The All-Time MLB 'Hot Dog' Team

According to Urban Dictionary, a hot dog is defined as "someone who likes to show off or stand out.  Can be used as a synonym for d-bag."  In the professional sports world, these types of players come by the bushel and more often than not, they provide some of the most legendary personalities in the history of their game.

One hot dog that I remember vividly is Hall-of-Fame outfielder Rickey Henderson (pictured), who constantly spoke in the third person and was not shy about doing so.  In the latter years of his career, he became notorious for hitting high drives to the outfield and prematurely breaking into a home run trot before having to scramble once he realized his mistake.

Thus, in the spirit of all of baseball's hot dogs, and I'm not talking about the ones that cost $6.50 apiece, here is the MLB's all-time Hot Dog Team!

Catcher: A.J. Pierzynski

Former Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said it best about A.J. Pierzynski: "When you play against him, you hate him.  When you play with him, you hate him a little less."

Hating Pierzynski is understandable, seeing as how he is an average player who constantly seeks the spotlight, be it bleaching his hair or his escapades in professional wrestling.  Look, I enjoy wrestling as much as the next guy, but the fact that Pierzynski does it on top of his MLB duties is just ridiculous.  He's clearly doing it because he strives for attention and in doing so he isn't a catcher, but a clown.

First Base: Kendrys Morales

Up until May 29, 2010, I never thought that Angels' first baseman Kendrys Morales was a hot dog.  In fact, I thought he was a pretty classy dude.  Then, it happened.

After hitting a walk-off grand slam against the Seattle Mariners, Morales broke into his home run trot and as he made his way around third, he chose to toss his helmet aside and do a big jump onto home plate.  In doing so, he landed awkwardly and broke his leg.  The injury was bad enough that he needed surgery and he missed not only the rest of 2010, but all of 2011 as well.

Had he kept his composure and just stepped on home plate instead of doing some crazy jumping move, perhaps his career wouldn't be in jeopardy.  Instead, he chose to be a hot dog and now he's paying for it.

Second Base: Jeff Kent

Future Hall-of-Famer Jeff Kent straddled the thin line between head case and hot dog.  He had a volatile personality and was quick to make his displeasure known, and was so animated when he did so.  Case in point, his dugout fight with teammate Barry Bonds.

On top of that, I remember a commercial in which Kent appeared around 2002 or 2003.  I can't remember what he was plugging, but I do recall him starting to speak at one point and then some voiceover talking over as he continued speaking.  Most ballplayers would flatly say no to appearing in such a commercial, but Kent loved the spotlight so much that he still did it.

I've gotta say, as much fun as he was to hate, I respect him for going through with that commercial even though it made him look like a spotlight-seeking moron.

Shortstop: Derek Jeter

Don't get me wrong.  Derek Jeter is a classy guy, but he is not without his hot dog moments.  I could go on about his endless number of commercial appearances, but I'm instead going to single out one moment from last offseason.

After weeks of negotiations, some reaching a contentious point, Jeter and the New York Yankees agreed to a three-year deal worth up to $51 million, plus an option for a fourth year.  At the press conference announcing the deal, instead of just sticking to the usual spiel like "I'm happy I'm staying in New York" or "I'm going to help the team get another championship," Jeter took an unexpected turn.

The Yankee captain went on to say how he was "angry" with how negotiations went and that they went public, specifically an instance where he was told to drink a "reality potion."

Um...Derek?  I have news for you.  This is baseball, and contract negotiations are going to be made public whether you like it or not.

You should have just smiled and nodded during that press conference, but you instead pulled a fame-mongering move.  I love you, man, but I lost a tiny bit of respect for you after that hot-dog decision.

Third Base: Alex Rodriguez

In baseball, following the conclusion of the regular season, it's a rule that major announcements must not be made until after the World Series.  This means that during the postseason, no teams may negotiate with free agents or make trades simply so that the Fall Classic may remain in the spotlight.

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez famously broke this rule during Game 4 of the 2007 World Series, when he announced that he would be opting out of his legendary 10-year, $252 million contract.  Just when I thought the man couldn't have enough haters, he had a new set of them.

Sure, he ultimately re-signed with the Yankees, but the fact remains that A-Rod stepped on the toes of one of the most sacred events in all of baseball, and that is just unacceptable.  This man is constantly seeking the spotlight, be it with his insane contract or his associations with various celebrities.  Simply put, if you look up "hot dog" in the dictionary, you'll see this man's picture.

Left Field: Rickey Henderson

In a career that spanned over 20 years and saw him play in four different decades, Rickey Henderson's colorful personality made him one of the biggest hot-dogs in the game.  He constantly referred to himself in the third person and would say things like "Rickey is the best!"

According to Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci, Henderson once called Kevin Towers, then GM of the San Diego Padres, and referred to himself in the third person for the entirety of the conversation.

Yet, Henderson's most notorious hot-dog moments came in the final days of his career.  Playing with the New York Mets, he first chose No. 24 for himself.  This caused some outcry seeing as how no Met had worn it since the retirement of Willie Mays.

Then, whenever he hit a long drive to the outfield, Henderson would automatically break into a home run trot and when the ball fell into play, he'd have to scramble to second base.  Had he started running hard from the get-go, his blazing speed could have easily turned that into a triple.  Yet, his hot-dog attitude kept him from doing so and ultimately got him released.

Still, despite his bad attitude in the last years of his career, there's no denying that in general, we all loved Rickey.

Center Field: Nyjer Morgan

I seriously have no words to describe how Nyjer Morgan is a hot dog.  Still, no matter how you look at it, the man is awesome and hilarious.  Thus, before you watch the video to the left, I'll give Morgan his proper due respect.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Nyjer Morgan's alter ego: Tony Plush!

Right Field: Reggie Jackson

Prior to the 1977 season, the New York Yankees made outfielder Reggie Jackson the highest-paid player in baseball with a five-year deal worth $2.96 million (just under $11.5 million today).  Sure enough, the loudmouthed superstar started acting like a hot dog before even playing a game for the team.

In a legendary interview conducted during Spring Training, Jackson may or may not have infamously took a shot at catcher and team captain Thurman Munson.  In an interview with SPORT Magazine, Jackson was quoted as saying "I'm the straw that stirs the drink.  Maybe I should say me and Munson, but he can only stir it bad."

The validity of the quote is debatable, but that wasn't the only thing Jackson did that made him a hot dog.  In the 1977 season, in a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, Jackson didn't hustle on one particular play and was pulled from the game by manager Billy Martin.  This led to an altercation between the two in the dugout as well as a strained relationship in general.

Don't get me wrong, Jackson was a great player.  Yet, his attitude often overshadowed his work on the field.

Starting Rotation: Cliff Lee

Last offseason, the big name on the free-agent market was Cliff Lee.  After the 2009 World Series, as part of the Roy Halladay trade, he was sent to the Seattle Mariners, who traded him to the Texas Rangers in July.  Following the 2010 World Series, the speculation as to where he would end up reached an all-time high.

When push came to shove, there were three suitors for the lefty's services: the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers and a mystery team.  Given how the mystery team didn't appear to bid higher than the Yankees and Rangers, the media turned this into a two-team race and Lee gave zero indication that he wasn't interested in signing with either team.

In the end, the man chose to return to the Philadelphia Phillies after basically toying with the emotions with both Yankees and Rangers fans.  At his introductory press conference, he famously said, "I never wanted to leave in the first place."

That being said, Lee should have made his intentions clear the moment the Phillies got involved.  Instead, he turned his free agency into a media circus.  If you ask me, that's the worst kind of hot dog move of them all, using the media to get more headline-time.

Starting Pitcher: Bill Lee

Known as "Spaceman," Bill Lee was a Grade A nutjob throughout most of his baseball career.  From his defense of Maoist China to his marijuana use, the man's brutal honesty made him something of a legend.

This poses the question: how was he exactly a hot dog?  Well, take a look at the picture of him to the left.  If anyone can go on the field in that type of outfit and keep a straight face while the picture's being taken, he has to be something of an attention seeker.

Starting Pitcher: Jose Lima

Jose Lima was the hot dog that every fan absolutely adored.  From his bleached afro-like haircut to his exuberance on the mound, the man was constantly in the spotlight.  Whenever he took the field, he referred to that moment as "Lima Time."

Yet, the man proved to be even more popular in the spotlight off of the field.  Ben Shpigel of the New York Times referred to Lima as a "national anthem-crooning, towel-waving merengue singer who moonlights as a right-handed pitcher."

Simply put, Lima was a hot dog very much in the same league as Nyjer Morgan.  He was such a goofball and completely out of this world, but was also so unbelievably charismatic that both the fans and his teammates adored him.

Starting Pitcher: Pedro Martinez

As dominant a pitcher as he was during his playing days, Pedro Martinez was a complete hot dog.  From his tendency to be a headhunter to his flowing Jheri-Curl haircut, the man's relationship with opposing fans was much like that of Wes Mantooth and Ron Burgundy in the film Anchorman.  We hated him with a passion, but we sure as hell respected him.

One of my favorite hot dog moments of his occurred towards the end of the 2004 regular season, shortly after my beloved New York Yankees defeated him and his Boston Red Sox.  Since both teams were expected to make the playoffs, Martinez was asked about a potential rematch between himself and the Yankees' lineup.

The next words were famous: "They beat me. They're that good right now. They're that hot. I just tip my hat and call the Yankees my daddy."

I'm sorry, but nobody says something that outlandish to the press without hoping it will actually be printed.  Martinez loved the spotlight, and those words were just the icing on the cake following the 2004 ALCS, when the Red Sox came down from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Yankees in seven games.

Starting Pitcher: Curt Schilling

Curt Schilling is such a hot dog to the point where I'm sickened by the sight of him.  I'm a firm believer that all politics/political opinions should be kept private, particularly in the field of professional sports, and Schilling has always been very open about his views, which was pretty dangerous considering how he played for a team from a very liberal state in Massachusetts.  Not too long ago, he considered running for Senate, representing the same state.

On top of that, let's go back to 2005, when he was called to appear in front of Congress and testify about steroid use in baseball.  He wasn't there as an accused player, but rather as the clean-cut baseball man who would adamantly oppose the use of PEDs.  I remember in watching the footage of that hearing, Schilling looked like a pig in a mud factory, just reveling in the fact that out of all the players who didn't use steroids, he was the one called to appear.

Throw in his general smugness, and this guy is one major league hot dog, and I'm talking possible footlong department.

Closer: Brian Wilson

There are so many reasons I could give for Brian Wilson being a hot dog, but that would take too long.  Thus, I'll give you a few of my favorite instances.  First, there's the interview with Jim Rome at the left, which is almost definitely what put him on the national popularity map.

Then, let's not forget the Taco Bell commercial as well as the appearance he did in Boston Celtics garb to promote NBA 2K12.  I remember when I saw both for the first time, I almost bust a gut laughing.  Oh, and let's not forget the conversation he had with his digital self.

Yet, the premiere hot-dog moment of Wilson's career came at the 2011 ESPYs, when he showed up in this outfit.  The man simply loves the spotlight and the spotlight loves him right back.  He has no fear and at this point, it seems like he just acts quirky just because we expect him to.

As a fan, I have one thing to say: more hot dogs, please!