poll: Who is the Best Athlete Ever from East Bay?
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Who is the Best Athlete Ever from East Bay?
- 107 vote - Jacob and Zachary Kapstein (Tiverton)- Both recently drafted to MLB clubs
- 50 vote - Mark Portugal (Warren)- Pitcher that won 109 games in 15 MLB seasons
- 42 vote - Bertrand Shurtleff (Little Compton)- Offensive lineman for both the Providence Steamers and Boston Bulldogs
- 29 vote - Billy Andrade (Bristol)- Won four PGA events, and placed 6th at the 1991 U.S. Open and 2001 PGA Championship
- 22 vote - Brad Faxon (Barrington)- Two-time Ryder Cup member that led the PGA in putting in 1996
Today we look at some of the all-time greats from East Bay. Both Barrington and Bristol have proud golfing traditions, and each has a former PGA tour member on our list. Brad Faxon rose to stardom in the 1990s as one of golf's best putters. The Barrington native led the tour in putting in 1996, and was selected as a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team twice.
Fellow golfer Billy Andrade did Bristol proud by winning four PGA tour events in his career, and nearly completing two improbable major tournament runs. Andrade finished 6th at both the 1991 U.S. Open and the 2001 PGA Championship. There is also certainly some fine baseball played in East Bay, and Warren's Mark Portugal may be the best to ever come out of the region. Portugal won 109 major league games in 15 seasons, with a sensational 1993 campaign that saw him go 18-4 with a 2.77 ERA.
Two more recent baseball greats are Jacob and Zachary Kapstein from Tiverton. The brothers both starred at Tiverton High, with Zachary being drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2010. This past season, Jacob followed his brother to the big leagues when the Detroit Tigers selected him out of Tiverton.
And finally, one retro football pick. Bertrand Shurtleff of Little Compton made five NFL starts in three seasons, playing for both the Providence Steam Rollers and Boston Bulldogs way back in the 1920s.
Now the choice is in your hands; Who is the best athlete to ever come out of East Bay?
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