My Top Ten for the Astros, Oilers/Texans, & Rockets
Wondering what I could do to get in trouble on a Saturday morning, I came up with a sure-fire plan. Here are my Top Ten athletes in Houston’s professional history with professional baseball, foot ball, and basketball – and all selected right off the top of my head with no further research that might turn this exercise into a more objective work project.
I will leave the objections and exceptions up to each of you. In fact, I’d love to see all of you who are willing to spare the time to present your own lists for all three professional sports in Houston as comments on this column. Mine are listed from most significant to least significant:
Let the weekend debates begin.
BASEBALL
1. Craig Biggio
2. Jeff Bagwell
3. Nolan Ryan
4, Jimmy Wynn
5. Joe Niekro
6. Jose Cruz
7. Larry Dierker
8. Roy Oswalt
9. Cesar Cedeno
10. Bob Watson
FOOTBALL
1. Earl Campbell
3. Warren Moon
3. Dan Pastorini
4. Andre Johnson
5. Elvin Bethea
6. Bruce Matthews
7. George Blanda
8. Billy Cannon
9. Charley Hennigan
10. Matt Schaub
BASKETBALL
1. Hakeem Olajuwon
2. Moses Malone
3. Clyde Drexler
4. Yao Ming
5. Mario Elle
6. Robert Horry
7. Sam Cassell
8. Ralph Sampson
9. Rudy Tomjanovich
10. John Lucas
The Pecan Park Eagle 
August 27, 2011 at 3:46 pm |
Did you forget…Roger Medsker and maybe Joe Morgan…..your top five were right on….
August 27, 2011 at 4:34 pm |
Add Calvin Murphy, Billy “White Shoes” Johnson
Subtract Ralph Sampson, Matt Schaub
August 27, 2011 at 5:17 pm |
Yeah, Calvin Murphy should be number three on the basketball list. And Ralph Sampson should be higher than 8th. In spite of injuries, his work in getting us to the Finals in 86 was stellar. And Rudy T needs to move up from 9, too.
Baseball is right on the mark.
August 27, 2011 at 5:20 pm |
In football, I can’t go with Billy Cannon. He only played 3 full seasons in Columbia Blue. Replace him with someone like Robert Brazile, who actually ought to be in the HOF. Mike Munchak is another guy who should be on that list.
That’s a good baseball list but I don’t see how you can leave Lance Berkman off of it though. Or J.R. Richard.
In basketball, Calvin Murphy definitely needs to be on there ahead of Horry or Cassell. Tracy McGrady probably needs to be on there as well.
August 27, 2011 at 5:41 pm |
No arguement here, great choices.
August 28, 2011 at 1:43 pm |
Surely Larry Miggins should be on your baseball listing . . .
August 28, 2011 at 2:48 pm |
Schaub will get there..but for now that spot should go to someone like Munchak, Culp,Brazille, or White Shoes.
Rudy T and Dierker deserve to be higher for their double (or in Dierks case triple duty) (One of our best all time managers, broadcasters AND pitchers)
They never captured my imagination, but T-Mac and Stevie Franchise probably deserve a spot over some of the championship years role players.
August 30, 2011 at 5:11 pm |
Definitely need to have Lance Berkman and/or Roger Clemens. Maybe even Andy Pettitte. Nolan Ryan should be tops.
Mike Munchak is an NFL HOF’er, so he’s a big ommission. Mario Williams is proving nearly worthy, too.
What about Jim Kelly of the Houston Gamblers? I still think of him as a Houstonian.
Basketball list looks okay, but what about Robert Reid? Any of the Fonde Legends belong there, and that includes Kim Perrott. Sheryl Swoops and Cynthia Cooper were 4-time champions. “You ain’t done it, ’till you’ve done it Fonde” – Moses Malone