I'd happily add Chris Carpenter (nix that, I see it's in the original list) and Josh Beckett to my list of jerk ballplayers. Other notable jerks in my lifetime include Barry Bonds (duh), Julian Tavarez (sucker-punched Joey Gathright I believe in spring training), and Albert Belle. I remember hating Jeff Cirillo's guts as well. It always seemed like he was a red-ass along the lines of Youkilis, played hard, whined and yelled a lot - just not as ugly.

I love Carlos Z. too and of course Miggie. Why would anybody think these guys are ########?

Miggy seems likeable enough, but he has a pretty ugly domestic abuse incident to his record, right? Not to mention the DUIs and alcohol abuse.

i'd probably be annoyed with him if he wasn't a cardinal, so i'm just going with fiery competitor!

I agree, any of the "jerks" on my list would be "fiery competitors" if they played on my team.

The Yankees have surprisingly few jerks anymore. They're quite likeable aside from ARod. They need to sign a few a-holes.

I do recall my dad being a little disapproving of Roberto Alomar's pimping his home run off of Eckersley in the 1992 ALCS.

Your dad must have missed the inning before, when Eckersley struck out Ed Sprague for the third out and launched into a screaming, fist-pumping "bang bang" Cactus Jack impression, complete with "ohhh, what NOW, bitch?" staredown off the field. If I'd been Alomar the following inning, I'd have moonwalked to first base.

I'm trying to think of incidents in which my beloved team has been wronged

Well, I've still got a grudge against Eric Show for hitting Dawson in the face. Given that was something like 25 years ago and Show died nearly 20 years ago, maybe I should let it go.

I still hate the 84 Padres for wronging the Cubs in the playoffs ... and the Mets are on the eternal despise list for 69 ... and the Cardinals for being the ####### Cardinals ... but I have to admit the Cubs have brought one or two of their problems on themselves.

I think the AJ as an ####### thing is overblown.
He was a part of that irritating Twins team, but there was no particular incident.
He lollygagged his way through 1 year in SF, and was "playing cards" instead of doing pitcher reports. Sounds bad.
But then Rickey also did that!

And there is the Angels' playoff incident and that baserunning incident.
Nothing really assholery about him. He seems like a typical jock, who normalized for the professional league, has a positive likeability score ( in part because of his interviews ).

Noone has mentioned Vecente Padilla yet or Ugueth Urbina? They should be near the top of the list!
And Sir Sidney!

Cueto cleated someone in the face and ended his career! That's like Pete Rose status.

So basically I don't think you're correct on this.

there's precedent for this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDchw0tODM0

Cueto cleated someone in the face and ended his career! That's like Pete Rose status.

A man with such a sensitive noggin should have been nowhere near a brawl, had he really been worried about it. All Cueto's kick did was hasten what was a rapidly approaching end, as Mr. LaRue had gotten to the point where he was routinely suffering concussions on foul tips. The whole "My stars, he ended his career" line from Cards fans is the most overblown nonsense that came out of that sillliness.

Cueto cleated someone in the face and ended his career! That's like Pete Rose status.

Cueto was rightly suspended for this, but he was shoved into and trapped up against the net/fence in a scuffle started by Carpenter, and then Larue was aggressively going after him. Larue only got kicked in the face because he WAS RUNNING DIRECTLY AT A PINNED CUETO. I think it's a bit much to act like he walked up behind an innocent victim and shivved him. And "ended his career" is a bit of an exaggeration, no? He was a 36 year old no hit backup catcher. It sucks that he got a concussion and post concussive symptoms, but his career was already over.

I think the AJ as an ####### thing is overblown.
He was a part of that irritating Twins team, but there was no particular incident.
He lollygagged his way through 1 year in SF, and was "playing cards" instead of doing pitcher reports. Sounds bad.

Now let me say up front that I love A.J. He's one of my favorite players. But this is selling him short. He was already pretty well disliked around the league when he was with the Twins. He had the whole nut-punch incident in SF. And he only solidified his rep while he was in CHicago (though I agree the Angels playoff thing and baserunning move is not a legit reason to think he's an #######).

Now, I think that much of his assholism is intentional, a ploy to get under his opponents' skin, rather than simply coming natural as it does with Carpenter. But make no mistake, he's an #######.

Or, as his eloquent former skipper, the esteemed Oswaldo J. Guillen once said about A.J.: "If you play against him, you hate him. If you play with him, you hate him a little less."

A man with such a sensitive noggin should have been nowhere near a brawl, had he really been worried about it. All Cueto's kick did was hasten what was a rapidly approaching end, as Mr. LaRue had gotten to the point where he was routinely suffering concussions on foul tips. The whole "My stars, he ended his career" line from Cards fans is the most overblown nonsense that came out of that sillliness.

Yep. If LaRue didn't want to get hurt, he shouldn't have involved himself in a brawl. That's what happens in fights: People get hurt.

No mention of Cole Hamels? I thought the consensus from the Bryce Harper thing was that it was pretty much in character for Hamels.

Now let me say up front that I love A.J. He's one of my favorite players. But this is selling him short. He was already pretty well disliked around the league when he was with the Twins. He had the whole nut-punch incident in SF. And he only solidified his rep while he was in CHicago (though I agree the Angels playoff thing and baserunning move is not a legit reason to think he's an #######).

An underrated Pierzysnki move that seems to be slowly getting lost to the history books was Game 1 of the 2002 ALDS. The A's blitz the Twins in the first inning and score three runs on two Twins errors (including one by AJ). Chavez scored the final run that inning from second base on a single. The throw to the plate was cutoff and Chavez had been signalled by his teammate that he could score standing up, so he turned to look over his shoulder at the play. Right when he crossed the plate, AJ "accidentally" walked across the plate and gave him a shoulder check knocking him off balance. Such a dick move.

Anyway, the following season, the A's made a big stink about getting revenge. In the first game, they play each other in 2003, Zito is cruising along having allowed just one hit through seven innings. In the eighth, he accidentally plunks AJ with a curveball (there was no way he was going to hit AJ as the tying run - especially with a curveball), but AJ absolutely yukked it up catching the ball in his arm pit and waving it at Zito while talking #### and walking to first base. He continued yelling at Zito from first base. Next at bat, pinch-hitter Bobby Kielty hooks a long flyball just foul. Next pitch, he homers and the Twins win 4-3. Just a masterful performance by Pierzynski.

Gomes is quite happy to brawl in defense of his teammates. Think of that what you will but I don't recall him ever starting #### on his own.

Also, Jonny Gomes is awesome.

Cueto was rightly suspended for this, but he was shoved into and trapped up against the net/fence in a scuffle started by Carpenter, and then Larue was aggressively going after him. Larue only got kicked in the face because he WAS RUNNING DIRECTLY AT A PINNED CUETO. I think it's a bit much to act like he walked up behind an innocent victim and shivved him. And "ended his career" is a bit of an exaggeration, no? He was a 36 year old no hit backup catcher. It sucks that he got a concussion and post concussive symptoms, but his career was already over.

Yep. If LaRue didn't want to get hurt, he shouldn't have involved himself in a brawl. That's what happens in fights: People get hurt.

Yeah except no one else got hurt in the brawl. Also kicking with cleats is clearly beyond the line of normal fighting etiquette. Punching, shoving, etc. have little potential for serious damage, cleating is crazy dangerous and is not nearly commensurate with the Cleto's position against the fence.

Also any danger that Cleto was in, he got there himself:

http://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2010/8/12/1619545/the-brawl-and-who-did-what-in

And LaRue was also not anywhere near Cleto's face while he was being kicked.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_2wgn_QZqHNk/TGRpKrGABrI/AAAAAAAAAEk/HJLMzI20boY/kicking.gif

It was a disgusting cowardly and reckless action, and yes it's the only time Cueto has done anything bad but it's enough to put him at the top of my ####### list in terms of baseball actions (Brett Myers, Cabrera, etc. are probably worse though).

Gomes I don't really have a problem with. Although he generally seems like a d!ckhead, I think of him the same way as Carpenter where I'm fine if he's on my team.

The whole "My stars, he ended his career" line from Cards fans is the most overblown nonsense that came out of that sillliness.

I'm sorry, it's factually correct that Cueto severly injured LaRue during a brawl in which no one else (especially Cueto) was even close to getting hurt. If this doesn't appeal to your backlash mindset on this matter, that's your problem.

I've been assured that Gomes is a great guy - which is in keeping with his public reputation.
Now, Cueto...

Is Big Z an ####### or just crazy?

I tend to vacillate on that opinion... today, I think Zambrano is just crazy - but that could be a function of pitchers and catchers just now reporting and it having been 6 months since I've had the occasion to see or read about him doing something to put me back in the '####### column'.

By mid-March, I'll more than likely go back to thinking he's an #######... but just crazy for today.

By mid-March, he'll be a Brother Elephant or some such thing.

if i can argue in true bbtf fashion, it may be that larue should not have got involved in the fight, but that doesn't mean cueto isn't a monumental a-hole who should not have been kicking with his cleats. besides, he's managed by a monumental a-hole, so some of that a-hole stink clings to him too.

May 21 Minn vs Oak 2003

Anyway, the following season, the A's made a big stink about getting revenge. In the first game, they play each other in 2003, Zito is cruising along having allowed just one hit through seven innings. In the eighth, he accidentally plunks AJ with a curveball (there was no way he was going to hit AJ as the tying run - especially with a curveball), but AJ absolutely yukked it up catching the ball in his arm pit and waving it at Zito while talking #### and walking to first base. He continued yelling at Zito from first base. Next at bat, pinch-hitter Bobby Kielty hooks a long flyball just foul. Next pitch, he homers and the Twins win 4-3. Just a masterful performance by Pierzynski.

Was it this game?

Also Pierzynski is a flaming a-hole who I hope gets suspended for PED's someday.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIN/MIN200305270.shtml

Probably this one cause Minnesota ##### slapped them that year.

Also Pierzynski is a flaming a-hole who I hope gets suspended for PED's someday.

I love AJ. I loved cheering for his a-hole self when he was a Twin and I love booing him now. The game needs characters and villains and he is both.