Stars that faded away...

Sad Sam Jones

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As someone who had watched Sizemore develop from the time he was in AA (that was the first year I attended ~10 games there), I'd prefer that he just "faded" away. Watching all the injuries derail his career was pretty rough for a Cleveland fan.

Hafner was the same era and that was injuries too. Even in his prime, he had a chronic gimpy elbow, which is why there was never an attempt to have him play first base beyond the occasional NL road series. Unfortunately, it eventually affected his hitting as well and sapped him of his power.
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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How about Jack McDowell? Career 127-87. But went just 8-10 after the age of 31. Pitched in just 4 games his final season, losing all 4 with an ERA over 8.
 

bob burda

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How about Jack McDowell? Career 127-87. But went just 8-10 after the age of 31. Pitched in just 4 games his final season, losing all 4 with an ERA over 8.
My post #34 in the thread had him, but these further details help make the case.

It’s one thing to be a Fidrych-type guy who flashes and is gone (or maybe had a fluke year at the start of a career) but it’s more remarkable to have a sustained run of excellence that just dives and craters to less than replacement level.

A lot of the players mentioned here got hurt with fairly quick reductions in productivity. Maybe some suddenly had age catch up to them. In a case like McDowell (or my other example, Eric Gagne) I’m unaware of an injury or another obvious factor that led to ineffectiveness. It’s like their talent suddenly evaporated instead of undergoing some erosion to that point. It’s also not like they had Steve Blass disease (Kevin Saucier, Rick Ankiel…Daniel Bard?)…they just quickly sucked the normal way right after being good.
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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My post #34 in the thread had him, but these further details help make the case.

It’s one thing to be a Fidrych-type guy who flashes and is gone (or maybe had a fluke year at the start of a career) but it’s more remarkable to have a sustained run of excellence that just dives and craters to less than replacement level.

A lot of the players mentioned here got hurt with fairly quick reductions in productivity. Maybe some suddenly had age catch up to them. In a case like McDowell (or my other example, Eric Gagne) I’m unaware of an injury or another obvious factor that led to ineffectiveness. It’s like their talent suddenly evaporated instead of undergoing some erosion to that point. It’s also not like they had Steve Blass disease (Kevin Saucier, Rick Ankiel…Daniel Bard?)…they just quickly sucked the normal way right after being good.
Oops my bad, totally missed your mention of him!
 

iddoc

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Nov 17, 2006
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I dimly recall that Jack McDowell did have some sort of injury, a hip (lambrum?) perhaps?
 

Humphrey

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Skip Lockwood- 5 very good years consecutive as a reliever for the Mets.

Came to Fenway at age 32 and sucked big time in his final year in the bigs.
 

teddywingman

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a basement on the hill
Mo Vaughn probably doesn't count because he had a long peak cut a little short by injuries, but he went from greatness to done in a hurry.

Edit: forgot he was mentioned on page one.
 

Sad Sam Jones

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How about Wally World?

Wally Joyner was runner-up for AL Rookie of the Year in 1986 with 22 HR and 100 RBI, made his only All-Star team that season and went 5-for-11 in the playoffs. Those home run and RBI totals would turn out to be the 2nd best of his career, because like many players from that era, he put up career-best power numbers in '87 (34 HR, 117 RBI). He ended up with a nice 16-year career and was always an above average hitter (by OPS+) through age 36, but he became known for his opposite field swing and only topped 16 HR once more in his career – those first two seasons accounted for over 25% of his career total. A first baseman who lacked power and also wasn't winning batting titles was no longer really considered star material.
 

Leather

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How about Wally World?

Wally Joyner was runner-up for AL Rookie of the Year in 1986 with 22 HR and 100 RBI, made his only All-Star team that season and went 5-for-11 in the playoffs. Those home run and RBI totals would turn out to be the 2nd best of his career, because like many players from that era, he put up career-best power numbers in '87 (34 HR, 117 RBI). He ended up with a nice 16-year career and was always an above average hitter (by OPS+) through age 36, but he became known for his opposite field swing and only topped 16 HR once more in his career – those first two seasons accounted for over 25% of his career total. A first baseman who lacked power and also wasn't winning batting titles was no longer really considered star material.
He was in the Kevin Seitzer/Mark Grace crop of 80s/90s 1B that hit for average with a little pop. I don't think 1B became a default place to stick mashing, unathletic, guys until the 90s; those guys just weren't as common until the steroid era. Hell, the 1988 Morgans Magic Sox had Todd Benzinger at first.

Joyner was a good player through his career, but his popularity really outstripped his ability in 1986 because he had a bunch of clutch hits as a rookie and the Angels were good, and because of his nickname which referenced a popular movie. He just seems like he faded away because he never played on a good team again until he was pretty old (1998 Padres).
 

Tony Pena's Gas Cloud

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I nominate Dan Quisenberry. As of 1985, he led the AL in saves five out of six years and gained CYA and MVP votes four years in a row. He then fell from otherworldly closer to okay middle reliever to completely out of baseball by 1990.
 

bob burda

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imagine a closer with a K rate ~3 nowadays!
Even back then most of the guys with big save totals were high K guys. The advanced metrics today would be interesting on him, since in addition to not walking anybody (or ever giving you the bomb - .5 per game for his career) the eye test said he got weak contact all the time, and I mean like Mariano Rivera level weak contact.
 

worm0082

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Just saw the news about Yasiel Puig pleading guilty. His career went down the toilet pretty fast.