Top 25 Most Overhyped - Baseball

ArnyVee

I was reading the Gregg Jeffries post (Greg Jeffries) and was wondering....what would be the most overhyped players? And, does the player have to completely fizzle out to be on this "Most Overhyped" team? Or simply not live up to the expectations. Here are some just from the top of my head....

Gregg Jeffries, Joe Charboneau, Ron Kittle, JD Drew, Brien Taylor, Todd Benzinger, Matt Nokes.....and there are hundreds (if not thousands) that we can name here. But, I'd like to try and put together a TOP 10 or TOP 25 and have some fun by posting cards of the guys! (Or maybe having PSA add the "Most Overhyped" into the set registry )

TOP 25 (in no particular order, at this time)

1. Brien Taylor
2. Gregg Jeffries
3. Todd Van Poppel +
4. Kevin Maas -
5. Ben McDonald +
6. Pete Incaviglia
7. Ben Grieve +
8. Hensley Muelens
9. Hideki Irabu
10. Todd Zeile
11. Corey Snyder
12. Joe Charboneau +
13. Kal Daniels
14. Travis Lee +
15. Corey Patterson +
16. Kevin Seitzer +
17. Kerry Wood +
18. Ozzie Canseco
19. Benji Gil +
20. Jerome Walton -
21. Dwight Smith -
22. Ricky Jordan
23. Phil Plantier
24. Phil Nevin
25. Ron Kittle +

Honorable Mentions: Cecil Fielder, Kelly Gruber, JD Drew, Mark Prior, Ruben Rivera, Darren Dreifort, Pat Burrell, Daryl Sconiers, Mark Fidrych, Jeff Juden, Scott Cooper, Carlos Quintana, Frankie Rodriguez, Clint Hurdle, Greg Brock, Darrel Miller/Danny Goodwin, Sean Burroughs, Ben Davis, David Clyde, Joey Meyer, Ryan Anderson, Jose Cruz Jr, Danny Tartabull, Greg Nash, Dontrelle Willis, Cameron Drew, Bob Hamelin, Alex Ochoa, Kris Benson, Clint Hartung, Dave Nicholson, Steve Chilcott, Angel Scull, Pat Listach, Delino Deshields, Chuck Knoblauch, "Oil Can" Boyd, Gary Thurman, Brooks Kieschnieck, Eric Anthony, Tuffy Rhodes, Clint Barmes, Bill Pulsipher, Kiki Jones, Brian Jordan, Gary Scott, Sam Horn, Karim Garcia, Jose Offerman, Greg Brock, Franklin Stubbs, Mike Marshall, Von Hays, Gary Redus, Mel Hall, David Neid, Jaret Wright, Dave McCarty, Rico Brogna, Joe Vitiello, David Clyde, Oddibe McDowell, Matt Nokes, Rick Ankiel, Juan Samuel

colebear

jerome walton

cwazzy

Kevin Maas, Kelly Gruber, and Kevin Seitzer are three that come to mind for me. There was considerable hype over all of these. Cecil Feilder had 2 or 3 respectable seasons before he ate himself out of baseball. I still consider him overhyped.

Chris

drewsef

Todd Van Poppel

alifaxwa2

Mark Prior

MantleMarisFordBerra

Looks like you guys hit the main 2, Jeffries & Van Poppel. But as far as the most hyped ever? No contest, that would be...


Ken Griffey Jr.

Only thing is, he lived up to the hype!

How 'bout Pete Incavliga (sp)?

ArnyVee

LOL...forgot about Inky! Wasn't he the one that smashed a line drive through a wall?

CON40

Rick Ankiel, Ruben Rivera, Hensley Meulens, Hideki Irabu

cwazzy

This list could be very long.

Chris

colebear

Darren Dreifort, cory snyder, todd zeile

jerrywest45

Darryl Sconiers and Joe Charbenau

Mark Fidrych

mcholke

Ben McDonald
Pat Burrell
Kal Daniels

ArnyVee

Should any of those honorable mentions make it on the Top 25 already? I'm just going with my first instinct on these and we've come up with more than half of the Top 25 even if we don't use the honorable mentions.

41GoudeyGuy

Clint Hurdle, Greg Brock, Darrel Miller (Drafted #1 overall TWICE), Travis Lee, Sean Burroughs, Ben Davis, David Clyde...

MeteoriteGuy

Kevin Seitzer

His after playing career isn't going that well either.

From wiki: Kevin Seitzer was replaced by Rick Schu on July 11, 2007 as hitting coach for the Diamondbacks. 2007 was his first year as the hitting coach with the club.

Mark

jimq112

Did anybody mention joey meyer? If I remember right he was going to be a huge slugger?

Edited to add - I don't really specifically REMEMBER him, but when I bought an "investment" card collection it seems like there were a couple 800 ct boxes of his cards, parked next to the boxes of bam bam and brien taylor.

In a related story I have 5 vending boxes of nm/mt 86 topps mike rozier football rookies. I was less than thrilled when I opened the boxes and they were all the same investment card!!

tsalem

ryan anderson

samspop

What about Jose Cruz Jr?? He was the "must have card" in 1997!!

rose14com

Danny Tartabull

digicat

Ben Grieve. All Star and ROY at the age of 22, washed up by the age of 25, out of the majors by 29.


Greg "Toe" Nash. Found by a Devil Rays scout hitting mamoth home runs and throwing a 100 mph fastball. Unfortunatly, he seemed more at home on the wrong side of the law and in jail, than on a baseball diamond, and was given up on. Who knows, maybe he'll pull a Josh Hamelton and get his life back on track and find his nitch in the majors.

RipublicaninMass

Jeff Juden
Hensley Meulens
Jerome Walton
Dwight Smith
Ozzie canseco
Scott Cooper
Carlos Quintana
frankie Rodriguez

Sheamaster

<< <i>Darrel Miller (Drafted #1 overall TWICE), >>



I'm not too familiar with Darrel Miller but are you sure you're not thinking of Danny Goodwin, who was drafted #1 in 1971 (high school) and 1975 (college). He ended up with 13 HRs, 81 RBIs and a .236 batting average over 7 seasons.

Carew29

Kerry Wood, Dontrelle Willis, Darryl Strawberry.

grote15

Bob Hamelin, Alex Ochoa, Cameron Drew...

ArnyVee

Strawberry is interesting....he could've been so much more, but not sure if he was overhyped IMO. That brings up Eric Davis....should he be on this list?

markj111

You guys are showing your age (or your lack of it). Clint Hartung, Dave Nicholson, and Steve Chilcott were huge busts, and all were considered "can't miss". There were a number of "bonus babies" who fell far short of expectations.


Go to http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/cash-in-the-cradle-the-bonus-babies/ for an explanation of "bonus babies.

Clemaz

Kris Benson

Bigstep

No list is complete without "Super Joe "Charboneau who started the rookie card craze in 1981. He could also open a beer bottle with his eye socket if I remember right.

3 busts

colebear

Eric Davis and Darryl Strawberry were both quality players.

Strawberry was an all star from 84-91, won two silver slugger awards, and played on WS champion teams four times. A wasted talent yes, but the Mets got their use out of him.

Davis would have been better but the guy had colon cancer. plus 282 career HR's is not disappointing.

grote15

Davis anf Strawberry were definitely overhyped, but I wouldn't call either one of them busts, either. Strawberry hit over 300 homers and was a very productive player for several seasons while with the Mets and Davis had several successful seasons, too. When I think of overhyped busts, there are many players ahead of Strawberry and Davis on that list.

markj111

Come on guys, many of the players you are naming were never projected to be stars. Ozzie Canseco reached the bigs only because he was Jose's brother. Bob Hamelin was 26 when he was ROY; Charbeneau was 25. Major stars reach the bigs in their early 20s.

Jerome Walton did not exceed the league average in OPS until he was 29, and I do not recall his being touted as an up and comer. Lots of guys have a decent season or two, but do not become stars. That does not make them a bust.

To qualify as a "bust" you must be seriously hyped, but non-productive. I would not put Strawberry in that category. Many of the players on the original list were never projected as major stars.

ArnyVee

I liked Eric Davis and Darryl Strawberry....neither belong on this list, IMO.

Estil

Speaking of Ozzie Canseco, how about Pete Rose Jr? They originally thought he HAD to be a big star because of his pedigree, but he only squeaked out a few major league games. He must be the youngest (12 at the time) though, to have a rookie card (1982 Fleer).

drewsef

Ozzie Canseco

oops, missed him on the list.

markj111

<< <i>Speaking of Ozzie Canseco, how about Pete Rose Jr? They originally thought he HAD to be a big star because of his pedigree, but he only squeaked out a few major league games. He must be the youngest (12 at the time) though, to have a rookie card (1982 Fleer). >>






Who thought he was going to be a star?

F1ferrari

I remember Ozzie being in AA at Huntsville and when they came into Knoxville to play the (then Blue Jay affiliate) K-Jays, he refused to sign autographs. He wasn't even starting, just riding the bench.

drewsef

Pat Listach
Delino Deshields
Chuck Knoblauch

markj111

<< <i>Ben Grieve. All Star and ROY at the age of 22, washed up by the age of 25, out of the majors by 29.


Greg "Toe" Nash. Found by a Devil Rays scout hitting mamoth home runs and throwing a 100 mph fastball. Unfortunatly, he seemed more at home on the wrong side of the law and in jail, than on a baseball diamond, and was given up on. Who knows, maybe he'll pull a Josh Hamelton and get his life back on track and find his nitch in the majors. >>




Grieve is a good one, but not Nash. He was a long shot at best. Can you be a bust if you were never a big time prospect?

ArchStanton

Oil Can Boyd

41GoudeyGuy

<< <i>

<< <i>Darrel Miller (Drafted #1 overall TWICE), >>



I'm not too familiar with Darrel Miller but are you sure you're not thinking of Danny Goodwin, who was drafted #1 in 1971 (high school) and 1975 (college). He ended up with 13 HRs, 81 RBIs and a .236 batting average over 7 seasons. >>



My bad. Danny Goodwin is the guy I was thinking of.

In my opinion this list is slanted too much toward the current day and focuses on all the guys that were baseball card busts. Guys like Steve Blass were the original Rick Ankiel's but because we never bought their cards by the 1000 ct, they don't earn a mention on this list?

However while we are focusing on the 90's, what about Brooks Kieschnieck and Eric Anthony?

killingdream

Mark Merchant , the Pirates #1 pick in 1987 was a huge bust. He was taken second overall right after a guy named Griffey. Not only didn't he make it up to the majors at all but he barely played in AAA. Come to think of it man have the Pirates had a long history of number one draft pick flops. The latest string is of course all of the pitching picks that have blown their arms out. Four out of the last five have had major arm surgery. Of course they drafted a pitcher this year too. I can't wait to hear about his elbow popping.

msassin

Not sure how you can put Rick Ankiel on the list. He has 31 home runs and is pretty much to be a lock to be back up with the Cardinals in a couple weeks.

(this list last year I am sure would have had Josh Hamilton)

ArnyVee

Ankiel hasn't hit one of those dingers at the big dance though yet!

Plus, of course, he was overhyped as the next stud pitcher and that's why he was on the list.

gumbyfan

Joey Meyer
Corey Patterson

Elemenopeo

A couple for the honorable mention group perhaps: Tuffy Rhodes (at least in the U.S.; he's big in Japan) and Clint Barmes

jfkheat

Mark Grace, Walt Weiss, Jim Abbott and Kevin Mitchell are 4 that come to mind.
James

caine91

Bill Pulsipher...honerable mention BJ surhoff

I remember pulling a Hamelin rc though and telling everyone that he was Baby Ruth

rube26105

pete rose jr,i was gonna say van poppel-remember he wassupposed to be the next nolan ryan,that didnt quite work out
randy

swartz1

brian jordan

Skinpinch

Gumbyfan, I think you have the winner, hands down!!

Corey Patterson!!

I don't think I have ever heard a ball club say so much about how good this guy was going to be. Baseball America hyped him just as much...and every Cubs fan thought they were going to have a 1990 Barry Bonds on their hands!

This guy was hyped to be a 1990 Barry Bonds by nearly everyone. That hype even stayed for a few seasons...that is until pitchers realized that he would swing at pitches from head to toe, and no need to throw him a good strike. The man was a pure guess hitter, and could only hit a HR if he guess, got his pitch, and made contact with it.

Guys people are mentioning like those one year wonders did not have the long standing hype while in the minor leagues, and they were never projected to be a 1990 Barry Bonds by everybody.

I actually think that part of the problem was that Patterson himself thought he was going to be a 1990 Barry Bonds.



Guys like Strawberry actually lived up to the hype his first 8 years! It is just that people confused a sub .300 batting average from Strawberry, and equated that to not living up to his ability. The only thing that was wrong with Strawberry his first eight years were ignorant fans. The next half of his career was more of total waste of talent, as opposed to not living up to the hype

Cokin75

Gary Thurman (ranked '#1 Rookie) by Baseball Cards magazine in '88)
Eric Anthony
Kiki Jones (remember him, the next Gooden?)
Gary Scott