Posted on
4/29/2008 3:44:26 PM
Avoiding The Attitude – The Top Clubhouse Cancers in the MLB
By Eric Williams
With the start of the 2008 MLB Baseball season firmly underway after six weeks of eye-opening baseball in both leagues, the BetUS MLB Betting Community gets treated to a special look at the Top Locker Room Cancers in all of Major League Baseball.
As with any sport, a genuine team leader can often inspire a team to greater heights than it should normally attain while a team with a locker room cancer or two, can bring even the most talented team down to depths that were formerly thought impossible.
Here is a look at the biggest locker room cancers in all of baseball this season, players that may or may not, be the cause of their respective teams’ inability to reach their rightful places in their respective divisions this season.
Jose Reyes – New York Mets – Shortstop
Now in his fifth season, Mets shortstop Jose Reyes is batting a tepid .237 with two home runs, nine RBI and five stolen bases in 97 at-bats. While Reyes is undeniably supremely talented, I must say that young the fleet-footed shortstop is wasting his talent by relying solely on his athletic ability instead of hard work – except for when it comes to running out ground balls. Mets manager Willie Randolph correctly benched Reyes on more than one occasion last season for not running out ground balls – and I’ll be the first to say that any player who is just 24-years-old and doesn’t try hard on every single play is either a Prima Dona or quitter in the making. The New York Mets are +600 to win the World Series in the BetUS Sportsbook.
Carlos Zambrano – Chicago Cubs – Pitcher
Now in his seventh season, Zambrano is 4-1 with 32 strikeouts, nine walks and a 2.21 ERA. Unfortunately, Zambrano can often go absolutely ‘nutso’ whenever he feels like it, as he did a couple of seasons ago on former teammate Michael Barrett. While I will admit that Zambrano can often be downright spectacular on the mound, his ability to alienate himself and often his teammates, puts him firmly on this list. The Chicago Cubs are +1400 to win the World Series in the BetUS Sportsbook.
Manny Ramirez - Boston Red Sox - Outfielder
Now in his 15th year, Manny Ramirez is batting a scorching .347 with six home runs with a 20 RBI in 98 at-bats. Still Ramirez lands on this list because of his perennial trade requests and frequents outbursts of “I’m unhappy.” While I’ll admit that Ramirez is more of a sideshow than an actual ‘cancer’ if he weren’t playing on such a strong veteran team with quality players and a wise manager, he could undoubtedly give the wrong message to a younger clubhouse. The Boston Red Sox are +450 to win the World Series in the BetUS Sportsbook.
Julián Tavárez - Boston Red Sox - Pitcher
Now in his 15th year, Boston Red Sox reliever Julian Tavarez has been one of the most perplexing personalities in all of baseball. Tavarez, currently 0-0 with no saves and a 5.23 ERA in seven appearances this season, once suffered breaks in his left hand after punching a bullpen phone in the dugout after being removed from Game 4 of the NLCS when he was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. From the brawls to the suspensions and outbursts, Tavarez is undoubtedly a locker room cancer, although I’ll admit he has mellowed with age. The Boston Red Sox are +450 to win the World Series in the BetUS Sportsbook.
Gary Sheffield - Detroit Tigers - Outfielder/DH
Now in his 20th year, Sheffield is batting a dismal .159 with one home run and three RBI in 63 at-bats. To put it mildly, Sheffield is arguably the biggest locker room cancer in all of sports, with his ability to separate and divide any locker room with his off-the-wall comments about everything from the man on the moon to the lack of blacks in the majors. Bottom line for me is that, while Sheffield has been a terrific hitter for the majority of his MLB career, his self-serving, ‘all-about-me’ attitude is enough for any ballclub to underachieve beyond their wildest imagination. Keep this guy away from young players or else. The Detroit Tigers are +900 to win the World Series in the BetUS Sportsbook.
Elijah Dukes-Washington Nationals - Outfielder
Now in just his second year and first with the Washington Nationals, Elijah Dukes has already firmly entrenched himself as one of the game’s biggest head case cancers after allegedly threatening to kill his wife and then getting reportedly get a 17-year-old foster child pregnant. Oh, did I mention he’s been arrested for marijuana six times? Where’s Cheech and Chong when you need them eh? The Washington Nationals are +15000 to win the World Series in the BetUS Sportsbook.
Milton Bradley - Texas Rangers - Outfield
Now in his eighth year, Milton Bradley is batting.316 with two home runs and ten RBI in 79 at-bats. While Bradley’s talent has never been questioned, the Texas Rangers outfielder has had more strange moments in baseball than anyone cares to remember. Heck, Bradley could make the locker room cancer Hall of Fame if they ever invent one with all of his outrageous actions over the years. The Texas Rangers are + 15000 to win the World Series in the BetUS Sportsbook.
Jeff Kent - Los Angeles Dodgers - First Base
Now in his 16th year, Jeff Kent batting average is .286 three home runs 12 RBI and 77 at-bats. While it is very possible that Kent could genuinely end up in the Hall of Fame after his often-spectacular career, Kent is undeniably one of the biggest morons in all of Major League Baseball. Kent has had run-ins with nearly every manager he has ever played for, including his high school coach – and almost as many teammates. I’ll also admit that it was hard for me to keep Kent out of the top spot for the biggest cancers in all of baseball. The Los Angeles Dodgers are +2000 to win the World Series in the BetUS Sportsbook.
Shea Hillenbrand – Free Agent
I don’t care that Hillenbrand is currently a free agent. The fact of the matter is that, were it not for his ability to totally alienate everyone he comes in contact with. Hillenbrand could have been a decent player instead of the reviled one he became in such a short time frame. A career .284 hitter in seven seasons, Hillenbrand once bad-mouthed Boston Red Sox GM Theo Epstein on live radio, using an uncomplimentary sexual term to describe him while demanding the Red Sox trade him, Hillenbrand also criticized the Blue Jays organization in 2006 for failing to congratulate him on his adoption of a baby girl before throwing a fit because he had to share time at first base with Lyle Overbay and third base with Troy Glaus. Hillenbrand also refused to sit with teammates once and wrote a defamatory comment about his own team before getting into a heated confrontation with former manager John Gibbons. Like most people, I say good riddance to Hillenbrand.
Special Head Case Honors:
Delmon Young - Minnesota Twins - Outfielder
Now in his second year, the bat--throwing Young has a .258 batting average with zero home runs and eight RBI in 97 at-bats. I won’t give him special ‘cancer’ consideration however until he does something else really, really dumb. The Minnesota Twins are +7500 to win the World Series in the BetUS Sportsbook.
Cancer Hall of Famers:
Carl Everett
Carl Everett isn’t currently playing in the majors, but he was such a head case that he makes this list anyway. Everett alienated just about every player, manager or writer he ever came in contact with during the course of his 14-year Major League career.
Jose Lima
Jose Lima is no longer in baseball, but ‘retired’ with a career 89-102 mark despite his often boisterous declarations that it was “Lima Time,” his self-created saying for when he was going to throw lights out baseball, which very rarely happened.
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