Athletes you like for stupid reasons

[DougW]

Originally Posted by lungs

Israel Sanchez, he of 42 career innings pitched for the Kansas City Royals in 1988 and 90.

I had his 1989 Upper Deck baseball card and it was my only 89 Upper Deck card. Not sure how I got it, probably in some variety pack. Anyway, I was at a Royals-Brewer game in 1990 and saw Sanchez warming up. So I yelled his name and started waving.

The look on the guys face was hilarious, as he was pretty much an unknown player at a visiting stadium and some 8 year old is screaming his name and waving like he is some superstar.

Great story

[Buccaneer]

I got into baseball and football cards in 1970 and picked out my favorite players solely because they had long hair (which was probably why I am still very active in my collection and have long hair ).

[Racer]

Eli Manning because I'm a Colts fan and he's Peyton's brother

Cornelius Bennett because I usually played with the Bills in Tecmo Super Bowl and I would rack up a lot of sacks with him.

[MacroGuru]

Originally Posted by BYU 14

Besides Steve Garvey.....

Jim McMahon, we played at rival high schools my sophomore year (Layton) before I moved back to Salt Lake City.

He was a senior at Roy HS and had a tricked out Dodge that he used to race on weekends. My friends big brother had a Camaro and those two would always go at it. We would hang out and drink beer after, sometimes during, these races and he was always pretty cool, even though he was cocky as hell even then.

He is actually the reason BYU is my favorite College team, even though as an honor code abusing non-mormon I would never have lasted a day there. He shouldn't have lasted a day either, except being a helluva quarterback trumps the honor code

I have to dig up the picture or see if my mom has it....

Jimmy Mac was my uncles best friend in college and I think it was because he knew he could get weed from him (my dad supplied)...

The picture is me, surrounded by Jimmy, most of the OL and WR's stoned out of their gourds on our couch....

[JPhillips]

Javier Saviola was my first CM/FM love affair.

Really, I could list fifty international soccer guys only from CM/FM.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by MacroGuru

I have to dig up the picture or see if my mom has it....

Jimmy Mac was my uncles best friend in college and I think it was because he knew he could get weed from him (my dad supplied)...

The picture is me, surrounded by Jimmy, most of the OL and WR's stoned out of their gourds on our couch....

Nice, I didn't mention weed in my story, but since the cats out of the bag, LOL. Those were different days at BYU, could you imagine any of the athletes there now allowing a picture like that to be taken.

Also pretty cool we have two athletes in common... You mentioned you also knew the Bellini's right?

[Cap Ologist]

Chris "Birdman" Andersen because I played against him in high school and blocked him cleanly when he tried to dunk over me in a tournament.

[Lathum]

Dean Houston

[MacroGuru]

Originally Posted by BYU 14

Nice, I didn't mention weed in my story, but since the cats out of the bag, LOL. Those were different days at BYU, could you imagine any of the athletes there now allowing a picture like that to be taken.

Also pretty cool we have two athletes in common... You mentioned you also knew the Bellini's right?

Yup...In fact, I did a specialized media cd for Mark as he is a realtor now...I did that back in 2001 when I did Doman's Heisman Hype CD for the school...

[EagleFan]

Greg Pearson, Burton Albion - FM 2011 is what I owe this to. One of the longest careers that I had in the game started with Burton for several seasons and he was a star early on and had a couple 40 goal seasons for me. He seemed to have a very good first step and was able to get around a defender with ease (until we were promoted a couple levels). Actually started to follow Burton online now thanks to this.

Ironically, for another thread I guess, a player that I dislike for stupid reasons would be Shaun Harrad from Burton. He wasn't on the team for my career but in FM 2010 I had a couple different careers with teams where I had to play against Burton and he always killed me and would lead the league in goals. Then when I tried to take a stand to get him on my team I got fired fo it. D*** him!!!!

Mike Trout - From my home town, my brother went to school with his father and how can he not be the official FOFC favorite with that last name.

Ray Rice - A Rutgers guy that I would have loved to have seen the Eagles draft.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

Speaking athletes named Lemon, my dad and I tended to follow Cleo Lemon a little bit a few years back because he looked like a can't-miss stud against the 49ers in a pre-season game. We both didn't have any hopes that he'd be anything, because it was a pre-season game. But he still looked amazing in that one game.

He just got cut by the Toronto Argonauts. He had every chance to perform for the Argos this year, and he was just terrible. They couldn't take him anymore.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by Racer

Eli Manning because I'm a Colts fan and he's Peyton's brother

Cornelius Bennett because I usually played with the Bills in Tecmo Super Bowl and I would rack up a lot of sacks with him.

I absolutely loved Mike Singletary for the same reason. Then he became the 49ers coach...

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

He just got cut by the Toronto Argonauts. He had every chance to perform for the Argos this year, and he was just terrible. They couldn't take him anymore.

Sad. I've always wondered if it's a purely mental thing with some athletes and not being able to make it at the pro level. Clearly, they have the ability to do what needs to be done...is it just that they can't function at the speed of the pro game? That mentally it's just not all there? Weird.

[OldGiants]

Pat Borders, the Blue Jays catcher.

In 1988 I went to a Richmond Braves and we had seats in the first row right where wire screen ended. I had my Sporting News propped on the top of the low wall. Borders was in the on deck circle, Richmond made a pitching change and he spotted the SN, wandered over and picked it up and looked up his stats.

I said, "I saw you last month in Baltimore when you pinch hit." (He was on injury rehab assignment with Syracuse now). "You flew out to center."

He nodded, then actually spat on the field and kicked the wall. "Yeah, and the bases were loaded, too."

That was the kind of old school player he was. Never more than a decent platoon catcher, he did go on to be MVP of the 1992 World Series and I've never been more excited about anyone getting that honor in all my life.

[AgustusM]

Originally Posted by Cap Ologist

Chris "Birdman" Andersen because I played against him in high school and blocked him cleanly when he tried to dunk over me in a tournament.

In that case I will have to choose Todd Lichti because in high school I tried to draw a charge and he jumped OVER me and dunked it on my head - one of my all time worst high school moments, 25+ years later it is funny now.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

Sad. I've always wondered if it's a purely mental thing with some athletes and not being able to make it at the pro level. Clearly, they have the ability to do what needs to be done...is it just that they can't function at the speed of the pro game? That mentally it's just not all there? Weird.

Perhaps. Or maybe Cleo Lemon just sucks. I think I know which side of the fence Dolphins and Argonauts fans fall on.

Another player I like for a stupid reason is Kelly Gruber. The hair. Hair Canada.

[AgustusM]

Originally Posted by JediKooter

Broderick Perkins - Don't know why, but, I had these giant oversized Padres baseball cards I got one time going to a game. Lost all of them except for his.

One of the all time great SOM cards. Kind of player I would always "trade" for as a kid. Loved it back then, would hate and complain about it now if one of these small sample size guys dominated one of my sim leagues now. (note the scan cut off but his average was .370 His OPS was .952 both up of course from career 271/665)

[JediKooter]

Originally Posted by AgustusM

One of the all time great SOM cards. Kind of player I would always "trade" for as a kid. Loved it back then, would hate and complain about it now if one of these small sample size guys dominated one of my sim leagues now. (note the scan cut off but his average was .370 His OPS was .952 both up of course from career 271/665)

Nice find!

Here's a Perkins stat for you:

In 1982, when facing a starting pitcher, his average was better the first at bat than the second at bat. Either he forgot how to hit the pitcher or the pitcher figured him out in one at bat. He played in 125 games that season.

1st time .322
2nd time .211

[SteveMax58]

He wasn't my favorite player (by any means) but I always liked Chris Sabo because he wore those stupid goggles when he played. I wore glasses at the time (I was about 14-ish?) and always wished I had goggles like he had when I played baseball.

[Radii]

Originally Posted by OldGiants

Pat Borders, the Blue Jays catcher.

In 1988 I went to a Richmond Braves and we had seats in the first row right where wire screen ended. I had my Sporting News propped on the top of the low wall. Borders was in the on deck circle, Richmond made a pitching change and he spotted the SN, wandered over and picked it up and looked up his stats.

I said, "I saw you last month in Baltimore when you pinch hit." (He was on injury rehab assignment with Syracuse now). "You flew out to center."

He nodded, then actually spat on the field and kicked the wall. "Yeah, and the bases were loaded, too."

That was the kind of old school player he was. Never more than a decent platoon catcher, he did go on to be MVP of the 1992 World Series and I've never been more excited about anyone getting that honor in all my life.

I like this story a lot, good stuff.

[Draft Dodger]

Bob Dernier was awesome in a MicroLeague season I did once (probably because I entered his stats wrong).

I was a Cowboys fan because I started watching football when I was 5 or 6 and what 5 or 6 year old doesn't love cowboys?

Butch Johnson for the California Quake

Ken Burrough because he wore 00

[Pumpy Tudors]

Dan Gladden. Yeah, hair again.

[Draft Dodger]

players I liked because of their name:
Garth Butcher
Thane Gash
Reggie Tongue
(all 3 have been rpg characters for me at some points).

also, Enrico Ciccone

[molson]

Jesse Orosco. I think it was the 1996 playoffs, freshman year at college, I remember him just taking on a mythical status for some reason among the guys on our floor. I put up a ridiculous website about him where I had fictitious interviews and stories, which all portrayed him as an arrogant, drug-addled maniac with aspirations for world domination. Good times. Got a decent amount of web traffic.

[JediKooter]

Originally Posted by molson

Jesse Orosco. I think it was the 1996 playoffs, freshman year at college, I remember him just taking on a mythical status for some reason among the guys on our floor. I put up a ridiculous website about him where I had fictitious interviews and stories, which all portrayed him as an arrogant, drug-addled maniac with aspirations for world domination. Good times. Got a decent amount of web traffic.

My step daughter's all star softball team beat Jesse Orosco's daughter's all star softball team. I wish I knew about your website or I would have congratulated him on his sobriety.

[AgustusM]

Originally Posted by JediKooter

Nice find!

Here's a Perkins stat for you:

In 1982, when facing a starting pitcher, his average was better the first at bat than the second at bat. Either he forgot how to hit the pitcher or the pitcher figured him out in one at bat. He played in 125 games that season.

1st time .322
2nd time .211

wow, that explains a lot on why he never fully developed.

BTW - the "find" was in my garage - about the only thing I have hung on to all these years are my SOM cards - as much as I prefer the games we have now, something about the cards is perfect to me. I am sure most of it is Nostalgia, but there was something about the way you can look at a card and tell how good a player was that I miss.

[JediKooter]

Originally Posted by AgustusM

wow, that explains a lot on why he never fully developed.

BTW - the "find" was in my garage - about the only thing I have hung on to all these years are my SOM cards - as much as I prefer the games we have now, something about the cards is perfect to me. I am sure most of it is Nostalgia, but there was something about the way you can look at a card and tell how good a player was that I miss.

Yes. Consistency was definitely not his strongest attribute.

I'm totally with you on the nostalgia thing. I still have a lot of my cards from when I was a kid (mostly 70s and 80s cards) and I know exactly what you mean by just looking at the stats. Many of those stats went into my MicroLeague Baseball General Managers disc.

[RainMaker]

Joe Borowski - Just seemed like a guy who should be pitching beer league softball games but was a pretty good closer for the Cubs.

Chad Ochocinco - I know most find him obnoxious but I think he's hilarious.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by SteveMax58

He wasn't my favorite player (by any means) but I always liked Chris Sabo because he wore those stupid goggles when he played. I wore glasses at the time (I was about 14-ish?) and always wished I had goggles like he had when I played baseball.

I always had an irrational dislike for him because he beat out Mark Grace for ROY in 1988

SI

[Jughead Spock]

Originally Posted by Racer

Cornelius Bennett because I usually played with the Bills in Tecmo Super Bowl and I would rack up a lot of sacks with him.

Yeah, I had a fondness for Dennis Gentry for much the same reason. Pretty sure I scored with him more than Walter Payton.

[DougW]

Jason Williams ... because "White Chocolate" is a sweet nickname. Plus, he was smooth.

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by SteveMax58

He wasn't my favorite player (by any means) but I always liked Chris Sabo because he wore those stupid goggles when he played. I wore glasses at the time (I was about 14-ish?) and always wished I had goggles like he had when I played baseball.

YES! The Stupid goggles were AWESOME!