This is going to be loaded group. Some of the best athletes of our time have worn these numbers, cutting the list down was a little tough. Let's see what we got.
21 Roberto Clemente: I'm not a huge fan of players from before my time, Clemente though is the exception. I read about him in Grade School and grew to love him. His charity was the reason for my initial love, but the more I learned about the ballplayer the more I liked him. He had a rocket of an arm in right field. Hit over .300, while amassing those 3,000 hits and 240 home runs. A career WAR of 94.8, he was just an impressive player and an even more impressive person.
22 Andrew McCutchen/Will Clark: The last few lists I've made of baseball players, I've wanted so bad to put McCutchen on the list, but he plays Centerfield and whenever I pick my favorites Mike Trout is my CF. So when I talk about 22, I was all ready just to ramble about Will Clark, but I realized I can finally talk about Cutch. He was a dynamic defender while also swinging a pretty stick. He left off every all decade team though because of Trout. Will Clark broke my heart when he left the Giants after 1993. I thought he would be there forever. He has since reconciled with the team and is the bridge from the great late 80's early 90's teams to today.
23 Michael Jordan: There is nobody else, he's the best basketball player there ever was. Jordan changed the game and I think basketball would be different if he never played. The 6 Championships, 2 Olympic Gold Medals and the ultimate brand. Jordan is special and yes I do fight against the LeBron bashing by MJ fans, but it has nothing to do with Jordan and more to do with people just being stupidly unfair to LBJ.
24 Champ Bailey: He only was on Washington for 4 seasons but he's still one of my favorites. Champ was just like Charles Woodson in college, he played both ways at Georgia. When Washington drafted him it was the next best thing since we didn't have a shot at Woodson the year before. He did force himself out which lead to him being traded to Denver but I still paid attention to him and enjoyed watching him play.
25 Barry Bonds: We got a hell of an outfield going here tonight, Bonds in left, Cutch in center and Clemente in right, plus we got 27 coming up in a little bit. If you read the blog you know Bonds is my guy, love everything about him, own 3 jerseys of his. I love talking about Bonds and his amazing feats on the diamond. I always come back to the 500/500, or even the 400/400 which he's the lone member of each club.
26 Babe Ruth 1921 season: At the age of 26 Babe Ruth put up his 2nd best season in terms of WAR but m terms of counting stats it was his best season 59 home runs, 168 RBIs, 177 runs scored, .377 batting average and 17 stolen bases. That's career bests in RBIs, Runs and SBs, while his 2nd best season in HRs and Avg. His age 28 season he had a better WAR but because he walked more. In 1921 it was his 2nd season in New York and the 2nd season with the live ball, which Ruth didn't exactly need but it helped. I often discount the Babe but what he was truly magical. The Babe would just fall out of bed and have 10+ WAR seasons, just amazing.
27 Mike Trout: Best baseball player on the planet, next number.
28 Darrell Green/Buster Posey: Darrell Green is my favorite football player ever. I've never been to a Washington game, but I did go to watch Darrell Green get enshrined into the Hall of Fame in Canton. A truly memorable day. Green was a special talent who even when he retired he was the fastest man in the NFL.He was amazing. Buster Posey is the turning point for the Giants, before him no World Series titles since New York, with him 3 in 5 years. There is nothing we can do to pay Buster back for what he's done for the franchise. His 2012 was a great season, and though his skills at the plate were great his prowess behind the plate have been just as good. Needless to say, both of these guys are franchise greats.
29 Kevin Harvick: Needless to say 29 isn't exactly deep. Though I'm not the biggest Harvick fan what he did when he took over driving the Dale Earnhardt car is truly remarkable. He was a young driver and was thrust into the spotlight of the sport, to no fault of his own. He did well in that 29 car but found more success later in his career in the 4, but that first season driving the white car with red letters will always be something I remember.
30 Aaron White: The Ginja Ninja was one of the biggest reasons for the jump Iowa basketball took in the 20teens, after falling off the planet in the late 00's. White was a fun player to watch, he had amazing dunks and when he jumped a pass on defense, you knew the thunder was coming. He was so fun to watch and was a great college player, you knew he wasn't built for the pro game, but he's found success in Europe.
This group was fun to talk about, hopefully the 30's are just as good.
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