# Who is the Greatest Athlete Whose Career Was Ruined Due to Injury? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 5, 2008, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-athlete-whose-career-was-ruined-due-to-injury/455347 "2008-07-05T03:26:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![MichaelQReilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@MichaelQReilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelQReilly)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-athlete-whose-career-was-ruined-due-to-injury/455347/101 "2009-10-20T23:39:10Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > Forgive the hijack, but Mattingly never played in a World Series, let alone in the postseason. Puckett starred in two World Series. That’s the big difference (and to my mind an entirely legitimate) between them. Puckett is a legit HOFer IMHO. Mattingly played in the 95 playoffs vs. the Mariners and had a good series. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-athlete-whose-career-was-ruined-due-to-injury/455347/102 "2009-10-21T01:56:09Z")
Oo, another one: Yao Ming: his broken foot/feet look to be career ending. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-athlete-whose-career-was-ruined-due-to-injury/455347/103 "2009-10-22T20:34:50Z")
I’ll nominate a Thoroughbred who didn’t die tragically, but who had a more mundane injury. [Devil’s Bag](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil%27s_Bag) was the greatest two-year-old runner I have ever seen. Just unbelievably talented. He came back at three to expectations of a Triple Crown, but finished fourth in his second start back by Rexson’s Hope, a horse who shouldn’t have been able to finish within 10 lengths of “The Bag” - an indication something was wrong. He won his next two starts, but was retired with a knee injury a few days before the 1984 Kentucky Derby. At two, he broke records set by Seattle Slew and Spectacular Bid. From what I saw, he was just as good as those two Hall Of Famers, if not better. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-athlete-whose-career-was-ruined-due-to-injury/455347/104 "2009-10-22T21:02:47Z")
Lyman Bostock was murdered after just four years in MLB. He was a wonderful hitter, who finished in the top 10 in hitting three of the four years and was just enetering his prime when he was gunned down. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-athlete-whose-career-was-ruined-due-to-injury/455347/105 "2009-10-22T21:11:47Z")
> [@MichaelQReilly](#): > > Mattingly played in the 95 playoffs vs. the Mariners and had a good series. You are correct of course. What I should’ve written was “Mattingly made only one postseason appearance, in a 1995 division series the Yankees lost to Seattle, while Puckett starred in both the Twins’ World Series victories.” ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-athlete-whose-career-was-ruined-due-to-injury/455347/106 "2009-10-22T21:18:39Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Nick Eddy was a Notre Dame star who had about 125 carries in his entire NFL career. He blew out a knee and never had any kind of career at all. Ron Powlus was a Notre Dame star who… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-athlete-whose-career-was-ruined-due-to-injury/455347/107 "2009-10-22T23:24:39Z")
Daunte Culpepper was 28 and had just set an NFL record for combined rushing and passing yardage in a season when he blew out all three knee ligaments. Okay, so he was never great, but he’s got to be at the top of the “very good” list. ---
**Author:** ![davey77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@davey77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davey77)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-athlete-whose-career-was-ruined-due-to-injury/455347/108 "2009-10-24T19:52:49Z")
In Ohio, before there was LeBron, there was Jay Burson. Playing in the small village of New Concord, Jay became the state’s all-time leading scorer. His games were events that attracted attention from a much larger audience. Jay put points on the board an average of 1 per minute. He decided to play for Ohio State and made a positive impact on the team. At barely 6 feet and 160 pounds in stature, he was a premier player in the Big Ten. Then, in a game against Iowa, Jay got the ball on a fastbreak and took it to the hoop. He collided with the rim/backboard and broke a vertebra, a potentially crippling injury. Although drafted by the Houston Rockets, Jay’s professional career never (pardon the pun) took off. He eventually played a short time for the Columbus Horizon of the CBL. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Martin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Mr.Martin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Martin)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-athlete-whose-career-was-ruined-due-to-injury/455347/109 "2009-10-26T03:02:45Z")
> [@minlokwat](#): > > Had a discussion recently about Tiger Woods and his knee injury. Someone made the comment that it was a terrible shame and all that and someone else contended that even if Woods never hits another golf ball, he would still be considered the greatest all time --another debate entirely. > > Well this got us to discussing athletes, from any sport, whose career was cut short due to injury or even death. > > Without getting all statitistical, the top nominees for the all-time greatest were Ken Griffey Jr., Bo Jackson, and Gale Sayers with Jackson getting my vote as the greatest since he excelled (sort of) in two sports. I know, I know he was purely a swing-for-the-fences-or-bust hitter who might have made a strong run for the strike out record but still he hit tape measure homeruns, could throw a two hundred foot strike from left field and, oh yeah, was a pretty damn good power running back before his hip totally gave out. > > Well there wasn’t much agreement so I turn the debate over to here. Len Bias (death) ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-athlete-whose-career-was-ruined-due-to-injury/455347/110 "2009-10-26T04:11:10Z")
Mark the bird Fidrych, blew his knee out shagging fly balls ending a super looking career. ---
**Author:** ![BMada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@BMada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMada)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-athlete-whose-career-was-ruined-due-to-injury/455347/111 "2009-10-26T04:45:52Z")
> [@mbetter](#): > > Eric Lindros? sorry, when i saw this i LOL’ed Lindros the most overrated hockey player ever. And to think Philly traded Forsberg a real champ and a crap ton more just for this overrated hockey player. I would put Bobby Orr in this list. If he played a decade later his knee injuries coulda been fixed properly, sad but true about the medical advances with reconstructive knee surgeries. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-athlete-whose-career-was-ruined-due-to-injury/455347/112 "2009-11-01T06:17:31Z")
Kid Nichols–won over 300 games before age 30; suddenly faded out. Ed Delahanty–drunk, he took a walk on the railroad bridge over Niagara Falls and fell to his death. Chief Louis Sockalexis–Discovered liquor and faded. Out of majors in 3 years; died in his 40s. Nick Altrock–Flourished in 1906; arm went sore within a few years. Played last game in 1933, age 57. Ray Chapman–Killed by a Carl Mays beanball–one and only fatality caused by play in major leagues. Mickey Cochrane–Like Chapman, took pitched balll in the head. Never played again. Lou Gehrig–contracted mysterious illness that destroyed his nervous system. Died at age 38. Boo Ferris–ballyhooed as Red Sox pitching star; faded out after a few years. George Sisler–Sinus problems kept him out of game in 1923. Never the same after that. Jim Piersall (OK, his career wasn’t cut short, but he might have really flourished in the game had he not had the mental breakdown) Claude Passeau–hit on the pitching hand in 1945 World Series. Nelson Briles–hit on hand, like Passeau. Freddie Fitzsimmons–took batted ball on knee and lost effectiveness. Karl Spooner–Faded out of majors after shining in World Series. Roy Campanella–Fractured spine in auto crash; legs paralyzed. Never caught for L. A. Dodgers. Eddie Waitkus–Shot in belly by psychotic young woman (point-blank); out rest of 1949 season, never quite the same after that. Monty Stratton–lost leg in hunting accident. Any comments? ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-athlete-whose-career-was-ruined-due-to-injury/455347/113 "2009-11-01T13:50:28Z")
Maybe I missed the mentions someplace but , What would **Joe Namath** have been if he had knees? We saw how good he was with limited mobility. In his later years he had practically no mobility and it was all injury related. ---
**Author:** ![Pulp\_Friction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@Pulp\_Friction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pulp_Friction)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-athlete-whose-career-was-ruined-due-to-injury/455347/114 "2009-11-01T13:57:19Z")
> [@](#): > > Mark the bird Fidrych, blew his knee out shagging fly balls ending a super looking career. I thought he had arm/shoulder problems from being used so carelessly in that magical rookie season. Anyway, if you hadn’t heard, he died recently when the truck he was working on at his farm fell on top of him. RIP, Bird; you were the second person I thought of for this thread. The first is still my all-time sports hero: Bobby Orr. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-athlete-whose-career-was-ruined-due-to-injury/455347/115 "2009-11-02T06:51:38Z")
Lebron reminded me of another one: Brad Daugherty ([Brad Daugherty (basketball) - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad_Daugherty_%28basketball%29)) Set the Cavs’ points and rebounds records until broken by Lebron, retired at 28 because of back troubles, averaged 18 points, 10 boards over his entire career, and the best nobody in the original arcade version of NBA Jams. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-athlete-whose-career-was-ruined-due-to-injury/455347/116 "2009-11-02T11:48:51Z")
> [@Dusty\_Rose](#): > > I’m not sure if he qualifies as the “Greatest Athlete,” but he was certainly a stellar player whose career was cut short: Vladimir Konstantinov from the Detroit Red Wings. One of my all time favorite hockey players. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-athlete-whose-career-was-ruined-due-to-injury/455347/117 "2009-11-02T15:20:56Z")
> [@Mr.Martin](#): > > Len > Bias > (death) Post #25. (and #94) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-athlete-whose-career-was-ruined-due-to-injury/455347/118 "2009-11-02T20:58:10Z")
Can the definition of “injury” be stretched to accommodate strep throat? In the event that it can, I’m gonna nominate George Gipp. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-athlete-whose-career-was-ruined-due-to-injury/455347/119 "2009-11-03T02:56:43Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > Probably not the best ever, but J. R. Richard seemed to be finally getting full control of his stuff and turning into a truly dominant pitcher when he had the stroke that ended his career. And let’s not forget Don Wilson, another great pitcher for the Astros. Career wasn’t really ended by injury; he committed suicide at age 30. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-athlete-whose-career-was-ruined-due-to-injury/455347.md?page=5)