What was Travis Lee's downfall?

[Ryanwb]

I was talking about Travis Lee with some co-workers today. They were telling me how upset they were that the D'backs "gave up" on him. I knew that was horse crap because they gave him all the opportunity in the world. I was just wondering how such a promising talent came to be a bench player for the Devil Rays?

Did he not live up to potential? Someone told me that he had very poor work ethics and was lazy...? He had such a sweet swing, too bad he didn't work out

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

He really isn't that bad of a player, he just doesn't produce enough to be a considered a good or even average 1B. Work ethic may be a part of it, because he certainly has never put in the effort in the gym to develop more power which has been his downfall.

There are certinaly equally bad 1B out there that make a lot more money who like Lee do nothing except play defense such as Darin Erstad and Sean Casey, but for whatever reason there are teams that love those guys. Travis' personality has to be the reason he bounces around nearly every year.

 

[AZBALLER]

Huh?

Casey has a career BA of 305 with a 462 slugging%, and an OB% of 371.
Erstad has a career BA of 287 with a 417 slugging%, and an OB% of 342.

While T Lee is 259, 412, and 339...While Lee's percentages are comparable to Erstad's, they aren't even in the same world as Casey's, and Lee's career totals aren't even comparable to Erstad's...Erstad has 810 runs, while Lee has 441; Erstad has 169 SB's while Lee has 54; etc, etc, all the while Lee is only 1 year younger than Erstad...

Basically, it's an insult to both Casey and Erstad to be compared to T Lee, as they are both proven solid pro players, while Lee only slightly proved his worth his rookie season, and not once since then...

Despite what you say Mao, Lee is a BAD player...And my guess would be that it is because of his attitude and work ethic.

 

[Phill11]

Lee had one of the sweetest swings, but an awful attitude, poor work ethic and lazyiness to come along with it.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Despite what you say Mao, Lee is a BAD player...And my guess would be that it is because of his attitude and work ethic.

Try reading.

he just doesn't produce enough to be a considered a good or even average 1B

And I'm more referring to what kind of player Casey and Erstad are right now compared to Travis Lee. Trust me, I'm a part-time Angels fan and Erstad is easily the worst 1B in all of baseball.

Darin Erstad 2005
OPS - 696

Sean Casey 2005
OPS - 795

Travis Lee 2005
OPS - 757

Lee arguably has the best glove of any of them, but even then it's a toss-up. My point in saying he's not a completely bad player was that Lee shows a knack for making plays in the field and has plate disipline, just lacks power to be considered even an average 1B. He's a bad 1B no doubt, but the but the presence of the two aforementioned tools don't make him the horrific baseball player you make him out to be.

 

[BC867]

I believe that Travis' downfall was being placed in the #3 spot in the batting order too soon. He was a great fielder and baserunner, with a smooth swing . . . not a homerun swing. But in the heart of the batting order, he had to try to be something that he was not -- a homerun hitter.

That plus, evidently, he just didn't have that drive to excel. Perhaps it came too easy to Travis, and that did him in.

 

[Diamondback Jay]

Lee was the key for Philadelphia in the Curt Schilling deal. I'd hardly call that "giving up" on him.

 

[Ryanwb]

Lee was the key for Philadelphia in the Curt Schilling deal. I'd hardly call that "giving up" on him.

Are you serious? How is trading away a player not giving up on him?

 

[Diamondback Jay]

Are you serious? How is trading away a player not giving up on him?

Hell yeah I'm serious.

Like I said, Arizona didn't exactly get chopped liver for him. They got a guy who was key to their World Series win.

Unless you're the Yankees, sometimes you have to give something to get something. I don't consider it "giving up on him" by any means.

 

[sunsfn]

Travis Lee received a 10 mil signing bonus, and after that his head got just a little big! He had one decent year and then ........ not much.

 

[Yuma]

His downfall was not having Susan Surrandon (SP) to "mentor" him!

 

[devilfan02]

Are you serious? How is trading away a player not giving up on him?

Well, considering Schilling was the final piece to our World Series Championship, I'd say thats not giving up. Pitching wins championships, not a whinny 1st baseman.

 

[green machine]

Lee was the key for Philadelphia in the Curt Schilling deal. I'd hardly call that "giving up" on him.

I thought it was Padilla who was the real key to the deal.

Lee had a solid rookie year but didn't get better, and just when he started to struggle is when Durazo came into the picture. With Durazo having a great 99 season, all of a sudden the team had two first baseman, and they traded the one that wasn't producing.

 

[nathan]

I thought it was Padilla who was the real key to the deal.

Lee had a solid rookie year but didn't get better, and just when he started to struggle is when Durazo came into the picture. With Durazo having a great 99 season, all of a sudden the team had two first baseman, and they traded the one that wasn't producing.

That is my recollection as well.

 

[Diamondback Jay]

I thought it was Padilla who was the real key to the deal.

Lee had a solid rookie year but didn't get better, and just when he started to struggle is when Durazo came into the picture. With Durazo having a great 99 season, all of a sudden the team had two first baseman, and they traded the one that wasn't producing.

Ed Wade said in interviews that he thought Lee was a Will Clark waiting to happen and would have never made the deal without him in it.