Why do we love terrible baseball players?

Last Friday, at the suggestion of community member wayback, I asked you all who your Joe Shlabotnik was—that is, who was your favorite terrible player?

Here’s what you guys had to say:

• wayback, who thought up the question, chose Steve Lombardozzi, for what should be somewhat obvious reasons to any Twins fan.
• TwinksFan93 went with a player I never saw coming: Nick Punto. And before you debbie downers bring up Punto’s base running blunder in the 2009 ALDS, TwinsFan93 already had a comeback: "Punto does have to be more aware, and yes it did cost us the potential tying run, but in Punto's defense, he was making an aggressive play on a weirdly hit ball up the middle. Great play by Jeter nothing we can do about it already down two games to none."
• BeefMaster went with an all-time great pick, Denny Hocking. The whole post is great, but I think his love is best summed up here: "All I knew was that Denny Hocking played everywhere on the diamond, and he hit almost .300, and he hustled like crazy, and he was exactly the kind of player I tried to be ten years earlier. On a team that was arguably the most likable I've ever followed, he was far and away my favorite player."
• farm_guy also went with good old LNP, but mentioned Boof Bonser and Denny Hocking as well.
• dwintheiser’s favorite terrible player wass also actually his favorite player: Michael Vaughn ("Mickey") Hatcher
• zkonedog had a trio of favorite terrible players: Brent Gates, Frankie Rodriguez, and Bob Tewksbury. (Yes, these are all real players.)
• gintzer said Joe Mauer.
• bartleyrose didn’t just go with a trio, but five great terrible players: Jim Walewander, Karl Best, Gary Wayne, German Gonzalez, and Charlie Kerfeld.