Who are the best players that you have seen live in a game?

[MooseDog]

My answers are based on my feeling of the "best" player and how they performed in the game(s) I attended, not necessarily best in popular culture. For example I saw Michael Jordan once, but he didn't have a very good game. I saw Mickey Mantle in his last season, but he was a shadow of what he was supposed to be.

Baseball Frank Robinson - Ken Griffey Jr

Football Ken Stabler - Emmett Smith

Basketball Meadowlark Lemon - Kevin Durant

Hockey Bobby Orr Bobby Orr/Mario Lemieux

That last one is a tough call. I saw them completely dominate a hockey game almost single-handedly, which is very tough to do in hockey. Then again, those games were against very poor Seals/Sharks teams.

[insidethewrapper]

Baseball: Kaline,Mantle, Bonds,Ryan
Basketball: Bird, Lew Alcindor
Hockey : Howe

[Tripredacus]

It is a bit hard for me as I do not really remember what players were in games, and games tend to mix together. Typically I end up remembering weird players like Oleg Saprykin or Razor Shines.

Baseball: Jay Bell, Cliff Lee
Football: Thurman Thomas, Tom Brady
Hockey: ??? , Dominik Hasek

Baseball is hard as I say, being in a minor league town we end up having a bunch of... well... minor league guys. Then also some come in on rehab assignment... or some guy on the other team coming up that you don't know anything about until they make it in the majors later. I didn't even think of Cliff Lee at first, originally I would have had to say Brian Giles. But I have a keychain from a game, and I look up that game and he is the WP so...

Certainly I had seen some other good football players. I remember my first football game was Week 1 1990 Bills vs Colts, the Jeff George debut.

For hockey, I do not know what my first game was, but I doubt anyone I had seen would beat the any game best player. I did see Wayne Gretzky, but as a coach with Phoenix. Don't know if that counts.

[glynparson]

Baseball: Schmidt, Bonds
Basketball: Jordan, Bird
Football: Emmitt, Reggie White
Hockey: Gretzky, Jagr

[mattsey9]

Baseball Lou Brock, Barry Bonds

Football Walter Payton, Walter Payton

Basketball Larry Bird, Lebron James

Hockey Denis Savard, Mario Lemieux

[bnorth]

Baseball: Every great that played from the mid/late 80's to mid 00's. I went to 100's of games in that time period even though the closest stadium was a 600 mile round trip.

Basketball: I bought Timberwolves season tickets for the 06-07 season so I could see all the greats of the game in person that season. It is the only time I ever went to basketball games.

Football: Troy Aikman, Emmit Smith, and John Elway

Hockey: What is Hockey?

[Peter_Spaeth]

I had a chance to see Maradona when he was in Boston but passed, always regretted that. I think it was at a point where he was having lots of problems and wasn't at his top game, but nonetheless, my boss who went said the skill level was incredible to witness.

[peterb69]

Baseball Yaz Brett

Football Bo Brady

[Exhibitman]

Baseball: Willie Mays, Willie Mays
Football: Fran Tarkenton, Terry Bradshaw
Basketball: Walt Frazier, Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Hockey: Eddie Giacomin, Wayne Gretzky
Boxing: Lennox Lewis, Lennox Lewis (I've only been to one fight, Lewis v. Klitschko)

[56Horsehide]

Have only been to MLB pro sports. 1959: Luis Aparicio, Nellie Fox and Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron, Williw Mays. More recently: Frank Thomas

Jim

[jcc6252]

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball Mickey Mantle (Bronx), Mickey Mantle (Bronx)

Football Scott Dierking (W. Lafayette), Joe Montana (W. Lafayette)

Basketball Bob Lanier (MSG), Magic Johnson (W. Lafayette)

Hockey Patrick Roy (Denver), Patrick Roy (Denver)

[HercDriver]

Baseball: Bake McBride (he signed my ball before the game and had a couple hits)/Mark Grace (best? maybe not. Favorite)

Football: Walter Payton/Walter Payton

Basketball: Lebron James/Lebron James

Hockey: Jari Kurri (Kings)/Patrick Kane

On second thought, Grace was the best. You couldn't ask for a more perfect baseball player or teammate.

Cheers,
Geno

[Misunderestimated]

First Best
Baseball
Ron Santo/Jenkins Greg Maddux, Frank Thomas or Barry Bonds*
Football
Dick Butkus/Gale Sayers Walter Payton & Joe Montana
Basketball:
Chamberlain/West Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson or Lebron James
Hockey :
I don't really remember, once mid-70's Blackhawks: Tony Esposito maybe Stan Mikita was there, against the Canadians maybe Guy Lafluer. ..... Haven't been there much since....no one as good as those guys when I do go -- I missed Mario and Gretzky.
Soccer -- the Chicago Sting weren't very good and I don't remember who they played when I went ...It wasn't Cosmos who were loaded with big names.
I did see Tennis: McEnroe play Connors and Lendl also Serena and Venus

[terjung]

Great thread idea!


Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball Kenny Lofton Ken Griffey, Jr.

Football Lynn Swann Drew Brees

Basketball Mark Price Glenn Robinson

Hockey Marty St. Louis Sidney Crosby

[glynparson]

See Above i actually did it right the first time lol

[Case12]

Baseball: Hank Aaron, Greg Maddux
Football: Herschel Walker