Ranking The Best Local Athletes In History By Jersey/Uniform Number: 49-40
By Daniel Friedman
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Continuing on with our weekly rankings of the best local athletes by uniform/jersey number, we forge ahead with 49-40.
MORE: 99-90, 89-80, 79-70, 69-60, 59-50
49. Ron Guidry, Yankees
A Yankee for 14 years, he won a Cy Young in 1978, appeared in four All-Star Games and was a five-time Gold Glover. The Bronx Bombers retired his number and gave him a plaque in Monument Park in 2003.
Runner-up: Erich Barnes, Giants
48. Ken Schroy, Jets
The Jets' safety was third in the league with eight interceptions in the 1980 NFL season.
Runner-up: Randy Myers, Mets
47. Jesse Orosco, Mets
The All-Star relief pitcher will forever be remembered for recording the final out in the 1986 World Series. He's pitched in more games (1,252 to be exact) than anyone else in MLB history, too.
Runner-up: Tom Glavine, Mets
46. Andy Pettitte, Yankees
He was a big part of the rotation on the dynastic Yankees of the 90s and early 2000s. He came back later in his career and helped them win it all again in 2009.
Runner-up: Bill Baird, Jets
45. Pedro Martinez, Mets
This was a close call, even among the honorable mentions. That said, Pedro Martinez is one of the most dominant pitchers of his era, and his mere arrival revitalized the Mets.
Runner-up: Tug McGraw, Mets
44. Reggie Jackson, Yankees
Jackson was once quoted as saying that one of his home runs "was an insurance run, so I hit it to the Prudential building." He was brash, but he always lived up to the hype.
Runner-up: John Riggins, Jets
43: R.A. Dickey, Mets
Dickey won the NL Cy Young Award in 2012, and he did it while playing on a horrendous Mets team. His style might have been odd, but it worked.
Runner-up: Spider Lockhart, Giants
42. Jackie Robinson, Dodgers
This is likely the most debatable pick I'll make throughout this entire series, but as far as I'm concerned, what Jackie Robinson did off the field surpasses anything one might accomplish within the actual sport. Rivera is a legend and undoubtedly the best closer in baseball history, but he too owes Robinson for breaking the barrier.
Runner-up: Mariano Rivera, Yankees
41. Tom Seaver, Mets
"Tom Terrific" was just that for the Mets. The best pitcher in franchise history and certainly one of the greatest in the history of baseball. Seaver's No. 41 is retired in Flushing, and he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992.
Runner-up: Matt Snell, Jets
40. Dainard Paulson, Jets
The former Jets and (NY) Titans defensive back was a two-time AFL All-Star (1964, 1965).
Runner-up: Kurt Thomas, Knicks
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