MLB What Ifs

Showdown What Ifs

When doing research for the All Time Mets 2008 Billy Wagner card I came across Joey Devine. Who is Joey Devine you ask? He is the owner of a .59 ERA, .832 WHIP season over 45.2 IP in 2008, and one of the best RP cards you have ever seen. Sadly, after that year he had TJ surgery, and never was able to return to form. This got me thinking, who else out there had a ridiculous season/stretch only to never recapture it due to injury, yips, or some other incident. Presenting, MLB Showdown's What If collection. 

Joey Devine (2008)

In 2008 Devine gave up just 23 hits, walked only 15, struck out 49, held major-league batters to a .148 BA, and finished with a remarkable 0.59 ERA; the lowest ever in MLB history among pitchers with a minimum of 45 innings. Devine sat out the 2009 and 2010 seasons, and while he regained his form briefly in 2011, three consecutive days of 100 + temperature presented control issues and he was sent to the minors, never to return to the show. In 83 IP in the AL, Devine never gave up a home run. In 2012 he had his second TJ surgery and called it a career. 

Mark Fidrych (1976)

In 1976 Fidrych caught magic in a bottle, as he made the Tigers as a non-roster invitee out of spring training. He only pitched one inning through mid May, and got his first start on May 15th. He held the Indians hit-less through 6, and finished off the game earning a 2-1 victory. He also gained attention for talking to the ball on the mound, strutting in a circle around the mound after every out, patting the mound and not letting the groundskeepers fix the mound during the game. His success continued, earning him an All Star nomination. He won Rookie of the Year, with his league leading 2.34 ERA and 24 complete games, and finished 19-9. In spring training 1977 he tore cartilage in his knee while in the outfield, but returned and went 6-4 with a 2.89 ERA that year. However, during a July game he said he felt his arm go dead, leading him to decline an invite to the All-Star game. He pitched on and off for a few more years, but never regained his form. In 1985 he realized it was a torn rotator cuff that was never diagnosed or treated, which lead to his exit from the MLB only a few short years after starting. 

Dave Fleming (1992)

Dave Fleming was drafted in the third round of 1990, and made his major league debut the following year, however maintained eligibility as a rookie in 1992. In 1992 Fleming dazzled, finishing 17-10 with a 3.39 ERA. He struck out 112 over 228.1 IP and finished third in Rookie of the Year Voting. Fleming never regained that form, and his ERA the following years were 4.36,6.46 and 5.96 over 364.1 IP. 1995 was the last year he pitched, and although he did not have an injury, his career clearly went off the rails after his rookie year and never regained form. 

Davey Johnson (1973)

Davey Johnson is a well known baseball figure, though mostly for his managerial success and being part of the dominant Orioles team in the 1960s. I want to highlight the absolute outlier of his 1973 season in which he hit a ridiculous 43 home runs. Johnson debuted in 1965, and in '66 finished third in RoY voting. He made All Star teams from 1968-70, and won gold gloves in '69 and '70. Clearly he was a good player, however during this five year stretch in 2,603 at bats, he hit a combined 43 home runs. In 1971 he showed flashes of "power" by hitting 18 home runs, but in '72 he only hit 5 in 436 PA. 43 tied the record for most home runs by a second basemen and made the Braves the first team to have three teammates with 40+ home runs. In 1974 he played in 136 games and only record 15 home runs with a .251 batting average. The following year he was released after only 1 game and went to play in Japan. He returned in '77 and '78, though only had 147 ABs and never found his power again. 

Bob Hamelin (1994)

Bob Hamelin made his MLB debut in 1993, but kept Rookie eligibility in 1994. In the strike shortened 1994 he found his swing as a big power hitting first basement, slashing .282/.388/.599 with 24 home runs, 25 doubles and 65 RBIs(prorates to 34/35/92 for a full season), which earned him the knickname "the hammer". He was elected the RoY over Manny Ramirez in a landslide vote of 134-44. He never regained his stroke, and in the middle of a 1999 AAA Mud Hens game after grounding out, he ran to the dugout, grabbed his glove and told manager Gene Roof he was done. Roof asked, "You mean for tonight?" to which Hamelin answered, "No, for good". Hamelin was a beast at 6' tall and 240 pounds, even gaining a scholarship offer from Lou Holtz at Notre Dame. Hamelin was notorious for his poker game and his love of food. Hamelin often fluctuated between 225 and 260 pounds, and required surgery in 1991 due to a stress fracture in his back due to his weight. Hamelin also participated in an ESPN sponsored arm-wrestling tournament in Las Vegas in January 1994, in which he tour a flexor tendon in his elbow. Despite the issues, Bob seems to be living joyous life having tweeted (since deleted) "I would trade my ROY award for a meatball sub right now." Clearly Bob has a love for life, and in this 1994 for season he had a love for mashing baseballs. 

Joe Charboneau (1980)

Joe Charboneau was drafted in the supplementary draft in the second round by the Phillies in 1976. In 1977 he quit after fighting with management and played softball at home in Illinois. The following year with the Twins he hit .350 in the minors, though got in a bar room brawl at the end of the year and was traded to the Indians. In Mexico in March 1980 a crazed fan stabbed him with a pen knife, penetrating four inches into his rib. The fan was fined 50 pesos, which Joe quipped "That's $2.27 for stabbing a person." He managed to play his first major league game less than a month later, and quickly became a fan favorite for dyeing his hair, eating cigarettes, and drinking beer through his nose. He also did his own dental work and fixed a broken nose with pliers and Jack Daniels. Despite this he hit .289, had 23 HRs and 87 RBIs, which was enough to award him the Rookie of the Year Award. The following year in spring training Joe injured his back with a headfirst slide, and hit .208 until the strike mid season. He underwent back surgery that winter, hit poorly the following year and underwent another surgery to no avail. After struggling the following year he flipped off jeering fans and was released, never to play a major league game again. 

Wayne Garland (1976)

Wayne Garland was a good, but not great pitcher heading into the 1976 season, with a 3.38 ERA in 194 innings, and a 7-11 record over three years. In 1976 he broke out and went 20-7 with a 2.67 ERA for the Orioles, including 14 complete games in 25 starts. This was great timing, as this was the first large scale free agency season in baseball, and landeded him a massive $2.3M contract over 10 years from the Indians. In 1977 he went 13-19, though he pitched a ridiculous 38 games, 21 complete, and had an ERA of 3.60. Garland suffered a torn rotator cuff which derailed the rest of his career - he fought his way to 330 innings over the next four years, though with a 5.28 ERA. Due to this Garland was often quoted as a reason to avoid giving long contracts to pitchers, and the Cleveland front office got a lot of slack for the signing despite there not being a way to treat rotator cuff tears at the time. 

Marcus Giles (2003)

Giles was drafted in the 53rd round in 1996 by the Braves, and his brother Brian has awesome 10 OB cards with the Pirates. Marcus made his major league debut in 2001, and hit a grand slam off of Mike Hampton for his first career home run. In 2002 Giles suffered a severe ankle sprain in May and the death of his premature daughter. His play faltered, causing him to be demoted. In 2003 Giles got the starting job and was an All Star, though he suffered a concussion after colliding with Mark Prior and couldn't play in the game. He returned and continued crushing, breaking the Braves record with 49 doubles, and was one of the best defenders in the league. In May 2004, after starting hot, he collided with Andruw Jones and suffered a broken collarbone, a bruised right wrist and a concussion, which kept him out two months. In 2005, when healthy, he put up 45 doubles, but was then moved to the leadoff spot in which he struggled mightily. In 2006 Giles was hospitalized due to chest and abdomen pain - however it turned out to only be acid reflux. Despite the relative lack of seriousness, his play had dropped off and was released by the Braves. In following years he was also released by the Pirates, and played sparingly in the minors until he didn't make the Phillies minor league team in 2009, calling it a career. 

Ben McDonald (1990)

At 6'7" Ben McDonald was a college star at LSU in basketball and baseball, leading the Tigers to the CWS twice and he led the US Baseball team to gold in 1988. Based on this success the Orioles made him the top overall selection in the summer of 1989, and was called up on September 6th. He joined the rotation in 1990 and got his first start in July, in which he threw a complete game shut out against the White Sox. He finished the season 8-5 with a 2.43 ERA in 118.2 innings, which gave him enough attention to finish 8th in the RoY voting. McDonald was the first #1 draft pick to win his first three starts, and from 1991 until 1995 he had a 4.06 ERA, averaging 10 wins (and losses), 162 innings and 114 strike outs a year. In 1996 he went to the Brewers and had some success, going 12-10 with a 3.90 ERA, though shoulder problems began to occur, missing part of the 1997 season and was traded to the Indians. In February 1998 he had rotator cuff surgery, which was unsuccessful and he was forced to retire with a career record of 78-70 and a 3.91 ERA. In 2008 he was elected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame. 

Dickie Thon (1983)

Thon grew up in Puerto Rico, and was signed at 17 as an amateur free agent by the Angels. He played two years as an Angel, only gathering 300 ABs, before going to the Astros. In 1982 Thon lead the league with 10 triples, but 1983 he broke out and slashed .286/.341/.798 with 20 HRs, 9 triples, 28 doubles and 34 stolen bases. Thon was poised to continue his break out in 1984, however on April 8th he was hit in the face by a fastball and broke his orbital bone around his left eye. He returned in 1985, however his depth perception was significantly altered and had trouble regaining form. He managed to continue playing until 1993, hitting .256 and averaged 13 doubles, 2 triples and 5 home runs a season. Thon discussed the injury saying "I couldn't see the ball very well after I got hit in my left eye. I had to make adjustments, and open up a little bit and see the ball better. It's tough to do that in the big leagues, but I did manage to play 10 [more] years." Thon was awarded the 1991 Tony Conigliaro Award for his recovery and was inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame in 2003. 

JR Richard (1979)

Richard was drafted in 1969 as the second overall pick by the Astros, and came up in 1971 - though had limited playing time until 1975. From 1976 until 1980 he was dominant, averaging 17-11, a 2.79 ERA, 1.165 WHIP and 233 strike outs a year. In July of 1980 Richard suffered a stroke while playing a game of catch before a game and was rushed to the hospital to remove a blood clot in his neck, bringing an end to his MLB career. His 313 strike outs in 1979 were a franchise record until Cole broke that mark this season. His personal life also became derailed, being scammed out of $300k and forfeiting almost $700k in a divorce. His second go at marriage also failed, and lost him his house and most of his money. He attempted to play Senior Professional baseball in 1989, but was cut and in 1994 was found living under a highway overpass in Houston. Luckily, there's a happy enough ending here. In 1995 he was eligible for his MLB pension and played in Astros Old Timers day. After struggling with homelessness, he turned to God, eventually becoming a minister. In 2005 there was a small budget movie depicting his baseball career, life demise and resurrection, and how he became a large part of the Houston community. He was honored by the Negro Leagues Baseball museum in 2018. 

Lyman Bostock (1977)

Bostock came from baseball blood, with his father being a Negro League star. Lyman picked up the habit of only using a basket style to catch baseballs due to his glove being stolen as a kid. In college he opted to be involved in activism his first to years, and yet was still drafted in 1970. He passed and was drafted by the Twins in '72. He was called up in 1975 and had immediate success, batting .282. In 1974 Bostock finished fourth in the batting title and in 1977 came in second to teammate Rod Carew. He co-holds the MLB record for put outs in a game by a centerfielder at 12.  After 1977 he signed a 6 year, $2.3M deal with the Angels. He played poorly in April, trying to return his salary after he felt he did not deserve it.  Instead he donated it to charity. He hit .404 in June and was on a tear going into the end of the season. After a game against the White Sox in September, Bostock was murdered by Leonard Smith who thought his estranged wife was having an affair with Bostock (the two had met 20 minutes prior). Smith pleaded insanity, served 21 months including trial time, and was released. Indiana's insanity laws were changed due to this. Bostock owns a .311 lifetime average in a career cut short due to violence. 

Derrick Turnbow (2005)

Turnbow was drafted in the 1997 draft and then acquired in the Rule 5 Draft by the Angels in 1999. He played in 2000 with OK results, and didn't play again until 2003. He was the first player to test positive for a banned steroid in the fall that year. Though he did not receive any punishment by the MLB, he was banned for two years from international play. He was claimed by the Brewers following 2004 season and dominated, with 39 saves and 62 games finished to the tune of a 1.74 ERA and 1.084 WHIP. In 2006 he was off to a great start and made the All Star team, though in the second half he fell apart - finishing with a 6.87 ERA. In 2007 he struggled  with a 4.63 ERA in 68 innings, and in 2008 he had 8 appearances, going 0-1 with 1 save and an 15.63 ERA. He was optioned to AAA and completely lost control. In 18 IP he walked 41 batters and threw 10 wild pitches, and finished the season with a slight labrum tear. He made a few more attempts, but failed to make strides and further injured his arm and retired in 2010. 

Joel Zumaya (2006)

Zumaya was drafted out of high school in 2002 due to his ridiculous fastball speed. He began his pro career as a starter, though was moved to the bullpen before reaching the MLB. He was used as a middle relief and set up man, and was loved for his aggressive attitude and fastball reaching 104.8 MPH. He pitched to a 1.94 ERA in 83.1 IP, and held opposing batters to a .187 batting average.  He was a major part in the Tigers' 2006 playoff run, though was sidelined from the ALCS due to a "sore wrist" which was later disclosed to be due to him playing Guitar Hero. This started a trend. In May 2007 he ruptured a tendon in his hand requiring surgery and 3 months of rehab. After rehab he pitched to exactly one batter. He injured his shoulder helping his father move boxes when a 50 to 60 pound box fell on his pitching shoulder and separated it. He made it through the second half of 2008, but in 2009 issues arose again, to the point where he could not move his arm, requiring surgery. In 2010 he suffered a non-displaced fracture of the olecranon, ending his season and forcing him to miss 2011. In 2012 he was attempting a come back and tore his UCL in February, ending his career. 

Rocco Baldelli (2004)

Rocco Baldelli was drafted sixth overall in 2000, and turned down an athletic scholarship from Wake Forest to sign with Tampa Bay for $2.25M. He came in third in RoY voting, and in 2004 turned in a similar campaign batting .280 with 16 HRs, 27 doubles and 145 hits. He started 2005 on the disabled list after tearing his ACL playing baseball with his brother in the offseason, and then seriously injured his elbow while rehabbing, forcing him to get TJ surgery. In 2006 he returned and hit .302 with 16 HRs, 24 doubles and 110 hits in only 364 at bats. Before the 2007 season he pulled his hamstring, and never was the same. He missed most of the season and suffered from fatigue and muscle problems due to abnormalities in his mitochondria. Baldelli found some respite, and managed to play in 2008, having an impact in the ALCS. In 2009 he was diagnosed with mitochondrial channelopathy, which was made worse by Lyme disease he had as a teenager. Baldelli bounced around and played a bit in 2010, but retired after the season. We now known him as the Twins manager, where he has been successful. 

Hope you guys enjoyed this, and let me know if there's someone you think deserves to be here and I will add them if they belong.