For Ron Mexico

Mr. Freeze

The jailed, falsely accused, demonized and hated…Hall of Fame

1B Pete Rose-Rose probably should be in the Hall. And he’s admitted everything he always denied. Not necessarily a first baseman but I guess Pete could pretty much play anywhere.

2B Julio Lugo-Arrested for domestic assault in 2003. Allegedly struck his wife and subsequently pounded her head into a car window. I was considering trying to trade for him on my fantasy league team but, so far, it hasn't worked out.

3B Kevin Mitchell-Beat the shit out of/body slammed Daryl Strawberry at a pickup basketball game between Met youngsters. According to Dwight Gooden, cut the head off his girlfriend’s cat’s head. Gooden denied ever saying that when confronted by Mitchell. Obviously. Later beat the shit out of a minor league umpire. Didn’t he beat the shit out of his dad too? All this being said, I think the Mets might have remained relevant for a tad longer if they had kept him.

SS Wilfredo Cordero-Played just about every position, but I’ll put him here as I can’t find anyone else. From South Coast Today:

CAMBRIDGE -- Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilfredo Cordero threatened to kill his wife as police arrested him after an early morning altercation that left her nose bloodied, according to court testimony yesterday.

As he was being led away, Cordero asked the police officer if he could kiss his daughter goodbye. But when Cordero went to kiss the 9-month-old, he also "forcefully" said something in Spanish to his wife, officer Sean Tierney said.
"We said to Mrs. Cordero, 'What did he just say to you,'" Tierney testified before Judge Arthur Sherman decided not to keep Cordero in custody. "She said, 'He said he's going to kill me.'
"We asked the 15-year-old son what he said. He said, 'He's going to kill her."'

At one point pled guilty to charges of beating his wife. According to one internet message board poster “tied his wife up with a telephone cord.”

OF Ruben Rivera-Stole Derek Jeter’s bat and glove during Spring Training and made some deals on Ebay. Bizarre, more than anything. He was making at least a million at the time.

OF Vince Coleman-Threw firecrackers at some fans outside a Mets game, during Spring Training I think. Two kids were injured. Also fucked up Dwight Gooden’s hand by swinging a golf club in the clubhouse. I could probably add a couple of other players from the 1993 Mets to this team.

OF Karim Garcia/Shane Spencer-Arrested with Shane Spencer (while playing for the Mets) during Spring Training when they ordered a pizza and then beat up the delivery guy.

OF Carl Everett-According to Carl, there were no dinosaurs because you can’t read about them in the Bible. Charged with child abuse. Great player though.

OF Elijah Dukes-In the news right now. Supposedly sent text messages to the mother of his child with pistols as the graphics. Threatened to kill her, allegedly. The kid too, from what I remember. Also, if memory serves me, was involved in some sort of altercation with a bat and an umpire last year.

OF Albert Belle-I always really liked Albert, but I guess I had no real reason to like him as a person. No matter what you think of him as a person, you can’t deny that he was one of the 2 or 3 scariest hitters of the last 25 years or so. And I don’t think he used any kind of enhancers; he was always huge, even when he went by Joey. Ultimately, though, people kind of hated him, whether they were big Hannah Storm fans, Brewers diehards, or just racist. According to Buster Olney:

It was a taken in baseball circles that Albert Belle was nuts... The Indians billed him $10,000 a year for the damage he caused in clubhouses on the road and at home, and tolerated his behavior only because he was an awesome slugger... He slurped coffee constantly and seemed to be on a perpetual caffeinated frenzy. Few escaped his anger: on some days he would destroy the postgame buffet...launching plates into the shower... after one poor at-bat against Boston, he retreated to the visitor's clubhouse and took a bat to teammate Kenny Lofton's boombox. Belle preferred to have the clubhouse cold, below 60 degrees, and when one chilly teammate turned up the heat, Belle walked over, turned down the thermostat, and smashed it with his bat. His nickname, thereafter, was "Mr. Freeze."

OF Ty Cobb-The knock on Cobb is that he was a racist (which was fairly common back then, from what I've read), one of the most hated players in the game, even by his teammates, and that he once ran into the stands to beat the shit out of a heckler. George Will notes that his teammates, on the last day of a season in which Cobb was neck in neck with the opposing team’s player for the batting title, intentionally played deep so that the opposing player (whose name I forget) could drop ground balls into the field and pump up his average. I always kind of thought Cobb got a bad rap. If you’re bored on a Saturday drive up to Royston and check out his museum.

SP Carl Mays-Only pitcher to ever kill a batter. And though I don’t in any way think he meant to, Mays’ record with the beanball certainly didn’t lead anyone in the league to cut him any slack. Partial subject of what may be my favorite baseball book ever, The Pitch That Killed, a book about the amazing 1920 season as much as the death of Ray Chapman.

SP Roger Clemens-Only pitcher to ever try to kill Mike Piazza.

SP Dwight Gooden-Baseball people may remember Doc as much for that 1987 mug shot as they do the ring, the Cy Young season, one of the best winning percentages ever, the no hitter, and the close to 200 wins (how many does Smoltz have?). And he hasn’t really done much to mend the sour taste since leaving the game.

Closer Ugueth Urbina-Still on trial in Venezuela. Supposedly Ugueth left some workers at his mansion in Venezuela to work on the yard, or the pool, or something. When he came home, they were drunk and playing in the pool. Allegedly, instead of sending them home, or calling the cops, Ugueth and his friends set them on fire. Man.

For some reason I couldn't think of, or find, a catcher. Maybe they're just smarter and they don't do dumb shit.