Photo courtesy of africanballerz.com
The basis for this post comes from a common sports debate: Who is the best athlete in sports right now? Well, I won’t attempt to answer this question because we all know the answer is LeBron James. Disagree? Just watch some of his highlights and then get back to me.
Actually, I want to answer a different — but related — question in this debate: Which players are good for one thing and one thing only? In other words, if the player weren’t good at that one thing, he wouldn’t have a job.
Designated Hitter (baseball)
Notable examples: David Ortiz, Frank Thomas, Edgar Martinez
Major League Baseball’s designated hitter is the perfect example of this. Let’s take David Ortiz, the Red Sox’s DH. If the man couldn’t hit the ball 400 feet on a consistent basis, he wouldn’t be playing baseball at all. One could argue Ortiz can actually play first base and has played the position in the past. However, this was because the Red Sox had to in order for his bat to be included in the lineup (for example, when facing a National League team where no designated hitters can be used; or an injury to their first baseman). No National League teams are interested in Ortiz’s services. Designated hitters are usually fat, strong, big and slow. They are purely home run hitters. You don’t see a quality defensive player or speedy youngster in the DH slot. There’s a reason the Boston slugger has played all 17 of his professional seasons in the American League.
The Enforcer (hockey)
Notable examples: Donald Brashear, Trevor Gillies, Tiger Williams
What about hockey? This is clearly evident in the “enforcer” position that currently exists in the NHL. First off, this is an unofficial role in ice hockey that can be used synonymously with “fighter” or “goon.” Enforcers on a hockey roster may possess little talent in the sport aside from being able to skate freely on the ice. Their job is, simply, to respond aggressively, either by fighting or checking, to dirty or violent play by the opposition. This type of player usually leads the team in penalty minutes and fights, while bringing up the rear in scoring and other offensive statistics. Each NHL team has a roster spot reserved for at least one enforcer. In rivalry games and rough matchups, the enforcer’s importance increases greatly. He will see the ice more frequently in these games just to force his will upon the opponents. In my opinion, this role on a hockey team exists solely because fighting is allowed and encouraged in the sport. As a result, it makes sense to hire an individual to fill this tough-guy role.
Kicker (football)
Notable examples: Bill Gramatica, David Akers, This Colorado State kicker
In the sport of football, it’s tough to pick out a position that falls into this category — before coming to the kickers. Did you know the kickers on each team typically account for team highs in points scored? It’s true; just look at the NFL leaders in points scored last season — 31 out of the top 32 names are all kickers. So if kickers are so important, then why are they on this list? Well, to put it simply, if a kicker injures his kicking leg, his season (and possibly career) is over. Outside of high school football, the only reason a kicker is on a roster is because he can kick an oval object far and accurately. Besides that, the body of every kicker is not fit to survive one day in the trenches that is college and professional football. I would pay good money to see Bill Gramatica or any other 5-foot-something kicker go head-to-head against Ray Lewis or Brian Urlacher on the line.
Faceoff Specialist (lacrosse)
Notable examples: Alex Smith, Brad Lott, Charlie Raffa
Full disclosure: I’ve never played lacrosse on a competitive level before and don’t have a lot of knowledge of the sport. The following reflects only what I’ve been told by friends who have played or watch it regularly. If you are familiar with the sport, apparently the faceoff guy (they call him a specialist) has one job: Win the faceoff for the team. If he wins it, his role is to sprint down the field with the ball and attempt to score right away. The good ones can do this at will, right after winning the faceoff, but some are forced to pass off the ball. These specialists can be seen sprinting off the field after all of this goes down. Now, this may seem like something that doesn’t fit into this category, but I’d like to assume if that guy wasn’t really good at winning faceoffs, his value on the team would diminish. Maybe he has the talent to play another position, but still, you get my point. There’s a whole column on ESPN.com dedicated to high school faceoff specialists, so I guess these one-trick ponies’ skill set is pretty important.
Lanky 7-Foot Center (basketball)
Notable examples: Javale McGee, Mamadou Ndiaye, Manute Bol
Let’s not kid ourselves here. If these guys weren’t as tall as they are, their value is determined in a completely different way. Now, I’m not saying these 7-footers don’t have talent outside of their height. That’s not the issue. The issue is the fact that they are playing a position based solely because of their height and jumping abilities. Many of these guys can’t shoot a three-pointer, and when they manage to make one, it’s like a miracle. Their job is to win jump balls, get blocks and rebounds and stay out of the way of the playmakers. Just to be clear — Dwight Howard and Shaq do not fit this bill. But Javale McGee, on the other hand?
