Enough Already

The Denver Post had an article that was pretty disturbing.

The Arizona Diamondbacks hope to ride Troy Glaus' bat into the playoffs, only after filling his wife's saddlebags with $1 million for equestrian expenses.

In each case the money grabbed the players' interest, but the perks helped close the sale.

"She's accomplished in her field," Arizona lead general partner Ken Kendrick said of Glaus' wife, Ann, at the signing news conference, "and we wanted them to both know that we respected that and realized how important she was in the process."

You respect that she rides horses and wanted her to know how important she was in what process? Because she let Troy sign there for $11.25 mill per year for four years? You are kind people at the D-Backs. Get this guy behind and closed doors and ask him off the record if he cares that she likes to straddle large animals. As if $45 million is not enough for Glaus' wife to have her own hobbies. You can say what you want about Carlos Beltran's Ocular Enhancer, but it actually pertains to baseball. He did not get a perk that included $500,000 for Carlos' wife to get her nails done over the life of the contract.

"They made everybody feel a part of it," Glaus said. "If the situation is right and I feel good and my wife feels good about it, then we were going to do it."

Not only do teams have to sign players, but now they have to sign players wives! Why don't we find out how other GMs feel about it.

Said one National League general manager, "I thought we were getting away from that kind of (expletive deleted)."

The deleted expletive starts with an "s", ends with a "t", and rhymes with shit.

I know this is about stroking ego as much as it is saving players $20,000 on airline tickets or $40,000 on courtside tickets that they can obviously afford, but it's ridiculous. I'm not sure players are going to figure out that this kind of stuff turns people off the game. It really does for a lot of fans. When fans see strikes, contract disputes over a million dollars when the player is making tens of millions, Latrelle Spreewell saying he cannot feed his family (he's coming off a 5 year, $ 61,900,000 contract), and A-Rod having a clause that says he always needs to be the highest paid player and no one can sign a contract larger, people get disgusted as they have to figure out where the money is going to come from to put their kids through school. Maybe it will come from not going to games and buying $5.00 hot dogs and $7.00 beers to pay for Troy's wife to ride horses?

"I had an opportunity to go to Texas this year," he said. "They were going to win. They don't have as good a chance as this [Cubs] team, but they're going to win. Those are tough decisions.

"It was a longer deal [they offered]. Three years for about $8-9 million, vs. one year for $2.5 [to return with the Cubs]. But again, I've made enough money. You can get caught up in the money thing.

"The bottom line is that even bench players make more money than 99 percent of America. You got to be careful what you say about that. We're very blessed in all regards."

It really a screwed up time with these athletes. Gary Sheffield signs a contract with money deferred without interest, then he complains about wanting more money in the form of interest on his deferred money. Let's not forget he signed his contract just last year and brokered it without an agent. Frank Thomas routinely complains about the money he makes when he signed a long term deal with White Sox for a specific dollar amount agreed upon by him. He has actually termed the deal "embarrassing" while totally ignoring his own behavior is actually what should be embarrassing. Someone should explain to him how the economy works. Guys like Todd Walker are refreshing, and I'm sure I'm not alone that I'd like to hear a bit more of Todd Walker than Latrelle Spreewell in sports.

* * *

Edgerrin James is not a happy camper, but he did put up this great quote:

"Man, we're like The Jackson 5," James said. "To everyone on the outside, it looks like we're tight as hell. We're out there, on the playing field, making it all look so effortless, and all the [expletive] running perfectly. Then we go home and it's Jermaine's in this room, Tito's in another and Randy ain't talking to no one. When you get up close, it's all dysfunctional."

When it rains, it pours.

Anyone have money on the Cubbies making taking the World Series?

Let's think outside the box here guys. If Traschel goes to the DL, you have Ginter, Heilmann, and Seo to choose from. I can say two of those guys can adequately keep the #5 seat warm for a few starts. However, this tidbit form the Daily News peaked my interest in giving someone else a shot.

Top prospect Yusmeiro Petit, who was reassigned to minor-league camp last week, tentatively was slated to start today as Trachsel's replacement.

If Kazmir taught you anything, give this kid a shot. I'd bet he can do just as good as the aforementioned three. What's the worst that can happen? He does his best Aaron Heilman impression and goes back to AA.

NorthJersey.com says it could be Petit of Humber:

Yuseirmo Petit, a 20-year-old right-hander who is one of the top two pitching prospects in the organization along with Philip Humber, will get the call today if Martinez opts for a simulated game.

"What's different this spring is that I feel I should be here," Bell said. "I was never drafted, I've never really technically been a prospect, so it's always been an uphill battle. I kind of feel like some other guys have gotten more opportunities than I have. I get maybe one opportunity and I fail just that one time, or don't impress somebody that one time, I don't get a shot for a while."

If a 0.00 won't open managements' eyes, I'm not sure what will. You cannot do much more than that.

"I feel like I'm in the best situation I can be in right now for my career, and I'm going to go with it. I'm not going to live in the past. I don't even know if I'd have a shot with the Mets this year. I definitely look at this as a positive."
--Devil Rays pitcher Scott Kazmir (St. Petersburg Times)

Nah, even if you were on the team and there was a spot open, they'd be looking to the Baldwin's and Erickson's of the world. That is the curse us Met fans have been saddled with. Although, maybe Omar will prove me wrong and not put Roberto Hernandez on the team instead of Heath Bell and Galaraga will have to earn his spot over Luis Garica.