The Most Hated List

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May 26, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski (12) and teammate Paul Konerko (14) react after scoring against the Cleveland Indians in the first inning at U.S. Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

The Most Hated List

Fans love to hate players from opposing teams. Sometimes it’s because that player burns your team year after year. Sometimes it’s because they had one moment that cost your team everything. And still other times it’s simply because that player just rubs you the wrong way. Throughout my time as an Indians fan, I’ve certainly had my fair share of players I’ve hated. It’s only natural. Sports is funny in how it can drive the most sane and rational individuals to be raving, hate fulled lunatics.

So with that in mind I partook in an exercise to determine a the list of players Indian fans most love to hate. I looked at stats. I looked at particular games. I even looked at facial hair to determine who might be considered the biggest jerk of the bunch. What I came  with was a list of five players that tormented the Indians, and us, for years on end. We hate them to their very core and wish the worst of the worst upon them. Of course, had they played for the Indians at any point in their career we would have loved them unconditionally.

Oct 30, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (15) throws out St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Carlos Beltran (not pictured) during the first inning of game six of the MLB baseball World Series at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Honorable Mentions: Edgar Renteria, Dustin Pedroia, Chuck Knoblauch, Rafael Palmeiro

So why did these four draw such hatred from Indians fans, but not enough to make the list? Well, they each have compelling cases, but not enough to really say we despise them entirely.

Let’s start with Edgar Renteria. He played in only 38 games against the Indians in his career, but he did have one of the most painful and demoralizing moments we have experienced in the post Municipal Stadium era. His game winning hit off of Charles Nagy in game seven of the 1997 World Series is an image that none of us have gotten over. Other than that, not much else stands out about Renteria against the Tribe.

Dustin Pedroia is the youngest player I will mention. His gritty and scrappy style of play is admirable, but it can drive you crazy at the same time. His .326/.396/.451 slash line against the Indians has been part of the reason for their struggles against the Red Sox. He was also a key charachter in the most recent Indians post season collapse. If he was further along in his career maybe he’d be higher on this list, but he still has a lot of time left. Anything could happen.

Chuck Knoblauch. What is there to say about Chuck Knoblauch that hasn’t been said before. He had pedestrian numbers against the Indians in his career, .282/.367/.368 in 126 games, but there was always something that rubber Indian fans, and baseball fans in general, the wrong way. As rookie of the year for the Twins in 1991 AL Rookie of the Year for the Twins, it looked like he was going to torment us for years. Then the Twins fell on tough times, he demanded a trade, and eventually landed in New York. came down with “the yips” and hit Keith Olberman’s mom in the face with a baseball. Even Twins fans turned on Knoblauch post-trade by throwing hot dogs at him on return trips to the Metrodome.

Rafael Palmeiro. Steroids. That wanna be Keith Hernandez mustache. The annoying way he went back and forth between the Rangers and Orioles. There’s a lot to work with here, but the 31 home runs and 113 RBI against the Indians in his career was perhaps the most annoying. He just wasn’t very likable if he wasn’t playing for your team.

Jun 23, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees former right fielder Paul O

5. Paul O’Neill

Paul O’Neill was what you would call a “hard nosed” baseball player. He hustled non-stop, he gave 110% on each and every play, and was intense at all times. The guy probably even put his pants on in an intense fashion. He was the classic definition of a guy you would love to have on your team and absolutely despise if he was on the opposite side of the diamond.

That said, the Indians didn’t have to worry about O’Neill during the early part of his career. His first eight years were spent in Cincinnati playing for the Reds in an era that didn’t include interleague play. However, once he became a member of the Yankees in 1993, he became an Indian killer.  In 90 games and 385 plate appearances, O’Neill put together a .304/.379/.528 slash line with 16 home runs, 69 RBI, and 54 runs scored. He was one of the key villains during those mid-90’s seasons and a guy that fans loved to boo.

July 31, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA: Chicago White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski (12) walks to the dugout after the sixth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

4. A.J. Pierzynski

Let’s get one thing straight. Everyone hates A.J. Pierzynski for the primary reason that he has established himself as the premier jerk in all of baseball. He starts fights, talks trash to hitters while they are in the batter’s box, and even rubs his own teammates the wrong way. Basically he does everything that you would want your catcher to do. It helps explain why he has consistently been one of the best catchers in baseball since he came up with the Twins back in the late 90’s.

The Indians have had quite a few run-ins with Pierzynski over the years thanks to his time spent with intradivision rivals the Twins and White Sox. In 167 games and 681 plate appearances, Pierzynski has a .279/.325/.454 slash line with 20 homers and 79 RBI. He’s been a thorn in the Indians side for years now. When he finally left Chicago prior to the start of the 2013 season for the Rangers, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. We would still have to see him on occasion, but not to the extent when he was playing for the White Sox.

Oh, and then there were the frosted tips. Those didn’t help things any.

Oct 24, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox former pitcher Pedro Martinez walks to the mound to throw out the ceremonial first pitch with other members of the 2004 Boston Red Sox prior to game two of the MLB baseball World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

3. Pedro Martinez

Pedro Martinez is one of the greatest pitchers of all-time. He’s going to land in the Hall of Fame. It was a pleasure to watch him pitch, especially in his prime. That said, he made pitching against the Indians look like a varsity pitcher going up against a bunch of eighth graders. He dominated the Indians throughout his career, espcially in the playoffs. He’s even come out and said he’s sorry for what he had to do to the Indians back in 1999 – six-innings of no hit emergency relief to help the Red Sox bounce back from an 0-2 series hole.

In 117 career innings pitched against the Indians, Martinez went 11-1 with a 1.77 ERA and 146 strikeouts. That’s complete and total domination. There’s nothing more disheartening than knowing going into a game that your team had little to no chance of winning. That’s what it felt like against Martinez. Now, looking back it’s clear that that was the case. The Indians had little to no chance of beating Pedro Martinez… ever.

Jun 18, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago White Sox designated hitter Paul Konerko (14) hits a single in the fourth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

2. Paul Konerko

It was tempting to put Paul Konerko at #1 on this list. Instead, he’ll have to deal with being the most hated hitter the Indians and the fans have ever had to worry about. That should help give you an idea of who might be #1.

As for Konerko, he has made a career out of demoralizing the Indians. Having spent the majority of his career with the White Sox, he has certainly had more than his fair share of opportunities. In 239 games and 1014 plate appearances he has put together a respectable .276/.352/.492 slash line. He’s also hit 48 home runs, 11% of his 434 career home runs, 177 RBI, and 124 runs scored. If Paul Konerko comes to bat with runners on base, or God help us with the bases loaded, we’ve all come to expect the worst. He seems like a good guy, at least more so than his former teammate, A.J. Pierzynski, but it’s the things that he has done on the field that have casued him to become a massive thorn in our sides.

The one bright spot is that the nightmare is almost over. Konerko agreed to a one-year deal with the White Sox and plans to retire following the 2014 season. As long as he decides not to change his mind or the White Sox don’t try to convince him otherwise, Paul Konerko’s reign of terror against the Indians looks like it is finally going to come to an end. It can’t get here fast enough.

August 25, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Sugar Land Skeeters pitcher Roger Clemens (21) in the dugout during a game against the Blueport Bluefish at Constellation Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

1. Roger Clemens

This one is a no-brainer, and not because of the steroid related issues. Roger Clemens killed the Indians during his career. The numbers speak for themselves. A 27-8 record and 3.13 ERA in 350.2 innings pitched, the most innings he pitched against any other big league team. His 354 strikeouts against the Indians are the second most strikeouts he had against any other team. Detroit came in at #1 with 355 strikeouts. Yes, you read that correctly. He was dominant against the Indians and routinely made us his bitch, for lack of a better term.

Also aiding in Clemens distinction of being #1 on this most hated list was his decision to sign with the Blue Jays in 1997. Many thought that Clemens would opt to sign with the Indians. After all, the Indians had established themselves as one of the premier teams of that decade and on the verge of winning a title. All that was missing to put them over the hump was an elite starting pitcher. Instead, Clemens opted to sign with the Blue Jays and say that he was excited to be part of a winner and a team that was heading in the right direction. Two Cy Young awards and two playoff-less seasons later, Clemens asked for a trade and was sent to the Yankees. The rest is history.

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