Game recognizes game. The Great One—Wayne Gretzky—is the man who redefined ice hockey with his genius and the one who has four Stanley Cups stacked up with the Edmonton Oilers. From his rookie stint in 1978 to becoming an icon on a global level, Gretzky made a real impact on the NHL world. But who are the athletes he admires from other sports? During the New Heights Show, the 64-year-old made some interesting revelations.
Starting off with the NBA, without second thoughts, Gretzky said, “Well, NBA is easy—23!” Michael Jordan, of course. The greatest to ever live, with his killer instincts and clutch gene, numerous accolades and the way he shaped the basketball world.
When it came to the NFL, it was Tom Brady for Gretzky—the real GOAT. From Super Bowl titles to his clutch performance and unmatched records, Brady was a clear choice.
Gretzky didn’t hesitate on Jordan vs. LeBron or Brady vs. Manning, but when he had to pick the GOAT from MLB, he took some time, before stating, “To me, Jackie Robinson is incredible, and Babe Ruth, how he created the whole baseball world, but I’m gonna pick George Brett as the greatest player I ever saw.” Well!
Most of us did not see it coming. But hey Brett has proved his excellence through 10,349 major league at-bats and 21 seasons with the Kansas City Royals. In fact, he’s among the only 5 players to record a .300 batting average, 3,000 hits, and 300 home runs.
The other four are Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Albert Pujols and Stan Musial. Back in 2016, an ESPN panel also ranked Brett as the second-best third baseman in the entire MLB history, behind Mike Schmidt.
There’s no end to Brett’s legacy. In 1980, he delivered one of the most phenomenal offensive seasons in the league’s history, where he batted at .390, which is apparently the highest single-season average since Ted Williams’ .406 in 1941. He missed 45 matchups due to an injury setback that time, but still managed to amass 24 home runs, 118 TBIs and an OPS of 1.118 and just like that, he earned the AL MVP award in that year.
Well, sure, Brett is one of the greatest of all time, but it leaves us wondering—why not Babe Ruth or Jackie Robinson?
Why Brett and not Babe Ruth or Jackie Robinson for Wayne Gretzky?
For Gretzky, Michael Jordan was a no-brainer. And Tom Brady was a clear choice too. But with MLB, it got a bit more interesting. Most of us expected him to name Babe Ruth. Or maybe even Jackie Robinson. However, according to him, it was Brett who was the greatest player he ever saw.
Talking about Babe Ruth, he transformed the game. His numbers were simply beyond impressive. 714 home runs, a career batting average of .342, and 2,214 RBIs. He was a two-way phenom. So, he was also an elite pitcher. His era was 2.28. Moreover, he won seven World Series titles and led the AL in terms of home runs. Not to forget, Ruth was one of the original five HOF inductees in the year 1936. He stood tall among the league’s foundational figures.
And Jackie Robinson, he faced racism and immeasurable pressure in the league. Yet, he thrived and won the rookie of the year in 1947 and NL MVP in 1949. Across his 10 seasons, he was a six-time All-Star and was a World Series champion in 1955. He retired with a .311 batting average and 1,518 hits to his name. And then eventually, in 1962, Robinson got inducted into the Hall of Fame.
So, as it seems, Gretzky’s GOAT pick was more about whom he witnessed as the best, rather than the stats. In 1999, Brett was also inducted into the HOF with a mind-blowing 98.2% of the votes. It was simply an example of how much he was loved and recognized by the ones who followed his journey.
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