Players who could have been the face of baseball but…

hermanotarjeta · 08-12-2023, 09:38 AM

….failed to ascend to the throne or maintain their status for a prolonged period of time/generation.

Their failure could have been due to injury, lack of performance, or from other miscellaneous derailing factors.

The face of baseball for the generation not only needs to be productive offensively, but they need to have a mug for the camera and the overall package for MLB marketing. The ambassador for the sport.

Who could have been that guy and just let it slip away?

awz50 · 08-12-2023, 09:40 AM

Darryl Strawberry, Denny McLain and Josh Hamilton

ThoseBackPages · 08-12-2023, 09:47 AM

Trout

kingofsnake · 08-12-2023, 10:03 AM

Gregg Jefferies, Mark Prior.

Skippy · 08-12-2023, 10:06 AM

Eric Davis

mjohnatgt · 08-12-2023, 10:11 AM

Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders. Careers too short to be the face, but great personalities. Don Mattingly was for a while in the 80s, but too short of a career.

chiefsncards275 · 08-12-2023, 10:15 AM

As sad as it is to say, Jose Fernandez.

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free2131 · 08-12-2023, 10:23 AM

Dontrelle Willis. Loved seeing him pitch and have such a great personality. Too bad he dropped hard after going to Detroit.

hermanotarjeta · 08-12-2023, 10:26 AM

Kris Bryant was supposed to be that guy - now simply a journeyman.

MiamiMarlinsFan · 08-12-2023, 10:28 AM

Kevin Maitán

no10pin · 08-12-2023, 10:34 AM

Dwight Gooden

JoshMN · 08-12-2023, 10:48 AM

Bonds. Clemens. Sosa. McGwire. I guess they were actually faces of a generation, but not in a positive way.

Twalk1975 · 08-12-2023, 10:50 AM

Arod. Supremely talented, but always his own worst enemy. And ended up on teams with two guys who were better suited to being the face of baseball than he was.

hermanotarjeta · 08-12-2023, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MiamiMarlinsFan

Kevin Maitán

I couldn’t even identify that dudes mug in a police lineup of players who committed crimes against bowman prospectors!

MiamiMarlinsFan · 08-12-2023, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

I couldn’t even identify that dudes mug in a police lineup of players who committed crimes against bowman prospectors!

Same here. I just know that in every BO thread where we list a bunch of names, someone inevitably says “Kevin Maitán”, so I figured I would just get us there sooner than later.

eastbayak · 08-12-2023, 11:26 AM

Trout

dashcol · 08-12-2023, 12:06 PM

Jose Fernandez.

Such an amazing talent with much more potential. Taken way too early. What could have been.

He would not have been able to unseat Ohtani, but from 2013-2018 he could have been the face.

dashcol · 08-12-2023, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoshMN

Bonds. Clemens. Sosa. McGwire. I guess they were actually faces of a generation, but not in a positive way.

All four of those guys were the face of baseball when they were on top. Their infamy came after they were on top.

Never since Bonds home run chase did every game cut to his every at bat, regardless of what was going on in their game. Literally EVERY game cut to his at bat. Even stadiums would play his at bats on their Jumbotrons. He wasn’t only baseball at the time, he was sports and America. Even non sports fans talked about the Bonds at bats from the previous day. He was probably bigger than Ohtani is now.

panamamyers · 08-12-2023, 12:12 PM

JD Drew has to be in the mix doesn't he?

JohnnyAppleseed · 08-12-2023, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twalk1975

Arod. Supremely talented, but always his own worst enemy. And ended up on teams with two guys who were better suited to being the face of baseball than he was.

He was my thought as well, but I'm not sure he fits the criteria for the question. He was definitely the face of baseball for a short period of time, and he's still very recognizable to those that aren't baseball fans. He's also still around the game and there's time for him to turn around public perception.

A guy that could/should be more heralded than he is, absolutely. Probably tops the list of "guys that you would expect to have more hobby love."

cardsin47 · 08-12-2023, 12:27 PM

Tatis - unless he’s too young for this Threads question

Jed Clampett · 08-12-2023, 12:33 PM

Hank Blalock….
2003-2005
Put up great numbers from age 22-24
Looked like he may be the guy

msink28 · 08-12-2023, 12:48 PM

I'll put a vote in for Ryan Braun.

rats60 · 08-12-2023, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eastbayak

Trout

Ken Griffey Jr. His last 4 years in Seattle he averaged 52 HRs and 142 RBIs. Then he forced his way out of Seattle and from age 31-36 he played 554 of 972 games as he was injured every year. Trout is following the same path.

fabiani12333 · 08-12-2023, 01:02 PM

Dwight Gooden is an obvious one.

08-12-2023, 09:38 AM	#1
hermanotarjeta Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 22,022	Players who could have been the face of baseball but… ….failed to ascend to the throne or maintain their status for a prolonged period of time/generation. Their failure could have been due to injury, lack of performance, or from other miscellaneous derailing factors. The face of baseball for the generation not only needs to be productive offensively, but they need to have a mug for the camera and the overall package for MLB marketing. The ambassador for the sport. Who could have been that guy and just let it slip away?

08-12-2023, 09:40 AM	#2
awz50 Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: New Hampshire>>>Arizona>>>>Florida Posts: 33,399 awz50	Darryl Strawberry, Denny McLain and Josh Hamilton __________________ Collecting Baseball Hof Autographs 248/351 Blowouts Official Red Sox face of the franchise Eduardo Rodriguez Super Collector

08-12-2023, 09:47 AM	#3
ThoseBackPages Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Long Island Posts: 90,326 ThoseBackPages	Trout __________________ Pumpers Paradise #YouCryIBuy Four things that we cannot change each others minds about: Politics, Religion, Third Party Grading, and 2021 Bowman's Best Rookie Cards

08-12-2023, 10:03 AM	#4
kingofsnake Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Napa Valley Posts: 4,525	Gregg Jefferies, Mark Prior. __________________ I collect Joe Johnson - 2,824 different cards, 527 1/1's. www.ilocust.com/hobby.htm

08-12-2023, 10:06 AM	#5
Skippy Member Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: CA Posts: 336	Eric Davis __________________ Looking for: Jack Hughes FWA PSA 10, Erling Haaland Bundesliga Refractor PSA 10, Tiger Woods 2001 UD BGS 10.

08-12-2023, 10:11 AM	#6
mjohnatgt Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Niceville, FL Posts: 14,710 mjohnatgt mjohnatgt	Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders. Careers too short to be the face, but great personalities. Don Mattingly was for a while in the 80s, but too short of a career.

08-12-2023, 10:15 AM	#7
chiefsncards275 Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,513 chiefsncards275	As sad as it is to say, Jose Fernandez. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

08-12-2023, 10:23 AM	#8
free2131 Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 5,367	Dontrelle Willis. Loved seeing him pitch and have such a great personality. Too bad he dropped hard after going to Detroit. __________________ “I exploit you, still you love me. I tell you one and one makes three.” - Living Colour

08-12-2023, 10:26 AM	#9
hermanotarjeta Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 22,022	Kris Bryant was supposed to be that guy - now simply a journeyman.

08-12-2023, 10:28 AM	#10
MiamiMarlinsFan Member Join Date: Jun 2020 Location: Florida Posts: 13,708	Kevin Maitán

08-12-2023, 10:34 AM	#11
no10pin Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 16,901 no10pin no10pin	Dwight Gooden __________________ Always looking for more George Brett stuff. Need more rookies, low numbered inserts/parallels and on-card autos (no Panini).

08-12-2023, 10:48 AM	#12
JoshMN Member Join Date: Jan 2022 Posts: 1,587	Bonds. Clemens. Sosa. McGwire. I guess they were actually faces of a generation, but not in a positive way.

08-12-2023, 10:50 AM	#13
Twalk1975 Member Join Date: Jul 2022 Location: Phoenix Posts: 996	Arod. Supremely talented, but always his own worst enemy. And ended up on teams with two guys who were better suited to being the face of baseball than he was.

08-12-2023, 11:26 AM	#16
eastbayak Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 16,411 eastbayak	Trout

08-12-2023, 12:06 PM	#17
dashcol Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: It's complicated Posts: 7,739	Jose Fernandez. Such an amazing talent with much more potential. Taken way too early. What could have been. He would not have been able to unseat Ohtani, but from 2013-2018 he could have been the face. __________________ “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” Jackie Robinson “Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way.” Satchel Paige.

08-12-2023, 12:12 PM	#19
panamamyers Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 1,898 panamamyers panamamyers	JD Drew has to be in the mix doesn't he?

08-12-2023, 12:27 PM	#21
cardsin47 Member Join Date: Sep 2020 Location: Westminster, MD Posts: 8,761 cardsin47	Tatis - unless he’s too young for this Threads question __________________ @cardsin47 is Steve Meyer ~ #WaxReturns! PC Gem Mint Factory Sealed 5-Sport Active Player RC & Prospect SCARCE Hobby/ HTA Jumbo/ Retail/ Blaster/ Mega Boxes! ~Trout! Soto! JROD! Wemby! Luka! Mahomes! McDavid! Bedard! Erling!~

08-12-2023, 12:33 PM	#22
Jed Clampett Member Join Date: Aug 2022 Posts: 490	Hank Blalock…. 2003-2005 Put up great numbers from age 22-24 Looked like he may be the guy

08-12-2023, 12:48 PM	#23
msink28 Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 1,347	I'll put a vote in for Ryan Braun.

08-12-2023, 01:02 PM	#25
fabiani12333 Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Posts: 12,351	Dwight Gooden is an obvious one.