valentines day crush

by taggartd on Feb 14, 2006 7:03 PM EST

okay, since its valentines day i think it is time for everyone to fess up to which player they have a man crush on. everyone has that favorite player that they always draft or think is better than they actually are without much reason. so i will start you off with mine, for a long time it was darren driefort, drafted the guy every year thinking he would be the second coming of roger clemens.

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Darin Erstad...

Overpaid? Yes.

Underproductive? Yes, as a first baseman or centerfielder.

But his heart, hustle, leadership and stellar defense will always have a place in my heart.

by cronie on Feb 14, 2006 7:25 PM EST reply actions

David Wright

David Wright by far. He's an awesome kid and is going to be a great player.

by zaknim on Feb 14, 2006 7:29 PM EST reply actions

second

by Rob Castellano on Feb 14, 2006 8:15 PM EST up reply actions

i think mine is pretty obvious.....

david wright IS my god.

by DavidWrightismyGod on Feb 14, 2006 10:03 PM EST up reply actions

Yup

Gotta be Wright. Looks like not even the Mets can screw this one up.

by Mr Met @ Minor League Ball on Feb 15, 2006 10:50 AM EST up reply actions

don't tempt fate!

by saying the mets can't screw it up. the next thing you know minaya will trade him for "established veterans" vinny castilla or aaron boone. (first two random old 3b i thought of) if minaya ever trades DWright i will go into a coma from shock and outrage.

by DavidWrightismyGod on Feb 15, 2006 11:03 AM EST up reply actions

psycho

"You just made the list, buddy. Also, I don't like no one touching my stuff. So just keep your meathooks off. If I catch any of you guys in my stuff, I'll kill you. And I don't like nobody touching me. Now any of you homos touch me, and I'll kill ya."

David Wright is mine.

Policeman: Sir, are you classified as human? Korben Dallas: Ah, negative. I am a meat popsicle.

by finman on Feb 15, 2006 3:09 PM EST up reply actions

Billy Wagner

He'll always be an Astro to me. I started following him in his days at Ferrum College and screamed like crazy when the Astros drafted him. While I know it was the best financial move to move him, it still is hard to watch him pitch for another team. I try to get him on my team every year regardless - sometimes overpaying.

by UCFKnights on Feb 14, 2006 7:38 PM EST reply actions

Brian Roberts

He was my sleeper pick last year, in the 9th round, and he carried my team the entire first half.

I love scrappy players like him, and even if he never duplicates his 05 year I'm going to have a hard time resisting the urge to draft and start him.

by BenB on Feb 14, 2006 7:38 PM EST reply actions

miguel cabrera

um, wow.

by jpahk on Feb 14, 2006 7:48 PM EST reply actions

Rafael Belliard

Every year I bank on a come back and the long awaited 3rd career home run.

by aCone419 on Feb 14, 2006 7:48 PM EST reply actions

b.j.upton

i nearly cried when i traded him last year in a deal for derrek lee. good trade, won my division, but it still hurts.

by greg456 @ Minor League Ball on Feb 14, 2006 7:50 PM EST reply actions

ben sheets

his curveball makes my knees tremble and stomach tie up all in knots.

by npurcell on Feb 14, 2006 8:05 PM EST reply actions

Sheets

Definitely my favorite player in baseball right now.

by andy 5 on Feb 14, 2006 11:19 PM EST up reply actions

also...

I loved Gorman Thomas back in the day. Seriously, the guy looked like a bar league softball player.

by andy 5 on Feb 14, 2006 11:20 PM EST up reply actions

Mike Mussina

I thought I could Aherne him but alas, the talent wasn't there.

"Strikeouts are good...groundballs are better. Home runs are okay...but walks SUCK!" Mike Caldwell

by Torncuff on Feb 14, 2006 8:22 PM EST reply actions

Dale Murphy

My childhood idol and still in my opinion one of the best human beings ever to play the game.

by stello12 on Feb 14, 2006 8:42 PM EST reply actions

Miguel Tejada

My worship of him is out of hand.

"Well I believe in the soul..."

by D O on Feb 14, 2006 8:46 PM EST reply actions

Raffy Furcal

The guy's just lightning fast. I still remember the game against the Mets a few years ago when he reached second on a bunt (it rolled by the third baseman and into shallow left) and later stole second on a pitch-out.

He always seemed to ignite that offense.

by cinquad on Feb 14, 2006 8:47 PM EST reply actions

Bagwell

Pretty standard team player. When Alomar was with the Jays it was definately him though.

Rios is the next Juan Gonzales, thats right, I said it.

by KaoticKlown on Feb 14, 2006 9:02 PM EST reply actions

hear hear

I second this. Combined with Biggio.

by lenred on Feb 15, 2006 10:35 AM EST up reply actions

Wil Ledezma

Gotta be Wil Ledezma. I think Ive told people that he's gonna be real good so much I had a dream about it. I just hope someone in the Tigers front office sees it too.

by grozzy on Feb 14, 2006 9:02 PM EST reply actions

jj hardy

hope nobody in my league is reading this

by wily mo on Feb 14, 2006 9:34 PM EST reply actions

Boog Powell

was my childhood favorite - he hit 3 HR in two of the first games I remember going to. I expected to see him 3 HR every game after that.

My first reasoned favorite (as a teenager) was Bobby Grich.

Now I am looking forward to Pedroia as the second coming of Grich :-)
Pedroia just better pay someone to install his air conditioning!

by cdamon @ Minor League Ball on Feb 14, 2006 9:36 PM EST reply actions

Ian Stewart for a prospect

And probably Vlad Gurrero as a mlb player, just watching him hit a pitch 2 inches off the ground 400 ft is amazing

by goalieguy on Feb 14, 2006 9:41 PM EST reply actions

Craig Wilson

The poster child for the Pirates' incompetence with roster and player usage. Time and time again, they have brought in some washed-up bums to keep Wilson on the bench, forcing Pirates' fans to deal with the likes of Randall Simon(twice!) and Raul Mondesi (who were useless), and Matt Stairs and Reggie Sanders (who weren't), and now Jeromy Burnitz. Not only have they done there best to keep him on the bench, they have also repeatedly jerked him from position to position- catcher, 1B, RF, LF. I mean, he's not great no matter where you put him, but if you leave him in one place, he might just become adequate there.

And through all that, Wilson has never once complained, though he would be well within his rights. And from everything I've read, he seems like a really great guy and a good clubhouse presence( Unlike the jerks of the recent past- Kendall, Giles, Sauerbeck, Mike Williams, and of course, Mondesi).

Wilson will probably get traded at some point this year- the Pirates are too cheap to pay a backup ~3-4 million (and too stupid to realize that Wilson is just as good as Burnitz as a starter...)- and I will keep rooting for him wherever he winds up.

by calig23 on Feb 14, 2006 9:54 PM EST reply actions

Nick Adenhart

Mine so far would probably be Nick Adenhart, although that's largely because

he's in the Angels system
the Angels right now don't have a whole lot of quality pitching in the farm
Jered Weaver isn't looking too good at higher levels, not with his tendency to give up home runs.

Maybe Gustavo Espinoza, too. Heck, throw in Dallas McPherson because he got injured and everyone in the universe -- Sickels included -- seems to be assuming Dallas will be gone by 2007 in favor of Brandon Wood at third. I'm not sure I buy it, and the part of me that demands fairness wants him to get at least a full year's worth of play before he's written off as a prospect.

But I'll be flying out to Arkansas to see Brandon play in May some time. So maybe I'm fickle.

The early bird catches the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

by scareduck on Feb 14, 2006 10:12 PM EST reply actions

yeah

adenhart's mine too, out of the minors.

by wily mo on Feb 14, 2006 10:30 PM EST up reply actions

hey rob

i know your a dodger fan too, do you have any dodger favorite prospects or dislike all of them equally :)

by npurcell on Feb 14, 2006 10:33 PM EST up reply actions

Adam Dunn

the Paul Bunyan of baseball. Lord knows I can't quit him.

Hey Bartender! I think ol' Jobu needs a refill!

by nothinlikethetown on Feb 14, 2006 10:17 PM EST reply actions

Dunn is mine too

What would be cool is... Adam Dunn in Colorado.

by RogoRooter on Feb 14, 2006 10:22 PM EST up reply actions

Joe Mauer

He has the most perfect sideburns I've ever seen

by joeywyen @ Minor League Ball on Feb 14, 2006 10:18 PM EST reply actions

"The" Manny

The one and only. Completely wacko. Mismatched uniforms, other players' bats, crashing weddings, staying out late with the sniffles that prevent him from playing, etc, etc, all the while maintaining that steady .300+/40/120. Who cares if he can't field, he's the guy I want on my team. If only I were a Red Sox fan.

by derbosspresident on Feb 14, 2006 10:18 PM EST reply actions

Seconded...

And it's even more entertaining/maddening when you're a Sox fan.

by CrimsonLiederhosen on Feb 14, 2006 10:26 PM EST up reply actions

Amen to that!

by goalieguy on Feb 14, 2006 10:29 PM EST up reply actions

My Man-Crush

Has been Albert Pujols. Love, love, love the Phatman. But he's never let me down.
Trying to think of who I hang onto after being let down...my love seems to turn to hate pretty easily. Like last year with Aaron Rowand. I guess I held onto Brooks Kieshnick for a long time, since he came out of my alma mater. Great college player (until the College World Series against the above-mentioned Driefort). Not so good major leaguer.

by Jihan1 on Feb 14, 2006 11:09 PM EST reply actions

Not a man....

but Zito's curveball

when your ERA has letters and not numbers, it's a bad thing- kevin goldstein

by WakeboardJock @ Minor League Ball on Feb 14, 2006 11:13 PM EST reply actions

Wes Bankston

He's been on my draft lists 3 years in a row, every year I say I'm going to draft him and never do. Every year he falls through. Maybe I will take him this year.

There's just something I like about him, I think he's going to have a really solid ML career.

My all time would be Vlad, I drafted him in 1996 when he was skinnier than Kate Moss and the spotlight was pretty much all on Andruw Jones.

by The Scout on Feb 14, 2006 11:52 PM EST reply actions

I have 3

Wes Bankston: Is finally getting some love from BA, but has been under-rated by many.

Elijah Dukes: He's anger, and has serious problems, but don't say anything bad about him, he's going to be a 30-30 guy:)

Jeff Niemann: Going to be the one of the 5 best pitchers in the league, better than Kazmir, if he can keep his shoulder healthy :prays:

"Chuck Lamar, you're fired"- Stuart Sternburg.

by Tyler on Feb 15, 2006 12:11 AM EST up reply actions

He's angry

that should be angry. I cannot spell.

"Chuck Lamar, you're fired"- Stuart Sternburg.

by Tyler on Feb 15, 2006 12:57 AM EST up reply actions

The best, hands down...

Mario Mendoza!

by El Diablo @ Minor League Ball on Feb 15, 2006 12:26 AM EST reply actions

the guy i always drafted

was todd helton. at one point i had him in six single season leagues...in the same year.

there are two guys now i have gone out of my way to try and get. jason bay and chase utley. trouble is now i'm out of the single season thing for good, and i only have bay in one dynasty league out of three and don't have chase in any of them. curse taking over teams!!!

conversely, there are a couple of guys i could never bring myself to draft, even if they were available. i just couldn't stand having them on my team. randy johnson is one. it makes no sense. he was the best fantasy pitcher around for years, but i wouldn't draft him. carlos beltran is another. i just don't believe the hype. i'd as soon have matt holliday 6 rounds later.

AIM-polyphill

by huckleberry on Feb 15, 2006 12:32 AM EST reply actions

Eric Chavez

Still waiting for him to hit 40 homers and 130 rbi's to carry my team!!!!

www.faketeams.com SportsBlogs' own all-sport fantasy blog. Check it out.

by ohad @ Minor League Ball on Feb 15, 2006 1:11 AM EST reply actions

Kevin Mench

I've drafted him the last couple of years thinking, "THIS is going to be the year he breaks out--.300 30 Homers, 100 RBI." Every year he disappoints.

But he's got the biggest head (hat size) in baseball, and you know that's gotta add to the coolness factor.

by DrunkIrish on Feb 15, 2006 2:08 AM EST reply actions

Brad Radke

every year I tell myself I'm not going to draft him. He isn't a guy who will win 20 games or strikeout 170+ guys again. But then I see the SP's starting to dwindle down to Kenny Rogers and Mark Redman and I'm sitting with only three good starting pitchers and before I know it: You Drafted Brad Radke, Starting Pitcher, Minnesota Twins

by Trenchtown on Feb 15, 2006 6:36 AM EST reply actions

Fun thread

Roy Halladay - something that's ridiculously imposing about that guy on the mound. He's also won me fantasy leagues.

by sasquatch83 on Feb 15, 2006 8:42 AM EST reply actions

Justin Morneau

Last year was a fluke, I tell you. A fluke! I've been following this kid since he hit over .400 in 2000 for the GCL Twins. He's got light tower power and keeps improving on defense. I keep telling people that he'll make us forget Kent Hrbek. Some day I'll get to say, "I told you so." ...some day.

by Jaerbesan on Feb 15, 2006 10:16 AM EST reply actions

Jeter

Who else? He's a tremendous player, always seems to contribute at the right times, and is hated by every Yankee hater and every stathead analyst as much as anyone ever, so what's not to like? :) When you are hated by guys like Rob Neyer and the guys over at BP, I automatically get a soft spot for you...

Of all non-Yankee players, I'd go with Miguel Cabrera. Love the way that kid plays the game... Felix Hernandez is also a guy who I'm going to love to watch for a long time. And, in a strange twist, Jose Reyes is another one of my favs, despite the fact that he is a Met. You can't help but get excited when he's on the basepaths.

by jc3 on Feb 15, 2006 10:43 AM EST reply actions

i don't know that jeter is hated by statheads

whenever i read a column about hating jeter its not that he is a bad player, or that he isn't liked by staheads or any of that. usually its that he is somewhat overrated, in neyer's case he specifically claims he is overrated on defense. most honest "statheads" admit that jeter does some very good things like good obp's and pretty good slugging, etc. i think sentences like, "he always seems to contribute at the right times," is the stuff that gets him hated. because its an amorphous statement that appears to be based on perception. a yankee fan perceives jeter to contribute at the right times. when i think of jeter in situations that could be termed "the right times" i think of times i've seen him make game costing errors, strikeout to end the game, etc. so it just feels like whatever people choose to remember is what gets stated as the truth. sometimes jeter gets a game winning hit, and sometimes he makes the last out to end the game. i don't know his numbers in that situation, but i doubt that they are all that different from his normal averages. anyone happen to know?

by DavidWrightismyGod on Feb 15, 2006 11:12 AM EST up reply actions

Notice

how you are the first one to question a favorite player...

As far as his numbers go, I understand that the numbers don't bear out that he's any better when it counts. But, there are several instances where his plays have made more impact than a number can give you. A couple of examples:

The relay throw to get Timo Perez in Game 1 of the 2000 WS. An absolutely incredible throw, and one that saved the game. I understand that Perez made a mistake not running hard all the way, but it was still an amazing play.
Leadoff HR in Game 4 of the 2000 WS. The Mets won game 3 and were trying to gain momentum in the series. Jeter took the first pitch of the game out of the yard, giving the Yanks back their edge and confidence.
The play in Oakland. I understand if Giambi slid, he probably would have been safe. But, I don't think that anyone has ever seen a more instinctive and impactful play than that one.

Even last year, when the rest of the team was asleep, he was the only one who showed up. He tried to win Game 5 in Anaheim all by himself with the late HR and leadoff single in the 9th, after which he was quickly erased by A-Rod's famous DP.

As a Yankee fan, these are the things that you appreciate about Jeter. Fans of other teams will continue to hate him, and that's fine. No one has made more of an impact on that team except for possibly Mariano Rivera to win 4 WS championships, and that's the point. I never said he was the best player, and at times last year, he was very unclutch. But, he generally does have a special knack, and that cannot be taken away from him, no matter what the raw numbers might say.

by jc3 on Feb 15, 2006 11:36 AM EST up reply actions

di i question him?

no, i didn't. and why should it be noticed? did you take the tone of my post to be negative? it wasn't. i complimented jeter on several things. the main thrust of my post was that jeter seems to be a guy who is perceived differently based on whether you're a fan of his or not, moreso than other players seem to be. that he is a polarizing type of player. i just tried to say why i think he is a polarizing type of player. also, just to be clear, you claim i questioned him as your favorite player. i don't presume to tell people who their fave should be. so no, i didn't question him as your favorite player. if you took it that way, i'm clarifying, thats not what i was saying.

by DavidWrightismyGod on Feb 15, 2006 11:57 AM EST up reply actions

Talented! Soft-spoken! Slightly boring! He's...

Rickie Weeks!

by NedYostCoast2Coast on Feb 15, 2006 11:19 AM EST reply actions

Randy Bush!

I was too young to draft him in Fantasy Leagues, but I always enjoyed it when Bush would play for the Twins in the 80's....

by dbimberg on Feb 15, 2006 11:20 AM EST reply actions

David Ortiz

I've never drafted the guy, but as a Sox fan it's not possible to not love the guy. There were times when he carried the entire team. After the things he did in 2004, David Ortiz will always have a place in my heart.

by Brian38 @ Minor League Ball on Feb 15, 2006 11:58 AM EST reply actions

soft spot for "scrappy second basemen"

As a kid, my favourite thing about baseball was watching Doug Flynn, then a second baseman with the Expos, fielding his position. It seemed like he was always diving to his left, or turning a DP. Now, I recognize that he couldn't hit worth a lick, and might not have had the best range. Other guys include: FP Santangelo and Rex Hudler.

by Mario66 on Feb 15, 2006 11:59 AM EST reply actions

He's en fuego...

It's F.P. Santangelo hello hello!

by DrunkIrish on Feb 15, 2006 1:36 PM EST up reply actions

Tim Wakefield

I just respect the heck out of the guy. He has handled a lot of adversity throughout his career, always believing in himself and his knuckler. He recently signed a contract with a club option that continually rolls over and lets the Red Sox re-sign him as long as they want. And from what I hear, he does a great deal of behind-the-scenes community work. He epitomizes what a role model in baseball should be for the kids.

Besides all that, I love seeing him throw that knuckler. People love to joke about how slow he throws. I can't believe how easily he hits the 70's given his stance. I can barely reach 55mph while falling all over the place; he hits 70 while "pushing" the ball and seeming to barely move at all.

by Bill @ Minor League Ball on Feb 15, 2006 3:41 PM EST reply actions

agreed

From everything I have heard, he is the one player I would most like to move in next door.

People outside of New England probably have not seen the ad, but there is a very funny ad with Wakefield pitching to his next door neighbor...

by cdamon @ Minor League Ball on Feb 15, 2006 4:55 PM EST up reply actions

Funny commercial

I remember it - what the heck was it for though? I just remember the neighbor saying something like "Put it here, Timmay!" and getting hit in the head...

But yes, I've heard that Wakefield is a class-act and decent guy. I have to say that, as good as I felt for the Sox in general when they won, I was extremely happy for Tim Wakefield. Spectres of Boone and all that.

by sasquatch83 on Feb 16, 2006 8:06 AM EST up reply actions