Over the weekend, the Mets' interest in free agent outfielder Cody Ross entered the rumor mill. From a pure roster standpoint, it's a thoroughly "meh" move (if it does indeed happen, which still seems up in the air as of this writing). He'd likely be a fourth outfielder, platooning with a lefty bat, presumably insurance for the hopefully imminent arrival of Kirk Nieuwenhuis or if Sandy Alderson finds a salary dump location for Jason Bay.
From a purely personal point, however, I can't stand that guy, and the idea of being forced to root for him is distasteful to me. Not quite as bad as when I found myself having to clap when Jeff Francoeur did things in a Met uniform, but definitely in the same gag-inducing ballpark.
I can't quite articulate why I feel this way, mind you. There was the incident back in 2008 where he tried to start a brawl with Mike Pelfrey. ("It seemed like he got a little more fired up when 24 [teammates] were behind him," Pelf observed at the time.) In his days with the Marlins, I know he burned the Mets more than a few times in terrible games at what Jason Fry calls Soilmaster Stadium, though I can't recall a specific occasion.(If you can, please don't remind me.) Maybe I associate him with the Marlins teams of 2007 and 2008 that delighted in keeping the Mets out of the playoffs.
He just seems like a punk to me is all, and not the good kind. When I picture him in my head, I see him mouthing off from the batter's box or the bench for some stupid reason, screaming at umps or the opposing pitcher for some slight, real or imagined. This may be totally unfair, but hey, sometimes feelings are unfair. And based on an informal poll of fans of other teams, I take it that dislike of Ross is not confined to Mets partisans. He appears to be reviled pretty much across the NL East spectrum.
We all root for laundry, of course, and I'm sure I'll hold my nose and cheer for Ross if he does, in fact, become a Met. But it does raise an interesting question: Is there anyone currently playing that, if he joined the Mets, you absolutely could not root for?
For me, the only person I can think of is Chipper Jones. I don't think I could ever wish anything good to happen to him, and if, through some sci-fi conceit, he somehow wound up on the Mets, I'd still have to boo him. This will never happen, of course, but I think that in some part of himself, Chipper would actually want to join the Mets for the simple reason that it would drive their fans insane. He is that evil.
Is there someone like that for you, someone you consider so awful that not even your favorite team's uniform can cover up his sins? If so, please post your most hated men in the comments.