Erik Bedard Should Probably Be A Fan Favorite
by Jeff Sullivan on Dec 4, 2010 5:02 PM PST
in Miscellaneous
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PrintI know that a ton of people are frustrated with Erik Bedard, and just want to see him go away so that all parties can move on. And, believe me, I get it - his story has been an easy one to grow sick of. But then, on the other hand, consider this:
"I was offered twice as much money last year to sign somewhere else, and I got offered a guaranteed deal this year by another team," Bedard said from his Ottawa home. "I said, 'Ooh that’s interesting,' but I never pursued it. I told the Mariners before I went home last season, I wanted to come back.
"This may surprise some people, but I'm loyal. I want Seattle fans to see the guy they thought they'd traded for. There have been moments I've been myself, but they didn't last long."
It would be easy to spin this in a cynical direction, were one so inclined. Bedard could be lying through his teeth, returning to Seattle not because of loyalty and not because of the fans, but because Safeco's a good place for him to re-establish his value. And I'm sure there are people who are going to see it that way.
But I prefer the more direct surface interpretation that Bedard doesn't want to leave Seattle on a series of sour notes. There's a degree of selfishness in one's desire to repair his image, to be sure, but there's a degree of selfishness in even the most altruistic behavior, and I think Bedard truly feels he owes the city of Seattle more than he's been able to provide. It's an endearing sentiment. I don't think it makes Bedard a hero, but there are tons of guys who would've left for the guaranteed money, and Bedard chose to stay. That's unusual, and worthy of praise. Loyalty, in baseball's current state, is a rare thing.
Bedard doesn't stand a chance of becoming a true fan favorite until or unless he actually returns to the mound. But it's interesting to think that one of the team's least popular players in 2008 and 2009 - a guy who routinely had his commitment called into question - could spend the 2011 season as one of its absolute coolest.
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Yeah well,
I’m sure Steve Kelley will offer up a SINCERE apology.
Sometimes there's a man,
I won’t say a hero…‘cause what’s a hero? But sometimes there’s a man. And I’m talkin’ about Bedard here. Bedard, from Canada. Sometimes there’s a man, well, he’s the man for his time and place. He fits right in there. And that’s Bedard. Bedard, the Seattle Mariner. And even if he’s a broken man – and Bedard most certainly was that. Quite possibly the most broken arm in the history of the Seattle Mariners, which would put him in the running for most injury-prone worldwide. Sometimes there’s a man. Sometimes, there’s a man…Well, I’ve lost my train of thought here. But aw, hell. I’ve done introduced it enough.
by slamcactus on Dec 4, 2010 5:13 PM PST reply actions 13 recs
It's good knowin that he's out there...
taken her easy for all us sinners. Shoot, I sure hope he makes the finals.
One should also add, pride
which also seems characteristic of him — he doesn’t want to leave Seattle a failure if he can avoid it. It makes sense to me.
by The Ancient Mariner on Dec 4, 2010 5:20 PM PST reply actions
I think this might hit the nail on the head.
Erik Bedard, despite his aversion to the press, has been, by his team mates words, a good guy and pretty easy going. He’s been a quiet “get it done” kind of fellow that things haven’t worked out so well for to date. I would bet his pride is a part of why he’s back.
I do see a difference in him though. He’s not that cocky young man that was portrayed as a complete jerk shortly after he arrived. He has twice signed for less money to stay in Seattle. That makes me think that on some level he actually does like playing here. Be that Safeco and her effect on his game or something more heartfelt, I have no way of knowing. I do know that my perception of him has changed for the better each time. If he ends up pitching well for the M’s or not, he has cemented a place in this fan’s heart.
I would agree with this. Bedard has had a couple of opportunities to leave and has chosen to stay.
No matter what his reasons are, he’s one of my favorites.
by TrustBaseball on Dec 5, 2010 2:40 PM PST up reply actions
I don't want to know the kinds of Mariner fans who dislike Erik Bedard.
Everything I’ve heard about the guy tells me I don’t adore him nearly enough.
by katal on Dec 4, 2010 5:22 PM PST reply actions 6 recs
That time when he told reporters he'd only answer three questions, a guy responded "Really?" and Bedard replied "That's one."?
Hilarious and badass. You know Geoff Baker wishes he could do that at his next blogging panel.
by katal on Dec 4, 2010 5:24 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Same.
It reminded me of the reported incident with President Calvin Coolidge, Silent Cal as he was known. Dorothy Parker came up to him at a party and claimed to have made a bet with a friend that she could get more than three words out of Coolidge during the evening. Coolidge just said, “You lose” and that was the end of that.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett Mariners Minors
by JY on Dec 5, 2010 3:13 PM PST up reply actions
Another well-known person at this site tells the story of running into Erik Bedard right when he was shut down for the season.
Needless to say, Bedard was pissed about it. It’s bullshit for people to assume that lazy motivations were behind his injury.
Local journalists often suck... I wont say always, but I will say almost always...
"You tell me with confidence that you think Charlie could have done better and I will laugh beer in your face." JohnnyOsprey
by Tyler Jorgensen on Dec 5, 2010 10:21 AM PST up reply actions
A healthy Bedard is Felix-good.
An unhealthy Bedard, as evidenced by more than half the innings he’s thrown for us, is pretty good too.
by katal on Dec 4, 2010 5:28 PM PST up reply actions 5 recs
I don't get it
They must just rely on local sports talk radio guys to form their opinions of players, because I’ve never seen anyone more inexplicably reviled by local sports talk radio hosts than Bedard.
I work with a guy who hates Bedard and I told him to stop bringing it up because it just boils my blood.
He coaches his son’s baseball team and thinks it has made him an expert on the game.
I find it hard to believe he's lying because Bedard is known as The Interview for a reason.
He could have just kept his mouth shut per usual. But no, he offered this explanation. We remember how ridiculously happy he was after Felix’s slam against Johan; that picture of him and Adam Moore in Tacoma he has a giant smile on his face. He’s always been a frank, no bull shit guy.
I’ll stick with the alternative explanation: Erik Bedard is honorable. Also, a badass.
The fact that he was injured and still destroyed batters
is fricking awesome and I hope he takes a BIG DUMP on the chests of all of his haters.
by Darth Flamingo on Dec 4, 2010 10:09 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
I'm sorry. LL hates acronyms, and I hate acronyms.
But I definitely LOL’ed at this. I love poop jokes. Ha. Poop.
by Pete_ on Dec 4, 2010 11:46 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Why not just say "I definitely laughed out loud at this?" >_>
Morgan Ensberg for Manager 2011!
AL Scout on Rendon: "I would peg him as a poor man's Jose Lopez."
We don't hate acronyms.
We say LL. We talk about GTE during the season.
I love acronyms!
WAR, FIP, tRA, wOBA…
We encourage eschewing chat speak for the sake of intelligent conversation.
by harkening on Dec 5, 2010 1:15 AM PST up reply actions 2 recs
With Felix, Bedard and my blazing fastball in the rotation, the M's might have a chance.
“It was Little League and we were ten years old.”- Coop
I don't hate Bedard but I'm far from adoring him either.
Asides from the well intentioned talk he’s shown very little on the field.
I’m sure Jose Lopez had the best intentions toward the Mariner organization also. Doesn’t mean we have to love him.
He has been on the field very little but when he has been on the field he has been a great pitcher
Lopez was on the field a lot and wasn’t a great player. Bedard, if and when healthy, is a great starter – it’s keeping him from breaking that’s the challenge.
by pdb on Dec 5, 2010 8:46 AM PST up reply actions
He has been good to great despite being injured.
Can you say with absolute certainty that anyone else wouldn’t have gotten hurt were they here in his stead?
I didn’t think so.
I know what you guys are saying.
And that is why I say I don’t hate him. And last year, I was excited about Bedard coming back, but he was a no-show.
IF he does actually get on a big league mound and throw this year, I’m sure I’ll like him very much. But for now it is just “well intentioned talk” as I wrote above. Until he’s actually shows up, I’ll save my love for the guys who are actually fighting out there every day.
Rob Johnson?
Every time you masturbate... God kills a kitten? Fuck kittens.
by Matt Erickson on Dec 6, 2010 12:29 AM PST up reply actions
Love for the fighting guys?
Figlet is pretty adorable.
He was blamed for who he was traded for
The fact was, he was hurt from the start but Bavasi never checked it out. He’s a competitor and he has pride and loyalty. It’s not his fault Bavasi was stupid.
If he gets healthy the rotation looks really good. Offense is needed, however!
by New England Fan on Dec 5, 2010 11:57 AM PST reply actions
No he's not. The people who hate him didn't give a care about Jones, Tillman, etc
They blame him for the 2008 season sucking and because those fans always blame injuries on the player
by Matthew on Dec 6, 2010 2:27 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Bedard doing the honorable thing.
Pretty crazy to think he turned down guaranteed money to try and do right by Seattle. Thanks Erik. This reminds me of when Johjima let the M’s out of the remainder of his contract. More players need to have this kind of ethic.
I'm fairly certain Johjima went back to Japan to play full time.
If you remember he was used as a backup in ’09.
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