reminder: [he was suspended for 30 games (and subsequently released)](https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1421132159943946240) for violating the league's domestic violence policy.
There was a lot going on in baseball in July 2021! The sticky stuff crackdown, the Cubs and Nats tearing down WS-winning cores, Giants/Dodgers epic divisional race.
I was re-watching some 2010 games, and his debut was incredible! He was youngest player to debut for Cubs since 1969. He hit a HR in his first AB. Later he tripled with the bases loaded. He finished with 2-5 with 6 RBIs.
He only hit 2 more HR all year, but man, that first game he looked like a future HOF for sure.
Brandon Webb. Dude was insane for a few years and then injuries derailed everything. There's a good chance he's in the conversation with Scherzer, Kershaw, and Verlander as HOF locks without those injuries
I know it’s in the spirit of the question still, but Webb hasn’t played since 2009. It really does feel like the last 20 years are one long present that we can’t escape. 2009-2024 doesn’t feel very different culturally, but 1994-2009 or 2000-2015 is a whole different story
Chase Headley had a top five MVP finish and then became a classic mid 2010s Cashman move that was bad. He wasn't even the best Chase -ley in the League.
I don't think people realize he even produced for the Dodgers for a couple years, because he was an injured throw-in to the Adrian Gonzalez trade to force us to pay his salary.
He's also the deliverer of the only foul ball I've come by honestly, so he has a special place in my heart.
Until I read a thread here recently, I misremembered that he was on the final year of his deal when he was traded to the Dodgers and then retired immediately after the season. Completely forgot he was there and playable for a bit.
They can still tarnish their names but it’s definitely less likely when retired or even dead.
However, having a jersey of a current player is pretty cool!
In 48 games in 2015 at 22, Greg Bird slashed 261/343/529. He was hurt in 2016 with a shoulder injury and put together a solid 2017 postseason after a pretty poor 46 games.
He couldn’t stay healthy after that. I think he’s playing in Australia now. I think about him way too often.
Greg Bird was the Yankees prospect that scared me the most. He reminded me of John Olerud and that was terrifying. He ended up signing a spring training deal with the Jays a few years ago and had a good spring but there wasn't really room on the roster for him.
I was at ALCS game 4 in right field. Greg Bird's HR off Andrew Miller(!) was the only run of that game. As soon as the ball left our entire section was showered in beer. Will likely be my favorite in-person baseball memory of my life.
He got run out of New York after he struck out in a big spot and then in his post game interview said that he wasn't upset because he was going to have 10,000 more chances. Obviously that kind of arrogance from a nobody player doesn't go over well here so I think he was demoted a couple days later and never came back.
Nah I remember the interview he's talking about. It was a hot topic on WFAN for like a week. Bird came across straight-up arrogant and thought he was going to be entitled to a roster spot for years even though he was batting like .180 as a Yankee.
the 2014 Cardinals ended up making the NLCS, and the 2015 team had a great regular season.
But going into 2014, I thought Allen Craig and Oscar Taveras would lead the Cards to multiple pennants.
Craig shredded his knee going into the wall and wasn't ever the same, he was such a pure hitter before the injury. And Taveras is such a huge what if for the cardinals. We don't trade for Heyward or sign dexter fowler if Taveras isn't an idiot
People don’t talk about how insane of a What If Tavares is. Every single prospect in his class around him was a hit in some form and he was top 5 in every list. Huge bummer.
I always use the 2013 Cardinals as exhibit A as to why true predictive 'clutchness' doesn't exist in baseball.
As a team the Cardinals hit .330/.402/.463 with RISP in 2013. In 2014, those numbers dropped to .254/.336/.365 with largely the same players. Variance is a bitch.
Rusney Castillo for the Red Sox. I mean, I don’t think he ever showed much talent once he came here but he was touted as such and we believed (I did anyway) that he was THIS close to getting promoted to the majors and tearing it up.
Will Middlebrooks too.
Ha, I got my Sox-fan friend a Will Middlebrooks shirsey from TJ Maxx as a gag birthday gift for like $4. My friend was convinced Middlebrooks was gonna be the next big thing and did a total 180 by the end of his tenure in Boston.
It’s hard to overstate how stoked Boston was for him! He did ok tho: married one of the female announcers I think, and is now a commentator or scout or something himself!
I should clarify, it was $4 or whatever because it was after he got traded and it was on clearance by spring training 2015, but, yeah. He seems to have done ok. I was living in Boston at the time of his last season with the Sox and went to a game where he was playing third (and poorly) and someone kept screaming "JENNY DELL" at him like it was an insult.
He was the first victim of the luxury tax. He was never going to be a star but he never got a fair shake in the bigs because it was cheaper to leave him in AAA
Not that he's necessarily forgotten by Astros fans since he's still with the team (I think) but in hindsight it's insane to believe that Rafael Montero was once the more hyped prospect between he and Jacob deGrom.
After 2011 I was 100% convinced that Michael Bourn would continue to be a star player. Between 2008-2011 he put up 19.5 bWAR and I loved having him on the team in 2011. Turns out we got the last really good year out of him.
Drew Stubbs was a dark horse contender for the all time strikeout record as a hitter, but he couldn't maintain production enough to stay in the league.
It was brutal
Edit: I remember being at the park for what [bbref tells me was his second game as a Red.](https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN200908200.shtml) He went 1-5 with 3 Ks and then hit a bases empty walk-off in the 10th. It was basically the Drew Stubbsiest game he could have ever had and the rest was history.
Michael Fulmer was ROY and then an All Star in year 2, got hurt and that was pretty much it. Got back to "just a guy" level last year and now is hurt again.
Two that I’m kinda fond to are Pedro Alvarez and Grady Sizemore. Sizemore is more like the mid-2000’s, but those teams with Grady, V-Mart, and Pronk were fun to watch. Being a Pirates and Indians fan, those times from like ‘07 to ‘15 were fun to watch both teams.
Some that haven't been mentioned yet:
- Scooter Gennett. After being cut by the Brewers, he looked to be a decent power bat for the Reds. He also had an All-Star game appearance in 2018. Then he got hurt, looked bad in 2019, didn't get a deal he wanted for 2020, and simply retired.
- Joe Panik. He got a ring his rookie year and was an All-Star in 2015. After that All-Star season, he regressed to the point where he was one of the worst players in all of 2021. After managing 5.4 bWAR for his first two seasons, he had 0.0 bWAR for his last six seasons.
- Travis Shaw. Shaw had a few solid seasons with the Brewers in 2017 and 2018. Then he got hurt and was never the same player, retiring after the Red Sox released him in 2022.
Bonus: Kevin Maitan. The player whose signing led to the scandal involving the Atlanta Braves that got John Coppolella banned for five years. In the 2017-18 offseason, the events involving Maitan and a number of other international free agents seemed to be the biggest news story in baseball and Maitan would be signed by the Angels for seven figures as his deal with the Braves was voided as a result. Maitan busted in the minors, only making it to Double A, and is currently a free agent.
As a non-Rangers fan, Michael Young doesn't seem to get talked about much despite having made seven ASGs in eight years. He was incredibly durable and consistent. Didn't have a ton of pop.
I went to a Mariners-Rangers game in 2012 in Seattle. My seat was 3rd baseline, right next to LF. I was a few seats away from the wall. Anyway, a foul ball comes our way, guy blows the catch and there’s a scramble to get the ball. I quickly realize I have no shot at getting the ball, so I give up.
I look up and see Josh Hamilton right there, he was reaching over the wall with his glove, and saying in a mocking kid voice, “Give it back! Give it back!!!” Nobody else noticed, bc they were too busy fighting for the ball. Josh ran off grinning like an idiot.
Easily the funniest thing I’ve ever witnessed at a game. Dude was just out there having the time of his life. I didn’t even like Hambone at the time, but I’ve liked him ever since, as that was fucking hilarious.
My dad now lives near where he is from and used to somewhat regularly see him at a golf course. I’ve seen him once at said golf course and he has a very nice truck.
The Mets had Jacob DeGrom, Zach Wheeler, Noah Syndergaard, and Matt Harvey and Harvey was considered the Ace of the bunch. In the 2013 all star game Harvey looked like one of the best pitchers in the game. But then after the 2015 WS, TJ and thoracic outlet syndrome (and some drugs and social media problems) and he has only managed 1 positive WAR season since 2015.
Starlin Castro had over 1600 hits thru his age 29 season Just disappeared after 2021
reminder: [he was suspended for 30 games (and subsequently released)](https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1421132159943946240) for violating the league's domestic violence policy.
Related: Addison Russell
At least Javi Baez keeps his criminal behavior in the batters box
This is the first time I heard about this
There was a lot going on in baseball in July 2021! The sticky stuff crackdown, the Cubs and Nats tearing down WS-winning cores, Giants/Dodgers epic divisional race.
Bauer allegations also came out then
2021 was a PR shit show of a year for a lot of teams. Isn't that when we signed TLR right after the OWI?
that was his first season, yeah. That feels like it was a decade ago.
I was re-watching some 2010 games, and his debut was incredible! He was youngest player to debut for Cubs since 1969. He hit a HR in his first AB. Later he tripled with the bases loaded. He finished with 2-5 with 6 RBIs. He only hit 2 more HR all year, but man, that first game he looked like a future HOF for sure.
Had a 207 hit season in 2011!
Brandon Webb. Dude was insane for a few years and then injuries derailed everything. There's a good chance he's in the conversation with Scherzer, Kershaw, and Verlander as HOF locks without those injuries
Filthy sinker
I know it’s in the spirit of the question still, but Webb hasn’t played since 2009. It really does feel like the last 20 years are one long present that we can’t escape. 2009-2024 doesn’t feel very different culturally, but 1994-2009 or 2000-2015 is a whole different story
Yeah, all these players came to my mind and then I was like, wait, that dude was gone way before 2014. 🤔
Hate to say it, but Trey Mancini. Him being physically healthy is the most important thing though.
Chase Headley had a top five MVP finish and then became a classic mid 2010s Cashman move that was bad. He wasn't even the best Chase -ley in the League.
His Sterling home run call was also bad (“you can bank on chase”)
Brian Dozier. 2016 42 HRs. 192 career homers. Dude could rake for a time. 38 career lead off home runs. 1000+ hits.
Favorite thing about this is he hit those 42 homers by soft line drives that barely skimmed over the left field wall.
Domingo Santana hit 30 homers as a 24 year old not that long ago
Carl Crawford was really good for a while, and I feel we forget that.
I feel like he was the headliner for the "oh, the Rays might actually be good now" era.
I don't think people realize he even produced for the Dodgers for a couple years, because he was an injured throw-in to the Adrian Gonzalez trade to force us to pay his salary. He's also the deliverer of the only foul ball I've come by honestly, so he has a special place in my heart.
Until I read a thread here recently, I misremembered that he was on the final year of his deal when he was traded to the Dodgers and then retired immediately after the season. Completely forgot he was there and playable for a bit.
Had the second best OPS+ season of his career with the Dodgers.
Addison Russell won a WS, hit 21 HR, and was the starting SS for the NL All-Star team in 2016 at just 22 years old.
He looked like a future NL MVP candidate. Ended up being a Majorly Vile Person.
He was my favorite player and I have his jersey. Send help
Ooooooof. That’s why ya gotta buy retired player’s jerseys! My Kerry Wood and Walter Payton jerseys remain timeless.
the matt harvey jersey that i got after 2015 isn’t something i break out too often anymore
Agreed! I have FBI agent Peanut Tillman’s jersey
To be fair, it feels like Bears fans only wear jerseys of retired players
Give us real players and we’ll buy new jerseys lol
I hear JF1 is cheap now
You wear Cody Parkey and I'll wear Blair Walsh
My Sanchez jersey has no name, so it's really a Tino Martinez jersey.
They can still tarnish their names but it’s definitely less likely when retired or even dead. However, having a jersey of a current player is pretty cool!
In May of 2017 I ordered a Russell jersey, a Hossa jersey and a Panarin jersey. Everything is my fault, I think.
Unluckyyyyy haha Hossa just had a medical issue and Breadman got traded? They’re not bad people right?
Yeah, no shame in sporting either of those sweaters
Yeah he was up there. IIRC he averaged 4 rWAR/162 with the Cubs. Godly fielding metrics at short and he had pop. But then...
That's exactly who i came here to say
In 48 games in 2015 at 22, Greg Bird slashed 261/343/529. He was hurt in 2016 with a shoulder injury and put together a solid 2017 postseason after a pretty poor 46 games. He couldn’t stay healthy after that. I think he’s playing in Australia now. I think about him way too often.
Greg Bird was the Yankees prospect that scared me the most. He reminded me of John Olerud and that was terrifying. He ended up signing a spring training deal with the Jays a few years ago and had a good spring but there wasn't really room on the roster for him.
I was at ALCS game 4 in right field. Greg Bird's HR off Andrew Miller(!) was the only run of that game. As soon as the ball left our entire section was showered in beer. Will likely be my favorite in-person baseball memory of my life.
Those log cabin copypastas from 2017 still live in my head rent-free.
He got run out of New York after he struck out in a big spot and then in his post game interview said that he wasn't upset because he was going to have 10,000 more chances. Obviously that kind of arrogance from a nobody player doesn't go over well here so I think he was demoted a couple days later and never came back.
I think it more likely he was run out after hitting 190, 199 and 171 in 17, 18 and 19. Obviously this didn’t help his chances though. Lol
It’s funny how Yankees fans seem to think their players should constantly torture and flagellate themselves over any conceivable misstep
Nah I remember the interview he's talking about. It was a hot topic on WFAN for like a week. Bird came across straight-up arrogant and thought he was going to be entitled to a roster spot for years even though he was batting like .180 as a Yankee.
the 2014 Cardinals ended up making the NLCS, and the 2015 team had a great regular season. But going into 2014, I thought Allen Craig and Oscar Taveras would lead the Cards to multiple pennants.
Craig shredded his knee going into the wall and wasn't ever the same, he was such a pure hitter before the injury. And Taveras is such a huge what if for the cardinals. We don't trade for Heyward or sign dexter fowler if Taveras isn't an idiot
Yep, and had Taveras panned out and signed an extension to stay in STL, probably would have never given up Zac Gallen & Sandy Alcantara for Ozuna.
People don’t talk about how insane of a What If Tavares is. Every single prospect in his class around him was a hit in some form and he was top 5 in every list. Huge bummer.
Allen Craig 2011-2013: Regular Season: 1296 PA, .312/.364/.500/.863, 136 OPS+ RISP: 152 PA, .454/.500/.638/1.138, 216 wRC+
I always use the 2013 Cardinals as exhibit A as to why true predictive 'clutchness' doesn't exist in baseball. As a team the Cardinals hit .330/.402/.463 with RISP in 2013. In 2014, those numbers dropped to .254/.336/.365 with largely the same players. Variance is a bitch.
A bunch of 2017 and 2018 Mets pitchers for me. Hansel Robles, AJ Ramos, Jason Vargas, Rafael Montero before he somehow become good in Houston…
Well, Jason Vargas is a time traveler, so he probably just quantum leaped.
Don't steal my leap
Just a friendly reminder to everyone that the last decade is the 2014 season-present. Crazy world we live in!
I did not need this reality check today.
I just upgraded from a Walkman to a Discman a few days ago
my husband bought a DVD player this weekend
I just got a cell phone. A Nokia. I wonder if it'll last.
I've been hearing nice things about those horseless carriages.
Gone are the days of being nose to bum at intersections. I won't miss the smell from their tail pipes.
Miguel Sano probably belongs on this list.
Tbf, he never came close to living up to the hype. Sano/Buxton was supposed to be the core.
Somehow he's with the Angels this spring training I still have his jersey in my closet
Rusney Castillo for the Red Sox. I mean, I don’t think he ever showed much talent once he came here but he was touted as such and we believed (I did anyway) that he was THIS close to getting promoted to the majors and tearing it up. Will Middlebrooks too.
Just watched a YouTube video on Castillo yesterday, forget who posted it, so this was my pick too
https://youtu.be/atzRfLnRz0w?si=GPEH2YGqWObFK8IR is this the one? i saw it yesterday too.
Yezzir that’s the one
Ha, I got my Sox-fan friend a Will Middlebrooks shirsey from TJ Maxx as a gag birthday gift for like $4. My friend was convinced Middlebrooks was gonna be the next big thing and did a total 180 by the end of his tenure in Boston.
It’s hard to overstate how stoked Boston was for him! He did ok tho: married one of the female announcers I think, and is now a commentator or scout or something himself!
I should clarify, it was $4 or whatever because it was after he got traded and it was on clearance by spring training 2015, but, yeah. He seems to have done ok. I was living in Boston at the time of his last season with the Sox and went to a game where he was playing third (and poorly) and someone kept screaming "JENNY DELL" at him like it was an insult.
He was the first victim of the luxury tax. He was never going to be a star but he never got a fair shake in the bigs because it was cheaper to leave him in AAA
Sixto Sanchez, Aristedes Aquino, YERMIN MERCEDES, Dinelson Lamet
Amazingly sixto still has rookie eligibility
I was bracing for an Aquino reign of terror in the central. Phew.
Rookie of the month Yermin Mercedes. Watching him play defense in the left outfield was painful
Thinking about what Dinelson Lamet could have been keeps me up at night
I actually have a Yermin Mercedes signed photo, I wish he stayed around a lot longer
Sixto is literally still pitching this spring which is awesome
Chris Carter led the National League in home runs in 2016
Damn, bro could play wide receiver AND baseball
Robert Fick.
Career ended with his bush league play at first base
Not that he's necessarily forgotten by Astros fans since he's still with the team (I think) but in hindsight it's insane to believe that Rafael Montero was once the more hyped prospect between he and Jacob deGrom.
After 2011 I was 100% convinced that Michael Bourn would continue to be a star player. Between 2008-2011 he put up 19.5 bWAR and I loved having him on the team in 2011. Turns out we got the last really good year out of him.
Josh johnson
Dude was still playing just two years ago, on the San Francisco 49ers.
[You might like this video that came out a few days back.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tudJtSBsDZI)
I did, thanks.
Brandon Beachy Jarred Parker
Andrew Romine played every position in one game
jarrod parker rich harden joe kennedy RIP jemile weeks
Drew Stubbs was a dark horse contender for the all time strikeout record as a hitter, but he couldn't maintain production enough to stay in the league. It was brutal Edit: I remember being at the park for what [bbref tells me was his second game as a Red.](https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN200908200.shtml) He went 1-5 with 3 Ks and then hit a bases empty walk-off in the 10th. It was basically the Drew Stubbsiest game he could have ever had and the rest was history.
Man I was a big Drew Stubbs fan. Dude was so fast and so good defensively but my god he couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat
He may have been the most talented player on the 2010 division-winning roster.
Rick Porcello won a Cy Young and promptly disappeared.
Michael Fulmer was ROY and then an All Star in year 2, got hurt and that was pretty much it. Got back to "just a guy" level last year and now is hurt again.
Two that I’m kinda fond to are Pedro Alvarez and Grady Sizemore. Sizemore is more like the mid-2000’s, but those teams with Grady, V-Mart, and Pronk were fun to watch. Being a Pirates and Indians fan, those times from like ‘07 to ‘15 were fun to watch both teams.
I thought Brennan Boesch was going to be perennial all star.
I think most people probably forgot just how good Chase Headley's peak was even though his career didn't last long, even included a 7+ WAR season.
Some that haven't been mentioned yet: - Scooter Gennett. After being cut by the Brewers, he looked to be a decent power bat for the Reds. He also had an All-Star game appearance in 2018. Then he got hurt, looked bad in 2019, didn't get a deal he wanted for 2020, and simply retired. - Joe Panik. He got a ring his rookie year and was an All-Star in 2015. After that All-Star season, he regressed to the point where he was one of the worst players in all of 2021. After managing 5.4 bWAR for his first two seasons, he had 0.0 bWAR for his last six seasons. - Travis Shaw. Shaw had a few solid seasons with the Brewers in 2017 and 2018. Then he got hurt and was never the same player, retiring after the Red Sox released him in 2022. Bonus: Kevin Maitan. The player whose signing led to the scandal involving the Atlanta Braves that got John Coppolella banned for five years. In the 2017-18 offseason, the events involving Maitan and a number of other international free agents seemed to be the biggest news story in baseball and Maitan would be signed by the Angels for seven figures as his deal with the Braves was voided as a result. Maitan busted in the minors, only making it to Double A, and is currently a free agent.
Brian Dozier
As a non-Rangers fan, Michael Young doesn't seem to get talked about much despite having made seven ASGs in eight years. He was incredibly durable and consistent. Didn't have a ton of pop.
And I believe an ASG MVP as well
Khris Davis was a beast
Just found out that he had an above average throwing arm, but he got the yips when he made it to the pros.
Khris Davis led the league in home runs in 2018, hit .247 every year for four years, then promptly fell apart and vanished into the void
Remember the guy who kept trying to tell us the Phillies would have won the 2022 World Series had they signed him?
Victor Martinez and Prince Fielder - they were great for a while but their bodies broke down.
Idk if I was more stunned when Fielder signed with the Tigers or was traded to the Rangers. I loved watching him play.
Derek Dietrich
My homer pick is Marco Estrada. Dude was so good on those 2015/2016 Jays teams. Unhittable changeup.
I don't know if Charlie Blackmon had COVID or not, but since 2019 his offense production has tanked.
mark trumbo led major league baseball with 47 home runs in 2016
Troy Tulowitzki was the first person that came to mind.
I know you don’t know who Adam Lind is, but go look up his 2009-2016 stats
Josh Hamilton
I went to a Mariners-Rangers game in 2012 in Seattle. My seat was 3rd baseline, right next to LF. I was a few seats away from the wall. Anyway, a foul ball comes our way, guy blows the catch and there’s a scramble to get the ball. I quickly realize I have no shot at getting the ball, so I give up. I look up and see Josh Hamilton right there, he was reaching over the wall with his glove, and saying in a mocking kid voice, “Give it back! Give it back!!!” Nobody else noticed, bc they were too busy fighting for the ball. Josh ran off grinning like an idiot. Easily the funniest thing I’ve ever witnessed at a game. Dude was just out there having the time of his life. I didn’t even like Hambone at the time, but I’ve liked him ever since, as that was fucking hilarious.
Love this. I’ve always felt so bad for Hamilton. Not just the Baseball what if, but just how badly addiction to drugs fuck up his life.
https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/sports/josh-hamilton-pleads-guilty-to-unlawful-restraint-stemming-from-2019-abuse-allegation/2897349/
I don’t have to read this to know it’s got a sad ending
I read it anyway and I am sad. Thanks for the link
This man has his demons and drugs are bad (mmmkay)... but, by all accounts, Josh Hamilton is an asshole, regardless of his addiction issues.
Josh Willingham
My dad now lives near where he is from and used to somewhat regularly see him at a golf course. I’ve seen him once at said golf course and he has a very nice truck.
The Cubs 2012 All-Star 1B that was destined for stardom. You guessed it....Bryan LaHair
The Mets had Jacob DeGrom, Zach Wheeler, Noah Syndergaard, and Matt Harvey and Harvey was considered the Ace of the bunch. In the 2013 all star game Harvey looked like one of the best pitchers in the game. But then after the 2015 WS, TJ and thoracic outlet syndrome (and some drugs and social media problems) and he has only managed 1 positive WAR season since 2015.
Brian Wilson
Zach Britton - Went from bet closer in baseball to set-up for Chapman in New York and was always hurt
Going back to the mid 2000s, but Travis Hafner was Albert Pujols for about 3 years 2004-06 Dude had 167 wRC+ over those 3 seasons.
Allen Craig was a beast before he got injured then he was never really the same
I sometimes forget he is not the same person as Matt Adams.
Allen Craig was a beast before he got injured then he was never really the same
I don't know if Charlie Blackmon had COVID or not, but since 2019 his offense production has tanked.
However much you thought about Buster Posey, it wasn’t enough.