Underestimated Value

In every sport, there are big-money positions.
These are the guys on each team that get the most attention, the biggest contracts, and the shortest jail time for crimes committed (cough... Ben Roethlisberger... cough).
I'm just kidding about that last part, sort of, because Mike Vick went to jail.
I don't have to tell you which positions these are.
We all know starting pitchers, point guards, centers (basketball), running backs, and quarterbacks are the studs of the team in almost every case.
In the case of pro sports, anyway, aren't all the other guys great at what they do, too?
To take it one step further, I would say that, of the Big Three sports that all red-blooded American males care about, there is a position in each that is very rarely talked about that should be talked about more.
I would say that these players are the piece of the puzzle that take a team from good to great.
For baseball, I choose the second baseman.
Every team looks for a power-hitting first baseman, a speedy or high-average shortstop, power or speed from each outfielder, and a Hispanic or bland white name at second that most haven't heard of (see Alberto Callaspo).
From a philosophical standpoint, one of the best run-saving plays is the double play, which almost always involves the second baseman. Furthermore, since the two-bag involves fewer tough defensive plays than, say, the shortstop, it would make sense that you might go for a bigger bat at that position.
Take the two World Series teams from last year. The Phillies have Chase Utley, who is a perennial MVP candidate and already has six home runs this year. Meanwhile, the Yankees have Robinson Cano, who has eight dingers.
Not that these guys are klutzes on defense, but their teams have the two most potent lineups in the bigs and also have big sticks at second.
I rest my all-too-weak case.
For the hardwood, the power forward is key.
In my mind, the "four" as it is known in contemporary circles defines a team.
If your PF is a longer, more sluggish body like Pau Gasol, you become a half-court force like the Lakers. On the flip side, if your power forward is a high-flying, shorter player like Josh Smith of the Hawks, your team becomes a matchup nightmare.
If you've never played against a team where every player seems to be the same, middle-of-the-road size, it's not exactly easy to figure out where your best defensive matchup is. When such a team takes off on a fast break, every defender seems to find someone bigger or faster than him.
Similarly, the power forward must be a versatile defender. If the Cavaliers play the Hawks in the conference finals, 6'9" Antawn Jamison will be guarding similarly-built Josh Smith, although their playing styles differ greatly. This will come after Jamison has just guarded 6'11" Kevin Garnett and his back-to-the-basket post stylings. If the Magic are the Cavs' conference finals opponents, Jamison will guard Rashard Lewis, who is 6'10" but shoots five or six threes a game.
I don't need to bring Gasol and Lamar Odom into the conversation to drive home the point that every power forward is different, do I?
Thus, if you can find the power forward who can be his own man and guard all those other possibilities at a somewhat competitive level, you will be successful.
For football, many forget the importance of a real slot receiver.
Sure, the tiny fliers are important, but ask the Washington Redskins how well your passing game works when your quarterback has no options between a lumbering tight end and Santana Moss.
Even if your slot man is smaller, like Wes Welker, the great teams have a man that will turn inward an run those "nasty" routes across the middle of the field like Anquan Boldin.
This gives the quarterback a safety valve that he can see over the linebackers and that will most likely get some yards after the catch.
Also, it forces the defense to think on a third-and-three situation, "They probably ought to run the ball, and if they pass to the tight end we'll stop him for a short gain, but THAT guy might break of a thirty-five yard gain on a four-yard throw."
I'm sure there are positions like this for other sports, but I have little knowledge of those sports.
Therefore, I will select Left Wing for Hockey, Middle Fullback for Soccer, and the guy with the most feathers for team ice dancing.
No explanations for those last three.
Just a bonus, free of charge.