This is part II of the list of great athletes who've played as collegians or professionals in Pittsburgh over the last 30-40 years. It's intended to remind us of the wonderful players who made up Pittsburgh sports culture and turned it into one of the best sports cities in America. The first ten are listed in an earlier post.
11. Barry Bonds-he'd be a lot higher if not for his sour, self-serving. arrogant personality; that and the fact that despite all his
homeruns, he
never won a World Series. Bonds was just coming into his own when he left Pittsburgh. He won three Gold Gloves, two MVP awards, and helped the Pirates win three
NL East titles. Then he went off to San Francisco to win five more MVP awards, hit a bunch of
homeruns and become baseball's all-time
homerun hitter.*
12/13 John
Stallworth/Lynn
Swann-what a pleasure it was to watch these guys play for the
Steelers.
Stallworth wasn't nearly as flashy as
Swann but incredibly consistent and had a knack for making the big play. He had a great first half in Super Bowl XIII against Dallas but injuries kept him out the final 30 minutes. He also came up with two big catches against the Rams in Super Bowl XIV. Terry Bradshaw won the MVP award that game, but
Stallworth's performance made for a strong argument. Like
Stallworth,
Swann is an NFL Hall of
Famer. His career, shortened by injuries-thanks George Atkinson-jerk off-was highlighted by pure grace and beauty. He was superb in Super Bowl X making three spectacular catches, his final one the game winner.
14. Dan
Marino-this guy was born to play for
Steelers, but as we know, after making a name for himself at Central Catholic and then Pitt, he became NFL famous in Miami. (we'll leave that mistake for another post).
Marino had a huge arm, and a cocky attitude that convinced him no game was ever over. Remember the TD pass on fourth down with 30 seconds left to beat Georgia in the 1982 Sugar Bowl? Classic
Marino.
15. Bill
Mazeroski-Billy
Maz, as he was known in his early playing days, was the greatest fielding second baseman in the history of Major League Baseball despite playing on a rock-hard surface at Forbes Field for the majority of his career. He won eight gold gloves and set a record for most double plays in a single season and in a career. In an era known more for pitching,
Maz collected over two thousand hits including 138
homeruns, plus two in the World Series including that one in game 7 in 1960 against New York.
16. Paul Coffey-if Bobby Orr's the greatest offensive-
defenseman ever to play in the NHL, Paul Coffey's sitting in second place, and that ain't bad. Coffey honed his skills with Wayne Gretzky and the great Edmonton teams of the 1980s. He came over to Pittsburgh in 1987 and scored over 100 points twice, while just missing [93] a third time. He was yet another offensive threat on an offensive-minded team, and helped the Pens win their first Stanley Cup. Coffey finished his career ranked 82
nd in the NHL in career goals and 5
th in assists.
17. Mel
Blount-In the mid 70's the NFL instituted a rule preventing
cornerbacks from hitting wide receivers after the first five yards of the line of scrimmage. This is known as the "Mel
Blount Rule."
Blount was tremendously talented athlete. Big and strong (6'3" 205 lbs.)
Blount was drafted out of Southern University and became known for his aggressive bump and run coverage.
Blount would continually make contact with receivers, shoving and bumping them down field. He literally overpowered his opponent.
Blount played in 200 games for the
Steelers over 14 years. He was named All-Pro three times, recorded a team record 57 interceptions and is in the NFL Hall of Fame.
18. Rich "Goose"
Gossage-although his time in Pittsburgh was meteoric,
Gossage made an impact upon those who watched. In 1977 he came over from the White
Sox along with Terry Forster, in a trade for Richie
Zisk. Armed with a blazing fastball,
Gossage quickly entrenched himself as the Pirates closer. In an era void of a middle reliever,
Gossage dominated the National League. He appeared in 72 games, recording 151 strikeouts in 133 innings. He won 11 games and saved 26 more. In one game against the Dodgers he allowed one hit and struck out eight in three innings of work. His success proved to be a double-edge sword for the Pirates.
Gossage parlayed his year into a big contract with the Yankees in what became an
MLB Hall of Fame career.
19. Tom
Barrasso-he should probably be teamed with Bonds since like the latter,
Barrasso was somewhat surly and not well-liked. On the ice he was a talented goaltender. A former number one draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres,
Barrasso came to Pittsburgh in
Novermber 1988 in a trade for
defenseman Doug
Bodger and wing Darrin Shannon. He then went on to become the greatest goaltender in team history. By the time he was traded 12 years later to Ottawa,
Barrasso owned the team record for wins (226), saves (12,076) and shutouts (22). He was also instrumental in helping Pittsburgh win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.
20. Hines Ward-he's the heart and soul of the current
Steelers. A fierce competitor and great blocker. Like Mel
Blount the NFL has instituted a rule based upon his aggressive play. Ward doesn't have great size or speed but finds a way to get open and to be effective after the catch. He's the
Steelers all-time leader in receptions, yards and receiving touchdowns. A two-time Super Bowl champion, Wards was the MVP of Super Bowl XL.
