Dave Winfield: Best Athlete Of All Time?

[@edwardbliss8931]

I once asked him when I was working at the SkyDome in the 90s, "What approach did you have to get that game winning hit in the Jays first World Series?" His reply was "Well you gotta try and hit it!" That'll always stick in my wind talking to this legend

[@Gl6619]

I got his autograph after the ‘80 all star game at Dodgers Stadium…he was a real nice guy and gracious

[@aVerveQuest]

Damn that's an Orioles fan I never knew that we drafted Dave out of high school. Adding him into already successful teams with Mutray and then Ripken, wow that would have been sweet

[@mastermace7770]

They probably would have a dynasty if he was playing for the orioles

[@GizmoBeach]

He was a remarkable OF and hitter and in the 70's he was a premier slugger; in those days 20 HR's made you one and with good reason. The 1979 Astros missed a pennant by one game w/ 49 HR's *as a team* and Jose Cruz led the way w/ nine of them. Steinbrenner called him Mr. May after a disappointing `81 Series showing but he helped win Toronto their first in `92 in his second (and final) postseason appearance. He raked all those years for the Padres (while the Yankees were contending again) and the Yankees (when they had their worst decade since the 1910's) all for naught as far as getting playoff experience.

[@MrBmick79]

I was a watching the 86 All Star game the other day on KZbin and VIn Scully noted that the 1985 Astros hit 18 home runs as a TEAM

[@mastermace7770]

He is one of the mostunderrated players ever

[@gregorykrug8034]

My late father used to be a higher-up at the National 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, MD. He occasionally worked with Dave Winfield because of Dave Winfield's charity foundation. One night, my father, two brothers, and I were having dinner in our kitchen. The phone rang. My father asked if someone could get the phone, but my brothers and I were being shitheads, not wanting to interrupt our eating. My father got the call, talked for a couple minutes, and then hung up the phone. He sat down and said, "You should have picked up the phone. That was Dave Winfield." My brothers and I were all kicking ourselves.

[@garygood6804]

That's what you get. =P

[@ckendall67]

Only played that one season in Toronto but will be long remembered; he had a fantastic season, but saved his BEST moment for his last at-bat, driving in those two runs to help propel the Jays to their 1st World Series. Sure, he didn't have a good overall Series performance but still when he came up to bat the Braves had to work hard to avoid Winfield doing much damage at the plate. Afterwards, Winfield said 'I didn't do a whole lot in the Series, but what I did do, I did it at the right time.' Winfield was just happy that he finally was part of a World Series championship team after missing out for so long. I was actually disappointed when he left after that one season, but he went home to play in Minneapolis( much the same way that Kawhi helped the Raptors win their 1st NBA championship in 2019 before deciding to play in his home state of California )which was OK. A much-deserved member of the Baseball Hall Of Fame for sure!! #WinfieldWantsNOISE

[@johnr.7906]

Dave Winfield was my favorite Yankee growing up....

[@g-manthenurseman7532]

Winfield was so fun to watch play the great game. I remember TWIB doing a spot on him in the dugout doing dumbbell lifts to get ready for his turn to hit in the home run derby. A special talent that made baseball look easy, even compared to the other mlb-ers.

[@ScottHammonds-k1u]

This is awesome brother!! I remember when i was lil kid Winfield was a hoss in several sports!! Especially MLB

[@ericstevendennis3206]

Pretty classy music accompaniment - no complaints here, because I'm a huge fan of the guy.

[@jimbob9828]

Mr. Winfield, Thank You.

[@patrickmoreau7592]

This is awesome I did not know early footage of Winfield existed

[@Football__Junkie]

Had one of the best CWS performances ever

[@FavreianVengeance]

In the eighties, Dave Winfield was universally regarded as the best athlete across all major sports leagues.

[@54raynor]

An underrated pick: Jackie Robinson. One of the things about Jackie’s legacy that often gets overlooked: baseball might have been his fifth-best sport. He was a champion tennis player as a youth, an All-America in football at UCLA, PCC Player of the Year in basketball, and NCAA champion in the Long Jump. And he started for UCLA baseball despite hitting just .097 for the season.

[@scottdehaan5864]

Definitely my favourite! Another that hasn't been mentioned below is Lionel Conacher.

[@matthewmoseslee]

I am from St Paul MN, and I was a 1996 Dave Winfield Scholarship Award Winner...

[@evanwladkowski5386]

Gotta be the most underrated 1st ballot HOF of all time

[@larrybrophy9093]

He was one of three players that I would stop everything I was doing to watch when he was at bat. Mickey Mantle and Reggie Jackson were the other two. All three looked great even when they struck out!

[@bryant7369]

Love the vids man

[@Ignatius------6]

That Padres team cuda had 3 hofmers (2 with 300o plus hits) if they sayed together. Gwynn, Winfield and Smith. Insane!

[@johnyhefner]

Dave Winfield was all man, 100%.

[@groovestreet77]

It’s crazy he was a pitcher

[@michaellurie9138]

My Favorite Yankee of All Time

[@thawkereynolds]

I am a Yankee fan since, but really since Bert but the first year I remember was that 1984 season. It’s funny because I started to hear as a Dave Winfield was my number one player, but ended it with Don Mattingly. It had nothing to do with race, it had to do with Don Mattingly was “our guy” he just came up from Columbus (the Yanks AAA back then) he was not making millions of dollars it’s no different than when the Yankees got AROD and people rooted for Jeter more because of it

[@Josh-y4r]

Smart man to pick baseball

[@JohnRyan-gr8bs]

Fanny Ainge was a an All Anerican in baseball and badketball

[@ericmatterson9905]

​@@mizztery2994badketball?

[@ThatC1official]

John Leo was drafted in 3 sports too

[@Josh-y4r]

Who? 😮

[@user-sg8kq7ii3y]

Yep, I keep telling people that Winfield was the best overall athlete. People like to say "Bo Jackson" or "Deion Sanders". Most people have no idea how talented Winfield was. He simply did not play during an era where he could play multiple professional sports.

[@garygood6804]

Deion sanders is a prima Donna. Just ask Carlton fisk.

[@yell0wberry]

He was definitely a tremendous athlete, maybe not as built as a Bo Jackson, but definitely supernatural in his own way. Although Aaron judge was not drafted in three different sports, he was an all American in three different sports, by the way, Jackie Robinson was an all American in four different sports and probably would have been in tennis as well

[@DAVYMAC]

Ask OSU center Luke Witte about Winfield. He should still be in prison for what he did to Luke. The Big 10 Commissioner did NOTHING about the assault that was on camera.

[@deepcosmiclove]

Luke is now a Christian Minister in Charlotte. In fairness to Dave he wasn't one of the two players who attacked Luke. Dave sucker punched a different player (five times).

[@deekaymusiclover2481]

If you're gonna be judgemental, then at least know what you're talking about. It was Ron Behagen and Corky Taylor...

[@tonyjones8425]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@DAVYMAC]

@@deekaymusiclover2481 So it didn't happen and Winfield was not involved? It is not judgemental. You just don't like what I have to say. And the Big 10 commissioner did NOTHING appropriate about it. It happened it is a part of history and i was alive when it happened.

[@kevindaniels9943]

Great point that's were I was going what a coward doing that because he was a sore looser

[@JamesKenneally-le1zd]

Great athlete! Bo Jackson,Dion Sanders, Jim Brown,Ward Michael Jordan.

[@drewhunkins7192]

Bob Gibson was arguably the best pitcher ever to walk the face of the earth. He also played basketball for the Harlem Globetrotters. Jackie Robinson played and starred in a slew of sports at UCLA.

[@macharper8214]

In the 1981 world series he batted .045 in 6 games against the Dodgers for the Yankees. That is not a joke. He had 1 hit in 22 at bats. Anyone's random grandmother could have done better than that.

[@Gl6619]

That’s a ridiculous statement…You sound like a casual who just started watching baseball…hitting a major league pitch is not easy, in fact it’s the hardest thing to do in all of sports…90% of the population would go 0-23 if they had those same at bats and 89.9 % wouldn’t even put a barrel on one pitch…with that in mind, put someone’s grandmother in the intensity of a WS… Consider everything I said and reconsider that your statement sounds like you’re completely talking out of your ass..

[@LakeLyfe315]

Doubtful. I played through college and I would probably go 0-22. Hitting a round ball with a round bat is by far the hardest professional sport

[@thawkereynolds]

@@LakeLyfe315 thank you for having a brain because whoever wrote the original 1- 22 clearly has never played baseball at any sort of level. Probably the same guy who wanted to trade Aaron Judge in April/May of this year

[@MichaelLoves2024]

These are always the dumbest comments. Grandma would have to make it to that point in Winfield's career.

[@davidwadsworth8982]

There have only three sport college All Americans, Dave at Minn. and General Pete Dawkins at West Point. Football,Hockey,Lacrosse.General Dawkins won the Heisman.

[@jamespier7801]

vs Bo Jackson, Deion and Wilt?

[@JJAce51829]

Bo was the greatest athlete and it’s not even close!!!!

[@briankearn6991]

Gordie Howe? He played in the NHL for 25 straight years.

[@g-manthenurseman7532]

Dave was not a world class sprinter, sure, but had speed, strength and world class athleticism. Mentioned was that Dave likely would have been a top tier pitcher too if playing in the current era. And he did have opportunities to play multiple sports in the pros as well. Bo and Deion were perhaps in the sweet spot of time for playing 2 pro sports, and good on them. The answer may be no, but asking if Dave’s the best athlete is still a valid question.

[@Tom-y1j]

​@@JJAce51829Jim Thorpe kid

[@steven.events]

Herschel Walker is probably most comparable with Winfield.

[@bongobeatbox4020]

Jim Brown was an All American lacrosse player. Bo Jackson played both professional Baseball and professional Football. As did Deion Sanders. Willie Mays was a star football player but didn't go to college. Tom Glavine was drafted by the L.A. Kings. Bob Gibson played for the Harlem Globetrotters before pitching for the Cardinals. Sandy Koufax played basketball for the University of Cincinnati Robin Roberts played basketball for Michigan State University There is a very, very long list of multi-sport athletes. Why don't you tell us about how Winfield suckerpunched Mark Wager five times from behind in a college basketball game where he and his Minnesota teammates sent Luke Witte of Ohio State to the hospital. George Steinbrenner famously called Winfield "Mr. May" because he choked in October. There are at least 100 baseball players I'd take before Winfield.

[@jimdellavecchia4594]

I love that Steinbrenner called him "Mr. April"

[@yell0wberry]

I thought it was Mr. May? It said that him and Steinbrenner patched things up although I don’t think Steinbrenner ever retired his number.

[@jimdellavecchia4594]

@@yell0wberry April, May, George was all over the place!!

[@BryantWilliams-d3j]

Winfield looked great for a 40 year old and was productive 108 rbi's....

[@davidjones5547]

How about Aleksandr Karelin? He without a doubt should be in the discussion of greatest athlete of all time. He only lost twice in his entire career. The last time he lost to Rulon Gardner in the gold medal match in the 2000 Olympics was due to a change in a rule that they changed back after those Olympics. Now I am not sure. But I do not think that anyone scored on him in 6 straight years which is an amazing feat.

[@sprsmoke]

I watched him when he was a Yankee. As an outfielder he ran like a deer. He was treated lousy by Steinbrenner, the owner.

[@fluffskunk]

And much less problematic a man than Football/Lacrosse game-changer Jim Brown.

[@BearIslandComics]

One of, sure. But come on. It’s Bo Jackson and it always will be

[@hoppy23]

I think it's Charlie Ward he just picked.the wrong sport he was a heisman winning QB whom player 10 plus years.for the New York Knicks at PG

[@simpleagain1]

Well I don’t know about all that. I’d have to see how he is at table tennis and 3 legged sack races in the back yard. Then I could make a much better assessment

[@erickgross984]

One thing is for sure Michael Jordan is not the best athlete only a Basketball player. The CAPT Dave Winfield Winfield in Right is/was a True Athlete. But Bo & WILT there's no match.

[@thorntonwilliams3851]

Fact. Best athlete might be either Jackie Robinson or Jim Brown. Baseball was likely Jackie's worst sport. You can make a case for Jim as the greatest in 2 different sports.

[@blaqswhodefy86]

1.48 ERA? How?😅

[@MikeRobeson-mh6cy]

'Howie Spiro, a gambler with an association with the Mafia'. (Shot of two Orthodox Jews.:))) Where's the ADL and the SPL when we need them?

[@davanmani556]

Spira

[@thomaschristopher8593]

Mr. May

[@RVRayRay]

Windfield was him

[@jreidtastic]

One of the best. But, not the best athlete. I had to correct.

[@davidetricas2797]

WRONG. THEEEEE BEST MULTI PRO SPORT ATHLETE. HANDS DOWN. Drafted by the ATLANTA HAWKS WITHOUT EVER PLAYING A SINGLE DOWN IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL? Bo played both BB and FB for four years at Auburn and STILL DIDNT get drafted 1st.

[@jreidtastic]

@@davidetricas2797 Bo Jackson is the Best, ever.

[@KK-vd5kw]

Herschel Walker

[@sfrank8687]

The strangest

[@brianmcghee3597]

Went in as a Padre versus a BlueJay. SMH

[@goldenbear8250]

No... Wilton Norman Chamberlain. Vincent "Bo" Jackson.

[@johngomez7314]

Yea right! Better than Willie Mays?!

[@garygood6804]

Randy johnson exploded a bird and no one bats an eye. Winfield hits a bird and everyone loses their mind.

[@tbarrelier]

Mr. May?

[@henrywallacesghost5883]

Playing ball in Alaska😂

[@royhobbs5167]

No. Bo.

[@LongestHorn]

F Dave "Safe and Effective" Winfield

[@donaldleider7382]

Mr. May? Not even close!

[@bob-qz9ey]

Better all-round Athletes? How 'bout Danny Ainge, who played 3rd-Base for Toronto Blue Jays; and Guard for The Boston Celtics, includin' in Larry Bird era. Also competed in NCAA Track and Football. Later, became Celtic's GM. Of course, Deion Sanders is my choice, followed by Bo Jackson. Honourable mention to Jim Thorpe, but to Winfield, nope.

[@mik8352]

Dave was good, even very good but not even close to the best athlete of all time, which is of course, Mario Lemieux. Period.

[@garthfriedberg5666]

Sorry. No. Wilt Chamberlain.

[@BC-th3mx]

Not even close

[@johngomez7314]

Bo Jackson was better

[@StegoKing]

He doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the conversation.

[@eddierivera1860]

Hell NO!!!!!!

[@Gram72534]

Sorry buddy but Gretzky is the greatest athlete of All time, no one is even close!!! And im a Yankees fan!!!!

[@josephciolino5493]

He;s not a pimple on a mole on the ass of Bo Jackson, Dave DeBusshere, Jim Thorpe, Jackie Robinson, etc, etc..... PLEASE...Oh~ John Elway - as two sport players. Greatest athletes???? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.....!!!!

[@og-jd8wd]

You don't get drafted by three sports if not a great athlete You forgot about Deon Sanders.

[@josephciolino5493]

​@@og-jd8wd Did I say he wasn't a great athlete/??? Pay attention. The title of this stupid video is "is he the best athlete of all-time." THAT is the objectionable concept. I didn't forget Sanders. I didn't include EVERY great athlete for God's sake, there's not enough room on this page.

[@og-jd8wd]

@@josephciolino5493 🤣

[@jackmakackov7077]

No matter what you think of him, Lebron James is the best athlete of all time and its not close. He physically dominated the NBA like noone ever has.

[@Ace-sb4il]

Naw brah

[@johnr.7906]

No.

[@caryriggs5719]

Ummm. No

[@groovestreet77]

He sucked on the Yankees

[@brando7266]

Perennial allstar, Google it

[@mortystraphouse5077]

ohtani

[@bxjibaro73]

As a long time NY Yankees fan, I thought Dave Winfield was pretty good. A reliable outfielder and a decent hitter with some HR power who hit .283 NOT "great" like a Willie Mays, Al Kaline, or Frank Robinson but a solid player. His first WS with the NY Yankees in 1981 was a FLOP. AND every NY Yankees fan KNOWS that George STEIN-GRABBER was a total JERK & we REJOICED when he was THROWN OUT in 1989 by Bart Giamatti

[@fasteddie9055]

All that I know is that the victory-minded NY Yanks never won spit during the tumultuous Winfield 1980s tenure at Yankee Stadium. Plus his name was always in the newspapers for distasteful conduct. Steinbrenner and Winfield had also had their problems. There were plenty of NYY fans who said ''good riddance'' when he left NYC for points west. I never liked him because I don't like overpaid hot dogs who don't produce. That's what his pitiful performance at Yankee Stadium caused him to become: an overpaid showboat. That's why he was traded away like a bad habit.

[@mortystraphouse5077]

no

[@inseatmarketing2443]

Mr. May