Most Overrated Player Ever

For all of vick's faults, he's still pretty good and one of the fastest guys in the NFL...overrated, yeah...the most? thats tough...

I'd say crawford's pretty rated...he's just on a crappy team...

Thanks for the tip, I like all the help I can get.

Gotcha...I made some edits and used your comments to fill it in...i hope you don't mind, but feel free to take advantage of the edit feature and add your thoughts...I think a sentence or two about each is good...it makes sense what you've got...

Andruw Jones is the best centerfielder of Torri Hunter's time, not Torri Hunter. Best centerfielder just before Torri Hunter's time, Ken Griffey Jr. Torri Hunter is neither over nor under, I'd say he's just rated

Yeah, Tartan's right. For Stark to call Andruw Jones the most overrated center fielder of all-time exceeds ignorance and stupidity. He's the best defensive outfielder of his time, and not JUST because of the plays he makes. The simple fact that he MIGHT make certain plays affects the ways that guys run the bases, it affects the way that pitchers pitch...there's a reason that Atlanta pitchers demanded he be in the lineup even when he was hitting below the Mendoza Line.

The most common knock on him is his bat, but even that's dumb. When you look at his homerun and RBI totals for his age, he is still among the elite. I think people forget, because he's been playing since he was 19, that he's only 30 and still probably has 6 good years ahead of him. When all is said and done, he will be considered the best centerfielder of his generation.

By the way, I haven't head it myself, but the guys on the radio this morning were saying that Scott Boras used actual stats to rip Stark a new one for saying Jones is overrated. I hope I can find that.

and Jones isn't even 30 yet and his ridiculous... Actually, if anything, he's underrated...no one in the nat'l media talk about him and his teams (other than last year) just keep on chuggin. He will be a prize FA after the season...

At least we know Stark isn't in Boras's pocket...unlike another ESPN writer who's name rhymes with ren lasquerli...

I found this Atlanta-Journal Constitution blog that talks about some of the points Boras made to defend Jones. Apparently, Stark using the absurd comparison of Andruw Jones to Andruw Jones. His only defense for calling him overrated is his decline in putouts, which is crazy when you consider he's still tops in the league in putouts. And, as this blog points out, Jones is on pace for 475 putouts this year, which would be his second-highest total of his career. Nobody else in the pros even comes close to that many putouts.

http://www.a...blogs_braves

Ok, i'll bring down the house on jones being overrated now...

He's 30 years old (just turned in april) he has 9 career gold gloves (98-06...and yeah his first one was when he was 21...), 353 career HRs (32 per year...11 years), just reached the 1000 RBI plateau last year. His only knock...a career .265 BA with a .343 OBP. Oh and don't forget his 319 career doubles (29 per year) and 136 career SBs.

If anything he's rated to underrated. And, assuming he plays to 40 (possible, especially now), we're looking at an easy 600 career HRs and its not unfathomable to see 700, especially in a division featuring the current Phillies ballpark and most likely smaller ones in NY and Washington (mets and nats fans, let me know about new shea and washington's new stadium, i don't know, but i imagine they'll be smaller.)

I can only imagine Jones will attract Soriano like money this winter...

Very very true.

I'd give you more plusses if I could!

But Stark has been overe and under-rating people for over 25 years in newspaper media, too. I gotta defend the pioneers of Rating things even if it is stupid

I will say Carl Crawford is underrated as a basketball player

I am a little young for that, but seems legit.

He was the 80s version (early 90s really) of crap QBs such as Couch, Smith, and most notably, Leaf....infamously bad and had a Leaf like fall...(see what i did there...!)

He is NOT overrated, the media overhyped him based on his last name. He is a very good QB but he'll never live up to anyone's standards becaus ehis brother is Peyton. I'm an Eagle fan by the way so no bias <3 Giv the guy some slack, he's doing all he can, it doens't help that plaxico burress gives up on some plays. With the addition of Steve Smith, and Brandon jacobs' potential, Eli will shine one day.

Eli isn't overrated...we all agree he's terrible...

What?! Eli Manning is an awful QB and every year some ESPN yahoo or CBS Jackass tells us how he's gonna break out...then they resign him and think he's the second coming...he sucks! The best thing that could happen to eli would be a nuclear bomb going off in Meadowlands killing the giants front office and Tom Coughlin...you can't...CAN'T replace Tiki barber with Reuben Doughens...was that a joke...are they screwing with him...

and by resign, i mean the giants reupped his deal and still think he's the second coming..

Peyton wannabe younger brother is definitely overrated ever since this kid and his pops ranted and raved about not wanting to be drafted by the San Diego Chargers. The Giants took the bait and brought him to New York. Eli has done nothing remarkable whereas both Drew Brees (of course now in New Orleans) and Phillip Rivers have completely outplayed him during that same stretch.

Rivers had ONE GOOD SEASON and he's already better than Manning? I doubt it. They are not replacing Barber with Droughens. Jacobs replaces Barber and Jacobs can be just as good, if not better than Barber. Have you seen jacobs play? He's 6'4" 264 lbs. Ran a 4.52 40 time and benched 225 19 times. This guy is larger than most LBs and DEs and will carry people 10+ yards on his back. He isn't a bad reciever out of the backfield either.

This is easy...Rivers one good season is better than eli's 4 poor ones

So, you're gonna tell me jacobs is better than droughens...forget it..I've seen the guy "play" for 3 years now...he sucks...you can give me all the combine-esque stats you want, he's a stiff and has proven that on the field

Manning = bum

You've seen jacobs play for 3 years? Considering he's only played 2, and last year he was splitting time with Barber. He's an amazing downhill runner with more power than almost anyone on the opposing defense. Go watch some more when he runs. He moves the defense backwards. You haven't seen anything yet. And yes, he's better than Droughens.

Southern Illinois Salukis baby! I've watch jabobs for about 3 years!

and I've seen enough to know he's a bum...remember when the giants had ron dayne in the backfield...same thing...

And i haven't even gotten into their terrible o-line yet...

Phillip Rivers sitting on the bench during Brees stint with the Chargers was more productive and valuable to his team than Eli Manning on the field for the Giants. Eli is an overrated bust. And now that Barber has retired, this will be even more apparent then ever before.

Knew that minus was coming. Anyone see the new Baseball Info Solutions Zone Rating? Guess where Jeter is

Here's the deal with Jeter...he's not overrated...just overpaid...

ESPN and SI have both compared him to Dimaggio this week. Just because Jeter bases Joe D's games played. They flashed a graphic showing the only few categories they were even close to one another. That is over-rated. Having multiple gold gloves as the worst defensive shortstop in the AL is being over-rated. But yes, he's also overpaid.

he's making something like 20 mil this year and statistically, very few players are worth that...hell...if a-rod made that and did his usual thang (like last year) people would be griping...

What you're paid usually doesn't have much to do with what people think about you. Is Vlad Guerrero under-rated because he makes 13.5mm per and is the second best hitter in the AL? Or, is Todd Helton overrated because he makes a gazillion dollars and has been declining (before 07)? No, their paychecks do not change what people think of them regards to their talents. Jeter is in a different category

2 words: Alex Rodriguez

Explanation?

Everybody and their mother gripes about a-rod being overpaid

Page 2, NY Post By Virtue of baseball reference

This list goes on and on...

Lets get this clear. Your salary has very little to do with how under or over rated a player is. Athletes are paid for what the owner's think they're worth to the team. Texas thought having the best young SS was worth 256mm, so that is what ARod is paid.

Over or under rated is more of an invention of the media and general fandom. What the public thinks of a certain player, despite his salary, generates the over/under rated debate. Every player is overpaid in my opinion, and certainly the highest paid players are all grossly overpaid.

By that argument, you would say Juwan Howard and Kevin Brown are overrated. Or for my Reds, Eric Milton is overrated. But they aren't, everyone knows what those players are, and everyone has a good grasp of how good at their respective sports those athletes are. The over or under rated debate comes in when the media or public doesn't give a player his "respect" or gives him too much "respect."

ARod is a multiple MVP, quite possibly one his way to setting the career HR record while having a +.300 AVG. All while playing a defensively demanding position. What about that makes him overrated? He is the best hitter in baseball currently.

Do you see the distinction?

uh yeah...that's why i said this: "Here's the deal with Jeter...he's not overrated...just overpaid..."

Steve Young is the most underrated QB of all time.

Allen Iverson is not overrated...people know how good he is...he's not michael jordan...he's no lebron james and he can't go it alone...but you give him anyone in his prime (a la 2001 sixers) and he'll dominant...if he would have been on the lakers instead of kobe, he'd easily have 3+ rings...

And no one trumpets Aikman as the greatest ever...just an HoF QB, and he is...3 rings and some serious quality stats...he's pretty rated in my book...

KG's never had legitimate talent around him...one year he put it together and it still wasn't enough...I'm not sure about HoFer yet...probably, but not a guarantee...but yeah, he might be a little overrated for his accomplishments but he's never had a chance...

KG isn't overrated. He's the Kobe of PFs. he does everything he can, with no help around him. He has HoF numbers, plus I think he's one of the biggets clutch players ever. I don't know how many times I'd see him make last second mid rannge shots to tie it or win it.

dude, 2004 was close. But come on. That lakers team was friggen awsome. It was one of the best teams in a while. And even then, they didn't have a great amount of talent. He still had Olowokandi starting at Center. It was a good team, but not a Championship quality team. A lot of blame can go to Flip because as time has shown, he can't adjust in series enough to fix something.

Interesting, I've never considered Sheffdog. Which class are you putting him, I assume over-rated?

Yes. He may be approaching 500 home runs, but after 20 years, and he's not even at 2,500 hits.

You wanna see something even more glaring, with regards to hits...

http://www.b...wima01.shtml

Sheffield is a career .300 hitter if I'm not mistaken, on his way to 500 HR. Nobody makes the argument that he is Pete Rose. 174 hits per year isn't anything to snub your nose at. Nobody argues Shef is a 5 tool baseball player. I'd say his rating is about par, no under, no over.

Maybe it's his self-righteous demeanor. You almost have to ask yourself the question, did Gary Sheffield cause himself to be overrated? Between the three throwaway years in Milwaukee because he wanted to get the hell out of Dodge and his refusal to play in the WBC because his season is when he gets paid, he may have overrated himself.

He may have also had the most overrated NEAR-MVP year in history in 2003 when he batted .290 with 36 home runs and 121 RBIs while Manny Ramirez, who finished right behind Sheffield in third, hit .308 with 43 homers and 130 RBIs with a 1.010 OPS. Luckily, Vlad won it that year and saved everyone from the biggest injustice in recent history.

You're aware that JJB is a 3rd string PG on the mavs...and 99% of the people...ever...have no idea who he is...

With that said, i give plusses for people who can name Northeastern University Alumni...

lol...some of the most knowledgeable basketball analysts are calling Tim Duncan the best power forward of all time, but you say he's overrated. Hm...who should I listen to?

You know its ESPN right...its a push really... Whats the difference between TDogg and espn analyst...nothing...

Yeah, I know it's ESPN and they're wrong all the time, but they don't suck up to the Spurs. And they certainly don't suck up to Tim Duncan. The same people who say the Spurs are bad for basketball, that they're boring, that they're lifeless, are the same people who are saying Duncan's the best power forward of all time. The same people who say Tim Duncan is a dull cry-baby are simultaneously forced to concede that he is the best power forward of all time. He's dominant.

Jose Valverde is the next Armando Benitez.

but they were in the ad for being Brady's Oline, not for being an amazing one. I don't know. Some people give them enough cred, some don't. Depends on who and when

Yeah, you could say it was because of Brady, but it wasn't like Visa was gonna use the Texans' O-line to promote its Five Layers of Protection or whatever it was.

Ali was not overrated!

I hate to defend a Yankee but the guy was a great player. I think for someone to be overrated you have to disprove their greatness. His brothers were not nearly as good and he was a three time MVP.

One of those MVPs rightfully belonged to Ted Williams, though.

Shut up Manny.

Everyone should now say Jim Edmonds even though he makes easy catches look cool. Quick Jim, its a lazy fly...dive at it!

That's very true. I like his gritty style of play, but he does frequently make easy plays look hard. Speaking of which, I think Adam Everett is very underrated. Yeah, he's got a weak bat, but the fact that he hasn't won a gold glove despite his zone ratings being through the roof is crazy. I saw one zone rating that had Everett as a plus-40, while Jeter was a negative-17. I bring this up because he's the anti-Edmonds. There's a reason people don't recognize what a great defender he is - he always makes his plays standing up. Sure, diving stops look cool, but Everett makes the same plays on his feet. He's like Andruw Jones in that he makes the plays look so easy that people don't even realize how great they are.

Edmonds is like Bill Hall with more center field experience.

I must say, however, that Edmonds' over the shoulder diving catch he made while in Anaheim still is one of the most brilliant defensive plays I've ever seen. Although, if that were Hunter, he would've been camped under it with his speed.

Hunter is clearly a better player than Edmunds right now especially in the field but keep in mind that Hunter is 31 and Edmunds is 37. Edmunds has been a much better hitter over the course of his career and both have a career range factor of 2.66 on defense.

Well, everyone does call him "the great one"

Nevermind the fact that he holds the career record for goals and points...and he started an LA market, scoring 54 goals in his first season and 38 in 93/94...then he helped a rangers team by adding 25 one season and 23 the next...

He's rated...the best ever...

Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe walk into a bar. Howe sits down and says to the bartender, "Put a drink in front of the greatest hockey player of all time." Gretzky sits down next to Howe and says, "Yeah, put a drink in front of the greatest hockey player of all time." The bartender pours two drinks -- and walks away with them and out of sight. "What was that about?" Howe and Gretzky ask when the bartender returns. "You told me to pour a drink for the greatest hockey player of all time," says the barkeep, "so I did. And I served them to Mario Lemieux and Bobby Orr in the back room."

Heard that before...Lemieux has a case...but doesn't get it because of injury...given his health...he could have been... Although D21Dubs...There are some people who disagree

Thats exactly it - since he was surrounded by so much other exceptional talent, whereas for most of their careers Orr or Lemieux were either injured or playing on bad teams, I find it hard to say one was a singular better player. Still, if I had to say greatest ever, Orr is it - he basically redefined the position of defense and we'll never see another like him.

Gretzky used to get criticized all the time for lack of defense. So one time he was asked about it and re-questioned the reporter by asking him who has the puck most of the time. The reporter answered, "you do," whereas Gretzky replied, "so how can I play bad defense if I'm always on offense, isn't that the point of the game?"

No one ever questioned his defense again.

And if you remember, when Orr didn't have the puck in the zone, he was the worst red line hanger, and in the defensive zone couldn't play one on one. In open ice he was great, but in the corners, he sucked.

In what sport 'cause it ain't hockey?

What Tyrone said. That's the dumbest comment I've ever read, anywhere. I think the record for most minused comment will soon fall.

Crosby is the Steve Nash of Hockey, plus he scores goals. I just love the fact I have an article with 104 comments.

Yeah, that's what happens when you basically start a discussion thread instead of writing an actual article.

How does calling Crosby the Steve Nash of Hockey get minus four? Im pretty sure Crosby is at least the best right now. Which would be supported by MVP, Scoring Title, and Most Outstanding as voted by players.