Peaked as a Rookie

[Guest Edgy DC]

Mitchell Page

Fred Lynn

Joe Charboneau

Angel Berroa

Steve Henderson

[Chad ochoseis]

The quintessential "peaked as a rookie" guy...Mark Fidrych

[G-Fafif]

Bill Pulsipher

[seawolf17]

Charbonneau was the guy I thought before I even opened the thread. I remember as a kid collecting cards in 1983 picking up a 1981 Charbonneau card and being unable to figure out why I'd never heard of him when he was obviously such an incredible ballplayer.

[smg58]

Eric Hinske.

Joba Chamberlain.

The interesting thing about this list so far is that Lynn is the only one of the players mentioned whose career wasn't defined entirely by his rookie season.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well, I'd argue that Hendu's wasn't either.

Dave Stapleton.

[smg58]

I just took a look at the NL and AL ROY lists, and it's impressive how many people I don't remember at all, especially from the AL side. Bob Hamelin? Marty Cordova?

[Centerfield]

Gregg Jefferies peaked before he lost his rookie status.

[dinosaur jesus]

Joe Black

[Guest The Second Spitter]

Bobby Crosby

Ben Grieve

The QB version of Drew Henson.

[metirish]

The Second Spitter wrote: Bobby Crosby Ben Grieve The QB version of Drew Henson.

good pick.....


http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/crosbbo01.shtml

there's something funny about Nissan Used Car Warranty sponsoring his page

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Pat Listasch.

Fernando Valenzuela! He's got Tom Seaver's Cy Young Award!

[Guest The Second Spitter]

metirish wrote: ttp://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/crosbbo01.shtml there's something funny about Nissan Used Car Warranty sponsoring his page

Not as much of a stroke of genius as you sponsoring Ambiorix Burgos' page.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: . Fernando Valenzuela! He's got Tom Seaver's Cy Young Award!

Probably had a bigger year in 85 -- that just happened to be the year where winning the NL Cy Young required super-human powers.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Khalil Greene.

[Guest Edgy DC]

There's always something odd about seeing big league legacies like Grieve on the list. Like somehow their name got them the breakthrough opportunity, but they didn't have the juice to stick. I'll throw in Lance Niekro, Sean Burroughs (almost -- he blew his rookie status on 63 games in 2002 before peaking in 2003), and Bump Wills.

[stevejrogers]

Mike Vail

[seawolf17]

smg58 wrote: Bob Hamelin?

I remember Hamelin. Enormous fella in the Balboni/Pickering mold.

Vail's a stretch, no? Don't think he was ever good.

Speaking of ROYs, Jerome Walton in 1989.

[stevejrogers]

smg58 wrote: I just took a look at the NL and AL ROY lists, and it's impressive how many people I don't remember at all, especially from the AL side. Bob Hamelin? Marty Cordova?

There was a sports talk show host here in NYC that constantly berrated the Heisman Trophy every year due to the lack of NFL success the vast majority of winners went on to have.

Putting aside the idiocy of ripping an award for the best player of the year because it isn't given to the best pro prospect of the year, that really can be applied towards the baseball ROY list of winners as well.

Of course this list is not taking into account players not yet on ballots, still awaiting election or still active but there have been only 14 HOFers to win a ROY award.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

Jaret Wright
Grand Slam Single giver-upper, Kevin McClinchy

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

When I think of Marty Cordova I remember that he was hospitalized after falling asleep in a tanning bed. Whoever posted that story on the CPF had the headline: "The Baking of Marty Cordova" which I still laugh at.

More recently, Cordova was in the news after his daughter was injured in a car crash and in a coma for several weeks. Here's her thing: http://www.facebook.com/SupportingAshleyMcAdam

[Guest Edgy DC]

I thiink that was my moment of grace --- a rare one, at that.

A better moment of grace came from Ashley McAdam, Cordova's daughter, who had been in a coma following a car wreck on the way to school. She woke up New Year's Day and has been steadily improving.

[smg58]

Alas, for all the years Pat Zachry spent here, his best year came as a rookie in Cincinnati.

Butch Metzger was already a has-been when he got here, if my long term memory is functioning properly.

[Theoldmole]

Karl Spooner

Herb Score

Charlie Neal

[G-Fafif]

President William Henry Harrison.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

G-Fafif wrote: President William Henry Harrison.

More of a Chill-caught bust.

[G-Fafif]

Steve Chill-caught only wishes he'd peaked as a rookie.

[ashie62]

Ron Kittle

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kittlro01.shtml

[Theoldmole]

Bob Grim

Ryne Duren

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Ashie62 wrote: Ron Kittle http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kittlro01.shtml

Ron Kittle was who immediately came to mind when I saw this thread title. I was living a few blocks from Comiskey when the Kittle won the Al ROY in 1983. The wife and I attended several games a year during our time in Chicago. Tickets were cheap ($8-$9 to sit at field level near the dugout and we could walk to the games. Kittle and Luzinski use to launch some pretty prodigious shots onto the left field roof. I have some fond memories of hanging out at the old Comiskey.