Kerry Wood -- Greatest what-if ever?

I once asked MY grandpa, who had first row seats behind the Sox dugout for years. He said Williams could be counted on to loaf on some fielding plays, and sometimes acted in the field as if he didn't care. But maybe that's not breaking news.

 

the only "what if" regarding dupay is "what if" he would have received the due beating by d-cell batteries at breslin in 00 like he truly deserved. fuck selling insurance, he should be glad he's not drooling all over himself after that chicken shit act he pulled in the final. dude should be glad he can still eat solid food after that pathetic display of cowardice.

although my post may specify otherwise, i don't hate dupay. he was kid at the time, lord knows i wasn't perfect at that age. but that play was garbage and everyone who saw the game (minus gator fan) knows that.

LJB: i recognize the sarcasm

 

That's strong. And dead nuts.

 

Nick Neugebauer!

 

Please don't make cry. I had such high hopes for him and Steve Woodard.

 

Bobby Orr.

You might think, if not the greatest hockey player of all time, he's certainly the greatest defenceman who ever laced them up. But how much better would he have been had he not been hampered by bad knees that forced him to retire at age 30?

 

Well, as I recall, Zach Randolph did just about decapitate Dupay with an elbow the next season, in the most memorable moment of his snap-of-the-fingers college career.

Boy ain't been right since. Of course, the boy wasn't right before, either.

 

I'm not going through nine pages to make sure somebody's mentioned J.R. Richard, but J.R. Richard.

Dude had some of the nastiest stuff ever... and was cut down in his prime (or at least his career was cut down) by a stroke in 1980. Lived under a freeway overpass for a while until he got back on his feet (maybe with the help of the Astros and/or MLB). Sad story.

 

What about Todd Van Popple? That guy was gonna be the shit about 15 years or so ago. He turned into a journeyman. Wood at least can use the excuse of getting hurt all the time.

 

I love studying old baseball players.

Addie Joss died at 31 of disease. He had a career ERA of 1.89, won 62% of his decisions. An excellent player, perhaps the best finesse pitcher of all time. He had a lot of good years ahead of him ... and still made the Hall of Fame.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/j/jossad01.shtml

 

One of my favorite hobbies is studying old ball players. How about this guy; Lefty O'Doul. From 1919 to 1923 floundered as a pitcher. Then, after five years off -- for what I have no idea, he comes back and shows he can just rake! His 1929 season (.398, 32, 132) is out of this world good. Rick Ankiel could only hope to have half the comeback this guy did.
What if he started as a hitter from the get-go?

http://www.baseball-reference.com/o/o'doule01.shtml