Gregor Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 The NBA thread is a great read, but baseball's the only sport I really know well enough to actually make comparisons of my own. Some of these have been dancing around in my head for a few days so I figured, whatever, I'll just make one for baseball. Scott Hall/Mike Scott Was having a fairly ordinary career until getting a new gimmick mid-career, which allowed him to completely reinvent himself (beyond what you'd think would happen by just changing characters or adding a new pitch). For a few years he was one of the game's biggest names, but he fell to irrelevance pretty quickly. Angel Azteca/Mike Witt Really good for a few years in his twenties, but didn't do that much afterwards and didn't leave much of a mark on his league's history. Had a perfect game in his mid-twenties. Jerry Lawler/Satchel Paige Iconic figure; symbolic of his territory; career lasted forever; made the bigs at a late age, and he was successful there (even though the resulting output wasn't close to his peak stuff) but also kind of became a caricature of himself. We have enough of Paige's Negro League statistics and footage of Lawler in Memphis to know that they were all-time greats, but we still don't have a full picture of either guy's prime years. Brazo de Oro/Yadier Molina Brazo de Plata/Ben Molina El Brazo/Jose Molina Brazo de Oro and Yadier are the technically gifted ones. Porky and Bengie are the round, comical ones who give the family its image. El Brazo and Jose are the least of each trio, but they have some underrated skills that make them quite valuable. Porky and Bengie doesn't quite work, as Yadier is actually the most famous Molina, and there are far more members of the Brazo family than there are Molinas. Bret Hart/Tom Glavine Rarely used as his team's ace but still produced like a #1; could seem kind of cold and cerebral and hard to like; switched from his long-time team to their biggest rival towards the end of his career, where he was still pretty good, but it never really felt right. Hart has a junior hockey team named after him; Glavine was selected in the 1984 NHL draft. Mark Henry/Phil Nevin Considered a huge bust for a while; turned it around and ended up having a pretty good run. Rey Mysterio Jr. has elements of Roberto Clemente (tools guy who aged very well, complaints of malingering) and Ichiro Suzuki (phenom who was unlike anybody else in the U.S. when he first showed up) but I don't think either fits. El Dandy would sort of be like a guy who was dominant in Japan but got used as a bench player or middle reliever when he came over to the U.S. and became kind of a comical figure in MLB lore. Was there anyone like that? Hideki Irabu was pushed pretty hard in MLB; he was more of a disappointment than a jobber. Who are some other ones you can think of? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteF3 Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 Re: Dandy, I just remember Satoru Komiyama being touted as the "Japanese Maddux" by somebody Mets-related...I don't know if it was Bobby Valentine, Steve Phillips, or somebody else. He provided 1 year of poor relief pitching and was back to Japan. Shingo Takatsu and Kenji Johjima might also qualify as comps. I don't have time to elaborate really fully, but others that come to mind... Shawn Michaels = Gary Sheffield David Schultz = Albert Belle (though Schultz's career is kind of an insult to Belle, who was an absolute monster at his peak) Bobby Eaton = Mariano Rivera John Cena = Derek Jeter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
...TG Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 Stan Hansen = Nolan Ryan I mean, obviously. Though Nolan wasn't quite as good as his hype, and Stan's work gets better with age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJRogers Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 Babe Ruth = Dusty Rhodes Ruth = Hogan seems obvious even without JBL saying it every time Hogan walks out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJRogers Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 No clue about career comps, but end of life, Chris Benoit = Marty Bergen https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marty_Bergen_(baseball) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donsem43 Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 Josh Hamilton = Kerry Von Erich - I really hope Hamilton's life doesn't end like Kerry's did. Troy Tulowitzki = Daniel Bryan - Injuries + lack of opportunity to be successful at the big time. Alex Gordon = Rodrick Strong - Overrated guys who became underrated. Jeffrey Loria = Dixie Carter - Granted Loria has a WS ring but c'mon. Cubs prospects = NXT prospects - Lots of potential. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJRogers Posted June 14, 2015 Report Share Posted June 14, 2015 Re: Dandy, I just remember Satoru Komiyama being touted as the "Japanese Maddux" by somebody Mets-related...I don't know if it was Bobby Valentine, Steve Phillips, or somebody else. He provided 1 year of poor relief pitching and was back to Japan. Shingo Takatsu and Kenji Johjima might also qualify as comps. It was Bobby V, who managed him in Japan...and thanks for reminding me! Another Met bust, Kaz Matsui, might be a better Dandy comp since he came in with quite a rep and star appeal. Hell, we moved Jose Reyes off of short for him! Speaking of the Mets, Darryl Strawberry might be a good Bret Hart comp. Career really spiraled downward soon after leaving the Mets via free agency (even though according to Adam Sandler he was traded). Put up some good numbers with the Yankees, but injuries, demons, and cancer cut his career way too short, and far from the HOF track that it seemed to be when he left NY. Also thinking of Steve Austin = Mike Piazza due to Piazza's acrimonious leaving the Dodgers, causing a rift that still exists to this day in fact, then spending about 2 weeks in Florida, the equivalent of Austin's ECW run in between getting fired by WCW in early 1995 and picked up by the WWF very late in 1995, before landing in New York for a great run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregor Posted June 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2015 Dandy wasn't a bust, though. There were no expectations for him when he came in, and even if there had been he was put in a role that virtually guaranteed that he would have almost no impact on the company. WCW would never have done anything equivalent to moving Jose Reyes off shortstop for him. Jack Morris = Edge. Most wins in the '80s = king of the ****+ main event. Game 7, 1991 = that time in 2006 when ratings went up during his brief reign as champion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Sorrow Posted June 18, 2015 Report Share Posted June 18, 2015 Greg Luzinski IS Ivan Putski. Not the most talented, but a powerful hitter and super over with the fans in Philly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
...TG Posted June 19, 2015 Report Share Posted June 19, 2015 Sticking with Philly: Sandman = John Kruk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJRogers Posted November 4, 2015 Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 There have been some memes going around calling the Mets' Young Gun rotation the Four Horsemen, so: Matt Harvey Tully Blanchard SuperBrat diva douche all the way. Noah Syndergaard With his attitude and words of late, the man Met fans call Thor is very Enforcer, Arn Anderson like Jacob deGrom Process of elimination, Ric Flair Steven Matz He will be in the 5 man next year, but clearly Zach Wheeler is going to be the 4th guy when he returns this summer (Tommy John surgery) so this is that rotating Ole/Luger/Windham slot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted November 4, 2015 Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 could compare the 4 middle-order Toronto bats to the Four Horsemen too. Bautista - Ole Anderson Encarnacion - Arn Anderson Donaldson - Tully Blanchard Tulowitzki - Ric Flair Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdw Posted November 5, 2015 Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 Shawn Michaels = Gary Sheffield I kind of get it: both were batshit crazy when young, and then eventually settled down when older. The big difference is that Sheff didn't really have any time off until older: there's no hole in his career. He was a bit up and down at times. I'm wondering is this guy is more like Shawn: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/carpech01.shtml Established himself at a certain level, then has the 2002-03 injury that's a bit like early Shawn screwing up in the first run with the WWF, and also walking out with the IC Title. Comes back, gets his shit together, that 21-5, the Cy, the 3rd in the Cy the next year and the WS... that's kind of like Shawn's "peak" in his 1996 run with the WWF Title. Then he has what looks like the career ending injury, toasting two seasons. Then BOOM he's back, he's in main events again, he's praised, he's 2nd in the Cy, then the following year 2 wins in the WS (Mania vs Taker), then the year after is all banged up and knows the jig is up but comes back for the build to Mania (the post season)... gets the sympathy push through the Nationals... before the Taker Giants squash him and end his career with a 0-2 NLCS. Carpenter will also be overrated by Cards Fans who think he was at the level of one of those All Japan shorter career as a great worker, Roy Halladay or Johan Santana, or Bret Saberhagen, or David Cone when... no, he really wasn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdw Posted November 5, 2015 Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 Babe Ruth = Dusty Rhodes Ruth = Hogan seems obvious even without JBL saying it every time Hogan walks out. Babe = Londos Bonds = Hogan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donsem43 Posted November 5, 2015 Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 Daniel Murphy = Zach Ryder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.