Joel

I think it directly relates to how much they smile on TV. For the average fan, players with half the production are beloved because they look like they are having fun. Perhaps we identify more with those players. Would Kirby be immortalized if he had glowered in center field? I'm out of the market so don't watch many games, but Joe seems to be pretty serious at all times. Also, we expect so much from the star that there is no way for him to surpass expectations, only meet them. Less is expected from a mid-level talent and therefore they can surpass expectations and surprise us.

For more on the inverted W, see http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/PitchingMechanics101/Essays/DeathToTheInvertedW.html .