# What is each sport's signature player?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-each-sports-signature-player/738791>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [November 28, 2015, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-each-sports-signature-player/738791 "2015-11-28T02:18:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 7

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**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-each-sports-signature-player/738791/121 "2015-12-09T21:45:20Z")

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As a non-sports fan -

Baseball - Babe Ruth  
Basketball - Michael Jordan  
Football - Bart Starr  
Hockey - Wayne Gretzky  
Golf - Tiger Woods  
Tennis - Bill Tilden  
Soccer - Pele  
Speed skating - Eric Heiden

Speaking as a fan -  
Judo - Yasuhiro Yamashita  
Greco-Roman wrestling - Alexsandr Karelin  
Freestyle wrestling - John Smith  
Boxing - Muhammed Ali  
Powerlifting - Ed Coan  
Olympic lifting - Vasiley Alexeyev  
Swimming - Michael Phelps  
Track and field - Jesse Owens  
Regards,  
Shodan

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**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-each-sports-signature-player/738791/122 "2015-12-10T07:26:10Z")

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> [@Tom\_Scud](#):
>
> Fidel Castro is probably more famous than Ruth. Is he baseball’s signature pitcher?

That depends. Was Fidel Castro a starting pitcher in MLB?

> [@RickJay](#):
>
> Ah, but there you go; “didn’t he pitch?” You had to ask.

Right, but my point is that more people would have to ask “Who is Nolan Ryan?” than would have to ask "Didn’t Babe Ruth pitch?

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**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-each-sports-signature-player/738791/123 "2015-12-10T15:22:44Z")

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Gosh, I wouldn’t think so, no. Ruth’s pitching prowess isn’t commonly known outside the fandom of the sport. My Mom knows who Nolan Ryan is.

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**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-each-sports-signature-player/738791/124 "2015-12-10T15:32:12Z")

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> [@Tom\_Scud](#):
>
> Fidel Castro is probably more famous than Ruth. Is he baseball’s signature pitcher?

> [@EllisDee](#):
>
> That depends. Was Fidel Castro a starting pitcher in MLB?

He pitched professionally. Don’t know what MLB has to do with it.

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**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-each-sports-signature-player/738791/125 "2015-12-10T15:52:30Z")

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Schwarzenegger for bodybuilding?

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