At the opposite end of the charisma spectrum is the near-mute, unquotable grunter who knows there is little to be gained by saying anything interesting to the press. Every clubhouse has these guys. They're the ones with no reporters bugging them after a game. Mission accomplished.

Then there are the jerks. From John Rocker to Milton Bradley, at some point the fun-loving goofballs of yesterday gave way to guys with serious anger management problems.

Where are the lovable characters? They've become as rare as the unassisted triple play. Fans in Los Angeles think Manny Ramirez is a cuddly teddy bear, but that's only because he hasn't thrown the Dodgers' traveling secretary to the ground in a fit over comp tickets for his entourage. Yet.

Mark Fidrych was one of a kind. His kind, sadly, no longer exists in major league baseball.

Chicago Cubs News News » Try finding a ballplayer like Fidrych these days
Try finding a ballplayer like Fidrych these days
Flipping around the MLB package on Monday night there were pitchers toeing the rubber from around the globe.