In Joel Sherman’s “Down The Line” column for Sunday’s New York Post, J.P. Ricciardi’s much-circulated critique of Cincy’s Adam Dunn is described as “unseemly”, and perhaps the final gaffe that will cost the Blue Jays G.M. his job. Compare and contrast Ricciardi’s blast of Dunn if you will, to the following paragraph concerning Seattle’s attempts to trade P Eric Bedard.
Bedard has made himself tough to move by accentuating the two questionable parts of his reputation: a standoffish personality, especially when it comes to media relations (which would make him a tougher sell in New York and Boston) and – more important – he is soft. He pulled himself after three shutout innings Friday with back spasms. One Mariners official said, “This guy begs out of more games than anyone I ever seen in my life.”
There’s ample baseball evidence to suggest Bedard — like Dunn — is not without considerable flaws. And like Dunn, his desire is being publicly questioned by a person doesn’t actually spend any time in the Mariners clubhouse. Seriously, this is the week GM’s and major newspaper columnists alike seem all too willing to employ tactics usually attributed to bloggers.
Of the New York Mets’ recently fired manager Willie Randolph, the New York Times’ George Vescey writes, “When the team slogged through the spring, the fans booed Randolph more than the players, most of whom seemed remarkably blasé about their mediocre state while playing badly. Was that Randolph™s responsibility? Ultimately, in the unfair ledger book of managing, yes, it was.”
How many Mets games has Vescey attended this season? Presumably more than me, because during my numerous visits this year to Flushing’s Cathedral Of Piss I’ve heard no one booed as loudly or as often as Carlos Delgado.
I’m not nearly as sure about the allegedly cavalier acceptance of failure, either. Once upon a time, there was a Mets infielder prone to kicking water coolers, tossing helmets and stomping through the dugout with a death stare after each unsuccessful at bat. As it turns out, neither Vescey’s colleagues nor the general public were particularly impressed with Jeff Kent’s demeanor.