It’s a mistake to attempt this list.
After Carmelo Anthony retired from the NBA, Stan “The Fan” Charles and I had an on-air conversation about where he ranked on the list of the all-time greatest athletes in Baltimore history. We were fairly confident he was in the top five. So as we celebrate Melo’s Hall of Fame induction in this month’s issue, I’m giving it a shot. This is not my typical “not a ranking, just a history lesson” alphabetical list. This is an actual shot at a ranking.
Let’s get a few things out of the way. We’re defining Baltimore athletes as having been born or bred in Baltimore or the immediate surrounding counties. So Jimmie Foxx, for example, doesn’t make the list but a few from Harford or Anne Arundel Counties do (and Melo isn’t the only who wasn’t born here but grew up here.)
Also, this considers the totality of their athletic careers. There would be some who would tell you that Skip Wise is the greatest Baltimore basketball player of all time. But he and other phenomenal high school and college athletes (like Juan Dixon and Marvin “The Eraser” Webster) don’t make this list. This also impacted the ability for some lacrosse legends like Joe Seivold to make the list.
So here goes. You’ll disagree. That’s OK! This is a tough list to make! Sam Cassell, Gervonta “Tank” Davis (so far), Antonio Freeman, Mark Teixeira and Danny Wiseman are among the greats who came up short of making this list. But here is my attempt at “The 15 Greatest Baltimore Athletes” in reverse order.
15. Muggsy Bogues (Baltimore)
It was so tough to decide who would claim the final spot on the list. Bogues never made an All-Star team and never won a title. But let’s be real. He’s an absolute legend. He played a decade and a half in the NBA at 5-foot-3, the shortest player in league history by 2 inches. He’s one of the most remarkable athletes of all time.
14. Hasim Rahman (Baltimore)
I struggled with Rahman’s inclusion, acknowledging that in the eyes of many he was a “one-punch wonder.” Still, the significance of having ever been the lineal heavyweight champion of the world is enough that I couldn’t leave him off the list entirely.
13. Calvin Hill (Turner Station)
As we celebrate Baltimore’s first-ever Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, it’s worth pointing out that we’re still waiting for the first Baltimore-bred football player to reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame (executive George Young is the only city native currently enshrined). Hill’s greatness wasn’t sustained, but his first six NFL seasons were outstanding, including four Pro Bowl nods and a Super Bowl title.
12. Gene Shue (Baltimore)
Anthony wasn’t the first NBA legend to come from Towson Catholic. That honor belongs to Shue, who was a five-time All-Star with the Pistons and is widely credited with having invented the spin move.
11. Bucky Lasek (Dundalk) And Travis Pastrana (Annapolis)
I’m aware that I’m cheating here, but I’m not certain how to separate these two extreme sports legends. Lasek won 20 X Games skateboarding medals (10 gold) before a successful RallyCross run. Pastrana won 17 medals (11 gold) between motocross and rallying before continuing his racing career all the way to NASCAR. Both are icons in the extreme sports world.
10. Pam Shriver (Lutherville)
The McDonogh alum is best known for her doubles dominance, as she won 21 career grand slams and an Olympic gold medal in doubles. While she never won a singles slam, Shriver was also a great singles player, reaching a U.S. Open final and being ranked as high as No. 3 in the world.
9. Angel McCoughtry (Baltimore)
It says a lot about the greatness of this list that McCoughtry is somehow ninth. The former WNBA star was a two-time scoring champion, a two-time steals leader, 2009 Rookie of the Year and was named first- or second-team all-league six times in her pro career. She was also Big East Player of the Year at Louisville, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and had a tremendous career overseas. There is a strong argument for McCoughtry to become the second Baltimore basketball player to reach the Hall of Fame.
8. Jessica Long (Middle River)
One of the greatest Paralympic athletes of all time, the legendary swimmer has 30 career Paralympic medals (17 golds) and counting. That makes her the second-most decorated U.S. Paralympian of all time. Long also has 37 career World Championship golds and, again, counting.
7. Leon Day (Baltimore)
According to ESPN, Larry Doby once said, “I didn’t see anyone in the major leagues who was better than Leon Day.” The nine-time Negro League All-Star and 1946 Negro League World Series champion was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995, sadly just a week before his death.
6. Joe Gans (Baltimore)
According to The Baltimore Sun, Ring Magazine founder Nat Fleischer once described Gans as the greatest lightweight boxer of all time. Between 1893 and 1909, Gans recorded 160 wins. He held the lightweight title belt from 1902 to 1908. And according to lore, he once recorded two wins on the same day in 1895.
5. Al Kaline (Baltimore)
The accolades are overwhelming for “Mr. Tiger.” He was a 15-time All-Star and won 10 Gold Gloves, a batting title and a World Series title. He is also a member of the 3,000-hit club. There are a great number of cities where Kaline would be an obvious No. 1.
4. Carmelo Anthony (Baltimore)
A top-10 scorer in NBA history, Anthony finished with 10 All-Star nods and one scoring title. He led Syracuse to a national championship in 2003 and is considered one of the greatest players in Olympic basketball history, winning four medals (three golds). There’s good reason why much of this issue celebrates his upcoming induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
3. Cal Ripken Jr. (Aberdeen)
If it were only the 2,632 consecutive games, that would be more than enough to warrant inclusion on this list. But there’s all of the other stuff — the eight Silver Sluggers, the two Gold Gloves, the 1982 Rookie of the Year, the two MVPs, the 19 All-Star nods and the 1983 World Series title. The totality of that keeps Ripken in the top three.
2. Michael Phelps (Towson)
The most decorated Olympic athlete of all-time finished with 28 medals overall and a record 23 golds. That includes a record eight golds at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His 33 career World Championship medals and 26 career World Championship golds are also records. There is an argument Phelps should actually be at the top of the list.
1. Babe Ruth (Baltimore)
There have been a few times in my life when I’ve openly wondered if the legend of Babe Ruth was really more about folklore than his actual greatness. But then I remember that the “Sultan of Swat” has a career WAR of 182.6, according to Baseball Reference. That isn’t just the greatest of all time, it’s nearly 15 wins higher than anyone else (Walter Johnson is second with 167.8). The greatest player of the modern era (Barry Bonds) finished with 20 fewer than Ruth. With respect to the greatest Olympian of all time, there’s no doubt about Ruth’s worthiness at the top of this list.
Photo Credits: Courtesy of the Babe Ruth Museum, Kenya Allen/PressBox, Baltimore Orioles, USA Basketball and Detroit Tigers
Originally published June 18, 2025