Baseball’s most boring player

Perhaps his mother would prefer that he be called nondescript, and maybe that would be more kind, but I believe I’ve identified the least exciting player in the game today. But before we reveal the identity of said player, let’s investigate exactly how he earned this dubious distinction. How does one become the most boring player in baseball?

It’s a fairly lengthy path, an honor earned by flying under the radar for several seasons while doing very little to draw attention to oneself. It’s not a heavy burden, so there’s not really much effort required. Actually the less effort, perhaps the better, because if you try not to be noticed, oftentimes that’s exactly when you do something to get noticed.

Teams

The first step in being a boring ballplayer is to play for teams that aren’t flashy. You can’t be inconspicuous if you’re a New York Yankee, a member of the Boston Red Sox, or part of the new-money Dodgers. Even if you’re the 25th man on the roster, reporters will say and write things about you because of the constant media scrutiny those teams receive. Find a small market and enjoy the anonymity.

Actually, the player I’m talking about has managed to find himself in a large media market, but he found a way around this problem: He plays for a bad team.

Bad teams don’t get nearly as much attention as good teams, and rightfully so. Sure, in the spring every team has some degree of optimism, a rosy outlook on the future required to get fans excited and to sell tickets, but some squads come into the year destined for the golf course instead of the diamond in October. If you play for one of these franchises, discretion is more likely.

One thing to be wary of is if your team starts to improve too much. If this happens, and you’re fighting for a playoff spot—or, heaven forbid, your team makes the postseason—forget it. ESPN, Fox Sports, TBS and countless others will be milling around your clubhouse, asking questions and comparing your team to its opponent. It’s just a matter of time before they focus their lenses and microphones on you.

If something like this situation appears on the horizon, jump ship. Maybe you get traded, perhaps you’re a free agent with plenty of low-key options. Talk to your agent and get out of the spotlight, pronto!

Performance

This is an area over which a player has some control. Sure, your opponents will do everything they can to get you out, but if you’re in the majors, you’re obviously a talented ballplayer. The trick is not to seem too talented. What you’re looking for is a mediocre level of skill across a broad range of categories. Don’t specialize in anything—power, speed, batting average, striking out or walking—or someone will bring it up.

The best bet is a broad base of skills. This type of player does poorly in Hall of Fame voting, and they certainly don’t get much press in the day-to-day coverage of baseball. The flip side is, you have to do well enough to keep a job. If you just plain stink, talking heads will be calling for you to be traded, cut, sent to the minors or even drawn and quartered. Do well enough to keep a job, just not too well. The player I’m talking about has averaged roughly 2.4 WAR per season. Perfect.

When it comes to power, well, everyone still digs the long ball. Home runs are popular. Don’t hit many of them. Baseball’s current leading non-leading man never has hit more than a baker’s dozen homers, nor has he poked fewer than five in a season, and who talks about a guy who only sometimes reaches double digits in long balls? Nobody.

The same rule applies on the basepaths. Sure, if you lack power, you’ll need to swipe some bags to keep your team happy, but don’t overdo it. Run once in a while to show some effort, but try to keep your annual total under 10. My guy snagged 11 bases one season, but he’s been good for only about seven a year, on average.

Try to keep the triple-slash line blasé, too. A decent batting average, acceptable on-base percentage and a dollop of slugginess should do the trick. Mr. Boring is roughly .280 hitter. While his OBP is over .350, which makes some number crunchers and front-office types take notice, most fans won’t be impressed. And a slugging percentage around .420 won’t get anyone’s blood flowing. The total package yields an OPS+ just a few points over 100. Excellent.

Defensively, don’t be too flashy. A Web Gem holds the risk of lingering if it’s a really good one, putting your mug on the tube night after night until someone tops you. Even better, if you can perform so non-spectacularly that your team shifts you around at times to accommodate other players, people are less likely to associate you with one defensive spot.

Naturally, winning awards—or even receiving votes—is frowned upon. Ditto in regards to leading the league in any category. Our non-hero did show up on a small number of Rookie of the Year ballots his first year, but that’s it. He’s never received an All-Star nod, a Gold Glove or a Silver Slugger award. He led the league in getting hit by pitches one season but has no other blank ink on his ledger.

A Hardball Times Update
Goodbye for now.

All of this mediocrity helps with another item: salary. If you make a bunch of money or sign a long-term deal, people will talk. Sure, your family would be thrilled if you hauled in hundreds of millions of dollars, but the paparazzi will be kept at bay if you ink solid short-term deals.

Personal life

Speaking of paparazzi, this should go without saying, but don’t do anything that gets TMZ on your case. This means no mentions in PED investigations, no commissioning paintings of yourself as a centaur, and no sending ladies home with a gift basket after a night on the town.

Actually, when it comes to personal relations, being married is best, because stability is anything but newsworthy. Kids are good, but have them in the offseason so you don’t have to miss any games and have the birth publicized. And if you do have kids, have them one at a time. A Minnesota player’s wife having twins is too cutesy for the media to resist.

The reveal

So, who is the guy I’m anointing the most boring player in the game? It’s David DeJesus. Go ahead, click on his name, check out his stats, and try to stay awake while doing so—I’ll wait.

Pretty darn boring, isn’t he? What does he do that’s flashy? Nothing.

You might ask how I even identified him, what got my attention about DeJesus. Well, he’s on my fantasy team for the second straight year, taken in the reserve rounds as “just a guy,” someone to fill in when a regular outfielder hits the disabled list.

Do you agree? Is DeJesus the most anonymous player in the game? If not, who’s your nominee? Let us all know in the comments below.

References & Resources
FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference were used in this investigation.


Greg has been a writer and editor for The Hardball Times since 2010. In his dreams, he's the second coming of Ozzie Smith. Please don't wake him up.
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Tom Dockery
10 years ago

After the Mike Rice scandal,Rutgers needs to keep a low profile for a while.

Ameer B.
10 years ago

I would have to agree. In terms of fantasy, Dejesus has been “just a guy” for a bunch of years. A guy who plays good defense, runs the bases well but doesn’t steal, has enough power for a center fielder in real baseball (career slg of .421), but not enough to mean anything in fantasy, has a career batting average that is the definition of “doesn’t hurt you” (.281), and is never involved in scandals off the field. He’s probably under-valued for real-life baseball purposes, but boring as hell for fantasy.

Mike C
10 years ago

Just google Devid DeJesus wife and you will realize your quest for baseball’s most boring player continues

bucdaddy
10 years ago

Hoochie mama.

Thanks, Mike C.

Brad
10 years ago

My vote is for Jay Bruce…..20 games full of -0-4, 3k’s and then 2-5 hr, then rinse, repeat, ad nauseum *sigh*

Simon
10 years ago

Dejesus is a still cool name

Well-Beered Englishman
10 years ago

Reading the criteria, I thought it was going to be Ronny Cedeno. DeJesus is a pretty good call.

Pat Andriola
10 years ago

Jason Kipnis

NIck
10 years ago

I thought you were talking about Marlon Byrd.  Who, looking over their stats, is almost exactly the same guy as Dejesus.  He did make the all star team once, somehow, though, so maybe he’s disqualified.

Phillies Bunts
10 years ago

Funny, I had written down a couple names as I progressed through the article, and Byrd and Cedeno were two of them.  But I was convinced, especially in light of the shifting-positions comment, that the unnamed baseballer was Cliff Pennington.  Also receiving votes were Alberto Callaspo and Chris Getz…

LBJ
10 years ago

Not sure if he makes all of the qualifications, but Reed Johnson immediately came to mind.

Nick
10 years ago

I would have said any of the numerous generic-white-guy-named pitchers on the Padres.. they seem to produce them by the dozen. All slightly above average, and all nearly indistinguishable from one another.

Greg Simons
10 years ago

Brad – I think Bruce’s feast-or-famine results get some attention, and he’s gotten some accolades and gone to the playoffs.

Well-Beered Englishman (nice handle) – Good choice.  Weak numbers, but playing lots of shortstop makes that more forgivable, and his versatility helps, too.  He only registers in my Cardinals-focused mind because he was signed this spring to be Furcal’s backup, was dumped even when Furcal went down for the year, and resurfaced as the Astros’ starting shortstop.  And odd few weeks.

Pat Andriola – Shame on Kipnis stealing 31 bases last year, though I had no idea he did so.

Nick – Wow, Byrd has been thoroughly mediocre, hasn’t he?  He and DeJesus were teammates last year before Byrd’s 3-for-43 performance got him run out of Chicago.

Phillies Bunts – Three good names.  I’ll go with Callaspo among them, even though he plays in LA.

LBJ – Reed Johnson is another nice suggestion, and another one-time Cubs outfielder.  Is there a trend here?

Patrick
10 years ago

Mark Kotsay. If he and DeJesus got traded for each other, would anybody even notice?

Greg Simons
10 years ago

Nick – I thought about middle relievers in general, but that’s part of their job description, so I decided to set them aside.

Patrick – I was surprised to see that Kotsay never played for the Cubs.  It seems like a great fit.

geo
10 years ago

I’m wondering if playing for the Cubs should automatically disqualify one from the Most Boring Player award.  I mean, the most beloved bad team of all time?  Don’t Cubbies fans have all their players under microscopes?

Andrea
10 years ago

I wonder if this article now disqualify DeJesus for the Most Boring Player Award.

Greg Simons
10 years ago

Andrea – My colleagues mentioned him today in their Waiver Wire article, which can’t help him remain incognito.

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/fantasy-waiver-wire-week-6-vol.-ii/