Incredibly Underrated Steve Largent

My pal Tony is a big fan of the Seattle Seahawks. If he wrote this you might think he is biased, but I have no allegiance to the team.

When the athlete list was announced for The National, we both picked the athletes we wanted to meet. Since Steve Largent was on both of our lists, it was an easy pick.

After being drafted by the Houston Oilers in the fourth round, Largent was traded to the Seahawks before they played their first ever game. Largent went on to a stellar 14 year career all with the Seahawks. On teams when he was the only real threat, Largent still managed to excel. Largent made the Pro Bowl seven times and was a first or second team All Pro seven times.

I'm not saying Largent is the greatest wide receiver of all time. That would probably be former brief Seahawk Jerry Rice. I would say at the time of his retirement, Largent was one of the best ever. Largent is definitely one of the greatest Seahawks of all time.

The game has changed since Largent retired. I don't take anything away from more recent great receivers, but the game is much more offense-minded. Largent's stats get dwarfed by more recent players. Still, if I wanted a pass over the middle in traffic, I would look for Largent.

At The National, I let Tony do the talking since the Seahawks and Largent were his favorites. I really liked Largent, but Tony took the back seat when I met Squires earlier that day. lol

It was great meeting the Hall of Famer. If you ask how a Hall of Famer can be underrated, just research Largent. 

Steve Largent, Tony and me in Rosemont, IL-July 2026/

Mike Squires: Record Holder

I have been a fan of former White Sox first baseman Mike Squires since the mid-70s when he was just coming up with the Sox. Mostly a platoon player, Squires did carve out a nice career.

Among other things, he won a Gold Glove in 1981. He played a couple games at third base and catcher, a rarity for a lefty. He also pitched and played a bit in the outfield. H never made an error at any of those other positions.

In 1983, when the Sox won the American League West division, Squires raised the pennant on the Comiskey Park roof. He was the most tenured player at the time.

I thought I knew all of his major accolades, but then I discovered a really interesting nugget. During the 1982-1984 seasons, the Sox had a .669 winning percentage when Squires played. When he did not play, the winning percentage dropped to .145. The .523 percentage split with or without a single player is the highest over a three season span in MLB history. That's pretty impressive.

Tony and I interviewed Squires a few months ago. That interview is at On the Beat with Mike Squires. When we recently saw him again at The National, Squires immediately recognized us an greeted us warmly. The young baseball fan in me is tickled about Squires remembering me. Okay, even the adult in me is a bit giddy. Squires was one of my all time favorites. To talk to him 50 years after first watching him is a bit surreal.

Mike Squires, Tony and me in Rosemont, IL-July 2026.