FanNation - The Republic of Sport

As the season nears its end, here are five players who unfathomably took up a significant amount of at bats. Were they a result of stubborn managers? A lack of depth? Big salaries? Regardless, they should have seen much less playing time than they received. Wily Mo Pena: .205/.243/.267 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in 195 at bats. Pena is like that kid brother you have. He keeps doing immature things and you chalk it up to his being 14 years old. Then one day you realize he???s 25 ??? not 11 ??? and that he doesn???t have an excuse. Pena is now 26 and shouldn???t get any more opportunities at the Major League level. He can???t field. He can???t get on base. And his power is declining. Giving him at bats means you???re either incompetent or don???t have anyone else to play. Either reason means you shouldn???t have a job. It???s hard to believe he was traded straight up for Bronson Arroyo. Bobby Crosby: .240/.299/.354, with 7 home runs, 60 RBIs and 60 runs. Crosby is now 28 and has a career line of .240/.308/.382 in 2,119 at bats. Enough already. Crosby is not a good player. He???s a sub-par shortstop who can???t be counted on to play full time due to a history of injuries ??? this season notwithstanding. Hype with no substance. Joey Gathright: .251/.309/.269, with 0 home runs, 21 RBIs, 41 runs and 21 stolen bases in 275 at bats. Gathright is fast. If baseball were a track meet, Gathright would be an MVP candidate. But it???s not, and KC has now wasted 2.5 seasons of meaningful at bats on him. He has one home run and 95 RBI???s in 1,141 career at bats. Unless he???s playing shortstop like Rich Aurilia or stealing bases like Vince Coleman, his presence is a waste. Andruw Jones: .158/.256/.249 with 3 home runs and 14 RBIs in 209 at bats. An OPS+ of 32. I didn???t want to include Jones on this list, as picking on him has become old hat. Be the numbers forced me to ??? they???re just atrocious. Earlier this year we debated whether he???s still a Hall of Famer. Now? It looks like his career might be over. To put his 32 OPS+ for 2008 in perspective, Mario Mendoza??? career OPS+ was 41. Corey Patterson: .204/.238/.341. Patterson???s stats are better than Jones???, but the reasoning behind giving him meaningful at bats (333) is worse. At least the Dodgers can ???justify??? Jones??? at bats with his salary. Patterson is making near the league minimum ??? and he???s taken at bats away from the somewhat promising Chris Dickerson. Why is he still playing for a team that has been out of the race for months? With a career .292 on-base percentage and just one season with an OPS+ of over 95, it???s time to conclude that the 29-year-old doesn???t deserve meaningful at-bats. A #5 outfielder? Sure? But not a starter, and not for a re-building team. Honorable Mention: Jose Vidro, Gary Matthews Jr., Ken Griffey Jr., Jack Cust