Players worth paying to see

Now that the sign "Plenty of good seats still available" is being displayed at almost every game at Jacobs Field, Cleveland Indians fans can now enjoy the same activity Pirates fans have been participating in for a decade.
In the good old days when The Jake was soldout for 455 consecutive games, Tribe fans were grateful for any ticket they could obtain. Even those horrible upperdeck right-field seats down the foul line (you know, the ones not angled towards home plate that give you a stiff neck after three innings) brought smiles.
Now that Indians fever has faded, non-season-ticket holders can play the following game Pirates fans excel at -- Who is worth paying to see from those bad upperdeck seats?
Pay to see these eight
Here's eight players this fan would part with cash to see. (Your list won't be the same -- feel free to drop a line saying who inspires your purchases).
U Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners. The American League's leading hitter enjoyed a sensational rookie season in 2001 after honing his skills in his native Japan.
Known by his first name, baseball's Shaq is the game's best lead-off hitter. And judging by his lack of power, it's safe to say he doesn't play with steroids.
Bonus: If you pay to see Ichiro, you get to see the AL's best team not in a major market.
U Sammy Sosa, Chicago Cubs. Steroid alert -- Sammy is on everyone's list of potential abusers after the way he became a phenomenal slugger during the 1998 season.
If he's juiced, he's not alone. OK, that excuse is about as weak as the appearance of Youngstown's Marshall Street Bridge. What we love about Sosa is his smile, his power and how he runs to right field. Bonus: Odds are 4-1 that Kerry Wood is pitching.
U Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks. Clevelanders hate The Big Unit ever since his Mariner days, but the way he mows down opponents five years later makes you wonder what would have happened if the Indians had traded for Johnson in 1997 when the Mariners dumped his high salary on the Houston Astros?
As his career winds down, the 6-10 lefty still inspires fear in the batter's box. Bonus: His teammates are the defending World Champs.
Yankee hater
U Derek Jeter, New York Yankees. Speaking of hatred, nothing brings out the worse in baseball fans than the Bronx Bombers anywhere. The Yanks shortstop has four World Series rings (and almost had a fifth had not the D-backs pulled off a miracle comeback last November).
Bonus: With Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina and Mariano Rivera available, there won't be too many bad pitches thrown by the visiting team.
U Curt Schilling, Arizona Diamondbacks. Two years ago when Schilling was a Phillie, he shut out and shut down the Pirates in just two hours. Last year, he was World Series co-MVP (along with Johnson).
* Greg Maddux, Atlanta Braves. Although the Braves ace's glorious career is fading, no one painted the corners with strikes as well as Maddux did from 1995-2000. Bonus: Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones lead the Atlanta offense.
U Miguel Tejada, Oakland Athletics. As long as Jeter, Boston's Nomar Garciaparra, Texas' Alex Rodriguez and the Indians' Omar Vizquel play in the AL, the Athletics' shortstop will remain unheralded by most fans. Still, he offers All-Star caliber credentials.
Pedro is still Pedro
U Pedro Martinez, Boston Red Sox. If there's anyone Indians fans hate more than Yankees, it's Boston's ace/beanballer. Who can forget his "miraculous" comeback in Game 5 of the 1999 AL Division Series that cost Tribe manager Mike Hargrove his job?
Wear and tear has taken it's toll on Martinez's arm. His fastball isn't quite as dangerous as it was. But nobody in a visiting uniform earns louder boos, and you can't put a pricetag on that.
Bonus: Garciaparra plays shortstop for the Red Sox. Sometimes, Manny Ramirez bats for them.
What, no Barry Bonds?
We paid to see the National League playoffs in 1990, 1991 and 1992. That was enough.
XTom Williams is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write him at williams@vindy.com.