Comments on: Bill Bavasi, Awesome Talker

By: scott19

scott19 — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 08:55:36 +0000

75: Love that LeBatard assertion that the M’s are “irrelevant” — isn’t that EXACTLY what his precious corporate-welfare-poster-child Marlins have been in, like, EVERY year besides the two in which they connived their way to the WS?

Gee, I guess it must get a little boring if you’re a sports writer in that town during hurricane season when you’re sitting around waiting for the ‘Canes and Dolphins to start playing!

By: Scotts

Scotts — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 08:03:46 +0000

I have found Le Batard to be intermittently useful in the past, but this column surprises me for a couple of reasons, largely pointed out above. But there were two things that stuck out more than the rest:

A-Rod and Andre Dawson won MVPs in last place. You need a team full of guys like that to be top-of-the-standings relevant, which is something the Mariners haven’t been for a long time.

The M’s have the fifth best record in the majors, better than any NL team. Is Le Batard not aware of this?

The 2003 Marlins payroll of $54 million doesn’t even buy you Royals pitcher Gil Meche today.

Meche’s contract is not $55MM per year. This is a *really* annoying strawman; if anyone has the chance to call out people who use it, consider yourself implored.

By: Slippery Elmer

Slippery Elmer — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 06:03:22 +0000

LOL @ LeBatard becoming “The Bastard.” Elmer thinks “Palmeiro” is the term’s equivalent en EspaÃ±ol.

By: bram

bram — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 22:32:46 +0000

Wow, lucky for Dan LeBatard the Miami Herald still insulates its writers from reader comments on its site. Should his employer get with the program and decide to join today’s digital conversation, perhaps he and the GM and owner he so transparently apologizes for, would be held accountable for their words.

For a beat writer of a team that’s won the World Series twice in the last ten years to back up that GM’s team in criticizing a team, a city and a culture they clearly know little or nothing about isn’t just lazy, access-addicted journalism – as a reader it actually embarrasses me. Mr. “The Bastard,” an ESPN-franchisee, has been working long enough to know that Seattle is the very poster child for market conditions, or the perception thereof by athletes and their agents, precipitating the departure of stars. BEFORE championships are won.

It’s always expensive to keep a champion together – it’s when agents and players have a lot of leverage. The Marlins are unique only in that they have been stingy and short-sighted enough to eviscerate a WS winner TWICE. As the saying goes – shame on them.

Now that we finally were able to keep a star in town, it’s not our fault a notoriously venal and greedy owner and his propaganda-spewing GM have their panties in a bunch. They should try making honest money on software and video games instead of pissing and moaning about the price of talent.

BTW, cf. Dave’s earlier post, Monsieur The Bastard is wrong about the Math, too.

Next time Monsieur The Bastard decides to swallow his ankle, he might try picking on someone as lazy and stupid he is.

Just, wow.

By: AD_ROY84

AD_ROY84 — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 21:19:05 +0000

I believe Loria also made a pretty penny by selling the Expos to MLB when he bought the Marlins. He pulled the same crap in Montreal crying about a small market while comparable teams (Toronto) continued to sign Free Agents and put a competitive (if not always title winning) team on the field. He ruined baseball there and will ruin it in Florida as well. If Portland really wants a team so bad they should think twice before taking in the Marlins with Loria at the helm.

By: joser

joser — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 19:28:27 +0000

Loria wants Miami/Dade County/the State of Florida/the Tooth Fairy to build him a stadium and give him all the proceeds. He’s going to scream poverty until that happens. Giardi undermined that position by demonstrating you can win (and turn a profit) in spite of a low payroll, and got fired as a reward. Loria is pocketing the luxury tax payouts, and he should be happy with that (even if that’s not what they’re supposed to be used for) but there’s still public money he wants to get his hands on. The Marlins’ payroll this year (~$30M) may be double what it was last year, but it’s half what it was in ’05 and far lower than the ~$45M it was in ’04, ’03 (when they won the WS), or ’02. Their complaints would seem a little more credible if they at least looked like they were trying to keep up (but, that would take those luxury tax profits out of Loria’s pockets).

Loria bought the Marlins in 2002 for $158M.
Forbes magazine in April 2007 valued the club at $244M.

Boo fricking hoo.

By: msb

msb — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 18:35:00 +0000

Dan LeBatard (who was the one interviewing Samson the other day, making um-hmm noises while Samson vented) has a Herald column today backing Samson, primarily because of the Marlin's poor cousin position in baseball.

By: bookbook

bookbook — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 15:58:05 +0000

Yeah. I’m pretty sure we don’t want to get too high and mighty on the nepotism angle.

By: planB

planB — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 08:32:19 +0000

Okay, that was extremely funny, but it was nothing like a Yogiism.

By: geofftoons

geofftoons — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 04:50:56 +0000

I literally sprayed my coffee this morning when I read Bavasi’s quote in the TNT! Looks like Bavasi has Ichiro’s back too.

I have to say, next to a Yogi Berra quote, Bavasi’s is the best I’ve ever read! Good Job Bill!