- artie_fufkin
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- From: God's Little Acre
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Re: Off-season GC
"I've been fortunate never to have met a dickhead professional athlete."
Jack Clark and John Tudor were the two guys who let me down the most. Clark signed with the Red Sox in '91, the year I covered the team two days a week. He started off the season in a terrible slump and was getting hammered by the media and the fans (There's even a reference to him in "The Town" about Ben Affleck's crew stealing the most money from the Red Sox "since Jack Clark" if you've seen that movie).
Anyway, to me he was still Jack Clark, the guy who hit the home run against the Dodgers in the '85 NLCS, so I was dying to interview him, but it's tough to get quotes from a guy who is going 0-for-4 with three Ks every night.
Finally, about a month into the season, he had a decent game, maybe a homer and a double, and this was my chance. He was sitting in a director's chair in front of his locker, by himself, drinking a Budweiser, so I approached him and started to ask him a question. Without looking at me, he just held up a hand and said "Not tonight, boy." The Boston experience had worn him down so much even by that point he didn't want to talk.
Tudor is just an asshole. To everyone. After he retired from the majors, he ended up playing first base in a summer league in the Boston suburbs, where he grew up, and which I happened to be playing in at the time. The major-leaguer-comes-home angle was big news for our league, and the league officials made an arrangement with the local paper to do a feature story on Tudor. So the paper sent out a reporter and a photographer to a game, but Tudor was in one of his moods, and once the photographer started taking pictures of Tudor, he screamed at the poor guy, chased him off and refused to speak with the reporter after the game. I've heard similar stories from about a dozen people that have involved Tudor treating them poorly. Usually, an ex-major leaguer is a god in his hometown, but if you visit Peabody, Massachusetts, you won't find any acknowledgment at all he grew up there.
Last edited by artie_fufkin (12/12/2012 11:36 am)
- forsberg_us
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Re: Off-season GC
Funny McGwire story. My last year of law school (1999), Michele let me spend spring break in Florida with Chad. We're headed into the stadium and stop at this little diner for breakfast. We sit down and just as the waitress finishes taking our order, McGwire walks in.
The fact that it's 1999 is significant--it's the year after he hit 70, so this is baseball royalty walking into this little dive. They get him seated, get his order and his food is on his table in what seemed like 30 seconds. There is very little doubt that they made his order from the orders of other customers. There's just no way they could have cooked his food that fast.
Seeing what's happened, and having known McGwire since his early days in Oakland, Chad starts very loudly starts complaining about McGwire getting his food so quickly--but doing so in a way not to let on that he recognizes McGwire. Now Chad, McGwire and I know that Chad is just kidding, but no one else does. The restaurant staff race to our table and try to pacify Chad, trying to explain the very important person sitting at the other table, but Chad is having none of it. Me--I'm doing everything I can to not crack up.
After a couple of minutes, McGwire starts to play along and begins tossing us crackers and sugar packets to tide us over until our food comes. When McGwire tossed Chad a piece of toast, the restaurant manager finally figured out that they knew each other. Everyone had a good laugh, and McGwire ended up buying breakfast for the 20 or so people in the restaurant.
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Thread Starter- APIAD
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Re: Off-season GC
That is a cool story Fors.
I understand players not always being so happy to play the PR part of their job. There is no reason to always be a dick but it would be hard to always put on a smile.
- alz
- Larry Walker
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I've heard nothing but bad about McGwire from adults that managed to approach him for anything but a quick picture. If you are a kid, however? He'll pull the moon out of the sky and hand it to you I guess. H'll sign anything you want him too, pictures, give you a bat/mitt/etc. He loves kids. He's just suspicious about any adult who's trying to flip a baseball he signed for money.
That is a cool story Fors. lol very cool.
I bombed Dontrelle Willis while he was trying to catch a Crab Leg dinner at Hooters in Union Station. I guess the Marlins were in town and I worked down for Anheuser Busch, and he walks in. Let me take a picture with him, and was really polite. As much good as it did me, he's like pitch black, and the crappy camera phone just looked like I was standing next to a shadow.. lol
- alz
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Re: Off-season GC
The worst I ever heard was my buddy from UP Michigan attending a Packer training camp as a 14 year old and getting up to Sterling Sharpe, and asking for his autograph.
"I don't think so kid."
"Oh please Mr. Sharpe, I'm your biggest fan, I'll do anything. I'll give you my shoes even."
This douchebag looks down at my buddies shoes and actually replies, "I don't even like Michael Jordan..." and walks off.
My buddy said he was stunned, and Sharpe made it about 10 paces away before half the field hears this 14 year old yelling in a rage... "HEY, FUCK YOU STERLING!!"
- artie_fufkin
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Re: Off-season GC
alz wrote:
I've heard nothing but bad about McGwire from adults that managed to approach him for anything but a quick picture. If you are a kid, however? He'll pull the moon out of the sky and hand it to you I guess. H'll sign anything you want him too, pictures, give you a bat/mitt/etc. He loves kids. He's just suspicious about any adult who's trying to flip a baseball he signed for money.
That is a cool story Fors. lol very cool.
I bombed Dontrelle Willis while he was trying to catch a Crab Leg dinner at Hooters in Union Station. I guess the Marlins were in town and I worked down for Anheuser Busch, and he walks in. Let me take a picture with him, and was really polite. As much good as it did me, he's like pitch black, and the crappy camera phone just looked like I was standing next to a shadow.. lol
The only photo I've ever had taken with a player is Rich Gannon, a couple of years ago at the Buffalo airport. My friends practically shoved me toward him like it was a junior high dance. When they told him I was a Raiders' fan, he asked "Were you dropped on your head as a child?"
- artie_fufkin
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Re: Off-season GC
The worst I ever heard was my buddy from UP Michigan attending a Packer training camp as a 14 year old and getting up to Sterling Sharpe, and asking for his autograph.
"I don't think so kid."
"Oh please Mr. Sharpe, I'm your biggest fan, I'll do anything. I'll give you my shoes even."
This douchebag looks down at my buddies shoes and actually replies, "I don't even like Michael Jordan..." and walks off.
My buddy said he was stunned, and Sharpe made it about 10 paces away before half the field hears this 14 year old yelling in a rage... "HEY, FUCK YOU STERLING!!"
... and thus another Vikings' fan was created.
- artie_fufkin
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Re: Off-season GC
That is a cool story Fors.
I understand players not always being so happy to play the PR part of their job. There is no reason to always be a dick but it would be hard to always put on a smile.
Alz touched on it, but these guys are very wary of being exploited, because a lot of the memorabilia dealers are slime merchants. I was in Philly a few years ago to watch the Cardinals play, and during batting practice there were a couple of guys who were by the visitors dugout holding albums with 8x11 color photos of each player from the Cardinals. They were trying to get Pujols' attention to get him to sign their photos of him, but he kind of shined them on. They got David Eckstein to come over and sign, and as soon as Eckstein was out of range, one of them turned to the other and said "That isn't going to be worth much ..."
- APIAD
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Re: Off-season GC
The worst I ever heard was my buddy from UP Michigan attending a Packer training camp as a 14 year old and getting up to Sterling Sharpe, and asking for his autograph.
"I don't think so kid."
"Oh please Mr. Sharpe, I'm your biggest fan, I'll do anything. I'll give you my shoes even."
This douchebag looks down at my buddies shoes and actually replies, "I don't even like Michael Jordan..." and walks off.
My buddy said he was stunned, and Sharpe made it about 10 paces away before half the field hears this 14 year old yelling in a rage... "HEY, FUCK YOU STERLING!!"... and thus another Vikings' fan was created.
Hey there are two of us now.
- APIAD
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Re: Off-season GC
I understand why these guys wouldnt want to get bugged during supper. I am by no means someone important but I get annoyed when some shitbum comes up to me when I am out and wants to talk about there life like it is my duty to give a shit or when they see me working in my garden and stop by to update me on their case. Of course if I made a couple million a year maybe I get used to it but I doubt it.
- forsberg_us
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No other way to put this--Mattingly sounds like a whiney little bitch. Sorry Don, the owners hand you a $230M payroll, you're damn right you're expected to win. Now STFU!!!
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Thread Starter- tkihshbt
- Scott Rolen
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Re: Off-season GC
I've been a Scott Hairston booster for awhile now, but apparently he's going to get about $7 million. That's just crazy for a guy who would solely be a bench bat and spot start for Jon Jay in center and Beltran in right.
The Cardinals better get lucky on whatever lottery ticket they bring in for the bench.
- artie_fufkin
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Re: Off-season GC
"he's going to get about $7 million"
From whom?
- alz
- Larry Walker
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Re: Off-season GC
Hamilton to the Angels, 5/125
- tkihshbt
- Scott Rolen
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"he's going to get about $7 million"
From whom?
Phillies or Yankees IIRC.
- APIAD
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Hamilton to the Angels, 5/125
Looks like Pujols wasnt the reason they were trimming payroll. The Angels must want to be the new yankees. Just more reasons to hate them.
- forsberg_us
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The LA teams are spending a half billion in payroll. Unreal.
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Thread Starter- APIAD
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The LA teams are spending a half billion in payroll. Unreal.
Let them. Money doesnt buy rings. No baseball player is worth the kind of money that is being thrown around. IMO, the payroll just puts more pressure on the team.
- tkihshbt
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The LA teams are spending a half billion in payroll. Unreal.
Let them. Money doesnt buy rings. No baseball player is worth the kind of money that is being thrown around. IMO, the payroll just puts more pressure on the team.
I don't think it's that simple, especially when it drives up the cost of every player. Adam Wainwright has gone from asking for a Matt Cain contract to asking for a Zack Greinke contract. I thought for sure the Cardinals would have Wainwright long-term, but now I'm not so sure.
- APIAD
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I would understadn if they let wainwright walk. I have a hard time believing any player is worth 1/5 of the payroll. If anyone is it isnt someone who olny effects the game every 5th day. The Cardinals better keep the pipeline of good prospects coming.
- artie_fufkin
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Re: Off-season GC
Hamilton to the Angels, 5/125
Looks like Pujols wasnt the reason they were trimming payroll. The Angels must want to be the new yankees. Just more reasons to hate them.
Arte Moreno is a douche nozzle.
- Max
- Colby Rasmus
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Re: Off-season GC
Bye Skip. I think I was the only guy in St. Louis who liked ya.
I think most of us were pulling for Schu in the early days, and as recently as the 2011 playoffs, I think I called him their best defensive outfielder. But he made sense when he was a low cost option, and made less and less sense as he earned more money, and as the team developed a roster that did not need him.
Also, I did not watch this season, but to hear people on this board, it sounds like he pissed off Matheny.
- forsberg_us
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The LA teams are spending a half billion in payroll. Unreal.
Let them. Money doesnt buy rings. No baseball player is worth the kind of money that is being thrown around. IMO, the payroll just puts more pressure on the team.
I don't think it's that simple, especially when it drives up the cost of every player. Adam Wainwright has gone from asking for a Matt Cain contract to asking for a Zack Greinke contract. I thought for sure the Cardinals would have Wainwright long-term, but now I'm not so sure.
At least Greinke can claim something that Wainwright cannot--a Cy Young Award. But how does anyone explain Anibal Sanchez, with a career record of 48-51 and zero seasons over 200 innings meriting a 5 year, $80M contract?
Those are the stupid contracts that make it difficult, if not impossible, to retain quality players.
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Thread Starter- artie_fufkin
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Re: Off-season GC
"Also, I did not watch this season, but to hear people on this board, it sounds like he pissed off Matheny."
I don't know if he pissed off Matheny, or there were other people Matheny preferred to have out there. Carpenter essentially took away Skip's outfield role, and Descalso took away his infield role. I suppose you can make an argument that after Furcal got hurt, Scal could have moved to short and Skip could have played second, but that would have left the Cardinals with some serious defensive issues on the right side of the infield, and it would have crowded the lineup with left-handed hitters without a lot of power.
- artie_fufkin
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Re: Off-season GC
"But how does anyone explain Anibal Sanchez, with a career record of 48-51 and zero seasons over 200 innings meriting a 5 year, $80M contract?"
Larry Bowa of all people issued some insightful commentary about pitching on MLBN this weekend. There are pitchers who are good for 5-6 innings, but if you stay close, they'll find a way to lose the game. Bowa didn't come right out and say Sanchez is one of those guys, but they were talking about the Tigers signing him at the time.
It can be the difference between a guy who is three games under .500 and a guy like Wainwright who goes 39-19 over a 2-year period. But wins aren't important. Having electric stuff and increasing your VORP is what's important.
Last edited by artie_fufkin (12/17/2012 1:00 pm)