Though teams and GMs are more willing to consider important statistics than they used to be, a number of teams continue to give regular playing time to some flat out awful players. It’s frustrating for fans when they know a player is going to hurt their team, yet they’re in the lineup day in and day out.
And that’s what this week’s top 5 is all about. Not pitchers, not pinch hitters. Those guys who ruin your day with every at bat.
This week’s list (and you better believe there’s going to be some overlap):
The Top 5: Worst Everyday Players
Tom Geiger
1. Trevor Crowe – CF, Cleveland Indians: Had an astonishing 442 ABs despite being arguably the worst hitter in an anemic lineup. Often dominated Sportscenter’s Top 10, however.
2. Jose Lopez – 3B, Colorado Rockies: Possibly the most overpaid player in baseball (he’ll be making 3 million in 2010 as opposed to minimum wage).
3. Cezar Izturis – SS, Baltimore Orioles: A younger, slightly more powerful version of Rafael Belliard.
4. Jason Kendall – C, Kansas City Royals: Must retire.
5. Jeff Francoeur – RF, Kansas City Royals: A terrible hitter with terrible plate discipline and terrible fielding skills…now playing for a terrible team.
Dan Sweatt
1. Carlos Lee – might be lower on this list, but for $100 million, he should be an all-star AND be able to make me a quality breakfast every morning. He has the potential to do neither.
2. Jason Kendall- if you were in your prime when Griffey Baseball for N64 was out, it’s time to hang ‘em up buddy.
3. Pedro Feliz – Oh how the once somewhat decent have fallen…
4. Jeff Francoeur – Enough has been said on this website about the sadness that is his life.
5. Miguel Tejada – This guys seen more ‘roids than a proctologist, and since getting off of them, has been dreadful.
Jonathan Gardner
1. Jeff Francoeur.
2. Yuniesky Betancourt.
3. Melky Cabrera.
4. Carlos Lee.
5. Jonny Gomes.
Brennan Lowery
1. Ronny Cedeno – he’s like that super stoned guy at the Phish concert: every so often he makes sense, but generally its just gibberish and slobber.
2. Melky Cabrera – I put him in the 2 slot because that is the average number of pitches it takes to get this idiot out.
3. Matt Tuiasosopo – who? The Raiders quarterback? Oh, it’s his brother? I bet he still sucks.
4. The Baltimore Orioles – that is all.
5. Nyjer Morgan – 34 steals! Wow! 17 doubles! Whammo! 7 game suspension for throwing a baseball at a fan! Ooooooooooo…
Evan Hill
1. Jason Kendall – No HRs or Triples all season. He should have stopped playing when he broke his ankle over ten years ago.
2. Ryan Theriot – Fans will start a riot if this guy sees any sort of regular playing time in 2011.
3. Jeff Francoeur – Talk about the ultimate bust. He has the pitch selection of Vlad Guerrero with none of the ability.
4. Melky Cabrera – Leads the league in sandwiches eaten on field.
5. Yuniesky Betancourt – Congratulations Brewer fans, you traded for Zack Greinke…And a big pile of useless crap!
There you have it, everyone hates Jeff Francoeur. Disagree with our lists? Have one of your own? Throw it down in the comments section, we’d love to hear from you.
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OK this really does make a LOT of sense dude. Wow.
http://www.anon-tools.it.tc
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I try and I try but I can’t figure out what you guys mean, putting Jeff Francoeur in all of your top 5 worst players. In the field, in 1700 chances, 28 errors and 81 assists, .984 fielding%. As far as hitting goes he is very average, .270 but not terrible, at the rate hes going he gets to 3,000 hits if his career goes just 20 years. Also he is a bit more patient now compared to his years in Atlanta (and has never played for Kansas City)
Can’t figure out why anyone would have problems with Jonny Gomes
As far as the thing with Nyjer Morgan goes, I don’t know what happened, but apparently the guy who actually got hit didn’t think it was intentional. As far as I know no video of it has ever surfaced. Just Philly fans being Philly fans.
Melky is a perfectly good hitter when he stops trying to hit home runs.
Speaking of home runs, Jason Kendal has never been a home run hitter, he was one of the best defensive catchers early on in his career, and isn’t below average now.
You all must be New York fans…your judgment of talent is on par for New York fans…
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MJKC Reply:
January 8th, 2011 at 8:40 am
@A6M4, Jason Kendall is absolutely below average. he doesn’t walk enough to not hit HR’s. He isn’t that great defensively, can’t through runners out and last year tried to play through an injury just to prove his toughness while bringing the Royals down even more. Kendall is well below average in all things that he tries to do…except sucking, he is above average at that. In fact, based on wRC+, a ranking based on park differentials, etc where 100 is average…he was a 69 last year…
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damn it royals, i think we should be a AAA club
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think “worst” isn’t the best descriptor for these players…
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I don’t get how Jeff Francour is seen as a terrible fielder, he has one of the best arms in the outfield in baseball, is a good athlete and reads the ball pretty well, I think everyone thinks he just sucks at everything because he’s a terrible hitter
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Thanks for all the feedback everyone. How about recommending some other guys if you disagree with some of our selections? These are all in good fun, we’re not trying to construct a roster here or anything.
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1) Melky Cabrera
2) Yuniesky Betancourt
3) Ronny Cedeno
4) Pedro Feliz
5) Jason Kendall
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I’m amazed that 5 people can choose a list of 5 worst everyday players w/o including the worst I have ever seen ( over 55 yrs of observation, I might add). Alphonso Soriano combines a complete lack of understanding the game, terrible defense, total lack of hustle ( he may be the SLOWEST “speedster” in baseball history), inability to hit ANYBODY’S slider or any pitcher who is in the top 3 of his teams rotation or late inning reliever, with enormous compensation which has removed all of his teams personnel flexibility. They’re stuck w/ him for years to come !!!
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Pedro Feliz is a good one! The Astros stupidly signed him for two years and just months into his first season with them he’d played his way to the bench. As far as Soriano goes, sure at this stage in his career he’s certainly overpaid, but he’s still effective. Last season he put up a WAR of 2.9, putting him just behind Justin Upton, and just ahead of Andre Ethier. Good company if you ask me.
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Melky is the worst. He always took the wrong angle when going after the ball. I don’t know how many balls he misplayed.
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Evan get your facts straight. Soriano has been on a steady decline in WAR. In 2006, the year before the Cubs signed him to that enormous contract, he put up a career best 5.7 WAR. In 2007 with the Cubs he dropped significantly to 3.6. In 2008 and he put up a 2.2. Last season he put up a career worst -0.9. This guy deserves to be on every ones list.
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Correction: In 2009 Soriano posted -0.9 and last season he posted 1.4 WAR.
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Keb, depends where you’re getting your stats from. At Fangraphs they factor in fielding and Soriano’s WAR comes to 2.9. For what he’s being paid, he is not worth it, I’m not trying to make that argument. All I’m saying is he certainly isn’t one of the worst five players in the league.
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Players don’t wish to play bad. I again believe that people should understand that some days are really bad.
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Melky is hitting over .300 this year with career highs also in HR and RBI and francour has 15 HR and 60+ RBI
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