MLB All-Star Game: Each team’s worst All-Star selections ever
Pittsburgh Pirates – Tony Womack (1997)
Dig out the annals of baseball history and try to determine who the worst fielding second baseman of all-time is, and Tony Womack’s name is likely to jump right off the page at you. And then in take a moment to pick you jaw up off the floor when you realize that not only was Womack an All-Star in 1997, but someone also threw him votes in the Rookie of the Year voting and in the MVP ballot.
Womack also had one distinguishing quality; blazing speed. If he got on base, he could wreak havoc and he used that to become a somewhat dangerous lead-off hitter during his heyday. The problem was, eventually his glove would catch up to him and teams would realize he was costing them just as many runs in the field as he was earning them on the base paths. In 1997, Womack stole 60, scored 85 runs, and recorded 9 triples on the year. He also committed 20 errors in the field and had a -26 total zone rating.
Now, fielding isn’t everything and it certainly isn’t what fans were voting for in the 1990’s. Still, it dragged Womack’s WAR down to a dreadful -0.9 for the year, indicating that while he was solid on the basepaths, the team was still better off without him on the field.
His affect was limited in the All-Star Game itself, with the second baseman only seeing one at-bat in the 3-1 American League win. He would go on to win a World Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001, but never saw another All-Star Game and certainly never won another MVP vote.
Next: San Diego Padres - Ozzie Smith (1981)