Top 20 MLB ACTIVE Draft Steals

Welcome to another Humm Baby Baseball countdown and today we’ll wrap up my series on MLB Draft Steals by going down the list of my Top 25 MLB Active Draft Steals. This includes only players that are currently active and on a Major League roster and each of these players signed out of a draft in which they were taken in no higher than the 5th round. Players of the past like Mike Piazza, Ozzie Smith and John Smoltz have proven that you don’t have to take a prospect in the first or second round in order to find a future Hall of Famer. That hasn’t changed and today we’ll talk about 20 MLB stars who were all taken very late in the draft. I am ranking these based not just on how good the player is, but also on how late they were taken. The later the pick, the better the steal. A few honorable mentions include..

Honorable Mentions

• Mike Yastrzemski - 14th Round

• Jared Walsh - 39th Round

• Adam Frazier - 6th Round

• Cedric Mullins - 13th Round

• Tommy La Stella - 8th Round

• Matt Moore - 8th Round

• Matt Carpenter - 13th Round

20. Corey Dickerson - 8th Round

First up is Corey Dickerson, who was a massive superstar at Meridian Community College in Mississippi. He hit .459 with 21 bombs during his freshman year. Still, he wasn’t taken until the 8th round by the Rockies in 2010, who had also drafted him in the 29th round out of High School in 2009. Dickerson destroyed Rookie Ball with a .348 average and 13 bombs. He moved quickly through the Minors and found his way into the Rockies lineup by mid-2013. In 2014, he crushed 24 bombs with a .312 batting average and .931 OPS. He was later traded to the Rays where he hit 27 homers in 2017, making the All Star Team. In 2018, he hit .300 for the Pirates and won a Gold Glove. Dickerson recently signed with the Nationals for the 2023 season.

19. Nestor Cortes Jr - 36th Round

Coming in at #17 is a player with a chance to move much higher a list like this in the future, Nestor Cortes Jr. He was not taken until the 36th round in 2013, but absolutely dominated the minor leagues with an 11-4 record and 1.53 ERA in 2016. He continued to pitch well in the minors until, surprisingly, the Yankees left him unprotected and he was taken in the Rule 5 Draft by the Orioles. Luckily for the Yankees, the O’s were not patient with him and after a couple bad outings, they sent him back to New York. He went 5-1 in 2019, then after a stint with the Mariners, came back to the Yankees where he finally had his breakout season in 2022 going 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA and 163 strikeouts, making his first All Star Team. He is currently slated to be in the rotation for the 2023 and could end up being an amazing steal from the 36th round.

18. Ty France - 34th Round

Next up is another player who could be ranked much higher on a list like this in a few years. Ty France was taken all the way down in the 34th round of the 2015 Draft and as of now, is the only player from that round to make the big leagues. France played at San Diego State University and showed some ability by hitting .337 across four seasons. Nevertheless, he wasn’t considered a big prospect and not taken until the 1,017th pick by the Padres. He hit so well in the Minors, the Padres had no choice but to keep moving him up until 2019, when he made Triple A look like T-Ball, hitting .399 with an OPS over 1.200. He hit 27 home runs in just 76 games, forcing the Padres to bring him up to the big leagues. He never got a full opportunity, however, until he joined the Mariners lineup in 2021 and hit .291 with 18 homers. France could go on to become one of the greatest steals of all time, but he is still at the beginning of his big league career.

17. Jordan Romano - 10th Round

Undrafted out of High School, Jordan Romano at first attended Connors State College in Muskogee, Oklahoma, where he 0-1 with an 8.68 ERA, not exactly stellar numbers. The next year, he improved drastically and transferred to Oral Roberts, where he became the closer, saving 11 games with a 2.66 ERA. The Blue Jays took him in the 10th round of the 2014 Draft, paying him a $25,000 signing bonus. The Jays almost lost him when the White Sox took him in the Rule 5 Draft in 2018, but after a trade to the Rangers, he was returned to Toronto. Despite a high ERA in the Triple A, his strikeout stuff was good enough to give him an opportunity and in 2020, Romano broke through with a 1.23 ERA in 15 apperanaces. In ‘21, he became the closer and last season, he made his first All Star Team and saved 36 games with a 2.11 ERA.

16. Blake Treinen - 7th Round

Next up is a player with an amazing story. Blake Treinen retired from baseball for the first time after his freshmen year of High School. He had some weight issues and struggled with borderline Type 2 Diabetes. Treinen worked hard to get in shape and by his Junior year realized he had grown 6 inches and could throw a ball harder than ever. He gave baseball another try and pitched well, but had no scholarship offers. He went to a Junior College called Baker, where he struggled to get playing time. After a transfer to Arkansas, he was told that they don’t hold open tryouts and denied even the opportunity to play ball. Finally, Treinen was given a chance at South Dakota State, where he went 7-3 with a 3.00 ERA. The A’s took him in the 7th round and later traded him to the Nationals. In 2014, Treinen, against all odds, made it to the big leagues and pitched well, with a 2.49 ERA in 15 games. The A’s eventually got their man back in another trade and in 2018, Treinen was one of the best in the game, allowing just 46 hits in 80 innings with a stunning 0.78 ERA. He’s been one of the most effective relievers out of the Dodgers bullpen since 2020 and an absolutely incredible steal from the 7th Round.

15. Max Muncy -5th Round

Max Muncy had a nice career at Baylor where he hit .311 with 27 homers. It wasn’t enough to get him very high in the draft however, as he wasn’t taken until the 5th round when the Oakland A’s took him as the 169th overall pick. He hit 25 homers with 100 RBIs during his first full minor league season and became a prospect to keep an eye on for Oakland. Unfortunately, he didn’t hit well with the big league club during two stints in 2015 and 2016, looking like the dreaded Quadruple-A Player. The A’s released him during the end of Spring Training in 2017. He signed a Minor League deal with the Dodgers, earned another shot in the big leagues by 2018 and from there, became one of the premiere power hitters in the game, crushing 35 home runs in ‘18 and 35 again in ‘19. He has made two All Star Teams and already has 144 big league home runs.

14. Brandon Belt - 5th Round

Coming in at #14 is the Captain, Brandon Belt, who was taken in the 5th round of the 2009 Draft out of Texas. He was quickly a mid-season All Star with the High A San Jose Giants. He blasted through the minors all the way to Triple A in his first season, ending the year with a .352 average and 23 home runs across all levels. He was quickly considered a top prospect for the Giants and made his MLB debut in 2011. By 2012 he was a regular and helped the Giants win their second World Series in 3 years. Of course, he was also part of the 2014 World Championship team as well and hit one of the most dramatic homers in Giants history in the NLDS in Washington D.C. with this tie-breaking bomb in the 18th inning. He ended up spending 12 years with the Giants, getting on base consistently while playing phenomenal defense at first base. In 2021, he crushed 29 home runs and helped the Giants win a franchise record 107 games. For the 2023 season, he has signed with the Blue Jays.

13. Chris Bassitt - 16th Round

Up next on the list is a pitcher named Chris Bassitt, who had a 1.62 ERA as a reliever during his Junior year at the University of Akron. He wasn’t taken until the 16th round by the Chicago White Sox. His excellence continued in the Minor Leagues and the organization converted him to a starter. Bassitt made his big league debut in 2014. After that season, the Sox sent him to the A’s along with Marcus Semien, who we may be discussing soon as well. Bassitt went on to be an All Star in Oakland. In 2020, he had a 2.59 ERA. In 2022, Bassitt went 15-9 for the Mets, helping them win over 100 games. After the season, he signed a 3-year, $63 million contract with the Blue Jays. Not bad for a 16th Round Pick.

12. Jake Cronenworth - 7th Round

Just cracking the Top 10 is Jake Cronenworth, who is still very early in his career. He played for the Michigan Wolverines, hitting .338 in his final year with 6 homers. The Tampa Bay Rays took him but not until the 7th round. He hit extremely well for five years in the Rays organization, but before he could make his big league debut, he was traded to the Padres. The Padres thanked the Rays for developing him for them, put him right in their lineup and let him rake as he hit .285 his rookie year, finishing second in the Rookie of the Year voting. The next season, in 2021, he made his first All Star Team and found his power stroke, crushing 21 homers. He made the All Star Team again in 2022 and drove in a career high 88 runs. He also hit well in the postseason for San Diego and is already a definite great steal as a 7th round pick even though the Rays never took advantage.

11. Brandon Woodruff - 11th Round

Coming up next is pitcher Brandon Woodruff, who was a solid prospect out of High School and was as originally taken in the 5th round by the Rangers but did not sign. His stock fell a bit after struggling at Mississippi State with a 6.75 ERA his Junior Year. The Brewers took him in the 11th round. In 2016, he went 14-9 with a 2.68 between Single and Double-A, becoming a serious pitching prospect for Milwaukee. The next year, he made his big league debut. By 2019, he worked his way to the top of the Brewers rotation, making the All Star Team and going 11-3 with a 3.62 ERA. He made another All Star Team in 2021 and then, in 2022, went 13-4 with a 3.02 ERA. He, along with Corbin Burnes, has become one of the most solid 1-2 punches at the top of a rotation in the game. Burns, by the way, was also a nice steal from the 4th round, but this list is only considering those taken in the 5th and lower.

10. Kyle Hendricks - 8th Round

Next up, we have The Professor, Kyle Hendricks, who was a solid pitcher for the Dartmouth Big Green. He was not considered a huge prospect and not taken until the 8th round by the Texas Rangers. Shortly after his pro career began, the Rangers traded him to the Cubs as part of a trade that sent Ryan Dempster to the Rangers. He quickly turned heads in the Cubs organization, going 13-4 with an even 2 ERA between Double and Triple A. He was promoted to the big leagues the next season and had a stellar rookie year, going 7-2 with a 2.46 ERA. In 2016, he was one of the best in the league, going 16-8 with a 2.13 ERA, then continued to dominate during the postseason, helping the Cubs win their first World Series since Teddy Roosevelt was president. Although he hasn’t repeated his 2016 season, Hendricks has continued to be a staple in the Cubs rotation and is still on their roster for the 2023 season.

9. Joc Pederson - 11th Round

Coming in at #9 is a fantastic steal in the 11st round, taken out of Palo Alto High School, Joc Pederson. He hit extremely well in the minors and after the 2013 season in which he hit 22 home runs, Joc was ranked as the #1 Dodgers Prospect by Baseball America. He became a full time big leaguer in 2015 and made the All Star Team, finishing the season with 26 bombs. His best season came in 2019 when he crushed 36 home runs. He came through for the Dodgers in 2020 and then the Braves in 2021 with some key postseason home runs, helping each team win a World Series. He smashed over 20 home runs again in 2022 for the Giants and now has a 171 career homers as an 11th Round Pick.

8. Marcus Semien - 6th Round

Next up is a huge star in the game named Marcus Semien, who played college ball at Cal. He was a solid prospect, but after hitting .275 his Junior year, his stock dropped a bit and he fell all the way to the 6th round. It was the White Sox who took him and he moved quickly through the minors, earning a promotion in just his third season. In 2014, he got an extended shot in Chicago but hit just .234 with 6 homers in 64 games. It was after this season when the White Sox packaged him up with Chris Bassitt and a couple others to send to Oakland for Jeff Samardzija and Michael Ynoa. The Sox got some value from these players but they certainly lost the trade. Semien became an everyday player in Oakland and crushed 27 homers in 2016. He was an MVP candidate in 2019 when he hit .285 with 33 homers. He has only missed about 8 games in the past 4 years. Before the 2022 season, he signed a 7-year deal worth $175 million with the Rangers.

7. Jeff McNeil - 12th Round

Next up is Squirrel, Jeff McNeil, who didn’t even play baseball during his Senior year at high school because he was focused on golf. He eventually returned to baseball at CSU Long Beach and hit .348 his Junior Year. The Mets took notice and drafted McNeil but not until the 12th round. His hitting ability and incredible speed were immediately noticeable in the minors as he hit .292 in A Ball with 17 steals. The next year, 2015, he hit .308 and was slowly climbing the Mets Top Prospects List. Still, he wasn’t promoted until 2018 as he was tearing up Triple-A with Las Vegas. With New York, he hit .329, finishing 6th for the Rook of the Year. The next year, his bat exploded with 23 bombs and a .318 average. He also made the All Star Team. He led the league with a .326 batting average last year and recently signed a lucrative extension with the Mets. He was an absolutely fantastic steal for the Mets in the 12th Round.

6. Robbie Ray -12th Round

Ray was an elite High School pitcher in the Nasvhille area who went 7-1 with 0.95 ERA during his Senior Year. He was planning to play at Arkansas when the Washington Nationals drafted him 12th round and offered a signing bonus of nearly $800,000, an amount usually allocated for fourth round picks. It was an offer he couldn’t refuse and Ray entered the Minor Leagues. Unlike many players on this list, the minors weren’t always easy for Ray and he struggled in High A, going 4-12 with a 6.56 ERA. The Nationals stuck with him, though, and by 2013 he had completely turned his career around, drastically improving his strikeout stuff and going 11-5 with a 3.36 ERA. With his improved value, the Nats traded him to Detroit, and Ray made his big leauge debut in 2014. He was later traded to the Diamondbacks and after two rough seasons, everything came together in 2017 when he went 15-5 and made the All Star Team. With the Blue Jays in 2021, Ray was one of the best in the game, striking out a league leading 248 batters and taking home the Cy Young Award. In November of 2021, he signed a 5 year, $115 million contract with the Seattle Mariners.

5. Mookie Betts - 5th Round

Although the next player wasn’t taken too insultingly low, I still have to put him very high on the list because Mookie Betts went from a 5th round pick to an American League MVP. He was a fantastic High School athlete and hit .548 with 24 steals his Junior Year. However, he committed to attend Tennessee on a scholarship, which certainly hurt his draft stock. He was taken in the 5th round but offered a $750,000 bonus. He signed with the Red Sox and went on to dominate the minors, hitting .346 in 2014 between Double and Triple A, earning a call up to the big leagues. From there, the rest is history as Betts became one of the greatest players in the game, making the All Star Team every year, winning Gold Glove after Gold Glove and even taking home the MVP in 2018. He helped the Red Sox win a World Series then did the same for the Dodgers in 2020. In his first 9 years, he already has 213 home runs, 6 Gold Gloves, an MVP and a batting title.

4. Josh Hader -19th Round

Moving into the top 3, we have Josh Hader, who makes it this high because he was taken all the way down in the 19th round. Hader went 10-0 with 0.3 ERA in High School, but at that time had a fastball in the mid-80’s. The Orioles took him as the 582nd overall pick and he is just one of the three players from his round to make the big leagues. Hader adjusted his workout routine and increased his velocity dramatically in the Minors. He had a 2.77 ERA in 2013 and made the Single A All Star Team. After the season, he was traded to Houston and continued to pitch well in their system as a starter. In 2016, he was traded to the Brewers and continued to start games in the Minors. However, after he was promoted in 2017, he pitched so well out of the bullpen that Hader became a reliever and won the Reliever of the Year award in 2018 despite not yet being a full time closer. He took over the closer role for good in 2019 and became one of the most dominant in the game. In 2021, he reached 400 strikeouts faster than any pitcher in history innings-wise. He’s already made four All Star Teams and has 131 career saves. He was traded to the Padres in 2022 and after some early struggles, pitched well for them during the postseason.

3. Jacob Degrom - 9th Round

Incredibly, one of the greatest pitchers of his generation was not even selected out of High School and was exclusively a shortstop throughout his first two college seasons. I’m talking about Jacob Degrom, who wasn’t drafted until the 10th Round of the 2010 Draft by the New York Mets. Early in his Minor League career, he had to undergo Tommy John surgery, but came back strong in 2012, going 9-3 with a 2.43 ERA in A Ball. In 2013 The Mets added him to their 40-man Roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. He made his Major League Debut in 2014 and in 22 starts had a 2.69 ERA with 144 strikeouts in 140 innings. DeGrom took home the Rookie of the Year award and went on to become one of MLB’s premiere starters, winning back to back Cy Young awards in 2018 and 2019. He’s made four All Star teams and recently signed a 5-year $185 million deal with the Texas Rangers.

2. J.D. Martinez - 20th Round

Just missing out on #1 is J.D. Martinez, who gets this high not only because he is a 5-time All Star with nearly 300 career home runs, but because he was taken shockingly in the 20th round. He played college baseball at Nova Southeastern University, where he set the school home run record with 32. He was an RBI machine who hit .394 and absolutely should have gone higher in the draft. However, because he went to a Division II school, he wasn’t considered too hot of a prospect and wasn’t taken until the 20th round when he was selected by the Houston Astros. He tore up the minor leagues, hitting well over .330 at each level, until the Astros promoted him in 2011. Unfortunately, he bounced back and forth between the minors and big leagues for the next 3 years until the Astros released him just as he was ready to hit his stride in 2014. He signed with the Tigers and hit .315 with 23 home runs. From there, he only got better, hitting 38 bombs the next season and becoming an All Star. He had his best years, however, in Boston and was instrumental in 2018, hitting 43 bombs with 130 RBIs, leading the team to a World Series ring. He recently signed a $10 million deal to play for the Dodgers in 2023.

1. Paul Goldschmidt - 8th Round

Coming in at #1 on my list of the Top 20 Active MLB Steals is an 8th Round selection named Paul Goldschmidt. He played college ball at Texas State and set Bobcat career records with 36 home runs and 179 RBIs. Still, he wasn’t taken until the 8th round of the ‘09 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Minor Leagues were child’s play for Goldschmidt who crushed 35 home runs in High A with a .314 average. The next year, he had 30 homers in Double-A when the D-Backs promoted him. From there, he became an MLB superstar, making 6 straight All Star teams and twice finishing runner-up for the MVP in Arizona. He hit 36 homers and drove in 125 runs in 2013 and helped the Diamondbacks make the postseason twice. He was later traded to St. Louis, where he won the 2022 MVP award after hitting .317 with 35 bombs. Goldschmidt is one of the best in the game and was a superb steal for the D-backs in the 8th round.

Top 10 MLB BRUTAL & Memorable FIGHTS & BRAWLS...

Baseball is and always has been a relatively clean sport, with the only contact between players occurring through light tags and the occasional collision at home plate. However, every year, there’s always a few bench-clearing brawls which often begin with a good old one-one-one fight. Even though there have been hundreds, maybe thousands, of bench clearing incidents, there’s a few that have become ingrained in the baseball fan’s memory.

#10 Brawls Will Not Be Tolerated

The first fight on the list comes from the pandemic shortened 2020 season, in which MLB stressed how important social distancing was and that no brawls would tolerated. But the fight had to go on. It happened in a game in Oakland between the Astros when pitcher Humberto Castellanos accidentally hit A’s outfielder Ramon Laureano with a breaking ball that didn’t break. Laureano, who had already been hit twice in the series, was visibly frustrated and let Castellanos know he needed to break that pitch off better. He had no intention of starting a fight at this point. Then, Astros coach Alex Cintron provoked A’s outfielder Ramon Laureano into charging the dugout, and he obliged.

Laureano never got to Cintron so the one on one fight didn’t happen, but it caused a bench-clearing brawl in the midst of the 2020 season, which infuriated MLB. In the aftermath of the incident, Cintron was suspended 20 games and given a large fine while Laureano was suspended 6 games. Laureano said he had no interest in starting a fight until Cintron said something derogatory about his mother.

#9 Bryce Harper vs Hunter Strickland

Coming in at #10 is a 2017 fight whose roots go all the way back to the 2014 NLDS. It was during Game 2 when Harper hit a home run off Strickland in a game that the Giants went on to win. In Game 4, he hit another bomb off Strickland and didn’t run right away, probably because he wasn’t sure if if was fair or foul. The Giants ended up winning that game as well. In fact, they won the NLDS and eventually the World Series. Surely, by the time these two faced each other again 3 years later, those home runs were a distant memory. Apparently, not for Strickland.

Strickland threw a 98 MPH right at Harper’s hip, causing Harper to charge the mound. There was no tension between the teams and this really was in retribution for a the NLDS home runs 3 years prior. Notice how Buster Posey barely reacts, probably because the whole thing is so ridiculous and not worth getting hurt over. During the brawl, Michael Morse suffered a concussion and never played again. Years later, Harper said there was no ill-will and he appreciated that Strickland didn’t try to aim for his head; he just wanted a fight – and he got one.

#8 F*** You

During the 2004 season, tensions between the Yankees and Red Sox were extremely high as they faced off at Fenway park in July. These teams had recently been involved in a postseason 2003 brawl that will appear a bit later on this list. The Yankees were in first place and the Red Sox in second, looking for a big spark in the second half. Perhaps they found that spark when Alex Rodriguez was hit by a Bronson Arroyo pitch and was not happy. I’m no professional lip-reader but I think we can all make out what he is saying here. Catcher Jason Varitek had some choice words for A-Rod and here’s what happened next.

It wasn’t a fair fight at first as Varitek kept his mask on for a while . Meanwhile, Tanyon Sturtze faced off against current Giants manager Gabe Kapler. Trot Nixon jumped in and got involved as well. Some other big names involved in the action included Curt Schilling and David Ortiz. When the smoke cleared, Strutze was seen bleeding from the forehead. It was an insane brawl and the Red Sox went on to win the game in walkoff fashion. They got hot from there and eventually went on to beat the Yankees in the ALCS despite being down 3 games to none and of course broke the Curse of the Bambino, winning their first World Series since 1918. Rodriguez and Varitek were suspended 4 games each and fined $2,000 while Kapler and Sturtze were suspended three games each and handed $1,000 fines.

#7 Benitez vs. Martinez

On May 19th, 1998, the New York Yankees were taking on the last place Baltimore Orioles. Before the game even started, the umpiring crew got word that something might be brewing and to be ready. However, by the 8th inning, the O’s were up by 3 and everything seemed normal. That is, until Armando Benitez allowed a 3-run home run by Bernie Williams to tie the game. Benitez, known for his hot temper, threw the next pitch at 98 miles per hour up directly at Tino Martinez. Benitez dropped his glove, put his hands up and basically dared the Yankee dugout to come on out. They did.

For a moment it looked like it would be just another bench clearing incident but when the Yankee bullpen arrived at the scene, it was on as they immediately started to throw down with Benitez. This started a chain reaction and before long, it was an all-out brawl. A young Joe Giardi was involved as was the powerful Darryl Strawberry. The fight went deep into the dugout and created a wild scene so out of control the umpires just backed off, knowing there was nothing they could do about it. Eventually, order was restored, but in the aftermath, Benitez was suspended for 8 games. “It was one of the worst brawls I have ever been in,” said umpire Drew Coble. “At one time, it was from dugout to dugout.”

#6 The Batflip Heard Round The World

It was the 2015 American League Division Series and the Toronto Blue Jays were in the playoffs for the first time since they won it all back in 1993, facing the Texas Rangers. The best of 5 series was tied at 2 games a piece in the 7th inning of a tie-game when Jose Bautista connected with an massive 3-run bomb and unleashed one of the greatest bat flips of all time. The batflip angered many of the Rangers players, including Roghned Odor, but there was not much they could do it about it at that time. Fast-forward to May of the 2016 season, when the two teams faced off. The Rangers had not forgotten the bat-flip, and Matt Bush hit Bausita with a pitch. He took first without incident, but when Bausista slid in extra hard and late into Odor at second base, it was on.

Odor landed one of the most solid punches thrown in MLB history, caught perfectly on a high definition recording. Eight players were suspended and 14 ejected. Odor was suspended for 8 games, eventually reduced to 7 games and Bautista was suspended for one game.

#5 Pedro vs Zimmer

Coming in at #4 is one of the most insane moments in MLB history – and yes, I do have a ranking of those moments as well, and this one made the list. It was a series between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees and ghings started to heat up when an up and in pitch thrown by Pedro Martinez hit Karim Garcia in the 4th inning. A few minutes later, Garcia slid hard into second which resulted in a shoving match and emptying of dugouts. Later, Roger Clemens threw up and in to Manny Ramirez, although honestly if you look at the replay, the pitch wasn’t overly aggressive. It was slightly up and slightly in, but Ramirez took offense anyway and started this all-time brawl in which 72-Year old Yankee coach Don Zimmer wanted a piece of Pedro and went straight for him. Martinez sidestepped, grabbed Zimmer’s head and threw him to the ground. It was an incredible and horrifying scene to watch an active young MLB player throw an old man to the ground. Of course, Zimmer was the one who charged Martinez and is lucky Martinez didn’t seriously hurt him. Martinez later said it was the lowest moment of his career. To make matters more insane, a few innings later, Yankee pitcher Jeff Nelson got into a fight with a Fenway Park employee in the bullpen and Karim Garcia hopped in to assist him. This was an all-time insane moment and one of the most memorable fights in MLB history.

#4 Ruth’s Yankees vs. Cobb’s Tigers

There was a time when the Yankees and Tigers had a bit of a rivalry going on, mainly because the Yankees had Babe Ruth and the Tigers had Ty Cobb, the two biggest stars of the game. However, they were two very different types of players. Ruth was a pure power hitter, who believed in swinging as hard as you can every time, always going for the fences. This disturbed Cobb, who believed it was a brute way to approach the game. He believed in doing what was best for the moment – whether that be a walk, single or extra-base it. He considered himself an artist with the bat, not a monster like Ruth. This was a the main fuel for a feud between the two that reached a climax during a game between the two teams on June 13th, 1924 in Detroit. At this point in time, Ty Cobb was both a player and manager. Tensions were high throughout the game as both dugouts hurled insults at the other team.

In the 9th inning, Babe Ruth led off. The first pitch from Bert Cole was up near his head. Both the second and third pitches also narrowly missed him. Ruth pointed towards Cobb in centerfield and started yelling at him before eventually popping out. The first pitch to the next batter, Bob Meusel, hit him in the ribs. He slammed down his bat and charged the mound. Both dugouts emptied and fists were flying everywhere as the umpires tried to restore order. Just as things began to calm down, Ruth heard an insult from the Tigers dugout and charged. More fights broke out from there and fans began to rush the field to get involved as well. One fan engaged in a fight with an umpire. The ump knocked him out with one solid roundhouse punch. The fighting went on for about 25 minutes until police finally arrived. The game was never resumed. Bert Cole and Bob Meusel were suspended while Ruth was fined. Ruth and Cobb may have never squared off directly during the fight, but the tensions between the two players was a large factor in this insane brawl taking place that day in Detroit.

#3 Marichal vs. Roseboro

Coming in at #3 is the probably the ugliest and most disturbing brawl in MLB history. It happened at Candlestick Park on August 22nd, 1965. The Giants and Dodgers were in a pennant race and emotions were running hot, but no one could have predicted what what happen as pitcher Juan Marichal stepped up the plate. After the second pitch, a ball low and away, Dodgers catcher John Roseboro threw the ball back to the pitcher faster than usual, right by Marichal’s ear. Marichal confronted the catcher, they exchanged a few words, then things quickly got out of control and in an unprecedented move, Juan Marichal began to hit Roseboro with his bat. He got in at least one strong blow to the head before umpire Shag Crawford, along with Sandy Koufax and others were able to stop Marichal and pry his bat away. Meanwhile, a brawl broke out as Roseboro bled from a 2-inch gash on his head. That didn’t stop Roseboro from trying to get back at Marichal, but Willie Mays stopped him and tended to his head. Mays was later credited with keeping the brawl from becoming an all out riot. Roseboro eventually needed 14 stitches. Years later, he admitted to intentionally throwing close to Marichal’s head because Marichal had been brushing back so many Dodger hitters. After the brawl, Marichal was suspended 8 games and fined $1,750. Roseboro missed 3 games, but made a fully recovery, although later he sued Marichal, eventually settling for $7,500. Years later, the two became friends and appeared in old timers games and golf tournaments together.

#2 San Diego vs Atlanta

Coming in at #2 was not just a single brawl, but one of the most wild sequences of brawls and fights between two teams in MLB history. The troubles started on August 11th, 1984 when the Padres infielder Alan Wiggins kept trying to bunt for a base hit. Pascual Perez had seen enough and began yelling at Wiggins to swing the bat. Some yelling took place but no brawls. Still, tensions were already in the air when the final game in the series took place on August 12th. Perez faced Wiggins and sure enough beaned him. Words were exchanged but benches did not empty. That is, until Perez came to the plate and Padres pitcher Ed Whitson tried to hit him. Benches cleared, but no punches were thrown. In the 4th, they tried to hit Perez again and failed, resulting in the ejection of Whitson and Padres manager Dick Williams. In the 6th, it was reliever Greg Booker’s turn to try and hit Perez. He missed and was ejected along with the second Padres manager of the evening, Ozzie Virgil Sr. Finally, in the 8th, Craig Lefferts succeeded in beaning Perez, which led to a bench-clearing brawl. The third Padres manager, Jack Krol, was ejected along with Lefferts and multiple other players. Multiple punches were thrown and the scene got so wild, it looked like the game might be forfeited. Instead, it was eventually resumed, but Donnie Moore hit Graig Nettles in the 9th and the fight resumed. Braves Manager Joe Torre, who almost made it through the game, was ejected as were several more players including Tim Flannery and Goose Gossage. One Padres player, Kurt Bevacqua, was hit by a beercan from the seats and charged the crowd. A total of 17 players, managers and coaches had been ejected at this point and, amazingly, Pascual Perez and Alan Willgins never were. Five fans were also taken away in handcuffs. Incredibly, the game once again continued and the Braves eventually won. Padres manager Dick Williams was suspended 10 games and fined $10,000 while Joe Torre missed 3 games and was fined $1,000. After the game, the umpiring crew chief John McSherry said, “I’ve never seen violence like that. It’s a miracle somebody didn’t get seriously hurt. It took baseball down 50 years. It was the worst thing I have ever seen in my life. It was pathetic, absolutely pathetic.”

#1 Don’t Mess With Texas

Coming in at #1 on my list of the top 10 MLB fights of all time has to be one of the most iconic images in MLB history. It occurred on August 4th, 1993, in a game between the Rangers and White Sox. Tensions had been high between the two rivals all season long. But soon, things would go beyond trash talking. In this particular game, Robin Ventura had already driven in a run to give the White Sox a 1-0 lead. A bit later, White Sox pitcher Alex Fernandez hit Juan Gonzalez with a pitch. Then, Robin Ventura stepped up to the plate against Nolan Ryan and sure enough, the retribution pitch came up and in and hit Ventura on the back. At first, it looked like he was going to just take his base. Then, he charged Ryan – a bad idea.

Ryan landed 6 good blows to Ventura’s face before Ivan Rodriguez was able to break them up. Benches cleared the brawl was on, but regardless of what would happen after benches cleared, the iconic moment of the day was set in stone when Ryan had Ventura in a headlock and landed punch after punch after punch. T-shirts are still available to this day. Ventura and White Sox manager Gene Lamont were ejected, but surprisingly, Nolan Ryan was allowed to continue. The reason was that he never left the mound and only defended himself when the attacker arrived. Also, perhaps the umpires didn’t want to find out what would happen if they did try to eject him.

And that does it for today’s list of 10 of the greatest fights in MLB history. Let me know any others that I missed as there have been many classic brawls and fights that have occurred over the course of MLB history. Thank you so much for checking out today’s video; please hit the subscribe and thumbs up button. Have a wonderful day and we’ll talk to you in the next one.

Top 10 Most BIZARRE And WACKY MLB Moments

They say you see something new in every baseball game. With 162 games per year from each MLB team, it’s no surprise that there have no shortage of amazing and unforgettable moments, incredible comebacks and epic collapses. There have also been some weird, wacky and wild moments as well and in today’s video, we’ll be counting down 10 of the wackiest most insane moments in MLB history – one in a million moments that will likely never be repeated again. So, without further ado, let’s get into the list..

#10 J.T. Saves The Day

It was Game 5 of the 2002 World Series, the biggest stage in baseball, between the San Francisco Giants and Anaheim Angels. The Giants had 2 men on in the 7th when Kenny Lofton roped an extra base hit into right field. That’s when the Giants tiny batboy, 3 year old Darren Baker, the son of manager Dusty Baker, was a little too eager to run out and collect Lofton’s bat, the bat of his favorite player. As J.T. Snow scored, he saw the little boy wandering around the danger zone with another runner coming in hot behind him and the catcher ready to receive the throw. In one fell swoop, he snagged Darren and carried him to safety. It was an incredible scene and J.T. Snow, despite hitting over .400 and having a great postseason and career, is still remembered largely for being the hero that day. Darren Baker went on to play college ball at Cal and was drafted by the Washington Nationals. He hit .290 in Double-A in 2022.

#9 Attack of the Bugs

It was the 2007 playoffs – more specifically the ALDS – and the weather was unusually warm for an October evening in Cleveland, Ohio. The Yankees were hanging on to a 1-0 lead in the 7th inning when set-up man Joba Chamberlain entered the game to set things up for the Mariano Rivera. Chamberlain had a 0.38 ERA and 12.8 per 9 strikeout ratio that season. He was practically unhittable. He finished off the 7th inning without an issue. “We were dead in the water,” said one Indians player. Then, when Chamberlain took the mound in the 8th, the bugs attacked. The weather and stadium lights attracted an army of midges, small mosquito-like flies, who converged onto the pitching mound precisely during the top of the 8th inning. One Yankees player said,

“I just remember Joba grabbing the back of his neck to wipe off sweat and his hand was black, full of bugs.”

It was impossible for Chamberlain to focus as the bugs completely engulfed him. A walk and two wild pitches later, he gave up the tying run. He was visibly shaken and frustrated as the bugs continued to wreak havoc throughout his entire appearance. Then, the Yankees came up to bat and it was the Indians turn to deal with the bugs – or was it? In the bottom of the 8th, the bugs, who being from the area were obviously Indians fans, had disappeared. Thanks to the midges, the Indians won the game and the series.

#8 The Big Unit vs The Bird

Next up, we have an absolute one in a billion moment I still can’t believe actually happened. It’s only ranked this low because it happened in Spring Training. We all know the story. The premiere pitcher in the game, current Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, was pitching against Giants prospect Calvin Murray in Spring Training. Somehow, a bird happened to fly right through the path of a 95 mile per hour fastball, resulting in the tragic end to the poor bird’s life in an explosion of feathers. In all the years I’ve watched baseball, I’ve never noticed a bird happen to fly right in between the batter and the pitcher. If a bird did happen to fly through that zone, the odds of the baseball thrown by a pitcher and the bird being in the exact same place at the exact same time have to be beyond astronomical. Add to that the fact that it was Randy Johnson who threw the pitch and this incident becomes simply unbelievable. If this happened in a movie instead, I would instantly laugh it off and call the writers out for how unrealistic the scene was, explaining that such a thing would never – could never actually happen. I still can’t believe it actually did.

#7 A 3’7” Pinch Hitter

In 1951, former owner of the Cleveland Indians Bill Veeck purchased the St. Louis Browns and came up with some wild innovations and publicity stunts to compete with the St. Louis Cardinals, the better and more popular team at the time. By far, his most famous decision, was to sign Eddie Gaedel, a 3’7” 60 lb professional performer Veeck found through a booking agency. He was issued a uniform with the number 1/8 and popped out of a paper-mache cake in between games of a doubleheader to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the American League. It was seen at first as one of Veeck’s more mild stunts and the sponsor of the promotion was disappointed. Little did they know what was going to happen in the second game of the Doubleheader. In the bottom of the 1st inning, Browns manager Zack Taylor sent up the little man to pinch hit. He had been added to the active roster, and the umpires had no choice but to let him hit. Even the Browns players had no idea Gaedel would actually play in the game. Pitcher Bob Cain laughed at the absurdity of the situation and the catcher had to catch from his knees. Gaedel walked on four pitchers and bowed to the crowd on his way to first in one of the wildest scenes in MLB history. The A.L President voided the contract the next day because Veeck was making a mockery of the game.

#6 Down Goes Zimmer

It was during the 2003 ALCS between the Yankees and Red Sox when all hell broke lose in Boston. Tempers flaring between teams is nothing new – nor is an all out brawl. However, the scene here was certainly more bizarre than normal. Things started to heat up when an up and in pitch thrown by Pedro Martinez hit Karim Garcia in the 4th inning. A few minutes later, Garcia slid hard into second which resulted in a shoving match and emptying of dugouts. Later, when Roger Clemens threw up and in to Manny Ramirez, it was on like Donkey Kong. 72-Year old Yankee coach Don Zimmer, who momentarily forgot his age, wanted a piece of Pedro and went straight for him. Martinez sidestepped, grabbed Zimmer’s head and threw him to the ground. To make matters more insane, a few innings later, Yankee pitcher Jeff Nelson got into a fight with a Fenway Park employee in the bullpen and Karim Garcia hopped in to assist him.

#5 Pyscho

It was the 2000 World Series, known as the Subway Series, between the New York Mets and New York Yankees. The rivalry was fierce and there had been massive tensions throughout the season between the two teams. There was an especially tense situation occurring between Roger Clemens and Mike Piazza. Piazza had homered in three consecutive at bats against Clemens until their 4th meeting, earlier that season, when Clemens hit Piazza in the head with a fastball, causing him to miss the All Star Game. Every one was eager to see this match-up. What if Clemens hits him again? Would Piazza charge the mound? Or maybe it would be settled on the field – with a big strikeout or another long home run. With all the speculation, no one, and I mean no one, could have predicted what actually went down. Clemens jammed Piazza, causing him to break his bat. What happened next is still inexplicable. Clemens hurled the barrel of the bat, which has now turned into a sharp and dangerous weapon, towards Piazza. What was he possibly thinking? Did he think Mike Piazza intentionally broke his bat and made sure the barrel flew towards him? Well, that would make him the greatest hitter to ever live and is obviously not what happened. Later, Clemens claimed he thought it was the baseball, which makes absolutely zero sense. Even if we took the massive and impossible leap to believe that he couldn’t tell the difference between a baseball and a bat, if he thought it was the ball, he would’ve thrown it towards first base, not angrily towards Piazza. Benches emptied but there was no brawl, as most players were probably completely confused and shocked. Clemens wasn’t even thrown out of the game – probably because no one could believe what they just saw. Just think about how often the barrel of the bat ends up in the pitcher’s hand – it’s extremely rare. How did that exact event happen with these two players at that exact moment in time – their first meeting since the beaning and it was in the World Series. And then, the Clemens actually throws the thing at Piazza. I still can’t believe it.

#4 Two Batters At One Time

This is a screen shot from a game between the Cardinals and Cubs that was played on September 22, 1974. How did this happen? It was a 5-5 game in the Top of the 9th inning and “The Mad Hungarian” Al Hrabowski was on the mound. Hrawbowski was famous for an extended ritual he performed in which he turned his back to home plate, forcing the batter to wait out the ritual. The Cubs were not in the mood on this day and Gary Madlock decided to make Hrabowski wait for him instead, walking away from the batter’s box to add some pine tar to the bat. The umpire, Shag Crawford, ordered Madlock to return to the box. When he didn’t hear him or didn’t comply, Crawford started calling strikes with no one in the batter’s box, which brought out Cubs manager Jim Marshall to argue. The hitter on-deck, Jose Cardenal, got into the argument as well and at one point, had ventured near home plate, when Crawford continued to call strikes. Cardenal instinctively jumped into the batters box to hit around the same time that Madlock ran up and tried to jump in to hit as well, creating an insanely bizarre scenario in which two hitters were in the batter’s box at the same time. Even the announcer literally said on the air that this is some wild shit. Things didn’t end there as an all-out brawl broke out between the two teams, Cardinals player Ted Simmons punched Madlock and Cubs player Andre Thornton suffered a finger injury that ended his season. Order was eventually restored, but it may be the only time in MLB history where two batters were ready to take a swing at the exact same time.

#3 Disco Demolition Night

In 1979, Mike Veeck, the son of the aforementioned Bill Veeck and Chicago White Sox front office promotion manager, came up with a crazy idea. Like father, like son. In Mike’s case, it was not a publicity stunt, rather a promotion that allowed fans to enter the ballpark for just 98 cents if they brought a disco record along with them. The records would all be destroyed in-between games of a doubleheader, officially ending the disco era. Veeck was hoping for at least 20,000 fans as compared to their regular attendance of 5,000. Over 50,000 people showed up with records in hand and many more leapt fences and gates to enter the ballpark during the game. The boxes that fans were supposed to put their records in overflowed and many took them to their seats. Records along with other dangerous items were being thrown around the stadium and the game had to be halted several times. The records were indeed blown up, but they left a huge hole in the playing field, which would’ve made the next game difficult to play even if thousands of fans didn’t storm the field, which they did. They set fire to the field, pulled up bases, destroyed equipment, and took over the stadium. The rioters overwhelmed security and the best could try was to put on the scoreboard “Please return to your seats.” It wasn’t too effective. The second game had to be forfeited by the White Sox and to this day, Disco Demolition Night is one of the most infamous and disastrous promotions of all time.

#2 Independence Day in Atlanta

It was one of the most wacky and unlikely chain of events in MLB history and it started on the 4th of July of 1985 but didn’t end until the 5th. The Mets were in Atlanta and the game, which started like any other game, was quickly becoming something else. There were multiple rain delays, arguments, ejections, and a fireworks display planned for after the game. When that would be, nobody knew. After 9 innings, the game was tied 8-8 and continued into extras. In the top of the 13th inning, the Mets took a 10-8 lead and it looked like this long night would finally be over when with 2 outs in the bottom of the 13th, Terry Harper hit a home run to tie the game. The game continued all the way through until the next day, when the Mets scored another run in the 18th. In the bottom of the 18th, the Braves had run out of position players. Their last hope was a relief pitcher named Rick Camp. Camp was a notoriously awful hitter with a career .061 batting average entering the season. He had never hit anything close to a home run. It looked like this crazy 18 inning game was about to come to an end. Here’s what happened.

Mets players were stunned - Ray Knight threw his hands up in disbelief and Lenny Dykstra dropped to his knees. When Camp stepped up to the plate, the home plate umpire joked “You might as well hit one out, and we can play all night.” The Mets did score 5 in the Top of the 19th and ended up winning the game, but the Camp home run was still was on the craziest moments in MLB history. To make this scene even wilder, the fireworks still went off at about 4 in the morning, prompting 911 phone calls from residents who thought the city was being bombed.

#1 10-Cent Beer Night

It was 1974 and in an effort to improve attendance, the Cleveland Indians decided to hold 10-Cent Beer Night, offering 10 oz beers for just 10 cents with no limit on the number of purchases. What could possibly go wrong? To make matters worse, this promotion occurred in a game between the Indians and Rangers, two teams that had just gotten into a bench clearing brawl a few days earlier, and Indians fans were in a rowdy mood already. Over 25,000 fans showed up to 10-Cent Beer Night, more than double that was expected. Almost immediately, it was apparent there were going to problems. A woman ran out on the field, flashed the crowd, then tried to kiss the umpire. Later, a naked man ran on to the field and slid into second base. The next inning, a father and son ran out on the field and mooned the fans. The stadium started to look like a warzone as fans began randomly setting off firecrackers. Fans threw items like hot dogs onto the field and other naked people started appearing throughout the stadium. Gunpowder and marijuana smoke covered the entire ballpark. By the 7th inning, all the sober fans had already departed, leaving an army of extremely drunk belligerents who stormed the field, armed with knives and clubs formed from portions of the stadium they tore apart. Both Indians and Rangers players grabbed bats and the war was on in one of the most unbelievable scenes in the history of the game. Eventually the players escaped to the safety of the clubhouse and the uncontrollable beasts destroyed the field and stadium for 20 minutes until the police were able to restore order. The Indians were forced to forfeit the game and several players and umpires were injured. The Indians actually had the guts to hold another 10-Cent Beer Night that season, but this time with a 2-Beer per person limit.

Top 10 EPIC COLLAPSES In MLB History

An MLB season lasts 162 games and every one of them count. If there’s one lesson that has been taught over and over throughout baseball history, teams need to get the pedal the metal all the way up until a playoff spot or division title has been mathematically guaranteed. Without that, it doesn’t matter how big of a lead your team has entering September. In today’s video, we’ll take a look at the Top 10 most epic and painful team collapses in MLB history. There are teams that had great seasons up until that final home stretch when everything completely fell apart and when that happens, there’s almost always another team getting hot just at the right time to take that playoff spot from them.

Before I get into the main list, I have 2 honorable mentions – or should I say dishonorable mentions - that didn’t quite make the list.

Honorable Mention #1 – the 1951 Brooklyn Dodgers, who had a 13 ½ game lead at one point in the season, but a red-hot Giants team caught them, forcing a 3-game playoff that led to Bobby Thomson’s shot heard round the world. The fact that this didn’t make my Top 10 tells you what kind of collapses we’re about to talk about.

Honorable Mention #2 – The 2021 New York Mets, who were the first team to spend over 100 days in first place and still finish with a losing record. Their collapse was a bit more gradual and not a complete last minute meltdown, which is why they’re not in the Top 10.

Now, let’s get started with the Top 10.

#10 The 1987 Toronto Blue Jays

In 1987, the Toronto Blue Jays looked prime to win with a team loaded with stars like Fred McGriff, George Bell, Jesse Barfield and even a young Cecil Fielder. Their pitching was stacked with names like Jimmy Key, Dave Stieb and closer Tom Henke. On June 13th, they were 32-20, sitting in first place in the A.L. East. They never took a massive lead in the division and in fact were competing with the Tigers for the division crown, but after they won 2 out of 3 against them in a late September series – and by late I mean around September 27th, it appeared that the division belonged to the Jays. They were up by 3 ½ games with just 7 to play when the Jays completely lost it. They were swept by the Brewers, then had one final 3-game series with the Tigers in which they were again swept, losing each game by 1 run. The Blue Jays lost 7 consecutive games to finish the season and ended up losing the division to the Tigers, who won their final 4 games to clinch the championship and send the Blue Jays home.

#9 The 1934 New York Giants

The 1934 St. Louis Cardinals caught the 1934 Giants against all odds

The 1934 Giants were absolutely stacked. They had three future Hall-of-Famers, Mel Ott, Bill Terry and Travis Jackson, in their starting lineup. The rotation included two pitchers who won over 20 games that season in Hal Schumacher and another Hall-of-Famer, Carl Hubbell. The team spent the vast majority of the season in first place and had a 7-game lead on September 6th. They struggled a bit during the next week, but with just 14 games left to play, still held a 5 ½ game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. Then, the two teams met in a 3-game series and the Cardinals won 2 out of 3. Led by the powerful slugger Ripper Collins and their Ace Pitcher, Dizzy Dean, the Cardinals continued to stay hot, slowly gaining on the Giants. Still, with five games left in the season, the Giants were up by the three games and their only remaining games were against two bottom feeders in the league at the time, the Dodgers and Phillies. The Cardinals needed to win just about every game the rest of the way and hope that the Giants would somehow lose every one of their five remaining games. That’s exactly what happened. The Giants lost their final five games of the season and the Cardinals swept the Reds to propel them into first place, making the Giants the first team in MLB history to blow a 7-game lead in September.

#8 The 2007 New York Mets

The Mets are a team that have some of the most unbelievable comebacks in baseball history but also a team known for massive late-season collapses. The 2021 Mets know something about collapsing as they spent more than 100 days in first place yet still finished with a losing record. Neverthelss,they got nothing on the 2007 Mets. After a rough loss in the 2006 playoffs, the Mets entered 2007 motivated and ready, with a wealth of talent that included Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes, David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Tom Glavine and Billy Wagner. They won the first four games of the year and after 14 games, were 11-3. The domination continued throughout the season and on September 12th, the Mets held a 7 game lead in the division with the best record in the league. With 17 games left in the season, the playoffs seemed to be in the bag. Then, they lost a game by 1 run against the Phillies. Then, they lost another, this time by 2 runs. Then they lost another, by 4 runs. Then, they were blown, losing by 8 runs. What the hell was going on? The losing streak reached 5 games before they finally won a game. Despite the skid,The Mets had held such a strong lead in the division that with 7 games to go, they were still up by 2 ½ games. They had favorable matchups against two teams at the very bottom of the division - the Florida Marlins and Washington Nationals along with one make-up game against the 73-82 Cardinals. They were swept by the Nationals and lost the makeup game to the Cardinals. After splitting the first two games with the Marlins, the Mets had to win Game 3 in order to prevent The Phillies, who won 4 of their last 5, to take the division. Tom Glavine could only get one batter out and the Marlins pounded the Mets 8-1. They lost the division and the incredibly hot Colorado Rockies overtook them for the Wild Card Spot. The Mets somehow blew a 7-game division lead with 17 games left and didn’t even get a wild card spot as consolation.

#7 The 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers

Newspaper Clipping from October 1st, 1962 reporting on the Dodgers & Giants Pennant Race

Coming in at #7 on my list of the worst late season collapses in MLB history is going to be the 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers. This is a team that was having an absolute dream of a season, entering into September with an 88-47 record, then going on a 7 game winning streak to apparently solidify their place as the #1 team in the National League. Only The Giants could dream of catching them, but they were 4 games back with just a week left to go in the season. The Dodgers were running on all cylinders, led by elite starters Don Drysdale and and Sandy Koufax. They had a chance to clinch the pennant during a 3-game series against the expansion Houston Colt 51s, but lost 2 out of 3. Then, all they had to do was manage one win during a 3-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals. They were swept. Miraculously, the Giants caught the Dodgers and both teams were tied with a 101-61 record at the end of 162 games. The teams played a 3-game series to determine the pennant, just as they had done in 1951. And just like in 1951, the series went to a third game with the Dodgers looking strong late in the game. They had a 4-2 lead going to the Top of the 9th inning when the Dodgers imploded. Four walks, a wild pitch and an error later, the Giants had taken a 6-4 lead. They went on to win the game by that score, winning their first pennant in San Francisco. The Dodgers lost 12 of their last 16 games to blow the pennant in ‘62.

#6 The 1969 Chicago Cubs

A black cat prances around in front of the 1969 Cubs dugout

It was the historic 1969 season, the first season of division play and the Chicago Cubs looked destined to make a push for their first World Series championship since 1908. At the All-Star Break they had an incredibly impressive 61-37 record with a 5 game lead over the 2nd place Mets. By mid-August, that lead had increased to nine games. On September 2nd, they were 32 games over .500, led by superstars like Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins, Ron Santo and, of course, Ernie Banks. Then, the Mets suddenly caught fire, going on a 10-game winning streak. The Cubs on the other hand, who hadn’t lost more than 4 in a row all season long, lost 8 straight. Still, the Cubs held on a lead in the division. Then, on a September 9th game between the two teams, a black cat showed up in front of the Cubs dugout and pranced back and forth a couple times before running off. Whether one believes in the supernatural or not, this couldn’t be a good sign. Sure enough, the Cubs continued to fall apart and the Mets kept winning. New York went 38-11 and finish out the season and not only won the division, but won it by an absolutely insane 8 games, despite being back by 9 games in mid-August. The Cubs lost 18 of their final 26 games to finish off the collapse. This, of course, was part of the story for the 1969 Miracle Mets, who went on the win the World Series.

#5 The 2009 Detroit Tigers

On May 10th, 2009, The Detroit Tigers won a baseball game in Cleveland, which propelled them into first place in the American League Central. Nearly 4 months later, entering into September, they had never relinquished that first place spot and continued to look amazing, winning 6 consecutive games to start the month. They entered into a series against the last place Royals with a strong 7 game lead over the Twins. Undoubtedly, fans were preparing for a World Series push in October. This was when everything began to fall apart. The Tigers were swept by Kansas City and went on to lose 9 out of 12 games. The Twins, meanwhile, were heating up, and at one point in September, won 11 out of 12. On September 29th, the teams met up in a 4-game series. If The Tigers could win 3 out of 4, they would clinch. The series ended up in a 2-2 split. Still, The Tigers held a 2-game lead in the division with both teams entering the final 3-game series of the season. If The Tigers could win one game out of the 3 and the Twins lose just one out of 3, Detroit would clinch. The Twins did what they had to and swept the Royals. Meanwhile, the Tigers lost game one against the White Sox in a game full of ejections and hit by pitches. Their superstar Miguel Cabrera decided it was good night to go hang out and get drunk with some White Sox players. He got into an altercation with his wife and had to be picked up at the police station by the Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski. Needless to say, he didn’t have his best game, going 0-4 as the Tigers lost 8-0. They won the last game of the year, but with the Twins sweep of the Royals, the teams ended the 162-game season tied, necessitating a 163rd game to determine the division winner. In an insane game that went 12 innings, the Tigers blundered several opportunities to win the game and in end, the Twins were victorious, knocking the Tigers out of the playoffs on October 4th. It was an absolutely unbelievable meltdown and to this day, one of the most epic collapses in MLB History.

#4 The 1978 Boston Red Sox

Coming up next is the 1978 Boston Red Sox, a team loaded with talent. A few names you might recognize include Dennis Eckersley, Luis Tiant, Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice, Fred Lynn, Dwight Evans and Carl Yastrzemski. The team got off to a red-hot start, winning 19 of their first 30 games and cementing themselves into first place. By June, they were 45-19 and 7 games ahead of the Yankees. Come September 1st, the Red Sox were on a 6-game wining streak, holding a 6 ½ game lead in the division with a month to go. Then, they entered into a rough patch, losing 5 out of 7 games. That’s when the 2nd place Yankees came to town for a 4-game series. If the Red Sox could just manage a split, any hope the Yankees had at that point could be put to bed. Instead, the Yankees swept the series and could smell first place, sitting just 3 ½ games back. The Red Sox continued to fall, losing 5 of the next 6. This epic collapse allowed the Yankees to tie for the division lead at the end of the year, forcing a one-game playoff. During this game, the Red Sox had a 2-0 lead entering into the 7th inning. It was looking like maybe they could pull through after all. That’s when Bucky Dent came to the plate. Incredibly, against all the odds, the Yankees came back from 6 ½ games back in September to win the game and the division.

#3 The 1995 California Angels

Lee Smith, closer for the 1995 California Angels

By 1995, Angels fans had gotten used to late-season collapses. It had happened multiple times in the 80’s, and when they did make the playoffs, things got even more painful. However, the 1995 California Angels looked like a Team of Destiny. They had a powerful rotation anchored by Mark Langston and Chucky Finley to go along with an incredibly talented lineup featuring the likes of J.T. Snow, Chili Davis, Jim Edmonds and Tim Salmon. They even had a future Hall-of-Famer as their closer with Lee Smith. Unsurprisingly, the Angels dominated the league for months, building an 11-game lead by early August. Suddenly, the Seattle Mariners received a massive jumpstart from the return of Ken Griffey Jr. who had been injured since May. He made his return on August 15th and beginning on the very next day, the Angels suddenly lost it, losing 21 of 25 games. Nevertheless, their lead was so strong it seemed insurmountable and with just two weeks left in the season, they somehow still maintained a 6-game lead. Then they lost 9 more in a row. In an absolutely incredible turn of events, the Seattle Mariners came back from 11 games back in August to tie the Angels for the division lead at the end of the season, forcing a one-game playoff. In that game, the Mariners sent the intimidating future Hall-of-Famer Randy Johnson to the mound. He threw 150 pitches to seal the deal, defeating the Angels 9-1 and ending their playoff hopes. The Angels were 66-41 on August 20th with a 12 ½ game lead over the Mariners and went 12-44 the rest of the way, including two 9-game losing streaks. It was one of the most monumental meltdowns ever.

#2 The 2011 Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves

I’m going to cheat a little and put two in one since this was an epic dual collapse that the baseball world witnessed in 2011. Consider this 2a and 2b. The Atlanta Braves were essentially a lock to make the playoffs, holding a 8 ½ game lead over the Cardinals for the Wild Card on September 1st. Meanwhile, in the American League, the Red Sox had a 9 game lead for the Wild Card just in case they didn’t win the division, which they led by a game over the Yankees. The tailspin began for the Braves on September 2nd, as they began a 3-game series against the Dodgers. They lost the series 2-1. No big deal, right? Then they were swept by the Phillies in a series that included a 9-0 shutout. The bullpen, which had been lights out all season led by closer Craig Kimbrell, began to struggle and the offense went cold. The Cardinals had gotten red-hot and were gaining ground. The two teams met on September 9th for a 3-game series and the Braves were swept. By the end of the season, the Cards were hot on their trail and won 4 of their last 5 games to overtake the Braves, who lost 5 consecutive games to end the season.

During this monumental meltdown, the Red Sox weren’t faring much better, as they went 7-20 in the month of September, giving up the division to the Yankees. The Wild Card was in danger too, but a Rays loss and Red Sox win on the last day of the season would clinch it. It seemed as everything was going to work out as the Yankees were beating the Rays 7-0 in the 8th inning and the Red Sox led the Orioles in the bottom of the 9th with Jonathan Papelbon ready to close it out. Then, in a horrifying turn of events for Red Sox fans, the Orioles rallied, scoring 6 runs in the 8th and another in the 9th to tie the game. Up stepped Evan Longoria in the 12th inning to cap off the most epic dual collapse in MLB history.

1. The 1964 Philadelphia Phillies

1964 World Series Phillies Ticket

They were one of the most dominant young teams to ever take the field for the majority of 1964, led by Dick Allen, Johnny Callison and 19-game winner Jim Bunning. They were 47-28 at the All Star Break, and didn’t slow down from there, building a 6 ½ game first place lead by September 20th. That’s right – they had a 6 ½ lead on September 20th with just 12 games left in the season. The team literally began to print World Series tickets and Sports Illustrated held a photo shoot with the team for the cover of their World Series edition. There were two teams tied for 2nd place – the Reds and Cardinals, both 6 ½ back. As fate would have it, the Phillies schedule had them playing both teams down the stretch. First, they took on the Reds in a 3 game series that began on September 21st. They were swept. At the time, it wasn’t that big of a deal as they still held a 3 ½ game lead with about a week to go. Luckily, they had a fairly easy 4-game series against the middle-of-the-road Milwaukee Braves. They were swept again, bringing them to a 3-game series against the Cardinals, who smelled blood. The shell-shocked Phillies were once again swept, bringing their overall losing streak to 10 games. The Cardinals took over first place and won the pennant by a single game in what had to be the most epic and unexpected collapse in the history of the game. The team completely fell apart defensively and offensively while the manager Gene Mauch burned out his two best starters by starting them over and over during the losing streak. There have been many horrible collapses in MLB history, but the 1964 Phillies come in at #1 on my list.

Ranking the MLB COMMISSIONERS!!

Welcome to another Humm Baby Baseball countdown and in today’s video, I’ll be ranking the MLB Commissioners from worst to best. There have been 10 commissioners in the history of Major League Baseball, beginning with Kenasaw Mountain Landis in 1920. Of course, we all know the current commissioner, Rob Manfred. Half of the commissioners were active during my lifetime and their actions had constantly had a major impact on my enjoyment of the game. However, I will try not to be biased and give a fair evaluation of each commissioner, offering positives and negatives. Of course, some of the negatives I give may be positives for others, such as a rule change that I hate but others may love. For this reason, every one’s ranking will be different and I’d love to hear yours down in that comment section below. With that said, let’s get started.

And a lot of people probably assume that Rob Manfred will come in at #10 as the worst commissioner of all time. If you made that assumption, congratulations. Coming in at #10 as the worst commissioner in MLB History of my list is indeed Robert Manfred.

#10 Rob Manfred

Rob Manfred assumed the office of the Commissioner of baseball in January of 2015 and has been a complete disaster since that time. He listed several potential MLB cities and advocated for expansion, and there has been no obvious progress on that. He began instituting rule changes meant to improve pace of play, which only made the game look more amateurish, such as runners simply jogging to first for an intentional walk instead of taking four balls. The rule changes continued with more each year, including forcing managers to leave their pitchers in to face at least 3 batters and more recently, starting a runner on 2nd base in extra innings, which was supposedly a safety measure, but had been enforced in the Minors before the pandemic and was well on its way to the Majors. Speaking of the pandemic, the public bickering between the owners and players was absolutely out of control under Manfred as they were supposedly negotiating how they could have a 2020 season. Manfred said they would unequivocally 100% play baseball that year. Five days later, he backtracked, saying he wasn’t confident they would have a season at all. Manfred was also heavily criticized on how he handled the Astros cheating scandal, a scandal that occurred in 2017 under his watch. He referred to the World Series Trophy as a “chunk of metal.” In 2021, he stripped the City of Atlanta and local baseball fans of the All Star Game over a Georgia Voting Reform Law, and opinions on this were mostly divided politically. MLB has been terrible at marketing players under Manfred, who has said that players like Mike Trout need to market themselves. Under Manfred, the Minor Leagues were completely reassembled, resulting in 42 cities losing their affiliated team and labor relations were strained to the point that the 2022 season was in jeopardy after Manfred and the owners instituted a lockout. They went radio-silent for over a month, showing no signs of faithful negotiations or updates for the fans. On the positive side, he has unified all fans and players in their desire to see him fired as soon as humanly possible.

#9 William Eckert

Coming in at #9 is the 4th commissioner in MLB history, William Eckert, who was an extremely decorated Lieutenant General in the U.S. Air Force, serving during World War II. In 1965, MLB Club owners needed to vote for a new commissioner and decided to hire Eckert, who was completely unknown in baseball circles and hadn’t even watched a game in person in over 10 years. They wanted some one who wasn’t connected with baseball who had strong leadership skills with an understanding of business and bureaucracy. He accomplished very little during his tenure and drew much criticism for his handling of whether or not to cancel games after the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. He wasn’t completely clear and his meek response caused confusion as to whether there would be games or not – some teams played and some didn’t. He knew nothing about the business of baseball and oftentimes sat still during moments of major controversy in which leadership and guidance was needed. He was so clueless about the game, he hadn’t realized that the Dodgers had moved to Los Angeles and once referred to the Cardinals as “the Cincinnati Cardinals.” He stayed up late at nights just studying the game of baseball, learning names of superstars and trying to be prepared for whatever question the media ask lest he look like a complete fool. One of the few positives regarding Eckert is that he was one of the first to promote the game internationally. He once said

 “I can visualize within the foreseeable future the spread of major league baseball on an international scale to include Japan, Canada and several Latin American countries. I see major league baseball as a means of contributing to international friendship.”

He accompanied the Dodgers to Japan in 1966 on a goodwill and exhibition tour. It was also during his term that union leader Marvin Miller was hired as the head of the Player’s Association. Eckert violated several union laws, albeit possibly unintentionally, and was no match for Miller. The player’s union began to show its strength and the owners voted Eckert out as commissioner in 1968. Cubs owner Philip Wrigley, realizing that hiring an outsider was a mistake, said that baseball needed a “baseball man.”

#8 A. Barlett Giamatti

The only reason Giamatti is this low on the list is because he was only commissioner for five months before tragically dying of a heart attack at age 51, so he never got the chance to really improve or destroy the game. He was, however, President of the National League for nearly three years before becoming commissioner and fought to improve the fan experience at ballparks. He was tough and quick when it came to handing down punishments and suspensions. Once he became commissioner, he reorganized the administration by creating a deputy commissioner to assist him, a position that still exists. He is most famous for dealing with the betting scandal of Pete Rose. After a report showed the Rose had bet on 52 Reds games in 1987, Giamatti and Rose negotiated a deal in which Rose would voluntarily accept a lifetime ban from the game with the ability to apply for reinstatement in a year. He did not have to publicly admit guilt and, in fact, denied that he bet on games for many years thereafter. Unforunately, Giamatti died a few days after this agreement. Giamatti, a lifelong baseball fan, may have turned out to be a fine commissioner, but sadly, he ended up being the William Henry Harrison of MLB Commissioners, dying too early in his term to really tell how good or bad he would have been.

#7 Bowie Kuhn

After forcing out William Eckert, owners hired that “baseball man” they wanted with the much more baseball-savvy Bowie Kuhn, who at 42 became the youngest commissioner in history. He made the unfortunate decision to ban both Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle from being involved in Major League Baseball because they had associations and sponsorships with casinos even though neither were directly involved with gambling, much less gambling on the game of baseball. His time as commissioner is filled with labor issues, including the first strike in MLB history in 1972 and the 1981 work stoppage, both which resulted in the cancellation of games. There were also labor disputes in ‘73, ‘76 and ‘80. Free Agency was created during his time as commissioner but he fought hard to prevent it, preferring to keep the old reserve clause system. Kuhn denied Curt Flood’s initial request to become a free agent and the dispute went all the way to the Supreme Court, who ruled in Kuhn’s favor. However, the union was able to negotiate the start of MLB Free Agency in 1975. On the positive side of things, Kuhn fought hard to allow Negro League players to be eligible for the Hall of Fame. He also came up with the idea to have a World Series Night Game, assuming more people would watch due to being off work. The game drew in a record 61 million viewers. He made a controversial decision in 1974 that I believe was probably correct in order to maintain competitive integrity. Hank Aaron was 2 homers away from breaking Babe Ruth’s record and the Braves wanted to bench him for the 3-game series in Cincinnati to start the season so he could break the record at home. Kuhn ruled he had to play in at least 2 of the 3 games. He was also swift and quick with suspensions, although he is the first commissioner to be aware of the steroids issue and the first to do nothing about it.

#6 Bud Selig

During Selig’s time as Commissioner, I was not a huge fan. However, he did accomplish a lot during his reign as MLB Commissioner, including nearly 20 years of labor peace. It has to be noted that Selig was acting commissioner during the 1994 strike, and despite the fact that labor relations were already horrible when he took over in 1992 due to collusion by the owners, he was the acting commissioner when a strike prevented the World Series from happening, something two World Wars didn’t do. However, since baseball resumed in 1995, there was continuous peace throughout Selig’s time as Commissioner. He also instituted the Wild Card and expanded playoffs in 1994, which would prevent a situation like the one that occurred to the 1993 San Francisco Giants after winning 103 games but missing out on the playoffs because they happened to be in the same division with a team that won 104. The economics of the game were mostly healthy under Selig and teams were bringing in major revenue, which allowed many beautiful stadiums to be built. Whether some changes to the game during Selig’s term are good or bad depend on each fan’s viewpoint – but in general, inter-league play and instant replay are considered successful innovations in the game. He also created a rule I hated, which was making the All-Star Game determine which team had home field advantage in the World Series. This was possibly a knee-jerk reaction to the controversy caused after he ended the 2002 All Star Game in a tie. His biggest black eye might be the steroid-era. Selig knew steroids were rampant in the game but did next to nothing about it until he was pressured to do so by Congress. He turned a blind-eye to steroids during the 90’s when McGwire and Sosa were making headlines. It became obvious that any one could do it and get away, which led to more players doing it, such as Barry Bonds, who saw what was going on with McGwire and Sosa and decided he better do it too. Selig claims that he never knew or heard a thing about steroids during the 90’s. Either he is lying, which is most likely, or was completely ignorant about what was going on in the game. Whatever the case, he finally did begin to establish testing and punishments for PED’s, but the damage was already done. Overall, Selig is a mixed bag and falls right around the middle at #6

#5 Peter Ueberroth

The Commissioner of Baseball when I first became a fan in 1987 was Peter Ueberroth, who was hired in 1984 after overseeing the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He was an impressive commissioner in the early years, immediately resolving an umpire dispute that almost lead to them striking during the 1984 postseason. He also quietly, behind the scenes, helped negotiate collective-bargaining agreements between players and owners, ensuring the no games were lost. He reinstated Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays, who were banned from working in Major League Baseball due to associations with casinos. He was also a key player in pushing the Chicago Cubs to install lights so that night games could be played at Wrigley Field and was swift in dealing with cocaine issues by suspending numerous players. Ueberroth negotiated massive contracts with CBS and ESPN and attendances improved dramatically under his leadership. The baseball industry became profitable for the first time in years and every team was benefiting from increased revenue.

Unfortunately, despite all the positives, there is one negative that keeps him from being ranked higher on this list and that is his involvement in the MLB Collusion Scandals of the 80’s. In 1986, the MLB Player’s Association filed a grievance after noticing no teams were willing to sign major free agents. Stars such as Kirk Gibson and Tommy John received zero interest. This continued throughout the mid-80’s and most stars had to re-sign with their previous teams. Andre Dawson, desperate to play on natural grass, took a massive pay cut to sign with the Cubs despite being an absolute superstar in the prime of his career. The players filed more grievances until an arbitrator ruled that the owners and conspired to restrict player movement. Peter Ueberroth played a major role in this and had given the message to owners to keep salaries as low as possible. Owners were ordered to pay millions in damages and any of the free agents affected were allowed to offer their services to any team without losing their existing contracts. Ueberroth resigned as Commissioner before the 1989 season.

#4 Fay Vincent

Next up is Fay Vincent, who took over for Bart Giamatti after his untimely death. He had a shaky start as Commissioner – literally, as an Earthquake brought the 1989 World Series to a halt. He made the right call in delaying the World Series for 10 days. There was also a lockout during 1990 Spring Training, but Vincent worked with both sides and helped work out an agreement in order to save a 162-game season. Later that year, he banned Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for life because he paid a gambler to dig up dirt on his player Dave Winfield. Steinbrenner was later reinstated. Vincent appointed a committee for statistical accuracy, which determined that Roger Maris’ 61 home runs in the 1961 season was indeed a true MLB single season record despite the schedule having 162 games instead of the 154 games that Babe Ruth’s schedule had. Vincent also started the expansion process, helping bring in the Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins into Major League Baseball. However, owners did not appreciate Vincent as player salaries rose and Vincent was not afraid to openly criticize owners and past commissioners for collusion. He seemed like a solid commissioner who avoided major controversy and avoided making major rule changes for the sake of making rule changes. The owners voted him out, however, leading the way to Bud Selig as acting and eventually official Commisioner. Vincent also receives some criticism for not taking a stronger stance against the use steroids in baseball, although he did send a memo to all teams in 1991 explaining that any player who uses an illegal substance including steroids are subject to discipline including possible expulsion from the game. Of course, steroids were not nearly as rampant during Vincent’s time as Comish. After being voted out, Vincent said,

“To do the job without angering an owner is impossible. I can't make all twenty-eight of my bosses happy. People have told me I'm the last commissioner. If so, it's a sad thing. I hope they [the owners] learn this lesson before too much damage is done.”

#3 Kenasaw Mountain Landis

Coming in at #3 is the first Commissioner in the history of Major League Baseball, Kenasaw Mountain Landis. Landis, a former U.S. Federal Judge, was hired in the aftermath of the 1919 World Series Gambling Scandal, in which several members of the White Sox threw the World Series.

“We want a man as chairman who will rule with an iron hand,” said National League President John Heydler. “Baseball has lacked a hand like that for years. It needs it now worse than ever.”

They got exactly what they wanted as Landis came down hard on the 8 players involved in the scandal, banning each for life, regardless of the fact that they were acquitted by in a Chicago trial. He made a statement that made it loud and clear - no player involved in the throwing of a game will ever play professional baseball again. It was a major priority for Landis to rid the game of gamblers and crooks and he continued to ban and suspend any players involved in gambling. Under Landis the Minor Leagues became affiliated with the big leagues although credit for this mostly goes to Branch Rickey. Before his time as commissioner, all minor leagues were unaffiliated alternate leagues. This innovation is still felt today when attending Minor League Games and watching young prospects from Major League organizations. He also made it a law that all teams must disclose their transactions in both the Majors and Minors. His ruthless approach cleaned up the game and helped create the Minor League system we know today. On the downside, although he did proclaim that no rule prohibits black players from playing in the Majors, he did nothing to proactively help get rid of the gentleman’s agreement, an agreement among owners not to sign black players. He never encouraged teams to sign any player who would help their team regardless of race, even though Landis had the power and strength to destroy the color barrier as early as the 1920’s. Had he done this, his legacy would have been a hundred times stronger today.

#2 Ford Frick

Next up is the third Commisioner in MLB history and #2 on my list, Ford Frick, a lifelong baseball fan. He was a sportswriter and National League President before becoming commissioner, the first to have no political background. Before becoming commissioner, Frick was a pioneer in helping to create the Hall of Fame after proposing the creating of a Baseball Museum to honor the greatest players to ever play the game. As commissioner, he helped Major League Baseball grow massively across the country with expansion teams, television contracts, creating an international presence and a college scholarship system. New teams that entered the league were the Mets, Astros, Angels and Senators. He also approved the first team moves in over 50 years, which included the Giants and Dodgers moving west, creating Major League Baseball from coast to coast. Overall, however, he laid low and allowed the game to thrive without meddling. One writer wrote that

“He understood his role. He was a caretaker, not a czar.”

If only the current commissioner understood such things. That said, Frick had one major negative that he is remembered for and it is the decision to make a distinction between Babe Ruth’s single-season record of 60 home runs for a 154 game season and Roger Maris’s record of 61 for a 162-game season. This was a decision that was influenced in large part by the media, which he used to be a part of.

#1 Happy Chandler

Coming in at #1 is the second Commissioner in MLB history, Happy Chandler, a career politician who owners voted in as commissioner so they could have more influence in Washington D.C. He turned out to be a great commissioner, but not so much for the owners. His biggest contribution to the game was facilitating the breaking of the color barrier in 1947. After Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey announced to promotion of Jackie Robinson to the Dodgers, Chandler supported the decision and approved Robinson’s contract, even though he had the power to void it. After Phillies manager Ben Chapman hurled racist remarks at Robinson one game, Chandler threatened every team with disciplinary action should any race-based taunting happen again. Also, any player who decided to strike due to Robinson’s presence in the league would be indefinitely suspended. Ford Frick, who was N.L. President at the time, supported Chandler in this decision. Chandler made these decisions regardless of the opinion of the owners, many of whom were against allowing Robinson to play. Dodgers Pitcher Don Newcome said,

"Some of the things he did for Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella and [myself] when he was commissioner of baseball – those are the kinds of things we never forget. Chandler had cared for black players in baseball when it wasn't fashionable.”

Chandler was the Commissioner who decided to put umpires on the outfield foul lines during the playoffs back in 1947. Additionally, he negotiated a multi-million dollar contract with Gillette and the Mutual Broadcasting System for radio rights to the World Series, with the proceeds going into a player’s pension fund that he created. It was the first pension for players and gave him the reputation as a player’s commissioner. Unsurprisingly, the owners were not fond of his performance and voted him out in 1951. Although he was generally great to players, he did go to extremes to keep labor peace, such as threatening to ban players if they organized a strike. Another situation he dealt with was a Mexican League opening up and offering huge money to MLB players to come play in their league. Chandler threatened a five year ban if any player left MLB to play in the Mexican League and didn’t return before April 1st. These were questionable decisions, but overall, Happy Chandler was an outstanding commissioner and comes on my list as the best in MLB history.

Top 10 MLB Clubhouse Cancers of ALL TIME

It’s the nature of the workforce. Whether it’s an office job, restaurant or even a Major League Baseball team, there are always going to be those people who just make things difficult. They complain too much, cause fights and create an overall negative atmosphere. In sports, they’re called Clubhouse Cancers. And in baseball, there are plenty of players who seem like, wherever they go, which oftentimes is all over the place because no team wants to keep them for long, they cause trouble. Today we’ll be counting down the Top 10 Players with reputations as huge clubhouse cancers. As a disclaimer, I don’t personally know any of the players on this list and have never shared a clubhouse with them, but based on interviews from teammates, constant drama and even some interesting events caught on film, the evidence suggests that the 10 players on this list are not the greatest teammates and have earned the title of “Clubhouse Cancer.” Before I get into the list, I’d like to mention three players not on the list that are sure to be mentioned in the comment section.

Alex Rodriguez

One is Alex Rodriguez, who was certainly no stranger to controversy. He created lots of distractions and was disliked by many teammates. However, many teammates such as Mariano Rivera, have spoken very highly of A-Rod and he has shown some signs that he’s not a completely self-centered jerk, such as the willingness to switch positions so Derek Jeter could remain at shortstop. He may have been a clubhouse cancer, but didn’t quite make my Top 10.

Barry Bonds

Neither did Barry Bonds, who certainly had a massive ego and didn’t get along with the media at all. Nor did he get along with his teammates all the time – the obvious example being Jeff Kent, another player known for being somewhat of a problem in the locker room. Late in his career, word got out that Bonds had his own TV and massaging recliner in the clubhouse. However, he was able to stay with the same team for 15 years and some former players, like Kevin Frandsen, have defended Bonds. Even if he was a jerk behind the scenes, the stories aren’t quite bad enough to propel him into my Top 10.

Ty Cobb

Lastly, there’s Ty Cobb, one of the most misunderstood players of all time. Cobb was certainly no stranger to a fight and not the most pleasant teammate of all time – his intensity was over the top and he would not tolerate any one slacking off in the slightest. However, his reputation as a massive racist, a murderer and one of the worst human beings ever was caused by poorly researched articles and documentaries, which have been recently debunked. As far as his clubhouse presence, ex-teammate Del Pratt said “I never had a bad word with Ty. He was set on winning, and he would do whatever he could to win a ballgame, but he wouldn’t toss a player aside without helping him be better. I learned more from Cobb than any man I ever played with.” Look forward to a video dedicated to Ty Cobb soon. But for now, let’s get started with those who did make the Top 10 list.

#10 Jonathan Papelbon

Known for a strong arm and even stronger mouth, Jonathan Papelbon kicks off today’s Top 10. He took speaking what’s on his mind to the next level, criticizing teammates and fans. After leaving Boston to sign with the Phillies, Papelbon said,

“The difference between Boston and Philadelphia, the Boston fans are a little bit more hysterical when it comes to the game of baseball. The Philly fans tend to know the game a little better.”

He wasn’t always polite to the Phillies fans either, however, especially after a blown save in which he heard a few boos and did this in response. When he left Philly, Papelbon basically insulted every one of his teammates saying,

"I was one of the few that wanted to win. I was one of the few who competed and posted up every day,”

He was a master at saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, but Papelbon didn’t just use his mouth to get into trouble. He got into altercations with every one, even the radio and TV personalities. He apparently got into the face of commentator Howard Eskin and the two had to be separated. Superstars weren’t off-limits either, as he was suspended in 2015 for throwing directly at Manny Machado’s head and later that season, yelled at and proceeded to choke Bryce Harper in one of the most unbelievable moments ever caught on tape in an MLB dugout. Papelbon was simply all-around one of the greatest drama-kings in the history of the game.

#9 Trevor Bauer

Long before his current controversy and suspension, which I’ll get to, Bauer was known as a clubhouse cancer. He was selected by the Diamondbacks in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft, but reportedly clashed with teammates during the 2012 season, resulting in the D-Backs trading him to Cleveland. After the trade, Bauer released a diss-track titled “You Don’t Know Me,” after D-Backs catcher Miguel Montero stated that Bauer “never wanted to listen.” With The Indians, the controversies continued. In 2016, he missed a Game 2 playoff start because he sliced his finger while repairing a drone. He tried to start Game 3, but had to come out in the first inning when blood started dripping from his finger. He made more headlines in 2019 when he appeared to harass a female college student on twitter. Later that year, frustrated that he was being taken out of a game, Bauer threw a ball over the centerfield fence. Terry Francona said what we all were thinking. He won the Cy Young Award with the Reds in 2020 and was a risky free-agent option for teams that off season given his controversial past. The Dodgers took a chance on him with a 3 year/$102 million deal. It could be said that it wasn’t the greatest deal for LA, as Bauer was accused by a woman of sexual assault and ended up being suspended for two years despite the DA deciding not to criminally charge him. The Dodgers canceled his bobblehead night and pulled his merch from the team store and website. Reports came out that the majority of Dodgers players don’t want him back. Bauer may or may not be a horrible person, but based on his history, he’s certainly a major distraction to a clubhouse.

#8 Carlos Zambrano

Next on the list is a 3-time All-Star pitcher who could also swing the bat with big power. His name is Carlos Zambrano and he was not only a great all-around ballplayer but also a serious hothead. During his career, it seemed like he was good for at least one suspension per season. He got into altercations with any and everybody, including his own teammates such as the case in 2007 when he got into a major slugout in the dugout with his catcher, Michael Barrett, after a passed ball and errant throw by Barrett. The list of Zambrano controversies is lengthy and quotes from his teammates don’t help his case. Speaking of his teammates, he once called out his entire team after a tough loss, calling them a bunch of “Triple-A Players.” When things aren’t going his way, he tends to take out his anger on the batter – in a painful way. In August of 2011, he was ejected after throwing at Chipper Jones twice during a particularly bad outing. After the game, he said he was walking out on his team and retiring. Instead, the Cubs suspended him for 30 days. Zambrano’s teammate Ryan Dempster said

“He’s made his bed. Let him sleep in it. It’s not like it’s something new.”

By 2011, he wore out his welcome in Chicago and was traded to Miami, where he pitched in just one more big league season.

#7 Rogers Hornbsy

Coming in at #7 is a Hall-of-Famer and two-time MVP who was apparently hated as a player and manager. Rogers Horsnby wanted nothing to do with his teammates, having no interest in hanging out after the games, but stories indicate he wasn’t just an introvert. He apparently had an abrasive personality and was simply mean and nasty with every one. Hornsby once said “Baseball is my life. It’s the only thing I know and care about.” In 1926, the Cardinals traded him to the Giants, where he hit .361 and had an OPS over 1.000. The Giants traded him after one season anyway. Then, he hit an incredible .387 for the Boston Braves. After that one year, they traded him too. After his career, he became a manager and was fired several times. He was let go by the 1932 Cubs in the middle of the season, and the Cubs went on to win the pennant. The players voted against him receiving a share of the extra earnings. Hornsby also had off-the-field issues, including gambling addictions and various lawsuits against him, one for knocking over an elderly man with his car in 1919. In a biography about Hornsby, Charles Alexander wrote

“Hornsby never seemed to understand that by itself brilliance in his chosen field just wasn’t enough. To survive, prosper, and keep others respect, he would also have to accommodate himself to what others thought and felt.”

It seems that the bottom line is that Rogers Hornsby was one of the greatest players of all time – but certainly not the nicest guy of all time.

#6 Carl Everett

Next on the list is a very talented player who many considered to be a complete nutjob. Despite being a 1st round pick with a fantastic combination of speed and power, he played for 8 teams in 14 years, never spending more than three seasons in one place. He was outspoken with his beliefs and some of these, such as the denial that dinosaurs ever existed and his belief that the moon-landing was a hoax, seem fairly harmless. However, his comments became more controversial and offensive when he said that he would consider retiring if he ever had a gay teammate, or at the very least, he would “set him straight.” His beliefs aside, Everett also went into frequent tirades, getting into verbal disputes with umpires, opponents, teammates, coaches and managers. During one argument, he headbutted the umpire, resulting in a 10-game suspension. Teams would get tired of dealing with him after a couple seasons and trade him somewhere else. His issues stretched beyond the baseball field as well. In 1997, he and his wife temporarily lost custody of his two children when bruises were noticed all over his 5-year old daughter. After retirement, he has been arrested at least twice – once for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and again for assaulting a family member. Everett was a great ballplayer but, apparently, an even greater clubhouse cancer.

#5 Hal Chase

Next up we go back to the early days of the game with Hal Chase, a degenerate gambler who was involved in nearly every major scandal in the early days of baseball. He began his career with the Yankees, then known as the Highlanders. He was very good hitter but played elite defense – at least when he was not throwing games. He got along poorly with teammates and ignored his coaches and managers. According to several interviews, he would miss practices, skip games due to “illness,” and was simply the definition of a clubhouse cancer. In 1910, manager George Stallings said he would resign if Chase was not released. He was eventually traded to the White Sox where he made enemies with White Sox owner Charles Comiskey and A.L President Ban Johnson by jumping into the Federal League, a third league formed to compete with the A.L. and N.L. He was blackballed from the A.L. but later returned to play with the Reds. Reds manager and former Giants pitcher Christy Mathewson accused him of betting on and throwing games. As a first baseman, he perfected the art of making fielders throws look errant by arriving late to the bag. The Reds would go into terrible losing streaks, due in large part to strange errors or baserunning blunders by Chase. He also uncharacteristically missed signs and made mental mistakes. According to his teammate Ed Roush,

“He was the best first baseman I ever saw. He also the worst if he wanted to lose a game. You could tell after an inning or two whether he was there to win or lose.”

Despite being known as one of the most spectacular fielders of all time, he made 402 errors in just 10 seasons. It’s likely many if not the majority of them were intentional. He was later accused of playing a major role in the White Sox 1919 World Series Scandal, even though he was no longer with the White Sox or Reds. His entire career is filled with stories of gambling, scandals and throwing games, which couldn’t have been good for the clubhouse.

#4 Albert Belle

Albert Belle was one of the most terrifying players to pick up a bat – he was fiercely competitive and extremely talented, scaring the hell out of his opponents. Problem is, he scared the hell out of everybody else too and was an absolute menace in the locker room. According to Buster Olney -

“Few escaped his wrath: on some days he would destroy the postgame buffet ... launching plates into the shower, and after one poor at-bat against Boston, he retreated to the visitors' clubhouse and took a bat to teammate Kenny Lofton’s boombox. Belle preferred to have the clubhouse cold, below 60 degrees, and when one chilly teammate turned up the heat, Belle walked over, turned down the thermostat and smashed it with his bat. His nickname, thereafter, was "Mr. Freeze."

The Indians had to bill him $10,000 a year for the damage he would case in clubhouses on the road and at home. Another lowlight of Belle’s career was getting suspended for a corked bat then convincing teammate Jason Grimsley to sneak through the ceiling panels into the umpire’s dressing room to replace the corked bat with a legit one. He was disliked by the media as well and was only tolerated because of his amazing production which included 9 consecutive years of 100 or more RBIs. After retirement, he spent time in jail for stalking and was arrested for indecent exposure and DUI.

#3 Vince Coleman

Coming in at #2 is Vince Coleman, who was the National League’s version of Rickey Henderson in the 1980’s. He stole a ridiculous 110 bases during his rookie season. At one point in 1989, he stole 50 consecutive bases without being caught. However, he was controversial from the beginning, getting along poorly with coaches and teammates, constantly getting into fights and arguments. After the Cardinals traded him to the Mets, there were stories that he ignored the coaches signs on the basepaths and did whatever he wanted. He was also no stranger to controversial comments, once responding to a question about Jackie Robinson by saying “I don’t know nothin’ about him. Why are you asking me about Jackie Robinson?” Robinson’s widow, Rachel, later responded by saying “I hope he’ll learn and be embarrassed by his own ignorance.” Things took a horrifying turn later when Coleman was named, along with two of his teammates, in a sexual assault complaint filed by a woman in Florida, but he was never charged. In September of 1992, he got into a fight with manager Jeff Torborg and was suspended for the rest of the season. In 1993, he injured Doc Gooden by carelessly swinging a golf club in the locker room. Then, Coleman did the unthinkable – he lit a very powerful and explosive M-100 firecracker and threw it into a crowd of autograph-seekers outside Dodger Stadium, injuring three people, including two children. A 2-year old girl was seriously hurt, suffering cornea damage to her eye and lacerations on her face. The Mets were done with him at that point. He was charged and somehow only received community service and even continued his career after the Mets traded him to Kansas City. However, he bounced around several teams for the next 4 years before retiring.

#2 John Rocker

Next up is former Atlanta Braves closer John Rocker, whose controversial comments had to create major distractions in the clubhouse. He made his big league debut in 1998 and by 1999 became the closer, finishing the season with 38 saves. That year, he had some not-so-nice things to say about New York City and its people in an interview. I don’t want to repeat, so here is the recording:

He also insulted New York Mets fans, calling them degenerates. He was suspended for the first 14 games of the 2000 season. Outfielder Brian Jordan said

"You've got one guy being a cancer time and time again. Eventually, it's going to have an effect on the team."

The Braves traded Rocker to the Indians, and things didn’t exactly work out well in Cleveland. He reportedly didn’t get along with teammates and during the 2001 ALDS, he threw water at fans in Seattle. His offensive comments continued in 2002 with the Rangers, when he used several slurs to insult patrons of a Dallas restaurant. He pitched poorly in Texas, but refused to be demoted to the Minor Leagues, so they released him. After a brief stint with Tampa Bay, he retired but the comments didn’t. He later defended Ozzie Guillen after using a gay slur against a reporter and defended the use of steroids in baseball, saying that of course he used them. Rocker had a great arm for a couple years, but is one of the most hated MLB players of all time.

#1 Milton Bradley

One of the biggest trouble-makers in the history of the game and my #1 clubhouse cancer has to be Milton Bradley. In his 12-year career, Bradley played for 8 teams, causing problems everywhere he went. He was drafted by the Expos in 1996 and was suspended in the minors for starting a fight after getting hit by a pitch. That was just the beginning. After being traded to the Cleveland Indians, he created controversy after controversy both on and off the field. He was pulled over for speeding, but refused the ticket then sped away without permission to leave, resulting in a 3-day jail sentence. He got into frequent fights and run-ins with opponents and teammates. He often didn’t hustle or run out pop flies, resulting in him being barred from Cleveland’s training camp. In April 2004, the Indians traded him to the Dodgers. That season, he was ejected from a game in June and decided to throw a bag of baseballs onto the field and a few into the crowd as souvenirs. In September, he was suspended for the remainder of the year and required to attend anger management after an altercation with an unruly fan. He also had more run-ins with the cops and police were called to his home three times for possible domestic violence, but no charges were filed. Later, with the Padres in 2007, Bradley went on a massive tirade against an umpire and tore his ACL during the blowout. He signed with the Rangers for the 2008 season. During one game, Royals play-by-play announcer Ryan Lefebvre had a few negative thoughts on Bradley, which caused Bradley to storm out of the Rangers clubhouse and climb up four flights of stairs to get to the announcer and presumably kick his ass. He was held back by Ron Washington and others before he could get to Lefebvre. He went to the Cubs and quickly wore out his welcome after publicly criticizing the team and the fans. They suspended him then traded him to Seattle. He made headlines for abandoning his property in Chicago without paying rent. With the Mariners, it was more of the same including multiple ejections and fights, getting booed for lack of hustle, flipping off Texas Rangers fans, getting arrested for making threats against a woman, and getting suspended for bumping an umpire. After his career, he has been charged multiple times for domestic violence and in 2018, was charged with spousal battery and sentenced to 36 months of probation and 52 weeks of domestic violence counseling.

Top 10 MLB FLASH IN THE PANS Of ALL TIME.. Here Then Gone ONE-HIT Wonders!!

Welcome to another Top 10 Ranking and in today’s video, we’ll be looking at the Top 10 Flash in the Pans – players who were absolutely elite for a short amount of time but were unable to sustain that success for very long. To make this list, players had to have between 1-3 amazing seasons that created big hype and expectations. However, they ended up being here and gone flash in the pan players who could never replicate that success again.

10. Mark Prior

Mark Prior

The first player on the list is one of the most hyped up prospects of all time, Mark Prior. He was taken in the 1st round twice. My busts videos have received quite a bit of criticism for not including Mark Prior, but the reason I didn’t is simple – he did have one great year in the big leagues. After being taken second overall by the Cubs, Prior went 5-2 with a 2.29 ERA in the minors before being called up. He had a decent rookie year, going 6-6 with a 3.32 ERA but followed it up with the season the Cubs were hoping for. In 2003, Prior threw a shutout in his second start of the season and ended the year going 18-6, making the All Star Team and striking out 245 batters in 211 innings. He helped the Cubs make the playoffs then threw a complete game 2-hitter in the NLDS. He also pitched extremely well in the NLCS, winning Game 2 then throwing 7 scoreless innings in Game 6. Unfortunately, this was that historic moment when the Cubs completely collapsed. We all remember the Gonzalez error, the Bartman incident, Moises Alou freaking out over it and the complete meltdown that occurred, leading to the Marlins victory. However, Mark Prior still had a fantastic season and for that year alone, doesn’t belong in a Top 20 Busts list in my opinion. He fits better in this Flash in the Pan list as Prior only pitched three more seasons in the big leagues, struggling with injures and under performance the entire time. He continued to pitch in the minors and independent leagues for years, but continued to struggle to stay healthy. He retired in 2013 after a stint with the Reds Triple-A team, but for a short time in 2003, he did live up to the hype.

9. Chase Headley

Coming up next is a San Diego Padres second round pick who first got called up to the big leagues in 2007. By ‘09, he was a regular in the lineup, hitting around .265 per year with about 9-12 home runs. Suddenly, in 2012 at age 28, Headley had his breakout season that no one saw coming – not even Headley himself who set a goal of hitting 15 homers and 75 RBIs. Instead, he crushed 31 bombs and led the league with 115 runs driven in. He finished 5th in the MVP voting, won a Silver Slugger and won the NL Player of the Month award twice during the season. He also had a great year defensively and took home a Gold Glove. Headley set a career high in basically every offensive category and was suddenly on the verge of becoming a legit MLB superstar. That is, until 2013, when he was injured in Spring Training and after returning, reverted back to the normal Chase Headley, hitting just .250 with 13 home runs. In 2014, he was traded to the Yankees with whom he later signed a 3-year deal. He was a regular in the lineup for them but never got close to replicating his amazing 2012 season. He returned to the Padres in 2018 but was released after hitting just .115 in 52 at bats. Although Headley had a respectable 12 year career, he was a legitimate power hitting star for a quick flash in 2012.

8. Ubaldo Jimenez

Ubaldo Jimenez

One team that has always struggled to find elite starting pitching has been the Colorado Rockies. However, at one time, they had what appeared to be hands down the best pitcher in the game. The Rockies drafted Ubaldo Jimenez as an amateur free agent in 2001. He worked his way slowly through the minors, but eventually earned a call up in 2006 after going 14-4 between Triple and Double-A. He became a solid arm in the rotation but nothing overly spectacular. That is, until 2010, when Jimenez suddenly took his performance to another level, starting with the first no-hitter in Rockies history on April 17th. He won five games in the month of April alone and set a franchise record with 25 1/3rd consecutive scoreless innings then broke his own record later that season, throwing 33 straight. He won 11 of his first 12 starts, maintain an ERA under 1. By the All-Star Game, he was 15-1 with a 2.2 ERA. The Rockies appeared to have found the elite starter they were looking for. He finished the year 19-8 with a 2.88 ERA, struggling a bit down the stretch. This remarkable performance put his name on the map and is what likely allowed him to play another 7 seasons in the big leagues. He never came close to repeating it. He started 2011 going 6-9 with a 4.46 ERA and was traded to Cleveland. There, he went on to lead the league with 17 losses in 2012. He had a nice rebound in 2013, going 13-9 with a 3.3 ERA but 2010 was his only All Star season and Jimenez ended up retiring in 2020 after being released from his second stint with the Rockies.

7. Zoilo Versalles

Zoilo Versalles receiving the MVP Award

Versalles was a Cuban ballplayer signed as by the Washington Senators in 1958. He played well in the minors but struggled in the bigs after his first callup in 1959, hitting just .153 with a homer. In 1960, it was more of the same as he hit .133, causing the Senators to trade him to the Twins. He found his comfort zone there and ended up a regular in the lineup, hitting .241 with 17 homers in 1962. In 1963, he led the league in triples and bumped his average up to .261. However, everything came together in 1965 when Versalles suddenly became a hitting machine, finding the gaps, driving the ball down the lines and hitting for power with 19 home runs. He ended up leading the league in doubles, triples, runs and total bases and was second in hits. He made the All-Star Team, had a 7.2 WAR for the season and won a Gold Glove. Unsurprisingly, he won the American League MVP Award. At just 26 years old, it looked like Versalles might be on a Hall of Fame path. Unfortunately, his performance declined after that season as he hit just .249 in 1966 then .200 in ‘67 with just 6 home runs despite 581 at bats. He never led the league in an offensive category again after the amazing 1965 season. He bounced around a bit but never played in the big leagues again after hitting .191 with for the 1971 Braves. Sadly, he struggled financially after retirement and ended up having to sell his MVP Award. Although Versalles certainly didn’t have a Hall-of-Fame career, he should still be remembered for an amazing run in the mid-60’s when he was, ever so briefly, one of the best players in the game.

6. Dontrelle Willis

Next up is the D-Train, Dontrelle Willis, who was taken in the 8th round by the Chicago Cubs in the year 2000. He was traded to the Marlins in 2002 and went 12-2 with a 1.83 ERA in the minor leagues. In 2003, he was a regular in the Marlins rotation and had a phenomenal rookie year, going 14-6 with a 3.3 ERA, taking home the Rookie of the Year. Willis had a memorable old-time baseball windup that included a high leg kick and massive twist of the body. By 2005, Willis was one of the best in the game and started the year 5-0 with a 1.29 ERA. He made the All Star Team and finished the year with a 22-10 record, leading the league with 7 complete games and 5 shutouts. He finished 2nd in the Cy Young voting to Chris Carpenter but did win the Warren Spahn Award, given to the best left-handed pitcher in each league. The hype around Willis was massive as a Rookie of the Year winner who had just won 22 games as a 23-year old. Unfortunately, this was the height of his success. He started 2006 by going 1-6 with a 4.93 ERA and ended the year with a 12-12 record. In 2007, he went 10-15 with a terrible 5.17 ERA, leading the National League in runs allowed. He spent the rest of his career trying to stay off the disabled list, bouncing around from team to team but never winning more than 2 games in an entire season. His last year was 2011, when he went 1-6 for the Reds. Willis continued to attempt comebacks through 2015, when he finally announced his retirement from the game.

5. Kevin Maas

Kevin Maas

Next up is Kevin Maas. Maas was a big time prospect for the Yankees who appeared to be the real deal once he made it to the majors. Maas was taken in the 22nd round but showed immense talent in the minor leagues by hitting 28 home runs in 1988 with a .271 batting average and .382 on-base percentage. He became one of the Yankees top prospects and was promoted midway through the 1990 season. The Yankees hoped that they had found their next great Yankee slugger, who could eventually be the heir to Don Mattingly. He came out of the gate on fire, starting his career about as hot as possible, crushing 10 home runs in his first 72 at bats, an MLB record at the time. In one 3-game series in Texas, Maas homered off Kevin Brown, Bobby Witt and Nolan Ryan. Despite not being called up until July and only playing in 79 games, he still managed to crush 21 home runs and finished 2nd in the Rookie of the Year only because he played half a season. Maas was a dead pull hitter and pitchers, catchers and coaches certainly studied him going into the 1991 season. He had a huge sophomore slump, hitting just .220. He managed to hit 23 home runs but it took almost twice as many at bats as he had when he hit 21 the prior season. By 1993, he turned into a fringe prospect, bouncing back and forth between Triple A until moving on to other organizations in 1994, who kept him in the minors. Maas hit .193 including his final big league homer for the Twins in 1995 and was out of baseball two years later. During his brief rookie year, Maas put on an insane display of power that has rarely been seen. He was one of the greatest flash in the pans of all time.

4. Eric Gagne

Next up is a pitcher who had an interesting path the big leagues, not signing when drafted by the White Sox in the 30th round of the ‘94 draft to attend Seminole State College in Oklahoma. He wasn’t drafted in 1995 at all but signed as a free agent with the Dodgers. He was a starter in the minor leagues and showed excellent stuff, going 12-4 with about a 10 per 9 strikeout ratio in 1999. Through his first 5 big league starts, Gagne had a 2.1 ERA. However, the Dodgers needed a closer entering the 2002 season and thought Gagne might work in the role. It turned out they were right as he dominated batters, striking out 114 in 82 innings of work while saving 52 games for LA. He made his first All Star Team and immediately became known as one of the elite closers of the game. Then, in 2003, he was even better, closing out a league leading 55 games with a sick 1.2 ERA. He averaged 15 strikeouts per 9 innings and easily won the Cy Young Award despite being a reliever. He had his third and final successful season in 2004, saving 45 games with a 2.19 ERA. Unfortunately, injuries limited his 2005 season he had to have Tommy John Surgery. He experienced several setbacks and other injuries as he attempted to come back. He became a free agent by 2007 and signed with the Rangers, but continued to struggle with injuries although he managed 16 saves. He pitched for the Red Sox and Brewers later on but with limited to no success. He attempted a comeback with the Dodgers in 2010 but was released during Spring Training. It is unfortunate that Gagne wasn’t able to have a healthy and long MLB career but for three years, there was nobody more feared coming out of a bullpen than Eric Gagne.

3. Mark Fidyrch

Mark Fidrych

Although his success was short-lived, Mark “The Bird” Fidyrch is one of the memorable players of all time. This 6’3” pitcher was drafted by the Tigers and brought a fun quirkiness to the mound as well as, for a while, pure domination. After spending his first two years in the minors, Fidyrch was a non-roster invitee during 1976 Spring Training. He impressed enough to make the Opening Day roster, then, after throwing a 2-hit complete game in his first start, earned a spot in the rotation. The fans loved watching him, as he would march around the mound after each out, talk to the baseball and not allow the groundskeepers to work on the mound during the game. He completed nearly every game he started as the All Star Game approached and was elected not only to play in the game, but start it. Fidrych continued to show amazing stamina and stuff as he finished out the year with 19-9 record, 2.34 ERA and an incredible 24 complete games, including 4 shutouts. He won the Rookie of the Year award and finished 2nd in the Cy Young voting to Jim Palmer. The next season, Fidrich started to experience injury issues, starting just 11 games. He went 6-4 with a 2.89 ERA and was elected to the All Star Game although he couldn’t play due to injury. He was able to appear in just 7 games over the following two seasons, suffering from a torn rotator cuff that was never diagnosed or treated properly during his career. He made his last MLB appearances in 1980, going 2-3 with a 5.68 ERA. It is sad that Fidyrch’s injury was never diagnosed as he was a control pitcher who didn’t rely on heat and could have had a long and successful, perhaps a Hall of Fame, career, had he gotten the proper treatment. Still, he will always be remembered for his hilarious antics and amazing personality, along with his phenomenal rookie season.

2. Tim Lincecum

Tim Lincecum with Fresno Grizzlies mascot, Parker

Coming in at #2 is Tim Lincecum, who the Giants drafted 10th overall in the 2006 MLB Draft. It was seen as a slight risk given Lincecum’s smaller frame, but he absolutely dominated the minor leagues and the hype was through the roof in 2007 as he went 4-0 with a 0.29 ERA through 5 starts with the Fresno Grizzlies. He struck out 46 batters in 36 innings. The Giants were forced to promote him that year and he showed signs of brilliance, but it wasn’t until 2008 when The Freak hit his full potential. The domination was next level and Tim Lincecum became an instant superstar, striking out 265 batters and going 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA. He took home the Cy Young Award and was elected to the All Star Game. The following season, he did again – All Star Game and Cy Young Award - going 15-7 with a 2.48 ERA and 261 strikeouts. A star was born. He declined a bit in 2010, but was still solid, helping the Giants win their first World Series in San Francisco. He also pitched well in 2011 but his strikeout ratio fell to the lowest of his career and poor run support helped cause an unimpressive 13-14 record. By 2012, he was simply bad, going 3-10 with a 6.42 ERA during the first half. The 2-time Cy Young Award was demoted to the bullpen for the 2012 playoffs. He continued to pitch with the Giants through 2015, but never found the magic from his Cy Young Award seasons and eventually had hip surgery and signed with the Angels. He went 2-6 with a 9.16 ERA. After missing the entire 2017 season, Lincecum made one last comeback effort with the Rangers in 2019, but pitched poorly in Triple-A and never made it back to the big leagues. It should be noted that Lincecum did throw two no-hitters outside of his Cy Young seasons and was very effective in the postseason for the Giants. Still, Lincecum was easily the most unhittable and dominant pitcher in the game for a 2-year period until a slow decline led to the unfortunate end of his career.

1. Denny McLain

Denny McLain

Another extremely interesting character who pitched for the Tigers is Denny McLain. He began his pro career with the White Sox organization in 1962 and threw a no-hitter in his Minor League Debut. The Tigers were able to claim him on waivers by 1965, he was a regular in the rotation, going 16-6 with a 2.61 ERA. McLain was a great arm for the Tigers and continued to pitch well until suddenly, in 1968, he took it to another level entirely. During the first half of the year, he went 16-2 with a 2.09 ERA, putting himself on a pace to win over 30 games. He only got better from there, lowering his ERA to 1.96 for the year and finishing with an incredible 31-6 record, taking home not only the Cy Young Award but also the MVP Award. He had 280 strikeouts and just 63 walks, the best strikeout to walk ratio in Tigers history until Justin Verlander came along. McLain also completed an insane 28 games. The following season, he won 24 games and took home another Cy Young Award. He looked like a future Hall of Famer until suddenly the downfall began in 1970. Before the season even started, his off-the-field gambling issues became public and he apparently had connections to organized crime. McLain had always been an interesting character. For example, he was late to the 1969 All Star Game because he had a dental appointment. He barely pitched in 1970 due to three separate suspensions, one of them due to carrying a gun on the team flight. He was traded to the Washington Senators but led the league with 22 losses in 1971 and did not get along with his manager, Ted Williams. He pitched for the A’s in ‘72 and Brewers in ‘73 but had an ERA above 6 both seasons. Since retiring, McLain has been arrested multiple times and spent time in prison for trafficking cocaine, embezzlement, racketeering and mail fraud. During his sentencing in 1985, he said “I don’t know how you get to where I am from where I was 17 years ago,” McLain said. He was referring to the amazing 1968 season – still the last time in MLB history a pitcher won 30 games.

The 20 Most LOPSIDED Trades In MLB History

There have been thousands of trades in the history of Major League Baseball, some that are barely noteworthy and others that change the entire baseball landscape. Many of these blockbusters deals include massive MLB superstars that are oftentimes dealt for hot up-and-coming prospects. Sometimes the deal works out for both sides, but typically after enough time has passed it is clear who won and who lost the deal. Of course, just like in a baseball game, with a trade, sometimes you win.. and sometimes you win big. Today’s video will be counting down the Top 15 most lopsided trades in MLB history – trades that brought huge value to one side while the benefit to the other side is almost if not completely nil. As always, be sure to comment in that comment section down below your thoughts on the list and any huge lopsided trades I missed that could also have been considered for the Top 20. So, let’s gets started.

#20 - Jose Bautista for a PTBNL!?

Jose Bautista with the Pittsburgh Pirates

In 2008, the Pittsburgh Pirates had a player named Jose Bautista, who had already played for four different teams. He had never made an All Star Team and in 2007, he hit .254 with 15 home runs. The last place Pirates didn’t think he was good enough to be part of their future and traded him to the Blue Jays for a player to be named later. That player ended up being being Robinzon Diaz, who played in just 44 more big league games. Bautista went to Toronto and suddenly transformed, making 6 straight All Star Teams and finishing in the Top 10 for MVP 4 times. He led the league in home runs twice, including 54 bombs in 2010. In 2011, Bautista drove in 132 runs and had an OPS over 1.000. He became an absolute MLB superstar that the Pirates let go for a player to be named.

#19 – The Padres Get Their Face of the Franchise

In July of 2015, the Chicago White Sox made a great move by signing a very young Fernando Tatis Jr. as an international free agent. He had all the tools and looked like a future superstar. Less than a year later, they made a terrible move by trading him to the San Diego Padres along with Erik Johnson for James Shields and cash. Even at the time of the trade, Shields was past his prime and had gone 2-7 with the Padres that year. It was an easy decision for San Diego to dump the struggling Shields and get a young prospect with a massive ceiling. Shields went 16-35 with a 5.31 ERA over 3 seasons with Chicago, never reaching the postseason. Tatis Jr. rocketed through the minors and then lived up to the hype, leading baseball with 42 home runs in 2021. I won’t rank this one too high since Tatis was such a young prospect, there’s no way the White Sox could’ve known he would be this good. Also Tatis Jr. has run into some issues lately with injures and a PED suspension, but at the end of the day, this trade was still ridiculously lopsided and makes the Top 20.

#18 – The Pirates Trade Willie Randolph

The Pittsburgh Pirates had a nice steal in the 7th round of the ‘72 Draft when they selected Willie Randolph. By 1975, he looked big league ready, hitting .339 in Triple-A while stealing 14 bases without being caught. The Pirates at that time were trying to win a World Series and needed pitching, so they sent Randolph to the New York Yankees along with Ken Brett and Dock Ellis in exchange for Doc Medich, who had won 19 games for the Yankees in 1974. Medich won just 8 total games for the Pirates while Willie Randolph helped the Yankees win a World Series in 1977 and go on the play 13 years for the Bronx Bombers. He made 6 All Star Games and had an 18 year career. To add insult to injury, Dock Ellis went to New York and went 17-8 with a 3.19 ERA in 1976.

#17- The Cubs Give Their Rival Lou Brock

Lou Brock with the Cubs

The next trade ends up on the list not only because it involves a Hall of Famer but it also occurred between rivals. In 1964, the Chicago Cubs decided to part ways with a young player named Lou Brock. He had incredible speed but had hit just .257 throughout his first 2 ½ seasons. They sent Brock along with pitchers Jack Spring and Paul Toth to St. Louis for outfielder Doug Clemons and pitchers Bobby Shantz and Ernie Broglio. The Cubs were considered the winners of the deal for picking up Broglio, who had won 21 games in 1960 and had just gone 18-8 with a 2.99 ERA the prior season along with a former 24-game winner and MVP in Shantz and a solid prospect in Clemons. All they had to do is give up a struggling Jack Spring and Paul Toth and this young guy who could run fast, but didn’t look like he had the brightest future. Or so they thought. Brock hit .348 with 12 homers the rest of that season for the Cardinals and never slowed down, going on to make 6 All Star Games and steal a record 938 bases. Brock ended his career with over 3,000 this and was a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame.

#16 – The Mariners Help The Red Sox Finally Win a Ring

It was 1997 and the Seattle Mariners needed some bullpen help. So, they did what lots of teams do and traded away a few prospects for an established MLB player. That player was relief pitcher Heathcliff Slocumb, who had just saved 31 games the previous year for the Red Sox. However, in 1997, he was struggling, with a 5.79 ERA. The M’s traded for him anyway and sent a mid-tier pitching prospect named Derek Lowe along with 1st round pick Jason Varitek, a catching prospect in Triple-A. Slocumb continued to struggle with Seattle and ended up leaving in free agency after 1998, going 2-6 with a 4.97 ERA and just 13 saves throughout a season and a half with the Mariners. Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek, on the other hand, both made multiple All-Star Teams and became key members of the Boston Red Sox, helping them break the Curse of the Bambino and win it all in 2004. During Lowe’s best season, he won 21 games for the Red Sox and Varitek hit at least 20 home runs three times. Varitek stayed with the Red Sox his entire 15 year career and helped them win another World Series in 2007. This trade has to go down as one of the most lopsided of all time.

#15 – The Giants Trade An Elite Closer

While preparing for the 2004 season, the San Francisco Giants, coming off a National League Championship in ‘02 and NL West Championship in ‘03 needed to find a new catcher to replace Benito Santiago, who left in free agency. To do that, they made a trade with the Minnesota Twins, sending Boof Bonser, Francisco Liriano and a young reliever named Joe Nathan to the Twins for A.J. Pierzynski. Liriano made an immediate impact for the Twins, going 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA and making the All Star Team. He went on to have a 14 year MLB career. However, the real loss was Joe Nathan, who became an elite closer, making 6 All Star Teams and closing out 377 games in his career. As for the Giants, they got stuck with Pierzynski, who has a reputation as a clubhouse cancer and it was a match made in hell. Pitchers reportedly hated him and threatened a mutiny if the Giants didn’t trade him. According to one story, pitcher Brett Tomko asked him before a game if they could go over the opposing hitters. Pierzynski ignored him and kept playing cards for 20 minutes. The Giants failed to make the playoffs in 2004. This trade wouldn’t have been so bad if Pierzynski, who was a talented 26-year old catcher, stuck around and helped the Giants. Instead, he was released after the season and went on to be an All Star in Chicago. For a one-year clubhouse cancer, the Giants traded away a borderline Hall-of-Fame closer and solid starter.

#14 – The Padres Trade The Wizard

It’s hard to picture Ozzie Smith in a non-Cardinals uniform but for the first four years of his career, he was a San Diego Padre. Smith finished 2nd in the Rookie of the Year voting and won two gold gloves in San Diego. Ozzie’s agent was very vocal with his displeasure with his client’s salary and got into heated arguments with the Padres owner Ray Kroc. Yes, the McDonald’s guy. Finally, the Padres decided to just trade him, sending him in a package deal to the Cardinals for Garry Templeton, who created plenty of controversies of his own in St. Louis due to his lackadaisical style of play. The Cardinals fans were happy to see him go, but had no idea what they just got in return. Ozzie Smith ended up being a Cardinals legend, winning 11 more gold gloves and making a total of 15 All Star Teams. Templeton did play for the Padres for 10 years, which is why this trade isn’t higher on the list, but he only made 1 All Star Team and was never as good as he was in St. Louis. It ended up being one of the worst trades in Padres history.

#13 – The Marlins Lose Yelich

One team known for moving superstar names for spare parts that never really pan out is the Miami Marlins, and this won’t be their final appearance on today’s list. One of their worst trades occurred just a month after they shipped Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees – a terrible trade itself - and it involved a young star named Christian Yelich. The Marlins sent him to Milwaukee and in return they got a top prospect named Lewis Brinson along with Isan Diaz, Monte Harrison and Jordan Yamamoto. Brinson was the main prospect in the trade, and he did have some MLB experience with the Brewers but hit just .106 in 47 at bats. The Marlins made the deal anyway and Yelich immediately became one of the best players in baseball, winning the MVP in 2018 and leading the league in batting average, slugging percentage and OPS in 2018 and 2019. Meanwhile, all 3 offensive prospects the Marlins received including Brinson hit under .200 and offered virtually nothing of value. Yamamoto had an 18.26 ERA in 2020 before being traded to the Mets. It was an embarrassing trade for the Fish.

#12 – Ryne Sandberg Comes to Chicago

Many casual baseball fans may not realize that Ryne Sandberg was not a Chicago Cub for his entire career and in fact made his big league debut as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. Despite hitting .293 with a .352 on-base percentage for the Triple A Oklahoma City 89ers in 1981, the Phillies decided they didn’t need Sandberg since they had Manny Trillo at second base. They traded him to the Cubs along with Larry Bowa, a 5-time All Star who had played for the Phillies for 12 years, for Ivan DeJesus. De Jesus hit .239 for the Phillies while Sandberg went on to have a Hall of Fame Career with the Cubs, becoming one of the greatest second basemen in MLB history.

#11 – The Yankees Trade Away the Crime Dog

In December of 1982, The Yankees traded prospect Fred McGriff along with Dave Collins, Mike Morgan and cash to the Blue Jays for Tom Dodd and Dale Murray. The Yankees traded away a lotto winning draft pick in McGriff, who they got in the 9th round along with 2 other players and even cash for Dodd, who never played a game for the Yankees and ended his career with 3 big league hits and Murray, who won 3 total games for Yankees. Meanwhile, Dave Collins hit .308 for the Jays in 1984 and led the league in triples and Mike Morgan went on to be an All Star and have a 22 year big league career. This would have been a terrible trade for the Yankees even if they didn’t include Fred McGriff, who went on to hit 493 home runs, including a league leading 36 for the 1989 Blue Jays. He has also now, finally, been elected into the Hall of Fame.

#10 – The Padres Trade Away The Crime Dog

You thought we were done talking about the newest Hall of Famer Fred McGriff? Not yet. He has been traded multiple times and credit goes to the Blue Jays, who actually got some value for him, picking up Joe Carter and Roberto Alomar when they traded him to the Padres. Unfortunately, the Padres weren’t so smart, sending him to the Atlanta Braves in 1993 for Vince Moore, Donnie Elliot and Melvin Nieves. I’m ranking this one higher than the Yankees, because at least the Yankees didn’t know McGriff would be a superstar. The Padres knew what they had and still traded him to Atlanta for some spare parts. Fred McGriff helped the Braves catch the red-hot Giants in 1993 to win the division and win it all in 1993. He went on to lead the Braves in homers and RBIs during his tenure. Over in San Diego, Vince Moore never made it to the big leagues. Donnie Elliot went 0-1 and was out of baseball by 1995. And Melvin Nieves hit .207 for the Padres. That’s the risk you take when you sell an established superstar for prospects.

#9 – Bagwell Becomes an Astro For Life

Jeff Bagwell with the New Britain Red Sox

Jeff Bagwell will, of course, always be known as a Houston Astro. However, he was actually born in Boston and grew up a die-hard Red Sox fan. Then, in 1989, he was drafted in the 4th round by his favorite team and hit .333 for their Double-A affiliate, the New Britain Red Sox. It looked like an amazing story in the making until, eager to get some immediate bullpen help, the Red Sox shipped him to Houston for a veteran arm named Larry Anderson. Anderson threw just 22 total innings for the Red Sox and lost Game 1 of the ALCS, in which the Red Sox got swept. Meanwhile, Jeff Bagwell went to win the Rookie of the Year in Houston and have a Hall of Fame career that included 449 home runs and an MVP Award in 1994.

#8 – The Dbacks Land Gonzalez

In 1998, the Arizona Diamondbacks entered into Major League Baseball as an expansion team and with their 9th pick, drafted a talented young outfielder from the Dodgers named Karim Garcia, who had been ranked as high as the 7th best prospect in baseball. At just 22 years old, he was expected to be a mainstay in the Arizona lineup for years, but instead, they surprisingly traded him to the Tigers for a journeyman named Luis Gonzalez, who was usually good for around 10-15 homers a year. Garcia hit just .240 for the Tigers before being shipped off and then bounced around a bit, ending his career with a -3.2 WAR. Gonzalez, on the other hand, became a superstar and made his first All Star Team in 1999, leading the league with 206 hits. His power suddenly exploded as he crushed 26, 31 and then an insane 57 home runs in 2001. He made 5 All Star teams with Arizona and had the game winning hit in the 2001 World Series. This was a trade that didn’t seem unreasonable at the time, as no one could have ever predicted that Gonzalez would be a 5 time All-Star with 57 home run type power, but ultimately it turned out as one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history.

#7 – Mark McGwire Leaves Oakland

By 1997, it was difficult to imagine Mark McGwire in any other uniform besides that of the Oakland Athletics. He had been there for 12 years, made 9 All Star teams and was already approaching 400 career home runs. However, he was unhappy with the A’s overall performance and was ready to move on to a winner as a free agent, so the A’s felt forced to trade him. That wasn’t the problem. The problem was that in return for one of the greatest sluggers of all time, the A’s got pitchers Eric Ludwick, T.J Matthews, and Blake Stein. They initially asked for more – the A’s wanted a more established starter such as Alan Benes or Matt Morris along with top prospect Manny Aybar, but the Cardinals refused. Eventually, the A’s relented and made the deal. Ludwick and Stein won a total of 6 games with the A’s. T.J. Mathews stuck around longer, but he had a 4.78 ERA in 5 seasons for Oakland. Meanwhile, Mark McGwire went on to make headlines as he broke the single season home run record in 1998 and hit 220 home runs with St. Louis. Of course, these accomplishments have since been tainted by the revelation of the steroid era, but the trade of McGwire to the Cardinals is still one of the most lopsided in MLB history.

#6 – The Mets Give Up On Ryan

One of the best draft picks of all time was Nolan Ryan, who was taken in the 12th round by the Mets in 1965. Ryan had insane strikeout stuff, but struggled with his control and went 10-14 in 1971. During the 1971-72 offseason, the Mets decided to package him up with Leroy Stanton, Francisco Estrada and Don Rose and send him to the California Angels for a 6-time All Star named Jim Fregosi. Unfortunately, Fregosi never made another All Star team again and hit .232 for the Mets in 1972. By 1973, he was out of the organization. Most of the 4-man package didn’t really work out for the Angels either, with one obvious exception. Nolan Ryan hit his stride in California and averaged 21 wins per season for his first 3 years there, suddenly making All Star Teams and receiving Cy Young votes. He threw 4 no-hitters with the Angels and ended up with 7 over his career, which also included 324 wins and a record 5,714 strikeouts. It’s amazing that in order to pull of the trade of Nolan Ryan for Jim Fregosi, it was the Mets who had to throw in three additional players. It was without a doubt the worst trade in New York Mets history.

#5 – The Expos Trade The Cy Young Award Winner

Another Hall of Famer like Fred McGriff who was involved in not one, but two horrible trades, is Pedro Martinez. An honorable mention would be the Dodgers sending him to the Expos for Delino Deshields. It was a terrible trade, but at least they didn’t know just how good he would become. However, in 1997 The Expos traded Pedro, who had just won the Cy Young Award with a 1.9 ERA and 13 Complete Games to the Red Sox for Carl Pavano and Tony Armas Jr. They were obviously afraid he would leave in free agency, but how they only got two average prospects in incomprehensible. Pavano was a 13th round pick who showed some decent stats in the minors but went 24-35 for the Expos. Armas Jr. was in the low minor leagues at the time of the trade and ended up posting a 4.45 ERA during his time with the franchise. Martinez, on the other hand, went on to win 23 games in 1999, two more Cy Young Awards and have a Hall-of-Fame career. It is understandable that the Expos would trade a Cy Young Award winner if they thought he would leave in free agency, but you absolutely have to do better than that.

#4 – Marlins Send Miggy to Detroit

The Marlins have made some bad trades, but none worse than the December 2007 deal that sent Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to the Tigers for a package of prospects. That package included six players, one of whom never made it the majors and the rest who did little to nothing for the Marlins, although Andrew Miller went on to be a good reliever for other teams. Another prospect, Cameron Maybin, ended up back in Detroit later on, hitting .315 for them in 2016. Willis didn’t do much in Detroit, but The Tigers did get a franchise player in Miguel Cabrera, who won four batting titles, back to back MVP’s and a Triple Crown. He has established himself as a future Hall of Famer and will certainly wear a Tigers hat on his plaque. It is amazing that not one of the 6 prospects ever made much of an impact in Miami.

#3 – Tigers trade a Detroit-Native and Future Hall of Famer To Atlanta

Although Detroit certainly won the Miggy deal, they lost this next one. It is another example of a team trading away a young player who rooted for them as a kid. In this case, it’s John Smoltz, who grew up in Detroit as a hardcore Tigers fan. Appropriately, he was drafted by the Tigers, but although he had a great arm, his minor league numbers weren’t exactly eye popping. They decided to let him go for a more experienced big league arm and traded him to the Braves for Doyle Alexander. Alexander admittedly pitched well in Detroit for a little while until he led the league in losses in 1989 and retired. However, the Tigers lost out on a superstar and John Smoltz went on to become both an elite starter and closer for the Braves, becoming the first player in MLB history to record 200 wins and 150 saves. He helped Atlanta win a World Series in 1995 and won the Cy Young Award in 1996. At the time of this trade, it seemed like an easy win for the Tigers but in hindsight, it’s one of the worst trades in MLB history.

#2 – The Expos Trade The Big Unit

In the second round of the 1985 MLB Draft, the Montreal Expos made a great selection, taking a 6’6” beast in Randy Johnson. He had insane strikeout stuff but was also very wild, striking fear into the batters who dared to step into the box against the Big Unit. He got off to a rough start in the big leagues in 1984, going 0-4 while walking 26 batters in 29 innings. It’s understandable why the Expos decided to trade him for a more established and trusted starter. They sent him, along with Gene Harris and Brian Holman, to the Seattle Mariners for Mark Langston and Mike Campbell. Langston had a great career but only played a partial season with Seattle before signing with the Angels. Mike Campbell stayed in Triple-A Indianapolis the rest of the year before leaving, having never played a game with the Expos. Meanwhile, the Seattle Mariners picked up an all-time legend. It took a couple years to really figure out his command but once he did, Johnson became the best pitcher in the game, racking up 5 Cy Youngs, 10 All Star Selections, and 4 ERA titles. He helped the Mariners make the playoffs twice before moving onto Arizona, where he won a World Series ring and co-World Series MVP with Curt Schilling. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015 on his first ballot. This was without a doubt one of the worst trades in MLB history.

#1 – Boston Trades The Babe… For Cash

Babe Ruth with the Boston Red Sox

It was one of the most stunning moves in the history of the game. Back in 1919, the Boston Red Sox had on their roster the best baseball player to ever walk the Earth. His name was George Herman “Babe” Ruth. He was one of the best pitchers in the game, but even better at hitting. So much better, in fact, that the Red Sox moved him to the outfield and in 1919, he hit a then-record 29 home runs. This was a number that was unheard during this era. He also had a .322 batting average and was clearly on the verge of becoming an absolute baseball God that would change the entire game. So, what did Red Sox owner, Harry Frazee, do to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? He made a deal with Yankees owner Colonel Jacob Ruppert and traded Ruth to the Yankees for $100,000, which would help him fund his plays and musicals. At least he knew there was no point trying to trade Babe Ruth for players.

“I should have preferred to have taken players in exchange for Ruth, but no club could have given me the equivalent in men without wrecking itself, and so the deal had to be made on a cash basis.”

-Harry Frazee

When the Yankees got Babe Ruth, they weren’t the Yankees we know today. They had never even been to a World Series, much less had won any. They were by far the least popular team in New York and didn’t even have their own stadium – The Giants were kind enough to let them use theirs. Ruth changed all that and the Yankees began a dynasty that lasted for decades. Ruth’s popularity allowed the Yankees to build a new stadium and they started to attract more talent, more fans and, of course, more money for the owners. There is a high likelihood that if Babe Ruth never came along, the Yankees would have moved to the west coast instead of the Giants or Dodgers. They could’ve been the San Francisco Yankees. Instead, the team went on to win 27 world championships and counting and are a team of legends that began with Ruth and was followed by the likes of Lou Gerhig, Joe Dimaggio, Mickey Mantle, Don Mattingly, Derek Jeter and Aaron Judge. Sadly, the effect on the Red Sox seemed to be just the opposite, as the Curse of the Bambino initiated a massive drought in World Series Championships for the Red Sox, who at the time of the trade, already had four rings. They would not win another for 86 years.