12 sports greats who were ‘little giants’

ANTHONY JEROME “SPUD” WEBB

1. PETER LAWRENCE ‘YOGI’ BERRA (1925) Berra (5’7” 180 lbs) was one of the greatest catchers ever to play in the major leagues. He won three MVP’s, appeared in eleven World Series, fifteen straight all-star games, had ninety RBI’s in nine seasons, and hit at least twenty home runs in eleven seasons. Berra worked hard to become a fine defensive catcher, and in 1958, played the entire season without committing one error! After his playing career was over, Berra managed the 1964 New York Yankees and the 1973 New York Mets to pennants. Berra was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

2. JOSEPH HENRI MAURICE “ROCKET” RICHARD (1921 – 2000) Richard (5’7” 160 lbs ) led the league in assists in 1957 and 1962 and won eleven Stanley Cups (more than any player in NHL history) Only he and Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics can claim eleven titles in any team sport. Richard scored 358 goals, earned 688 assists and played in more games than any Montreal Canadian player in history. In 1966, Richard scored the clinching goal to win the Stanley Cup and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998.

3. EDDIE LEBARON (1930) LeBaron (5’7” 168 lbs) was an All-American quarterback for Pacific University in 1949, leading them to an undefeated season. He played both offense and defense (safety) and was the team’s punter on special teams. After college, LeBaron joined the U.S. Marine Corps, was a lieutenant in the Korean War, was wounded twice and decorated with the Purple Heart and Bronze Star for bravery. In 1952, he started his pro career with the Washington Redskins and played twelve seasons mostly as a starting quarterback. LeBaron participated in four pro bowls, threw 104 career touchdown passes, over 13,000 passing yards and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980. After his playing career was over, he worked as a television football announcer, obtained a law degree and became the general manager for the Atlanta Falcons from 1977 to 1982.

4. TOMMY BURNS (1881-1955) Born Noah Brusso, Burns (5’7” 175 lbs) was nicknamed “The little giant of Hanover” and in 1906 became the only Canadian heavyweight champion of the world. Burns was not a lazy champion as he defended his title thirteen times successfully with a then-record eight straight knockouts. In 1907, he broke the record for the quickest knockout in heavyweight boxing history – one minute and twenty eight seconds! Burns lost his title in 1909 to the great Jack Johnson. Johnson said after the fight that “Mr. Burns has done what no one else ever did. He gave a black man a chance to fight for the championship. He was beaten, but he was game.”

5. ANTHONY JEROME “SPUD” WEBB (1963) - Webb (5’7” 133 lbs) attended North Carolina State University from 1983 to 1985 and astonished the sports world with his extraordinary leaping ability. He entered the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks and lasted eleven years in the league. As a rookie, Webb entered the NBA Slam Dunk contest and wowed the crowd with a series of dunks that earned him the trophy that shocked the basketball world. When asked if he was surprised he won the slam dunk contest, Webb replied, “Well, no, actually I never lost one”.

6. JOSEPH MORGAN (1943) - Morgan (5’7” 150 lbs) was the catalyst for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team that was dubbed “The Big Red Machine.” Morgan was the only second baseman to win back-to-back MVP’s in baseball history. The Cincinnati Reds won the World Series in 1975 and 1976. In 1975, Morgan batted .327 with seventeen home runs, 107 runs scored, 94 RBI’s, 67 stolen bases and 132 walks as the Reds won 108 games. Morgan batted .320 with 27 home runs, 113 RBI’s, 111 runs scored, 60 stolen bases in 1976. He won five gold gloves, played the second most games at second base in history, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1990.

7. JEFF GORDON (1971) - Gordon (5’7” 150 lbs) began racing midget cars at the age of five and by the time he was six years old, he had won 35 main events and set five track records. Gordon became one of the greatest stock car drivers in history by winning 87 NASCAR races, four series championships (setting the record for the youngest ever at twenty years old), capturing a record eleven poles in one season, a record thirteen wins in a season and becoming the first NASCAR driver ever to win one hundred million dollars in prize money.

8. GARY PLAYER (1935) - Player (5’6” 150 lbs) won 165 worldwide golf tournaments and nine major championships (including three Masters and three British Opens). Player is one of only five golfers in history and the only non-American to win all four major tournaments (the career grand slam). In his career, Gary logged more than fifteen million miles in travel (believed to be more than any athlete in sports history). He is a renowned golf course architect with more than 325 design projects on five continents and has authored thirty books on golf. Player was elected to the Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.

9. LEWIS ROBERT "HACK" WILSON (1900–1948) - Wilson (5’6” 200 lbs) was born and raised in Pennsylvania steel country and possessed a barrel chest, tree-trunk legs, an eighteen inch neck and, incredibly, only a size six shoe. In 1930, while playing for the Chicago Cubs, Wilson hit fifty-six homeruns (then a National League record) and drove in 191 runs (still a major league record after 82 years!). Alcohol proved to be Wilson’s downfall. As his bad temper grew worse, he got into fights on and off the field and showed up for games drunk. He played only four more years and by the end of 1934, he was out of baseball. He died in 1948 flat broke and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979.

10. DARREN SPROLES (1983) - Sproles (5’6” 190 lbs) went to Kansas State University where he was fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2003 and compiled the sixth most all-purpose yards in NCAA history. Sproles was drafted in the fourth round by the San Diego Chargers and went on to set the most all-purpose yards in a playoff game in NFL history. Darren made the San Diego Charger 50th anniversary team as a kick returner. In 2011, he became a free agent and signed with the New Orleans Saints where he broke the NFL record for most all-purpose yards in a season. Sproles became the first player to accumulate more than 2200 yards in four different seasons from 2008 to 2011.

11. WILLIAM HENRY “WEE WILLIE” KEELER (1872 –1923) - Keeler (5’4” 120 lbs) was the master of bat control and probably the greatest player of his time at executing the hit and run play. During his seventeen year career, Keeler batted .343 and compiled 2947 hits (both of which are higher than Babe Ruth’s stats). When “Wee Willie” was asked what the secret of his success was, he quipped “I just hit ‘em where they ain’t”. “Wee Willie” was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.

12. TYRONE “MUGGSY” BOGUES (1965) - “Muggsy” (5’3” 141 lbs) was the point guard for Dunbar High School where he led the team to two national championships and sixty straight wins. That team boasted four future NBA players. Bogues attended Wake Forest University and was selected with the twelfth pick overall in the 1987 NBA draft. His NBA career lasted fourteen years and he had a career average of over eight assists and one and a half steals per game. In 1986, he played in the FIBA World Championships leading the US team to a gold medal. Amazingly despite his five foot three inch height, “Muggsy” blocked thirty nine shots in his NBA career - including one on Patrick Ewing (the seven foot Hall of Fame center). He is currently a high school basketball coach in North Carolina and, not surprisingly, every player he has ever coached is taller than him.