The Top 100 Chicago Athletes of All-Time: No. 61-80

Part Two in my Top 100 Chicago Athlete's series, and I have chosen to represent this first slide with our culinary claim to fame, the Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza.

In case you missed No. 81-100, here is the link to that article.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/236049-the-top-100-chicago-athletes-of-all-time-no-81-100

Some ground rules before we start:

I only went as far back as World War II, or 1945, because of how difficult it is to compare athletes from different eras.

Second, I only included athletes who played professionally in Chicago. For example, Dwayne Wade was born on the South Side and was a high school basketball star at Richards High School. However, he is not included on the list because he plays in Miami.

The only exception to this was with Olympic athletes, as I included four who were born in Chicago, but did not necessarily compete in Chicago.

All major sports were considered, and I hope I have done a good job fairly representing everyone.

A special thanks to Tab Bamford, who helped me out in assembling my list of 100, when I could only come up with 70-something.

His knowledge of Chicago sports is incredible, and I can't thank him enough for his help.

I am going to do this in five different slideshows, so I hope you will follow the series as it progresses. I look forward to your feedback, and I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

No. 80: Jimbo Covert

Bears: 1983-1990
Stats: 111 Games, 110 Starts

Covert was a force at left tackle for the Bears for eight seasons, as he cleared the way for Walter Payton to get to the outside while protecting Jim McMahon's blind side.

He was named to the Pro-Bowl and the All-Pro First Team in 1985 and 1986. He was also named the Offensive Linemen of the Year in 1985.

He was the starting left tackle on the Hall of Fame's 1980s All-Decade Team as well.

No. 79: Tony Amonte

Blackhawks: 1994-2002
Stats: 268 Goals, 273 Assists

Amonte was the Blackhawks captain from 2000-2002, and he ranks among the teams career leaders in most scoring statistics.

He is sixth all-time in goals with 268, and ninth in points with 541. He also tallied 34 game winning goals in his time with the Blackhawks.

He was named to five All-Star teams in his time in Chicago, and following his retirement, the Blackhawks held Tony Amonte Heritage Night on January 21st, 2009 to honor his career.

No. 78: Jermaine Dye

White Sox: 2005-Now
Stats: .282 BA, 161 HR, 447 RBI

Following a sub-par three plus year in Oakland, Dye signed with the White Sox as a free agent prior to the 2005 season.

Since then, he has been a consistent power source in the middle of the Sox lineup, and he was one of the main reasons for the teams World Series win in 2005.

After a 31 HR, 86 RBI regular season, Dye played his best baseball in the playoffs in 2005, and his line of .438 BA, 1 HR, 3 RBI earned him World Series MVP.

However, Dye had his best season by far in 2006, as he put together a regular season line of .315 BA, 44 HR, 120 RBI, finishing sixth in MVP voting and winning the Silver Slugger.

No. 77: Zach Thornton

Fire: 1998-2006
Stats: 215 Appearances, 57 Shutouts, 1.23 Goals Allowed Per Match

Thornton is easily the best goalie in Fire history, as he is the teams career leader in most goal keeping categories.

After appearing in only six matches in his first two seasons in MLS, he was taken by the Fire in the 1997 MLS Expansion Draft. From there his career took off, as he became one of MLS' top goalies.

He was also a member of the U.S. National Team from 1994-2001, as he appeared in eight matches.

No. 76: Bobby Thigpen

White Sox: 1986-1993
Stats: 201 Saves, 3.26 ERA, 362 K, 6.0 K/9 IP

Up until last season, Thigpen was the single season saves leader, as he had a fantastic season in 1990 for the Sox.

He logged 57 saves with a 1.83 ERA while leading the AL with 77 appearances and 73 Games Finished. He was fourth in Cy Young voting, fifth in MVP voting, and made his only All-Star appearance as well that season.

Aside from that one great season, Thigpen was a solid closer, topping 30 saves three other times in his eight seasons with the team.

No. 75: Don Kessinger

Cubs: 1964-1975, White Sox: 1977-1979
Stats: .254 BA, 13 HR, 480 RBI, 97 SB

Kessinger was one of the best fielding shortstops of his time, and he hit well enough to be a fan favorite and a perennial All-Star as well.

He was an All-Star every season from 1968-1972, as he averaged a .262 BA, 1 HR, 40 RBI season, while taking home two Gold Gloves in that span as well.

The Cubs traded him to the Cardinals at the end of the 1975 season, and after just a season and a half, Kessinger found himself back in Chicago, only this time on the South Side, where he played out the final two seasons of his impressive career.

No. 74: Jack McDowell

White Sox: 1987-1988, 1990-1994
Stats: 91-58, 3.50 ERA, 918 Ks

When it comes to McDowell's time in Chicago, the .611 winning percentage is perhaps the most telling stat of all, as he was simply dominant.

His best stretch came from 1991-1993, when he won 17, 20, and 22 games and made the All-Star game all three seasons.

His 22-10, 3.37 ERA, 158 Ks line in 1993 earned him the AL Cy Young as well as a ninth place MVP finish.

No. 73: Matt Suhey

Bears: 1980-1989
Rushing Stats: 828-for-2946 yards, 20 TDs
Receiving Stats: 260-for-2113, 5 TDs

Suhey is one of the most offensively productive fullbacks in NFL history, and at the same time, he was an excellent lead blocker for Walter Payton.

He rushed for three or more touchdowns four times, and he caught over 20 passes seven times.

His best season was 1983, when he rushed for set career highs in Rushing Yards (681), Receptions (49), and Receiving Yards (429).

No. 72: Robin Ventura

White Sox: 1989-1998
Stats: .274 BA, 171 HR, 741 RBI

Ventura was perhaps the best defensive third basemen of his era, and was also a consistent power threat in the middle of the Sox order.

The Sox took Ventura with the 10th pick in the 1988 Draft, after he won the Golden Spikes Award at Oklahoma State following a great senior season where he posted a 58-game hitting streak.

By 1990 he was the Sox starting third basemen, and in 1991, he hit .284 BA, 23 HR, 100 RBI and won his first Gold Glove at the age of 23.

Ventura went on to log five more 20+ HR seasons and to win four more Gold Gloves, before he signed with the Mets in free agency following the 1998 season.

No. 71: Rick Sutcliffe

Cubs: 1984-1991
Stats: 82-65, 3.74 ERA, 909 Ks

Even if Sutcliffe had left the team after his half of a season in 1984, he still would have made this list. That's how good he was following his midseason trade from the Indians.

In need of another arm at the top of their rotation to push them over the top, the Cubs dealt top prospect Joe Carter and some others for a then 4-5, 5.15 ERA pitcher.

Sutcliffe responded by going 16-1, 2.69 ERA, 155 Ks in his 20 starts with the team, as he propelled the Cubbies into the playoffs, and won the Cy Young in the process.

He had another productive year in 1987, going 18-10, 3.68 ERA, 174 Ks and leading the NL in wins, but he will forever be linked to that 1984 season.

No. 70: Reggie Theus

Bulls: 1978-1984
Stats: 18.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 5.6 APG

Standing 6-foot-7, Theus was the big guard that the Bulls have been searching for the past few seasons.

After a successful college career at UNLV, the Bulls took Theus with the ninth overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft.

He contributed immediately, averaging 16.3 PPG his rookie season while leading the team with 5.2 APG. He finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting.

He upped his scoring average to 20.2 PPG the next season, and had his best year in 1982-82, when he was ninth in the league in scoring at 23.8 PPG.

No. 69: Carlos Zambrano

Cubs: 2001-Now
Stats: 103-65, 3.47 ERA, 1273 Ks

Zambrano first joined the Cubs roster in 2001 as a 20-year old reliever who had terrific stuff but trouble controlling his emotion. Now he's an All-Star starter who has even more trouble controlling his emotions.

Still, Wrigley is buzzing everytime Big-Z takes the mound, and more times than not he is on his game. Since joining the rotation full time in 2003, he has won at least 13 games every season.

He has topped 15 wins three times, including leading the league with a 16-7 record in 2006. The thing that makes Zambrano stand out from other pitcher's though is his bat.

The switch hitter has a career line of .238 BA, 19 HR, 54 RBI in 546 at-bats, and he is often used as a pinch-hitter.

No. 68: Pit Martin

Blackhawks: 1967-1978
Stats: 243 Goals, 384 Assists

Martin was one of the top point producers in Blackhawks history, as his 627 points are seventh all time in franchise history.

He was an All-Star four straight season from 1971-1974, with his best season coming in 1972-73 when he tallied 29 goals and 90 total points, the highest point total of his career.

He was team captain for two years, and he was the center for the great Blackhawks teams of the late 1970s.

No. 67: Larry Morris

Bears: 1959-1965
Stats: N/A

Morris was one of the best linebackers of the 1960s, as evidenced by the fact that he was named to the NFL's All-Decade Team.

While defensive stats were not kept that far back, Morris was at the heart of the early Bears defense.

He was incredibly versatile, as he was a four year starter at center in college at Georgia Tech as well as playing his linebacker position. In his rookie season with the Bears, he also played some fullback.

No. 66: Rick Reuschel

Cubs: 1972-1981, 1983-1984
Stats: 135-127, 3.50 ERA, 1367 Ks

Reuschel was one of the most successful pitchers in Cubs history, and his career record would have been even better had he not been pitching for the Cubs in the late 70s.

His 135 wins are 12th most in franchise history, and second only to Fergie Jenkins in the live ball era.

He won double digits every year from his rookie seasons in 1972 until his final full season with the team in 1980, with his best season coming in 1977.

His 20-10, 2.79 ERA, 166 Ks line that season is even more impressive when you consider that the Cubs went 81-81 that season. The impressive stats earned him his only All-Star appearance and a third place finish in Cy Young voting.

No. 65: Gary Fencik

Bears: 1976-1987
Stats: 38 INTs, 14 Recovered Fumbles, 2 Sacks

Fencik was one of the hardest hitting safeties of all-time, and he was the captain of the Bears defense throughout the 1980s, including 1985.

He was not your average football player, as he played his college ball at Yale University, where he earned his degree. After originally being drafted by the Dolphins in the 10th round, Fencik went unsigned and eventually stuck with the Bears.

He was a two-time Pro Bowler, and a six-time All-Pro, and his 38 interceptions are the most in Bears franchise history.

No. 64: Ante Razov

Fire: 1998-2004
Stats: 155 Appearances, 76 Goals, 190 Points

Razov is arguably the best player in Chicago Fire history, as he holds a plethora of team records.

His 76 goals and 190 points are both Fire career bests, while his 2000 totals of 18 goals and 42 points are single season highs.

He was also a member of the U.S. National Team, appearing in 26 matches and tallying six goals. He is the last player to tally his first cap with the U.S. team while still in college.

No. 63: Bruce Sutter

Cubs: 1976-1980
Stats: 133 Saves, 2.39 ERA, 494 Ks

Had Sutter spent his entire Hall of Fame career with the Cubs, he would be much higher on this list. As it is, he is still one of the most successful Cubs pitchers of all-time.

Sutter saved at least 27 games in four of his five seasons with the Cubs, leading the NL in saves twice and averaging 98 innings per season out of the bullpen.

However, his signature season as a Cub came in 1979, when he posted a line of 6-6, 37 Saves, 2.22 ERA, 110 Ks, 101.1 IP and took home the NL Cy Young Award.

No. 62: Jim McMahon

Bears: 1982-1988
Passing Stats: 874-for-1513, 11203 Yards, 67 TDs, 56 INTs
Rushing Stats: 235-for-1284 Yards, 15 TDs

While he was a good quarterback, he was an even better public figure in the city of Chicago, as the fans loved him.

His best season, by far, was the Super Bowl season of 1985, as he made his only Pro Bowl appearance that year, despite only playing in 13 games and starting only 11.

He threw for 2392 yards, 15 TDs, 11 INTs, and he also rushed for 252 yards and three TDs.

No. 61: Lee Smith

Cubs: 1980-1987
Stats: 180 Saves, 2.92 ERA, 688 Ks, 8.5 K/9 IP

Smith ushered in a new era of dominant closers in the 1980s, and there were few more dominant than him.

In his six seasons as Cubs closer, he had over 30 saves four times, and made the All-Star team twice.

His best year came in 1983, when he led the NL with 29 saves, and posted a 1.65 ERA, finishing ninth in Cy Young voting and 18th in MVP voting.