The Good Hand 06-05

In the wrestling business, there is a popular term known as the “good hand.” It is often referred to a wrestler who is not a “superstar” or main event big money draw, but a more than serviceable worker who makes his/her opponents look good.

Most often this supplementary and complementary wrestler is the foundation to putting on a good match. Without these “good hands” there would be no wrestling card and much like Allstate, these wrestlers literally put their opponent and the match itself in good hands.

These performers are the foundation of a solid card, show, and lineup. The late Brad Armstrong, brother of “Road Dogg” Jessie James and son of Bullet Bob,  is perhaps one of the most well-known good hands of the past thirty years. Brad was never a top of the card draw or charismatic showman on the mic, but whenever a good match was needed or there was a “green” or inexperienced guy that needed  to learn from an established veteran, Brad was  the top guy to rely on.

Other notable good hands that many of you may know are Bobby Eaton (although he, with my old friend Jim Cornette as a mouthpiece, did have a Hall of Fame career with various incarnations of the Midnight Express), Barry Horowitz, Lance Storm-my former trainer in Ohio Valley Wrestling who is incapable to this day of ever having a bad match if he tried-, Mike Rotunda (IRS in WWF), and today’s performers like Tyson Kidd, Fandango,  Heath Slater, and Tye Dillinger of  NXT. These are not glitzy stars who draw all the attention or who are main event draws, but rather excellent in-ring mid-card talents who bring a solid skill set to the table and make the larger stars around them much, much better.

Just like wrestling needs these solid, yet unspectacular players to solidify a show or roster, the same can be said when relating it to Fantasy Baseball. We all have the opportunity to draft a Bryce Harper, Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw. But where we win leagues is usually not at the top of our draft boards, but in the middle and late rounds, free agency, and trades. Often times a throw in player turns out to be a solid contributor and the backbone of your contending team.

In the wrestling business, it is said that the “good hand” will always have a job because of their reliability and the flexibility to handle any situation. Throughout my career I could certainly be labeled as a good hand who could put on a quality match with less experienced workers and also work singles, tags, baby face, heel, do comedy, technical wrestling, and even some high flying.

It wasn’t always that way, especially early on in my wrestling journey, but I was told that I was signed by WWE because I was a solid worker. It also doesn’t hurt to mention that Vince McMahon saw me on the monitor during my first dark match and said, “Sign that man.” I was signed and provided a solid, yet green, skill set to the company. I figured that since I was only getting better I would have a solid paycheck and  place on the card for years to come.

Arn Anderson had helped get me signed for the fact that I was a good hand in the ring and John Laurinaitis, then V. P. of Talent Relations, told me the same. In fact, he told it to me during a come to Jesus meeting he had with my partner and myself. In his gruff, laryngitis laden voice he said, “Thomas, you got hired because you’re a good worker and good workers will always have jobs in this business.”

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a meeting to give us a hefty raise or pat on the back.

Rather, it was to pretty much scare the living crap out of us to get our asses in gear in terms of how we were conducting ourselves in and out of the ring, and to be more assertive. We were told that Vince was giving us one month to straighten out or we’d hear those infamous VKM  words,” YOOOOOUUUUUR…. FIIIIIRRRRRRED!“

The verbal tongue lashing worked and we asserted ourselves and started to take more control of matches. Unfortunately, it was only seven short months later where we were “future endeavored” ( WWE’s slick way of firing yo’ ass and the title of a future column)

So much for the good hand having a job for many years there, but I digress. Having been fired and then able to continue on with my career extensively in Japan, Europe, TNA, ROH and all over the independent scene, allowed me to become even more versatile and more of a super-utility wrestler.

This vast experience helped add prices to my wrestling puzzle and made me somewhat like my favorite current good hand, Whit Merrifield. The former South Carolina World Series star has taken a long road to the major leagues, but his experience enables him to be someone who can play everywhere, bat multiple places in the lineup, and helps solidify the rest of the lineup. My all time favorite good hands we’re

• Frank Catalanotto and his 1,113 hits and .291 career batting avg.
• Jeff Frye because i’m a lifelong Red Sox fan and he was a small and scrappy underdog who could play all over the infield and outfield. I always enjoyed him on my fantasy teams. He was Brock Holt before there was Brock Holt

Supplementary players can help your team in the short term but their solid underlying skills are maybe slept upon in many leagues. They are “sleepers” who are quietly putting together solid, yet unspectacular seasons who can help your roster. These are players, with the exception of Jose Ramirez, who should be owned in all leagues, are worth a flyer in only and deeper leagues as well as cheap DRS options when they’re on a roll.

They won’t cost much but can offer you solid supporting numbers for the short term and maybe longer.. So without further adieu, here are my “good hands” of the week:

American League

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National League

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That’s it for this week, but each week I’ll be incorporating my “Good Hands” of the week, along with scaffolding new features with a wrestling tie in. I want to give you guys a little bit of everything, somewhat of a potpourri of wrestling and fantasy baseball, and this week marks the first addition to what I hope becomes an enjoyable read for y’all!

If you have any questions, comments, cheers, jeers or boos please comment below, send them to me at Antoniopromisethomas@gmail.com, or hit me up on Twitter @promisethomas. See ya!