Best in their day

Baseball: Derek Jeter...

Football: Tom Brady (This is from a Jets-Fan too... how many other hall of famers did this guy play with...?)...

Hockey: Mike Bossy (only played 10 years... guy was GREAT)...

Basketball: Jordan... But, Bernard King (oh, had he not gotten hurt...)

Golf: Tiger Woods...

Tennis: Pete Sampras...

Pretty good list.  Not sure I agree with a starting pitcher as the "best ever" for baseball, as they only play every five days, but there's not much argument that Clemens was at least one of the best pitchers of his era (with Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and Greg Maddux giving him a run for his money).

Since you named Clemens, it appears to me that we're not really taking PEDs into account.  If so, it's hard to say anybody was better than Barry Bonds in his era.  One could also make an argument for 1990s Ken Griffey, Jr. (especially if you are taking PEDs into account).

Bonds is the greatest hitter I've ever seen... Period... But since it was "Baseball" I gave the overall to Jeter (plus, the non-roids thing)... Clemens is the Greatest pitcher in the modern era, IMHO... ONLY pitcher to win 300+ in the American League with the DH... (But because of roids and the overall thing... nah)...

RJM, I took this to mean the best players we grew up watching as our hometown or favorite team. If so here is my filly list:

Baseball - Steve Carlton and Mike Schmidt

Basketball - Wilt

Hockey - Bobby Clarke and Bernie Parent

Football - Reggie White

Am I to understand that you mean the best ever from your area?  I can try this

Football

Dan Dierdorf

Roger Wehrli

Marshall Faulk

Isaac Bruce

Baseball

Steve Carlton-was traded when I was about 3

Ted Simmons

Ozzie Smith

Jim Edmonds

Scott Rolen

That guy that left for the Angels

Hockey

Bernie Federko

Brett Hull

Wayne Gretzkey

Vladimir Taresenko

No NBA in my lifetime here

I did'nt mean some of the best or the best player at a position. I meant you could argue in the player's prime he's the #1 PLAYER IN THE GAME for your local hometown team. The best ever that you had the opportunity to see and root for on a regular basis.

For example Mizzou named some good players who may have been the best player at their position. But for an extended period of time 7-10 years they were not the top player in their post.

Bolts..  You've lived in New England, New York, Chicago, Florida and LA?

This is what I meant. 

Oops, sorry I misunderstood you originally then.  I'll leave hockey out, because Seattle never had anything more than minor league hockey in my lifetime (hopefully soon rectified).  But, other than that:

Baseball: Ken Griffey, Jr., position player, and Randy Johnson, pitcher.  Edgar gets a sentimental honorable mention from me - probably the most well-rounded, complete HITTER I ever had the pleasure of watching regularly.

Basketball: Gary Payton.  For a brief period in the 1970s, Spencer Haywood was right there, too.  The honest answer is that, while the Sonics had a lot of really good players, they never really had somebody you would argue was the best player in the game in his prime.  Payton's prime overlapped parts of Bird, Magic, and MJ, after all.  He was great, but he wasn't really better than those guys.  Might have been the best on-the-ball defender I ever saw, though, and he was also a great scorer (even though for most of his career nobody would ever accuse him of being a great shooter).

Football - Kind of the same thing. The Hawks have had some great players, but nobody anyone would ever really say belonged in the discussion as the best player in football during his prime.  Shaun Alexander had 3-4 really good years.  Kenny Easley was a beast in the 1980s.  Steve Largent was absolutely the best receiver in the NFL in the 1980s, but I don't think anybody was arguing he was the best player in the NFL... 

That's about the best I can do.  Kind of pathetic, really.

Best from my area:

Baseball- A-Rod, Johan Santana

Basketball- Jason Kidd, Patrick Ewing

Football- Michael Strahan, Eli Manning, Curtis Martin

Hockey- Wayne Gretzky, Martin Brodeur

All-time favorites:

Baseball- Derek Jeter...by a landslide- he will be my favorite until the day I die.

Basketball- MJ...best competitor ever

Football- Brett Favre (in his Packer days)

Hockey- Not too big a fan, enjoyed Messier during his Ranger days...great leadership and poise on the ice.

*anecdote Dave Debusschere is a distant relative of mine so while I never actually saw him play, I guess he has to be mentioned by default.

Hold on. I didn't ask who was really good and in the Hall of Fame. II asked for players from the teams you cheered for where it could be argued they were the best player in their game for several years in their era ... Like Gretzky, Jordan, Bonds, Clemens, Carlton, Bird/Johnson. Russell/Chamberlain, When you turned on the tv or went to the game your guy was arguably THE dominant player in his generation.

I was thinking over my lifetime I've been fortunate to have cheered for six and watched three more or a regular basis. I was curclose what other cities came close. Obviously those of us who are older will have likely seen more.

RJM - You can't herd cats and we are like cats on topics like these!  

Johnny Bench made easily the biggest impression on me back in the day. Don't think anyone will ever equal him as a catcher to me?

My older son was caught by Pudge Rodriguez in a minor league game (Pudge was on a rehab assignment).  And I got an autographed ball out of that game.  So I guess he's at least close.

I was blessed to grow up watching Cincinnati's Big Red Machine (Rose, Bench, Morgan, Perez, Conception...)  Kinda hard to pick just one but for me I'd have to go with Johnny Bench.  

I've lived in CA since 1962, and in southern California since '67, but I'm still a "young man", so Koufax, etc. are before my rooting/viewing era.  For me:

Basketball:  Magic.  Enough said, but I will listen to arguments for Larry Bird.

Hockey:  Gretzky, although he was more dominant in his earlier years with the Oilers.

Women's Track:  Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Men's Volleyball:  Karch Kiraly

Supercross (believe me, this is a sport)  Jeff Ward

Men's Diving:  Greg Louganis (don't chuckle, this guy DOMINATED a sport now owned by the Chinese)

Here's a new category:  Greatest coaches ever in their era, regardless of sport:  Pat Riley, NBA w/Lakers, Phil Jackson, NBA w/Lakers and John Wooden

Players who for a "shining moment" were most dominant, but not over many years:

Football:  Eric Dickerson:  Rams (still holds that season rushing record)

Baseball: Fernando (that guy was pretty crazy good for a while, wasn't he?)

Oh, and I have to add, much to my chagrin, California cannot claim the MDE (most dominant ever) in the sport of surfing.  That goes to Florida, with Kelly Slater, who I personally believe is one of our country's greatest and most dominant athletes of the past 50 or so years.  If you have any doubts, have you ever paddled out in 15 foot surf?

I forget to mention for Southern California, Golf:  Tiger Woods, who grew up in Orange County, CA

Alright, I'm gonna add some other sports...

Football - Hurts me to write it, but OJ Simpson

Basketball - Michael Jordan (Honorable Mention - Magic and Bird)

Hockey - Gretzky

Track & Field - Bolt (electric)

Soccer - Who cares?

Coaches - Lombardi, Bill Walsh, John Wooden, Joe Torre

Baseball: The Willies (Mays and McCovey) were still around when I was very young and of course Bonds in the later days.

Football: I had the pleasure of watching the 49ers go from two 2-14 years to the Super Bowl so Montana, Rice, Lott, Young, Walsh. Those were great teams to watch.

I would have to lay claim to Kansas City as my town, although I grew up 3 hours from there.

Baseball-  Has to be George Brett, but can't help to think of what Bo Jackson could of achieved had he not injured his hip.

Football-  Derrick Thomas.  Another career cut tragically short.

Golf-  Tom Watson

Best in your day means dominance to me.  Dominance doesn't have to be in-your-face but talent or a game-changing quality that speaks for itself and can't be matched.  These were the ones that came to mind as I'd seen (most of) them in action.

Football - Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders

Baseball - Pedro Martinez, Greg Maddox, Derek Jeter

Tennis - Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Monica Seles before she was stabbed

Hockey - Gretzky and Ray Bourque

Basketball - Jordan, Bird, Magic

Best teams - 1980 US Hockey team, 70s Big Red Machine

Horse - Secretariat

Golf - Tiger Woods before he became an idiot.

Best college basketball player, certainly of his day, maybe of all time:  

I lived in Louisiana when Pistol Pete was in college.  

What he could do with a basketball is still astounding.  

How could I forget the great A's teams of the early 70's and the late 80's?

For those late 80's teams,I know you had Canseco and McGwire but what about the great pitching? Bob Welch, Eckersley, Honeycutt? How about Dave Stewart vs. Clemens? Stewart 9-1 in the playoffs. Rickey Henderson?

This topic is interesting.

My list includes players, who I have played with or against.

Basketball- Sam Jones- Boston Celtics

Football: Earl Morrall- MSU, Baltimore Colts and Miami

Baseball: Willie Mays, Henry Aaron, Ernie Banks, Bob Gibson, Ron Perranoski, Dick Howser.

In addition, we have over 450 MLB Alumni who have played in our Area Code Games and Goodwill Series events.

Bob

<www.goodwillseries.org>

Pete Rose, Ricky Henderson (best lead off ever), Bob Gibson, Bonds (Barry not Bobby), George Brett

Lawerence Taylor

Bo Jackson, X2 sports

Michael Jordan

Wayne Gretsky

NY Islanders '79-'82

Pele, Chinaglia, Beckenbauer

ALI

SugarRay Leanard

Bruno Sammartino