New collecting theme: Baseball's worst hitters

[metsbats]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/joe_posnanski/10/14/best.hitters/index.html?xid=FanHouse&icid=main|main|dl4|link6|http%3A%2F%2Fsportsillustrated.cnn.com%2F2009%2Fwriters%2Fjoe_posnanski%2F10%2F14%2Fbest.hitters%2Findex.html%3Fxid%3DFanHouse

Most of us focus our collecting based on a players or teams successes.

How about starting a collection of baseballs bottom ten worst hitters.

[joelsabi]

Re: New collecting theme: Baseball's worst hitters

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...xid%3DFanHouse

Most of us focus our collecting based on a players or teams successes.

How about starting a collection of baseballs bottom ten worst hitters.

if anyone starts a collection of players who hit a lower average than Mario Mendoza, I wanna know. I like to know what the estimated budget for this collection.

[metsbats]

Re: New collecting theme: Baseball's worst hitters

if anyone starts a collection of players who hit a lower average than Mario Mendoza, I wanna know. I like to know what the estimated budget for this collection.

Unfortunately Mendoza fell 4700 Abs short of the required at bats to be evaluated. However one must wonder if the addition plate appearances would have helped him bring his average above the Mendoza line.

[AWA85]

Re: New collecting theme: Baseball's worst hitters

There has been times that I have thought about collecting the worst player or the whipping boy for each Reds season. I have not gone through with it yet, but I think one day I may take on the challenge.

Last year would have been Corey Patterson.... votes also going to Paul Bako
This season would have been Wily Taveras

[staindsox]

Re: New collecting theme: Baseball's worst hitters

One of the two guys I collect is a career .224 hitter. The other guy I collect is a .327 career hitter. I have to say, the .224 guy is far more fun to collect.

Chris

[gingi79]

Re: New collecting theme: Baseball's worst hitters

Wouldn't the worst 10 hitters show no wear on the bats lol?

[joelsabi]

Re: New collecting theme: Baseball's worst hitters

Unfortunately Mendoza fell 4700 Abs short of the required at bats to be evaluated. However one must wonder if the addition plate appearances would have helped him bring his average above the Mendoza line.

It worked for The Wizard but he is an exception just like Belanger before him. There is a point where the defensive output does not outweigh the offensive output and most players just aren't as brilliant as Belanger or Ozzie on the defensive end to make that happen. Nowadays i think the tolerance for poor hitting is lower because shortstops and second basemen are now expected to have some pop so getting those additional plate appearance can't be justified unless you are a defensive genius like Ozzie.

[33bird]

Re: New collecting theme: Baseball's worst hitters

I got a Bill Plummer 73-75 Reds bat. I believe he has one of the worst batting averages in baseball history for a position player. .190 or something. Yea, cracked handle, but not much use..lol.

[mariner_gamers]

Re: New collecting theme: Baseball's worst hitters

Weird this thread just popped up. I actually had my 78-79 Mendoza down last night and was looking it over for the first time in a few years. The bat is absolutely hammered. Perhaps he only used 4 a season...

Being a Mariners collector it is safe to say I have bats from many, many players that hit below the MLB average for their careers.

[godwulf]

Re: New collecting theme: Baseball's worst hitters

I actually have a small Aurelio Rodriguez collection (he was on the list of ten worst hitters, apparently) - a couple of bats, one of them signed, a White Sox jersey, a signed ball, and a field jacket he wore when he was managing in the Mexican League. And, of course, one of his famous Rookie cards, with the photo of the batboy Aurelio sent in his place as a joke on the photographer.

How about a collection of hitters who have a ML batting average of 1.000? I met one last night, at the Arizona Fall League opener at Scottsdale Stadium. Jeff Bannister, managing the Scorpions this year; he had one major league at bat, and got a hit.

[woodbat]

Re: New collecting theme: Baseball's worst hitters

Tony Fossas--played from 1988-1999, including 1995-1997 with the St Louis Cardinals. He had one AB in 1996 and no hit. In fact he only had this one AB his whole career. Lifetime BA .000. I have a LS model P72 from his Cardinal days, yes not much use...........Batting practice??

[CampWest]

Re: New collecting theme: Baseball's worst hitters

One of the two guys I collect is a career .224 hitter.

Chris

Lots of people collect Adam Dunn... Just kidding... Though my sarcastic point is... Batting average isn't everything... To be the worst hitter look beyond batting average and find that guy with ineptitude across all batting categories.

Dunn at least hits HRs, Doubles, RBIs, walks a bunch and thereby has a really solid OBP. Despite his batting average being low most seasons, he is a valuable member of a lineup.

For real ineptitude start your collection with someone like Tony Pena Jr. Can't hit, can't walk, can't bunt, can't sacrifice... Ignore his abberation year of 2007... Now that guy in 2008 and 2009 was dead weight.
2 years combined .156 avg on 43 for 276. Just 8 walks, 2 Intentional (questionable coaching there - I recall one was to get a lefty lefty matchup, seriously!). 62K. Just 16 RBI. OBP of .180.

[suicide_squeeze]

Re: New collecting theme: Baseball's worst hitters

Wouldn't the worst 10 hitters show no wear on the bats lol?

......not to mention, as a homerun ball collector, I'd probably get frustrated and end up mental trying to find any from this group. But it is a very interesting theme and would be one hell of a conversation wing of anyone's collection........DANG it metsbats, don't get me started!!

[joelsabi]

Re: New collecting theme: Baseball's worst hitters

......DANG it metsbats, don't get me started!!

what an opening. glad you showed some some restaint.