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Like it or not: Perspective on hot start by Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig

Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig gives away his batting glove to a fan before the game with the Braves on Friday at Dodger Stadium.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Think this jaw-dropping start by Yasiel Puig is some guarantee of a Hall of Fame-caliber career?

Not so fast.

The three major leaguers Puig has joined in the history books with his explosive start never once became an All-Star (at least not yet). Although there has been some success, none has been of the spectacular variety.

In his first five games, Puig has 10 RBI (tying him with Danny Espinosa and Jack Merson) and four home runs (tying him with Mike Jacobs) for the best starts ever.

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Here’s a look at how their careers unfolded, or still are:

-- Jacobs, 32, actually had a hotter start than Puig. He hit his four home runs in his first three games with the Mets in 2005.

But his career hasn’t exactly gone as planned since. He did hit 32 home runs with 93 RBI for the Marlins in 2008, but mostly his career has been a disappointment.

He’s played for five different teams in seven years, been released three times, granted free agency twice and in 2011 while playing for the Rockies triple-A club, tested positive for human growth hormone and was suspended 50 games.

He was playing in the Mexican League, but signed this week to a minor-league deal with the Diamondbacks. He does have one connection to Puig: One of his twin daughters is named Havana.

-- Espinosa, 26, continues to play for the Washington Nationals and has been a solid player. Just a long ways from the next great thing.

In parts of four seasons, Espinosa has a .230 batting average, and .303 on-base and .396 slugging percentages. His best season was 2011 when he had 21 home runs and 66 RBI.

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A product of Cal State Long Beach, he’s on the disabled list with a sore wrist.

-- Merson (1922-2000) you’ve probably never heard of. An infielder, he did not make the majors until he was 29 years old and played in only 125 games.

After one brief season in the minor leagues at age 18, he returned to the minors in 1947 at age 25. He spent one year in the Army during World War II but was never shipped overseas. During a furlough after basic training, he accidently shot himself in the knee, target practicing in his Elkridge, Md., backyard.

He drove in his 10 runs after a Sept. 1 call-up with the Pirates in 1951. After his final season in the majors, he spent three more years playing in the Pacific Coast League for the old San Diego Padres.

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