SeaTown Sports Top 100 (#80-#71)
Brian and Kevin count down the top 100 professional Seattle sports athletes of all time
In celebration of surpassing 100 subscribers, SeaTown Sports will be counting down the top 100 professional Seattle sports athletes of all-time. This list will not include individual athletes like Apolo Ohno or Michael Chang and it does not include any college stars who did not play in Seattle professionally (think Steve Emtman or Kelsey Plum). Also, you won’t see any Seattle Kraken athletes on the list. We just haven’t seen any individual performers at a high enough level in the past three seasons in the deep. Kevin and Brian hope this list provides an opportunity for fun discussion as our readers keep engaging with us moving forward.
Read #100 - #81 below:
#80 - Alvin Davis, Mariners
Key Accomplishments: 1x All-Star, 1984 AL Rookie of the Year, ranks 9th all-time in WAR, 7th in OPS, 6th in hits, 7th in HR, and 5th in RBI in M’s history.
Known as “Mr. Mariner”, Alvin Davis was the first homegrown star to play for the Seattle Mariners. Davis leapt on the scene as a rookie, batting .284 with 27 HR and 116 RBI. He followed that amazing rookie year with six straight seasons of 17 or more homers and batting averages of over .280 in all but one of those years. A fun fact about Davis is that he homered in his first two MLB games - off Dennis Eckersley (Red Sox) and Ron Davis (Twins). While his homers were fun, Alvin Davis’s eye in the box was his greatest skill. He holds a career .381 on base percentage, fifth best in M’s history.
#79 - Chad Brown, Seahawks
Key Accomplishments: 2x Pro Bowl, 1x All-Pro, ranks 5th all-time in sacks and solo tackles in Seahawks history.
Chad Brown became one of the NFL’s first $4 million linebackers when he signed with the Seahawks in 1997. After a Pro Bowl and first team All-Pro season in Pittsburgh, Brown came to Seattle with big expectations. Maybe because the Seahawks weren’t very good in his first three years or maybe because Brown never came close to his 13 sack season in Pittsburgh, but Chad Brown doesn’t often get included on Seahawks all-time lists. And to be fair, Brown isn’t anywhere near the Bobby Wagner category but he is better than you may remember. With 5.5 sacks or more in each of his first seven years in Seattle, Brown was among the league’s best at the linebacker spot.
#78 - Mike Cameron, Mariners
Key Accomplishments: 1x All-Star, 2x Gold Glove, ranks 7th in stolen bases in Mariners history.
I love Mike Cameron. I don’t know whether Mike Cameron should be ranked this high or not and I don’t care. For a kid who grew up watching Ken Griffey Jr, there was nothing more devastating than having Griffey demand a trade in 1999. It was more than a gut punch. It was like when your kid accidentally kicks you in the nuts. There was no way that anyone could replace The Kid. And then Mike Cameron came along and brought joy back to centerfield. Just Google “Mike Cameron Mariners” and you will find some of the best defensive plays you have ever seen.
To be clear, Mike Cameron was good in Seattle. He had at least 17 homers and 76 RBI each season and an OPS over .780 in three of the four seasons. But Mike Cameron might be best known for this historic feat on May 2, 2002. Enjoy both Cammy and Dave Niehaus.
#77 - Chris Warren, Seahawks
Key Accomplishments: 3x Pro Bowl, ranks 2nd in rushing yards and 4th in rushing touchdowns in Seahawks history.
I used to love playing Madden ‘94 on Sega Genesis. It was my prime video playing days where I would have no problem sitting down for a day and cranking out an entire NFL season. Of course I played with the Seahawks and our road to glory went through Chris Warren. He would just tear up the AFC West, especially with HB Dive. And you know why? Because Chris Warren was good. Warren put up four straight 1000+ yard seasons, including a massive 1545 yards in 1994. Warren finished second to Barry Sanders in that season who put up a ridiculous 1883 yards.
Enjoy this trailer for Madden 94. You will have to visualize Chris Warren.
#76 - Tom Chambers, Sonics
Key Accomplishments: 1x All-Star, ranks 10th in points and 12th in rebounds in Sonics history.
This has nothing to do with Tom Chambers’ time on the Seattle SuperSonics, but have you ever seen this incredible dunk?
Tom Chambers put up great numbers in Seattle over the course of his five seasons before becoming a superstar of sorts in Phoenix. As a Sonic, here were Chambers’ averages:
18.1 points, 6.5 rebounds
21.5 points, 7.1 rebounds
18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds
23.3 points, 6.6 rebounds
He also was named the All-Star game MVP in 1987 that was held in Seattle. Chambers scored 34 points in that game, a day after losing to Michael Jordan in one of the most iconic dunk contests in basketball history. Tom should have done that dunk over Mark Jackson.
#75 - Brian Blades, Seahawks
Key Accomplishments: 1x Pro Bowl, 4x 1000+ yard receiving seasons, played 11 seasons all with Seahawks, ranks 3rd in receptions, 3rd in receiving yards and 8th in receiving touchdowns in Seahawks history.
It is tough to be a receiver drafted to be the heir apparent to Steve Largent and also play alongside Steve Largent. Brian Blades did both of those things and did them better than you remember. Blades took the torch from Largent in 1989 with 77 catches and a Pro Bowl nod. His career really took off in the 1993-95 range when Blades recorded three straight 1000+ yard seasons and two seasons of 80+ catches. Sadly for Blades, the 1995 offseason derailed his career as he was charged with the murder of his cousin Charles. Blades was aqcuitted as it was deemed an accidental death but Blades was never the same again as he also battled injuries.
#74 - Kaz Sasaki, Mariners
Key Accomplishments: 2x All-Star selections, ranks 1st in Mariners history in saves.
If you grew up a Mariners fan, you have scars that line your memories from failed closers of years past. Say the name “Bobby Ayala” to anyone over 40 years old and expect a visceral reaction. Despite a brief Norm Charlton era, Mariners fans never experienced a dominant closer. Enter Kaz Sasaki. His splitter was devastating to hitters.
Including 45 saves in the magical 2001 season, Sasaki posted three straight seasons of 37 saves or more. Kaz only played four seasons in Seattle because of “indiscreet philandering”. You read that right. But the Sasaki story gets even better. After leaving Seattle, Kaz became a singer.
What can this man not do? According to Mariner ownership, he can do everything. The jokes write themselves people.
#73 - Kyle Seager, Mariners
Key Accomplishments: 1x All-Star, 1x Gold Glove, ranks 5th in WAR, 5th in runs, 4th in hits, 3rd in doubles, 4th in HR, and 4th in RBI in M’s history.
Kyle Seager’s best moment as a Mariner doesn’t involve swinging a bat. It doesn’t even involve a stellar play at third base. Seager’s best moment is when he told Jered Weaver what all baseball fans have thought of Jered Weaver for years.
If you need more of this, watch the whole clip here. Seager obviously had some amazing moments and racked up stats over his 11 years in Seattle. But somehow I can’t remember him for hits or plays in the field. In addition to this Weaver showdown, Seager was involved in the most hilarious home run call by an announcer in Seattle history. Listen to this Dave Sims gem.
Hey Lloyd….do some delivery….for the truck….to the airport. Gold.
#72 - Obafemi Martins, Sounders
Key Accomplishments: 2014 MLS MVP finalist, 2014 MLS Best XI, ranks 6th in goals & 11th in assists in Sounders history.
Do you like backflips? It is Olympics time. We get backflips in the gym, into the pool, and probably in breakdancing. (As an aside, women’s breakdancing is a mix of real B-girls and the neighboorhood mom who needed a hobby). So if you are enjoying the Olympics, go check out some Obafemi Martins highlights. While you are looking for backflips, you will find some of the best goals in MLS history. Obafemi’s peak as a goalscorer rivals anyone who ever played on American soil.
I am not joking.
Martins’ success wasn’t just flash. His 17 goals in 2014 still rank as the most in single season in Sounders history. That 2014 campaign was Obafemi’s peak as he was named a MVP finalist and to the MLS Best XI. He follwed that up with 15 goals in 2015 before leaving the Sounders.
#71 - Joe Nash, Seahawks
Key Accomplishments: 1x Pro Bowl, 1x 1st team All-Pro, ranks 6th all-time in sacks in Seahawks history.
No backflips for Joe Nash. In fact, Joe Nash didn’t even expect to make the Seahawks roster as a rookie. Not only did Nash make the roster in 1984, he made the Pro Bowl that year and ended up playing more games (218) than anyone else in Seahawks history. Nash played an unbelievable 15 years in Seattle as both nose tackle and defensive tackle. In that 1984 season, Nash recorded seven sacks among his 82 tackles but actually had better years in 1985 and 1986. He recorded eight sacks in 1985 and nine sacks in 1986 as a nose tackle. In short, Nash was a dominant player for the Seahawks. Best of all, Nash’s teammates appreciated him and loved him. Listen to this quote from Hall of Famer Cortez Kennedy from Seahawks.com.
“I can’t say anything but great things about Joe Nash,” Kennedy offered. “A lot of my success came because of Joe. I remember one game; I was having trouble beating this guy. Joe asked me what kind of moves I was making. I told him, “In and out.” He said, ‘Tez, that’s your problem. Forget the in and out. Just get your big ol’ butt up the field. That’s all you need to do.’
“And it worked. Joe was a great guy, and a tough guy.”
"indiscreet philandering" . . . I must confess. I had to look up philandering to know what that means.