Top 10 Best Minnesota Born Athletes

Tom Lehman was born in Austin, Minnesota, but Alexandria, Minnesota is credited as his official Minnesota hometown. He attended the University of Minnesota, graduating with a degree in Business/Accounting and turned professional in 1982. From 1995 to 1997 Lehman held the 54-hole lead at the U.S. Open, but each time failed to win. During this period he won his only major championship to date, the 1996 Open Championship. In April 1997 he spent a week at Number 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings. He has won five times on the PGA Tour, but in addition to his Open win these wins have included the season-ending Tour Championship and Memorial Tournament, and he has won at least nineteen professional events in total. I know some people do not know Lehman, myself included did not know about him until I did some research on him. With Lehman being the only Minnesotan to hold the number one spot in golf rankings at one point in time he deserves our number 10.

Mike Ramsey was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which then he attended Theodore Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis before entering the University of Minnesota. He was considered the top high school defenseman in Minnesota as a senior in 1977–78. He also attended the U.S. National Junior training camp in summer of 1978 and participated in the 1979 World Junior championship. Ramsey was the youngest member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team in Lake Placid, New York, that defeated the Soviet team and went on to win the gold medal in a victory known as the Miracle On Ice. Drafted 11th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft, Ramsey would go on to play in the National Hockey League immediately after the Olympics. Ramsey had one of the most successful NHL careers of the 1980 U.S. Olympians. Highlights of his career with the Sabres include playing in the NHL All-Star Game four times (1982, 1983, 1985, 1986) as well as being a member of the NHL All-Star team that played the Soviet national hockey team in Rendez-Vous 1987. Ramsey also served as the Sabres team captain during his 14 seasons with club. He continued to play for Team USA, participating in the 1982 Ice Hockey World Championship, and in the 1984 Canada Cup, and 1987 Canada Cup tournaments. Ramsey returned to the NHL in 1997 to serve as an assistant coach with the Buffalo Sabres and in 2000, he took a similar position with the Minnesota Wild. He was with the Wild until June 2010. He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001. Ramsey having a gold medal around his neck, NHL All Star games under his belt and being inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, he deserves to be our number 9.

Jack Morris was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. Morris attended Brigham Young University and was drafted by the Tigers in the fifth round of the 1976 draft. On April 7, 1984, Morris no-hit the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park. Morris would finish his career with 4 World Series rings(one with the Tiger in 1984, one with the Twins 1991, and back-back with the Bluejays in 1992, 1993). Morris was voted to 5 MLB All Star games and was the World Series MVP in 1991. At the end of his career Morris had a combines record of 254-186, and 2,478 strikeouts. Morris has been eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame since 2000. From 2000 to 2003, he never received greater than 30% of the vote. He received 40% of the vote for the first time in 2006. In 2010, he received 52.3% of the vote, and in 2011, he received 53.5% of the vote, his highest level of support so far. With multiple rings on his hand, and over 200 wins, and with ever passing year his Hall of Fame chances keep growing. It gives me great honor to award Jack Morrie with being our number 8.

John Mariucci was an American ice hockey player, administrator and coach. Mariucci was born in Eveleth, Minnesota. Mariucci attended the University of Minnesota where he played for both the hockey and football teams. Mariucci was named an All-American in hockey in 1940. Mariucci was inducted into the inaugural 1973 class of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, and was elected to the NHL Hall of Fame as a builder in 1985. Mariucci played for the Chicago Black Hawks for five seasons and would be the team captain in 1945-46 and 1947-48. The University of Minnesota honored him by first renaming the hockey arena in Williams Arena after him, and later when a new hockey arena was opened in 1993, the school transferred his name to that one as well, Mariucci Arena. In 1983, the John Mariucci Award, began to be awarded to the Minnesota High school coach of the year, as selected by the state's hockey coaches. Mariucci is immortalized as the "Godfather of Minnesota Hockey". With that being said it is a no-brainier to award John Mariucci as number 7 overall.

Smith was born in Faribault, Minnesota where he excelled in high school football under the legendary football coach Win Brockmeyer, and then Smith attended the University of Minnesota. He played halfback for the back-to-back national champion Gophers in 1940 and 1941. Smith was captain of the 1941 University of Minnesota team. He received the Heisman trophy two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Smith earned first team All-American and All-Big Ten honors in 1941. Smith was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. His number 54 was the first to be officially retired by the Minnesota Gophers, in 1977. Smith is the only Minnesotan to ever win the Heisman trophy, and that is why he is our number 6.

Bender was born in Crow Wing County, Minnesota as a member of the Ojibwa tribe - he faced discrimination throughout his career, not least of which was the stereotyped nickname ("Chief") by which Bender is almost exclusively known today. Bender went on to a stellar career as a starting pitcher from 1903 to 1917, primarily with Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics. Over his career, his win-loss record was 212-127, for a .625 winning percentage. His talent was even more noticeable in the high-pressure environment of the World Series; in five trips to the championship series, Bender managed six wins and a 2.44 ERA. In the 1911 Series, he pitched three complete games, which tied Christy Mathewson's record of three complete games in a World Series. Bender also threw a no-hitter in 1910. Ty Cobb called him the most intelligent pitcher he ever faced. Bender was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1953, less than one year before his death. In 1981, Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig included him in their book The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time. Bender who was the godfather of the slider, and with Cobb saying he was the most intelligent pitcher he ever faced, and with a plaque in Cooperstown, there is no question why Bender is our number 5.

Neal Broten was born in Roseau, Minnesota. Broten was member of the United States Olympic team that won a gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics in an event known as the Miracle on Ice. He was also a member of Team USA at the 1981 Canada Cup, and 1984 Canada Cup tournaments as well as the 1990 Ice Hockey World Championship. Broten played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League. Highlights of his long NHL career include the first American to score more than 100 points in a single season (1985–86) as well as two NHL All-Star Game appearances in 1983 and 1986. Broten won a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 1995, where he scored the game-winning goal in Game Four against the Detroit Red Wings which clinched the title. Fun fact to know, Broten 1980 Soviet counterpart Viacheslav Fetisov was on the ice for the Red Wings when Broten scored. During the 1982–83 NHL season, Broten participated in a rare fight against Wayne Gretzky. It was one of only a handful of fights during both his and Gretzky's careers. I went to high school with Neal Broten Niece, which gives me the greatest joy to award Neal Broten as number 4 overall.

Paul Molitor born in Saint Paul, Minnesota. After graduating from Cretin-Derham Hall High School, Molitor was selected in the 28th round of the 1974 free agent draft as a pitcher by the St. Louis Cardinals, but opted instead to attend college at the University of Minnesota. Molitor was a three year starter for the Golden Gophers, earning All American honors as a shortstop for his sophomore and junior years. After his junior year in college, Molitor was selected third overall in the 1978 free agent draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. Molitor was part of a young Milwaukee Brewers team that lost the 1982 World Series in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals. Molitor batted .355 during the series. In Game 1, Molitor had five hits, a World Series record. During the 1982 season, Molitor hit .302 and led the American League with 136 runs scored. Molitor also attracted national media attention during his 39-game hitting streak, which ended with Molitor in the on-deck circle when Rick Manning got a game-ending hit to beat the Cleveland Indians on August 26, 1987. Fans booed Manning for driving in the winning run and thus depriving Molitor of one last chance to reach 40 games. The streak continues to stand as the fifth-longest in modern-day baseball history, and remains the longest since Pete Rose's 44-game hit streak in 1978. Molitor quickly became an offensive juggernaut, and was a key part of the Blue Jays' second World Championship. Molitor won the World Series MVP Award and tied a World Series record by batting .500 (12-24) in the six-game series. He left the Blue Jays after the 1995 season, and joined his hometown Minnesota Twins for the final three seasons of his career, where Molitor acquired his 3,000th hit. Molitor is the only player to reach the 3,000 hits plateau with a triple. Molitor was relishing the opportunity to play with Twins superstar Kirby Puckett, but Puckett developed career-ending glaucoma during spring training in 1996 and never played again. In 1996, Molitor became the second 40-year-old, after Hall of Famer Sam Rice, to have a 200-hit season, leading the league with 225, while also leading the league in singles with 167. Molitor also remains the last Major League player to drive in 100 or more runs in a season while hitting fewer than 10 home runs (9 HR, 113 RBIs). Molitor is one of four players in major league history with at least 3,000 hits, a .300 lifetime batting average, and 500 stolen bases. The other three are Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, and Eddie Collins, none of whom played the game beyond 1930. Molitor is the only player ever to accomplish those feats and hit at least 200 home runs. Molitor also is the first player in World Series history to have at least two home runs, two doubles, and two triples in one series (1993). Molitor's lifetime statistics include 2,683 games played, 1,782 runs scored, 3,319 hits, 234 home runs, 1,307 runs batted in, a .306 batting average, and 504 stolen bases. His 3,319 hits rank him ninth all-time. In addition, Molitor batted .368 in 5 postseason series, and was an all-star seven times. Molitor recorded these statistics while missing nearly 500 games due to various injuries throughout his career. On June 11, 1999, the Brewers retired Molitor's uniform number 4. During the ceremony at Milwaukee County Stadium, Molitor announced that if he went into the Hall of Fame, he would do so as a Brewer. On January 6, 2004, Molitor was elected to the Hall in his first year of eligibility, with 85.2% of the votes. True to his word, he joined Robin Yount as the only Hall of Famers to be depicted on their plaques with Brewers caps

Kevin McHale was born in Hibbing, Minnesota. In his senior season at Hibbing High School, McHale was named Minnesota's Mr. Basketball of 1976 and led his squad to a runner-up finish in the AA Minnesota State Championship game. In 1992, McHale was elected to the Minnesota State High School League Hall of Fame. The 6 ft 10 in McHale played basketball at the power forward position for the University of Minnesota from 1976 to 1980, with career averages of 15.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. McHale was named All-Big Ten in 1979 and 1980 and still ranks second in school history in career points (1704) and rebounds (950). In 1995, to coincide with the University of Minnesota's 100th anniversary, Mchale was selected as top player in the history of University of Minnesota men's basketball. McHale was a part of what some who consider the league's best-ever front-line with small forward Larry Bird and center Robert Parish. The trio of Hall of Famers became known as the "Big Three" and led the Celtics to five NBA Finals appearances, and three NBA Championships, in 1981, 1984 and 1986. For the first five years of his career McHale primarily came off the bench for the Celtics, winning the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1984 and 1985. Possessing a wide variety of offensive moves close to the basket the agile, long-armed McHale played in seven NBA All-Star Games between 1984 and 1991. McHale's finest season came in 1986–87 when he was named to the All-NBA First Team as a forward. Mchale led the NBA in field goal percentage in 1987 and 1988, shooting 60.4 percent each season. Also a standout defensive player, McHale was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First or Second Team six times. McHale twice blocked nine shots in a game, the most ever by a Boston Celtics' player (blocked shots did not become an official NBA statistic until the 1974 season). In 971 regular season games McHale averaged 17.9 points and 7.3 rebounds and in 169 post-season games averaged 18.8 points and 7.4 rebounds. At the end of the 2007–2008 season McHale ranked tenth in NBA history in career field goal percentage (55.4%), and he is among the Celtics' career leaders in several categories, including games played, points scored and rebounding. McHale's number 32 jersey was retired by the Celtics on January 30, 1994, during a halftime ceremony at the Boston Garden. Mchale was chosen one of the NBA's fifty greatest players and was named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996. McHale was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999. Three rings, and a spot for him in Hall of Fame without any doubt it gives me the honor to award a boy from the Iron Range number 2 overall.

Drum roll please.......Number one overall is Dave Winfield who was born in St Paul, Minnesota. Winfield was born the same day Bobby Thomson hit his pennant-winning home run for the New York Giants, known as "the shot heard 'round the world". Winfield earned a full baseball scholarship to the University of Minnesota in 1969, where he starred in baseball and basketball for the Golden Gophers. Winfield's 1972 Minnesota team won a Big Ten basketball championship, the school's first in 53 years. Winfield also played for the Alaska Goldpanners for two seasons (1971–72) and was the MVP in 1972. In 1973, he was named All-American and voted MVP of the College World Series—as a pitcher. Following college, Winfield was drafted by four teams in three different sports. The San Diego Padres selected him as a pitcher with the fourth overall pick in the MLB draft and both the Atlanta Hawks (NBA) and the Utah Stars (ABA) drafted him. And even though he never played college football, the Minnesota Vikings selected Winfield in the 17th round of the NFL draft. He is one of three players ever to be drafted by four professional sports leagues (the others being Mickey McCarty, Dave Logan, and Charlie Ward. Winfield chose baseball, and gained another distinction when the Padres promoted him directly to the majors. Although he was a pitcher, the Padres wanted his powerful bat in the lineup and put him in right field, where he could still use his "rifle arm." For the next several years, he was an All-Star player in San Diego, gradually increasing his power and hits totals. In 1977, he appeared in his first All-Star game at New York's Yankee Stadium and he burst into national stardom. In 1978, he was named Padres team captain and in 1979, he batted .308 with 34 home runs and 118 RBI. He played one more season with the Padres before becoming a free agent.In 2000, the Padres retired Winfield's #31. In 1981, New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner made headlines by signing Winfield to a 10-year, $23 million ($55,541,116 today) contract, making him the game's highest-paid player. Steinbrenner mistakenly thought he was signing Winfield for $16 million ($38,637,298 today), a misunderstanding that led to the most infamous public feud in baseball history. Winfield was still a productive hitter after his 40th birthday. On December 19, 1991, he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as their designated hitter, and also made "Winfieldian" plays when he periodically took his familiar position in right field. He batted .290 with 26 home runs and 108 RBI, during the 1992 season. The Blue Jays won the pennant, giving Winfield a chance at redemption for his previous post-season futility. In Game 6 of the World Series, he became "Mr. Jay" as he delivered the game-winning two-run double in the 11th inning off Atlanta's Charlie Leibrandt to win the World Championship for Toronto. At 41 years of age, Winfield became the oldest player to hit an extra base hit in the World Series. After the 1992 season, Winfield was granted free agency and signed with his hometown Minnesota Twins, where he continued to perform at a high level of play despite advancing age. He batted .271 with 21 home runs, appearing in 143 games for the 1993 Twins, mostly as their designated hitter. On September 16, 1993, at age 41, he collected his 3,000th career hit with a single off Oakland Athletics closer Dennis Eckersley. Winfield retired in 1996 and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001, in his first year of eligibility. He became the first player to choose to go into Cooperstown as a Padre—a move that reportedly irked Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner. In 1998, Winfield was inducted by the San Diego Hall of Champions into the Breitbard Hall of Fame honoring San Diego's finest athletes both on and off the playing surface. In 1999, Winfield ranked number 94 on The Sporting News list of Baseball's Greatest Players, and was a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. On July 4, 2006, Winfield was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in its inaugural class. In 2010, Winfield was voted All-Time Left Fielder in the National Sports Review poll and selected as one of 28 members of the NCAA Men’s College World Series Legends Team. The Big Ten Network named Winfield its #15 ranked Big Ten Conference "Icon" in 2010. With 12 MLB All Star games, 7 Gold Glove awards and 6 Silver Slugger award and a World Series ring; and not to mention a plaque in Cooperstown, there is no debating it that Dave Winfield is the number one overall Minnesota born athlete.