The most overrated player! Unless you love them

[gingi79]

Every team has that guy (or guys) who were mediocre, sometimes good with credentials that most people would see as an ok player yet somehow have been elevated to cult status by that team's fan base. However a bar bet on whose team is most diluted on the subject compels me to ask: Which sports team has elevated the worst "who?" to HOF status?

Wayne Chrebet was my pick. Came out of Hofstra U. (where?), had a decent career in the NFL (who'd he play for?), killed my team when they played.

Jets fans are screaming I'm an idiot. Most other people outside NY...?

So, who is that guy, the urban legend, the Papale of the Eagles so to say?

[Mark17]

I wonder if this thread should be moved to the General Sports Discussion...

Anyway, in the 1960s we had a guy like that - Bob Allison. The media liked to talk about Killebrew and Allison, Mr. Upstairs and Mr. Downstairs (because Harmon's home runs were high, towering drives that went deep up into the leftfield stands, and Allison's were more of the line-drive variety.) They played together for 12 seasons, were roommates, wore numbers 3 and 4, usually batted one after the other, and were generally considered a formidable 1-2 punch.

Well... Allison actually only drove in 100 runs twice in his career (Harmon did it 9 times.) Allison's best home-run year was 1963, when he hit 35, and Harmon bested that figure 9 times.

As far as clutch games, Allison was a combined 2 for 30. That's right... a batting average of .066. This includes 0 for 4 in two All Star games (with 3 strikeouts), 2 for 16 in the '65 Series (with 9 strikeouts,) and 0 for 10 in the 1969 & 1970 ALCS. Killebrew hit .273 in his All Star and Post-Season games, going 18 for 66 with 6 homers.

There are a bunch of people who love Bob Allison, and I'm sort of one of them. He played the game hard and was a decent player. But whenever I see his name paired with Killebrew, I have to smile and shake my head. He was nowhere near Harmon in terms of overall production, the ability to win games, or clutch hitting.

A good player but highly over-rated.

[helf35]

Everyone not named Mark Buehrle, Frank Thomas and Paul Konerko on the 2005 White Sox World Championship team. Fan Base was bitching and moaning when Aaron Rowand was traded for the future Hall of Famer Jim Thome who was still hitting home runs on a very high level for all but one year with his time with the sox.

[gingi79]

I wonder if this thread should be moved to the General Sports Discussion...

You are totally right. I re-read my post and somehow in my zest for posting the question forgot a crucial part, the crux of my inquiry.

I meant to ask: which players reputation as an icon amongst a team's die hards renders their game used material seemingly overpriced to the point of absurdity by everyone....except that players fan base?

I still admire Chrebet btw, this wasn't an attempt to disparage him. True long shot, earned a roster spot, came from nowhere to be a productive NFL Receiver for a few seasons. I simply meant Jets fans see him in a much brighter light, defining him in much more grandiose terms vis a vis his career, than the average NFL fan.

[hrvatwill]

I'm going to have to go with Brad Ausmus while I lived in Houston.

[alexbartacustoms]

Tom Waddle and Chris Zorich for me.

[teddy406]

Derek Jeter. Take him out of NY and he's no more popular than a Robin Yount or Paul Molitor. Great players but not the elite.

[jake33]

Hate to say this but many "grindy white guys" get elevated to a cult status by fans. Maybe because fans see the limited talent, but appreciate the hard work. Good players, but not HOF'ers... I think these guys got elevated by local fan bases.

baseball
Johnny Gomes
Gregg Zaun
mark lemke
Jason kendall
mike fetters
jim gantner
Kerry wood
adam kennedy
david Eckstein
kent hrbek
gary Gaetti
brett gardner



football
mike alstott
most team's #2 QB
frank winters
bill romanowski
undersized or slower speed white guy wide receivers in general - dane sanzenbacher, marc boringter, joe jurevicius, ricky proehl, Brandon stokley, etc.

[jake33]

Peyton Hillis as well

[stasman]

Tom Waddle and Chris Zorich for me.

Ha ha. I still have an Autographed Zorich jersey.

[johnsontravis@ymail.com]

BRYCE HARPER

Easily the most overrated sports player on earth. Hasen't even had an all star worthy season yet on his way to the HOF to a lot of people.

[jake33]

Bryce Harper OVerrated? I am not a big fan of him, but emotion aside, he is an above average player putting up solid numbers before age 23. Maybe too much media marketing around him, but he should still have at least 2500+ hits and 400+ homeruns at the end of his career.


What about Drew Henson? He probably was most overrated, considering he was overrated in 2 different sports and a bust in 2 sports.