Pierzynski DFA'd (Rosenthal Rumor)

[nicksaviking]

Red Sox: 1.587 billion in payroll last 10 years

Twins: 845 million in payroll last 10 years.

 

Almost seems like a significant resource advantage should be considered, no? I mean, that extra 700m+ had to be worth at least one win.

 

Agreed, the Red Sox willingness to spend and the Twins unwillingness to do so is another great demerit to hold against the front office. However, bringing it up might derail the thread.

[gunnarthor]

Agreed, the Red Sox willingness to spend and the Twins unwillingness to do so is another great demerit to hold against the front office. However, bringing it up might derail the thread.

Wow, just wow.

[nicksaviking]

:)

[DaveW]

Agreed, the Red Sox willingness to spend and the Twins unwillingness to do so is another great demerit to hold against the front office. However, bringing it up might derail the thread.

 

Yes, because the Red Sox and Twins bring in the exact same amount of revenue each year, and the markets are pretty much the exact same.

[stringer bell]

Here's yahoosports.com report on l'affair AJ. The writer seems to put the blame more on the club than the player, but it looks to me that AJ wasn't a good fit in Boston.

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/red-sox-anonymously-rip-a-j--pierzynski-after-he-s-cut-155121233.html

[drjim]

Seems the Twins aren't the organization that smear players on their way out.

 

(And for the record, accusations against the Twins on this are blown way out of proportion imo).

[TheLeviathan]

Seems the Twins aren't the organization that smear players on their way out.

 

(And for the record, accusations against the Twins on this are blown way out of proportion imo).

 

Well, no one in Boston's organization or associated with the team is saying things publicly. It's sources and sportswriters. That's a bit different than Bert spending a month saying Kevin Slowey likes black licorice and hurting adorable puppies.

 

So seems to me you're trying to make some kind of comparison here that isn't really relevant.

[TheLeviathan]

Wow, just wow.

 

I'm not sure why your scarecrow argument was any better than the one that responded to it. Perhaps your point would be valid if you compared the percentage of revenue spent over the years, but just the raw numbers? That's a lot of context you omitted to generate a scarecrow to an thought-provoking post.

[DaveW]

Well, no one in Boston's organization or associated with the team is saying things publicly. It's sources and sportswriters. That's a bit different than Bert spending a month saying Kevin Slowey likes black licorice and hurting adorable puppies.

 

So seems to me you're trying to make some kind of comparison here that isn't really relevant.

 

Can we please stop bringing up Slowey period? It is apparent that Slowey was never a legit MLB pitcher.

[DaveW]

Well, no one in Boston's organization or associated with the team is saying things publicly. It's sources and sportswriters. That's a bit different than Bert spending a month saying Kevin Slowey likes black licorice and hurting adorable puppies.

 

So seems to me you're trying to make some kind of comparison here that isn't really relevant.

 

Can we please stop bringing up Slowey period? It is apparent that Slowey was never a legit MLB pitcher.

 

Also Bert is an announcer and forms his own opinions, he isn't some PR mouthpiece for the Twins.

 

The Twins have rarely if ever "bashed" players when they leave, with anonymous players/org folks making those comments. I'm pretty sure Bert's "bashing" which is a laughable term, was due to several face to face encounters with Slowey.

[TheLeviathan]

Can we please stop bringing up Slowey period? It is apparent that Slowey was never a legit MLB pitcher.

 

We can do Baker as well or anyone else. Whether the player is legit or not is irrelevant to point I was making.

 

As are any assumptions you want to make. I wasn't even criticizing the Twins, just pointing out that this situation is irrelevant to any in which the Twins have been criticized for in the past.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

In one instance, after a particularly rough outing in which the starting pitcher had been pulled early in the game, Pierzynski could be found staring at his phone while the pitcher gave off the appearance of being an emotional wreck just a few feet away. That incident paved the way for at least one complaint to management from a teammate.

 

Clearly A. J. is not good in the clubhouse. Everyone knows Suzuki, Pinto and Fryer would have spent the rest of the night with their arm around this fragile pitcher, comforting him.

[Guest USAFChief]

Can we please stop bringing up Slowey period? It is apparent that Slowey was never a legit MLB pitcher.Also Bert is an announcer and forms his own opinions, he isn't some PR mouthpiece for the Twins. The Twins have rarely if ever "bashed" players when they leave, with anonymous players/org folks making those comments. I'm pretty sure Bert's "bashing" which is a laughable term, was due to several face to face encounters with Slowey.

Just one man's opinion, but I'm going to have to strongly disagree. I think there's ample reason to believe the FSN crew has often served as a mouthpiece for the organization. Actually, I'm surprised there's much disagreement with that viewpoint.

[DaveW]

Just one man's opinion, but I'm going to have to strongly disagree. I think there's ample reason to believe the FSN crew has often served as a mouthpiece for the organization. Actually, I'm surprised there's much disagreement with that viewpoint.

 

I don't see how they are any more a mouthpiece then any other announcing team , they have a lot more inside info then most because of the whole fact that they spend 200+ days a year on the same exact schedule as the players.

 

There isn't an announcing team in baseball that is just going to rip into a manager/GM/org.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I mean, what was A. J. doing on his smartphone after a game? Probably betting on other baseball games I bet..

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I don't see how they are any more a mouthpiece then any other announcing team , they have a lot more inside info then most because of the whole fact that they spend 200+ days a year on the same exact schedule as the players.

 

There isn't an announcing team in baseball that is just going to rip into a manager/GM/org.

 

I agree with you Dave, but what other announcing team is announcing games of a team coming off three 95-loss seasons and still has the exact same manager/GM combo?

[gunnarthor]

I agree with you Dave, but what other announcing team is announcing games of a team coming off three 95-loss seasons and still has the exact same manager/GM combo?

Not the Twins, that's for sure.

[SweetOne69]

What announcing team is going to bad mouth their boss in public? While Dick & Bert and Gladden & Provus are on FSN and K-TWN respectively, they were hired by and are employed by the Twins.

 

They are not going to publicly state that Gardenhire should be fired.

[Pius Jefferson]

Pick your poison.

 

AJ is an a-hole. No amount of spin from people like Barreiro is going to change that. The Red Sox are the most arrogant and pretentious team in baseball. No amount of ESPN spin is going to change that fact.

[DaveW]

What announcing team is going to bad mouth their boss in public? While Dick & Bert and Gladden & Provus are on FSN and K-TWN respectively, they were hired by and are employed by the Twins.

 

They are not going to publicly state that Gardenhire should be fired.

 

Agreed, it certainly doesn't happen in the "tough" markets like NY, LA, etc. Michael Kay for instance has his own talk show where he is tough on the Yankees, however during the broadcasts you would never hear him rip the org. It makes for bad television and honestly can turn the "casual" fan off. It has always been like this.

 

TV/Radio Broadcasts generally keep things light in general to make it entertaining, the sports shows the next day/radio talk shows are the ones who get all negative and rip on everyone.

 

This isn't some Minnesota brainwashing conspiracy.

[Beezer07]

I've never really bought into the "AJ is a guy you hate when he's on another team but love when he's on your team" narrative. Either a guy is a jerk or he isn't. (And FWIW, I don't think it's the job of a television broadcast team to criticize the team they broadcast. They're supposed to be simply reporting on the events of the game they're broadcasting. If you want to see Twins criticism, just pop over here)

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I agree with you Dave, but what other announcing team is announcing games of a team coming off three 95-loss seasons and still has the exact same manager/GM combo?

 

Not the Twins, that's for sure.

 

2013: Gardenhire/Ryan, 66-96

2012: Gardenhire/Ryan, 66-96

2011: Gardenhire/Smith, 63-99

 

You got me.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

• Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal 6m
  Sources: #RedSox designating Pierzynski for assignment.
  

 

 

Makes the Suzuki signing look better & better.

 

But I'm still an A.J. fan .... sometimes you just have to know when you're done.

 

Good call. Suzuki has been solid.

 

I'm still an A.J. fan too. Yeah he has an edge. He can be rude. He doesn't ride the DL. He plays to win. He was a great fit on Ozzie's team. He has a World Series ring. No one is going to ever make excuses for him, like they do here. If you're a winner, he'll have your back. It would be nice to have players like A.J. again. (and Torii, Radke, etc.)

[Kwak]

Here is a Strib article talking more about the situation. Sounds like his personality was a major factor here, if not the deciding factor.

 

You must have a link to a different article than the one I read. To the SOX, AJ was an outsider, he didn't help them win the Series last year. The SOX stink this year-- AJ's fault? No. Aj's sin? He put his nose in his cell while the game was played (probably poorly played). Oh my, how arrogant. He didn't stand up and sing the fight song of the SOX--Bad AJ! There are in MLB, not highschool, and not yah--rah--rah. Might AJ have mentioned he rejected a two-year contract (at approximately the same annual rate) with the Twins--and that the Twins were closer to the playoffs than the SOX? Probably. Might you have do the same?

BTW, how many have posted that the Twins should trade some 30+ year old (who won't be part of the solution) in order to permit a younger guy (Prospect!) play? I have read many posts advocating just that. So if that tactic is right for the Twins, it seems logical that it would be right for the SOX--even if AJ were the surrogate mascot of the SOX and led the singing of their fight song every game!

[Guest USAFChief]

I don't see how they are any more a mouthpiece then any other announcing team , they have a lot more inside info then most because of the whole fact that they spend 200+ days a year on the same exact schedule as the players.

 

There isn't an announcing team in baseball that is just going to rip into a manager/GM/org.

The original point you made was that the Twins "rarely if ever bashed a player when they leave."

 

I don't think that's true. In fact, I think it's just the opposite...I feel you can often tell when a player has run out of chances with the Twins a couple weeks before they leave. The broadcast crew goes from "say/see/hear no evil" to attack mode overnight. I doubt that's coincidence.

 

Anywhoo...AJ. I bet someone gives him another 25 man spot, and he ends up helping some team into the postseason.

[gunnarthor]

The original point you made was that the Twins "rarely if ever bashed a player when they leave."

 

I don't think that's true. In fact, I think it's just the opposite...I feel you can often tell when a player has run out of chances with the Twins a couple weeks before they leave. The broadcast crew goes from "say/see/hear no evil" to attack mode overnight. I doubt that's coincidence.

 

 

Who?

[DaveW]

Who?

 

Oh boy here we go, down the Kevin Slowey rabbit hole again!

 

The Twins had the AUDACITY! to criticize Slowey when he refused to goto the bullpen.

[big dog]

I've never really bought into the "AJ is a guy you hate when he's on another team but love when he's on your team" narrative. Either a guy is a jerk or he isn't. (And FWIW, I don't think it's the job of a television broadcast team to criticize the team they broadcast. They're supposed to be simply reporting on the events of the game they're broadcasting. If you want to see Twins criticism, just pop over here)

 

The White Sox didn't care for AJ, but they knew he helped them so they put up with it. There was one interview when a Sox pitcher retaliated when someone hit a Sox player, and the player said that it was great to be on a team where pitchers stood up for a teammate (I think it was Konerko being interviewed). The reporter asked why no one got breezed when AJ got hit, and the player kind of smiled and didn't say anything.

[gunnarthor]

I bet AJ ends up coaching somewhere in our minor league system.

[TheLeviathan]

Oh boy here we go, down the Kevin Slowey rabbit hole again!

 

The Twins had the AUDACITY! to criticize Slowey when he refused to goto the bullpen.

 

Yeah, what a jerk for looking out for his career and livelihood. Definitely deserved a public lynching for that.

 

So yeah, let's not go down that rabbit hole and just accept the Twins have some notable people that do go out and do this with players. As do other teams as well, it's just not a relevant comparison in this case because no one from the Red Sox org. is doing it.