1. Manny Ramirez, LF, Red Sox
He should be DH'ing, but then where do you play David Ortiz? Ramirez was in rare form in Game 1 of the ALCS against the Yankees, failing to hold Gary Sheffield to a single in the first inning and allowing two drives to fall over his head for extra bases in crucial situations.
2. Roger Cedeno, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
You know how labrador retrievers have a knack for knowing exactly where the ball is going to land? Well, Cedeno is no labrador retriever in that respect. Nobody takes a more circuitous route to fly balls.
3. Cliff Floyd, LF, New York Mets
The injury-prone Floyd was so determined to play in 2004 that he took the field with a bum Achilles along with his other usual ailments. The results were disastrous. You want to know a surefire way to lose a bunch of baseball games? Have an outfielder who turns routine fly balls into extra-base hits, singles into doubles and doubles into triples.
4. Ben Grieve, RF, Milwaukee Brewers-Chicago Cubs
At least Floyd has an excuse for taking his sweet time getting to a ball. Bernie the Brewer in full regalia can cover ground quicker than the cement-footed, lackadaisical Grieve.
5. Craig Biggio, CF-LF, Houston Astros
A career second baseman and catcher shouldn't be asked to move to center field in his late 30s, especially in Minute Maid Park (435 to center). It's not fair. After watching Biggio trip on Tal's Hill for 1 1/2 seasons and allowing baserunners to roam free from base to base, the Astros shifted him over to left field upon acquiring the spectacular Carlos Beltran.
6. Ken Griffey Jr., CF, Cincinnati Reds
Say it ain't so, Kenny. If this were five years ago, no way he makes this list. But Griffey has spent too much time under the knife lately to be trotting out to center field anymore. It was patently ridiculous for the Reds to ask him to take that kind of pounding this season, which was cut short once again for The Kid after 83 games.
7. Kenny Lofton, CF, New York Yankees
What's the deal with all these old guys trying to play center? There's a reason Joe Torre isn't playing him much this postseason, and it isn't just because Bernie Williams is one of the best October hitters of all time. Speaking of which, this leads us perfectly to ...
8. Bernie Williams, CF, New York Yankees
Like Griffey, he used to be great. At 36, Williams is just hanging on while trying to cover Death Valley at Yankee Stadium. Shoulder injuries have sapped his arm of its former strength, and he allows too many bloopers to drop in front of him. It's almost a fait accompli that he will be replaced (Beltran?) in center next season.
9. Shawn Green, RF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Much like Major League's Roger Dorn, diving for balls just isn't Green's thing. The Dodgers preferred to force Green into an awkward transition to first base than keep him in the outfield.
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