Here is a collection of some of our proudest players. We have our fondest memories, our most bitter defeats, and we remember the wounds which have not healed. This city is well cultured in the art of sport. Seattle, known to many as “soft” or “fair-weathered” or whatever. But what you don’t always see is the passion and the dependency this city has on it’s teams. Growing up here, born in the 80s, I bring to you, in my eyes, the 10 greatest athletes we’ve ever seen. Guys who have played for championships, won MVP awards, hung their numbers in our rafters. This is it, all right here. Ever since I’ve left the womb, I’ve watched, idolized, and aspired to be some of these men. Seattle’s greatest.
10. Jay Buhner
Jay Buhner is, to a lot of people, the most important Mariner in history. The city will always remember the heroics of 1995, and, for a lot of people, Jay Buhner is the first name that comes to mind when we think of that magical year.
The Bone was at the epicenter of Seattle popular culture. Throughout the mid-90s, the Mariners offered “Buhner Buzz Cuts”. He graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, and is responsible for one of George Costanza’s funniest rants on TV’s “Seinfeld”. But the real significance of Buhner comes in that summer of 95. He had convinced the Seattle Mariners they were going to catch the Angels and win the West. And they did.
He hit 40 homeruns for three straight years. He had a canon for an arm. And he willed his team to the postseason. When you talk about the Seattle Mariners in the 1990s, you’re talking about Jay Buhner. He still makes his way to the ballpark, he’s still around town. He’s a Mariner for life. And the city will never forget.
9. Ray Allen
The day the Sonics traded Gary Payton was one of the saddest days I remember in Seattle sports history. Forget who we got (and what a steal it was!), we just traded away the Glove, Gary Payton, the end of an era.
I remember when Ray Allen came to Seattle- a superstar for a superstar. I remember at the end of one of his first home games, bringing the ball past half-court, and as time expired he just held the ball and looked into the seats of KeyArena. He was happy. And you know what, so were we. We got a young stud for an aging Hall of Famer. Payton’s departure was inevitable, but what we got was the face of a franchise. And the greatest jump shot in the entire world. It was a good era for Sonic basketball, and unfortunately it was the last.
8.Ichiro Suzuki
Ichiro came to Seattle in a blaze of glory. He hit over .350, won the American League Rookie of the Year, as well as the American League MVP as the Mariners won a league record 116 games. Mariner fans everywhere still remember Ichiro gunning down Terrance Long as he tried to take third base on Ichrio. He shot a canon. Nobody even tried this tactic on Ichiro for the next four years.
Ichiro was an elite defensive player. He also piled up year after year of 200+ base hits. And he gave the city a franchise player. As Edgar Martinez hobbled his way out of the game, and Bret Boone’s steroids grew more and more ineffective, Ichiro was a lock to hit well over .300 and make web gem after web gem. Does Ichiro have his share of criticisms? Sure he does, and then some. But the bottom line is that Ichiro is a first ballot Hall of Famer, and that’s something this franchise doesn’t have a lot of.
7. Cortez Kennedy
Perhaps the easiest player to overlook on this list is Seattle Seahawk Cortez Kennedy. But that is understandable- the Seahawks were pretty awful in the 90s, before Mike Holmgren came to town. But Cortez Kennedy was perhaps the most intimidating and effective defensive tackles in league history.
Riddle me this: How does a defensive tackle on a sorry 2-14 football team win Defensive Player of the Year? Easy- domination, domination, domination. That’s what Cortez Kennedy was, a year in, year out consistent pro-bowler and black hole on the defensive line. Teams would double team this man, and he would still penetrate.
It’s hard to judge defensive players in the NFL, especially when they’re the only credible player on the defense. But Cortez Kennedy is easily one of the best Seahawks in franchise history, and soon enough a great player in the NFL Hall of Fame.
6. Shaun Alexander
I could write a whole book on Shaun Alexander. League MVP and record breaker, Shaun Alexander was the best player in pro football for a while. A first rounder out of Alabama, Shaun Alexander had an uncanny ability to effortlessly coast by defenders and find the end zone. He was big, but not particularly fast. He didn’t catch well and he didn’t block well, but that didn’t stop him from rushing for an NFL record 27 touchdowns in 2005, leading the Seahawks to their first Superbowl in team history.
While Alexander was great, his decline was greater. Many Seattle fans are quick to point out Alexanders offensive line, which was best in the league. There were growing concerns that Alexander was soft, that he ducked tackles and took a lot of dives. He didn’t apologize for it.His exit from Seattle was painful. He grew ineffective and the Superbowl nucleus around him crumbled under General Manager Tim Ruskell. But like him of not, Shaun Alexander and the Seahawks really were great, if only for a couple years.
5. Shawn Kemp
Shawn Kemp boomed. He boomed on everyone. “The Reign Man” Shawn Kemp was one of the most explosive dunkers in NBA history. The alley-oop he received from Gary Payton was probably the greatest combo I will ever witness. He led the Sonics to the NBA finals against God-amongst-Men Michael Jordan, and lost in 6, a series in which George Karl said Kemp was the most talented player on the floor. But this city might never see a more explosive, dynamic athlete again.
Shawn Kemp’s significance has seemed to grow in time. His divorce from the city was ugly. He had gone bad and had to be moved. But over time, he has become a part of this city. Many remember how the scum of the earth Clay Bennett offered Kemp courtside seats at a home game for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kemp tactfully declined, citing zero ties with that particular organization. Kemp still remains in the area, on sports talk radio and in Seattle bars late at night on the weekends. The fabric of the city and Shawn Kemp will never be separated, forever.
4. Edgar Martinez
Edgar Martinez was, quite simply, one of the most feared hitters of the 90s. Everybody knew it. The Yankees found out the hard way in 1995. He was so artful, so dedicated, so great. The thing Edgar Martinez knew how to do better than almost anybody in the league was how to hit, and he did so, with grace.
Edgar Martinez was an elite athlete. A seven time all star and two time AL Batting champion, Martinez was commonly known to pitchers as the most feared right handed hitters of the game. Senor Double. He consistently posted top-10 numbers year after year in WAR, Slugging, doubles, batting average, and on-base percentage, just to name a few. He hit .312 and was a career Seattle Mariner. He now has a street named after him in Seattle, the street Safeco Field is on. He also has an award named after him, given to the top DH in the league. You’ll hear his name talked about an awful lot in January when Baseball writers everywhere put in their votes for the Hall of Fame.
He’s probably Seattle’s proudest athlete.
3. Gary Payton
The Glove. Gary Payton was not only the best defensive point guard in the game, but he was potentially the most valuable. Paired with Shawn Kemp, the Seattle SuperSonics were on the brink of dynasty. Holding franchise records in steals, points and assists, Gary Payton was the face of the Sonics for well over a decade. Whenever I talk about the Sonics, I talk about Gary Payton.
Seattle was spoiled here a bit in the 90s, much like the Cleveland Indians. Great, great team. Saw a lot of post-season games, some regular season domination, but never a ring. Gary finally got it in Miami in 2006, but that changes nothing. We saw an all-time great basketball team here in Seattle in the 90s. Seattle was hot- the M’s were the coolest team in the league! And it all started with this guy, one of the greatest point guards the game has ever seen.
2. Walter Jones
Walter Jones was perfect for the Seattle Seahawks. Often times credited with being either A) the best left tackle in the game today, as well as all-time, or B) the best player in the game. It’s true, at his peak, which was a solid 10-12 years, Walter Jones was one of the best players in the game. In 2004, he allowed ZERO sacks.
Walter Jones protected quarterback Matt Hasselbeck’s blindside. He paved roads for Shaun Alexander. He held together one of the best offensive lines you will ever see. A member of the All-Decade team of the 2000s, Walter Jones will be a first ballot Hall of Famer.
Walter Jones was so good, the state of Washington declared April 30th “Walter Jones Day”. A lot of athletes get streets named after them, statues built in their memory, numbers hanging from rafters, awards names after them, but just when exactly does a players record of achievement merit a holiday? Case in point, Walter Jones. Greatest tackle of all-time.
1. Ken Griffey Jr.
Rarely does an athlete as talented does Ken Griffey, Jr come along. In compiling this list, I had no trouble settling on Griffey as number one. The Kid, as some in the Pacific Northwest still call him, Griffey was a modern day Willie Mays. 13 time all-star, 10 time gold glover, MVP, and a member of MLB’s All-Century team, Griffey will always be remembered as the greatest player to call Seattle home.
What remains remarkable is the separation between Griffey and steroids, especially when looking at his career total of 630 homeruns. If Griffey had stayed healthy in his days in Cincinnati, there’s a very good chance he’d be the home run king and not Barry Bonds or Hank Aaron. Griffey had what anybody will tell you was the sweetest swing in the sport. I, like many other kids from the Seattle area, emulated this. I wanted to play center field, wear number 24. Be Ken.
Growing up, I owned 4 different Ken Griffey Jr. video games. The Kingdome, that teal green, the miracles. And then you had the house that Griffey built, Safeco Field. If Griffey and Edgar and Jay and Dan and the rest of the M’s hadn’t pulled off all those upsets, come from behind victories, miracles, baseball would not be in Seattle. Is KGJ due all the credit? No. He did leave Seattle as a brat, but he repented and he returned and he made amends.
No other city has treated a superstar as well as the fans in Seattle. Why? We recognize greatness.
Honorable Mentions
There are a lot of names I could have included. Some I probably should have, like Matt Hasselbeck. While I do believe Hasselbeck to be a lot more important to the Seahawks, he will not see the Hall of Fame. He may be much more beloved by this town, but as far as accomplishments go, and greatness, he doesn’t quite make the cut.
You also have some great coaches in Lou Piniella, George Karl, and Mike Holmgren, as well as Hall of Fame broadcaster the late great Dave Niehaus. These guys are just as important to the fabric of Seattle sports, but they didn’t suit up. This list is full of guys who suited up, and made our love for the Mariners, Seahawks, and SuperSonics worth while. And as they fade into the backdrop of memory and nostalgia, they always take us back to a time we were great.