Miguel Cabrera and All 30 MLB Teams' Most Uncontrollable Player Ever
Detroit Tigers superstar Miguel Cabrera was arrested late Wednesday on suspicion of DUI and other details involving a rough handcuffing.
He has had a tough time in the majors, as he was brought up as a very young immature boy, and has now seemingly spiraled out of control. All one can do is hope for the best for this dynamic talent, but the events of the last few years scream out for serious help.
Cabrera is not the first or the last player who has been an issue for their respective teams, and every franchise has their "uncontrollable" historical headache.
This list will account for one athlete from each MLB team that can be deemed the "most uncontrollable" for a numbers of reasons. This can be in terms of personality, night life exploits, drug addiction or PED issues, blatant lies, and more.
Feel free to leave comments on who your favorite team's choice should be if you disagree with mine. Without further ado, let's get started:
Atlanta Braves: John Rocker
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There are few MLB “bad boys” that were as inherently evil as the former Braves closer.
Rocker fired a string of racial and homophobic slurs toward the general population of New York City, was busted for steroids, and had anger issues that few could rival.
Anyone who has ever watched a clip of Rocker understands why he belongs on any list involving “uncontrollable” athletes.
New York Mets: Dwight “Doc” Gooden
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Dwight Gooden is one of the saddest stories in the history of MLB that doesn't involve an untimely death.
He burst onto the scene with the most electric stuff the league had seen since Bob Gibson and Sandy Koufax, and appeared to be on his way to the Hall of Fame.
Early charges of assaulting a police officer and cocaine possession changed all that for Gooden, and his career took a downward spiral from then on.
Florida Marlins: Miguel Cabrera
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While he has reached a dangerous level as a member of the Tigers, Cabrera’s issues all began way back as a 20-year-old in Florida.
As a Marlin, Cabrera was consistently late, would leave the clubhouse early, spurn the media, and developed a sense of entitlement and cockiness.
It was easy to foreshadow what could happen if he didn't mature very quickly, and unfortunately he did not. Partying with rivals during a pennant race and a volatile DUI arrest have put the superstar at threat level red in Detroit.
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Philadelphia Phillies: Ugueth Urbina
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Ugeth Urbina was once a solid and dynamic reliever in the league. Once he signed with the Phillies, however, things got out of control quickly.
Urbina was arrested in connection with attempted murder for his role in attacking five workers with machetes and pouring gasoline on them in an attempt to set them on fire.
Washington Nationals: Nyjer Morgan
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Nyjer Morgan is your classic all-around MLB jerk, and his antics seems to have no boundaries.
Along from his general attitude toward everyone around him, Morgan played a role in a very dirty play at home plate against the Marlins in 2010.
Add in the brutal fight he was at the center of that same season—one that involved him celebrating and acting proud of his participation—and Morgan belongs on this list.
New York Yankees: Mickey Mantle
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Unlike a lot of the athletes you will see on this list, Mickey Mantle was not inherently a bad guy—aside from treating fans with disrespect when on a bender or hungover.
Mantle’s general alcoholism and womanizing are enough to get him on his list, as well as his comments about playing drunk.
He once was believed to have said “I see three balls and try to hit the one in the middle.” It’s amazing he became the player he was amidst all of this bodily destruction.
Boston Red Sox: Manny Ramirez
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“Manny being Manny” had once taken on a playful and loving tone, as all fans accepted the issues in order to enjoy his antics.
The problems came whenever Manny was upset, which lead to dugout altercations, giving up on plays and games, and admittedly striking out on purpose in a big pinch-hit at bat against the rival Yankees.
Manny was once a beloved figure in MLB, but those days are long gone following his PED issues and destructive behavior in Boston and LA.
Tampa Rays: Elijah Dukes
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I don’t even know where to begin on former Rays outfielder Elijah Dukes.
Dukes could have easily been the Nationals representative as well, as he has been recently busted for drug use and other transgressions.
As a member of the Rays, however, Dukes was accused of threatening to kill his wife and her children. The transcript of what he allegedly said is horrifying and disgusting. He was one case in which “second chances” should not have been offered.
Toronto Blue Jays: Dave Stewart
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Dave Stewart was a very underrated pitcher in the league, and deserves credit for what he did on the field in Oakland and Toronto.
Off the field, however, is a whole different story.
While a member of the Blue Jays, Stewart was attempting to enter a club with teammate Todd Stottlemyre. He refused to pay a cover charge, likely using the “do you know who I am” motto, and it lead to a brawl.
Stewart ended up allegedly punching an officer directly in the face, and was subsequently arrested.
Baltimore Orioles: Rollie Hemsley
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Hemsley was the epitome of an alcoholic as an MLB catcher in the 1930’s, and was kicked off of four different clubs due to his volatility off the field.
The St. Louis Browns eventually became the Baltimore Orioles in the 1950’s, which is why Hemsley can deservedly represent the franchise.
He is actually credited with advancing the “Alcoholics Anonymous” program, as he publicly thanked them for his sobriety when his alcoholism was leaked to the papers in the early 1940’s.
Detroit Tigers: Ty Cobb
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This slide actually does not need explaining, but I will humor you in case you know nothing about Ty Cobb's history in MLB.
Cobb talked down to anyone and everyone around him, would make the KKK look tolerant with regard to racism, and was increasingly arrogant and disrespectful.
Throw in his womanizing and alcoholism, and it’s obvious why he’s widely viewed as one of the biggest jerks in MLB history.
Kansas City Royals: Jose Guillen
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Jose Guillen is another player viewed as a classic “jerk” anywhere he suits up.
He is generally selfish, rude, arrogant, and disrespectful, and is well-known for his extreme anger issues. There is a reason a guy hitting 25-30 HR is constantly looking for work.
Add in his role in the performance-enhancing drug arena, and Guillen had to represent one of his teams on the list.
Chicago White Sox: Jack Parkman
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Yes, this is a cheap attempt at humor, and yes, I grew up completely obsessed with the first few Major League movies. Regardless, White Sox movie slugger Jack Parkman was about as mean and evil as any in franchise history.
Parkman was known to fight with his teammates when a member of the Indians, and viewed himself as a king deserving of preferential treatment.
Following a trade to the rival White Sox, he was prone to a dirty plowing at home plate to break up a throw, as well as relentless taunting and threats toward his former club.
Minnesota Twins: Kirby Puckett
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Kirby Puckett was a beloved figure in Minnesota for many, many years. He was a hero on the field, and was subsequently treated like one off of it.
The problem is Puckett lived a much darker private life than he would have wanted you to know.
He was arrested for groping a very inebriated woman in a public bathroom (much like Ben Roethlisberger), and SI's Frank Deford later wrote an article about Puckett entitled “The Rise and Fall of Kirby Puckett”.
The piece serves as a means of explaining the discrepancy between his public hero image and his private life.
Cleveland Indians: Albert Belle
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Albert Belle was always vilified in the local and national media for his ornery attitude and general rude or aloof behavior.
He was known for consistently ignoring and yelling at media, as well as corking his bat in 1994. Belle also infamously ran through Fernando Vina in a very dirty play between the baseline between first and second.
The cherry on top of Belle's "uncontrollable" status was allegedly chasing down Halloween egg-throwers with car, and hitting one of them with the vehicle.
Texas Rangers: Frank Francisco
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This slide is going to be short and sweet...obviously. The picture, expressions on fans faces, and object Francisco is tossing say it all.
The chair eventually hit a woman in the face, and Francisco suffered heavy discipline and fines. He lost all respect in the public arena, and rightfully will never be looked at the same way again.
Seattle Mariners: Milton Bradley
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Milton Bradley has had problems nearly everywhere he's been, and is known for his explosive anger and inability to think before he speaks/acts.
After all, the guy did tear his ACL trying to argue a call with an umpire and start an altercation--which has to be a first.
Bradley left the Mariners in 2010 to deal with these issues, which I give him credit for, but unfortunately they clearly accomplished nothing.
He was recently arrested for aggressive criminal threats toward a woman, and awaits a March court date as you read this.
Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim: Mo Vaughn
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Vaughn was busted for steroids associated with his years in Anaheim, and went on a profanity-laced tirade at Troy Percival (who questioned his lack of leadership) following his departure from the franchise:
"Percival and the Angels "ain't done (expletive) in this game." He remarked "They ain't got no flags hanging at friggin' Edison Field, so the hell with them."
Vaughn was no angel in Boston either, as he was involved in allegedly punching a man in the mouth outside of a nightclub, as well as crashing his truck while returning home from a strip club in Providence.
Oakland Athletics: Jose Canseco
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Another athlete who needs no introduction or explanation, Canseco is one of the most hated men in sports.
He was the primary steroids engineer in Oakland, and likely Major League Baseball as a whole in a lot of ways. Oh yeah, and he sold out all of his “friends” for cash.
Milwaukee Brewers: Gary Sheffield
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There are two things about Gary Sheffield's career that many do not remember. The first is that he was a Milwaukee Brewer, and the second is that he came up playing shortstop.
In his time in Milwaukee, Sheffield created locker room turmoil, and once claimed the team was racist for moving his position in favor of a white player (he also used this card with the Yankees as well).
To top it all off, Sheffield admitted to "playing badly on purpose" in order to force his way out of town. Now that is "uncontrollable" if I ever saw it.
Chicago Cubs: Carlos Zambrano
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Zambrano is another MLB player who cannot keep his mouth and brain from instantly syncing up. He also has issues with anger management.
He has been involved in well-documented dugout brawls, as well as arguments with the coaching staff and management.
Zambrano even committed a Chicago Cub cardinal sin by publicly dissing Wrigley Field after playing in the new Yankee Stadium for the first time.
St. Louis Cardinals: Keith Hernandez
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Most baseball fans associate Keith Hernandez with the New York Mets, and believe me...Keith would like to do the same.
As a member of the Cardinals in the early-to-mid 1980's, he was a consistent clubhouse cancer and provoked constant clashing w/ manager Whitey Herzog.
Hernandez also struggled with cocaine addiction while in St. Louis, and moving to New York was the best thing that could have possibly happened to him.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Derek Bell
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In spring training 2002, while with the Pirates, Bell, who had hit .173 the previous season, did not feel that he needed to prove he was worthy of a starting job.
Regarding the matter, Bell told reporters:
"Nobody told me I was in competition. If there is competition, somebody better let me know. If there is competition, they better eliminate me out of the race and go ahead and do what they're going to do with me. I ain't never hit in spring training and I never will. If it ain't settled with me out there, then they can trade me. I ain't going out there to hurt myself in spring training battling for a job. If it is [a competition], then I'm going into 'Operation Shutdown.' Tell them exactly what I said. I haven't competed for a job since 1991."
He was then released on March 31, and never signed with another team thereafter. The Pirates paid Bell $4.5 million not to play for them.
Bell also suffered a cocaine arrest after retirement from the Pirates, which is evidenced by his mugshot photo above.
Houston Astros: Delino DeShields Jr.
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DeShields Jr. is not starting off his professional career showing much maturity, restraint, or ability to handle money and success.
He recently was busted with a DUI arrest that included possession of alcohol by a minor at just 18.
Is this a warning of things to come? It’s still too early to tell, but it's reason enough to make this list as a quick-hitter into legal issues and an entitled past as a son of an MLB lifer.
Cincinnati Reds: Pete Rose
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We have once again arrived at a player who needs no introduction into the realm of "bad boy" MLB athletes.
Fans instantaneously associate the name Pete Rose with betting on the game, and that will stay with him until long after he dies.
Rose also destroyed the career of a promising All-Star catcher Ray Fosse by plowing him over at the plate during one such AL-NL battle.
Some view it as a tough baseball play and a tribute to Rose's all-out persona. Others would call him a jerk, but neither is necessarily incorrect.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Darryl Strawberry
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Darryl Strawberry is yet another of the very sad stories in MLB. He was as promising a power hitter as the league had ever seen, and was poised for uncapped greatness.
A violent cocaine addiction soon followed, and Strawberry's career in Los Angeles was destroyed by the drug.
He had recently signed a lucrative contract with the Dodgers and was expected to carry them on his back offensively, but he simply could not control himself away from the diamond.
San Francisco Giants: Jeff Kent
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Barry Bonds may be a jerk, but in a confrontation with Jeff Kent in 2002 he was merely trying to stick up for a teammate.
Jeff Kent was seen yelling at David Bell during a game, and Bonds took exception to this public display of disrespect. Things escalated in the dugout until the two were in a near-brawl.
Kent also blatantly lied to management in SF, claiming that his wrist was broken while washing his truck. Does this sound like an outrageously bad excuse? That's because it couldn't be further from the truth.
He actually had crashed his motorcycle while performing wheelies and other stunts, which was in violation of his contract.
Colorado Rockies: Mike Hampton
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Ok, this is a bit of a stretch, and I admit that.
Fact of the matter is, Hampton literally became "uncontrollable" on the mound and with his body after signing the most expensive deal in sports history at the time.
He lost his command, lost his composure, and lost his ability to get hitters out in the big leagues. Shortly thereafter, he also lost his ability to stay off of the disabled list.
San Diego Padres: Ken Caminiti
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Ken Caminiti admitted to using steroids during his incredible offensive dominance of 1996, and had some bouts with anger problems while in the league.
He also admitted in 1994 that he had a big issue with abusing alcohol, and finally agreed to enter a rehab facility in 2000.
In addition, he was yet another rich athlete who battled cocaine issues. His dependence on drugs (whether PED or otherwise) likely played a major role in his untimely death in 2004 of a heart attack. He was just 41 years old.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Jason Grimsley
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Grimsley is not exactly a name that you would associate with being "out of control", and until the end of his career it would be strange to see him on this list.
As a member of the Diamondbacks, Grimsley had his house raided for HGH and other PEDs. He was subsequently suspended 50 games by MLB for his connections to the "PED trade" within the game.
Later on in investigations, he became a whistle-blower for some inside information on the rampant use of such drugs across the league.
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