Most overrated baseball superstar ever?

[cardsagain74]

My choice is Pete Rose.

Other than hitting singles and running over catchers in all-star games, he didn't really do anything well. Yes two gold gloves, but his defensive WAR numbers show him as a consistent liability in the field. Terrible base stealer (in an era when teams counted on their table setter to steal a lot of em). Even with his durability, the only reason he got near Cobb's record was the abundance of plate appearances at the top of the big red machine for all those years.

Barely hit over .300 lifetime playing in a fairly hitter-friendly park for many years.
Lifetime OPS well inferior to Gwynn and Carew, despite those guys playing on bad teams with less protection behind them.

I think that about covers it

[packs]

Reggie Jackson.

Makes me sick to see his number on the same wall as real Yankees. His legacy is baffling to me. The guy hit 563 home runs, but hung around for 5 seasons to hit 99 of them while putting up a combined 5 season WAR of 0.0. That is not a typo either.

Does he get into the HOF with 462 home runs?

[cardsagain74]

Originally Posted by packs

Does he get into the HOF with 462 home runs?

I'd guess he still easily would have. Add in about 12 all star appearances before your cutoff and going out of his mind over the course of five world series (especially for the Yankees).

But yeah, his career would've had a better legacy if he'd bowed out a few years earlier. Probably hung around for the salary too. Looks like actually made more money in those last 5 zero WAR years than the rest of his career combined

[Tomi]

Jeter. He is better than other HOFer's but his stature in baseball is just over hyped more than anyone else.

[philliesfan]

definitely Jeter...…..

[bnorth]

All time Mickey Mantle by a country mile.

To you fine gentlemen that said Jeter please name one player that tried harder. I am not a fan and don't own a single Jeter card. I did go to a lot of Yankee games and he seemed to try his absolute hardest on every play.

[mcgwirecom]

Originally Posted by Tomi

Jeter. He is better than other HOFer's but his stature in baseball is just over hyped more than anyone else.

Amen brother. If he played anywhere else he would be Paul Molitor

[rats60]

Originally Posted by packs

Reggie Jackson.

Makes me sick to see his number on the same wall as real Yankees. His legacy is baffling to me. The guy hit 563 home runs, but hung around for 5 seasons to hit 99 of them while putting up a combined 5 season WAR of 0.0. That is not a typo either.

Does he get into the HOF with 462 home runs?

5 rings got Catfish Hunter into the Hof without counting stats. Reggie Jackson would have made it easy with a MVP, 2 WS MVP and 5 rings.

[ClementeFanOh]

I've got one current and a couple 30+ year old mentions, as I've watched them play and still can't figure out whey people think they are good or "great":

1) Bryce Harper- I'll never get it. He's laughing all the way to the bank.

2) Bobby Bonilla, Strawberry, Dykstra, et al- nope, not that good.

3) Ozzie Smith- he turned flips on the field and batted .260. Seems like a nice guy though.

There are people who are/were fans of course, but that's my group.

[Jim65]

Originally Posted by ClementeFanOh

1) Bryce Harper- I'll never get it. He's laughing all the way to the bank.

He turned 1 spectacular year into a $300M contract. Good player but definitely the most overrated active player.

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by Jim65

He turned 1 spectacular year into a $300M contract. Good player but definitely the most overrated active player.

Since his MVP 2015 season, Harper's 162 game averages 2016-2019:

.265 AVG, 107 runs, 34 doubles, 34 home runs, 109 RBI, 114 walks, 159 K, .386 OBP/.507 SLG/.893 OPS, 131 OPS+.

Baseball Reference lists the following similar batters through age 26:

1. Andruw Jones
2. Justin Upton
3. Ken Griffey Jr
4. Eddie Mathews
5. Jose Canseco
6. Mike Trout
7. Ruben Sierra
8. Miguel Cabrera
9. Frank Robinson
10. Manny Machado

Three Hall of Famers, and two locks for Cooperstown. I understand that subconsciously, a lot of people don't like him. But a 27 year old guy that hits 35 home runs a year, walks well over 100 times, outproduces the league by 30+ percent, and has a ridiculous ceiling....I'd take that any day of the week.

[cardsagain74]

Originally Posted by ClementeFanOh

3) Ozzie Smith- he turned flips on the field and batted .260. Seems like a nice guy though.

But if you go by the defensive WAR numbers, Ozzie's defense was every bit as good (and valuable) as his reputation. He was the best infielder in the history of the game, and by a big margin.

It has me envision that old Bugs Bunny baseball cartoon. "First base Ozzie Smith, second base Ozzie Smith, shortstop Ozzie Smith....."

[ClementeFanOh]

Hi John- yes, Ozzie was a wonderful one-dimensional player (okay, I'll give another 1/2 dimension for being a steady but not monstrous stolen base guy). I actually "like" him, but again the term "overrated" is key. Why isn't Dave Concepcion in the Hall, by the way? Eerily similar offensive stats, same position, GREAT defensive player, led the 76 Reds in Game Winnings RBIs, similar tenure in MLB, on 2 WS winners. Concepcion is a wonderful player who is not "overrated". And don't get me started on Phil Rizzuto being in the Hall...

Originally Posted by cardsagain74

My choice is Pete Rose.

Other than hitting singles and running over catchers in all-star games, he didn't really do anything well. Yes two gold gloves, but his defensive WAR numbers show him as a consistent liability in the field. Terrible base stealer (in an era when teams counted on their table setter to steal a lot of em). Even with his durability, the only reason he got near Cobb's record was the abundance of plate appearances at the top of the big red machine for all those years.

Barely hit over .300 lifetime playing in a fairly hitter-friendly park for many years.
Lifetime OPS well inferior to Gwynn and Carew, despite those guys playing on bad teams with less protection behind them.

I think that about covers it

Not Pete Rose but "Opinions are Like Assholes Everyone has One"

[Wrightfan85]

I was going to go with Ryan because of the walks but I completely forgot the insane lack of contact hitters got off him. He averaged 6.6 hits per nine innings for 27 YEARS! :O

For me it might be Jack Morris. 3.90 ERA, under 2500 K's, 200+ wild pitches among other things. He really only has the wins plus Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. Sure, Maz is mostly remembered for his dramatic homer off the Yanks but he was an elite defender and more defensive guys need to be in (coughBOB GRICHcough)

[brewing]

Originally Posted by Wrightfan85

For me it might be Jack Morris. 3.90 ERA, under 2500 K's, 200+ wild pitches among other things. He really only has the wins plus Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. Sure, Maz is mostly remembered for his dramatic homer off the Yanks but he was an elite defender and more defensive guys need to be in (coughBOB GRICHcough)

I'm a Tiger fan and I'd agree that his HoF credentials are questionable at best. I can't ever remember him being referred anywhere close to superstar status though.

[cardsagain74]

Nolan Ryan would easily be second on my list.

One thing I've never seen mentioned is how pitcher-friendly the Astrodome was in the '80s. The home/road splits are night and day. Look at Mike Scott's as well. Both of those guys had the numbers of a #3 or #4 in the rotation national league starter on the road.

Ryan/strikeouts and Rose/base hits. Shiny things that they hung around long enough to do more of than anyone else. Quantity well over quality.

As far as the hobby goes, Ryan is my clear cut #1 for overrated sportscard lore.

[Touch'EmAll]

The career overall stats may not be as impressive as other top pitchers, but Ryan could do things that nobody else could. Ryan had the most awe inspiring Wow factor of any pitcher ever - he still holds Guiness Book Records for fastest pitch, he threw more no-hitters than anyone...ever...in the entire history of the sport. You don't have a "nothing to average" pitcher come out and toss 7 no-hitters...and how many 1-hitters? Could you imaging Ryan pitching in Dodger Stadium in the mid-1960's with the higher pitchers mound like Koufax had?
Sorry some of you feel the way you do about Ryan.

[cardsagain74]

Originally Posted by 100backstroke

The career overall stats may not be as impressive as other top pitchers, but Ryan could do things that nobody else could. Ryan had the most awe inspiring Wow factor of any pitcher ever - he still holds Guiness Book Records for fastest pitch, he threw more no-hitters than anyone...ever...in the entire history of the sport. You don't have a "nothing to average" pitcher come out and toss 7 no-hitters...and how many 1-hitters? Could you imaging Ryan pitching in Dodger Stadium in the mid-1960's with the higher pitchers mound like Koufax had?
Sorry some of you feel the way you do about Ryan.

Yes he was all those things. Doesn't change the fact that he would've had around a league-average ERA overall for his career if he hadn't pitched in Houston throughout the '80s.

He was one of a kind, awe-inspiring, and insanely difficult to hit a baseball off of. But none of that translated into being highly effective throughout his career.

[Mike D.]

Nolan Ryan’s ERA+ was higher during his time with the Angels and Rangers than it was in his time with the Astros.