We have all seen some player rise to "superstar" status. Sadly, we have also seen many a player fall to "nobody" status just as fast.
It is sometimes hard to believe how fast someone's career can take a turn for the worse. Injuries are consistently a factor in this, other times, it is unknown what drives a player into the cellar.
In this article, I will do my best to put together a team of "has-beens" that at one time we thought would still be superstars today.
DISCLAIMER
I quite possibly could have missed someone or multiple someones.
As I started to research this team, I noticed that it is much harder to find these types of players than ones that achieved the opposite status. Most notably, it was hard to find a shortstop. They seem to be the most consistent out of all the positions, most likely because of the importance of defense.
The lineup will be staffed by one person from each fielding position.
The pitching staff will be staffed with three starting pitchers and a closer.
comments (12) write a comment »
write a new comment
about 1 month ago
Only change/addition I would have made would be Mike Hampton to the starting rotation.
Nice piece.
about 1 month ago
True, he is definitely deserving.
Thanks TAB
about 1 month ago
There's a bunch of guys that could be considered for this list, but I think you've picked out the best candidates pretty well Ricky.
from about 1 month ago
Thank you Matt, glad you enjoyed it.
about 1 month ago
A great read on just how baseball fortunes can turn on a dime. From the Atlanta side of things, I may add Javier Lopez, Andruw Jones and Jeff Francouer.
from about 1 month ago
I did think about Andruw Jones, he has only been "gone" a year.
Lopez had good years, but he was around for a long time, started in 1992
Jeff Francouer may be one for the future, but '08 was really his only bad year, he had 105 RBI in '07. He has been a mystery, but he will most definitely have his opportunity to turn it around.
Thanks for the comment, your guys are sad stories, they may fit into a '09 version too.
about 1 month ago
Richard Hidalgo!
from about 1 month ago
This is a great one! I can't believe I didn't get this right. He went from getting MVP votes in 2003 to out of the league in '06 at only 30 years old. I missed this one!
about 1 month ago
Gotta love Hidalgo!
Feel free to take a look at my recent articles and leave a comment if you feel like it.
from about 1 month ago
Very true!
about 1 month ago
Thought you might be interested in seeing this. Per rotoworld.com:
Free agent Richard Hidalgo had a grand slam and a double Tuesday for Magallanes of the VWL.
Hidalgo hasn't played in the U.S. since the Astros released him in spring 2007, but he's still going strong in Venezuela and is a candidate to surface next year. He's currently hitting .366/.427/.545 with three homers in 112 at-bats.
29 days ago
Mark Prior is 28 years ols. he still has plenty of time toprove himself and come back to where he was. If you create a farm system for it make sure to put Bucky Jacobsen on there lol.
Do you think Kenji Johjima deserves to be on the list.
Gagne has had good seasons, he doesn't deserve this list.
write a new comment