The 50 Greatest Sports Figures From New Hampshire

There's a difference between loyalty to the home team--athletes
imported to play for our local colleges and pro franchises--and
the deep emotional bond we share with hometown heroes, the local
legends we knew back when. They are the boys and girls from next
door, or the next town. We watched them grow up, watched them
play when it was still play. Unfortunately, these luminaries are
almost inevitably dispersed because of sport's mercenary nature,
lured away by scholarships or contracts. Well, we're bringing
'em all back home for the millennium--not necessarily to where
they were born, but to where they first showed flashes of the
greatness to come. Thus, Broadway Joe is in Pennsylvania, not
Alabama or New York; and the Mailman is in Louisiana, not Utah.
The result: the top 50 from your state and, on the following
pages, a list of those from all 50 states. In short, the
ultimate home teams.

#1
Carlton Fisk
CHARLESTOWN
Ten-time All-Star holds major league record for career homers by
a catcher (351); his Game 6 shot in 1975 World Series was one of
game's most dramatic moments.

#2
Jenny Thompson
DOVER
Five-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer broke 100-meter butterfly
world record in 1999.

#3
Mike Flanagan
MANCHESTER
Won 1979 AL Cy Young when he went 23-9 with a 3.09 ERA for
Orioles; won 167 games in his 18-year career.

#4
Lynn Jennings
NEWMARKET
Distance runner won 39 national titles and three world
cross-country crowns.

#5
Red Rolfe
PENACOOK
As Yankees third baseman, was a three-time All-Star and played
in six World Series; led AL with 15 triples in 1936.

#6
Bob Beattie
MANCHESTER
Coached U.S. men to their first Olympic skiing medals, in 1964,
before helping launch the sport's World Cup.

#7
Greg Landry
NASHUA
Threw for 16,052 yards and 98 touchdowns in 15-year career with
Lions, Colts and Bears.

#8
Bob Tewksbury
CONCORD
One of the best control pitchers in baseball, he went 16-5 with
a 2.16 ERA as an All-Star for the Cardinals in 1992.

#9
Jane Blalock
PORTSMOUTH
The first LPGA player to win more than $100,000 in four
consecutive seasons (1977-80), she did not miss a cut in 12
years.

#10
George (Birdie) Tebbetts
NASHUA
Four-time All-Star catcher during 14-year career; had a .512
winning percentage as a manager.

#11
Penny Pitou
GILFORD
Won silver medals in the downhill and giant slalom in the 1960
Olympics.

#12
Matt Bonner
CONCORD
Leading Class L basketball scorer in state history, with 2,459
points; three-time state player of the year; now at Florida.

#13
Katie King
SALEM
Scored four goals and added four assists in 1998 Olympics for
gold-medal-winning women's hockey team.

#14
Andy Sudduth
EXETER
1984 Olympic rowing silver medalist; won five straight men's
singles titles in the Head of the Charles Regatta.

#15
Charles (Buzz) Harvey
NASHUA
His 12 state championships as a football coach at Nashua High
from 1941 to '68 are the most in state history.

#16
Doug Everett
CONCORD
Hall of Famer scored two goals in two games against Canada for
silver-medal-winning 1932 Olympic hockey team.

#17
Hubie McDonough
MANCHESTER
Captained Dartmouth's 1917 football team, then returned to coach
at his alma mater, Central High, producing five undefeated
seasons.

#18
Mike LaValliere
MANCHESTER
Gold Glove catcher for Pirates in 1987; hit .316 in '89 and .268
during 12-year career.

#19
Steve (Bye-Bye) Balboni
MANCHESTER
Ten-year major leaguer; all-or-nothing slugger hit 36 homers and
fanned 166 times in 1985.

#20
Paul Frase
ROCHESTER
Starred as a defensive lineman at Syracuse and played in the NFL
for 10 seasons; had five sacks for the Jets in 1992.

#21
Hubie McDonough III
MANCHESTER
Fourth in Hobey Baker voting at St. Anselm in 1984, the
second-highest finish ever by a small-college player; scored 40
goals in 195 NHL games.

#22
Richard Kennelly
DUBLIN
Oarsman won silver medal at 1988 Olympics in the men's four
without coxswain.

#23
Don Macek
MANCHESTER
Chargers' starting center throughout 1980s after stellar career
at BC.

#24
Gus Zitrides
MANCHESTER
Two-time All-America at Dartmouth in the late 1930s; coached Joe
Paterno at Brown.

#25
Erica Palmer
GILSUM
In 1998, at Wisconsin, became first athlete to win Big Ten
freshman of the year in cross-country, indoor track and outdoor
track.

#26
Bob Blackman
HANOVER
Led Dartmouth to a 104-37-3 record in 16 years as head football
coach; unbeaten 1970 team ranked 14th nationally.

#27
Kerry Bascom
EPPING
Three-time Big East women's basketball player of the year and
second-leading alltime scorer at UConn.

#28
Liz McIntyre
HANOVER
Two-time Olympian won silver medal in freestyle moguls at 1994
Games.

#29
Tricia Dunn
DERRY
Scored game-winning goal against Canada in 1998 Olympic hockey
tournament for team that won gold medal.

#30
Don Sarette
MANCHESTER
Picked up 11 varsity letters at Central High, then quarterbacked
Syracuse to the 1959 national championship.

#31
Steve Stetson
LACONIA
Ivy's most accurate passer in 1971, in two seasons he led
Dartmouth to a 9-1-1 record in 11 starts; all-conference in '72.

#32
Johnny Bozek
MANCHESTER
Named Manchester's athlete of the first half-century; led
Central High's hoops team to third in the nation in 1924;
All-America in football at Georgetown.

#33
Sam (Dutch) Knox
CONCORD
Offensive lineman at UNH played three seasons for Lions in NFL
(1934, '35, '36).

#34
Howard Crossett
BRADFORD
Won silver medal as a member of four-man bobsled team at 1952
Olympics.

#35
John Bosa
KEENE
Played in three bowls for BC and was Miami's No. 1 pick in the
1987 draft; named to NFL All-Rookie team.

#36
Kent Carlson
CONCORD
Burly defenseman scored 17 points, amassed 148 penalty minutes
in three NHL seasons (1983, '84, '85) with Canadiens and Blues.

#37
Steve Schubert
MANCHESTER
Scrappy 5'10" receiver played for Patriots and Bears from 1974 to
'79 and returned three punts for touchdowns.

#38
Dick Martin
CONCORD
Guard at Notre Dame under Elmer Layden from 1934 to '36; coached
football, basketball and track at Concord High.

#39
Bill Jackowksi
NORTH WALPOLE
Served as an umpire in NL for 16 years; was behind the plate for
Game 7 of 1960 World Series.

#40
Kevin Grondin
ROCHESTER
Winner of six U.S. surfing championships; coached U.S. national
team to 1996 world title.

#41
Tom Padden
MANCHESTER
Caught for the Pirates for six seasons in the 1930s; hit .321 in
'34.

#42
Bob Chabot
MANCHESTER
Member of legendary backfield at West Point in 1944 and '45,
playing alongside Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis.

#43
Cathy O'Brien
DURHAM
Youngest runner, at 16, in 1984 Olympic marathon trials,
finished ninth; made team in '88 and '92.

#44
Jeff Cross
PORTSMOUTH
All-state at Portsmouth High; played 21 games for Clippers
in 1985-86 after standout career at Maine.

#45
Bob Savage
MANCHESTER
Righthander pitched in major leagues for five years; won eight
games and had a 3.76 ERA for Connie Mack's A's in 1947.

#46
Lou Kirouac
MANCHESTER
Star kicker at Bishop Bradley High, he went on to play for
BC before spending four seasons in the NFL.

#47
Joseph Brooks Dodge
GORHAM
Two-time Olympic skier narrowly missed winning a medal with
fourth-place finish in the slalom at 1956 Games.

#48
Gordon Eaton
LITTLETON
Skied in 1960 Olympics and was a reserve on the '64 team that won
country's first skiing medals.

#49
Bob Hilliard
MANCHESTER
Celebrated scribe covered the Granite State for 50 years as
sports editor of The Union Leader.

#50
Carol Ann Sullivan
ROCHESTER
Won the junior division of the All-American Soap Box Derby in
1982, becoming the first girl from New Hampshire to accomplish
the feat.

COLOR PHOTO: WALTER IOOSS JR. #1 Carlton Fisk