Question: most disappointing player ever

[baseball junkie]

Which player, positional or pictcher, after initially showing signs of brilliance in the major leagues was the most disappointing to you over the coures of their career? (So we'll be talking prospects here. We're not talking about people who took steroids to enhance performance or drugs that messed up their carrers or did other stupid off the field things.)

Four players' names immediately pop into my head in no particular order. The first is 1989 NL ROY Jerome Walton, 23. While playing a more than adequate center field, Walton cracked 139 base hits, averaging .293 and stealing 24 bases -- serving as the catalyst for the Cubs to win the NL East Division Championship, in which he hit .364. After that season it was all downhill for Walton.

The second player that leaps to mind is Ricky Jordan, 23. He was a first baseman that could hit for power and average. He had great plate discipline. He rarely struck out and took a good number of walks for a rookie. He was the brightest star in the Phillies Organization until about 1990.

That brings me to the brightest and therefore most disappointing positional player, Mike Greenwell. Greenwell took over in RF for Yastremski and Williams. Unfortunately he couldn't follow in their foot-steps for more than a few years. Greenwell was a Silver Slugger in 1988, an All-Star in 1988 and 1989. He broke also broke through at 23 and had a great combination of power and speed.

'87 .328 BA 19 HR 89 RBI (23 years old)
'88 .325 BA 22 HR 119 RBI (24 years old)
'89 .308 BA 15 HR 95 RBI (25 years old)

After that it was all down hill. Greenwell played until 1996, his entire career in Boston and ended his career with a .303 BA and 130 HR. What is so disappointing about him is how great he could have been -- along with Walton and Jordan.

Now the fourth player and only pitcher that really comes to mind is Seattle Mariners southpaw Dave Fleming. At the age of 22 he won 17 games and posted a 3.39 ERA on a team that lost 98 games and finished 7th in the AL West. Fleming put these numbers up in the Kingdome, which had a park factor that favors hitters. At 23 he won another 12 games and by 25 he was out of baseball.

So for me, the most disappointing player I've ever seen was Mike Greenwell.

[Jake83]

How about Chad Curtis was a brilliant player with the Angels early in his carrer was traded to the Detriot Tigers in 1995 and flamed out

Ben Grieve ROY in 98 I believe with the Oakland A's was traded to Tampa in 2002 and flamed out

[GaryL]

Kerry Wood for sure. All the hype (and money) and very little to show for it so far.

[ElHalo]

I think the easy answer here is Pete Reiser, who was supposed to be better than Joe DiMaggio.

Other choices:

Joe Wood (arguably the best pitcher ever through age 22)
Russ Ford (late start, then was brilliant for his first two seasons before dissappearing)
Bill Lange (a lot of people said that he was the best player they ever saw; had to leave the game when he got married and his new father in law said he couldn't play baseball any more)

[ElCaminoSS]

Kerry Wood is a good choice, but what about Daryl Strawberry?

[Jake83]

Originally Posted by ElCaminoSS

Kerry Wood is a good choice, but what about Daryl Strawberry?

Wood, Strawberry, Gooden Maybe Prior.

All these players still had or are having decent carrers

Disappointing is more a player who had 1 or 2 great years then disappers.

But everyone may have a different opinion on the question

[ElCaminoSS]

I guess he had a decent career, but nothing compared to what he could have had, same with Gooden. Both were easy Hall of Famers if they werent all doped up.

[Bluesteve32]

I have a few names:

"Super" Joe Charbeneau (great rookie season and then....)
David Clyde (everybodys first draft choice...brought up too early)
John Castino (one good season and then.....)
Clint Hurdle (was supposed to be the next star player for the Royals)
Mark Fydrich (flamed out as fast as he came out)
Steve McCatty (a victim of Billyball's overuse?)
Rick Reichardt (big bonus baby, never reached the potential)
Bobby Valentine (Broke leg on Big A's fence was never the same player)
Paul Schaal (beaning hurt career)
Don Mincher (another can't miss but had some very ordinary years)

[Jake83]

How about fomer Cal League pitcher Steve Dalkowski. Legend was he could throw 120 mph but he drank like a horse and had numerous women involved in his life. A very interesting story. He was voted one of the greatest 100 baseball players ever without playing in a major league game

[racosun]

For me, it was Matt Nokes. The way he started his career (second in ROY voting, next to Mark McGwire) I thought for sure he was a future HOF'er. He even had a great hitter's park to play his career in, but he never could duplicate that rookie year.

[steveox]

Sammy Sosa when he came to baltimore.

[iPod]

Originally Posted by Jake83

He was voted one of the greatest 100 baseball players ever without playing in a major league game

What list are you talking about?

[Jake83]

Originally Posted by iPod

What list are you talking about?

It was in a book Sporting News wrote at the turn of the century I believe

You may find it on the internet

[iPod]

Originally Posted by Jake83

It was in a book Sporting News wrote at the turn of the century I believe

You may find it on the internet

Sporting News did put out a book that was just a list of the top 100 players in history, but I've never heard that Dalkowski was on that list. I know for a fact he's not on the revised list that they just put out, because I own the revision.

Maybe you're confusing it with this...

http://www.sportingnews.com/archives...rs/175838.html

For the book "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players", The Sporting News asked several former players and managers to rank their top ten in various categories. Former big-league manager Gene Mauch selected the hardest throwing pitchers he ever saw and the list included some of the usual suspects: Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens and Bob Feller. However, at No. 5 on that list was a name that made probably made many people go, "Huh?": Steve Dalkowski.

[ballparks]

Great points on Greenwell, Gooden and Straw.
I'd have to say as far as recent years anyways I'd put Rick Ankiel on top of the list.
.....and what ever happened to Brien Taylor....

[ThePeach]

How about Benny Kauff? He was suppossed to be the "Ty Cobb" of the Federal League, but when he entered the majors not much materialzed for him. I think he also had some other troubles out side of baseball that got hiim kicked out, but my memory isn't clear on the details now.

[Brian McKenna]

well - about 90% of the guys sparky anderson hyped as the next coming of god

but in baltimore we gave pete harnish, steve finley and that red sox pitcher with the bloody foot for glenn davis and davis immediately went into the crapper

then, a little later we signed albert belle

[hudsonharden]

Brien Taylor, anyone?

[trosmok]

Some through no fault of their own, and I'd wager they are far more disappointed than any fan can imagine.

'94 ROY Bob Hamelin looked to be the next big thing at 1B or DH, but especially with the stick. $3million a year ghost.

'95 ROY Marty Cordova, OF/DH same deal. One good season, a couple decent ones, then ?

Mitch "pitch like my hair is on fire" Williams. When he went to the Phills from my Cubs, I thought Oh Great! He'll probably win the WS final game, now.

Of course, poor Ernie Broglio couldn't have known he was damaged goods, could he?

[Captin Warm Nose]

Alex Sung!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[trosmok]

Originally Posted by steveox

Sammy Sosa when he came to baltimore.

Whoa! I was bedy, bedy disappointed in him before that. His cork incident I could forgive because all his other bats tested clean. I still believe he wouldn't put any unnatural illegal substance in his body so I can overlook that his physique seems, um, er, altered? His hissy fit when he boogied out of Wrigley before the last game really tore it with me, and then looking at his declining numbers, I really feel for the good folks in Baltimore. I even have a like new cap and jersey with the Orange and Black bird that I didn't get much of a chance to wear after the all-star break.

[dgarza]

Snuffy Stirnweiss : 205 hits his 1st full season (.319) & 55 steals
Had an equally good follow-up year.
Then was never as good.
Didn't even get to bat in his final "year."

[dgarza]

Sam Jethroe - even though he was in his 30s by the time the National League took him and most of his best years were spent in the NLs, I'm sure people thought he would last longer than only 3 full MLB years.

[dgarza]

Steve Ontiveros
Joe Magrane
Randy Jones
Mario Soto

[Lindseynelson]

I'll go with the tag team of Doc and Straw. Both were special, so special they let talent beat thier demons for some brilliant baseball but in the end two guys who were on the HOF fasttrack became sideshows