THE HEAVENLY HUNDRED
Suppose there came a telegram from Heaven that read:
Sorry Stop Running out of space up here Stop Jammed, to the rafters Stop From now on can handle only one athlete per jersey number Stop Doesn't matter which sports Stop You decide Stop Fax list soonest Stop
This could happen. So we need to be ready, and I've taken the liberty of drawing up the list. Each jersey number shall honor only one athlete. That's the law. And I don't want any guff....
0 GEORGE PLIMPTON Paper Lion.
00 JIM OTTO
1/8 EDDIE GAEDEL
1 JACK NICKLAUS
The number worn by the caddie of the defending Masters champion.
1A SECRETARIAT
The 1973 Kentucky Derby winner's entry number.
2 LEO DUROCHER
W2 JOAN BENOIT
She wore it when she broke the women's world mark in the 1983 Boston Marathon.
3 BABE RUTH
4 LOU GEHRIG
Over Bobby Orr.
5 JOE DiMAGGIO
6 BILL RUSSELL
Sorry, Dr. J.
7 MICKEY MANTLE
8 CARL YASTRZEMSKI
9 GORDIE HOWE
With a nod to Ted Williams.
10 PELE
11 NORM VAN BROCKLIN
12 TERRY BRADSHAW
Four rings.
13 WILT CHAMBERLAIN
14 ERNIE BANKS
15 FRANZ KLAMMER
Won the 1976 Olympic downhill wearing it.
16 JOE MONTANA
17 DIZZY DEAN
I don't want to hear about no Hondo.
18 JACKIE ROBINSON
Wore it as a UCLA basketball player.
19 JOHNNY UNITAS
20 JOSH GIBSON
21 JIM THORPE
22 ELGIN BAYLOR
23 MICHAEL JORDAN
Forever.
24 WILLIE MAYS
25 FRED BILETNIKOFF
26 SATCHEL PAIGE
27 JUAN MARICHAL
28 YALE LARY
Detroit Lions.
29 KEN DRYDEN
Over Rod Carew.
30 JIM CRAIG
The USA's Olympic goalie in 1980.
31 JIM TAYLOR
32 SANDY KOUFAX
With apologies to Jim Brown, Magic Johnson and Elston Howard.
33 LEW ALCINDOR
Edging out Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
34 WALTER PAYTON
35 DOC BLANCHARD
36 O.J. SIMPSON
In his first pro year.
37 CASEY STENGEL
38 RAY DANDRIDGE
Of the Negro leagues.
39 ROY CAMPANELLA
40 VINCE LOMBARDI
Wore it at Fordham. Over Crazy Legs Hirsch and Gale Sayers.
41 ROGER BANNISTER
The day he broke the four-minute barrier.
42 SID LUCKMAN
43 RICHARD PETTY
44 HENRY AARON
Over Jerry West, Pistol Pete and Reggie.
45 BOB GIBSON
46 LOU GROZA
Wore it for a short time.
47 MEL BLOUNT
48 GERALD FORD
At Michigan.
49 TOM LANDRY
Wore it as a player with the New York Giants.
50 MIKE SINGLETARY
51 DICK BUTKUS
52 MIKE WEBSTER
53 DON DRYSDALE
54 GOOSE GOSSAGE
55 OREL HERSHISER
56 JIM BOUTON
57 JOHNNY (Blood)
McNALLY Four Green Bay championships.
58 JACK LAMBERT
Next to...
59 JACK HAM
60 CHUCK BEDNARIK
61 BILL GEORGE
The meanest Bear ever.
62 BUD WILKINSON
Wore it at Minnesota.
63 GENE UPSHAW
64 JERRY KRAMER
Author.
65 LES BINGAMAN
Lions' lineman.
66 MARIO LEMIEUX
67 SIXTEN JERNBERG
Won four Olympic cross-country ski golds.
68 L.C. GREENWOOD
69 LARRY COSTELLO
Of the NBA.
70 SAM HUFF
71 ALEX KARRAS
72 CARLTON FISK
With 27 taken in Chicago, he reversed himself.
73 LEO NOMELLINI
A pro wrestler, he wore it with the 49ers.
74 MERLIN OLSEN
75 DEACON JONES
76 LOU GROZA
Wore it the rest of the time.
77 RED GRANGE
78 BUBBA (Kill) SMITH
79 ROOSEVELT BROWN
80 JERRY RICE
Over Tom Fears. How's that for recognition?
81 NIGHT TRAIN LANE
82 RAYMOND BERRY
83 RENALDO NEHEMIAH
Hurdler. When he played for the 49ers.
84 ANDY ROBUSTELLI
85 NICK BUONICONTI
86 BRUD HOLLAND
1930s Cornell All-America end who became ambassador to Sweden.
87 BILL CARPENTER
The Lonely End.
88 LYNN SWANN
89 IRON MIKE DITKA
90 BOB (Foothills) KURLAND
The first great seven-footer.
91 OLGA KORBUT
At the Montreal Games.
92 LES HORVATH
93 This space available.
94 RANDY WHITE
Wore it at Maryland after fans stole all his 74's.
95 RICHARD DENT
96 BILL VOISELLE
From Ninety Six, S.C., he wore it with the Boston Braves.
97 ART STILL
98 TOM HARMON
99 WAYNE GRETZKY
PHOTO
CRAIG MOLENHOUSE