Thread: Baseball's 2010 Turkeys

10. Cesar Izturis
The Baltimore Orioles shortstop was unquestionably the worst offensive player in baseball. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, among qualifiers Izturis ranked fourth worst overall in the majors in batting average (.230), third worst in on-base pct. (.277) and worst of anyone in OPS (.545). All the defense in the world can't make up for that dismal trifecta, and on top of that, Izturis was caught stealing almost half as many times (5) as he was successful (11).

9. The Battling McCourts -
The hideous Dodger owners made it back on our turkey list for the second straight year, for the same reason - their wretched excess divorce case which continues to undermine and embarrass what was once one of baseball's proudest franchises. If the LA Superior Court judge in this case doesn't order the team be put up for sale, we can only hope Commissioner Bud Selig, who approved Frank McCourt as an owner in the first place, will un-do that now by exercising his "best interests in baseball" powers and telling him he has to go.

8. Jack Zduriencik -
We've always liked and respected the Seattle Mariners GM, going all the way back to his days as a top scout for the Mets in the '80s and '90s, but, boy, did he have a bad year! After turning the Mariners around from a 101-loss team in 2008 to an 85-win team in '09, Zduriencik reversed all of that with a series of disastrous moves - signing Chad Figgins (career-low .340 OBP, 114 K) for three years, $36 million; taking on emotionally fractured Milton Bradley (.205) with two more years and $21 million left on his contract, and finally not knowing that Josh Lueke, one of the pitching prospects he got back in the Cliff Lee trade with Texas, had pleaded no contest to rape and sodomy charges in a 2008 case. All of this contributed to another 101-loss M's season in '10.

7. Bob Nutting
- The penurious Pittsburgh Pirates owner is another one who needs to be ordered to sell his team in the best interests of one of the best baseball towns the game has ever known. In the process of posting their 19th consecutive losing season (and, with 105 losses, their worst since 1952) it was revealed that Nutting's Pirates, who play in the most beautiful taxpayer-funded stadium in baseball, were the recipients of $69.3 million in revenue sharing in 2007-2008 and have turned a profit despite their denials, while their 2010 payroll of $35 million was the lowest in baseball. Over the past three years, Nutting's management team of Frank Coonelly and Neal Huntington have traded away every one of their highest-salaried best players for little tangible return, yet vigorously proclaim they're in the right direction. Could have fooled us, not to mention the fans of Pittsburgh.

6. Ollie Perez
- What can you say about a guy who was paid $12 million this year (and owed another $12 million for next year) and was 0-5 with a 6.80 ERA; a guy who refused to go to the minor leagues to get straightened out, insisting to remain an albatross on the 25-man roster; a guy who was so bad he couldn't even get anyone out in mop-up situations? Gobble, gobble, gobble!

5. Kendry Morales/Chris Coghlan -
In two of the dumbest injuries ever incurred in baseball, the LA Angels lost their cleanup hitter, Morales, for the season when he broke his angle, May 29, taking a celebratory jump on home plate following a walk-off grand slam, and the Florida Marlins lost Coghlan, the 2009 NL Rookie of the Year, for the season when he tore his meniscus, July 25, slamming a pie into the face of teammate Wes Helms, also in celebration of a walk-off victory.

4. Jeffrey Loria/David Samson -
The Florida Marlins owner and his team president stepson, were the first team to be sanctioned by MLB for pocketing their revenue sharing booty and not spending enough of payroll. According to MLB financial records, the Marlins, thanks to $48 million in revenue sharing, turned a $37.8 million profit in 2008 - at the same time they were pleading poverty and lobbying for $487 million in public money for their $642 million new stadium in downtown Miami. In addition, the Marlins were the only team in the National League not to honor retiring Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox - all because Cox had the temerity to chastise them for firing his friend, Fredi Gonzalez, as their manager.

3. Frankie Rodriguez -
The Mets closer, who blew five out of 30 save opportunities, established himself as $12 million toxic waste in the clubhouse after assaulting the father of his girlfriend in the Mets family lounge at Citi Field. He then compounded that by allegedly sending 56 text messages to the mother of his children between Aug. 19-Sept. 7, violating an order of protection she had against him. The incident, in which Rodriguez injured his thumb, cost him $3.1 in pay for being unable to pitch the last six weeks of the season, but the Mets are still on the hook to him for $11.5 million next year and a $17.5 million vesting option for 2012.

2. Phil Cuzzi -
It's a toss-up between Cuzzi and Bob Davidson as to who's the worst umpire in baseball, but Cuzzi, who first gained umpire infamy for his egregious missed call of Joe Mauer's extra base hit down the left field line - that was right in front of him - in the 11th inning of Game 2 of the 2009 Yankees-Twins ALDS, out-did himself last July 18 in San Francisco when he cost the Giants a game against the Mets. With the score tied 3-3 in the ninth inning, the Giants' Freddi Sanchez slid home under David Wright's throw for what should have been the winning run - even Mets catcher Henry Blanco concurred - except Cuzzi called him out. Afterward, Cuzzi said he wasn't going to look at the replay "until I eat first." For that alone, MLB should have sent him a Thanksgiving turkey with a pink slip in it.

1. A.J. Burnett -
According to Elias the $82.5 million Yankee righty was arguably the worst starting pitcher in baseball last year with a 5.26 ERA that ranked third worst in majors among qualifiers and a 14.51 baserunners-per-nine innings percentage that ranked second-worst overall. But then Yankee fans already knew that. How is it possible to have a losing (10-15) record for a team that won 95 games and led the majors in runs? He was responsible for the Yankees' failure to make the World Series as anyone - and all this for $16.5 million. Apparently, though, the Yankees weren't the only ones who felt Burnett was a turkey as he never would explain that shiner he showed up with in the middle of the summer.



Read more: Yankees pitcher A.J. Burnett is the top dog when it comes to baseball's 2010 Turkeys