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Sports

North Branford SportsBeat: Our Best Lefties

Who are the best left-handed athletes in the Fairfield and New Haven county areas of all time?

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In honor of Bubba Watson, the big-hitting left-hander who won the Masters, the Patch presents the best lefties from the Fairfield and New Haven county areas.

Starting Pitcher: Kevin Morton (Norwalk) Standout pitcher for who earned a scholarship to Seton Hall University where he was a teammate of Norwalk's Mo Vaughn. In 1989, Morton was selected in first round (29th pick) by the Boston Red Sox and made his debut on July 5, 1991, beating the Detroit Tigers 10-1. He finished the season with a 6-5 record but would never make it back to the Major Leagues before retiring.

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Relief Pitcher: Craig Breslow (Trumbull) The crafty lefty graduated from in 1998 and was the captain of the Yale University baseball team. Breslow, who was called the smartest man in baseball by sportswriter, was drafted in the 26th round by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2002. He was release by the Brewers in 2004 but signed for $1 dollar out of try-out camp with the San Diego Padres. Breslow made his Major League debut for the Padres that summer. Currently with the Arizona Diamonbacks, Breslow has played for six teams, compiling a 12-17 record with a 3.06 ERA.

Best Lefty Hitter: Mo Vaughn (Norwalk) Known as "The Hit Dog" during his career, was one of the most feared in the game. A first-round pick of the Boston Red Sox, Vaughn was a three-time All-Star and was the American League MVP in 1995. He played from 1991-2003 with the Red Sox, Angels, and Mets compiling a .293 average with 328 Home Runs and 1,064 RBI's.

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Best Lefty All-Around/Versatile Athlete: Bruce Jenner (Newtown) Jenner played football, basketball, and ran track during his two years at . He attended Graceland College in Iowa and was a left-handed throwing quarterback before getting injury. Concentrating on the decathlon, Jenner went on to win Olympic gold in the 1976 Summer games in Montreal.

Best Lefty hockey player: Brian Leetch (Cheshire) The former standout from and Avon Old Farms, Leetch played 18 seasons in the NHL and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009. Considered one of the greatest defenseman in league history, Leetch led the New York Rangers to the Stanley Cup title in 1994, winning the Conn Smyth trophy as playoff MVP. The seven-time All-Star scored 247 goals and added 781 assists in his career.

Best Lefty Quarterback: Steve Young (Greenwich) Lefty or righty, Young is the best quarterback to ever come out of Connecticut. The former three-sport star at was an All-American at BYU before embarking on a 14-year NFL career. With the San Francisco 49ers, Young was a 7-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time NFL MVP. He ranks third all-time in passer rating. Young is the only left-handed quarterback to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Best Lefty Shooting Basketball Player: Gary Liberatore (New Canaan) Liberatore is a legend in New England basketball. The man with the sweet lefty stroke to the their last state championship in 1962, with Liberatore earning All-State honors. Liberatore went to the University of New Haven where he was a four-year starter racking up 3,176 points, which is still a record for all schools and divisions in New England. As a senior, Liberatore led the nation in scoring with a 31.4 per game average.

Best Lefty Shooting Lacrosse Player: Sam Spillane (Darien) Spillane helped capture three state championships and as a senior, the silky-smooth left-hander scored 60 goals. Spillane was a two-time All-America and All-State selection before taking his talents to Duke University.

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