Bollinger: Blackburn to Miss Start of Season after Wrist Surgery

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Originally Posted by PseudoSABR

Intent surely matters. It should be clear to everyone, even Nick Blackburn's mother, that these comments are playful and not at all mean-spirited. While everyone wishes him health and happiness in his personal life, a little bit of guff from the peanut gallery is part of the price of being a public figure, a millionaire, and poor baseball player.

This is blunt,but not classless: I can be sad that Nick got hurt, but I can also find solace that he won't be pitching for my favorite baseball team and other, better players can be given a chance to play. That's not shameful. It's honest.

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I think you're right that intent matters. I also think, however, that while some indeed are playful, that it is quite obvious that other comments are absolutely mean-spirited. Some have been deleted from this thread and there are many in other threads on this forum. And while this may be part of the price of being a public figure, that doesn't mean it should be, or that we all have to think that it's cool or even OK.

As for blunt vs. classless, I don't think those descriptions are defined objectively enough to be able to say definitively that one applies and the other does not. Beauty is often in the eye of the beholder, and so is ugliness.

Full disclosure: I am not Nick Blackburn's mother.

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Originally Posted by CDog

Full disclosure: I am Joe Mauer's personal assistant and Twins publicist.

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Fixed it.

To add to Seth and Cdog's sentiment...

It may not matter to some... However... A majority of players probably read the comments posted on this site.

They have access to the internet like the rest of us and most people will gravitate to places that are talking about them. Baseball players are just like us... They breathe air and bleed blood just the same.

If you knew that Nick Blackburn was reading these words... Would it alter what you type. For some... obviously no... But it should be yes.

Each player isn't a collection of stats without human qualities.

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Originally Posted by Riverbrian

To add to Seth and Cdog's sentiment...

It may not matter to some... However... A majority of players probably read the comments posted on this site.

They have access to the internet like the rest of us and most people will gravitate to places that are talking about them. Baseball players are just like us... They breathe air and bleed blood just the same.

If you knew that Nick Blackburn was reading these words... Would it alter what you type. For some... obviously no... But it should be yes.

Each player isn't a collection of stats without human qualities.

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Good thing you only need thick skin for critcism if you play in New York or Boston. Errrr, wait, what?

While I agree that being mean spirited is a bit much, these are professional athletes. Every professional sports teams' fans are going to criticize their players, moreso when their team is in the toilet. Again, I'm not condoning such negative and abusive messages, but you are making it sound like the Twins are the only team in professional sports that this happens with.

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Originally Posted by Riverbrian

A majority of players probably read the comments posted on this site.

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If that's the case, I want to give a shout out to Josh Willingham, Nice season buddy! Let's grab a beer sometime.

I make no secret of my disdain for Blackie but it's reserved for his lack of pitching ability. I'm guessing he knows that, being that we've never actually met and all.

Wow...now I feel terrible...last year in a game thread (in a moment of frustration) I made a disparaging comment about Anthony Swarzak's neck beard. If you're reading this Anthony, I'm truly sorry.

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Originally Posted by edavis0308

Good thing you only need thick skin for critcism if you play in New York or Boston. Errrr, wait, what?

While I agree that being mean spirited is a bit much, these are professional athletes. Every professional sports teams' fans are going to criticize their players, moreso when their team is in the toilet. Again, I'm not condoning such negative and abusive messages, but you are making it sound like the Twins are the only team in professional sports that this happens with.

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Not at all... It isn't just Twins... It isn't just baseball... It isn't just sports... and it isn't just famous people. Internet chat can get quite nasty.

I'm doubtful that very few would say these same words to Nick Blackburn face to face. Anonymity brings out a whole different animal in people.

I see it so much online that I've stopped recogonizing from time to time when it happens. It's so commonplace that I'm becoming numb to it.

Am I counting on Nick Blackburn this year... nope... Do I want to see him do well... Yep.

If he takes the mound for us... I'll be saying to myself... "C'mon Blackie... Keep the ball down and you'll do fine".

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Originally Posted by Riverbrian

I'm doubtful that very few would say these same words to Nick Blackburn face to face. Anonymity brings out a whole different animal in people.

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I yelled a disparaging remark about his pitching from the stands once, he was facing my direction, does that count? http://www.websmileys.com/sm/happy/045.gif

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Originally Posted by twinsnorth49

I yelled a disparaging remark about his pitching from the stands once, he was facing my direction, does that count? http://www.websmileys.com/sm/happy/045.gif

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Yes it does in the anonymity of the stands... It's ok tho... because he probably didn't understand your Canada accent but Morneau was laughing his ass off.

So is he having Remove from Rotation surgery?

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Originally Posted by TwinVike61

Wow...now I feel terrible...last year in a game thread (in a moment of frustration) I made a disparaging comment about Anthony Swarzak's neck beard. If you're reading this Anthony, I'm truly sorry.

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I think you mean Glen Perkins, but that's ok. The fact that you might be confusing the two is almost more insulting.

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Originally Posted by Riverbrian

Not at all... It isn't just Twins... It isn't just baseball... It isn't just sports... and it isn't just famous people. Internet chat can get quite nasty.

I'm doubtful that very few would say these same words to Nick Blackburn face to face. Anonymity brings out a whole different animal in people.

I see it so much online that I've stopped recogonizing from time to time when it happens. It's so commonplace that I'm becoming numb to it.

Am I counting on Nick Blackburn this year... nope... Do I want to see him do well... Yep.

If he takes the mound for us... I'll be saying to myself... "C'mon Blackie... Keep the ball down and you'll do fine".

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So true.

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Originally Posted by Ultima Ratio

Fixed it.

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Damn, I've been debating calling him J.J. Hardy's publicist.....well played. That schtick is old.

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Originally Posted by Willihammer

I think you mean Glen Perkins, but that's ok. The fact that you might be confusing the two is almost more insulting.

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Not that it matters but it was one of the last games of the season and Swarzak came in to relieve Duensing who had an "ugly" outing against the Yanks and only lasted 2 or 3 innings. Swarzak actually pitch pretty well. But it was one of the few games I actually got to watch on mlbTV so I don't know what his "facial-hair" usually looked like but it was not pretty that day.

I think the "internet manners & protocol police" are overreacting. Unless I skipped over some comments I don't see any attacks on Blackburn What I see is a lot people mocking his performance on the field.

What's wrong with that?

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Originally Posted by clutterheart

I think the "internet manners & protocol police" are overreacting. Unless I skipped over some comments I don't see any attacks on Blackburn What I see is a lot people mocking his performance on the field.

What's wrong with that?

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I think it has more to do with trying to rebound the overwhelmingly negative tone around the forum in general.

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Originally Posted by edavis0308

Good thing you only need thick skin for critcism if you play in New York or Boston. Errrr, wait, what?

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You need thick skin to post to this forum. I don't have it - I'm such a softy that when Seth spoke up, I deleted my minor contribution of snark, and I haven't found anything I felt to comment upon in the meantime. I usually get over it.

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Originally Posted by ashburyjohn

You need thick skin to post to this forum. I don't have it - I'm such a softy that when Seth spoke up, I deleted my minor contribution of snark, and I haven't found anything I felt to comment upon in the meantime. I usually get over it.

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ha! The thick skin helps deal with real world criticisms a bit better at least. so there's that eh?

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Originally Posted by TheLeviathan

Damn, I've been debating calling him J.J. Hardy's publicist.....well played. That schtick is old.

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Pot, meet kettle.