Best athlete you ever played with

[savafan]

Searching on the internet for some old friends from high school led me to think about this topic.

The best athlete I ever played with has to be Kristin King. She was so good, that she preferred to play with the boys. I was amazed, but not shocked to see that she became an Olympic medalist in ice hockey.

I used to have a knuckle curveball that was nasty. I threw it side-arm using my thumb, index finger and middle finger. The pitch would appear to come in high to the batter and then drop almost straight down as it neared the plate. My friends called it "The Dominator" because it was nearly impossible to hit.

K.K. (as her friends and teammates used to call her) came to the plate to face me. After she fouled off a few fastballs, I decided to try and get her out with the Dominator. She swung with one hand and drove it out for a homerun.

The next time she came to the plate, I decided that I was going to start her off with the Dominator, because nobody hit that pitch. Well, she did, and she hit it for her second homerun of the game.

After that, I was moved behind the plate to play catcher, and when she came up to bat the third time, I called for a fastball low and inside. The pitch was right where I wanted it, and apparently right where she wanted it too, because she just hit her third homerun of the game. Unbelievable. Everyone was stunned speechless. After that, my friends started calling the "Dominator" the "Masturbator".

One Sunday afternoon, a group of friends got together to play a pick-up football game at the park. Kristin was there. By this time, I had started to call her "Sparky" because of her size and power. We had a guy on our team, "Big" Dave Turner, who stood 6'7" weighed 340 pounds and had a size 16 shoe. We'd use him as a running back and a receiver, because nobody could ever bring him down once he got going. I think you can see where this story is heading. Dave went out for a pass, and started to barrel down the field after he caught it. It looked like nobody was going to catch him. Then, out of nowhere, Kristin King lunged and got her arms wrapped around his neck, taking him to the ground at the two yard line and stripping the ball in the process. She then proceeded to pick up the ball and run all the way back down the field for a touchdown. Unbelievable.

Her family used to tell the story about when she was playing hockey in an all boys league when she was younger. She was playing goalie in this particular game, and got upset when one of the players on the opposing team was getting away with what she thought was too rough of moves against her teammates. She threw off her gloves and skated out of the net and beat the crap out of that kid. His father ripped him up oneside and down the other after that game.

I knew that she had gotten a hockey scholarship to Dartmouth, and it's really cool to see that she was a part of the women's Olympic hockey team that won the bronze at the 2006 Winter Olympics. At least now whenever I get ribbed by an old friend about giving up two homeruns with the "Masturbator" at least I can say now that I gave them up to an Olympic champion.

Here is her Olympic profile, and a photo of the girl who is easily the greatest athlete I've ever played with or against.

http://www.usoc.org/26_43364.htm




Who is the best athlete you ever played with?

[RANDY IN INDY]

Played with Jeff Montgomery, former closer for the KC Royals. He was from Wellston, Ohio and went to Marshall University. Also played high school basketball against Carl Lee, former defensive back for the Minnesota Vikings. He also went to Marshall University and was from South Charleston, WV. Never played in an actual game with him, but went to Boys State with former Penn State and Seattle Seahawks running back Curt Warner. He was a tremendous athlete from Pineville, WV that could do it all. Football, basketball, baseball, track. He was super.

[edabbs44]

Played with CJ Nitkowski in HS (former 1st round pick of the Reds) and Dave Fiore (lineman for Redskins and 49ers) in junior ball.

Best athlete I played against was probably Vernon Rollins, linebacker for Hackensack HS. Runner up to Josh Booty for Parade HS Player of the Year in 1993. Went to Iowa and had his career cut short to multiple knee injuries. Just watching this guy was flat out amazing. He averaged something like 18 tackles per game.

[Gainesville Red]

Lenny DiNardo (Red Sox) struck me out a bunch of times. The one time he walked me he picked me off a couple throws later. Played basketball a lot with Ian Scott (d-lineman for the gators, now with the Chicago Bears). He seemed like he was like 7 feet tall in elementary school. I actually hit a single once of Andrew Miller, even though it was a seeing eye single that the SS probably should have gotten too. It counts. He also struck me out a bunch of times.

[dabvu2498]

Played intramural basketball with Corey Chavous, DB for the Az Cards, Vikings, and Rams now, I believe. Made the Pro Bowl in 2003. Yeah, he was ridiculous.

Best baseball player... Chris Spurling (DET) or Matt Kata (CIN-AAA)... both were naturally talented kids.

[Johnny Footstool]

I played little league against former Cardinals and Mariners farmhand Jeff Berblinger.

I also played tennis against former Phillies hurler Tyler Green.

Not a very impressive list, I know.

[Roy Tucker]

I played pickup hoops with Mike Schmidt at OU. He was a senior when I was a freshman. He yelled at me to hustle.

Played HS football against Gordon Bell of Troy HS. He went on to star at Michigan and was a draft pick of the Giants. Randy Walker, current coach at Northwestern, played on that same Troy team and was a heckuva running back as well. They killed us.

[Puffy]

me.

[gonelong]

I played against 3 pitchers that moved along. 1 got a full ride to Indiana - don't know what happened to him. 1 was drafted - didn't follow him, and one made it to AA before blowing out his arm.

I played a pickup basketball game with Negele Knight (UD) and a few UD scrubs after they lost in the NCAA tourny one year. (I didn't see the ball much)

GL

[RedsManRick]

I played 5 minutes in a pick up game with Devin Harris in college. I've never felt so slow and clumsy in my entire life.

[Red Leader]

I played with Dustin Hermanson, Travis Miller, and Mike Gulan in college. I really thought Gulan's bat would make him a star in MLB. He could hit. He retired from baseball in the spring of 2003 after spending short stints in the majors with the Cardinals, Pirates, and Marlins.

I also grew up watching and played various pick up games with former OSU alum and NFL player Jeff Graham. I'd say he's probably the best overall athlete I've played with or against. Athletically, he could do almost anything.

[Joseph]

I went to the same college as Kirk Reuter, does that count? No? Ok, sorry.

[FindlayRed]

I am still pretty young, but in high school I batted against Chad Billingsly of the Dodgers (0-6, 5 K's), and in junior high I played football and baseball against Ross Homan, who is going to Ohio State to play linebacker.

[Red Leader]

Originally Posted by FindlayRed

I am still pretty young, but in high school I batted against Chad Billingsly of the Dodgers (0-6, 5 K's), and in junior high I played football and baseball against Ross Homan, who is going to Ohio State to play linebacker.

Expect a PM from Krusty in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.... :

I went to school with

But I didn't play ball with her.