MLB Showdown Cards

#ShotsFriday 

We discussed in an earlier #ShotsFriday post about 3 players the A’s let go in the famous book Moneyball. The three players the A’s General Manager, Billy Beane allowed to leave via free agency were Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon and Jason Isringhausen after the 2001 season. These players were all productive players to leave the A’s for greener pastures. That would be money green not Athletics green. The challenging task in front of the staff was to replace their production at a fraction of the price. The answer were these 3 players (among others).

Jeremy Giambi: Jeremy’s problem? Jeremy. He was often known for being a wild child with even more love for the bachelor life that baseball has to offer. His saving grace? His ability to get on-base and hit for power. The movie leads the viewer to believe the Jeremy was picked up by the A’s when in fact he had been with the A’s since 2000. He actually has a 2001 Showdown card with the A’s unlike our other two mentions. Jeremy would sport an 8, speed B(generously), LF/RF+ (also generously), 19-20 HR, 18 3B, 17 2B, 1-4 out for 200 points. Maybe not the best player for a 5,000 point cap league however, if you ever played using only a single team from a single year this is a useful player.

David Justice: The theory behind many of the principles behind the book Moneyball is that teams have irrational fears as to why they dislike players. Jeremy Giambi’s case was that he was a party animal. David Justice’s case was that he was too old. 2002 would be his last year in the majors but it would actually be a very productive one. He would only hit 11 home runs which would be the least of any year he was healthy. He would score 54 runs and have an OBP of .376. His 2001 Promo Showdown card would show a much younger man with a 9, speed B, 17-20 HR, 15-16 2B for 420. There is no way that player could get old overnight right? That is what Billy Beane bet on and was right.

Scott Hatteburg: Maybe the most interesting story of the 3 is Scott Hatteburg. Definitely has the most interesting Showdown card. Hatteburg hurt his arm and continued to catch for the Red Sox. Many Red Sox fans will argue he never threw at all during the 2000 season. He did manage to have very good OBP results despite average power at best. With his injury it was assumed that was too much baggage for a player with limited offensive production. In swings the A’s with a deal and a new position. There were some headaches teaching him the position but he would help them win games. His only playable Showdown card is a 9, speed C, C+0, 20 HR, 18-19 2B, 1-4 out for 180 points. He is to my knowledge the worst throwing catcher in our sets. His 2001P card is something of lore. But he gets on base