Despite hitting .333, KENNY LOFTON remains one of the more reviled Braves of the past 10 years. He did the unthinkable, badmouthing Bobby -- probably the only player to do so besides Tim Spooneybarger and John Rocker (more on him later). Beyond attitude, Lofton was a bust in Atlanta, despite the high batting average. In the year before he came to the ATL, Lofton hit .317, with 75 SB, 14 HR and 67 RBI. With the Braves, Lofton stole only 27 bases in 47 attempts. His power numbers also declined, and he didn't impress me much with his CF defense. JS' grandest mistake.
As big an asshole as Lofton was, he had nothing on ROCKER. "Had an arm like a cannon and a head like a cannonball," JS wrote in "Built to Win." Rocker gave rednecks a bad name and deserved all the misfortune that came his way.
SHANE REYNOLDS was a good guy, by most accounts, but he posted one of the worst years by a starting pitcher during the Braves' championship run, finishing with a 5.43 ERA. Somehow, he won more than he lost.
I know for fact RICO BROGNA is a good guy, having interviewed him recently. But has a corner infielder ever put up flatter numbers than Brogna in 2001? He mercifully retired after 72 games in which he compiled an OPS (.632) that would embarrass Keith Lockhart.
Finally, we've seen some bad relievers pass through the bullpen gate at The Ted these past 10 years, but ADAM BERNERO belongs near the bottom of the list. We shouldn't have been surprised, considering his career stats. He was even worse in Atlanta, finishing with a 6.51 ERA in 47 IP. His lifetime totals: 11-27, 5.91 ERA.
Coming soon: the Worst 10 Players of the 1980s.
--CB
Will you please put up a new post! I'm sick of seeing Rocker at the top of the page.
Posted by: The Seven Train | February 07, 2007 at 01:17 PM
Andres Thomas!
Posted by: rankin' rob | February 07, 2007 at 09:03 AM
Your 10 of the Last 10 was well done, but you may have to expand the roster a little if you're going to tackle the 80s.
Posted by: Jack Straw | February 06, 2007 at 08:35 PM