Oliver Perez and the 15 Most Unpopular MLB Players with Hometown Fans
Two days ago, the New York Mets made a move that fans believe should have been made a long time ago. After a two-season stint during which he heavily underachieved, left-handed pitcher Oliver Perez was released. Perez will still be paid the $12 million he was owed this season by the Mets.
All in all, there is only one word that can describe Perez's tenure with the New York Mets: disappointing. In his time with the team, Perez was easily the most unpopular player in Flushing. He signed a minor-league contract with the Washington Nationals yesterday, so perhaps he can resurrect his career there.
Here are 15 players, including Perez, who are unpopular and have worn out their welcome with the fans of their respective teams.
No. 15: Travis Hafner, Cleveland Indians
1 of 15
In 2006, Travis Hafner had an MVP-caliber season for the Cleveland Indians. He batted .308, hit 42 home runs and drove in 117 runs. Despite a dip in stats the following season (.266, 24 home runs, 100 RBI), team management rewarded him with a four-year contract extension worth $57 million.
Since 2007, Hafner has been a major disappointment on a team desperately in need of a veteran leader. His batting average over the past three seasons is a disappointing .249, and injuries have limited him to 269 games over that span.
Much of Hafner's struggles at the plate can be attributed to a shoulder injury, but it's time that owner Larry Dolan and general manager Chris Antonetti brought Hafner to the table and negotiated some sort of buyout. Hafner's production is hurting the team, and the fans are starting to get impatient.
No. 14: Joba Chamberlain, New York Yankees
2 of 15
After being drafted 41st overall by the New York Yankees in 2006, Joba Chamberlain was the toast of Yankeeland. On a recent broadcast, general manager Brian Cashman called him the Yankees' equivalent of Justin Verlander, so naturally fans got excited. However, the 2011 season is about to start, and Chamberlain has basically been the exact opposite of Justin Verlander.
In four seasons with the Yankees, Chamberlain has only accumulated 18 wins. In his sole full season as a starter in 2009, he only won nine games and posted a 4.75 ERA before being moved to the bullpen for the playoffs. He has shifted to a full-time relief role since then, and the velocity that escaped him as a starter mysteriously returned.
Yet, even as a reliever, Chamberlain has been extremely hit or miss. Some days, he'll strike out the side. On others, he'll struggle with his control and give away a lead. Either way, Yankee fans are getting fed up, and it might be time for Chamberlain to go.
No. 13: J.D. Drew, Boston Red Sox
3 of 15
Even before he came to the Boston Red Sox, J.D. Drew had worn out his welcome on a number of teams. He has never played a full season, and many perceived his numerous "injuries" as a lack of effort. Still, that didn't stop the Red Sox from signing him to a five-year deal worth $70 million.
Drew's career batting average in Boston has been a respectable .271, but he has not been the home run and RBI machine fans hoped he would be. Over his four seasons at Fenway, he has only averaged 66 RBI a season. Also, because of his nagging injuries, he has never played more than 140 games in a season.
This season is Drew's contract year, so don't be shocked if Red Sox GM Theo Epstein gives in to the fans' boos and trades the underachieving outfielder. The Red Sox have many good young outfielders, and with their development at stake, it might be time for the fans to say goodbye and good riddance to Drew.
.png?w=256)
No. 12: Joe Blanton, Philadelphia Phillies
4 of 15
In 2011, the Philadelphia Phillies will look to win the National League East with their "Four Aces" (Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels). This makes No. 5 starter Joe Blanton the odd man out, and fans will tell you that they want him gone.
Along with the fans, team management has been looking to trade Blanton since signing Cliff Lee. Based on the big right-hander's 2010 stats, I don't blame them. In an injury-shortened campaign, Blanton only went 9-6 with a 4.82 ERA.
On top of that, Blanton has not pitched more than 200 innings since 2007. With his inconsistency and the team looking to have a near-unstoppable rotation, Blanton has become quite unpopular in the City of Brotherly Love.
No. 11. Barry Zito, San Francisco Giants
5 of 15
In 2002, when he was still with the Oakland Athletics, Barry Zito won the AL Cy Young Award after posting a 23-5 record with an astounding 2.75 ERA. He was solid in his remaining seasons with Oakland, but not as dominant. Still, the San Francisco Giants thought he was worth signing to a long-term contract. The deal was worth $126 million over seven years, plus an option worth $18 million.
To this day, Zito's contract with the Giants can be considered one of the worst in baseball history. In his four seasons with the team, he has accumulated a below-average record of 40-57 with a 4.46 ERA. He got off to a strong start in 2010, but struggled down the stretch and was ultimately left off the postseason roster as the Giants went on to win the World Series.
With San Francisco's rotation now headlined by Tim Lincecum and other young guns, Zito has become just another face in the crowd on the team. Combine that with the Giants looking to repeat and the fact that Zito does nothing but cost a lot of money at this point, the underachieving lefty has become quite unpopular.
No. 10: Nyjer Morgan, Washington Nationals
6 of 15
Now, unlike most of the people on this list, Nyjer Morgan is not labeled as unpopular because of his performance. Rather, his attitude is what earned him a spot here.
In 2010, Morgan was involved in two separate incidents that caused him to be labeled as a head case. On August 25, he was given a seven-game suspension for throwing a ball at a fan during a game against the Phillies. Morgan appealed and the suspension was overturned, but he was back in the news again on September 1. That day, Morgan started a bench-clearing brawl in a game against the Marlins and was suspended for eight games.
At this point, Morgan isn't even guaranteed to crack the starting lineup in Washington, as Rick Ankiel has had a better spring. With his attitude, look for him to grow more and more unpopular with fans as the season goes on without him as a starter.
No. 9: B.J. Upton, Tampa Bay Rays
7 of 15
Some years back, B.J. Upton was considered the best prospect in Tampa Bay since Carl Crawford. He impressed in short stints with the major league club in 2004 and 2006, and finally cracked the starting lineup in 2007. That year, he lived up to the hype as he posted a .300 batting average with 24 home runs and 82 RBI in 129 games.
Since then, however, Upton has proven to be a flash in the pan. His batting average over the past three seasons has been a meager .250, and he has only hit 38 home runs. The lone bright spot in his offense has been steals, but they mean nothing if his batting average isn't what it should be.
Now that Carl Crawford is gone, Upton has to step up as the leader of Tampa Bay's outfield along with the newly acquired Johnny Damon. Rays fans have gotten used to winning, and if Upton doesn't up his production, his already waning popularity will drop to zero.
No. 8: Paul Maholm, Pittsburgh Pirates
8 of 15
The best way to describe the Pittsburgh Pirates' pitching over the past few seasons is simple: a total mess. The ace of this mess is Paul Maholm, who has never become the staff ace fans and team management hoped he would become.
In six seasons, all with the Pirates, Maholm has put together a 47-59 record with a 4.48 ERA. He has never won more than 10 games in a season, and yet he's the one the team calls the ace of the staff. Even worse, he was the eighth overall pick in the 2003 draft. Talk about being a bust!
Being the son of a Pirates fan, I can safely say that the team's fanbase is beyond sick and tired of losing. With this unpopular lefty heading the pitching staff, there is no way that the fans' frowns will turn to smiles any time soon.
No. 7: Aaron Cook, Colorado Rockies
9 of 15
Since he's a pitcher whose home stadium is Coors Field, it was really hard to put Aaron Cook on this list. Yet, compared to the other players on his team, he has the least popularity. Based on his performance the past few seasons, it's understandable as to why.
Cook is 32 years old and has been in the majors since 2002. Yet, due to injuries and underperforming, he has only managed a 69-58 record and a 4.41 career ERA. Much as in the case of B.J. Upton, Rockies fans have gotten used to contending, and Cook's numbers just won't help the team do that.
As of now, Cook is expected to be the fifth starter in Jim Tracy's rotation. If he makes no progress, look for what little popularity he has left to vanish into Denver's thin air.
No. 6: Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals
10 of 15
When the Royals drafted him with the second overall pick in 2005, scouts labeled Alex Gordon as the second coming of Royals legend George Brett. In his four seasons, he has proven to be the exact opposite.
Injuries have hampered Gordon for most of his career, as he has only ever played one full season (151 games in 2007) and has just appeared in 123 games over the past two years. He's still fairly young at 27, but this season is his make-or-break year. His batting average in 2010 was an unacceptable .215 and if his production doesn't change, he will have worn out his welcome not just in Kansas City, but in all of baseball as well.
No. 5: Mike Gonzalez, Baltimore Orioles
11 of 15
After the 2009 season, Mike Gonzalez signed a two-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles worth $12 million in hopes of becoming the team's closer. As has happened many times in his career, he got hurt and ultimately lost the closer's job.
This season, the Orioles have Kevin Gregg handling the closing duties, and Gonzalez has become nothing more than a potential lefty specialist. He is making $6 million, and Orioles fans are crying for him to be cut loose along with being upset about not making the playoffs since 1997.
Unless he can be effective in Buck Showalter's system, don't expect the fans' impatience with Gonzalez to wane.
No. 4: Francisco Cordero, Cincinnati Reds
12 of 15
At first, I was going to place Homer Bailey in this spot. Yet, he is young and his game can only go up. On the other hand, Cincinnati Reds closer Francisco Cordero's potential may be headed downward.
Overall, Cordero did not have a bad 2010. He had 40 saves, but blew eight. On top of that, his ERA and WHIP were ridiculously high for a closer at 3.84 and 1.43. Once Cuban phenom Aroldis Chapman burst onto the scene, fans grew dissatisfied with Cordero.
The fact is that Cordero is 35 years old and does not have the "stuff" to compete with Chapman. He is currently expected to be the closer for the team, but that could change at any moment if a certain hard-throwing lefty proves to be more effective in the late innings. Once that occurs, Cordero's popularity with the fans will reach its lowest.
No. 3: Chris Davis, Texas Rangers
13 of 15
When the Texas Rangers called him up in 2008, Chris Davis was expected to be the best first baseman the team had since Rafael Palmeiro. He was solid as he batted .285 with 17 home runs and 55 RBI in 80 games, but then went on the decline.
Davis appeared in 113 games next season, and despite hitting 21 home runs to go with 59 RBI, he only hit .238 and struck out an astonishing 150 times. He didn't fare better in 2010, batting .192 with one home run and four RBI in 45 games before being sent down to the minors and being subsequently replaced with Mitch Moreland.
The Rangers are currently set at first base with Moreland and the newly acquired Mike Napoli, so there is no place to put Davis. In a sense, he has no popularity whatsoever with the team or the fans. Yet, he is still young at age 25 and is thus protected from the No. 1 spot on this list.
No. 2: Oliver Perez, New York Mets/Washington Nationals
14 of 15
Well, where do I begin with this one? Oliver Perez came to the New York Mets via a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2006 and was solid over the next two-and-a-half seasons. From the time he was traded up through 2008, he posted a 26-20 record with a 4.72 ERA. Despite these average numbers, then-GM Omar Minaya signed Perez to a three-year deal worth $36 million after the 2008 season.
In the two years Perez played with the Mets under this contract, his numbers were just plain awful. He posted a 3-9 record and a 6.81 ERA. Initially, fans wrote off his 2009 campaign as an off-year due to injury. Yet, they were not convinced once the failures came back in 2010.
Perez was ultimately moved to the bullpen and underachieved there. He came into this year's spring training fighting for a rotation spot and soon found himself out of that race. New manager Terry Collins attempted to make him a lefty specialist, and that failed miserably. Thus, team management chose to eat the remaining $12 million on his contract and released him.
Today, Perez signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals. One can only hope that he is more popular in the nation's capitol than he was in the Big Apple.
No. 1: Milton Bradley, Seattle Mariners
15 of 15
It seems that wherever he has played throughout his career, Milton Bradley has been Mr. Unpopular. He forced his way out of Cleveland after an altercation with his manager, Eric Wedge, and then bounced around other teams until landing a long-term deal with the Chicago Cubs in 2009. The contract was worth $30 million over three years, a reasonable price considering his career season with the Texas Rangers in 2008 (.321 batting average, 22 home runs, 77 RBI, All-Star selection). At this point, the metaphorical house fell down.
Bradley forced his way out of Chicago due to his underachieving performance and a very public falling out with then Cubs manager Lou Piniella. He was suspended for "conduct detrimental to the team" and traded to the Seattle Mariners that offseason.
His troubles followed him to Seattle, as Bradley only batted .205 with eight home runs and 29 RBI. He ended up taking a leave of absence from the team for "personal problems," and proved to be a clubhouse cancer as the team finished dead last in the American League Western Division.
To add insult to injury, Bradley is already surrounded by controversy and the season hasn't even started yet! He was arrested back in January for making criminal threats to a woman. The Mariners kept him and let him compete for a starting job in spring training, but at this point, he is no more than a fourth outfielder and potential power bat off the bench.
That all being said, Seattle fans could probably care less about Bradley's role with the team. He is not an everyday player and is nothing but a negative and sullen presence both on and off the field when he is active. He has no connection with the fans whatsoever. They don't have any feelings towards him, positive or negative.
Bradley has become a non-factor in Seattle, possibly the biggest blow of his career. Given that, he gets the top spot on this list.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
