Thursday, December 09, 2004
The Best Thing About Signing Troy Glaus
… do you know how many punned titles I can come up with "Glaus" in the title? Clearly, D-Back bloggers will never be at a [wait for it….] GLAUS FOR WORDS!
(I got a million of 'em, folks.)
In any case, here's the Republic article on the signing, which notes that Glaus said the contract has no protective medical clause.
For something briefer and more official, Steve Gilbert's article from MLB.com with a link to the press conference (which I've not listened to).
D-Back fans first seemed of mixed emotions, though the mood seems to be shifting to something more positive. My theory from earlier today that Sexson might consider accepting arbitration this year to beef up his stats seems to be gaining credence. (Well, maybe it was others' theories, too, but I sure didn't get it from them.)
Rob is less than enamored with the deal (too much, too long).
Dodger fans are just concerned what the contract will do to Adrian Beltre's contract.
Primer is, er, less than appreciative of the deal. Levski (come back to the blogging fold, Levski, we miss you!) isn't particularly happy, but isn't quite as negatives as others.
For those national readers (if indeed there are any) who think this is an awful deal because the D-Backs can't afford it, I just want to point out the contracts the D-Backs are losing this winter: Alomar, $1 M; Bautista, $4 M; Colbrunn, $2.75 M; Dessens, $4 M; Mantei, $7 M; plus random others. We're talking $20+ M, and that's assuming Sexson comes back for a year; and Finley comes back. (Sexson's and Finley's 2005 salaries might rise from 2004, but Hillenbrand's $2.75 M salary would pay for that difference.) Taking away the $8.25 M for Glaus, that's still around $12 M for a #2 pitcher and random "veteran presence."
You can argue that the D-Backs paid too much for an injury-riddled 3rd baseman (and I do not like that 4th year), or they should've scaled back to make a run at competing in 2006. But to argue they can't afford this is just wrong.
Finally, since I've got my rant mojo working, can we please stop the slams on D-Back fans as being nothing but gullible sheep with nary a clue of how baseball is played ("gosh, Lena, what does it mean when the ball goes over that fence over there?") I'll concede that the average fan at a Yankees, Red Sox, or Cardinals game knows more about baseball game than the average fan at a D-Backs' game. But show me the proof that they're any more clueless than, say, a Rockies or Devil Rays fan. And I'll continue to point out that the D-Backs had an average attendance of 31,105 in 2004, 14th in baseball, higher than the Braves, Mets, A's, and Twins, among others. With a team that won 51 games. Some of that attendance is due to fans from elsewhere, but I think the D-Back fan base is much maligned, mostly unfairly.
(I got a million of 'em, folks.)
In any case, here's the Republic article on the signing, which notes that Glaus said the contract has no protective medical clause.
For something briefer and more official, Steve Gilbert's article from MLB.com with a link to the press conference (which I've not listened to).
D-Back fans first seemed of mixed emotions, though the mood seems to be shifting to something more positive. My theory from earlier today that Sexson might consider accepting arbitration this year to beef up his stats seems to be gaining credence. (Well, maybe it was others' theories, too, but I sure didn't get it from them.)
Rob is less than enamored with the deal (too much, too long).
Dodger fans are just concerned what the contract will do to Adrian Beltre's contract.
Primer is, er, less than appreciative of the deal. Levski (come back to the blogging fold, Levski, we miss you!) isn't particularly happy, but isn't quite as negatives as others.
For those national readers (if indeed there are any) who think this is an awful deal because the D-Backs can't afford it, I just want to point out the contracts the D-Backs are losing this winter: Alomar, $1 M; Bautista, $4 M; Colbrunn, $2.75 M; Dessens, $4 M; Mantei, $7 M; plus random others. We're talking $20+ M, and that's assuming Sexson comes back for a year; and Finley comes back. (Sexson's and Finley's 2005 salaries might rise from 2004, but Hillenbrand's $2.75 M salary would pay for that difference.) Taking away the $8.25 M for Glaus, that's still around $12 M for a #2 pitcher and random "veteran presence."
You can argue that the D-Backs paid too much for an injury-riddled 3rd baseman (and I do not like that 4th year), or they should've scaled back to make a run at competing in 2006. But to argue they can't afford this is just wrong.
Finally, since I've got my rant mojo working, can we please stop the slams on D-Back fans as being nothing but gullible sheep with nary a clue of how baseball is played ("gosh, Lena, what does it mean when the ball goes over that fence over there?") I'll concede that the average fan at a Yankees, Red Sox, or Cardinals game knows more about baseball game than the average fan at a D-Backs' game. But show me the proof that they're any more clueless than, say, a Rockies or Devil Rays fan. And I'll continue to point out that the D-Backs had an average attendance of 31,105 in 2004, 14th in baseball, higher than the Braves, Mets, A's, and Twins, among others. With a team that won 51 games. Some of that attendance is due to fans from elsewhere, but I think the D-Back fan base is much maligned, mostly unfairly.
Comments:
Post a Comment
