Off Center with Tony Reid

Bert Blyleven was born in Zeist, Netherlands and moved to the United States as a young boy. Raised in Southern California, he was introduced to baseball when his father took him to see Sandy Koufax pitch for the famed Los Angeles Dodgers. Dad also constructed a pitching mound and makeshift backstop for Blyleven to practice in the family's backyard. All the hard work and dedication paid off as Blyl...

Born in Williamsburg, Va., Lawrence Taylor took his late-blooming but immense football talents to Chapel Hill, N.C. and became one of the greatest college football players in history while suiting up for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Taylor laid the foundation for his legendary career in college. What he did for the New York Giants in the NFL solidified that beyond compare. LT's impact was immedia...

Brooks Robinson is as important to one franchise as any player in baseball history. Robinson spent his entire 23-year career with the Baltimore Orioles, which is tied for the longest career with one team in major league history. That's just the beginning of his story, as Robinson is still widely considered the greatest defensive third baseman in the history of the game and overall one of the great...

Denny McLain spent a decade pitching at a high level in Major League Baseball. Spending the bulk of his career with the Detroit Tigers, the Markham, Ill. native was a revelation early on for the team in the Motor City. In 1968, the big right-hander became the last pitcher to win 30 or more games in a single season, finishing his magical run with an astounding 31-6 record. The storybook start to Mc...

The game of baseball was an integral part of Dave Parker's life from a very young age. Growing up in Cincinnati near Crosley Field, the young Parker learned to play baseball in the stadium's parking lot. By 1973, the big, powerful outfielder was playing inside Major League Baseball stadiums. Parker’s career started in 1973 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he excelled for over a decade...

Bret Boone was born into baseball. A third generation Major Leaguer, Boone followed in the footsteps of his grandfather Ray Boone who was an infielder for the Indians, Tigers, White Sox, A’s, Braves and Red Sox and his father Bob Boone who was a backstop for the Phillies, Angels and Royals. Bret Boone was eventually joined by his younger brother Aaron who had a solid career as a third baseman for...

Slugger Greg Vaughn was born in Sacramento, California and excelled on the diamond from a young age. He starred at Kennedy High School before taking his powerful bat to the University of Miami and becoming a cornerstone at ‘The U’ during his time in South Florida. Vaughn was drafted in the fourth round of the 1984 MLB Amateur draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. A four time All-Star, he spent time with...

Oakland, California born Mike Sherrard was a standout multiple sport athlete at Chico High School in Chico, California. He excelled in football, baseball, basketball and track and field. The speedster was a walk on at UCLA and after a few early injury related setbacks, he became a starter by his sophomore season. He left school as the Bruins all-time leading receiver in both various single season...

Westlake Village, California native Cassius Marsh was a high school star at Oaks Christian School. He was one of the top ranked defensive tackles in the entire country during his senior year of high school. The defensive force took his quarterback hunting talents to UCLA where he was a collegiate standout, as evidenced by his selection to the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team. The Bruin was selected 108th...

Chicago, Illinois born and raised, Nick Anderson was a standout on the hardwood from a very early age. The shooting guard/small forward was named Illinois Mr. Basketball after leading Simeon Career Academy to the city championship and USA Today national ranking in 1986. The McDonald’s All-American continued to live up to the Mr. Basketball accolade as he starred collegiately at the University of I...

Danny Manning was a basketball legend before his high school graduation commenced. His father, Ed, played professionally in the NBA and ABA. The younger Manning led Page High School to a North Carolina high school state championship his junior year. Once his father was hired at Kansas, the Manning family moved to Lawrence, where Danny led his Lawrence High team to a state title his senior year whi...

Before he was old enough to go to school, Todd Marinovich was being groomed to be an athlete. His father Marv, a former USC football standout, made it his mission to turn his son into a football player through a unique training regimen, unyielding nutrition demands… and a heavy hand. Young Todd excelled from an early age, becoming the first freshman quarterback to start a varsity high school footb...

Chatham, Ontario native Ferguson Jenkins came from a family of athletes, as his father was an amateur boxer and semi-professional baseball player. A multi-sport athlete, Jenkins’ first love was ice hockey, but he also competed in track and field, basketball and eventually baseball during his formative years. Jenkins was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1962 and made his Major League debut as...

Matawan, New Jersey native Jim Jeffcoat was a star high school defensive lineman. He headed west to play college football for the Arizona State University Sun Devils. He was All-Pac 10 first team and an All American honorable mention in 1982. He was later inducted into the ASU Ring of Honor. A big, bruising defender, Jeffcoat was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of 1983 NFL Draft....

Defensive force Bennie Blades burst onto South Beach and helped lead the Miami Hurricanes to a National Championship in 1987. He was a key component of the famed defense, even earning the unit the moniker of “Bennie and the Jets” due to free flowing and hard hitting the style of play exhibited by the squad. His play that year also earned him the prestigious Jim Thorpe Award, given to the top defen...

The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the richest traditions of linebacker greats in the history of professional football. One name that probably isn’t mentioned as often as it should be is that of Levon Kirkland. The Clemson graduate and South Carolina native was a two time Pro Bowler, a two time All-Pro, a two time team MVP and he was named to the NFL All-Decade Team of the 1990s all while wearing...

Quarterback Gus Frerotte was a standout during his time at the University of Tulsa. Drafted in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins, he went on to play 15 seasons in the NFL for seven different teams. His finest season was the 1996 campaign, one in which he threw for nearly 3,500 yards and was named to the Pro Bowl.  In 2008, Frerotte tied the NFL record for the...

Nebraska native Gregg Olson was a high school pitching phenom. He led Omaha Northwest High School to four state titles, even throwing a no hitter in the state championship game to cap off his senior season. He was featured as one of the “Faces in the Crowd” in an issue of Sports Illustrated back in 1984. The powerful closer attended the Auburn University and continued to dominate on the mound over...

Whether it was on the diamond, on the ice or even on the links, Chris Sabo has always embodied the blue collar and workmanlike approach of his hometown of Detroit. As a high school senior, Sabo had to make the decision to pursue a future in baseball or hockey. He chose to attend the University of Michigan on a baseball scholarship. While in Ann Arbor, the third baseman led the Wolverines deep in t...

Football great Willie Roaf was not heavily recruited coming out of Pine Bluff (Arkansas) high school in the late eighties, so much so that he considered pursuing basketball instead of football at the college level. The choice to pursue a career on the gridiron was a very wise one, as Roaf became a consensus First Team All-American at Louisiana Tech and a finalist for the Outland Trophy his senior...

He last played in a major league game 35 years ago and when he left, Peter Edward Rose, Sr. had left his mark as one of the greatest players in the history of professional baseball. Rose still stands as baseball’s all-time hits leader, with 4,256 to his credit.  He was a 17 time All Star, a three time World Series champion, won three batting titles, one MVP award, two time Gold Gloves winner...

The definition of an all around athlete, Fred Lynn excelled in four sports as a youngster including baseball, basketball, football and track.  Born in Chicago, he was originally drafted by the Yankees out of high school, but opted to attend USC. In his three seasons there, Lynn was a key factor in the Trojans bringing three National Championship trophies home from Omaha, Nebraska. Selected in...

Brian Mitchell is widely considered one of the greatest return specialists in the history of the NFL. At the time of his retirement, the native of Plaquemine, Louisiana held the all time NFL record for special teams touchdowns with 13. He trails only Jerry Rice on the NFL’s all-time all-purpose yards list, totaling over 23,000 yards during his career. A fifth round pick out of Southwestern Louisia...

Mo Vaughn was one of the most feared hitters of his generation. ‘The Hit Dog’ spent the best part of his career, nearly a decade, with the Boston Red Sox. The three time All-Star and 1995 AL MVP finished his career with a batting average just shy of .300 while belting well over 300 home runs and driving in over 1,000 runs.  He’s been busy since his career ended, working in real estate, busine...

Kittanning, PA native Mickey Morandini is a hero for an entire generation of Philadelphia Phillies fans. After his college career, the sure handed Indiana University second baseman decided not to enter the 1987 MLB Draft. Instead, he chose to fulfill a lifelong dream of representing his country as a member of the United States National Team in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. Team USA...