Thursday Thoughts
Well, Giles re-signed with the Padres and Konerko re-signed with the White Sox.
Konerko’s signing allows me to rehash the comments of Cy Slapnicka, a serial poster, on a potential conversation between Konerko and Thome in Chicago about contracts and loyalty:
I wonder if during BP Jimmy will pepper him with questions while he smashes HRs and Jimbo ices his back and elbow with frozen stacks of money:
JT: So what’s it like to get a fair contract and not max out the money and years from anyone that will pay it?
PK: Cool, feels good. (smashes one into the bleachers)
JT: I bet its neat to stay where you're comfortable and happy and adored by the fans?
PK: Rocks man, love it. (smashes another one into the bleachers)
JT: Golly Pauley, I bet its even cooler to get all that and play for a team that has a shot at the post-season too?
PK: As long as your country boy ass earns your money we will.
Ah.... that felt good. I've needed to get that off my chest since 2002.
Well played.
Today, I caught a little bit of the doom and gloom that is Cleveland Sports Radio, particularly Greg Brinda on WKNR. As he bemoaned the fact that the Tribe was standing pat as “all” of these FA’s were signing, Alan in Rittman called in.
An obviously knowledgeable sports fan, the caller laid out the economics of the off-season and how the Indians don’t need to fill nearly as many holes as other teams and that Shapiro is doing a fantastic job while Dolan is playing his cards (and his cash) just right.
Brinda actually told him that he was looking at the situation too logically, and that fans don’t want to hear about budgets or other “accounting matters”. The caller then said, “Let me ask you this then - who should the Indians get then? What player have we truly missed out on?”
After some uncomfortable silence and some half-baked comments about small market teams, Brinda asked him, “Let me ask YOU this - what do you think of the Indians right now?”
The answer from Alan in Rittman was a classic: “I think that’s its December 1st, that the Indians haven’t done anything, and maybe that’s a good thing.”
After some blustery talk, Alan from Rittman was ushered off so another ridiculously unrealistic caller could get on the air and say that we should have outbid everyone for Konerko, Giles, Millwood, and Ryan. Ah, back to normal.
So with that in mind, Greg Brinda has joined the list of nonsensical Cleveland Sports “Personalities” that have made the Black List, joining Kenny Roda, Bill Livingston, and Bud Shaw. I honestly haven’t read Livingston or Shaw in 2 months and my days are actually more enjoyable.
Before we all panic that “all the good players are gone, blah, blah, blah”, let’s remember the nugget from Alan in Rittman:
It is December 1st, the Indians haven’t done anything, and maybe that’s a good thing.
Take a step away from the ledge and relax. The Winter Meetings haven’t even started yet. Everything will be fine.
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5 comments:
You're being too logical.
;)
Seriously though, I think it's just natural for sports fans, especially those who have not seen their team win a championship in their lifetime, get upset over little things. Many of these same people would probably still be upset if we had signed Ryan AND Giles.
"What about Millwood!?!?! Dolan is a cheap bastard!!!"
Perhaps the most upsetting thing is that so many of these people are in the media. It's one thing for you or I to use our blogs to vent a bit, but I would like to read something with a bit more insight in the freakin' PD, you know?
Oh well. Facts are facts. Nobody in Cleveland is ever going to be satisfied until one of our three teams wins a championship, preferably all three...in the same year...for ten years in a row. Then we might lay off.
I sure hope Charlie Frye plays like that Q from Akron that won the MAC Championship last night.
Also, Millwood wasnt signed until January last year.
In other Millwood news...
Seattle connection
Dec 2 - According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Kevin Millwood is the Mariners' prime target among free-agent pitchers. Millwood is a Scott Boras client, and Seattle GM Bill Bavasi has a good relationship with the agent, which could ease contract talks.
"We've always gotten along," Bavasi told the newspaper. "It's a business. He tries to get along with people. I try to get along with people. You don't do good business if you don't get along with people. We've had our differences, like all clubs and agents do. But our aim is to get good players. And he usually has them."
Boras wants a five-year deal for right-handed starter Kevin Millwood, The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. The Indians are willing to make a three-year offer, possibly four, but not five.
Byrd signs for 2 years...i like it, i'm moving off the ledge, shapiro knows what he's doing
good first start for Frye; i didn't get too watch but it looked good in the stat department minus the sacks. thats a good defense though. savage picks up a stud lineman and were looking like an above 500 team next year.
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