The Daveys

Dave Paisley

The end of the year is upon us, and so it's obviously time for everyone's lists. As it's also the end of a decade, century and millennium, there will be even more lists. (And before we get off on the whole "this isn't the real end of the millennium" kick, let me say I agree with you, but I refuse to stand in the way of that particular runaway train. Much like the way I now say zee instead of zed for the last letter of the alphabet.)

And so, on with the lists. In order even to qualify for a Davey, a player must have demonstrated a consistent ability to play Major League Baseball throughout the decade. I'm not interested here in the one-season wonders, but rather those players who have exhibited the courage and desire to pull in a multi-million dollar paycheck year after year.

There are some players around now who will dominate the next decade, but they'll get their kudos in ten years time. For instance, it's pretty difficult now to predict who the shortstop of the 00's will be, but I suspect that by the end of 2009 we'll know who it was. Or at least we'll all be arguing about it.

So without further ado, the first Daveys go to:

Cal Ripken - Baseball Celebrity of the Decade
What's to say? Cal single-handedly saved baseball from itself. Oh, sorry, that's what it says in the Sporting Snooze. Despite the hype, however, Ripken did provide a rallying point for the public to focus on after the strike of 1994-95. Even little old unsentimental me gave up an afternoon on the beach in Maui to watch the historic record-breaking game. Another reason that Cal wins the celebrity award is that his on-field accomplishments simply haven't been that great this decade. Good at times, great once in a while, but often just mediocre. In some ways he's more famous for being famous than anything else.

Ken Griffey Jr. - Most Liked Player of the Decade
Well, until now, it seems. Despite a temperament much like Barry Bonds, Griffey has avoided the surly tag from the media, and Nike and Nintendo have helped to keep his charming smile in the forefront of the public eye. He also has a flair for the dramatic, pulling off dramatic wins in All-Star home run contests. The hype that preceded his on-again, off-again participation almost every year simply adds to his Garbo-esque mystery. Since the demise of Frank Thomas, Griffey has seized the hearts and minds of the baseball collectible market, too, with his Upper Deck rookie card screaming from $75 to over $200 in the last year.

Frank Thomas - Disappointment of the Decade
Whatever happened to poor Frank Thomas? Once an invincible hitting machine, an inability to play first base and a nasty divorce seem to have robbed him of his super-powers. A two-time AL MVP and perennial All-Star for much of the decade, he's fading fast. The demise of the White Sox as a competitive franchise hasn't helped, but Frank has consented to stay rather than look for greener pastures. I'd normally applaud him for that, but it just doesn't seem like it's helping anybody right now.

Albert Belle - Most Reviled Player of the Decade
Is there a player whose name strikes fear and loathing into the hearts of small children (not to mention photographers and journalists) more than Albert Belle? Every sport needs its boogey-man, and Albert Belle has played the role perfectly for baseball. The trade to the Orioles seemed to have finally calmed him down a bit, but it only took half a season before Albert was back to his old press-trashing self. Of course, that last trait isn't all bad, provided it's confined to words rather than attempts at vehicular homicide.

Barry Bonds - Most Underrated Player of the Decade
If it hadn't been for Albert Belle, Bonds may well have snapped up the Most Reviled award, too. However, Barry is just a great player who has never played on a truly great team, but who seems happy with the relative obscurity. When people choose teammate Jeff Kent for an MVP over Bonds, you know something must be wrong.

Mark McGwire - Comeback Player of the Decade
After spending the first half of the decade riddled with injuries, McGwire could have easily packed it in and gone home as potentially the biggest disappointment and waste of talent there ever was. However, a sudden burst of health in 1996 allowed him to post 50 homers for the first time in his career, and the rest is already history.

Greg Maddux - Pitcher of the Decade
Looking back on the decade, Maddux could easily have snagged six or seven Cy Young awards instead of the paltry four that he did get. It seems he suffers from the "yesterday's news" syndrome as far as the BBWAA is concerned. If those morons would get their collective heads out of their collective asses, they would have realized that Maddux simply outpitched the rest of the NL singlehandedly for an entire decade. An honorable mention here to Roger Clemens, but really, it's not even close.

Randy Johnson - Most Improved Pitcher of the Decade
Johnson broke in with the Expos in 1989, but was soon traded to the Seattle Mariners. His early years in the majors were terribly erratic. He has always been unhittable, but his control betrayed him early on. He averaged 140 walks a season from 1990-92, but 1993 saw his total drop below 100 for the first time. Ninety-nine isn't much below 100, but it was the start of a trend.

Atlanta Braves - Team of the Decade
After much deliberation, and with the 1999 World Series behind us a little, it's easy to see that the Braves are the real team of the decade. So they can't win a World Series more than once a decade, is that really so bad? It takes an awful lot to put together a good team and keep it at the top of the league over a period of ten years, especially with the freedom of movement that players have these days. So kudos to John Schuerholz, Bobby Cox, and even -- I hate to say this -- Ted Turner.

New York Yankees - Comeback Team of the Decade
This award seems much more fitting for the Yankees. Mired in the depths of despair after more than a decade of meddling by Steinbrenner, George finally wised up and let baseball people (good baseball people, mind you) run the show. Steady improvement followed, culminating in a team today that embodies the ultimate team quality: that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

So there's the first batch. Tune in again soon to find out what award Otis Nixon will be receiving.

about the author

Dave Paisley is #35 in ESPN's "SportCentury" countdown for his historic contributions to curling. Complain that the inventor of the corn broom should have been selected instead at drdjp@strikethree.com.