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Why do we love terrible baseball players?

I asked Twinkie Town last Friday who their favorite not-very-good baseball players were, and why did they love them? Here’s what you guys had to say.

Minnesota Twins v New York Yankees, Game 2
LNP GET MONEY GET PAID!
Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

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.