MLB: Most Interesting Man in Baseball – Part I
By Jim Turvey
The Cagey Veteran: Ichiro Suzuki
Ichiro will be suiting up for the Marlins in 2017, his 16th season in Major League Baseball and his 25th (!) professional baseball season. In 2016, as a 42-year-old, Ichiro hit .291 with an OPS+ of 101. But on-field production is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Ichiro. Perhaps it’s not surprising for a man who has been around the game as long as Ichiro has to have as many epics of lore surrounding him as Ichiro does, but it no less impressive.
There are the stories of Ichiro’s legendary All-Star Game speeches which managed to stay secret from the better part of a decade while the American League continually mopped the floor with the National League. There are the stories of how Ichiro could easily be a 40-home run hitter and, in his best Wade Boggs impression, easily trounced teammates of his in batting practice home run derby. At this point, Ichiro is the elder statesman of the league and embracing his role as such. He’s as crabby as ever and it’s as glorious as ever.
Other potential nominees: Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey, Brandon Phillips, Adrian Gonzalez, Albert Pujols, Adam Jones.
The On-Field Quirk: Carter Capps
At this point most baseball fans know of Capps. If his name doesn’t immediately do the trick, it only takes a quick “the guy who hops when he pitches” to get an “Oh yeah, I know the guy you’re talking about” from your fellow fan. If you haven’t seen Capps pitch, it’s a pretty unique sight.
When Capps has been able to stay on the field, the results have spoken for themselves (ERA+ of 331 in 2015). However, Capps has suffered a few set backs in the health department of late, and one has to wonder if his unique pitching motion has anything to do with that. We may well see another Carter Capps if he can continue his on-field success while remaining healthy (and if MLB doesn’t do anything to outlaw the “trick”), but he’s one of a kind for the time being.
Other potential nominees: Javier Baez (tagging), Adrian Beltre (head-touching), Jason Kipnis (Ricky Bobby-level of not knowing what to do with his hands while in the batters box).
The Exception to the Rule: Shohei Otani
You know all those rules we laid out just a minute ago? Of course we had to break them slightly. That’s what rules were made for, right? If you don’t know about Otani, there are plenty of great articles about the Japanese version of modern Babe Ruth. Ben Lindbergh was first on the scene (with his podcast and then an article), but Deadspin and Bleacher Report have profiles of this seemingly mythological man as well.
For the uninitiated, Otani is the best starting pitcher in the Japanese Pacific League who also just so happens to be the best hitter in the Japanese Pacific League. Otani is coming off a season in which he was basically Sandy Koufax on the mound (10-4, 1.86 ERA) and Barry Bonds at the dish (22 HR, 1.004 OPS). For reference, that 1.004 OPS figure is the same as Mike Schmidt in his 48-HR and MVP-winning 1980 season. Of course Otani is doing this in Japan not MLB, but projecting what he could be in the States is half of what makes him so interesting.
Other potential nominees: Jonny Gomes (also now playing in Japan), Jose Fernandez (Rest in Peace), Ross Ohlendorf (also also playing in Japan; man, the Japanese league is kind of interesting).
The Straight-Up Weirdo: Sean Doolittle
It’s no surprise that Doolittle takes the spot in our final eight here, as he is both a relief pitcher and an Oakland Athletic, both leading factors in creating most Straight-up Weirdos. Anyone who follows Sean Doolitte on Twitter knows just how entertaining and goofy the A’s closer can be. He’s built a name for himself around the league for not being shy about his takes (baseball and otherwise), but also not being overly Curt Schilling-y with his takes. He’s a quirky dude without being an obnoxious guy, a trap that has caught many men before him (see: Brian Wilson).
Other potential nominees: John Axford, Jason Grilli, literally any bullpen dude on literally any team.