In the midst of the discussion of MLB's best, a brief respite is in order to consider the worst player in the game in 2011.
In one sense, it's a short discussion. Hanging on the noose of a four-year, $56 million contract, the White Sox had no choice but to continue playing Adam Dunn in the hope that he could rediscover some semblance of the player who boomed 38 or more big flies and posted .850+ OPS in each of the past seven seasons.
Evidently, Dunn was hiding better than they thought. Despite batting .159 with 11 home runs, Dunn continued to collect plate appearances -- 496 in all. He cost the Sox 22 runs at the plate compared to a replacement player, and despite DHing most of the season, subtracted another couple of runs in the field. His .159/.292/.277 reflects only one positive accomplishment -- the ability to coax 75 walks. Alas, the guy runs like molasses going uphill.
Dunn was beyond awful, of course, and shockingly so, but much of his wretchedness lies in his continued presence in the batting order.
For pure, unadulterated stinkbomb, there's Tampa first-sacker Dan Johnson. In 90 plate appearances, Johnson accumulated seven singles, six walks, two home runs and a double, and got himself plunked once (woo-hoo!). He made 74 outs. His slash stats are not for the eyes of young children or those with pacemakers: .119/.187/.202, costing the Rays nearly 10 runs in parts of just 31 games.
In the world of "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately," Johnson will go down as a . . . hero. Johnson's last at-bat erased a season of wanton dreadfulness. Down 7-6 in the ninth inning of Game 162, Johnson crashed a two-out, two-strike pitch from NYY reliever Corey Wade into the foul pole to keep Tampa's season alive. They won in the 12th to slip into the playoffs.
Rays fans will recall Johnson fondly, but in a very real sense, he was the worst player in the majors this year.
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