Major League Baseball

Jeter tops Ruth for N.Y.'s greatest athlete

Published Mar. 15, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter was voted the greatest New York athlete ever, with slugging right fielder Babe Ruth coming in a close second, according to a poll released Tuesday.

Jeter -- a five-time World Series champion -- earned 14 percent of the vote, while 11 percent tipped their hats to Ruth, according to the poll conducted by the Siena College Research Institute.

Yankees greats Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle, and former Jets quarterback Joe Namath rounded out the top five.

Jeter -- 74 hits away from becoming the only player to get 3,000 all in a Yankees uniform -- earned 17 percent of the female vote and 10 percent of the male vote.

Ruth, the Hall of Fame slugger who retired in 1935, topped Jeter among men with 14 percent.

DiMaggio, Mantle and Namath all earned four percent.

With the start of the 2011 baseball season two weeks away, the poll also found that 30 percent of New Yorkers said the Yankees are their favorite team.

The Mets and Knicks were named fans' first choice by 11 percent.

"It doesn't matter, upstate or downstate, young or old, rich or poor, crazed sports fan or uninterested, the Yankees are New York's favorite team. About a third follow the Giants, Jets, Mets and Knicks, but a majority of every demographic count themselves among the Yankee faithful," said Don Levy, director of the Siena College Institute.

As for the greatest athlete poll, 24 athletes -- including former Knicks star Patrick Ewing and Brooklyn Dodgers legend Jackie Robinson -- received mention from at least 1 percent of the New Yorkers who were polled.

The poll was conducted from Feb. 22 to March 1 by random telephone calls to 801 New York adults.

Read more here

share

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Major League Baseball