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The closest you're going to get to a Babe Ruth level of dominance where a player also revolutionized their game is Don Hutson of the Packers. Hutson completely changed the game with his pass patterns and route running, and was the best player in the sport for his entire career.
A lot of people say that Jerry Rice was the best receiver in the history of the game. I've read several articles where writers that study the history of the game swear that Hutson is not only the best to ever play his position, but the best to ever play the game. Hutson is, in my opinion, the best receiver. I say that not as a Packer fan, but as somebody who has studied the history of the game. Hutson played wide receiver in the NFL for eleven seasons. In his rookie year of 1935, he only played in nine games, yet still led the NFL in yards/game and touchdown receptions. The next ten years, he was unstoppable. Hutson single-handedly made the vertical passing game the weapon it is today. During that ten year span, Don led the NFL in receptions eight times, in receiving yards seven times, in touchdown receptions eight times (nine times in eleven years!), and yards receiving per game seven times. And he led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown receptions in the same season five times, and four times in the last five years. He was the first receiver to go over 1,000 yards (1,211 in 11 games in 1942). Compare Hutson to Rice. Jerry Rice played twenty seasons, yet only managed to lead the league in receptions, yards and touchdowns in the same season once (1990). Rice led the NFL in receptions only twice (1990 and 1996), while his contemporary Sterling Sharpe managed to do it one more time than Rice in thirteen fewer seasons (1989, 1992, 1993). Rice led the NFL in receiving yards six times (one fewer than Hutson, again, in thirteen more seasons), and in touchdown catches six times. How great was Hutson? His 99 career touchdown mark, established in 1945, wasn't broken until 1989 when Steve Largent scored his 100th touchdown. Hutson's record stood for 44 years (Ruth's 714 home run record lasted 39 years, as Hank Aaron broke it at the start of the 1974 season). And keep in mind, starting in 1978, Largent and all NFL players played 16 games a season. In Hutson's day, seasons were only 10 games long. Hutson grabbed 99 touchdowns in 116 games. Largent scored 100 touchdowns in 200 games. Rice ended with 197 touchdown catches, but he played in 303 games. Rice reached 100 touchdown receptions in his 120th game. Like Ruth, who was also an incredible pitcher, Hutson was multi-talented. He was the Packer's kicker, kicking 17 field goals and 172 extra points. Hutson also played defensive end and safety, where he intercepted 30 passes in his career. |
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"Ruth saved baseball," said Billy Rogell, a Chicago orphan who grew up worshiping Shoeless Joe Jackson from the bleachers. Like the rest of the country, Rogell was devastated when his hero and the other Black Sox were found to have spikes of clay. A few years later, as a shortstop for the Red Sox and Tigers, Rogell had occcasion to experience Ruth's redemptive magic firsthand: "That's the only guy who in my thinking was a super ball player. There was only one like him. Listen, just walking out to the ballpark he'd have everybody clapping like hell. Ever see them do that for any other ball player? Like hell."
- Cobb Would have Caught It The Golden Age of Baseball in Detroit pg. 30-31 |
Author Joe Orlando of the book called ''The top 200 sports cards in the hobby'' had this to say about Wayne Gretzky:
''When you talk about great players from each sport, Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali come to mind but it is arguable that NO athlete EVER dominated his sport as much as Wayne Gretzky did. Gretzky holds over 60, that's 60 NHL records''. Page # 392 Post # 4 |
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