Most Successful Failures—A New Series

[Hy Feiber]

Today’s “maiden voyage” honors Erik Kratz, catcher who started out in 2010, and has been consistently awful ever since.

He was just released yesterday, 9 years of Futility, but has always met expectations.

Has been paid almost 4 mil, hesitate to say “earned.”

One year he went 8-85!

As always, your Erudite responses are encouraged.

[:::]

Sounds like Mariner material to me.

[rockycola]

Sounds like Mariner material to me.

He actually was a Mariner once!

June 21, 2015: Selected off waivers by the Boston Red Sox from the Kansas City Royals.
June 29, 2015: Granted Free Agency.
July 2, 2015: Signed as a Free Agent with the Seattle Mariners.
July 15, 2015: Released by the Seattle Mariners.
July 17, 2015: Signed as a Free Agent with the Philadelphia Phillies.

I thought I remembered him; was puzzled why the M's signed him at the time. As you can see on Baseball Reference he lasted an unlucky 13 days.
Those 13 days he played for Tacoma, never being called up. He came, he went in a blink of an eye. In 10 games Sir Eric of Krapz batted .205 \ .279 \ .308 / .587. The lifelong catcher caught 4 games, 1B in one and I assume DH'd the others.

Ah, good memories

https://www.baseball-reference.com/regi ... atz-001eri

[Hy Feiber]

Sounds like Mariner material to me.

He actually was a Mariner once!

June 21, 2015: Selected off waivers by the Boston Red Sox from the Kansas City Royals.
June 29, 2015: Granted Free Agency.
July 2, 2015: Signed as a Free Agent with the Seattle Mariners.
July 15, 2015: Released by the Seattle Mariners.
July 17, 2015: Signed as a Free Agent with the Philadelphia Phillies.


I thought I remembered him; was puzzled why the M's signed him at the time. As you can see on Baseball Reference he lasted an unlucky 13 days.
Those 13 days he played for Tacoma, never being called up. He came, he went in a blink of an eye. In 10 games Sir Eric of Krapz batted .205 \ .279 \ .308 / .587. The lifelong catcher caught 4 games, 1B in one and I assume DH'd the others.

Ah, good memories

https://www.baseball-reference.com/regi ... atz-001eri

Mr Cola, as Master of Baseball Esoterica, you likely recall Henry Blanco’s pinch hit grand slam in his M’s debut!

Looked like Boris Karloff.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BlLKBRL9Ppc

[rockycola]

If Blanco was any stiffer he'd be a stiff. I remember.

Hey, how does one get into the Successful Failure Club?

[Hy Feiber]

If Blanco was any stiffer he'd be a stiff. I remember.

Hey, how does one get into the Successful Failure Club?

Haven’t yet come up with strict criteria, I know em when I see em!

After his last year’s 2 rbi’s in over a hundred at bats, gotta say, Andrew Romine’s knockin down the doors.

At the very least, say the guy plays 7-10 years, and consistently produces little.

I’ll be introducing other noteworthy categories of unconventional players.

[D-train]

Jeff Schaeffer in 1992.........

https://www.baseball-reference.com/play ... je01.shtml

[Double Mocha Man]

Only one failure per day, please. I can't handle this drain on my memory...

[Moe Gibbs]

I'm too lazy to do the math..but if you divide what this guy earned into the innings he played..then do the same with A Rod or Barry Bonds....I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Erik Kratz earned more per AB or the innings he actually played than any Super Star Players.
If so, then he has THAT to brag about...right...?

[Ziskmagic]

If you spin the Mariners wheel of history, most likely you will land somewhere between mediocre and horrible. It's like Mariner fans know infinite shades of failure and misery that only a select few of our species have experienced.

Hopefully one day we will be recognized for our suffering, and studied so that future generations can be spared.