Things that have surprised me

[GiambiJuice]

I am 24 years old and started following baseball seriously in the early 90's. Over the years I've had assumptions or guesses on how things would turn out 10 or 15 years down the road. I thought I'd compile a list of a few things which have greatly surprised me. I hope some of you will add some interesting ones.

I never would have believed Frank Thomas would last 4 or 5 years longer than Jeff Bagwell.

I never in a million years thought Barry Bonds would be the all time home run king. I thought if any one player had a chance, it was Griffey. I didnt even consider Bonds to be a remote possibility in the mid 90's.

I was positive Roberto Alomar would easily get to 3,000 hits and be a first ballot Hall of Famer.

I thought Albert Belle was a lock for 500 HR. He didn't even get to 400.

I thought Carlos Baerga had a great career ahead of him. He made his last all-star team at age 26.


Well, that's all I can think of for now.

[stejay]

I can agree with you about the Bonds and Alomar ones. I was sure that he would be a great...

[Captain Cold Nose]

I can agree with you about the Bonds and Alomar ones. I was sure that he would be a great...

They both were great. Not reaching a "milestone" doesn't take away from what Alomar accomplished on the field, even though our defensive gurus on the site have shown Alomar was not as great as his gold gloves make him out to be. He'll make the HOF, though llikely not first ballot.

[stejay]

They both were great. Not reaching a "milestone" doesn't take away from what Alomar accomplished on the field, even though our defensive gurus on the site have shown Alomar was not as great as his gold gloves make him out to be. He'll make the HOF, though llikely not first ballot.

I thought Alomar was going to go on and become one of the all time greats of baseball. Thats what I meant.

[hellborn]

I was very surprised that Dale Murphy fell off a cliff in the later part of his career and wasn't a sure HOFer. The guy had a complete game and was duking it out for the best player of the early to mid '80s with Schmidt and Raines...he also seemed like the kind of solid guy who would stay in shape for as long as he could. I guess that it turned out that Dale had serious injury problems, but didn't make a big deal about them.

I was also surprised that Cal Ripken didn't become an elite hitter after watching his first 3 or so years. Then, later on, I was surprised that he was able to hang around long enough to reach 3000 hits.

[sturg1dj]

I am 24 years old and started following baseball seriously in the early 90's. Over the years I've had assumptions or guesses on how things would turn out 10 or 15 years down the road. I thought I'd compile a list of a few things which have greatly surprised me. I hope some of you will add some interesting ones.

I never would have believed Frank Thomas would last 4 or 5 years longer than Jeff Bagwell.

I never in a million years thought Barry Bonds would be the all time home run king. I thought if any one player had a chance, it was Griffey. I didnt even consider Bonds to be a remote possibility in the mid 90's.

I was positive Roberto Alomar would easily get to 3,000 hits and be a first ballot Hall of Famer.

I thought Albert Belle was a lock for 500 HR. He didn't even get to 400.

I thought Carlos Baerga had a great career ahead of him. He made his last all-star team at age 26.


Well, that's all I can think of for now.

"What Junior is going to do throughout the course of his career is going to (be) well over anything I've ever done. Junior is going to take the game to another level that I don't think anyone is going to be able to catch up to. . . . Junior will surpass me throughout his career by a lot. Not by a little. By a lot."

- Barry Bonds, in praise of Ken Griffey Jr.
The Toronto Star

June 7, 1997, Saturday, FINAL EDITION

one of my favorite quote...I am going to add it to my sig..haha

[Minstrel]

In 1988, I thought Jose Canseco was taking the first step to becoming one of very greatest players ever. His complete collapse as a player took me utterly by surprise.

Of course, I was 10 in 1988, and the idea of steroids wasn't even on my radar.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

One name: Eric Davis :dismay:

He was my "Willie Mays" in my youth. He was such a gifted ballplayer. To watch him play was like watching a virtuoso perform. He didn't play baseball. He performed the game of baseball as it were a form of poetry or music. Seeing Eric steal a base, of rob a hitter of a HR, or hit an upper deck shot, or run to the power ally to rob a hitter of a gap double was utter sheer joy.

[Bill Burgess]

I was surprised that Sandy Koufax retired at the age of 30.

I was surprised it took Billy Williams/Nellie Fox so long to make Cooperstown.

[soberdennis]

I was surprised that Randy Koufax retired at the age of 30.

I was surprised it took Billy Williams/Nellie Fox so long to make Cooperstown.

I never heard of Randy Koufax.
But I definitely agree. He was at his peak and dominated like few other pitchers have over a 5 year span. That is if you mean Sandy.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

I never heard of Randy Koufax.
But I definitely agree. He was at his peak and dominated like few other pitchers have over a 5 year span. That is if you mean Sandy.

[Bill Burgess]

I never heard of Randy Koufax.
But I definitely agree. He was at his peak and dominated like few other pitchers have over a 5 year span. That is if you mean Sandy.

Who said Randy? I can't find it anywhere.

[RuthMayBond]

I never heard of Randy Koufax.
But I definitely agree. He was at his peak and dominated like few other pitchers have over a 5 year span. That is if you mean Sandy.

Ironically, when I took my west coast trip near you & Bill, the couple I stayed with was Randy & Sandy

[soberdennis]

Yes. After editing it
that's okay. I knew who you meant.

[hellborn]

One name: Eric Davis :dismay:

He was my "Willie Mays" in my youth. He was such a gifted ballplayer. To watch him play was like watching a virtuoso perform. He didn't play baseball. He performed the game of baseball as it were a form of poetry or music. Seeing Eric steal a base, of rob a hitter of a HR, or hit an upper deck shot, or run to the power ally to rob a hitter of a gap double was utter sheer joy.

Eric was my favorite player in the mid '80s. How exciting it was to watch him...just seemed like something incredible was going to happen at any moment. I remember one monster opposite field homer Eric hit, and the announcers were dumbfounded...one of them said he couldn't recall an opposite field shot nearly that long in his career.
My favorite Eric moment was not a HR, over the fence catch, or SB...it was Game 4 of the NLCS against the Pirates, 8th inning, Reds up by a run. Bonilla bombed the ball to deep CF, and Hatcher crashed into the wall trying to make the catch. The ball bounced hard off the wall and rolled for quite a ways. It looked like Bonilla had an easy triple, but Davis ran hard all the way on the backup and gunned Bobby out at 3B. The announcers seemed surprised that there was a play at all...just good, hustling, fundamental baseball by Eric to get over there ASAP on a backup, and a fine throw.
Eric tore his kidney in the WS that year, and it took him years to really get healthy again. I was thrilled when he came back with some fine years in Baltimore.
Even though his career wasn't close to what I had hoped for him, I still remember how much fun it was to watch him play.