Only got a sec but…
1. Great reaction in the "Matsuzaka blocked?" thread.
2. Greed is defined as excessive desire, especially for money. See “Buddhism” for recommended reading. It is hardly an overstatement to say that greed is the root cause of all human conflict and suffering.
One must keep one’s desires in some semblance of proportion to one’s values (love, honor, friendship, courage, community contribution, etc) in order to lead a healthy life. See Rodriguez, Alex for a rather similar example of poisoned karma.
Was never sure why athletes are always "just doing what any of us would do," but the owners are nauseatingly greedy….
3. Dr. D defines “excessive” very, very liberally in the pro sports world, but Matsuzaka has managed to sail wayyyy past D’s humorously liberal definition.
4. Matsuzaka’s incredible pledge of fealty to “whoever evaluates my abilities appropriately” was correctly interpreted by D-O-V readers as “whoever goes the 82nd million gets to be my daddy.” We’re used to pro athletes regarding people as <10% of the equation. When it reaches 0%, he can take a hike.
5. Yamauchi took offense at Matsuzaka’s reduction of the people element to 0%. I give Yamauchi a Standing O for this.
6. As D-O-V analyzed earlier, when athletes sit down with Scott Boras, they sign on the dotted line knowing that there is no turning back in the quest for Mount Trophy Contract. GM’s who deal with Boras are well aware of this.
7. Does anybody appreciate, a little more now, the guys who want to be here? Like Johjima, Sexson, Ichiro, and apparently one Jason Schmidt?
Matsuzaka is a great pitcher. He is also the Japanese version of ARod, in almost all of his strengths and all of his weaknesses. Superintelligent, superambitious, supertalented, superficial.
Who needs him. I’m glad he won’t be here.
=== Way Too Early To Panic, Dept. ===
Many routes to Rome still lie open for the M’s journey towards a thrilling offseason that positions them to win it all in 2007… whether the Mariners will pursue these other routes, your guess is as good as (better than) mine…
Starting with a scattergun NPB approach that targets both Igawa and Kuroda, and that includes a top-down message from Yamauchi (through Lincoln) to Hargrove that Iwamura-san is to be deployed with respect from game 1 through 162…
If Bavasi wishes to make Iwamura the 2007 version of Mark McLemore, he absolutely must get a directive that cleans up the Hargrove problem he has looming there.
Adam Eaton, though talented, is a Pat Gillick pitcher with a capital Stand Pat… thumbs down to that one, unless Eaton is the #3 or #4 offseason add (all but impossible)…
The trade route offers rich possibilities for improvement and the M’s have exciting pieces to offer, starting with Adam Jones who has been made somewhat obsolete in CF, but moving on to Beltre, Sexson, etc…
Never felt so glad to be the only guy who understands Jason Schmidt ;- )
The M’s have the resources to make a move on the *pennant*. The more likely course of action is for them to make a move on a competitive team. After all, only 1 in 20 fans is there for the game.
Peace,
Dr D
November 2nd, 2006 at 11:05 am Quote
Right now, in order to have a true ace, Felix Hernandez has to improve and start looking like he did in 2005. That’s not the place I wanted to be come next April. Barring some amazing trade, or the improbable excellence of a rookie (Feierabend? Morrow? Blackley?) 90-100 of our starts are going to be awful difficult to watch next year. Matsuzaka-Schmidt would have had us in the playoffs, I have no doubt about it. Maybe signing the pair of them was unrealistic from the start. But the hope of a lights out rotation is gone and just about every realistic scenario leaves our team the same joke it’s been since 2004. Who needs him? We did, and do. I just hope this isn’t the last straw that sends Ichiro looking for a new baseball team.
To top it off, now we’ll actually have to face Matsuzaka at some point. He’s going to strike out at least 13 M’s whenever he gets around to it. I’m thinking more like 20.
November 2nd, 2006 at 11:06 am Quote
tiddley said
So let me get this straight. You will rip the Mariners for not breaking the bank for DiceK. You go on to say you’ll follow the Indians or Twins. Please name the last time either of those teams have signed a big time free agent. Once you change your rooting interest will you rip either of those teams for not spending huge amounts of money on free agents? Will it be more fun to root for teams that don’t have money to waste? The M’s are simply weighing the risk and saying “no thanks” to DiceK. Did Colorado get a nice return on Mike Hampton? how about the Dodgers with Kevin Brown? Did M’s targets Jaret Wright and Carl Pavano earn their money with the Yankess? Millwood and Burnett weren’t spectacular this year. Go down the list and try to find any expensive FA pitcher that was acutally worth the money. Anyone out there feel free to jump in with a list of great big money FA pitcher signings. Then comapre to the enormous list of “busts”.
The Indians and Twins commitment to improve comes from their farm systems. Develpoing your own players is THE key. That’s when the Yankees were winning WS every year. Homegrown talent. The Yankees spend more and more with no WS for years now. Look at all the money Baltimore spends, but their farm system is terrible so the money is essentially wasted. The M’s have been doing it the right way with the development of Felix, YuBet, Lopez, etc…. while enjoying the added bonus of inking big bats along the way. The M’s are set to be in the best of both worlds, a strong farm system and money to plug holes with quality players when needed. We’re on track to compete for a World Series year after year with the core we have and reinforcements being marched quickly through the lower levels.
November 2nd, 2006 at 11:49 am Quote
This isn’t Willis.
This is like having Felix Hernandez, already ready to destroy the league, on the market.
And then not even trying.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:42 pm Quote
exactly this is not some one who is going to fail compared to Pavano etc
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:44 pm Quote
I keep coming back to the fact that Matsuzaka is 27. Jason Schmidt will be, if we get him, and excellent acquisition, but he will not be the kind of acquisition Matsuzaka would have been. Matsuzaka would be the foundation of your staff with sufficient experience to realize his potential and also heading into his peak years of production. When does an opportunity like this come along? Schmidt is plan B. Whatever the reasons, and they may be justifiable, the M’s have found another reason, as they ALWAYS do, to not seize the best available player. Justify it all you want. Do the spreadsheets, do the chemistry analysis…whatever. The M’s ALWAYS find a reason to mark the best available off their list. In any one case, the arguements can be found. And when they do it, we are left discussing how after all it was the sensible thing to do.
So now, it’s not Matsuzaka AND Schmidt. It’s not Schmidt and Zito. It’s Schmidt OR Zito, plus another pitcher who I’m sure will be above average, but not by much. And if Felix only improves marginally next year, then what?
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:45 pm Quote
Its not about spending the money because teams will do that eventually its about spending it wisely.
And anyone who thought Carl Pavano and or Jaret Wright were gonna be anything more than busts were delusional.
Adam Eaton, Kris Benson, Gil Meche and the rest of the Mediocrity League of America will get paid on average $8-$10 million dollars.
The Mets are paying Pedro Martinez $13 million and “only” $10 million in 2008.
Even though he wasn’t on the market, Roy Oswalt gets on average $14 million per season
Zito’s going to get about the same as Oswalt.
Mike Mussina was a true blue ace and when he became a FA on average got $14 million.
I mean, if a team is WILLING to spend $10 million on mediocrities like Pavano and Benson what’s another $3-$5 million on a true real deal difference maker ace!?
Miss out on that bench player and middle reliever, who cares?
The gap between Kris Benson and Pedro Martinez is MUCH greater than Willie Bloomquist over Joe Schmo. Or Carl Everett and Joe Schmo. Or Julio Mateo and Rob the everyday middle man reliever.
November 2nd, 2006 at 1:23 pm Quote
I’ve always contended they were not very good on talent evaluation, with “they” meaning the folks outside of Armstrong, Lincoln, Bavasi. The tendencies are too deep and too long not for it to be an organizational problem.
What can I say…I think it comes from not being familiar with how large companies operate. Need to look beyond what’s on paper, and how large organizations operate…
November 2nd, 2006 at 3:55 pm Quote
Taro, you are correct.
Bedir needs a tutoring on business interests and voting rights.
Y controls this team as much as Jerry Jones controls the cowboys, but without the embarrassing interviews and face lifts.
Let us not forget the Golden Rule of Steinbrenner: He who has the gold, makes the rules.
February 27th, 2008 at 6:12 pm Quote
Danny T.
I will dream of your poetic words tonight.
April 2nd, 2008 at 3:33 pm Quote
Business loans.
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