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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 Yastrzemski 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.
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 Yastrzemski 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.
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