Top 5 athletes who changed sports history

 

Sports have been around since the dawn of human history, and athletes have been competing, improving, and changing the games since then as well. While many athletes have changed their specific sport, there are five who made such an impact that they changed sports history altogether. Here are the top 5 athletes who changed sports history for better or worse...

 

1) Babe Ruth

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George Herman Ruth, Jr. better known as Babe Ruth is a legend in the baseball world. In his 22 years of playing for the Red Sox, Yankees and Braves he set records that are still standing today such as most home runs in one season (60), most career RBIs (2,213) and most doubles in a single season (56). He also holds the record for most World Series titles with 11 while being on three different teams over his career. One record that Ruth will always hold dear to him is being inducted into the Hall of Fame twice which no other player has done before or since. The first time was in 1936 and then again in 1939 due to the induction of Ty Cobb. It’s safe to say that without Babe Ruth there would be a lot less Major League Baseball players today. People don't realize what they had until it's gone. -Babe Ruth

 

2) Jackie Robinson

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Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball after the color barrier was broken by Branch Rickey and the Brooklyn Dodgers organization. Robinson played his first game on April 15, 1947, and went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in 1947. He led the league in batting average for that year (.297), then became one of only six men to win baseball's triple crown in 1949. For his career he batted .311, had a .409 on-base percentage, hit 137 home runs, and stole 614 bases. Jackie Robinson is not only an important figure because he broke through racial barriers; he also served as a leader for other African Americans to follow. His number 42 jersey has been retired across all major leagues since 1997. In 2005, MLB inaugurated its annual Civil Rights Game with players wearing uniforms from both the U.S., which won 5–4, and Cuba, where Robinson's grandson ran out the ceremonial first pitch. In 2013 the Dodgers honored him with a new statue outside of their stadium in Los Angeles.

 

3) Muhammad Ali

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Muhammad Ali is one of the most famous figures in the world. He is a three-time heavyweight champion boxer and an Olympic gold medalist. In 1964, Ali refused to enter into the military draft for service in Vietnam War and was subsequently stripped of his boxing title, suspended from boxing for three years, fined $10,000 (US), and sentenced to five years in prison. His response was I ain't got no quarrel with them Vietcong. The sentence was later overturned by the Supreme Court of the United States on appeal. Ali regained his title in 1974 after defeating George Foreman during the famous Rumble in the Jungle match; he remained champion until 1978 when Leon Spinks beat him by split decision. due to his father's murder;

 

4) Michael Jordan

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Michael Jordan is a retired professional basketball player and the best in NBA history. He was born in Brooklyn, New York on February 17, 1963. His father, James, was a high school basketball coach at the time of his birth but later became a Baptist minister. Michael grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina and attended Emsley A. Laney High School where he played basketball. When he was seventeen, his family moved to Chicago, Illinois for more opportunity.

He accepted a scholarship to play basketball at North Carolina's Chapel Hill and won National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) titles during both his freshman and sophomore years.

After three seasons with the Tar Heels (1983-1986), MJ transferred to the University of Arizona because they had just won the NCAA championship that year. He went on to win another two titles with the Wildcats (1987-1989). After graduating from college in 1988, MJ entered into what many consider to be the greatest draft class ever as an 18 year old straight out of college. The Chicago Bulls selected him first overall with their third pick in what would become one of the most successful decisions in NBA history.

 

5) Tiger Woods

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Tiger Woods was born on December 30th, 1975 in Cypress, California. Tiger Woods is the youngest of five children to Earl and Kultida Woods. Tiger has an older sister, Royce (eight years his elder), as well as three half-siblings: Earl Jr., Kevin and Karen. When he was two years old, Woods first stepped onto a golf course with his father and started swinging a club. He made his first hole-in-one at four years old. By age six, he had won the Junior World Golf Championships by nine strokes and became the youngest person ever to do so. As an amateur golfer, Tiger played for Stanford University and was the number one player in college golf four consecutive years while enrolled. In 1997, after winning three consecutive U.S Amateur titles, Woods announced that he would leave Stanford to turn professional. After winning 10 PGA events within 13 months, he ascended to world #1 ranking; as of 2018, he ranks second all-time on both lists combined behind Sam Snead. Woods is also the youngest player to achieve the career Grand Slam, and the youngest and fastest to win 50 tournaments on tour. Woods' success at such a young age led him to become known by many nicknames including The Phenom

Throughout his career, Woods has won many major competitions including 14 professional majors overall which includes 12 PGA Tour wins and 4 majors among other tournaments. He has been ranked No. 1 more than any other male golfer in history except for Bobby Jones.