Top 5 Underwhelming Indians for Tribe Fest

July 20, 2012; Cleveland, OH USA: Baltimore Orioles first baseman Jim Thome (25) watches from the dugout during the game against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric P. Mull-USPRESSWIRE

Tribe Fest Lineup is Packed with Former Stars

This week the Indians announced that they would have three special guests from the team’s glory days of the 90’s in attendance for Tribe Fest. Jim Thome, Charles Nagy, and Omar Vizquel will all be in attendance and it has gotten Tribe fans salivating in anticipation. After all, when was the last time those three all-time great Indians were all in the same place at the same time. Anyone thinking about going should be excited and those who were on the fence about attending probably just had their minds made up about attending.

This news got me thinking. If these three former Indians could get fans all in a frenzy, what former Indians would have the exact opposite reaction. Which former players when their names announced would be met with indifference and a whole lot of “meh.” So without further ado, here are the top 5 underwhelming Indians that would be among some of the most confusing choices for any future Tribe Fest lineup.

Credit: Unkown

#5. Bill Selby

For anyone who remembers who Bill Selby was, I commend you. Your knowledge of all things Cleveland Indians is astonishing and deserves some sort of award… or a cookie at the very least. Bill Selby is remembered for two things as a member of the Indians and in all honesty, most people don’t remember either. First, Selby had one of the most memorable regular season home runs in Indians history. On July 14, 2002, Selby hit a game winning, walk-off grand slam against vaunted Yankees closer Mariano Rivera. The second, and more important contribution made by Selby was the nicknaming of Travis Hafner. As Selby once explained:

“Texas came to town in 2002 and I was with [former Indian] Lee Stevens” href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Stevens”>Lee Stevens on the bench saying, ‘This dude is unbelievable. He’s a real project.’ He was hitting the ball everywhere. We got him the next spring and we called him ‘Project’ all the time. One day I passed him, and said, ‘What’s up, you big donkey?’ He said, ‘Hey, I can’t be the Project and the Donkey.’ “So we started going with ‘Pronkey’. In Spanish, we made it ‘El Pronko.’ Then it got down to ‘The Pronk’ and finally just ‘Pronk.’ It fits him. He doesn’t look like Shrek or anything else. He just looks like a Pronk.”

And there you have it.

Credit: Unknown

#4. Ben Broussard

Nothing against Ben Broussard, but when you’re more known for the trade you were involved in because it was one of the most lopsided in baseball history, and not because you were the stud player exchanged for cents on the dollar, it might be time to question how excited fans would be to see you. In all fairness, Broussard wasn’t a terrible player. He was a solid contributor for the Indians, but just never seemed to make that next step in terms of his skill set. He had some power, but never really became a true power hitter. The Mariners didn’t seem to mind when they sent Shin-Soo Choo to Cleveland in exchange for his services. Ben Broussard… all around nice guy, but not exactly the most memorable or exciting player in Indians history.

Credit: Thomas Ondrey / The Plain Dealer

#3. Mitch Talbot

Mitch Talbot is a bit of an enigma. Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Kelly Shoppach, Talbot became a mainstay in the Indians starting rotation for a whole season and a half between 2010 and 2011. He wasn’t a hard thrower by any means, more crafty than anything else. His performance in 2010 was a bit baffling. At times he looked great and other times… not so much. After a strong first half, he finished the season with a 10-13 record and a 4.41 ERA. Many were unsure if Talbot deserved to be a legitimate piece of the rotation moving forward, but the Indians gave him another shot in 2011. It didn’t go well. Talbot limped to a 2-6 record with a 6.64 ERA in 12 starts. His stint with the Indians would end at the trade deadline when he was designated for assignment in order to make room on the roster for Ubaldo Jimenez. He’s the type of player that would leave any fan saying, “Oh yeah, I remember that guy” and the conversation would end there.

credit: The Plain Dealer

#1. Eric Plunk

Has there ever been a more frustrating reliever in the history of ever. All I really remember from the Eric Plunk era is my dad saying, “Oh God, not Eric Plunk” any time Mike Hargrove brought him into the game. I’m willing to guess most fans had the same reaction during those magical mid-90’s seasons as well. In a strange twist, most fans would probably have the same reaction if they saw Eric Plunk’s name on the Tribe Fest roster, “Oh God, not Eric Plunk.” Nothing against the guy. I’m sure he’s a great person with a lot of endearing qualities, but as a relief pitcher he left a lot to be desired, especially when it came to giving up home runs. That’s why he gets the “honorable” distinction of being #1 on this list. Nobody, and I mean nobody, is rushing to by tickets to Tribe Fest is Eric Plunk’s name is anywhere on the list of attendees.