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#1 Mackus

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Posted 15 April 2021 - 09:05 AM

Was Ben McDonald a bust?

 

 

Serious question

 

 

(Before being split into it's own discussion, this was part of the Wieters thread / discussion... where it was being discussed was Wieters a bust for not meeting the lofty expectations that existed.) 



#2 NewMarketSean

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Posted 15 April 2021 - 09:10 AM

Was Ben McDonald a bust?

 

 

Serious question

No. I'd put him in the same realm as Wieters. Overhyped players who never lived up to the hype but still had productive MLB careers.

 

Still producing for the team in the booth.


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#3 BSLChrisStoner

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Posted 15 April 2021 - 09:17 AM

Draft in the '89 Why Not season... ML debut that year...  

Overworked at LSU... 

In '93, I thought he was close to putting it all together.  

Some productive years as Sean said. 

Shoulder issues ended his career early.   Some monster ability. 

 

Think it's awesome that he's found a 2nd career with his College Baseball work with ESPN, and his MASN work with the Orioles. 

Really enjoy him on the telecasts, and hope he's in that capacity long-term. 

 

Favorite memory was being in the bleachers on my bday for this start:
https://www.baseball...199308050.shtml



#4 Mackus

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Posted 15 April 2021 - 09:18 AM

Oh man, can the first post in the Ben thread please not be me asking if he was a bust without any context of having the same conversation in regards to Wieters?

 

Can it instead be me directly begging him to come and do more of the games on TV and radio? 


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#5 JeremyStrain

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Posted 15 April 2021 - 09:18 AM

No. I'd put him in the same realm as Wieters. Overhyped players who never lived up to the hype but still had productive MLB careers.

Still producing for the team in the booth.


Have to agree with this. Could have been more but wasn’t terrible. The bust word really should be reserved for the train wrecks that aren’t even ML players.
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#6 You Play to Win the Game

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Posted 15 April 2021 - 09:32 AM

Was too young to ever really remember him as a player, but I love him as a broadcaster. He is great. 



#7 TwentyThirtyFive

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Posted 15 April 2021 - 09:33 AM

Not only is he not a bust hes probably underrated by a lot of Os fans
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#8 BSLChrisStoner

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Posted 15 April 2021 - 09:35 AM



#9 You Play to Win the Game

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Posted 15 April 2021 - 09:36 AM

HD video has been one of the best things to happen. 


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#10 BSLChrisStoner

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Posted 15 April 2021 - 09:40 AM

Favorite memory was being in the bleachers on my bday for this start:
https://www.baseball...199308050.shtml


A year later to the day, he had this start in Milwaukee.... 

 

https://www.baseball...199408050.shtml

 



#11 DuffMan

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Posted 15 April 2021 - 09:40 AM

baltimore-orioles-mike-mussina-and-ben-m


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#12 Old Man

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Posted 15 April 2021 - 09:57 AM

I blame McDonalds MLB career for not being what it could have been, thanks to his college manager who had this dude, starting and closing during the college world series.

 

He was expected to be a 1-2 punch with Moose.

 

Was nothing close to a bust. IMO



#13 mweb08

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Posted 15 April 2021 - 11:19 AM

No. As has been said, this is a very similar case to Wieters. I'd be curious to hear someone explain if they don't roughly put them in the same category.

#14 Old Man

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Posted 15 April 2021 - 11:28 AM

No. As has been said, this is a very similar case to Wieters. I'd be curious to hear someone explain if they don't roughly put them in the same category.

Im a big Ben fan.

 

But, never got some of the things that Wieters did, like ASGs.

 

 

Career War is considerably less than Wieters.

 

Neither panned out as hyped.

 

Neither was a bust IMO.



#15 Mike B

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Posted 15 April 2021 - 11:42 AM

I think the Orioles rushed Ben.  

Again, like Wieters, no way Ben was a bust.  

His career was shorter than it could have been, but he won 78 games in the majors, had a sub 4 ERA (3.91) and a 1.25 whip.


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#16 mweb08

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Posted 15 April 2021 - 11:47 AM

Im a big Ben fan.

But, never got some of the things that Wieters did, like ASGs.


Career War is considerably less than Wieters.

Neither panned out as hyped.

Neither was a bust IMO.


McDonald has the higher career rWAR. I didn't check fangraphs.

Ultimately I'd assume anyone that describes Wieters as a bust but not Ben is doing so because they only experienced the hype for Matt.

#17 Old Man

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Posted 15 April 2021 - 11:52 AM

McDonald has the higher career rWAR. I didn't check fangraphs.

Ultimately I'd assume anyone that describes Wieters as a bust but not Ben is doing so because they only experienced the hype for Matt.

 

My one personal note about WAR and catching. Lots of details that a catcher does, doesnt always get captured by metrics.

 

Im a fan of both guys, just wish, both had lived more up to their hype when drafted.



#18 Mike in STL

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Posted 15 April 2021 - 12:56 PM

I’ll never forget the back of his 1992 Topps baseball card, listed a fun fact that he could hold 7 baseballs in one hand.
@BSLMikeRandall




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