In honor of Father's Day, I would like to reflect back on our deep, rich sports history to find the Top 5 Father/Child pairings in professional sports. First for some honorable mention...
The Alomar's
Father, Sandy, played 15 MLB seasons and amassed over 1,000 career hits. Known mostly for his defense, Sandy, Sr. was an All-Star selection in 1970. Sandy had two sons play in the Big Leagues as well, Roberto and Sandy, Jr. Roberto Alomar also played 15 MLB seasons and was a career .300 hitter whose career accolades included 4 Silver Slugger awards, an astonishing 10 Gold Gloves, 12 All-Star selections, and 2 World Series rings. Roberto will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this year alongside Bert Blyleven. His brother, Sandy, was selected to 6 All-Star games and was the 1990 AL Rookie of the Year. He ended his 9 year MLB career in 2007 as a member of the New York Mets.
From left to right: Roberto, Sandy Sr. and Sandy Jr.
The Alou's
Father, Felipe, spent his 17-year MLB career as a member of six different teams, amassing 206 career home runs. Although a 3-time All Star, Felipe is most recently known as a manager for the Montreal Expos and San Franscisco Giants. He was the 1994 NL Manager of the Year as manager of the Expos. His son, Moises, ended his career as a member of the New York Mets in 2008, during which he was a lifetime .303 hitter with over 2,100 hits, 330 home runs, and 1,200 runs batted in. Moises was a 6-time All Star, 2x Silver Slugger award winner, and a World Series champion in 1997 with the Florida Marlins.
The Boone's
Father, Bob, was a 4-time All Star, 6-time Gold Glove winner, and World Series champion in 1980 as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. He played his 19 MLB seasons as a member of the Phillies, Angels, and Royals and managed for 6 seasons, 3 with the Royals in the mid 90s and 3 with the Reds in the early 2000s. Son, Bret, played for 5 MLB teams, including 2 stints with the Seattle Mariners. Bret was a 3-time All Star, 4-time Gold Glove winner, and 2-time Silver Slugger. Brother, Aaron, is most remembered for his walk-off, 2003 ALCS-clinching home run in the 11th inning off Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield. Aaron was an All Star selection in 2003 as well. (Grandfather, Ray, was also an MLB player from 1948-1960)
From left to right: Aaron, Ray, Bret, and Bob.
Now for the Top 5:
5. The Griffeys
Ken Griffey, Sr. was a career .296 hitter in his 19 MLB seasons, many during his 2 stints with the Cincinnati Reds. He hit 152 home runs and was selected to 3 All Star games, while winning 2 World Series rings. Son, Ken Jr., is widely regarded as the player with the sweetest pure swing in baseball history. Griffey, Jr. may have ended his career as the all-time leader in home runs had he not been worn down by injuries. He finished with 630 home runs (6th all time), 2,781 hits, and 1,836 RBIs (15th all time). "Junior" was a 13-time All Star, 10-time Gold Glove winner, 7-time Silver Slugger, 1997 AL MVP, 3-time Home Run Derby champ, and a member of the MLB All-Century team for the 1900s. I guess you could say he was a pretty good ball player.
Junior and Senior
4. The Bonds'
Father, Bobby, played 14 MLB seasons, most with the San Francisco Giants. He was the first player to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in the same season twice. He finished his career with 332 home runs and 461 stolen bases (47th all time). He was a 3-time All Star and won 3 Gold Gloves throughout his career as well. Like the Griffeys, the son was the much better player. Barry Lamar Bonds, albeit one of the more polarizing figures in baseball history, is arguably the greatest hitter of all time, despite steroid allegations. Bonds is the all-time leader in home runs with 762, stole 514 bases (33rd all time), batted in 1,996 runs (4th all time), and collected 2,935 hits. Barry was also a 14-time All Star, 8-time Gold Glove winner, 12-time Silver Slugger, and 7-time NL MVP.
3. The Ali's
Unlike the Griffey's and the Bonds', in the case of the Ali's the patriarch was the more famous. Father, Muhammad Ali, formerly known as Cassius Clay, is often known as "The Greatest", was a professional boxer and 3-time heavyweight champion of the world. Considered by most to be the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time, Ali also won a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics as a light heavyweight. Daughter, Laila, was a IBA, WIBA, and IWBF champion during her career and finished an undefeated 24-0. Despite criticism that she never fought top competition, she was still an undefeated champion.
2. The Manning's
Father, Archie, played 16 NFL seasons, 12 of which with the New Orleans Saints. Archie threw for over 23,000 yards, was a 2-time Pro Bowler, and the 1978 NFC Offensive Player of the Year. He played for the New Orleans Saints, who at the time were one of the worst teams in NFL history, and for whom he was often the lone bright spots. Son, Peyton, is widely considered the best player in the NFL right now. Having already won a Super Bowl and AFC MVP honors 4 times, Peyton has already been voted to 11 Pro Bowls and is the fastest to ever reach 50,000 passing yards. He is well on his way to Canton, Ohio and the NFL Hall of Fame, but still has a ways left to go. Brother Eli is the current quarterback for the New York Giants and has already won a Super Bowl himself. He has also been voted to a Pro Bowl in 2008 and is a top quarterback in the league today.
Archie will always have a special place in my heart as a Saint.
1. The Hull's
Perhaps overshadowed by the others in the Top 5, and overlooked due to the sport they play, but Bobby and Brett Hull are the best Father/Child combo in sports history in my eyes. The great Bobby Hull, one of the greatest hockey players of all-time, played 24 seasons in the NHL. He was inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame in 1983, 3 years after he ended his career. He won a Stanley Cup in 1961 as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks, and at the time of his retirement he was the 2nd leading goal-scorer of all-time and the 9th-leading point-scorer. He now ranks 12th and 43rd in those categories, respectively. In 1998 he was listed as the 8th best hockey player ever according to The Hockey News' Top 100, and the top left-winger ever. His son, Brett, is currently 3rd all time in goals scored and 21st in points, surpassing his father in both categories. He scored 70 goals in a season 3 times, which has only been done more often by "The Great One" Wayne Gretzky (4 times). He won 2 Stanley Cups, one with Dallas in 1999 and once with Detroit in 2002. Bobby and Brett may not be the first father/son combo that comes to mind, but boy were they the best.
Number 1.
Happy Father's Day to all.
-TA
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