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HSBBWeb Old Timer
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Horrible question ... usually you can't get to the bigs unless you have a ton of talent.
Injuries may have marred some guys careers and numbers are pretty fickle .....
BUT .... If I had to say, it would be Eddie Gaedel.
Gaedel was 3 feet 7 inches. He appeared in a game for the St. Louis Browns, drawing a walk. That was his only plate appearance, and his contract (Bill Veeck was the one who signed him) was ruled invalid and midgets were subsequently banned from baseball.
Veeck was a master showman and great at marketing. His plan was to use Gaedel in pinch-hit situations when the bases were loaded, rightfully feeling that he'd probably draw a walk, garnering an RBI, but his pro-career lasted only about 3 days and the single at bat.
Gaedel was so slow afoot, that they had to also use a pinch runner.
The American League President at the time, Hartridge, had all of Eddie's records expunged from the record books, so he's a great trivia question/answer for that reason. He had a plate appearance ... but then again, he didn't according to the record books.
You are the one who asked. Baseball is a great game with a fabulous history.
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| Posts: 1313 | Location: NC | Registered: January 18, 2003 | |
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HSBBWeb Old Timer
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When I saw this topic title, somehow I knew Ugla's name would be mentioned  . Poor guy, he must have been beating his head against the dugout wall, hoping to wake up from that nightmare. Ah, and who was little Eddie's pinchrunner, H3? (Hint: his wife was my Mom's roomie in the hospital when I was born  )
"They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it's not
one half so bad as a lot of ignorance." --- Terry Pratchett
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| Posts: 3543 | Location: Orlando, FL | Registered: December 30, 2002 | |
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HSBBWeb Old Timer
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Wally "Boom Boom" Beck. You could look it up. Once got hit so bad, when he was being taken out, he threw the ball all the way to the rightfield wallin furstration. Hack Wilson, RFer( who was talking to fans instead of paying attention) proceeded to pick it up and fire it into second thinking it was another hit.
Sometimes I sits and I thinks, sometimes I just sits.
Coachric
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| Posts: 1079 | Location: Orlando | Registered: December 22, 2005 | |
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HSBBWeb Old Timer
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From my perspective, watching Dan Uggla last night is why so many kids quit baseball and many parents are perhaps overly involved with their son and baseball. Last night, Dan Uggla failed on a baseball field. Fox then kept the camera on him. But Uggla never changed emotion or expression. You could tell he was hurting, especially as the announcers talked of his Dad and the "dream" of playing in Yankee stadium. In baseball, when you fail, there isn't any place to hide and the pace of the game can cause the focus of the "failure" to be even more directed your way. Takes a lot of fortitude to play the game when it goes that direction. Takes a lot of fortitude when you know the camera is on you and your parents are in the stands and a "dream" is the "risk." Too many can't accept what happened to Dan Uggla last night. Players quit because you cannot hide. Parents often times do too much to protect and shield from what happened to Dan Uggla. Last night Dan Uggla was a baseball player. As opposed to the worst player, my impression was that he is a terrific player having the worst day a player could, which happens in baseball.
'You don't have to be a great player to play in the major leagues, you've got to be a good one every day.'
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| Posts: 1986 | Location: ca | Registered: February 11, 2003 | |
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Member
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Good point, infielddad. If it were an easy game, everyone would do it. My 2B told me he had a rough day last week at the BCS Finals. I wasn't there but he told me "I couldn't field...I couldn't throw..." Of course I told him all players have those days and I was sure he would bounce back. The great thing about baseball is that there is always another game. This week he's at East Cobb. Again, I'm stuck here at work, making the money to get him there. But I got three calls from parents last night telling me that he made a "great play." So when I talked to him later, I asked him to tell me about his "great play." He said, "which one?"  Of course it's routine plays that win games, but it's still nice to get those comments. Mental toughness is so key to success. Uggla will be fine, and his return to his usual level of play will be a good example for all the young players watching. My vote goes to Ueker. I think he proves that a sense of humor comes in handy, too. |
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| Posts: 423 | Location: Gainesville, FL | Registered: August 07, 2007 | |
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HSBBWeb Old Timer
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infielddad,  It takes a strong individual to "risk" failure which at its core is the essence of baseball. Why else would we imagine if there will be another .400 hitter and all-star teams filled with .300 hitters? I can picture Dan Uggla (and many others) many years from now not having any regrets about following their dream irregardless of how it turned out. Can't think of a better way to live life.
______________
"If you can read this, thank a teacher, and since it's in English, thank a soldier !!"
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| Posts: 1680 | Location: Pueblo,CO,USA | Registered: December 27, 2002 | |
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HSBBWeb Old Timer
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quote: Originally posted by infielddad:
From my perspective, watching Dan Uggla last night is why so many kids quit baseball and many parents are perhaps overly involved with their son and baseball.
Last night, Dan Uggla failed on a baseball field. Fox then kept the camera on him.
But Uggla never changed emotion or expression. You could tell he was hurting, especially as the announcers talked of his Dad and the "dream" of playing in Yankee stadium.
In baseball, when you fail, there isn't any place to hide and the pace of the game can cause the focus of the "failure" to be even more directed your way.
Takes a lot of fortitude to play the game when it goes that direction. Takes a lot of fortitude when you know the camera is on you and your parents are in the stands and a "dream" is the "risk."
Too many can't accept what happened to Dan Uggla last night. Players quit because you cannot hide.
Parents often times do too much to protect and shield from what happened to Dan Uggla.
Last night Dan Uggla was a baseball player. As opposed to the worst player, my impression was that he is a terrific player having the worst day a player could, which happens in baseball.
A classic post. A lot of the game is learning how to manage failure. |
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| Posts: 4711 | Location: Cleveland, Ohio | Registered: December 22, 2004 | |
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HSBBWeb Old Timer
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Here's a legit worst player, Herb Washington. He was a track star in baseball cleats. He wasn't even a good baserunner.
* You don't lose when you get knocked down. You lose when you choose not to get up. *
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| Posts: 1321 | Location: Mid-Atlantic | Registered: October 29, 2007 | |
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HSBBWeb Old Timer
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quote: Originally posted by Holden Caulfield:
I suspect we would all feel that way until we actually became the worst player in MLB. Our perspectives might change at that point.
That depends...does the worst player in MLB history know he is the worst player? Just because Mendoza couldn't hit, doesn't mean he was bad. He had a very solid glove. Mark Bellanger couldn't hit sand if he fell off a camel but he could pick it better than 99% of the people alive. If you ask any of the perceived "worst" players in MLB history, I would bet my left...arm...they wouldn't trade their time in the Bigs for anything. |
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| Posts: 3290 | Location: VB, VA | Registered: December 26, 2002 | |
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