All-Flop squad

Boone, Giambi headline most disappointing players for 2004

Lean back: Bret Boone's dropoff in production has sunk the Mariners' offense. Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

As the Yankees head into home-and-home weekend showdowns with the Red Sox, they can be thankful for signing an unwanted free agent last winter who threw in the low 80s in February and whose pro experience last year consisted of an 0-1 record for Brevard County of the Florida State League.

Orlando Hernandez has been a staff-saver for New York. Despite missing the first half of the season to rebuild shoulder strength, El Duque already may have wrapped up the American League Comeback Player of the Year Award. In the National League, Chris Carpenter, Jason Marquis and Jaret Wright would all serve as fine choices.

Every season includes a few comebacks you don't see coming. The reverse of the comeback holds true as well. Call them the Comedown Players of the Year.

These are players who were counted on from Day 1 of the season to be integral parts of a championship run. They succeeded only in dragging down their teams, most of which are out of contention. While I've tried to stay away from players whose seasons were cut short by injuries (i.e., Richie Sexson, Nomar Garciaparra, Roy Halladay, Andy Pettitte, etc.), here is your all-disappointment team, your Comedown Players of the Year at each position.

C: Mike Lieberthal, Phillies
 A typical Phillie, Lieberthal has underperformed, especially with runners on base. His .313, 81-RBI season from last year has degenerated into a .259, 51-RBI flop. At 32, he's at an age when full-time catchers begin to wear down.

1B: Jason Giambi, Yankees
 Giambi is an old 33 with $76 million still due him over the next four years, including a buyout on a $22 million salary in 2009. Yes, he's had a brutal season physically, with ailments that varied from a parasite to a benign tumor. But when he did play there was no pop in his bat. He hit .221 with a slugging percentage of .403 -- that used to be a poor on-base percentage for him.

2B: Bret Boone, Mariners
 Few players have had more erratic careers than Boone, who entered this week with the worst average among regular second basemen. He's one of only three second basemen to drive in 100 runs three consecutive seasons, but he's also failed to drive in 75 runs in six of his other seven full seasons. His three-year boom era in Seattle is over. After averaging 122 RBIs with the Mariners over the past three years, he's back to the form that prompted San Diego to let him go after 2000. Indeed, the Boone of this year looks suspiciously like Padre Boone. Check it out:

SS: Angel Berroa, Royals
 Berroa didn't exactly soothe any ill feelings left over from Rookiegate last year, when two voters decided they would make up their own eligibility rules and not give any consideration to the Yankees' Hideki Matsui for Rookie of the Year. Berroa played his way back to the minor leagues briefly. His home runs have dropped from 17 to 7, his RBIs from 73 to 40 and his OBP from .338 to .315.

3B: Joe Crede, White Sox
 After his first full season in the big leagues, Crede took a step backward this year. Only four qualifiers for the batting title were worse at the start of this week than Crede's .236: Mike Cameron, Tony Batista, Jose Cruz and Jose Valentin. His OBP is down to a totally unacceptable .296.

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OF: Richard Hidalgo, Mets
 New York would be nuts to bring him back on a multiyear deal, which means it actually might happen. Outfielders like Hidalgo are easy to turn up, so you're better off taking these guys under one-year deals. Hidalgo, a notoriously streaky hitter, has whiffed a career-high 117 times. His average has dropped from .309 to .249 and his slugging percentage from .572 to .461. (Gee, think he likes Shea Stadium?) Hidalgo is 29 and still has not developed consistency to his game. His .312 OBP is a career worst.

OF: Jody Gerut, Indians
 Gerut looked like a rising star last year but now seems to be losing traction among the talented young players with the Indians. In virtually the same number of at-bats, his home runs dropped in half (22 to 11), his RBIs dipped from 75 to 51 and his average sunk from .279 to .253.

OF: Sammy Sosa, Cubs
 At 35, Sosa is having his worst season since he was 23. His RBIs have dropped from 103 to 66, ending his nine-year run in triple figures. His homers are down from 40 to 30.

RHP: Esteban Loaiza, Yankees
 One year he wins 21 games, the next he's mopping up a 22-0 blowout. It's amazing that this guy finished second in the Cy Young voting last year. His success was so out of the blue that rumors surfaced that he was scuffing baseballs. Loaiza credited the success to a new cut fastball and increased velocity. For whatever reason, the Loaiza of 2004 is pretty darn close to the Loaiza who has bounced around for years, 2003 excluded. His strikeout rate has dipped from 8.2 per nine innings to 5.5, more in keeping with his career form. Hitters are pounding Mr. Almost Cy for a .298 average. The Yankees will make sure to keep him away from any action in October.

LHP: Jamie Moyer, Mariners
 It was bound to happen. Moyer had been so unexpectedly good for so long this late in his career that it may not be a surprise that he's been pounded at age 41. He's been raked for a .481 slugging percentage, the worst in his career in any full season. He's sunk from 21-7 with a 3.27 ERA to 6-11 and a 5.09 ERA. Clearly, he's not fooling enough people anymore.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci covers baseball for the magazine and is a regular contributor to SI.com.