined by Tom Brady, Tedy Bruschi, Adam Vinatieri, Rob Gronkowski, and perhaps others.
Dishonorable Mention to Tom Brady, and you know why.
Honorable Mention to Boston Celtics in the Basketball Hall of Fame: Ed Macauley, Bill Sharman, Frank Ramsey, Arnie Risen, Tom Heinsohn, Sam Jones, K.C. Jones, Satch Sanders, Don Nelson, Bailey Howell, Jo Jo White, Dave Cowens, Tiny Archibald, Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, Dennis Johnson, Dino Radja and Ray Allen. Presumably, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett will join them.
Honorable Mention to Boston Bruins in the Hockey Hall of Fame: Eddie Shore, Dit Clapper, Tiny Thompson, Cooney Weiland, Bill Cowley, Bobby Bauer, Woody Dumart, Frank Brimsek, Bill Quackenbush, Roy Conacher, Leo Boivin, Fernie Flaman, Johnny Bucyk, Gerry Cheevers, Phil Esposito (who would make the Top 10 if he hadn't been traded to the Rangers for Park and Ratelle in 1975), Brad Park, Jean Ratelle, Ray Bourque, Cam Neely and Adam Oates.
Honorable Mention to New England/Hartford Whalers in the Hockey Hall of Fame: Gordie Howe, Mark Howe, Dave Keon and Ron Francis.
Honorable Mention to Taylor Twellman, the all-time leading scorer for the New England Revolution.
Now, the Top 10:
10. Milt Schmidt, center, Boston Bruins, 1936-55. Flanked by fellow Canadians of German descent Woody Dumart and Bobby Bauer, he led the Bruins to the 1939 and 1941 Stanley Cups. They were known as the Kraut Line. But when World War II beckoned, they were renamed the Kitchener Line for their Ontario hometown -- which had also been renamed, in World War I: It had been Berlin.
They all enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force, but only Schmidt was still playing at an All-Star level when he returned. He was NHL scoring champion in 1940 (they didn't yet have the Art Ross Trophy, named for the Bruins' head coach and general manager at the time), and won the Hart Trophy as Most Valuable Player in 1951. He played in 4 of the 1st 6 official NHL All-Star Games, including the 1st, in 1947. He later served as Bruins head coach and general manager, and was the 1st GM of the Washington Capitals.
In 1998, The Hockey News listed him 27th on their 100 Greatest Hockey Players. He died in 2017, just before his 99th birthday, but long enough to know he had been named to the NHL's 100th Anniversary 100 Greatest Players.
9. Bob Cousy, guard, Boston Celtics, 1950-63. Like his boss, Celtic head coach and general manager Red Auerbach, he was a New York City native who turned the Boston team into multiple champions. Before Auerbach could draft Bill Russell and finish the job, it was Cousy (one of the few people Auerbach let use his given name, Arnold) and Bill Sharman who made the team respectable.
"The Houdini of the Hardwood" helped the Celtics win their 1st 6 NBA Championships: 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1963. He was a 13-time All-Star, and Most Valuable Player of both the regular season and the All-Star Game in 1957. The Celtics retired his Number 14, and he was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame, the NBA's 25th Anniversary Team, and the NBA's 50th Anniversary 50 Greatest Players.
8. Cy Young, pitcher, Boston Red Sox, 1901-08, plus finishing his career in 1911 with the Boston Braves. If this were about his entire career, not just his time in Boston, he would be a serious contender for Number 1.
Of his all-time record of 511 wins, he won 192 games for the Red Sox (known as the Boston Americans from 1901 to 1906), and Roger Clemens was only able to tie him for the team's all-time lead. In 1903, he went 2-1 for the proto-Red Sox during the 1st-ever World Series, against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1904, they won the Pennant again, but the New York Giants chickened out, and the World Series wasn't played.
He pitched 3 no-hitters, and when he pitched a perfect game for the Boston Americans (forerunners of the Red Sox) against the Philadelphia Athletics (and their own Hall of Fame pitcher, Rube Waddell, no less) on May 5, 1904, not only did it make him the 1st pitcher to throw a perfect game in the American League, or in either League with the 60-and-6 distance, but it made him the 1st pitcher to throw no-hitters in both Leagues.
He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937, in its 2nd round of elections, with the only pitchers preceding him in the previous year's election being Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson. In 1999, 88 years after his last game, and 44 years after his death, The Sporting News ranked him 14th on their list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, again trailing only Johnson and Mathewson among pitchers. That same year, he was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team, even though he was already 33 years old when the 20th Century began.
Because of the historical distinction of the 1st World Series, a statue of Cy Young now stands on the campus of Northeastern University, roughly where the pitcher's mound was at the Red Sox' home at the time, the Huntington Avenue Grounds.
Supposedly, a few years before he died, someone walked up to him and said, "Didn't you used to play baseball?" Cy Young answered, "Mister, I won more games than you'll ever see."
7. Larry Bird, forward, Boston Celtics, 1979-92. Auerbach, by then general manager only, swung the deal that enabled him to draft Bird in 1978, before he became nationally known for his play at Indiana State. It would have been impossible later, thanks to the exposure that ESPN gives to college basketball, but also thanks to a rule that was changed to prevent it, now known as the Bird Collegiate Rule.
Larry was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1980; MVP in 1984, 1985 and 1986; and Finals MVP in 1984 and 1986. He led the Celtics to the NBA title in 1981, 1984 and 1986.
He and Magic Johnson, his 1979 NCAA Final nemesis now with the Los Angeles Lakers, remained on a collision course, meeting in 3 NBA Finals, Larry winning in 1984, Magic winning in 1985 and 1987 (the Celtics beat the Houston Rockets for Larry's other 2 titles), and being on the opposing geographically-set teams in the NBA All-Star Game 12 times (Larry winning the Game's MVP in 1982), before finally uniting on the "Dream Team" that won the Gold Medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
His Number 33 was retired by the Celtics. He was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame and the NBA's 50th Anniversary 50 Greatest Players.
6. Carl Yastrzemski, left field (also some 1st base), Boston Red Sox, 1961-83. An 18-time All-Star, a 7-time Gold Glove and a 3-time American League batting champion, in 1967 Yaz put the Boston Red Sox on his back and led them to their "Impossible Dream" Pennant, winning the Triple Crown, leading the AL in batting average, home runs and runs batted in, making himself the obvious choice for AL Most Valuable Player, and also earning him Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year award. He also got them to the Pennant in 1975.
He retired in 1983, a member of the 3,000 Hit Club, with 452 home runs -- the 1st AL player with at least 3,000 hits and at least 400 home runs. But his 3,308 games played are the most that any athlete has played in North American sports without winning a World Championship. The Red Sox retired his Number 8, and he was an easy choice for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
5. John Hannah, guard, New England Patriots, 1973-85. Somebody other than one of Bill Belichick's cheaters has to be considered the greatest New England Patriot ever.
On August 3, 1981, at the start of his 9th season, Sports Illustrated put him on its cover, with the legend "THE BEST OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF ALL TIME." Hannah knew of "The Dreaded SI
Cover Jinx," and, in their next week's issue, quoted him in their "They Said It" feature: "Lord, help me: This is going to be a long year." He was right: They went 2-14.
There would be better times. He made 9 Pro Bowls, and helped the Patriots win the AFC Eastern Division title in 1976, and the AFC Championship in 1985, although they lost Super Bowl XX, which turned out to be his last game. He was elected to the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame, making him the 1st player to spend all or most of his career as a Patriot enshrined in Canton.
The Patriots elected him to their team Hall of Fame and retired his Number 73. He was named to the NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, and he and Walter Payton were the only players elected to the All-Decade Team for both the 1970s and the 1980s.
In 1999, The Sporting News ranked him 20th on their list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the highest-ranking guard, and 2nd to Anthony Munoz among offensive linemen. In 2010, the NFL Network ranked him 24th on their list of the 100 Greatest Players.
4. John Havlicek, forward, Boston Celtics, 1962-78. His 1st year was Bob Cousy's last year. They won the NBA Championship in 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968 and 1969. Bill Russell then retired, but in 1970, Dave Cowens arrived, and he and Havlicek became the nucleus of a new great team.
They won 68 games in 1973, but were beaten by the Knicks in the Playoffs. They rebounded in 1974, winning the title, and Havlicek was named the Finals MVP. They won another title in 1976, and he retired after the 1978 season. He was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame and the NBA's 50th Anniversary 50 Greatest Players, and the Celtics retired his Number 17.
3. Ted Williams, left field, Boston Red Sox, 1939-60."All I ever wanted was to be able to walk down the street, and hear people say, 'There goes the greatest hitter who ever lived.'" He wasn't -- he admitted that Babe Ruth was -- but people did call him "the greatest hitter who ever lived," so his wish came through.
He was a 19-time All-Star. His .344 lifetime batting average is the highest of any player whose career began in the last 100 years. In 1941, he batted .406, still the last man to bat .400 for a full season. He was 23. In 1957, he almost did it again, reaching .388. He was 39. His .482 on-base percentage is the highest ever. He hit 521 home runs despite missing what amounted to 5 seasons fighting in World War II and the Korean War.
He won 6 American League batting titles. He won the Triple Crown in 1942 and '47. He won the AL MVP in 1946 and '49. He only won 1 Pennant, with the Boston Red Sox in 1946, and lost the World Series, but it doesn't seem to have harmed his legend.
The Red Sox retired his Number 9. He was named to the Baseball Hall of Fame, The Sporting News' 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and the MLB All-Century Team. The tunnel extending the Massachusetts Turnpike to Logan International Airport in Boston is named the Ted Williams Tunnel.
His fellow ballplayer and World War II pilot, Yale University 1st baseman, President George H.W. Bush called him "John Wayne in a baseball uniform." Except Ted actually did serve his country, and he was a far better athlete. I understand he was good at fishing, too.
2. Bobby Orr, defenseman, Boston Bruins, 1966-76. He only played enough NHL games to add up to 8 full seasons. He was 30 years old when he decided he had to hang up his skates. We didn't get to see the 2nd half of his career. He can be compared to Mickey Mantle as a prodigy who was badly effected by injuries, and to Sandy Koufax (although it took Koufax a while to reach greatness) as the best in the game who had to stop before it was too late.
He won the Calder Memorial Trophy as Rookie of the Year in 1967. He went on to change the perception that defensemen weren't allowed to be attacking players. Montreal's Doug Harvey and Detroit's Red Kelly had already begun to change this idea, but Orr wrecked it for all time.
He was the only defenseman to win the Art Ross Trophy as scoring leader, in 1970 and 1975. He was the 1st player to have 100 assists in a season, in 1971. He still holds the single-season record with a +124 plus-minus rating, in 1971. His "Flying Goal" to clinch the 1970 Stanley Cup made him the only player ever to win the Hart Trophy (regular season MVP), the Ross Trophy (scoring leader), the Norris Trophy (best defenseman) and the Conn Smythe Trophy (Playoff MVP) in the same season (and if you think that will ever be done again, you're dreaming). Also that year, Sports Illustrated named him its Sportsman of the Year.
He played in 8 All-Star Games, and added another Stanley Cup, and another Conn Smythe Trophy, in 1972, reaching the Finals again in 1974. The Bruins retired his Number 4, and the waiting period to be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame was waived, as he became the youngest inductee ever, at 31.
In 1998, The Hockey News listed its 100 Greatest Players. The top 3 were Wayne Gretzky, then Orr, then Gordie Howe. Gretzky himself said, given the choice, he'd have voted for Orr or Howe. In 2010, with 12 additional years of NHL history to examine, THN again voted him the NHL's all-time greatest defenseman. In 2017, he was named to the NHL's 100th Anniversary 100 Greatest Players.
What's more, he, more than any other person, including Gretzky, is responsible for turning Americans on to hockey. Hundreds of rinks were built all over the country, and, especially in New England, are still known as "Bobby Orr rinks." He made the Bruins the iconic American hockey team. The New York Islanders' 4 straight Stanley Cups haven't changed that. Nor have the New York Rangers' 1994 Stanley Cup, nor the Cups won by the Detroit Red Wings, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Los Angeles Kings or the Pittsburgh Penguins. For being not just an athletic but a cultural icon, the Bruins put a statue of Orr outside TD Garden.
1. Bill Russell, center, Boston Celtics, 1956-69. He is North American sport's greatest winner. He won National Championships at the University of San Francisco in 1955 and '56 (part of a winning streak that would reach 60 games, a record later broken by Walton's UCLA in 1971-74 at 88). He led the U.S. basketball team to the Olympic Gold Medal in Melbourne in 1956.
He played 13 seasons for the Boston Celtics, got them at least to the Eastern Division Finals all 13 seasons, to the NBA Finals in 12, and won the NBA Championship in 11: 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968 and 1969.
(The 2 losses? In 1958, the St. Louis Hawks beat the Celtics because Russell was playing through an ankle injury. And in 1967, the Philadelphia 76ers put together what's sometimes regarded as the greatest team in NBA history, finally getting Wilt Chamberlain his 1st title.)
In 1966, Celtics general manager Red Auerbach stepped aside as head coach, naming Russell to succeed him, making him -- unless you count the early NFL as "major league," whose definition it probably didn't meet, but if you do, then Fritz Pollard was -- the 1st black head coach in North American major league sports. Thus, he was player-coach for the 1968 and '69 titles. Later, with Seattle and Sacramento, he discovered that it was a lot harder for Bill Russell to coach when he didn't have Bill Russell to play.
The Celtics retired his Number 6. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame and the NBA's 50th Anniversary 50 Greatest Players. The NBA named the Finals Most Valuable Player Award after him. And, while with the Miami Heat, LeBron James switched from the Number 23 he had worn to honor Michael Jordan to Russell's 6, to symbolize the titles he wanted to win.
President Barack Obama, presenting Bill Russell
with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, at the White House, 2010
A statue of him stands outside TD Garden. There's another sign of his greatness: Pro sports have been played at that site (it was built behind the old Boston Garden) for almost 90 years, and yet only 2 athletes are honored with statues there: Bill Russell and Bobby Orr.