I don't have heroes...just don't believe in that. There are people that I admire. For example - I would include someone like Jonas Salk, as he did much good for society.

As far as favorites, we could start with the Allman Brothers Band.

Great shot!! Some poor hitter is about to get dirty.

4-seam splitter. Nasty pitch. The dude was a beast.

Even before this moment, as a Little League catcher this was my guy. I always wore #27 whenever I could.

EDIT: alloak, too bad those two didn't get more time to anchor a staff together, tragic what happened to JR Richard. Those uniforms, on the other hand, couldn't go away soon enough. 😛

[Edited on 10/20/2014 by gondicar]

Even before this moment, as a Little League catcher this was my guy. I always wore #27 whenever I could.

EDIT: alloak, too bad those two didn't get more time to anchor a staff together, tragic what happened to JR Richard. Those uniforms, on the other hand, couldn't go away soon enough. 😛

It's a little ironic who's standing off to Carlton's right in that photo. At that time, many felt that Fisk was just as good or better than Bench, but didn't get the notoriety for whatever reason.

I was at Opening Day 1975 and nobody could believe those uniforms, but they actually grew on me through the years they wore them. JR might have been the best pitcher in the league when he was felled. Such a tragic loss.

Even before this moment, as a Little League catcher this was my guy. I always wore #27 whenever I could.

EDIT: alloak, too bad those two didn't get more time to anchor a staff together, tragic what happened to JR Richard. Those uniforms, on the other hand, couldn't go away soon enough. 😛

It's a little ironic who's standing off to Carlton's right in that photo. At that time, many felt that Fisk was just as good or better than Bench, but didn't get the notoriety for whatever reason.

I was at Opening Day 1975 and nobody could believe those uniforms, but they actually grew on me through the years they wore them. JR might have been the best pitcher in the league when he was felled. Such a tragic loss.

Bench is actually to Fisk's left in the pic...sorry, just couldn't let a post of yours go by without correcting something. 😉 😛

As for which was better, I am too emotionally attached to Fisk to form an objective opinion on that.

Even before this moment, as a Little League catcher this was my guy. I always wore #27 whenever I could.

EDIT: alloak, too bad those two didn't get more time to anchor a staff together, tragic what happened to JR Richard. Those uniforms, on the other hand, couldn't go away soon enough. 😛

It's a little ironic who's standing off to Carlton's right in that photo. At that time, many felt that Fisk was just as good or better than Bench, but didn't get the notoriety for whatever reason.

I was at Opening Day 1975 and nobody could believe those uniforms, but they actually grew on me through the years they wore them. JR might have been the best pitcher in the league when he was felled. Such a tragic loss.

Bench is actually to Fisk's left in the pic...sorry, just couldn't let a post of yours go by without correcting something. 😉 😛

As for which was better, I am too emotionally attached to Fisk to form an objective opinion on that.

1) That's funny. I love it.

2) Their stats are amazingly similar...

AVG HR RBI
Fisk .269 376 1,330
Bench .267 389 1,376

Not really a "hero"...but I grew up an Expos fan and thought Gary Carter was the man. I went to College in Fullerton, Ca....Gary went to Sunny Hills H.S. also in Fullerton. A Gym rat all through school, Basketball was my first love, played in so many Rec. centers and leagues after College, meeting Pro Athletes just happened. So, I am @ CSUF one Sat morning playing in a pick-up game with Coaches and current players, standing on the floor deciding who is going to guard who, when one of my team mates walks over and says to me: "YOU, ....guard Gary" I look up and there he is, Gary Carter. We shake hands, exchange names and someone yells.."Ball-in"! and the game begins. He played hoops like a football player, trying to deny me the ball, sprinting all over the court, using his lower body to the full max to attempt to box me out when a rebound was there to be had... A real warrior. So the game ends and a hour or so later we are both sitting on the floor, backs against a wall waiting to play again when I strike up a conversation about some of his fellow Expo players. Nice guy, we talked for about 20 minutes about Dawson, Valentine & Raines and then found ourselves back out on the floor going at it again.....Very sweet sports moment.

Not big enough ... too slow ... too white. Enough to make be believe that I could play football!

I oppose any friendly thread in the WP that doesn't involve a left versus right argument. This should NOT be tolerated, and I am outraged!!! That being said, here are mine.

Please feel free to add to the collection...

James Rodney Richard and Nolan Ryan - Half of a great Astros starting rotation, 1980.

Richard would be struck down by a career ending stroke later that season. He was 10-4, 1.90 at the time.

Nolan Ryan was so amazing. The fact that he threw 7 no hitters, including 2 in his 40s, is truly inspiring inspiring. I was lucky enough to see no-hitter #6, and it was something I'll never forget.

Not big enough ... too slow ... too white. Enough to make be believe that I could play football!

The elusive Freddy B. Tremendous competitor. What a stable of receivers Oakland had in those days! Cliff Branch, a burner on the other side and Dave Casper at TE. Mike Siani backing the wideouts and Ray Chester backing up Casper.

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Vernon Perry (32) celebrates his amazing four interception game in the 1979 playoffs at San Diego with Kenny Burrough (00) and Robert Brazile (52)......The Oilers won 17-14.

Willie Howard Mays

Still the greatest baseball player ever IMO.

Music.

Sport. Keegan

Politics. Attlee

[Edited on 10/23/2014 by geordielad]

Willie Howard Mays

Still the greatest baseball player ever IMO.

Agreed completely. 660 home runs playing in the Polo Grounds and blasting through the fog and winds of Candlestick Park. Some of the coldest, most blustery nights I have ever spent were summer eves in Candlestick. Bone-chilling, swirling, icy winds off the Pacific. If Mays had played in Denver he'd have hit 800 homers. And field, run, throw, great teammate...the greatest.

My favorite baseball player was Dick Allen. Here he is on the cover of Sports Illustrated juggling baseballs with a cigarette in his mouth. I liked those red White Sox uniforms at the time. That team also had Walt "No Neck" Williams who was another favorite.

Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer

The bomb the bomb -- great photo/post of/about Willie, among Aaron, FRobinson, Yaz, McCovey etc from that era, Willie gets the nod over Mantle (injured too often unfrtuntly) -- if he's there 2nite how can the Giants lose w/the Sey Hey Kid acknowledging/cheering on the crowd -- if his godson Barry Bonds is there he should get the same (don't recall his reception in 2010 or 12), he too is one of the greatest -- he & Charlie Hustle...

& that SI photo of Dick "no wait it's Richie" Allen (it's Richie on his White Sox card) -- & Arnie & Ben Hogan w/Arnie's Army in bckgrnd -- :NICEthanx:

[Edited on 10/24/2014 by Stephen]

Probably the greatest eligible player not in the Hall of Fame.

I miss how Walter Payton used to leap into the end zone over the line. He used to score like that all the time. It's a lost art ..

Coach Bryant.

323-85-17 (.780)

14 SEC Championships

6 National Championships

Dale Murphy #3

398 HR

2-time NL MVP

7-time NL All-Star

5 Gold Gloves

Paul "Bear" Bryant is both legend and folklore, not only in the state of Alabama - but throughout America. He has inspired so many people in so many fields and endeavors beyond football.

In Alabama he has transcended mere Sainthood. It's a fair statement.

I actually stood within four feet of him on two occasions, but the story I most often relate pertains to his funeral. The procession was so long - so many cars and vehicles that it was noted in the local paper, "at the time the first cars of the procession were arriving at Elmwood Cemetery (in Birmingham) - the last cars were just pulling out of the service in Tuscaloosa (65 miles away)."

If this was an exaggeration, it was only a slight one. I watched from an interstate overpass near Birmingham's Legion Field. If the interstate system hadn't been legally shut down it had been overtaken. Cars passed for hours and hours with their headlights on. In was a sad day on the state of Alabama.

Two of my heroes...

Tom Seaver #41

Dick Post (22) and Lance Alworth (19)