Have you ever worked with someone who has he uncanny ability to not show up for work on a consistent basis? Or worse, they show up but don’t perform and everyone else has to pick up the slack. Obviously in some companies or industries there are metrics or standards that track this and the slacker will last only so long.

Unfortunately for fans, professional sports has its share of slackers, malingerers and the always injured. However, some are able to put up big numbers once their team is out of the chase. I’m not sure they’re exactly padding their stats, but it sure looks that way.

It’s one thing to only put up numbers when it doesn’t matter, sometimes that’s just bad luck or bad timing. More often players are conspicuous by their absence when the bell rings-yet they are there to cash that paycheck. Players and managers miss time for other reasons and those are disservices to their teammates. Silly suspensions and ejections often distract from the positives well as the negatives. Not everyone in the dugout has as strong of a grasp of what’s happening during a game and their elevation in status hasn’t been positive. I’ve seen a few examples around the league this year where #2 was not up to Leo McKern’s stature in The Prisoner.

On the other hand, certain players provide pleasant, if completely unexpected rewards. There’s one player that I’m thinking about this year. Everyone in the media had written him off before the first pitch was thrown. That he’s had a slew of off the field problems added to his short leash. One couldn’t go a day without reading about his impending trade or DFA while he was slumping. Now, he’s a major offensive threat and part of something big. Again, this isn’t merely about rationalizing a .200 performance and saying the guy is a failure-it’s about being present and contributing when your team needs it.