Who did you play sports against in those younger days?
 

I thought it would be interesting to see who were some of the professional athletes/celebrities you played against in those younger days. Cards of those people are a plus. I'm suspecting that nobody is going to show a prewar card in this post but, if you do, you win!

Here are three guys I played High School basketball against back in the old, old days. Interesting that they ended up playing in three different professional sports.

Rob M

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Danny manning in basketball and Keith Delong in football. Manning is 1 year older.

I was fortunate to play one year with this guy, Dave Black, of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in High School.
He went on to have a pretty decent career.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davi...adian_football)

Todd Greene went to HS with me, however, before my JR/his SR year of HS during summer rec leagues, I got him out both times I faced him.


While I was in college, Lester Brown was my boss for a few years.

Nobody for me. But my older brother played against Randy Johnson. He also played baseball with Jack Del Rio and against Del Rio in football. He played baseball with Doug Henry as well. Not sure if anybody remembers him, but he pitched for Milwaukee and a short stint with SF.

My dad told me a story when my brothers team played against Randy Johnson. The first time he started warming up the guys on the team chuckled at the gangly left hander who started out throwing slowly. Then by the time he was finished they weren't laughing anymore. :D They said he was throwing aspirin tablets by that time. He went on to one-hit my bothers team. And guess who got that one hit? Yep, my brother, a lefty, crushed a deep fly ball that would have been a homer, but they were playing on a field with an open outfield. So he had to settle for a triple. Well, at least that's the story that was passed down to me.

if the below facts were about beautiful weather california they would not mean so much, but coming from gritty industrial frostbite falls illinois it is somewhat interesting.

played with/against these guys all from major league baseball:
jesse barfield mlb hr champ, also w 241 lifetime homers, bill gullickson p, 162 major league wins, jeff reed c, 17 yr mlb career, (and his brother kurt who played minor league ball then coached minor league teams (probablly still coaches)), may have played against a few others in various leagues or pick up games - such as mark grant p 9 yrs mlb, jack perconte 2b - 6 yrs mlb. 2 of the above had real solid careers and the rest at least hung around a while.

tom thayer, played pro fb for the nfl super bowl bears for a while and we played against him in high school.

about 20 additional guys from our 8 team conference and same age range were drafted and played minor league ball but never made it out of the minors. 7 of my high schools starting 11 (counting the 3 main pitchers) were drafted as i recall and 2 other teams in the 8 team conference had some pretty good draft numbers at that same time, which is how the 20 players drafted as mentioned above came about from the 8 team high school conference. one common trait of most of the people mentioned above is they were all underfed. no money where i came from and the people were small. this is no joke, true statement. for example jesse barfield was about 160 lbs as a senior in high school. he was a solid player but not yet a star in a very very competitive league when he weighed about 145 lbs as a sophmore as i recall. another good example is a guy named lorenzo who lived in the projects. lorenzo did not have money for a glove, he also had a really really low iq, but was a nice guy and good athlete. so lorenzo and some friends "borrowed a car" one night and went outside of town to a farm and stole a pig. took the pig back to the projects and sold it and now had the money for a glove, which he was quite proud of his entreprenurial effort!

ironically all the better high school players peaked in high school and early minor leagues, the 2 high school all americans we had never made it out of the minors. the guys listed above who made the majors kept growing and kept improving and made it to the big leagues and had long careers.

some of us migrated to softball as we got older. a national championship tournament softball team i played on had for a starting line up 7 or so guys out of the 9 starters who had played on final 4 teams from pony league, american legion, bronco league etc. and or played in the minors when they were younger. they had all tasted some relative sucess at one point from a national perspective.

a real hotbed of sports fanatics to say the least.

it was quite a line up of weekend warriors. almost all of the starters on the tournament championship softball team had at least one major league attribute ie a major league arm but couldnt hit at the, major level etc. so it was quite a joy to see on a regular basis, albeit with softball, some spectacular plays and players. our softball center fielder was a small college all american fb center. his arm was as good as jesse barfields and if you ever saw jesse barfield gun someone down from deep you know how awesome that arm is and why jesse led the majors in outfield assists several times. i was the catcher on that softball team and the opposing players who were fast and trying to come in to home to score that got gunned down could not believe what happened. watching fast runners hit what appeared to be sure singles to the outfield and thrown out at first base, etc. fielding plays that the pros dream of, hits out of the park.....truly awesome to see stuff like that on a regular basis.

some of the older guys on the softball team had been on teams with larry gura (won the national college championship w Arizona and reggie jackson and then won 126 mlb games and made the all star team in the pros, and bill sudakis who played 7 yrs at mlb level.

all of the above from a town of 75,000 people.

also while playing some basketball at chicago stadium played pickup games with/against patrick kane of the blackhawks and bill wennington of the bulls. i used to have a 39 to 40 inch vertical leap.

oh to have my body back from those days!!!!

getting older is a cruel joke on us humans.

Several
 

Played hundreds of back yard sporting events in our old neighborhood with former NFL QB Matt Lytle, former NFl linemen Ross Tucker was my water boy senior year, he was in i think 5 or 6th grade. Played against Kerry Collins (Wilson) in baseball and basketball but not football.Played against Donyell Marshall (Reading High) many times in basketball. I know i outscored him the lsat time we played against each other.Former MLB Pitcher rich delucia coached us at a baseball camp when i was little, Rich like Ross and Matt Lytle went to my HS Alma MAtter Wyomissing Area just outside Reading PA. I was on the Kutztown University Football team with John Mobley (Denver Broncos) but was injured and never on the field with him. One of my very good friends was one of the best modified import race car drivers in the world when that was his passion, Christian Rado. Also played some pick up hoops with reality tv star jon gosselin, another wyomissing alumnus and TV celebrity reporter Katrina Szish was a cheerleader for my football and basketball teams.

Played with and against Jake peavy as a child.

Its pretty commonly accepted around here that I was the better ball player up until about 15....... then he decided to focus in on pitching!


Went to school with Katie Mixon (east bound and down and American housewife)

My mom and her mom were really good friends

Eddie Vedder, Marc DeCarlo, Lee Smith, Bert Hooten, Fergie Jenkins, Joe Pepetone, Leon Durham, mike Bielecki, Shawn Boskie, and a whole bunch of other Cubs

I had a double dip in High School...not playing against, but playing with.

On my baseball team I actually got a chance to pinch hit for Wally Joyner. (blow out game and a courtesy at bat for me)

On our football team I started the pre-season as the second string kicker behind Kevin Butler (I didn't stick around for the season)

I curled against Reggie Leach and played rugby with Blaine Nye and Jim Merlo. I have played golf with Ron Yary (absolutely horrible) and Harry Carson (very solid). Both Robert Brazille and Ralph Garr worked out at my gym when we lived in Houston. My sons played against Dwight Freeney in 1996 when Darien HS defeated Bloomfield HS for the CT state championship.

I was on the JV squad when Alex Rodriguez came over from Miami to play our varsity team. He was already a pretty big deal at the time. We lost.

A former MVP

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1.../Pendleton.jpg

and a guy who pitched a no hitter

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b127/rats60/gross.jpg

I played on the same semi-pro team for a few games with Tony Pierce, Sr. and a state tournament with Mike Spilman, younger brother of Harry Spilman.

I'm sure I faced several future minor leaguers during my time as a pitcher but their names have eluded me.

Sometimes your memory hides things or events you don't really want to remember, perhaps to protect your ego. lol



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Never played any team sports, I boxed and did MMA before is was cool. I trained with pretty much anybody that was anybody in the mid 80's and early 90's including rolling with Royce Gracie. But the 2 guys I respected the most and was lucky enough to learn from on several occasions was Sherman Harrill http://www.theihof.com/046-sherman-j-harrill and George Shin http://www.theihof.com/072-george-shin-sr.

Sherman was one of those guys that could touch you and make it hurt more than getting full power punched by most. George was by far the most brutal man I have ever met in my life. Outside of training they are/were the most gentle, kind and friendly people I ever had the privilege to meet.

I played youth Baseball with Craig Biggio. He was a year younger than me but I could tell he was going to be special in Junior High. I never played varsity baseball but he was the star of my HS team. The year he graduated he was the best Football player in Suffolk County(averaging 10 yards per carry).
I remember having a conversation with Craig in HS and him telling me that he was going to be a catcher because he felt along with the coach that he had a better shot at making it to the bigs if he was a catcher. 3000 hits later he made the right decision!

When I was a Squirt
 

I played with Wiilie O'ree at Hockey summer camp.

Played with:

Eric Young
Angel Echeveria
Jeffrey Hammond's
Joe Borowski

Played against:

Mo Vaughn
Craig Biggio
Willie Banks

Tom C

Johnny Damon. Kept him in the park too (he doubled off the wall, lol!)

With
 

Played with NFL Players, Rueben Davis and Delton Hall

I was on the JV team, but our varsity played Spalding Academy in Peoria, Illinois in the late 70's against this guy

While playing softball years ago, Steve Bartowski, Jim Mitchell, Jim Nash and lately Terrell Wade.
I have seen many more celebs in tournaments, Miguel Cuellar, Jose and Ozzie Canseco and Ray Knight.

Tony Dorsett ran around, over and through me in college.

Not sure if any hockey fans out there, but in my younger years of pee wee and bantams, played against Joe pavelski. Pretty awesome to see him grow up and be such a stud on the ice!


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Hall of Fame Bowler
 

Mike Berlin, a good mentor, friend and a great ambassador for one of America's beer drinking sports.

Ahh the glory days - 1990's
High school baseball played with/against Frank Catalanotto and Billy Koch.
College baseball quick memories played against:
Brian Roberts (UNC) Lead off hitter. Singled then stole 2nd then 3rd on the next 2 pitches twice in 1 game.
Carlos Pena (Northeastern) wind blowing out hit 5 HRs in 3 game series.

Early ice hockey - Billy Smith was asst coach his son was our goalie. Old school dynasty Islanders used to come out. Pat Flatley and others used to come out and play pond hockey. Any 70s - 80s Islander cards or memorabilia for sale you know where to come!

Jim Bouton
 

Jim "Bulldog" Bouton STILL pitches for my Vintage Baseball team.

Last year he threw a complete 9 inning game.

The first picture is from a couple of years ago when he played for a different team. The second picture is me getting a single off of him in the same game.

[QUOTE The second picture is me getting a single off of him in the same game.[/QUOTE]

Brian that picture is amazing! Vintage uniforms are sweet! Looks like a psa 10 "Batting" T206.

My brother bowled professionally winning a handful of tournaments including the US Open. I bowled against several of the professionals.
I also played baseball and football against Kendall Gammon. He was a long snapper for the Chiefs and Steelers.

I played high school basketball with Flip Saunders and football with Jack Squirek. Not sure if it counts but, I also played major level softball against Shag Nixon who eventually became the starting shortstop for one of the first ever professional softball teams, Stepien's Competitor's, back in the 80's.

BobC

Played basketball against a guy now on my hometown team the Minnesota Timberwolves- Tyus Jones. Was in the same conference as us

Played the same year as Joe Mauer, but our teams never played. I played football against one of the greats of all time Larry Fitzgerald. I tell people we shut him down, 2 catches 121 yds 2 tds. He had his pads off by halftime. I also played at the same USA all-star team in Puerto Rico as Andrew McCutchen. He was 3 years younger so we were on different teams. He could mash back then.

Thanks
 

Brian that picture is amazing! Vintage uniforms are sweet! Looks like a psa 10 "Batting" T206.[/QUOTE]

I always liked that pic and want to someday get it into a T206 or Allen and Ginter Format. Here is another one from a different game that I'd like to clean up and display. Perhaps a horizontal T206 format. Or maybe a T202 with my pic on one panel and Bouton on the other.

My wife's cousin is James Neal from the Nashville Predators.

A good friend of mine played with Marc Savard from the Boston Bruins, and my best friends neighbor was Shawn Thornton who is currently with the Florida Panthers.

I missed an opportunity, due to being on vacation, to have our pic taken with Shawn and the Stanley Cup when he won it with the Boston Bruins.

My son played a game of Shinny with Andrew Shaw, currently with the CDN's, when he was playing with Chicago.

Lots of others I have forgotten about, but hockey has been in my blood for years.

Oh yeah, when I was an infant, Bobby Orr lived near me here in Oshawa and frequently played road hockey out in front my parents place.
Always wish my Dad would have taken some pics or got his autograph, but he wasn't the super star then like he is now.

Bob Lanier, intramural table tennis semifinals. Couldn't compete with his reach.

Played tennis informally against QB Brad Johnson.

I played baseball on the same team as Zane Smith and unrelated to this, Danny Woodhead's parents were both in high school with me.

Celeb Highlights
 

My Dad and Babe Ruth went to different schools about 40 years apart. And to top that, I was born in the same country as Ty Cobb!! Also swam in the same ocean as Pam Anderson on Baywatch. Enough about my exciting life...........

arthritis
 

Played basketball against Corliss Williamson...he dunked on my head in the ninth grade and ESPN showed it on Scholastic Sports America with Chris Fowler....pitched against Ryan Franklin when I was 16 in American Legion..we lost......played against a few other guys who played minor league ball...in football played against Henry Burris who is a god in Canadian football.....and Carl Kidd who played for the Raiders.......Jerry

Dwayne Murphy and I were on the same Pony League team, the "Lookouts".
Larry
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Jim Slaton is from my hometown, and my older sister knew him in High School. In the early '70s she was living in Garden Grove California, and I think she was one of his "roadies" when the Brewers visited the Angels;)
Larry
Larry<a href="http://s176.photobucket.com/user/larrytipton/media/fullsizeoutput_729.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w185/larrytipton/fullsizeoutput_729.jpeg" border="0" alt=" photo fullsizeoutput_729.jpeg"/></a><a href="http://s176.photobucket.com/user/larrytipton/media/fullsizeoutput_72a.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w185/larrytipton/fullsizeoutput_72a.jpeg" border="0" alt=" photo fullsizeoutput_72a.jpeg"/></a>

I played on the same 3on3 team as Larry Nance Jr. at the University of Akron summer basketball camp. We won the tournament. That's a trophy I'll never get rid of.

By the way, the Nance family is just about the nicest family you'll ever me.

In my very brief pro tennis career I was pummeled by Jimmy Connors, Eddie Dibbs and Harold Solomon among others in 1974 & 75. After realizing teaching was going to pay more than playing (losing) I hit with Arthur Ashe and Billie Jean King.

I went to high school with and played briefly my sophomore year with James "Duck" White who played nine years with the Vikings. It was at that time I realized I was a tennis player not a quarterback though I did continue trying until my freshman year in college. I now limp.

Covered Charles Woodson in summer league 7 on 7 passing. He was pretty good :rolleyes: but I didn't give up a TD

I played on the same high school team as Steve Hutchinson

He was a starter both ways on varsity as a freshman.

Dude is still married to his 8th grade girlfriend. Pretty cool

For a tiny D III college from New England, Williams College had some pretty stiff competition...

As a kid, played road hockey with a dude who ended up playing in the Canadian Football League. Also worked for a guy who played in the CFL.

Speaking of CFL, about 8 years ago, I went up against Doug Flutie in a men's fast-pitch softball league in Framingham, MA. He was playing right center field and I hit a liner to the fence between him and the right fielder...an "easy" home run with my speed, the distance the outfielder would need to run to track my ball, and with the outfield fence a good 350 to 400 feet from home. As I rounded third I heard my teammates yell a few octaves louder, although the sounds of their voices were muted by the following sound: PFSSSSSSSST coming from my left shoulder. I picked up the pace but had to slide into home as I narrowly beat the throw that had come on a line (no bounce, no air, no cut-off) from the right center field fence. I will never forget that sound!

Best I can do is that I coached Junior Herndon, who had a cup of coffee with the Padres in 1998, when he was in high school. I'm told he had a big head before I knew him but he was awesome for me.

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