10 Worst Athletes in Major League Baseball

After the Red Sox collapsed in September, we learned of some of inner-workings in the clubhouse.

Several players including Josh Beckett, John Lackey and Jon Lester allegedly drank beer and ate fried chicken during games. Now, we can't assume that this behavior exists in all clubhouses, but there's no doubt that some players go into spring training looking like they gained a few pounds over the offseason.

Being athletic usually goes hand-in-hand with performing at a very high level, with few exceptions.

There are countless players in Major League Baseball who can't stretch a single into a double, steal a base or field a bunt.

Here's a list of some of the worst athletes in baseball today.

Honorable Mention

CC Sabathia, Pitcher, New York Yankees

The New York ace is easily the best pitcher on this list of non-athletic players, but he still weighs nearly 300 pounds.

Sabathia is 6'7'' and throws just about as hard as any pitcher in baseball, but when it comes to fielding a bunt, it's never pretty.

Ever wonder why he didn't stay in the National League? Well, it was for money and a better chance at a World Series but probably also because he didn't want to run the bases anymore.

Adam Dunn, Designated Hitter, Chicago White Sox

Dunn used to be one of the most-feared hitters in the game, but his performance took a terrible slide in 2011, having the worst single-season batting average of all time.

I'm still not sure as to how he ever played the outfield though, being extremely slow and having a hard time fielding balls. The move to first base as of late was a much smarter move, but the safest bet is to get him off the field altogether.

Dunn is rather tall at 6'6'', but weighing 285 pounds isn't helping get anymore hits.

Chad Billingsley, Pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers

This right-hander weighs 240 pounds which is a lot for a guy who's only 6'1''.

From a fan standpoint, it even looks like he has a tough time throwing the ball. It can't be easy to throw strikes when you have that big of a stomach just over you belt, and his walks reflect that.

In 2008 he had the eighth most walks, in '09 the fifth, and last season, the third. If he can lose a few pounds, maybe those numbers will go down and increase his performance.

Prince Fielder, First Baseman, Free Agent

Fielder is currently the biggest name left on the free-agent market and also one of the biggest in general. At just under 6', Fielder still weighs 275 pounds.

Somehow, he still amazes at first base, making many diving plays to get outs. He still has a ton of power, but it definitely isn't easy for him to run the bases.

No doubt that Prince is a great player, but is he athletic? I don't think so.

Carlos Lee, Outfield, Houston Astros

Carlos Lee hasn't put up the numbers that the Houston Astros had hoped when they signed him to a six-year deal that concludes after next season.

This 265-pound man has a tough time running the bases even at Minute Maid Park which is pretty big. 

His weight has kept him from playing the outfield, making first base his current position.

If Lee wants to get a decent contract after 2012, then he should try and lose some weight during the offseason.

Coming into spring training in better shape always helps throughout the season.

Travis Hafner, Designated Hitter, Cleveland Indians

Travis Hafner was a MVP-caliber player back from 2004-07 but has been anything but valuable to the Cleveland Indians ever since.

The 240-pound DH has battled injuries over the last few seasons and hasn't played a full season since 2007. 

He has never been one to try and steal bases (nine in his career) and only has 10 career triples in over 1,000 games.

Hafner is one of the best definitions of non-athletic in all of baseball.

Bartolo Colon, Pitcher, Oakland Athletics

Not only is Bartolo Colon not athletic, he's also just very fat.

He's under 6' and weighs 265 pounds, literally looking like a meatball. I have absolutely no idea how he can stay healthy enough to pitch in a full season, but he continues to do so.

As long as opponents know how to bunt, they have no trouble against Colon because it takes him forever to get off the mound and field ground balls.

He just signed a new deal with Oakland, and now, they can see what we've been seeing on the East Coast for the last few seasons. 

Heath Bell, Pitcher, Miami Marlins

How can you not love the guy who's fat and knows it?

Forget about the actual All-Star because the main attraction came when Heath Bell was called into the game.

Bell sprinted from the bullpen, all the way to the mound, when he slid feet first, to take the ball and start warming up. Is that awesome or what?

Weighing in a 260 pounds, Bell is now one of the coolest and fattest pitchers in all of baseball.

He should have a nice season with the revamped Miami Marlins.

Rod Barajas, Catcher, Pittsburgh Pirates

I've never considered Barajas to be a good, nor athletic, baseball player.

He might have a 1.000 stolen base percentage, but he's only 2-2 in attempts over his 13-year career.

Speed has never been a strong attribute of Rod's, also only having one triple in his career. Many catchers are not known as base-stealers or even speedy, but Barajas is really, really far from it.

The 6'2'', 250-pound catcher is 36 years old and really needs to move to the American League where he can be a DH for the remainder of his career.

Bobby Jenks, Pitcher, Boston Red Sox

It saddens me to say that this guy is on the Red Sox payroll, scheduled to make $6 million in 2012.

He's one of the most out-of-shape players I've ever seen pitch at Fenway Park. His weight, all 275 pounds, has caused him back problems over the last couple of seasons, also having procedures done on it.

The former All-Star closer has a completely different role with the Red Sox than he did in Chicago, and if he thinks that he can just put on weight and no one will notice, he better think twice.

Gerald Laird, Catcher, Detroit Tigers

Would anyone be shocked if Gerald Lair and Rod Barajas were separated at birth?

Even though Laird is four years younger, they're very similar. Both weigh more than they should, limiting their mobility behind the plate, and both are very average at best. 

Laird is has 20 career stolen bases and eight triples in his career which is pretty good for a guy that weighs 225 pounds.

Although he may not be the heaviest player on this list, he could still afford to lose some weight and try to get faster.

Jose Molina, Catcher, Tampa Bay Rays

The Molina brothers are known for their catching skills and definitely not how athletic they are.

It wouldn't be fair to include all three so I just chose Jose, who I think is the least athletic. He's slowest of the brothers and the 250 pounds he drags around isn't helping him either.

Losing some weight could help him earn a full-time catching position, but at age 36, it may be too out of reach for Jose.

David Ortiz, Designated Hitter, Boston Red Sox

David Ortiz is one of my favorite players of all time, but the fact that he can't run is no secret to anyone who watches baseball.

His inability to run may come from that fact that he's 36, or it could be that he weighs 230 pounds. His knees will not be able to withstand the weight much longer, and we've already seen a small preview of that.

It has come to the point where when he's on first base, the opponent doesn't even hold him on because everyone knows how ridiculous it would be if he ran, which he sometimes does surprisingly.

The one way he can prolong his career for a few more years would be to get down to around 200-215 pounds going into 2012.

Jonathan Broxton, Pitcher, Kansas City Royals

When I was doing my research for this topic, Jonathan Broxton weighed more than any other player whom I saw. I'm sure there are plenty of players out there who weigh 300 or more pounds, but the Royals reliever was the only one whom I found. 

Now 300 pounds is a lot for a professional athlete, unless you're an offensive lineman or a wrestler.

Think of Ndamukong Suh throwing a 90 MPH fastball at you. Weird right? That's basically how big Broxton is, which really is alarming.

If there's one thing I've questioned while doing this slideshow it's how do these guys pass physicals?

Is there no weight limit where the doctor says sorry this just isn't going to work? I guess not.