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Around SBN: Cal RB Jahvid Best Seriously Injured, Carted Off Field

Disrespect.

"The start after I hurt my hip, I felt discomfort in the last inning I pitched," Bedard said. "I know exactly when I did it. After that it got worse and worse"

Per John Hickey

Erik Bedard hurt his hip in this game also known as Opening Day, or better known now as the last day any single of us was ever happy with this loony bunch of retarded monkey bangers called a professional baseball team. Just in case this intolerable season has dulled your wits to the point where a ball of wax laying in the hot sun would be a sharper cutting instrument let me point out that this was the goddamn first start of the entire season! Erik Bedard has been experiencing shoulder discomfort, along with his myriad of other illnesses, plagues, epidemics, injuries and sympathy pains since THE FIRST START OF THE FECKIN SEASON!

But hey, none of that actually matters because Erik Bedard is a pussy right? He's so much of a pussy that's he thinks there's only 25 letters in the alphabet because he has no concept of the letter Y. That's how much of a weakling he is. At least, that's what the local media would have had you think up until today when I'm confident they will now backtrack and retroactively cover their asses. I would have liked to have every single word of that preceding sentence be a hot link to a piece showcasing the assbaggery that's occurred this season by the media in flaming Bedard for not pitching more, but lucky for them their words are so poorly archived so as to make finding where I left my last shred of happiness a more accomplishable task. Bravo.

Oh well, maybe it's for the best because you shouldn't have to be exposed to that trite a second time anyways because that would be akin to curiosity getting the better of you and deciding to investigate what the one mysterious light switch in your house actually controls only to find yourself opening a previously unknown door in some closet somewhere and being viciously attacked by scorpions wielding the sharded remains of blister packaging and then, once you finally escape from that surrealist nightmare, deciding, hey, you know what sounds fun? Doing that over again! 

But that's neither here nor there nor in that demon closet. What's pertinent here is that once again we have an exhibit of a pitcher gutting it out through pain beyond reasonable measures and not owning up to it. Now, as I've written before, I can empathize with Bedard here. Nobody wants to admit they're hurting. But what I find tragically hilarious in all this is that our grandly delusional ideals about gritting it out through pain always end up with said hero being worshiped for the sheer gargantuanism of his testicles while in this case all that Bedard got was heaping piles of shit thrown his way by critics who used their inside access to ascertain that he was nothing but a tight-lipped jackass who didn't want to do them any favors in the way of making their job easier with silly banal quotes and so in turn they slammed him while he sat around and stewed in what must have been agonizing pain and got blamed for it. 

I don't want to get into all the layers of blame that go into this because frankly everyone deserves blame and trying to figure out who deserves what proportions is ultimately more fruitless than trying to figure out why Jim Riggelman draws a salary while a collection of penguins with down's syndrome and a fetish for swimming into the mouths of killer whales would make a better manager. Suffice to say however that screw you Bill Bavasi for making that blindingly obviously stupid trade in the first place; screw you Mel Stottlemyre for being so bad at your job that you either didn't notice your ace pitcher was having shoulder pain or so negligent that you didn't care; and screw you media for questioning Bedard's heart while taking swipes at the blogging community when you knew as much of the complete story as we bloggers did.

Erik, I wish you would stay because I do have a raging inner lust for your curveball, but unlike when Adrian leaves is forced out, I will shed no tears for you because I will know that you will be better off somewhere that doesn't treat it's most talented players as pinatas for their wank sessions. Find health and happiness Erik. 

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Comments

Display:

I was wondering why his control was so poor that day.

It was thereupon decided that the world began in 1984.

by JI on Sep 17, 2008 11:27 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

I maintain that the press treats intelligent players

and non-EFL speakers worse, but I am pissed off and too apathetic to do the research.

It was thereupon decided that the world began in 1984.

by JI on Sep 17, 2008 11:29 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

"as pinatas for their wank sessions."

I have no idea what this means, or how a pinata might come in useful in… that situation, but I still feel this phrase contains the emotional truth of FUCK YOU EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THIS SHIT.

by marc w on Sep 17, 2008 11:37 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

So what happens now?

Does the media backtrack and try to make it look like they weren’t being irresponsible assholes when they were bashing Bedard on a daily basis?

Do they continue bashing Bedard for pitching while hurt instead of getting his shoulder scoped back in May or June, all at the same time ignoring the fact that media darlings Carlos Silva, Miguel Batista, and Jarrod Washburn pitched through pain and absolutely sucked up the joint?

Every one of you goddamn talking heads in the media owes Bedard an enormous apology, but I know he’s not going to get it. Why?

Because your integrity is just as awful as the false image of Erik Bedard’s integrity, an image that you fostered and perpetuated without a shred of evidence.

by BrianL on Sep 17, 2008 11:45 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

This just goes to show if you don't suck the media's proverbial dick and tell them what they want to hear

They have no qualms about slandering you. They’re just bullies is what it is, they know that there is power in media and they’ll levy it against you if you don’t assume the position.

There isn’t going to be a single retraction or apology over this, I’ll bet.

by OlSalty on Sep 17, 2008 11:48 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

I bet they flame him even more.

“Why was this pussy so pussy about getting surgery earlier in the season? What a fucking pussy and now his pussyness has hurt our 2009 season.”

by Wilder. on Sep 18, 2008 9:14 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

...
Bedard tore his labia? Yeah no wonder he has been so tentative and ineffective. That would make me a jerk too. I excuse his in your face contemptuous behavior with the press and fans knowing the extent of his true injury.

J.K.L.

by acblue on Sep 18, 2008 11:56 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Fuck it.

I’m tired of reading player’s minds. He was hurt- he should have told the team. It’s his fault that he finally got an MRI on July 22nd- 3.5 months after he started feeling the pain and another 3.5 months off the rehab schedule.

This is no different than the bullshit Raul pulled last year- played hurt, sucked, finally let the team and later the media/fans know as if that was some sort of valid explanation.

I agree that Bedard has been vilified by the media, but is it really that surprising? He wasn’t telling it straight up, or really telling much at all, while the media was trying to make sense of trading the farm for him. It’s a situation that nobody wins in.

Its like being mad at a co-worker who hasn’t been keeping up on the job while hiding the fact they have cancer- in the end, you feel like a dick, but in reality, they weren’t doing their jobs and you didn’t have all the facts.

by batura on Sep 18, 2008 12:06 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Also

The main thing, I’m just glad that we know what’s going on and we don’t have to hear all the speculation anymore.

I never wanted the trade, but when it was a foregone conclusion, I was at least excited to see him pitch. Once we realized that wasn’t going to be good, it was hard to try and deduce what the situation was— we all suspected he was more hurt than we had told, but it was very ominous. Could have been anything from inflammation to … well, a labrum tear.

by batura on Sep 18, 2008 12:10 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

The difference here is that very few people are glorified for working through cancer.

Should Bedard have let people know he was hurting? Yes, absolutely. But the “warrior” mentality is a huge part of the culture of baseball, and sports in general. This is a byproduct of a tradition of ridiculousness. Bedard may have some culpability here, but the vast majority of major leaguers would have done the same thing. This is a huge problem that costs teams (and players) truckloads of money, and it needs to stop, but it’s not going to change overnight.

J.K.L.

by acblue on Sep 18, 2008 1:41 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

The local media will never admit that they were wrong in any way

Most likely, we won’t ever hear much about Bedard again from the local media, beyond the obvious mentions of how terrible the trade really was. Look at how it’s been for the past couple months… Bedard’s rehab status merited maybe a footnote every two weeks. Now that he really isn’t gonna be seen again, they never have to talk about him and he goes down in history as the bust pitcher who didn’t give at all and eventually just disappeared.

by Simon Phoenix on Sep 18, 2008 12:22 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Hearing 'one-two PUNCH' over and over again from the local luddites

sure seems like a LOOOOONG time ago right now . . . my God, how on earth did we get raped this badly by THE ORIOLES. I could understand Beane or Epstein doing this to us, but Angelos? Really? Suck me sideways . . .

Anton Chigurh for GM!

by 300ZXNA on Sep 18, 2008 12:29 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

I just got home from an awesome show

And this ruined my night. My girlfriend was wondering why I was alternately whimpering and shouting at the computer. Then I told her that means she has to put up with another year of this garbage team, and that this is probably the final nail in the Beltre coffin.

Now we’re both whimpering and shouting.

by Smegmalicious on Sep 18, 2008 12:57 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Well, how nice.

So, I guess the Felix/Washburn/Silva/Batista/Morrow or RRS rotation is still available for 2009? Lovely.

by eponymous_coward on Sep 18, 2008 1:17 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Also

Might not want to include Baker in the “Bedard is a pussy” brigade.

Now, I may get fried for writing this, but I’m not sure I subscribe to the whole “Bedard is a wimp” notion that I’ve seen come up in the blogosphere of late. I’m always reluctant to describe professional athletes this way. Let’s face it, many of them could take you or me apart in quick fashion. Not sure “wimps” describes them in reality, once we get beyond normal frustration at their performances. Bedard came to Seattle with a bulldog reputation and I’ve seen that bulldog approach on the mound from him all season. When he walks guys, like he did the other day against Detroit, he battles to prevent them from scoring. He doesn’t give up a grand slam on the next pitch. So, I don’t see a wimp there. This is where Bedard could really help himself by being a little more human and less standoffish with the media. His image has taken a hit in Seattle and around the game. Not because the media is trying to collectively bury him. But because fans are questioning his heart, based on what they see on the field, and he is doing nothing to address their concerns. Nothing to shut them up — on the mound or off it.

As his own PR agent, he should stick to pitching. Or hire an image consultant who knows what they are doing.

But in my eyes, I still see the bulldog mentality I’d heard about.

by eponymous_coward on Sep 18, 2008 1:36 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

by being a little more human

I really dislike that comment.

It was thereupon decided that the world began in 1984.

by JI on Sep 18, 2008 9:22 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Unbelievable.

Unbefuckinglievable. I am so goddamn tired of this hypermasculinity bullshit.

From Bedard: “like everybody else in the game, I stopped pitching when I couldn’t handle the pain. After my last start, I couldn’t lift my arm.”

Is everyone in baseball retarded? Does everyone in the game think it’s a good idea to go out and work and pitch until you are physically unable to? Is everyone so in love with stories like Dave Dravecky and Kirk Fucking Gibson that everyone must always play hurt? I…. I don’t understand how so many people could seemingly be so stupid. It baffles me.

by Nick S on Sep 18, 2008 1:52 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Because it's drilled into every athlete from day 1.

People who give up because of pain get cut when they’re kids. I’m not a neanderthal by any means, but I had it drilled into me at every level of sports from t-ball to college rugby. That attitude led me to play full games of rugby with broken ribs, box with a broken nose and a concussion, play water polo with a pinched nerve in my back and wrestle with a hyper extended knee and a sublexed kneecap.

Maybe I had the same kinds of coaches guys like this did, or maybe we just have some kind of competitive switch that kicks on, but it’s not an intelligence thing. Reason gets taken out of the equation. There’s some drive to just keep going, to play through the pain and I think it has a lot to do with early coaching.

by Smegmalicious on Sep 18, 2008 2:05 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Also, these guys hurt every single day, and they're aware of what could be at stake.

Part of it is a high pain tolerance and part of it almost certainly fear.

J.K.L.

by acblue on Sep 18, 2008 2:22 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Without this mindset of working through pain

you wouldn’t have atheletes.

How fast do you think you could run a mile if you stopped after you started feeling some pain?
How many plays in a football game do you think you could play before you tweaked something or got rocked which made you hurt a little?

Atheletes do things with their body that are not natural. Usually this causes some level of pain. It is up to a player (and team/manager) to figure out when the pain is serious or not. It is much more difficult than we would think for most sports. I can only talk about football/basketball type injuries. I have no idea what a torn labrum feels like but it might not be that easy to tell for a player.

by Edgar for Pres on Sep 18, 2008 10:18 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Seems simple to just shut it down when the pain begins to manifest itself in your results

I can understand Bedard not speaking up, because he was pitching reasonably well despite the injury.

by Jeff on Sep 18, 2008 10:38 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

There have been players that have lost their positions to the replacement.

So I can understand the fear of giving it up. Lots of different reasons for players to try and play through pain, I think it’s a situation where it’s more like a recipe than any one thing. Not saying it’s smart, especially for a pitcher. It’s such a finesse position. 300 lb lineman with a club for a hand, or a sore shoulder? Not the same situation. Neither is a position player. Hope this didn’t ruin Bedard’s career, if he’s not the same, I hope he can adjust.

"Sorry I hit you in the helmet Hank, I meant to hit you in the neck." Stan Williams to Hank Aaron.

by dpseadv on Sep 18, 2008 10:56 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

lessee ....

a) he loves pitching & competing (according to his former manager)
b) he’d missed the end of the previous season, and felt he’d let his team down
c) he was with a new team, and annointed the no. 1 (contrary to his opinion)

by msb on Sep 18, 2008 2:39 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Maybe

Pain is of course a part of being serious about any sport. Any athlete must learn to be able to train and compete with pain

But so is understanding and listening to your own body. Ultimately it’s your body. Not the coaches’, not the team’s. And it’s difficult for the trainers / coaches too properly assess a player’s fitness if he’s not fully honest with them, such as with John Maine or Dan Meyer. Not saying that Bedard was so.

ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524

by rfloh on Sep 19, 2008 9:56 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I don't want to ruin the flow of comments,

but trite (hackneyed) is an adjective, and while it describes them so well, I think you’re looking for tripe (worthless shit), the comparable noun.

Feel free to hide this.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 18, 2008 3:08 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

I pointed this out to him last night

Matthew Carruth says (23:30):
I went for combining shite, tripe and parts of the actual definition of trite
Matthew Carruth says (23:30):
Admittedly, it makes sense only to myself

by Graham on Sep 18, 2008 6:04 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

OK then.

If we can use Corco as a verb, I guess using trite as a noun isn’t so bad.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 18, 2008 6:07 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

This would only work

if the made-up word wasn’t already an existing word in the English language. To any reader it just looks like a typo… and given that Matthew doesn’t make many of those… I concluded that he was drunk when he posted.

by johnbai on Sep 18, 2008 10:35 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I appreciate the thought, but I make many typos.

Firefox just usually catches them.

In this case, I did consciously know that tripe fit better grammatically, but I like trite better as a definition and I’m not above shoe-horning words in where they don’t conventionally belong.

by Matthew on Sep 18, 2008 10:38 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

My apolagies Mr. Bedard.

I was one of many who chided you for your seeming lack of masculinity, and I was wrong. I’m sorry.

Fear the NPE

by thewyrm on Sep 18, 2008 7:41 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Amazing.

"All I’ve ever done is be Juan Pierre when I wear this jersey. They’re sticking it to me this year for whatever reason. "

.277/.324/.316

~Juan Pierre

by Goose on Sep 18, 2008 8:02 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Fuck Seattle sports.

It just isn’t fair. Without a doubt, I am moving to California.

The road to hell is paved with Mariners.

by Taylor H on Sep 18, 2008 9:00 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Not Jim Riggelman, Not Jim Riggelman, Not Jim Riggelman, Not Jim Riggelman and Not Jim Riggelman

They are good because they exhibit qualities that make them not like Jim Riggelman (or John McLaren or Mike Hargrove).

by Matthew on Sep 18, 2008 9:31 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Riggleman

But no, really, every fan of every team can find 6723842846278463 reasons why their manager is a complete fucking moron. So who out there is a good manager? If we know who is bad, then there has to be multiple managers who are in fact good. What makes a good manager a good manager, and who out exhibits those decision-making qualities? So basically:

- I can be more sure Riggleman is an absolute retard if there is an actual benchmark of good/competent management we can compare him against… than if some blogger tells us ad nauseum that he sucks.
- I’m not sure bringing in someone else solves the problem (seemingly bad decision making with lineup and bullpen usage)

by Gomez on Sep 18, 2008 9:46 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Hmmm...

Even when the rest of your lineup is this:

SS: Oswaldo Navarro
C: G. Quiroz
1b: Miguel Cairo
2b: L. Valbuena
3b: W. Bloomquist
LF: J. Ellison
CF: C. Jimerson
RF: M. Morse
DH: Vidro.

Personally, I’d still bat Morse cleanup, so you might have a point…

This signature space for rent.

by PositivePaul on Sep 18, 2008 10:20 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

We've been over this before

This assumes Riggleman has complete autonomy over lineup decisions.

by Gomez on Sep 18, 2008 10:11 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Assuming otherwise

is retarded unless you have specific knowledge to the contrary.

by Matthew on Sep 18, 2008 10:17 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

So why isn't this extended to all parts of his job?

How do evaluate any decision since we cannot 100% guarantee that he has the authority to make it?

Managers fill out lineup cards. If Riggelman is an exception to that because he lacks the authority from the front office to do one of the most base jobs of a manager, then that’s an equally horrific mark against him as is him choosing on his own to bat Vidro cleanup. or to pinch hit Miguel Cairo for Wlad Balentien. Or for any of the other 10,000 stupid moves.

by Matthew on Sep 18, 2008 10:28 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

If Riggleman accepted a manager position

where he doesn’t have the right to fill out the lineup card… then he’s an idiot and a bad manager.

by johnbai on Sep 18, 2008 10:37 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

There's no rational defense for it

There’s also no definitive proof it was solely his decision because he believed it gave the Mariners the best chance to win.

by Gomez on Sep 18, 2008 10:52 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Jose Vidro hit .340 in the second half and got released

if the front office were looking for a return on their investment, they got it. But then they released him.

by Jeff on Sep 18, 2008 11:02 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

And who knows why

“They’re stupid” is the simple answer, which ignores a ton of factors.

by Gomez on Sep 18, 2008 11:10 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

My point all along is that none of these things are as simple in basis as we want to believe

So saying the field manager is stupid without considering various factors at play is leaping to a conclusion.

by Gomez on Sep 18, 2008 11:11 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Not to mention that it's not based on a lone decision.

It’s based on mountains of decisions during his tenure.

by Matthew on Sep 18, 2008 11:13 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Okay

So why did Jim Riggleman pencil in Jose Vidro 4th everyday?

You seem to believe you know.

by Gomez on Sep 18, 2008 11:15 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Because he is a bad manager?

Hasn’t that been my point this whole time?

by Jeff on Sep 18, 2008 11:16 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Okay

Who is a good manager? Like I originally asked… who are five good managers, and what makes them good?

by Gomez on Sep 18, 2008 11:19 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Mike Scioscia, TLR, Joe Maddon, Terry Francona, Lou Piniella

none of them have ever batted Jose Vidro cleanup

by Jeff on Sep 18, 2008 11:23 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

There are other criteria for good managers

You mentioned yourself that Riggleman made countless other mistakes. Cite how these managers did not make those mistakes.

by Gomez on Sep 18, 2008 11:24 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

A good manager doesn’t bat Jose Vidro cleanup
Period

by Jeff on Sep 18, 2008 11:25 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Am I supposed to throw together a complete managerial tendency profile for everyone in the Majors?

I have watched teams whose managers made smart decisions. I have watched teams whose managers didn’t make stupid decisions. I have watched teams whose managers did make stupid decisions. Jim Riggleman makes stupid decisions. Some other managers are similar. Many are not.

by Jeff on Sep 18, 2008 11:29 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I can't argue against you re: Riggleman

because I honestly haven’t watched more than 3-4 games in the last couple months.

I don’t think you can throw together an analysis of every manager… but at least explain specifics like: his lineups are poorly constructed… his use of veterans or rookies is inappropriate… his bullpen use is poor… his motivational speeches are limp and smell slightly of mildew.

by johnbai on Sep 18, 2008 11:32 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

He made bad decisions in a vacuum

No other managers do this?

I will admit we ran this way off the rails. I think, if we took a good look at the vast majority of managers in MLB, we would see them make a ton of stupid decisions. Blasting Riggleman is to assume no other manager would have made such poor decisions (not those decisions specifically, but decisions on that level of nonsense). Lou using Bobby Ayala as his closer forever is one quick example.

by Gomez on Sep 18, 2008 11:41 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

These aren't just bad decisions

These are horrible decisions that reflect very very poorly on Riggleman as a manager. Batting Jose Vidro cleanup is one of those things where you see it and you instantly know that the manager isn’t very good at his job.

by Jeff on Sep 18, 2008 11:43 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I think these have all been covered in great detail in other places, but as a quick note

Lineups
-Aforementioned Vidro, constant use of Raul in LF after dumping of Vidro.

Use of vets/rookies
-constant platooning of young players despite season being lost, pinch hitting Cairo for young players

Bullpen use
-Continued overtaxing Sean Green, uses people like Cesar Jimenez as a LOOGY despite not having the skillset to match, continued use of Miguel Batista in high leverage situations

there are many more.

by Matthew on Sep 18, 2008 11:41 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Okay, criteria

Jeff named Scoiscia. Let’s name a few others.

by Gomez on Sep 18, 2008 12:01 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I'm trying to find where

I believe you. What examples are there of their good decision making, and can fans of those teams verify that those managers have never made stupid decisions with regularity?

by Gomez on Sep 18, 2008 12:10 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

JI has already vouched for TLR

isn’t “they don’t fuck up” good enough? Because they don’t. I even agreed with Maddon pulling Upton for the hustling thing and I usually hate that sort of discipline.

by Jeff on Sep 18, 2008 12:18 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Tanking games?

Trying futilely to find some return on their horrible investment?

Who knows. We know the front office are a bunch of meddlesome idiots who couldn’t run a Dairy Queen.

by Gomez on Sep 18, 2008 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

What evidence is there to suggest that the front office wanted to tank games?

What evidence is there to suggest that batting Jose Vidro would in any way provide a return on the investment?

What evidence is there to suggest that the front office has ever overruled its field manager on the daily lineup?

by Jeff on Sep 18, 2008 10:59 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Most of these decisions are made internally and the rationale is never truly discussed in public

The lineups we’ve run out there are atrocious. The front office had this foolish belief in Jose Vidro’s abilities. And the front office has been meddlesome with it’s GM. And yet we believe the front office and GM would not meddle at all with Riggleman’s lineup construction?

We can assume the field manager is an idiot, but against what basis? Does any other field manager handle this team differently? Does the GM and Lincoln/Armstrong let that manager do whatever he wants? Can we definitively prove that either way?

by Gomez on Sep 18, 2008 11:07 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

You sound like Logan

Conspiracies! We were tanking until we conveniently decided not to!

It doesn’t follow.

It was thereupon decided that the world began in 1984.

by JI on Sep 18, 2008 11:09 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Of course there's not going to be any proof

These decisions are made behind closed doors. There is no media transparency, and there are a variety of legitimate reasons for that.

by Gomez on Sep 18, 2008 11:14 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

They were willing to defend it, however stupid the official defense was

It’s impossible to defend benching or dealing your two best hitters.

by Gomez on Sep 18, 2008 11:19 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

How much does Washburn help this team win on a day to day basis?

Is he a significant enough piece of the pie that Armstrong’s decision to keep him is directly relevant to maintaining a weak, noncompetitive team for draft-slot purposes?

by Gomez on Sep 18, 2008 11:23 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Dumping Washburn would have made us a little worse

seems like that’s what a pro-tanking front office would be going for.

by Jeff on Sep 18, 2008 11:24 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Seems like a good move

But whether or not dealing Washburn helps the team tank isn’t the only other factor the team has to consider when deciding to deal him. They also have to rebuild the system and the roster for 2009 and beyond. They had that foolish belief that Washburn was worth more talent than he actually commanded.

by Gomez on Sep 18, 2008 11:26 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

No.

I’m just saying in this instance it’s wildly out of place.

It was thereupon decided that the world began in 1984.

by JI on Sep 18, 2008 11:14 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Wow dude, don't go there.

I appreciate your contributions, and am not a total waste of oxygen so I’m probably not alone with that sentiment. I also get your side of this conversation, and haven’t piped up because my 2 cents is probably not appropriate. That said, I can see plenty of situation where Riggleman could feasibly be directed as to how and when to play players. And plenty of other in-game decisions that he’s fucking up on his own also.

"Sorry I hit you in the helmet Hank, I meant to hit you in the neck." Stan Williams to Hank Aaron.

by dpseadv on Sep 18, 2008 11:15 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Come on JI

that was a bit harsh.

by BrianL on Sep 18, 2008 11:11 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Chuck Armstrong and Howard Lincoln

Are at the top of the front office. This is self-evident evidence.

This signature space for rent.

by PositivePaul on Sep 18, 2008 1:17 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Then why cut Vido?

i think they’re dead set on avoiding 100 losses.

It was thereupon decided that the world began in 1984.

by JI on Sep 18, 2008 11:00 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

They eventually came to their senses there

It took them far too long, obviously.

by Gomez on Sep 18, 2008 11:02 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Nothing you are saying makes sense.

It was thereupon decided that the world began in 1984.

by JI on Sep 18, 2008 11:03 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I've said it before and I'll say it again

Sometimes you pick some…odd battles.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 18, 2008 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I think you got sidetracked from what started

as a good question:

How do you create an objective benchmark for good coaching? Because it sure feels like everyone (if watched closely enough) could be labeled a retard.

by johnbai on Sep 18, 2008 10:56 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

It was a good question

I wish the trimvirate had more interest in discussing it.

by Gomez on Sep 18, 2008 10:58 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I was trying and trying to construct a decent question last night.

In regards to a comment I made yesterday regarding the pitching, and pitch selection. Still, it all comes back to the same issue. This team seems to be lacking a cohesive intelligent plan at any level, regarding every aspect of the team.

"Sorry I hit you in the helmet Hank, I meant to hit you in the neck." Stan Williams to Hank Aaron.

by dpseadv on Sep 18, 2008 11:00 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

That is a good question actually.

Who IS a good manager? We’ve had 3 managers over the past 2 years and we’ve classified all of them as “bad”. The last two managers had the unfortunate pleasure of running this sorry 2008 team.

by ThundaPC on Sep 18, 2008 10:59 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

So the question is

what makes him so? What is it about Scioscia that makes him a better manager than most?

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 18, 2008 11:01 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Slight?

It was thereupon decided that the world began in 1984.

by JI on Sep 18, 2008 11:09 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I think this is some sort of key

I’ve never heard it put this way before but that makes sense. Torre “got” the late-90’s Yankees, as well, I think.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 18, 2008 11:16 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I guess I can't really prove anything and I don't watch the Angels every day

but I can’t picture them without Scioscia, because he just strikes me as a perfect fit for that ballclub. He understands almost everything about what it can and can’t do.

by Jeff on Sep 18, 2008 11:17 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I don't watch them a lot either

but that seems to be a correct assumption, and it also seems that most managers don’t get to that level of understanding about their teams.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 18, 2008 11:18 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

This is true.

It’s kind of a circular discussion, as well, because to get that understanding you have to be there a long time, but to be there a long time you almost have to have that understanding.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 18, 2008 11:22 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I will never give Torre the benefit of the doubt after he hit A-Rod 8th

It’s on of the most stupid and classless things I’ve ever seen a manager do.

It was thereupon decided that the world began in 1984.

by JI on Sep 18, 2008 11:17 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Sarcasm?

It was thereupon decided that the world began in 1984.

by JI on Sep 18, 2008 11:01 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Frankly, I think it's tough to say unless you follow a team closely enough.

Because managers make lots of small decisions that reveal their philosophies and that’s where you have to judge them so I’m uncomfortable labeling anyone besides those that I’m familiar with. But as a guiding principles, good managers:

-Understand at some level the concept of win expectancy (related to bunting et al)
-Understand at some level the concept of leverage (related to RP usage et al)
-Understand at some level the importance of on base percentage (related to batting order et al)
-Understand at some level the importance of defense (related to playing time et al)

by Matthew on Sep 18, 2008 11:04 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

LaRussa does pretty much all of this

except the bullpen part. I hate the way he uses his bullpen.

However:

He doesn’t bunt or steal much
He likes to stack his best hitters 1-5 regardless of “traditional” lineup structures
Will rotate his corner OFs around to play to the dimensions of the park

He calls too many hit and runs, but the one’s he calls are almost always with shit hitters/ pitchers, he meddles too much in roster decisions, but I think if he were here in Seattle we’d approve.

It was thereupon decided that the world began in 1984.

by JI on Sep 18, 2008 11:13 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

And I've come around to love the pitcher hitting 8th thing.

It was thereupon decided that the world began in 1984.

by JI on Sep 18, 2008 11:21 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I'm not quite sure what you mean here but,

If you’re going to hit Ludwick/ Ankiel second to give them more at bats it makes sense to move the pitcher further away from them.

It was thereupon decided that the world began in 1984.

by JI on Sep 18, 2008 11:38 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Oh well, yes in that lineup I think it makes sense

With a different group of players maybe not.

It was thereupon decided that the world began in 1984.

by JI on Sep 18, 2008 11:49 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I'll say

Francona, LaRussa (for all his warts), and Acta has potential

and then after that I couldn’t say because I don’t watch enough of other teams.

It was thereupon decided that the world began in 1984.

by JI on Sep 18, 2008 11:02 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

My heart just sank.

This is just terrible.
Matthew, incredible writing as usual.

by royalcurve on Sep 18, 2008 9:18 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

No, but the team will be demanding a new stadium any day now

it’s really the only way to get back to being competitive.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 18, 2008 10:18 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

My public money is in another county now. Sucker.

"Sorry I hit you in the helmet Hank, I meant to hit you in the neck." Stan Williams to Hank Aaron.

by dpseadv on Sep 18, 2008 10:19 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

The labeling of Bedard by the media was a slander for him not feeding them interviews.

He’s been brief with the media since he’s been in town, he was that way before he arrived. He opens up (multiple sentences at one sitting) only rarely, and the local media started tearing him a new ass for it right from the start. Early in the season Matt Pittman on the post game report was being especially vindictive in his comments, and it really pissed me off. Bedard had barely unpacked, and the local media is already trying to shape his reputation in the public with a landslide of negative comments.

"Sorry I hit you in the helmet Hank, I meant to hit you in the neck." Stan Williams to Hank Aaron.

by dpseadv on Sep 18, 2008 10:18 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

How else should we expect the media to act?

They are a billion dollar industry… they make profits by selling quotes and personalities to gullible suckers (us) willing to pay money and/or suffer through advertising to consume that media. Oddly enough, Bonds is a media dream… people can’t read enough about that dude. But nobody gives a shit about an injured French-speaking mushmouth pitcher. That’s media kryptonite. They have to really work hard at their jobs to sell stories about Bedard. Media loves people like Brent Barry or Brett Boone… endlessly quoteable even when the team loses.

The only revenge the media has is to slam boring, ugly, injured or untalented players. Sports and the media around sports is no different than any idolatry contest. They want heroes, they want drama, they want blood. Refuse to give them anything good and they’ll create readership by slamming you. Otherwise, the boring player threatens their revenue stream.

by johnbai on Sep 18, 2008 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

There are reporters and then there are columnists.

Personally I feel the distinction between the two is negligible, almost nonexistent. All the talk about Geoff Baker around here, I’ve given him another read and realized I had been skipping his stuff because he’s a columnist. I prefer the reporting, I’ll decide how I should think and feel about the players and the team. Saying that makes me think Baker may be more genius than crazy man. His articles/blog seems to drive readers into a foaming frenzy, I can’t read more than 2-3 responses before I have to avert my eyes. It would be interesting to see how many hits (printed and on-line) he’s generating with his coverage of the M’s. And what you say about boring players I agree with completely, but the type of negative propaganda that surrounds Bedard really turns me off to the point I’ve just about quit reading the sports pages entirely, or listening to the pre/post game when he’s the topic.

"Sorry I hit you in the helmet Hank, I meant to hit you in the neck." Stan Williams to Hank Aaron.

by dpseadv on Sep 18, 2008 9:29 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

He's actually a really fantastic reporter, which is why his blog drives so many of us insane.

He’s a good beat writer and he’s done a few fantastic articles over the past few years.

J.K.L.

by acblue on Sep 19, 2008 2:41 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Villifying the local media as a whole for this stuff seems unfair

especially considering no one has posted any evidence that they ever called Bedard out for this. I only read Baker and I don’t recall him ever implying Bedard was soft. Maybe Hickey has been worse, or I missed some stuff that Baker said.

Not saying that they haven’t been jerks about this, I just haven’t seen any evidence of it.

by ack on Sep 18, 2008 10:52 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

God dammit Baker, quit being so stupid

His reasoning for questioning Bedard’s pitching is that Bedard is supposed to be an ace and that he was traded for 5 players. Yeah, because Erik Bedard is the one who made that trade happen.

by ack on Sep 18, 2008 11:47 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Baker's simply bitter that Bedard never spoke to the media.

If this was Carlos Silva, the entire tone of the article would likely be much more apologetic towards the player.

by BrianL on Sep 18, 2008 11:49 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Let's just stop talking about Baker.

I don’t want this to get personal against him. I used the generic term “local media” for a reason, there were many culprits. They know who they are.

by Matthew on Sep 18, 2008 11:53 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Matthew touched on this

but it’s funny how Bedard was labeled a girl when he was pitching hurt the whole time and keeping quiet, whereas Batista is just giving his all despite pitching hurt, sucking, and using the injuries as an excuse for the sucking.

It was colossally stupid for Bedard to keep quiet, though. God damn, everybody involved with this sucked.

by Jeff on Sep 18, 2008 11:59 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Lesson learned.

If you’re going to play through pain, make sure to complain about it loudly and often so you get due credit for playing through pain.

by Matthew on Sep 18, 2008 12:05 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

You don't like hockey.

I'll shut up lest you ban me like you banned butthol.

by NOLAmarinergirl on Sep 18, 2008 12:31 PM PDT up reply actions   1 recs

You'll know when you see a real fast game.

I found myself jumping up and yelling “holy shit how the fuck did he do that” 5 or 6 times in the third game I watched, after two games of being indifferent. That was how I got hooked.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 18, 2008 2:25 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

This I could get behind.

I'll shut up lest you ban me like you banned butthol.

by NOLAmarinergirl on Sep 18, 2008 3:04 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

This is exactly what I'm talking about.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 18, 2008 3:53 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Amazing.

Those guys are incredibly awesome. The game just moves fast for my dumb, slow eyes.

by Teej on Sep 18, 2008 4:51 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

That's my problem too

I can’t really get into it because it’s hard to follow where the puck is and what’s going on.

by OlSalty on Sep 18, 2008 8:43 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Get HD.

It makes all the difference in the world.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 19, 2008 5:31 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

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