Baseball Season 2006

[SharksFan22]

So he is just supposed to be the organizations puppet and do whatever they say?

Yes he is. Soriano thinks he's bigger than the team and that's just plain wrong. He should be thankful that he has the opportunity to PLAY (not WORK) baseball and make $10 million dollars per year. Where else would he be able to make even a fraction of that?? It's player attitudes like this that just drive me crazy.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Yes he is. Soriano thinks he's bigger than the team and that's just plain wrong. He should be thankful that he has the opportunity to PLAY (not WORK) baseball and make $10 million dollars per year. Where else would he be able to make even a fraction of that?? It's player attitudes like this that just drive me crazy.

Yes, exactly. Ungrateful prima donna players like Soriano give the game a bad name.

 

[Koodauw]

Basically yes.

If you must put it that way, then yes.

Yes he is

So the argument is that because he makes so much money, he should ask how hgh when asked to jump. I'm sure all of you could be considered to make a lot of money in the eyes of someone else, thus do you all do whatever it is that the man upstairs says? If he tells you your cleaning the toilets from now on, you're ok with that?

 

[prostuff1]

So the argument is that because he makes so much money, he should ask how hgh when asked to jump. I'm sure all of you could be considered to make a lot of money in the eyes of someone else, thus do you all do whatever it is that the man upstairs says? If he tells you your cleaning the toilets from now on, you're ok with that?

Seeing as i am a college student and dont work right now i can't answer the question for the present time. I can say that when i was working i did whatever was asked of me, no matter the pay. And if someone wanted to pay me 10 million a year to clean toilets i would be more then happy to take the job!!

 

[IJ Reilly]

So the argument is that because he makes so much money, he should ask how hgh when asked to jump. I'm sure all of you could be considered to make a lot of money in the eyes of someone else, thus do you all do whatever it is that the man upstairs says? If he tells you your cleaning the toilets from now on, you're ok with that?

Yup, that's just about it as far as I'm concerned. He signed a contract to play baseball, a contract he may well have breached. You'd think he was being asked to do something illegal, or demeaning even.

As has already been mentioned, players are routinely asked to learn new positions for the good of the team. They get moved in the batting order. They get benched when they believe they ought to be playing. Very few pout about any of this, and fewer still refuse to play.

 

[cycocelica]

Not every player has this attitude. Some are smart enough to go where the money takes them, and confident enough in their abilities to believe they can succeed. The Dodgers are in the process of refitting one career shortstop to play the outfield, and another career shortstop to play first base. Neither player has any complaints about being moved to new positions.

That is true. But still does not mean teams can just think they can get any great player and put him anywhere. If the accept it great, if not, then why even bother picking him up. Just get rid of him if he doesnt want to play where you want him to. For the Nats to just take someone and say, "hey sorry you have to play outfield now, which is nothing like second base. Learn it in the next month or have no playing time."

I am all for players trying out new positions. But you shouldn't force them too.

 

[MacNut]

The Nats should of seen this coming, They knew Soriano wasn't going to play in the outfield long before they signed him so now they are stuck with him, its there own fault for not doing their homework and now they owe him $10 million to sit on the bench all season.

 

[iPhil]

That is true. But still does not mean teams can just think they can get any great player and put him anywhere. If the accept it great, if not, then why even bother picking him up. Just get rid of him if he doesnt want to play where you want him to. For the Nats to just take someone and say, "hey sorry you have to play outfield now, which is nothing like second base. Learn it in the next month or have no playing time."

I am all for players trying out new positions. But you shouldn't force them too.

If the player 'suxs' @ one position then the team has a right to move the player into a different position to see if he excels in the *new* role or he's bagged by the team even he "is" a superstar ..

 

[MacNut]

If the player 'suxs' @ one position then the team has a right to move the player into a different position to see if he excels in the *new* role or he's bagged by the team even he "is" a superstar ..

The bigger issue is that Soriano does not want to play in Washington and he's trying to force the Nats to trade him, He is gambling on the Nationals getting rid of him and not just sitting him for the year.

 

[Koodauw]

Minor detail

The nationals didnt sign him, they traded for him.

 

[MacNut]

The nationals didnt sign him, they traded for him.

yes but they must of had ideas of playing him in the outfield knowing he didn't want to.

 

[iPhil]

The bigger issue is that Soriano does not want to play in Washington and he's trying to force the Nats to trade him, He is gambling on the Nationals getting rid of him and not just sitting him for the year.

what i meant was even he wanted to be there wit/Nats. they should ask him to change positions or get bagged for the rest of the contract or he wises up..


I hate editing my post for my different thoughts ... my mind goes on 1 track then after i hit sumbit then i think of more detailed thought from my previous post

 

[MacNut]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2377395

VIERA, Fla. -- Alfonso Soriano refused to play the outfield for the Washington Nationals in what was supposed to be his spring training debut Monday night, and general manager Jim Bowden said his biggest offseason acquisition will go on the disqualified list if he doesn't agree to switch positions this week.

Soriano, a four-time All-Star second baseman, was listed as batting leadoff and playing left field on a lineup sheet posted in the Nationals' clubhouse before Monday night's 11-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

But when the Nationals took the field in the top of the first, Soriano wasn't out there. With play just about ready to start, left field was empty.

Confused players and fans looked toward Washington's dugout. The only person to emerge, however, was manager Frank Robinson.

He approached plate umpire Mike Estabrook and made a defensive switch, moving Ryan Church from center field to left and putting Brandon Watson in center to replace Soriano at the top of the lineup.

"I was sitting out there ready to warm up, but nobody was out there, and the next thing I see Watty running out there, so I kind of figured what happened," Church said.

The Nationals already have an All-Star second baseman in Jose Vidro, so they told Soriano they want him to move to the outfield, and he indicated he doesn't want to do that. But Monday provided his most concrete -- and visible -- objection.

 

[cycocelica]

If the player 'suxs' @ one position then the team has a right to move the player into a different position to see if he excels in the *new* role or he's bagged by the team even he "is" a superstar ..

Soriano didn't suck at 2nd though.

 

[MacNut]

The Nationals already have an All-Star second baseman in Jose Vidro, so they told Soriano they want him to move to the outfield, and he indicated he doesn't want to do that. But Monday provided his most concrete -- and visible -- objection.

Thats what I don't understand is why did they trade for him if they didn't need him.

 

[Sayhey]

Sounds to me like Soriano is in a major deep mess with his contract.

The Nationals are off Tuesday, then travel to play the St. Louis Cardinals in Jupiter on Wednesday. If Soriano refuses to play in that game and again at home against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, the Nationals will take action.

"We told him if we get to Thursday, and he refuses to play left field, we told him at that point we will request that the commissioner's office place him on the disqualified list, at that time -- no pay, no service time," Bowden said.

"If he refuses to play and goes home, and the commissioner's office accepts our request to place him on the disqualified list, then at that point, if he were to sit out this year, he would not be a free agent, he would stay our property because his service time would stay the same."

ESPN

He can hope the Nats get fed up with his act enough to trade him, but otherwise he's just stuck. No money, no prospect of playing elsewhere until he sorts out his problem with Washington. I'm not sure what is going through his mind to make such a stand about playing second base. No one expects him to win a gold glove in the outfield (or any where else for that matter.) I guess retirement is an option.

For Washington, I can't believe this helps his trade value. Who wants a guy who will refuse to take the field? I guess the Mets might take him but in exchange for who? The Mets would have to move Matsui and do the Nats really want to take on Matsui's contract when they have Vidro (a much better second baseman and hitter)? Sounds like they would need a third team involved to make it happen. Right now I don't see them getting anyone close to the value Soriano should command in a trade. If they don't have to pay him or lose his rights, it just might make sense to put him on the DQ and wait to see him he will wake up to reality and play.

 

[MacNut]

The Mets would just drop Matsui as he is not any good and would pay off his 1 year and sign Soriano.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Thats what I don't understand is why did they trade for him if they didn't need him.

It doesn't look good for the Nationals' front office, that's for certain. Everybody involved in this Soriano business ends up looking like a big dope.

 

[thedude110]

I'd do it, but I don't know much about the new infielders for the Sox (well, I know about Youk at 3rd, and a smidgen about A-Gonz, but that's it,) and I think Bill Mueller is awesome (generally speaking), because of his attitude, and his ability to get clutch hits off of Mariano Rivera. (Of course, hitting two grand slams from opposite sides of the plate in one game doesn't hurt either)

Youklis will be at first -- and he'll be on base and slow. All the time.

Loretta is a good bat at second, but only when healthy. He's got quite a history of injury riddled seasons.

Gonzalez is supposedly a defensive superstar at short and has a bit of pop with the bat (10-15 hr, maybe). He's twice almost driven in 80 runs in his career -- but with a career average of *shudder* .245.

Lowell is done at third. Great glove, but everyone is saying that his bat looks slow this spring. Conjecture in Boston is that the sox dealt Arroyo for Willy Mo Pena so that Youklis could move back to third and Pena could play first. That's how much doubt there is around Lowell ...

 

[MacNut]

So, Soriano has agreed to play in the outfield tonight for the Nats. Big Yankees Red Sox game tonight. Well maybe not big but the first time the Sox see Damon in pinstripes.

 

[zach]

yep.. i think when this all comes out in the wash, this will end up being a great trade for the Nats. Soriano playing in the outfield gives you all the benefit of his blazing speed and 35-40 dingers, without the 1000 errors to go with it. although who knows, he could be a chuck knoblauch-like adventure out in the outfield...

i think Wily Mo Pena was a GREAT trade for the Sox. I'm a Cardinals fan myself, but he's got the potential to to be the next Konerko or Cliff Floyd. Of course, he's had that potential for 7 years and still hasn't really realized it.

 

[cycocelica]

So, Soriano has agreed to play in the outfield tonight for the Nats. Big Yankees Red Sox game tonight. Well maybe not big but the first time the Sox see Damon in pinstripes.

Well if thats what Soriano wanted to do, then good for him. As for the Yankee vs. BoSox, I hope it is on TV. Hopefully Johnny jacks one on them.

 

[Josh396]

Soriano didn't suck at 2nd though.

His offensive statistics may not have sucked for a second baseman but his fielding percentage was horrible compared to others at the same position. I don't blame the nationals for wanting to move him to the outfield but I recall the rangers wanting to move him to the outfield last year and he refused then. They should have saw this coming. However, I hope they stand by their word and put him on the disqualified list for the entire year. He should be willing to help the team win.

 

[IJ Reilly]

although who knows, he could be a chuck knoblauch-like adventure out in the outfield...

I was thinking Jose Canseco.

 

[MacNut]

New book claiming Sheffield using roids now. surprise surprise