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So we were sitting around the wireless router the other day rehashing the day's events when we stumbled across a topic so divisive, so downright tumultuous, it nearly caused an insurgency in the office. Keyboards were thrown. Punches were pulled, then pushed, then pulled again... only to be pushed three or four more times. Words like "#^!#@", and "*%$#+&#", and even "#^@@**%-+^#" were thrown around, and that's leaving out words like "paisley," "antique," "butternut," and other mildly ill-suited idioms. Yeah, it was heated. And it wasn't until we'd taken our company-issued "chill pills," Berelaxt (regrettably, they're suppositories) that we realized the obvious: this topic needed a list.

So what was the topic? Well, if you've chosen to scroll your mouse-hand over this link and clickety-click, we're guessing you've got a pretty good idea. What athlete, in any sport, was the best to wear a given number? For instance, take the number 33. A good number, lots of symbolism, and prone to being worn by many a great athlete.... Larry Bird, for instance. And Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. And Sammy Baugh. And Honus Wagner. And... well, you get the idea. But who wore it best?

After we realized that seven hours of fisticuffs wasn't going to answer the question, we agreed on a different approach: an in-depth, statistical, empirical analysis with a certain percentage allotted for qualitative components, such as creativity, compatibility, and, for lack of a better word, clutchitude. For those scoring at home, that's x=zy(-3)/y(squared)*-z... or something like that. OK, we admit it, we made that part up. We're trying to look professional here. Really, we just argued a bunch until we got something like a consensus, ran it by Phinnaes, and voila, a list.

So here's what we've done; for the most part, all of the athletes are professional, except for some rare occurrences (rugby, for instance, was all amateur or semi-professional until recently). We've covered every professional sport we can think of, and even have a category for "athlete that didn't wear a number" like golfers, tennis players, early baseball players, etc... What you'll notice, surely, is that there is a plethora of American football players. This stands to reason, as not only do they have the largest rosters in professional sports, but they are also the only sport that commonly has players numbered 40-99. There are also some numbers that are pathetically under-represented, and they'll become obvious as you read on (rookies, you should be paying attention). And since we've rambled on enough....

00 Jim Otto

Very clever, Jim Otto. Very clever indeed. See, Jim started his
career with the Raiders when they were part of the now defunct
American Football League. As a marketing ploy, he switched his
number to 00, a pun on his name ("aught-o").

Jim was a center for the Oakland Raiders, and for 15 years, the
man never missed a game. He was an All-Star for 12 of those
years (including the last 3, after the Raiders had joined the
NFL). He is one of twenty players to play in the AFL for the
duration of its' existence.

This is the first of many difficult decisions, as Jim's resume
is very similar to that of National Basketball Association
Hall of Famer Robert Parish. While Parish was a great player, we couldn't help but feel he accomplished many of his numbers through sheer longevity and good fortune. If he'd never been traded to the Celtics, would he even be in the conversation? Of course, he was traded, and he was in the conversation.

Others considered:

Robert Parish: Center, National Basketball Association, Golden State Warriors (1976- 1980), Boston Celtics (1980-1994), Charlotte Hornets (1994-1996), Chicago Bulls (1996-1997).

Ken Burrough: Wide Receiver, National Football League, Houston Oilers (1971-1981), New Orleans Saints (1970).

0 Gilbert Arenas

OK, so when we set out on this exercise, we were determined
that if we used current players, they would be established
veterans, sure to be in the Hall of Fame when they're playing
careers ended. Guys like Shaquille O'Neal, for instance. Or
Roger Clemens. It proved more difficult than we could have
ever imagined.

So, in our first example of what might be considered a reach, we
give you Gilbert Arenas, a point guard for the Washington
Wizards of the National Basketball Association. Given his career
to date he's already the best player to ever wear number 0, and
it's really not even close (it doesn't help that the number is
extremely uncommon). In his short career, he has been to the
all-star game twice, holds the Washington Wizards record for
career three-pointers made, and was named the NBA's Most
Improved Player in 2003.

Interestingly, he wears number 0 because when he signed to
play collegiately at the University of Arizona, that's how many
minutes the pundits predicted he would play for Lute Olson.

Others considered:

Orlando Woolridge: Forward, National Basketball Association, Chicago Bulls (1982-1986), New Jersey Nets (1987-1988), Los Angeles Lakers (1989-1990), Denver Nuggets (1991-1992), Detroit Pistons (1992-1993), Milwaukee Bucks (1993), Philadelphia 76ers (1994).

1 Lev Yashin

The number 1 is the realm of the goalkeeper. Mostly from
hockey and European football/soccer, there are so many
candidates here that it became difficult to choose. Ah, but
choose we did. We wouldn't be very good list-makers if we
didn't, would we?

So, who is Lev Yashin, you ask? Well, he was a goalkeeper
for both the Dynamo Moscow and the Russian National
football teams. He is the only goalkeeper to have ever won
the European Footballer of the Year award (in 1963), and is
believed to have stopped near 150 penalty kicks during his
career, far more than any other goalkeeper. He also finished
his career with 480 clean sheets (shutouts), and was named
the most outstanding football player in Russia over the last
50 years by the Football Union of Russia.

In a testament to his goal-stopping ability, Yashin also won
a championship for the Dynamo Moscow hockey team as the
club's goalkeeper in 1953.

Another tough call on this one. Jacques Plante, pioneer goalkeeper for the mighty Montreal Canadiens of the mid-20th century has a marvelous resume. So does Terry Sawchuk. But Yashin was just so well respected by his peers and has such incomparable numbers that he's got to get the nod.

Others considered:

Jacques Plante: Goalkeeper, National Hockey League, Montreal Canadiens (1954-1963), New York Rangers (1963-1965), St. Louis Blues (1968-1970), Toronto Maple Leafs (1970-1973), Boston Bruins (1973-1974).

Terry Sawchuk: Goalkeeper, National Hockey League, Detroit Red Wings (1949-1955 and 1957-1964 and 1968-1969), Boston Bruins (1955-1957), Toronto Maple Leafs (1964-1967), Los Angeles Kings (1967-1968), New York Rangers (1969-1970).

Gordon Banks: Goalkeeper, English National Squad (1963-1972) and English Football Association, Chesterfield (1958-1959), Leicester City (1959-1966), Stoke City (1966-1972), and League of Ireland, St. Patrick's Athletic F.C. (1977), and the North American Soccer League, Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1978).

Ozzie Smith: Shortstop, Major League Baseball, San Diego Padres (1978-1981), St. Louis Cardinals (1982-1996).

Peter Schmeichel: Goalkeeper, Danish National Team (1987-2001), and Danish First Division, Hvidore IF (1984-1986), Brondby IF (1987-1991) and English Football Association, Manchester United (1991-1999), Aston Villa (2001-2002), Manchester City (2002-2003) and the Portuguese Premier League, Sporting Lisbon (1999-2001).

Warren Moon: Quarterback, National Football League, Houston Oilers (1984-1993), Minnesota Vikings (1994-1996), Seattle Seahawks (1997-1998), Kansas City Chiefs (1999-2000) and Canadian Football League, Edmonton Eskimos (1978-1983).

Glenn Hall: Goalkeeper, National Hockey League, Detroit Red Wings (1954-1956), Chicago Blackhawks (1956-1967), St. Louis Blues (1967-1971).

Pee Wee Reese: Shortstop, Major League Baseball, Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers (1940- 1958).

Tracy McGrady: Forward, National Basketball Association, Toronto Raptors (1997-2000), Orlando Magic (2000-2004), Houston Rockets (2004-present).

2 Eddie Shore

Eddie Shore is the only defenseman in the long, illustrious
history of the National Hockey League to win the Hart Trophy
(Most Valuable Player) four times. That right there says
something. Also, not a lot of athletes wearing the number
2. Not saying Shore's doesn't belong (you'll see, later, some
guys that really don't belong), just saying he didn't have a
lot of competition. Shore was also named an all-star in eight
of the first nine years an all-star team was appointed, and he
won two Stanley Cups.

Shore is also the first member of our list that we would
consider to be... how should we say this... cantankerous?
Does that work for everyone? Hockey was an excuse for him
to administer his own brand of justice, whether it be for
his opponents, his own teammates.. basically, anyone who
stepped into the rink. There's a reason he was so revered
in Slap Shot.

Shore's main competition for the number 2 jersey was Doug
Harvey, another stellar defenseman who only falls short in
the pinache category (plus, he didn't win four Hart Trophys).

Others considered:

Doug Harvey: Defensman, National Hockey League, Montreal Canadiens (1947-1961), New York Rangers (1961-1964), Detroit Red Wings (1966-1967), St. Louis Blues (1967-1969).

Mickey Cochrane: Catcher, Major League Baseball, Philadelphia Athletics (1925-1933), Detroit Tigers (1934-1937).

Red Schoendienst: Second Baseman, Major League Baseball, St. Louis Cardinals (1945- 1956 and 1961-1963), New York Giants (1956-1957), Milwaukee Braves (1957-1960).

Charley Trippi: Halfback/Quarterback/Defensive Back/Punter, National Football League, Chicago Cardinals (1947-1955).

Alex English: Forward, National Basketball Association, Denver Nuggets (1980-1990), Milwaukee Bucks (1977-1978), Indiana Pacers (1979-1980), Dallas Mavericks (1991).

Derek Jeter: Shortstop, Major League Baseball, New York Yankees (1995-present).

Rusty Wallace: Race Car Driver, NASCAR (1980-2005).

3 Babe Ruth

Wait, wait. Did you guess this one? Anyone place
odds on whether or not this would be the Bambino?
Anyone take those odds?

As crowded as the field is at number 3, this is one
of the easiest decisions we had to make. Babe was
one of those guys, you know, the guys who
utterly and brilliantly changed the game forever.
Whose mark is still being felt with every pitch,
with every uptick in the ratings, with every outfield
fence moved in.

The thing is, Il Bambino did those things he did
when the fences were still out. When the ball was
still nice and mushy. When he was hungover. His
powerful numbers weren't even touched until the
powers that be created the perfect storm: juiced-
up baseballs, juiced-up athletes, and elementary school stadiums. That's what it took to overtake the Babe, and of course you know, the whole thing's a sham, but that's a point for another rant.

So let's look at the numbers, shall we? We all know he hit 714 home runs, but did you know he did it in 8,400 at bats? For reference, Hank Aaron, a great player in his own right, and the current record holder for career home runs, hit his in 12,400 at bats. Ruth was a lifetime .342 hitter. In 1920, when Ruth hit 54 home runs, only the Philadelphia Phillies managed to hit more as a team. As a pitcher, he won 94 games and lost 46 with a 2.28 earned run average. Has there ever been a better baseball player?

Interestingly, Ruth only wore the number 3 because it was assigned to him. The Yankees were the first team to regularly wear uniform numbers, and as Ruth batted 3rd in the lineup, he was given the number 3.

Others considered:

Dale Earnhardt: Race car driver, NASCAR (1975-2001).

Bronco Nagurski: Fullback, National Football League, Chicago Bears (1930-1937 and 1943).

Leigh Matthews: Rover, Australian Rules Football, Hawthorn Hawks (1969-1985).

Jimmie Foxx: First Baseman, Major League Baseball, Philadelphia Athletics (1925-1935), Boston Red Sox (1936-1942), Chicago Cubs (1942-1944), Philadelphia Phillies (1945).

Harmon Killebrew: First Baseman, Major League Baseball, Washington Senators (1959- 1960), Minnesota Twins (1961-1974), Kansas City Royals (1975).

Allen Iverson: Guard, National Basketball Association, Philadelphia 76ers (1996-present).

Tony Canadeo: Halfback, National Football League, Green Bay Packers (1941-1952).

Daryle Lamonica: Quarterback, National Football League, Oakland Raiders (1970-1974), and American Football League, Buffalo Bills (1963-1966), Oakland Raiders (1967-1969).

4 Lou Gehrig

And batting cleanup for the Yankees when numbers
were assigned, you guessed it, number 4, Lou
Gehrig.

So what did Lou do to deserve this spot? Oh, I
don't know... how 'bout hitting .340 for his
career, that do anything for you? What about
seven seasons of at least 150 R.B.I.'s, that
sound good? If I told you he won the Amercian
league MVP twice, or that he won the triple
crown in 1934, would that make you feel better
about it? Or, maybe you're more of a longevity
fan... does, uh, 2,130 straight float your
boat? I mean, it sounds good to us, but we
wanted to make sure.

And while everyone knows his career and life
were cut short by a disease that would later
be named after him, did you know that an X-Ray late in his career showed that he had 17 fractures in his hands? 2,130 sounds all the more impressive.

Gehrig also had one of TrunkBunker's favorite nicknames of all time: Biscuit Pants, referring to how well he... let's see... filled out his trousers. We can't make this stuff up people. Classic, classic stuff.

Others considered:

Bobby Orr: Defenseman, National Hockey League, Boston Bruins (1966-1976), Chicago Blackhawks (1976-1977 and 1978-1979).

Jean Beliveau: Center, National Hockey League, Montreal Canadiens (1950-1971).

Brett Favre: Quarterback, National Football League, Green Bay Packers (1992-present), Atlanta Falcons (1991-1992).

Red Kelly: Defenseman/Forward, National Hockey League, Detroit Red Wings (1947-1960), Toronto Maple Leafs (1960-1967).

Luke Appling: Shortstop, Major League Baseball, Chicago White Sox (1930-1950).

Ralph Kiner: Outfielder, Major League Baseball, Pittsburgh Pirates (1946-1953), Chicago Cubs (1953-1954), Cleveland Indians (1955).

Mel Ott: Outfielder, Major League Baseball, New York Giants (1926-1947).

Dolph Schayes: Forward, National Basketball Association, Syracuse Nationals (1950- 1963), Philadelphia 76ers (1964).

5 Gary Ablett

Thought you'd see three straight Yankees here, didn't you? Well,
don't sell us short. When we make a list here at TrunkBunker,
we put in the time and the effort to exhaust not only ourselves,
but the candidates for the lists themselves. And while Joltin' Joe
was certainly a great player, he was no Gary Ablett.

Ablett was an Australian Rules Football player, possibly the
greatest of all time. What's interesting, is that much like Pete
Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson, his exploits are often
overlooked by the powers that be in his own sport due to
extracurricular controversy.

But the fans never forget. In 13 years with the Geelong Football
club, Ablett proved himself a star, sometimes a breathtaking
one. He won three consecutive Coleman medals for most kicked
goals in a season, each time breaking the 100 goal barrier,
a rare feat indeed. His record for goals in a finals series
still stands at 27, a year in which he would be named winner
of the Norm Smith Medal (finals MVP), becoming one of only
four players to have ever won it from a losing side.

More telling, though, is the nickname the fans gave him. Simply, "God," which, as a born- again Christian, he didn't really care for. But it was as good a reference they could come up with to describe his play.

Needless to say, this was not an easy call. Not only did DiMaggio wear number 5, but so did Franz Beckenbauer, the great German footballer. As a matter of fact, when we got down to the finalists, it really came down to Beckenbauer and Ablett. But to a man, those that had seen Ablett play listed him consistently as the best to ever play the game, and that's something we just couldn't overlook. That, and the fact that Beckenbauer had worn number 6 in his time with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League.

Others considered:

Franz Beckenbauer: Defender/Sweeper, West German National team (1965-1977) and German Bundesliga, Bayern Munich (1965-1977), Hamburger SV (1980-1982), and the North American Soccer League, New York Cosmos (1977-1980 and 1983).

Joe DiMaggio: Center Fielder, Major League Baseball, New York Yankees (1936-1942 and 1946-1951).

Johnny Bench: Catcher, Major League Baseball, Cincinnati Reds (1967-1983).

Paul Hornung: Halfback, National Football League, Green Bay Packers (1957-1966).

Brooks Robinson: Third Baseman, Major League Baseball, Baltimore Orioles (1955-1977).

Dit Clapper: Forward/Defenseman, National Hockey League, Boston Bruins (1927-1947).

Hank Greenberg: First Baseman, Major League Baseball, Detroit Tigers (1930-1946), Pittsburgh Pirates (1947).

Donovan McNabb: Quarterback, National Football League, Philadelphia Eagles (1999- present).

George Brett: Third Baseman, Major League Baseball, Kansas City Royals (1973-1993).

6 Bill Russell

Some great players donned the number 6 over
the years, but, let us ask you, did any of them win
championships 11 out of the 13 years that they
played (or 85% of the time)? Did any of them win 5
MVP awards? Did any of them get named "greatest
player to ever play" by the writers covering their
sport? Did they?

William Felton Russell did, and while his title of
"greatest ever" has since been usurped, the
numbers he put up during his 13 year career
border on the ridiculous. He averaged 22.5
rebounds per game for his the entirety of his
career. In the playoffs, money-time, he
averaged 24.9. He was a 12 time all-star, and
essentially set a standard for defense that will
never be matched. Blocked shots were not a recorded statistic in his day, but rest assured, he'd be at the top of that list as well.

Russell was extremely active in the American Civil Rights Movement, not to mention the "Black Power" movement. He was often referred to as "Felton X," even going so far as to purchase land in Liberia.

Others considered:

Bobby Moore: Defenseman, English National Team (1962-1973), English Football Association, West Ham United F.C. (1958-1974), Fulham F.C. (1974-1977), and the North American Soccer League, San Antonio Thunder (1977), Seattle Sounders (1978).

Stan Musial: Outfielder/First Baseman, Major League Baseball, St. Louis Cardinals (1941-1963).

Julius Erving: Forward, National Basketball Association, Philadelphia 76ers (1976- 1987), and the American Basketball Association, Virginia Squires (1971-1973), New York/New Jersey Nets (1973-1976). At Virginia and New York he wore number 32.

Al Kaline: Outfielder, Major League Baseball, Detroit Tigers (1953-1974).

7 John Elway

Tough, tough call at the number 7. Four great athletes
vying for the top spot, all with sparkling yet comparable
profiles. Needless to say, some feelings here at
TrunkBunker headquarters were injured, not to mention
some medial collateral ligaments, thanks to the insults
(in the form of fists and, in some cases, printers) being
thrown. Phinnaes was forced to step in, and, as usual,
present the strongest case.

And so John Elway wins the tussle for best number 7, and
based on his numbers, it's hard to argue. He led his team,
the Denver Broncos to five Super Bowls, winning two. He
has more wins than any other quarterback in NFL history,
and also retired with the best winning percentage. He is
tied for most pro-bowl trips amongst quarterbacks, and
in a recent release from The Sporting News, was named the 3rd best quarterback of all time. And, as a nod to his clutchitude (you heard it here first), Elway holds the record for most game-winning or game-tying drives in the fourth quarter with 47.

Elway was also a standout baseball player, having been drafted by the Kansas City Royals out of high school in 1979, then again in 1981 by the New York Yankees, and even played in their minor league system for Oneonta, where he hit .314.

Others considered:

Rogers Hornsby: Second Baseman, Major League Baseball, St. Louis Cardinals (1915- 1926 and 1933), New York Giants (1927), Boston Braves (1928), Chicago Cubs (1929-1932), St. Louis Browns (1933-1937).

Mickey Mantle: Outfielder, Major League Baseball, (1952-1969).

George Best: Winger, Northern Ireland National Team (1964-1978) and English Football Association, Manchester United (1963-1974), Stockport County (1975), Fulham F.C. (1976-1977), A.F.C. Bournemouth (1983) and Football League of Ireland, Cork Celtic (1975-1976), and the North American Soccer League, Los Angeles Aztecs (1976, 1977, 1978), Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1979, 1980), San Jose Earthquakes (1980, 1981) and Scottish Football Association, Hibernian F.C. (1979-1980), and Australian National Soccer League, Brisbane Lions (1983).

Garrincha: Forward, Brazilian National Team (1955-1966) and Brazilian Serie A, Botafogo (1953-1965), Corinthians (1966), Flamengo (1968-1969) and Brazilian Futbol Association, Olario (1972) and Copa Mustang, Atletico Junior (1968).

Howie Morenz: Center, National Hockey League, Montreal Canadiens (1923-1934 and 1936- 1937), Chicago Blackhawks (1934-1935), New York Rangers (1935-1936).

Phil Esposito: Center, National Hockey League, Chicago Blackhawks (1963-1967), Boston Bruins (1967-1976), New York Rangers (1976-1981).

Nate Archibald: Guard, National Basketball Association, Cincinnati Royals (1970-1972), Kansas City Kings (1972-1976), New York Knicks (1976-1977), Boston Celtics (1978-1983), Milwaukee Bucks (1983-1984).

Joe Medwick: Left Fielder, Major League Baseball, St. Louis Cardinals (1932-1940 and 1947-1948), Brooklyn Dodgers (1940-1943 and 1946), New York Giants (1943-1945), Boston Braves (1945).

8 Yogi Berra

Still more tough decisions to be made (really, we're only getting
started), and the number 8 was no exception. From Cal Ripken
Jr. to Troy Aikman, to Carl Yastrzemski, many a great player
has worn the number 8 shirt, and it was only through a scientific
process of raising one's voice higher than that of your opponent
that we were able to come to a consensus.

Lovable Yogi Berra. Widely considered the best catcher to ever
play the game (and though we struggled with it, we're going to
refrain from using any pic-a-nic basket jokes here... but man,
what a struggle), fans and players alike seem to have forgotten
how great a baseball player he really was. So what is it that
they've forgotten?

Well, for starters, Yogi won the MVP three times, in 1951, 1954,
and 1955. He was a 15(!) time all-star, and between 1949 and
1955, on a team littered with Hall of Famers like Mickey Mantle
and Joe DiMaggio, it was Yogi who led the team in R.B.I.'s for
seven straight years. As a catcher he excelled, as he was one
of only four catchers in history to field 1.000 for an entire
season. Also, thanks to the dominance of the Yankees while Berra played for them, he leads the league in many career World Series records, like at-bats, hits, doubles, and singles. He was also renowned for his clutchitude (there's that word again), as manager Paul Richards once called him the "toughest out in the league over the last three innings."

Tough call taking Yogi over Yaz and his all-around game, Ripken and his streak of games played, or over Aikman and his three Super Bowl victories. But in the end, Berra's superior offensive production, combined with his incredible record for stamina as well won the spot for him.

Others considered:

Carl Yastrzemski: Outfielder/First Baseman/Designated Hitter, Major League Baseball, Boston Red Sox (1961-1983).

Cal Ripken Jr.: Shortstop, Major League Baseball, Baltimore Orioles (1981-2001).

Troy Aikman: Quarterback, National Football League, Dallas Cowboys (1989-2001).

Cam Neely: Right Wing, National Hockey League, Boston Bruins (1986-1996), Vancouver Canucks (1983-1986).

Steve Young: Quarterback, National Football League, San Francisco 49ers (1987-1999), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1985-1986), and United States Football League, Los Angeles Express (1984-1985).

Larry Wilson: Safety, National Football League, St. Louis Cardinals (1960-1972).

Kobe Bryant: Guard, National Basketball Association, Los Angeles Lakers (1996-present). Changed his number to 24 beginning in the 2006-2007 season.

Archie Manning: Quarterback, National Football League, New Orleans Saints (1971-1982), Houston Oilers (1982-1983), Minnesota Vikings (1983-1984).

Joe Morgan: Second Baseman, Major League Baseball, Cincinnati Reds (1972-1980), Houston Colt .45s (1962-1972), Houston Astros (1980-1981), San Francisco Giants (1982-1984), Philadelphia Phillies (1984-1985), Oakland Athletics (1985-1986).

Willie Stargell: Outfielder/First Baseman, Major League Baseball, Pittsburgh Pirates (1962-1982).

9 Gordie Howe

Hold on a sec... We're passing on a guy some
consider to be the greatest hitter in the history of
baseball (Ted Williams), a guy some consider to
be the greatest rugby player who ever lived
(Gareth Edwards), and a guy many think is the
best football/soccer player to ever play the game
(Alfredo Di Stefano) to take a guy who isn't even
in the conversation for best ever at his chosen
sport? Well... yes, but let us explain.

See, Gordie Howe had the misfortune of playing
the same sport as one of the most dominant
athletes ever, one Wayne Gretzky. He wouldn't
mind, though, since he and Wayne are such good
buds. And it's not like Gordo was some bum
plodding around the ice. He wasn't called "Mr.
Hockey" for nothing.

And if we look at the numbers, we realize he was, in fact, one of the greatest athletes to ever wear a uniform. As a matter of fact, no other athlete in any sport can claim to have finished in the top five in scoring for 20 straight years. Nobody. He won the Hart Memorial Trophy (MVP Award) in 1952, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1960 and 1963. He won the Art Ross Memorial Trophy (given to the player who leads the league in scoring) in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957, and 1963. He played in the NHL All-Star game a ridiculous 23 times. This is no plodding bum.

Others considered:

Gareth Edwards: Scrum-Half, Wales National Rugby Union Squad (1967-1978), and British Lions Test Squad (1971-1971), and Barbarians F.C. Touring Squad (1970-1978).

Alfredo Di Stefano: Forward, Argentine Primera Division, River Plate (1943-1945 and 1947-1949), Club Atletico Huracan (1946-1947) and Colombian Copa Mustang, Club Deportivo Los Millionarios (1949-1953) and Spanish La Liga, Real Madrid (1953-1964), RCD Espanyol (1964-1966).

Ted Williams: Outfielder, Major League Baseball, Boston Red Sox (1939-1942 and 1946- 1952 and 1953-1960).

Maurice Richard: Right Wing, National Hockey League, Montreal Canadiens (1942-1960).

Eusebio: Forward, Portuguese national team (1961-1973) and Mozambique Mocambola, Maxaquene (1957-1960) and BWINLIGA (Portuguese Liga), S.L. Benfica (1960-1975), S.C. Beira-Mar (1976-1977) and American Soccer League, Rhode Island Oceaneers (1975), New Jersey Americans (1977-1978) and North American Soccer League, Boston Minutemen (1975), Toronto Metros-Croatia (1976), Las Vegas Quicksilver (1977) and Primera Division de Mexico, C.F. Monterrey (1975-1976) and Portuguese football League, Uniao Tomar (1977-1978).

Marco van Basten: Striker, Dutch national team (1983-1992), and the Eredivisie, Ajax Amsterdam (1982-1987), and Italian Serie A, A.C. Milan (1987-1993).

Sonny Jurgensen: Quarterback, National Football League, Philadelphia Eagles (1957- 1963), Washington Redskins (1964-1974).

Bobby Hull: Left Wing, National Hockey League, Chicago Blackhawks (1957-1972), Winnipeg Jets (1979), Hartford Whalers (1980), and World Hockey Association, Winnipeg Jets (1972-1979).

Roger Maris: Outfielder, Major League Baseball, New York Yankees (1960-1966), Cleveland Indians (1957), Kansas City Athletics (1958-1959), St. Louis Cardinals (1967-1968).