Top three underappreciated sports stars
3. Jamie Moyer
MLB, pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies
Currently the oldest active player in Major League Baseball, Jamie Moyer has been a model of consistency throughout his 23 seasons in the league. Although he is third among active pitchers in career wins (258) and is fifth for career strikeouts (2,342), Moyer has been snubbed from the All-Star Game in every season except one. He has enjoyed a fantastic career with a “fastball” that measures a mere 80 mph—perhaps it’s the lack of a sexy power pitch that keeps him from becoming a household name in baseball.
2. Isaac Bruce
NFL, wide receiver, San Fransisco 49ers
National Football League (NFL) wide receivers of today are famous for being prima donnas (see: Owens, Terrell), so perhaps Bruce’s quiet personality has kept him out of the limelight. With 15,134 career yards, the underrated receiver trails only Jerry Rice on the all-time NFL receiving yards list, yet his name is unknown to the casual fan. Bruce had the unfortunate luck of being on a terrible team early on in his career and was overshadowed by flashier teammates once his St. Louis Rams started to win. In 2008, the Rams decided to thank the receiver for his 14 years of service by releasing him to save a few bucks.
1. Adam Oates
NHL, centre, retired
The epitome of a good teammate, Adam Oates averaged almost an assist per game in his 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) (1,079 total). Oates was content with being a playmaker; he had an instrumental role during his time on the St. Louis Blues as the set-up man for Brett Hull, who managed to score 86 goals in 1991 while Oates had an unbelievable 90 assists. Despite his flashy stats, he was never named to the NHL First All-Star team in his career. Unfortunately, he also never had the chance to win the Stanley Cup, as his two trips to the finals ended in gut-wrenching defeats. Still, Oates will always be remembered as a true unsung hero who was overlooked by everyone except his own teammates.
