tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post6171435806910127356..comments2023-10-31T06:31:41.395-04:00Comments on Bottom of the Barrel: Bleacher Report Thinks Albert Pujols Has Ruined It For All Free AgentsBengoodfellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09401971573776672570noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-21268336037382918592013-01-04T08:19:17.789-05:002013-01-04T08:19:17.789-05:00Anon, this writer has probably written 100 other s...Anon, this writer has probably written 100 other slideshows and can't remember he wrote this. It is hilarious that Hamilton got a contract the writer said he wouldn't get. The fact he got the contract from the Angels makes it that much more hilarious...since like you said, they had learned better than to give out huge contracts like they did to Pujols. Bengoodfellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09401971573776672570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-41575362839987743252013-01-03T20:38:36.779-05:002013-01-03T20:38:36.779-05:00I know this post is old as hell, but it's even...I know this post is old as hell, but it's even more hilarious now that Hamilton signed the exact contract that the writer said he wouldn't get. From the Angels who learned better!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-86911079792177971872012-05-28T09:08:30.750-04:002012-05-28T09:08:30.750-04:00I can't watch Skip Bayless. Just watching and ...I can't watch Skip Bayless. Just watching and listening to him talk makes my blood boil. It annoys me b/c people will defend him by saying he is good at trolling his viewers. It's annoying b/c he shouldn't be trolling his viewers and ESPN should do better than hire someone just to piss everyone off. He's an abomination and an embarrassment to journalism everywhere.Bengoodfellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09401971573776672570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-62371772265609925252012-05-26T00:01:08.112-04:002012-05-26T00:01:08.112-04:00Just Youtube Skip Bayless. Then watch and learn.Just Youtube Skip Bayless. Then watch and learn.Justin Zethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11960963276563539839noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-70061936955790292102012-05-25T22:45:07.082-04:002012-05-25T22:45:07.082-04:00Justin, you very well could be right. I did a sear...Justin, you very well could be right. I did a search, but I remember Bill complaining that Mo didn't stay healthy a/f he got the Red Sox and used that as part of his "cursed" reasoning. I don't intend to make things up, and I swear I read this. Of course I can't find it. <br /><br />I am going to be more argumentative from now on. I probably lean towards possibly accepting I am not right about everything a little too much. I need a bigger ego. You made good points and I wasn't hung-up on my being right. I'm going to pick a fight in the Simmons post now.Bengoodfellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09401971573776672570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-18474097907208200402012-05-25T22:41:19.466-04:002012-05-25T22:41:19.466-04:00Justin, I don't mean to end the Internet argum...Justin, I don't mean to end the Internet argument. I don't really tend to argue too much unless I passionately disagree with you on something. In this case, Fielder's contract could end up being the albatross you say it is. I think you brought up some good points a/b overweight players who have aged poorly. Considering I have nothing to base it on and you do, I can except your point. <br /><br />There was some criticism of the Fielder signing w/ V-Mart & Cabrera on the roster and I do feel more passionate about that. I don't quite see the huge issue others have stated they see. V-Mart will have his contract run out before Fielder can't play 1B anymore, so then it just becomes Cabrera/Fielder at DH/1B over the years after that.Bengoodfellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09401971573776672570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-75665670926629763392012-05-24T16:30:08.135-04:002012-05-24T16:30:08.135-04:00Addendum: I think the psychological scarring Simmo...Addendum: I think the psychological scarring Simmons has inflicted on you may have caused you to confuse Mo Vaughn with Nomar Garciaparra.Justin Zethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11960963276563539839noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-76784849664368131882012-05-24T16:29:21.632-04:002012-05-24T16:29:21.632-04:00Did Simmons really whine about Vaughn's injuri...Did Simmons really whine about Vaughn's injuries? That would be weird since other than 1994 he was pretty durable with the Red Sox. It was after he signed the big contract with the Angels that injuries more or less immediately ruined him.<br /><br />By the way, I like the way you respond to arguments that have become somewhat pointless (like our present one) by rewording what the other party has said and saying you more or less agree. The other party is left with no way to credibly continue the argument since nothing was left for him to disagree with without contradicting himself. Stalemate is reached, argument ends.<br /><br />You should teach some kind of seminar for people who post in comment threads and on forums. How To End An Internet Argument 401.Justin Zethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11960963276563539839noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-39868711057396298062012-05-24T14:47:45.589-04:002012-05-24T14:47:45.589-04:00Justin, I always forget about Mo Vaughn. Maybe I&#...Justin, I always forget about Mo Vaughn. Maybe I've blocked out Bill Simmons' whining about Vaughn's injuries. Seems like Fielder's future is as a mediocre DH. It's hard to see that right now though, since he seems healthy. <br /><br />If that is a spectacularly bad contract due to the injury issues your predict, then it is going to be a really, really spectacularly bad contract. He won't be like A-Rod and still be able to play the field. He could very well be done completely while getting paid $25 million per year.Bengoodfellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09401971573776672570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-40268426867597979852012-05-24T13:07:55.040-04:002012-05-24T13:07:55.040-04:00See Vaughn, Mo, who is easily the most comparable ...See Vaughn, Mo, who is easily the most comparable player. He had his last season that was worth half of what Prince Fielder makes at age 30. He was mediocre at 31 and 32, missed his entire age 33 season, came back and was mediocre again at 34, and was finished at 35. His legs gave out on him and he was finished as a star at 30.<br /><br />Or see Cecil Fielder, who was slim compared to his son. He had his last good season at 29, then hung around as a mediocre DH for five years and was finished at 34. He had nagging injuries to his back and legs both.<br /><br />You can't carry that much weight playing professional baseball and not have your back and/or legs give out on you in your early 30s. I may have exaggerated when I predicted he'd be finished at 33, but only by a year or two. The Tigers are very likely going to get two or three star-quality seasons, then three or four mediocre and/or injured seasons, then two or three years of paying $25 million a year to a player whose injuries have forced him to retire. I will go on the record predicting it will turn out to be a spectacularly bad contract for the 2015-2020 Tigers.Justin Zethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11960963276563539839noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-35224828442313308322012-05-24T11:09:56.773-04:002012-05-24T11:09:56.773-04:00You think he'll be out of baseball by that tim...You think he'll be out of baseball by that time? I see the Tigers at least keeping him around to play through his contract. My optimism for him with the Tigers is based on the fact he will still be able to hit the baseball at the age of 33. Of course if that doesn't happen, it wasn't a smart move. <br /><br />I do like the idea of an owner forcing his GM to win now while he is still alive and not care what happens after he dies. Sort of the opposite of a GM who makes moves to save his job and doesn't care how it affects the team after he gets fired. <br /><br />I like the use of the word "daft," but I also doubt an insurance company would be able to insure that contract.Bengoodfellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09401971573776672570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-76468377489523232892012-05-24T09:28:03.450-04:002012-05-24T09:28:03.450-04:00Fielder is going to be out of baseball by the time...Fielder is going to be out of baseball by the time he's 33, tops. Probably 32. When you're as overweight as he is your back and your knees don't last long. Nobody even near his weight has ever had a useful season in the major leagues past age 33. So the Tigers are going to pay him $20 million a year for at least four or five years that he won't be playing at all. Ilitch overruled Dombrowski and signed Fielder to that contract because he wants to win now, while he's still alive, and expects to be dead by the time it turns into a millstone around the franchise's neck.<br /><br />Maybe they found an insurance company daft enough to insure his contract since he's been very durable so far in his career. But I doubt it.Justin Zethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11960963276563539839noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-60944045310327023312012-05-24T08:37:11.463-04:002012-05-24T08:37:11.463-04:00Justin, when the Angels signed Pujols for as much ...Justin, when the Angels signed Pujols for as much and as long as they did I think they signed him for more than just his performance on the field. He also is very helpful in terms of marketing. I'm not sure he'll ever be worth the contract he signed, especially in the later years. I thought the focus on his struggles was a bit overblown. He has been bad, but a guy like Pujols just doesn't stop hitting. He'll be fine. <br /><br />I don't think it is a bad contract for Pujols. I don't hate the Fielder contract too much either. I think the Fielder contract has risk in it, but I didn't see as much of an issue with Cabrera/V-Mart as others may have. Yeah, his performance could very well decline, which brings in the risk. Clearly the Tigers are trying to win now. <br /><br />I think the Cards did the right thing though. There's no doubt in my mind. Pujols was St. Louis baseball, but just as I get why the Angels signed him, I get why the Cards let him go. It frees up more money and the Cards had a pretty good team around him anyway. Especially considering there is no DH in the NL, when he can't be stashed away at DH at times. <br /><br />This has nothing to do with Werth or Bourn. They are different players from Pujols, not to mention Soriano is a better example of a player who got paid and then didn't earn his contract. I think it is ridiculous to believe Pujols' contract will change the way GM's do business. If they were going to change, they would have done so a few years back.Bengoodfellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09401971573776672570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-83672845520839185832012-05-23T16:13:25.870-04:002012-05-23T16:13:25.870-04:00Pujols is like 15 hits away from hitting .300. One...Pujols is like 15 hits away from hitting .300. One hot month gets him back to basically what he hit last year. In all likelihood he will end the year hitting something like .290/.350/.460.<br /><br />I don't know if I'd call Pujols' contract a <i>bad contract</i> in the same way as Prince Fielder's, but if I were a Cardinals fan I'd be very happy they didn't give him that money. His performance isn't going to be worth it.<br /><br />But I have no idea what the hell that's supposed to have to do with Michael Bourn. And what about Jayson Werth? Won't somebody think of Jayson Werth?Justin Zethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11960963276563539839noreply@blogger.com