Kevin Long and I played on the same team for many years growing up. We both played basketball and baseball together. He was a good minor league baseball player and turned into a great hitting coach for the New York Yankees and now NY Mets.

In '67 at fifteen years old, my Colt League team had on its roster "Stormin'" Gorman Thomas (he was sixteen at the time I believe) and a future #1 pick of the Phillies Mike Martin (Jerry's younger brother). Gorman was a man among boys. He launched mammoth, towering shots well over the 375 sign in left center. Martin tossed one or two-hitters on a regular basis and hit his share of homers over the right field wall at fifteen years old.

Another good friend of mine I compete against in "fantasy" sports is Josh Goldfield. He played for a couple of MLB teams as a catcher. Now, He is great instructor for youth baseball players in Cali and owns MVP sports. Plus he is a scout for the Braves as he lef my beloved Red Sox a couple years ago.

Played HS football against Tom ("Tommy" back then) Brady, and a handful of lesser known guys who had varying length NFL careers.

One of our football coaches back then was a hard nosed former Niner fullback, Larry Schreiber, whose playing claim to fame had been scoring 3 TDs against the Cowboys in the playoffs as they built a huge lead, only to see Roger Staubach enter the game and lead a crazy 4th quarter comeback. My QB coach was Don Bunce who had initially backed up Plunkett, then led Stanford to a Rose Bowl win against Michingan as a senior.

I went to elementary and middle school with, and played against MLBers Eric Byrnes and John Gall, and crossed paths with a handful of others. Another friend from our little school bounced around a few NFL camps and played in the XFL.

summer of 1989
 

My high school summer team from Indianapolis advanced to a regional tournament where we played against Moeller HS in Cincinnati. I know David Bell was on that team and Buddy was in the stands.http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LSnRtZhXnI.../tcr012211.jpg

Played against Kelvin Torve who had a short stint with the Mets and Twins in baseball. Coached against Chad Greenway, Ben Lieber and Brock Lesnar. In fact, I coached a kid (Chad Duenwald) who beat Brock Lesnar in high school wrestling and Chad is now my next door neighbor. Chad Greenway was tremendous all around athlete!

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MjUyWDE3Mg...BYOB4R/$_3.JPG

Everybody in Clark is your next door neighbor.:)

"Played" HS Football with Jason Taylor (DE with the Dolphins/Redskins/Jets). I use the term "played" loosely as I never made varsity and he was a year older.

He was a tall and skinny TE in high school. I don't think he even played defense. My high school was known for it's football program and I wouldn't even say he was a top-10 player on the team. Everybody was surprised when he got a full ride to a D1 school (Akron). They must have saw something in him. Four years later, he was 100 lbs. bigger and a 3rd round draft pick. Now, he's a potential HOFer.

I don't know if this counts or not, but I played video pong (pre Nintendo days for those who aren't old enough to remember) with Bobby Nystrom (NY Islanders) when I was 13. He let me score 20 points before he scored 21 straight to beat me.

When I was 15 I worked in a racquetball club and played doubles a bunch of times with some of the NY Islanders that belonged to the club.

Jeff

Nothing for me. But my late neighbor played a short game of ball as a kid with Honus Wagner when he was in Boston. Said the guys hands were enormous! And that he was very nice to the kids...

Pulaski High School
 

My brother was a senior in high school, he played center on the football team.
We had a tenth grader on the team named Willie "Sonny" Hall. He later went to USC and became the MVP in 1970. He then had a huge game in the Super Bowl with John Madden's Oakland Raiders against the Minnesota Vikings.

john

Tim an Matt Hasselback

3rd base coach of the Brewers

Ed Sedar?

Played in an all star tourney against Jerry's Stackhouse.
Played baseball against Troy Nixon

Played baseball and basketball against Anthony Fasano. It wasn't even fair. He had 100 pounds on everybody it seemed even before high school. It was fun watching him play football through high school. He'd run right through a smaller CB then come in and punt 60 yards a few plays later.

Johnnie LeMaster's little brother. I know. Johnnie LeMaster would have barely counted.

http://www.thisgreatgame.com/johnnielemaster.jpg

I hit a HR off of Tim Hudson in college when he played for Auburn.

My High School/Travel Baseball and College Days were from 1986 to 1989 High school and 1990 to 1994 for College in New York City.
I played with
Allen Watson(NY Mets.) on Travel Team
And against College (He played at NY Tech)


Played Against
Steve Karsay Christ The King High School (Blue Jays and Yankees)Travel Baseball
Manny Ramirez George Washington High School (Indians) High School All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium and Travel Baseball.
Also play with and against 10 other players who were drafted and played Minor League Baseball. I was a starting pitcher at Martin Van Buren High School for 4 years then, became a relief pitcher for 4 years for a Division 1 program at Hofstra University. Great Memories

Mike

St. Bonaventure alum? I am class of 2000.

I played in a summer basketball camp against Joe Forte, who went on to be drafted in the first round by the Boston Celtics (and surprisingly only played a very short two years in the NBA) as well as former NBA lottery pick Adonal Foyle. Foyle could throw an outlet pass like no one I have ever seen. He could make a pass the entire length of the court like he was passing to someone five feet away.

I used to guard Billy McCaffrey (won a title at Duke, two time all american at Vandy) in pickup games. He barely tried and made me look very silly.

Yes, same home town, high school, youth baseball league, gym classes.

thats pretty awesome.

At first I thought you meant Joe Forte, the referee! All 5'4" of him :D

In a 3 on 3 pickup basketball game near Columbia, I had the "honor" of guarding Beasley Reese (Sic) of the New York Football Giants. He mercifully took it pretty easy on me but was by far the best player on the court.

In a softball game when I was at Beckett, one of the opposing team's best hitters was Dave Hostleter. I tell you, 10 years after his major league career ended, he bashed 3 homers against us.

Held Dan Dakich to 2-3 in a rec league softball game 25 years ago or so.

Played in a pickup football game against Trent Green in college. I stepped in front of one of his passes for an easy pick six, and dropped the ball...

Played pickup ice hockey...yes I said hockey with The Spaceman Bill Lee while he was living in Montreal...

I held the record for high school discus in my city for 19 years...then a guy named Jason Tunks comes along and breaks my record and goes on to become Canada's best ever Olympic and Commonwealth games discus man.

Played on the same championship youth football team as a 12 year old (1968) with Mike Boland who played briefly with the Buffalo Sabres of the N.H.L.

Eric Fernsten former NBA
 

Summer League playoff game, much to my dismay I'm to guard Eric Fernsten. Talked with Eric before the game, told him I would go for any clean plays I could see. Basically agreed not to hack him. Yes we lost, although went pretty good. After the game he said he was pleased with the sportsmanship, and invited myself and my girlfriend to a party at his house. Was hesitant at first and went for it. Upon arrival we were to meet about five Celtics, and Bruins players. Apparently they had rented a house as a group in Winchester Ma. Stayed in touch with Eric for a few years, and negotiated my own contract lol. Basically caretaker of the house. Was bitter sweet experience as I realized how much separation there was from a pro to myself on that day. Played against a lot of talent, but that was my only direct match-up. Patrick Ewing is playing pick up and leaves the court as i had next game! so disappointing. He was playing for Cambridge Rindge and Latin, I was playing for North Cambridge Catholic. Trust me the guy is huge!
One super talented shows up one day. He was hands down the best ball handler, and passer. So i ask "Who do you play for?" He laughs and says "Croatian National team" Those were all in Boston. So many games in LA at Venice Beach, was just another level.

I can vouch for Patrick Ewing being enormous. I played against him about the same time. He wasn't quite 7 foot then, perhaps 6'10", but damn.... I even covered him for a quarter and a half until I fouled out. Our center broke one of his fingers attempting to stop Patrick on a power move to the hoop. I was 6'2" but was a strong leaper with longer arms than most guys my height. Our coach had no other alternative. I held my own, pissing him off with a clean blocked shot. I scored twice. One was a put back. The other was a spin back to the inside where I used the rim to prevent him blocking my shot. His team beat ours by double digits but it wasn't really that close.

I also played hoops against both Flutie brothers and a couple of Celtics. I ran Cross Country against Alberto Salazar.

Mark Fidrych struck me out three times in one game. I think he struck out 14 or 15 of us. I did hit a loud foul ball that came close to staying fair for extra bases. Funny, as the years pass, that foul ball grows louder and closer to the chalk.....:D

I was on an American Legion team in Doylestown (PA) in 1979 and one of my teammates was Kevin Ward, who would go to Quarterback at the University of Arizona and later had a brief career with the Padres. One of the teams we played was Souderton and faced Jamie Moyer (who struck me out a couple times & appeared throw harder then as opposed to when I saw him on TV at the end of his career...lol)

When I was in 7th grade, I played basketball against Jarret Payton, and after the game, Walter came down out of the stands and shook our hands...one of the strongest handshakes I have ever had

Mark Fidrych struck me out three times in one game. I think he struck out 14 or 15 of us. I did hit a loud foul ball that came close to staying fair for extra bases. Funny, as the years pass, that foul ball grows louder and closer to the chalk.....:D[/QUOTE]

Mike, what a great story! A couple more years, and this may be a fair ball !!!!!!

I ran against Alberto Salazar (1982 Boston Marathon winner) in the 1975 Mass State XCountry Championship. He won that too. I saw his back as he took off and that was the end of it...

Darin Erstad
Mark Kotsay
Troy Glaus
Todd Helton
Alex Cora
Billy Koch
Braden Looper
Kerry Robinson (teammate)
Jamie Carroll
Darond Stovall
AJ Hinch
Jacque Jones
Kris Benson
George Sherrill
beat Johnnie Lemaster (he coached) as a college pitcher
probably lots more from that time frame, but cannot remember.

Dustin Hermanson (baseball, basketball) & Curtis Enis (Football)

mike magnante
 

played against mike magnante in little league and school.. Have an all star program with both our names in it

Soccer against the King of Jordan. He was a prince at the time (1974)

My 6th grade soccer team drove out to western Mass to play Deerfield Acadamy. Don't remember much about the King, but I do remember all the Secret Service types surrounding the field

+1

Yup....my coach had me play "rabbit". I couldn't keep up with him for more than a fat quarter mile. I think he had grown a mustache and was shaving it off by the time I finished....

Pitched to Dan Wilson (Mariners) and Todd Hundley (Mets) back in High School.

Mike Witt (who struck me out on four pitches) had the best curve ball I'd ever seen. He went on to have a nice career, including a perfect game while pitching the Angels.

I batted against Jim Abbott when I played summer league ball. If I remember correctly he threw a two hitter against us, he had a rocket for an arm. A ton of good athletes come out of Flint Mi.....

Hockey
 

Over the years in men's leagues, I've played against several Flames alumni. In the last league we played in (5 plus years ago), Sylvain Turgeon was a sniper. Previously played against some guys in the bigs, but when this guy had time and space, he could rifle a puck in a two inch space before I could even move (I'm a target). As fast a snap shot as I've ever seen at any level.

I coached my daughter's hockey team with an ex-NHLer when she was younger. He played every week with a bunch of NHL alumni in town. When I told him I played against Turgeon, and how amazing this guys shot was, he said "Bob, he's a sniper with our guys."

Currently in the league I'm in, Dennis Polonich once played with me, and now against me. Still a little uber competitive for a bunch of 40 and 50 year olds, and prone to the odd dirty trick. He's fun to stop though, as he gets pi$$ed off.

If you don't know the story of Polonich, check this out.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...-brutal-attack

He told me he ended up getting over $700,000 for the incident from Paiement. I remember when this happened. Polo was never quite the same after that incident, as the story indicates... and any Red Wings fan of a certain age would know.

Who did you play sports WITH in those younger days?

Frank O'Rourke coached our High School BB team (Elizabeth, NJ) during the 1950's.

I played Right Field because I had a great glove, and a very strong and accurate arm. My hitting was intermittent. But, I got on base a lot due to Walks or Bunts.


http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...nkORourkeX.jpg . http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...nkORourkeB.jpg



TED Z
.

Hey, Ted at least got us a prewar card connection. He may be the winner!

Rob M

I agree, that is really neat.
Me, I played baseball for a short while at Bellaire High School in Texas. Our coach was Chuck Knaublach's dad, Ray.

In College as a MAC linemen

Big Ben
James Harrison
Greg Jennings
Larry Fitzgerald
Rex Grossman
and many others

In HS basketball

Jason Gardner-Arizona

Short stint with St Louis Rams teammates

T Holt
S Jackson
O Pace
Etc

So, you at least got a taste of that highest level of sports? That's pretty cool.

Rob M.

In high school in Boise, Idaho I played baseball around 1993 against Jake Plummer, former NFL QB.

Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk

When I was younger...
 

I played a lot of little league and thought I was a decent player...When I tried out for my high school team, I had to hit against this pitcher who was a senior at the time...I soon realized, I was not that good...it was ugly...

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UfXCbGf1HC...sHeritage3.jpg