The Least, Most Deserving All-Stars
Wednesday - July 15, 2009
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Del.icio.usCall it a labor of love or a silly idea that resulted in the loss of some 20-plus hours on a project that the Elias Sports Bureau could hammer out over a lunch of chicken wings, beer and failed attempts to score with an annoyed waitress.
No matter. All-Star games and the discussion over who rightly or wrongly gets to participate is an annual rite of complaint for fans in any sport. And nowhere is that right exercised more often than in the sport where every number is key to the past while giving clues to the future.
At the end of each sixth month, baseball fans and media argue about who got in and who was unceremoniously kicked to the curb. So in honor of everyone who packed on crappy stats only to be rewarded with an invite to the Mid-Summer Classic, we honor the worst of the best, MLB players with the sorriest stats going into the All-Star Game. Since 1954, that is. The good folks at baseball-reference.com don’t do mid-season splits before that. Thank God.
Here we go. Starters only and no designated hitters. Only one player per position. No compassion for strike-shortened seasons nor criticism of chemical corner-cutters or any factoring whatsoever for the double All-Star games played between ‘59 and ‘63. And watch out for the Hall of Famers.
AL Not-so-All Stars
C - Sandy Alomar 1991: 0 HRs, 4 RBI, 7 Runs, .241 BA
1B - Harmon Killebrew 1968: 13 HRs, 34 RBI, .204 BA
2B - Willie Randolph 1981: 2 HRs, 11 RBI, .235 BA
SS - Luis Aparicio 1971: 3 HRs, 26 RBI, .206 BA 3B - George Kell 1957:
5 HRs, 22 RBI, 17 Runs, .281 BA
OF - Reggie Jackson 1981. 6 HRs, 24 RBI, .199 BA
OF - Ted Williams 1959: 5 HRs, 18 RBI, .217 BA OF - Carl Yastrzemski
1972: 1 HR, 26 RBI, .281 BA
Starting pitcher - Whitey Ford 1954: 7-6, 3.36 era, 1.323 whp NL Lack-of-Honor Roll C - Jerry Grote 1967: 3
HRs, 10 RBI, .201 BA
1B - Pete Rose 1982: 1 HRs, 31 RBI, .287 BA
2B - Davey Lopes 1981: 3 HRs, 7 RBI, .169 BA SS - Ozzie Smith 1983:
0 HRs, 23 RBI, .205 BA 3B - Ken Caminiti 1997: 6 HRs, 35 RBI, .247 BA OF - Willie Mays 1972:
4 HRs, 15 RBI, .233 BA OF - Darryl Strawberry
1985: 8 HRs, 19 RBI, .229 BA
OF - Lenny Dystra 1995: 0 HRs, 15 RBI, .262 BA
Starting Pitcher - Bob Purkey 1961: 7-7, 4.20 era, 1.311 whp
Focusing on the negative can be, well, too negative. In compiling the list it becomes clear that the voters, whether players or fans, have done their job well - most of the time. So in honor of those whose exploits have been noteworthy, a salute to the best of the best. No surprise, steroid era hitters dominate.
Best AL
C - Ivan Rodriguez 2000: 26 HRs, 80 RBI, .366 BA, 230 TB
1B - Frank Thomas 1994: 32 HRs, 78 RBI, .383 BA, 241 TB
2B - Bret Boone 2001: 22 HRs, 84 RBI, .324 BA, 198 TB
SS - Alex Rodriguez 1998: 27 HRs, 70 RBI, .310 BA, 24 SB, 219 TB
3B - Alex Rodriguez 2007: 30 HRs, 86 RBI, .316 BA, 212 TB
OF - Mickey Mantle 1956: 27 HRs, 67 RBI, 70 Runs, .369 BA, 206 TB
OF - Juan Gonzalez 1998: 26 HRs, 101 RBI, .293 BA, 207 TB
OF - Manny Ramirez 1999: 25 HRs, 96 RBI, .333 BA, 194 TB
Starting Pitcher - Luis Tiant 1968: 14-5, 1.24 era, 0.865 whp Best NL C - Mike Piazza 1996: 24
HRs, 63 RBI, .363 BA, 187 TB
1B - Derrek Lee 2005: 27 HRs, 72 RBI, .378 BA, 231 TB
2B - Jeff Kent 2000: 23 HRs, 85 RBI, .355 BA, 218 TB
SS - Ernie Banks 1955: 26 HRs, 72 RBI, .344 BA
3B - Tony Perez 1970: 29
HRs, 90 RBI, .356 BA, 223 TB
OF - Luis Gonzalez 2001: 35 HRs, 86 RBI, .355 BA, 246 TB
OF - Larry Walker 1997: 25 HRs, 68 RBI, .384 BA, 19 SB, 229 TB OF - Albert Pujols 2003:
27 HRs, 86 RBI, .368 BA, 240 TB
Starting Pitcher - Sandy Koufax 1966: 15-4, 1.60 era, 0.962 whp, 15 complete games
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