Thursday, December 9, 2010

PLAYER MOLD: The Superstar


Every team has one. They've been a part of baseball since Ty Cobb first grabbed a bat. The stud, the big shot, the prospect. He is the best player on your team and no one is more aware of it than him. He's been told how great he is from tee-ball through high school, and if you don't feel like telling him then that's no problem - he'll tell you. He's got all the tools, his stats are astronomical, but as a teammate, there's no one you hate more.

This guy's just an asshole, and everything he does is meant to call attention to himself or put somebody else down. In his mind, it's a privilege to wear the same uniform as him and he reminds you of that every day. When he's up at bat in a big spot you're torn between wanting the team to win and not wanting him to be the hero. He pays no attention to club rules - shows up late, disregards dress code, talks back to coaches - and he pays no consequences as a result because, let's face it, the coach - and the team - needs him. He holds the team's fate in his hands, and he knows this. No, he loves this.

This kid has Big League potential but you would literally pay to watch his career go down the toilet. Nobody likes him, but still, he's "one of the guys" based solely on his talent. Everyone knows he's a jerk, but whenever a group of guys is hanging out, he's there. He's the kid you love to hate, no one has a nice thing to say about him, but he's got talent - you can't deny that. So just like in Little League when the best players inevitably are considered the cool kids, you tolerate this horse's ass simply because of what he can do on a baseball field. Ahh, the juvenile hierarchy of talent-based friendships.

Big League Version: Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez
Movie Shout Out: Jack Parkman

PLAYER MOLD Series
The Project
Mr. Perfect
The Grinder
The Superstar

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