The top 10 Giants turkeys: A post-Thanksgiving tribute to the worst San Francisco Giants

December 1, 12:22 AMSan Francisco Giants ExaminerTheo Fightmaster

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History will look harshly upon Jose Cruz Jr.

Urbandictionary.com defines the term “turkey” as; (n) a loser; an uncoordinated, inept, clumsy fool OR a tool; a person who is not in with current culture and slang or is just generally uncool.

As we find ourselves glazed over like a four-day-old sweet-potato-and-marshmallow pie, let’s take a moment to be thankful for some guys who are no longer Giants. These 10 players are turkeys we didn't take long to grow tired of, sort of like that third leftover sandwich we indulged in late Saturday night.

Let's give thanks, in no particular order:

Aaron Fultz. “Fultzy” was relatively harmless, as long as you were an opposing hitter in a key situation. While Fultz didn’t inspire the visceral hate that some of his cohorts on this list do, he sure didn’t inspire much confidence either. Thanks to an injury that ended Jason Christensen’s ’02 season Fultz found himself pitching in key situations. That season, his last as a Giant, saw him allow 66 base runners in only 41.3 innings with an ERA of 4.79 and a WHIP of 1.597. Had Fultz been more effective, Dusty may have felt comfortable bringing him in to face Spiezio in Game 6 to turn him around to bat right handed, the side of the plate where he showed little power. Instead we all know what happened.

Edgardo Alfonzo. Again, not a personality worth hating, but his play was certainly easy to loathe. After killing the Giants in the ’00 NLDS as a member of the Mets, Alfonzo signed a big deal to be the Giants third baseman and protect Barry Bonds in 2003. In three full seasons Alfonzo and Giants fans watched his play deteriorate in epic fashion. During his tenure in San Francisco he averaged 130 games played, 8.6 homeruns, 67 RBI’s, hit .275, and slugged .381. As his numbers finally bottomed out in his last season it looked to Giants fans as if Alfonzo was taking his swings with a damp issue of the S.F. Examiner. Had that been the case the results couldn’t have been much different. 

Jose Mesa. Mesa found himself as one of Sabean’s key acquisitions amid some mid-summer dealings that also brought Ellis Burks, Shawon Dunston and Joe Carter to town in hopes to put the Giants into the playoffs for the second straight year. The team came close, forcing a one-game playoff in Chicago for the wildcard, but no cigar. Mesa only pitched 30 2/3rds of an inning, but was bale to concede 50 base runners and helped them advance with his 8 wild pitches. But what really earns him a spot on this list was his personal vendetta against recently departed Giant Omar Vizquel. After Vizquel had some less than flattering things to say about his former teammate Mesa, Jose vowed to throw at him every time he faced Vizquel. The last incident between the two came in 2006 while Mesa was a part of the Colorado Rockies. Joe Table (Mesa) hit Omar and was immediately ejected. Team player.

Julian Tavarez. The secret prize of the Matt Williams deal made prior to the ’97 season went on to show signs of absolute brilliance and undeniable insanity while on the mound for the Giants. Tavarez, never satisfied with being a reliever, took out his frustration on opposing batters; no not in that way. Tavarez hit 20 batters in his three seasons in San Francisco. Those weren’t the only hits he was responsible for. Tavarez allowed 252 hits in his 228 and a third innings in orange and black. Had it not been for Jeff Kent, that deal would look like Nathan-Pierzynski part one.

Jose Cruz Jr. Giants fans hadn’t seen anyone play outfield the way Cruz did in 2003 since quite possibly Willie Mays roamed center at Candlestick Park. And much like Mays is synonymous with “the catch,” Cruz inspires dreadful flashbacks of “the drop.” It was Game 3 of the ’03 NLDS in Miami.  The 11th inning began with a sure out, one would have thought, as the Marlin’s Jeff Conine lifted a lazy fly ball to the soon-to-be Gold Glover Cruz. But it wasn’t an out at all, as Cruz dropped the can of corn leading directly to a loss. Cruz also contributed nothing with the bat that series going 0-11, and is roundly booed by Giants fans to this day.

Ricky Ledee. Perhaps it isn’t Ledee himself who Giants fans despise; perhaps it’s what he symbolizes. In 2004 the Giants were on their way to yet another 90-win season and found themselves battling with the archrival Dodgers for a playoff birth. The key acquisition brought in to bolster the team's offense was the journeyman Ledee. In his short, but painful stint in San Francisco, Ledee hit just .113 (6 for 53) with no homers and just 4 RBI’s. He, like Cruz, is not fondly welcomed back at AT&T Park.

Steve Finley. Finley tormented the Giants and their fans most of his career, including 2006 when he played for them. The noted “Giant Killer” always beat up on the Giants whether he was in an Astros, Padres, D-backs, or Dodgers jersey. And after several attempts by GM Brian Sabean to land the ageless centerfielder, he was finally successful in 2006. That’s apparently when age caught up with Finley. With the Giants Finley only managed a .246 average with 6 homers and 40 RBI’s, and was let go unceremoniously after the ’06 campaign.

Tsuyoshi Shinjo. Bunny-hops, shades, wrist bands and hair died to match his glove weren’t enough to win over Giants fans or even keep a spot in the line-up. After trading perpetual wonder boy Shawn Estes to the Mets in exchange for the flashy center fielder, things went downhill. Shinjo, a humble man despite his outer persona, couldn’t keep his job and eventually lost out to mid-season acquisition Kenny Lofton. Shinjo’s anemic offense was also met on a few occasions by poor defense. One play that stands out was the Nick Johnson fly ball off of Robb Nen that ended up being misjudged by Shinjo and landed on the Yankee Stadium warning track. The Giants went on to lose that game and the series in New York, two games to one. Shinjo was also a non-factor in the World Series despite getting six inexplicable at-bats including one as a pinch hitter in game seven. His career ended after a failed comeback with the Mets in ’03, but don’t feel too bad, apparently he was on to greener pastures as a nude model.

Shawn Estes. So much potential, so little production. After going 19-5 and making an all star team in his first full season Estes went on to break hearts and boggle minds for the rest of his term in San Francisco. Excluding his fantastic ’97 season Estes was a mere 45-45 with the Giants. He earned a start and a place on this list in game two of the 2000 NLDS.  With Estes already on first Calvin Murray hit a fielder’s choice to short, Estes beat the throw and reached second safely. However in doing this he neglected to slide and rolled his ankle. Despite being called safe, Estes hobbled off the bag in pain and was eventually tagged out thwarting a potential rally. Oh, and the Giants eventually went on to lose that game, and the series. 

AJ Pierzynski. He is possibly the most hated man in baseball.  Pierzinsky, as a Giant, hit into double plays, ran his mouth to teammates and coaches, kneed Stan Conte in the groin, refused to meet with pitchers before games to go over scouting reports, played fetch with his dog in the clubhouse using Jason Schmidt’s 100th-career-win ball, all while his chin was kept somewhere in a bunker at an undisclosed location with Vice President Dick Cheney (we can only presume). His numbers with the Giants were about as unimpressive as his attitude and body language. During the 2004 season A.J. was below his career average in every major offensive category, with the exception of RBI’s; 77 in ’04, 74 career average. But that was the only year he batted behind Barry Bonds, so we’ll give Barry an assist on that one. To quote Pierzynski’s current manger, Chicago White Sox Ozzie Guillen, “if you play against him, you hate him. If you play with him, you hate him a little less."

Armando Benitez. Benitez is the only former Giant that can hold a candle to Pierzynski on this list; actually he may hold a menorah. And since he was here for nearly two more seasons than AJ, Benitez has earned the top spot. Beyond his poor performances Armando compiled a unique and impressive collection of despicable performance and behavior in his three years in San Francisco. Be it his out of shape-ness, his heartless lack of ambition, his summer of ’06 sabbatical, or his great quotes; like “I did my job” just after he blew a save. Or the classic “I’ll bet you we win the World Series,” and who can forget the time he blew another save and blamed his teammates for not scoring enough runs to provide him with a large enough lead.

In addition to all of that are his terrible numbers that will haunt Giants fans for the next century.  The Giants closer Benitez was 45 for 59 in save opportunities, good for a 76% conversion rate; or in other words, he blew one out of four saves with the Giants. For comparison's sake in 2004, the year prior to signing with the Giants, Benitez was 47 for 51 in save chances for the Florida Marlins, good for a 92% conversion clip. Just another player who decided to let Giants fans watch as their career came to a screeching end (more on that later).