SAN FRANCISCO — Sorry, but Major League Baseball had to suspend Ryan Dempster for throwing at Alex Rodriguez. Yankee manager Joe Girardi correctly noted that it would have been “open season,’’ on A-Rod if baseball did nothing. The message of a non-response from the league would have been, “Yeah, we hate him, too. Take your shots.’’A spot on column, I'd say.
Certainly many fans would have been just fine with that, but as much as everyone hates A-Rod, it’s not OK for pitchers to have diplomatic immunity when they throw at the Prince of Loathe.
Hitting A-Rod Sunday gave most of you a tickle. It felt good. It was like unleashing a wild elbow in a crowded elevator of Sabermetricians, Jets fans, and folks wearing bicycle shorts. Anybody remember Dave Cowens taking a linebacker run at flopping Houston guard Mike Newlin and then declaring, “Now THAT was a foul!’’? Everybody loves a little frontier justice and nobody likes A-Rod, but gleeful Sox fans should remember that on Sunday night Rodriguez was standing in the same batter’s box where Tony Conigliaro was hit, on the exact same date 46 summers earlier.
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Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Dempster's Mini Vacation
Since it's difficult to write game stories and meet Globe deadlines when the Red Sox play on the West Coast, Shank writes a column on Ryan Dempster's suspension instead.
See how he's now toting the company line like a good little Douche.
ReplyDeleteIt would appear what Joe Sullivan thought was courage was really just bluster and bravado.
Just as we here at DSW always thought.
Mike - I'll admit I actually had to think about this for a little while. Then the accountant in me finally kicked in; follow the money and run the numbers.
ReplyDeleteSince Shank turned 60 last month, why wouldn't he just pull his punches (which he's clearly done since Henry bought that POS paper) and keep cashing paychecks until he's closer to retirement age, at which point a few missed checks won't matter, would it? John Henry looks at this and says - 'Mission accomplished; Shank's not ragging on me at all, so I keep him on board & look like a saint'.
If I was a real dick, I'd check to see if his mortgage was paid off; this would more or less indicate his ability to take the financial hit of leaving the Globe. Of course, this particular dickishness is yet to be determined...
Bob Ryan retired last year, when he was 66. I think Shank makes it to 65 and hangs it up at the Globe, unless Henry does something with the Globe beforehand and renders that moot.
Without divulging any significant information or links (which I will not post), Shank still has a mortgage. If his refi's were of the standard 30-year variety, it's paid off in five years.
ReplyDeleteI'll say this - he bought his house with fantastic foresight, based on the Zillow estimates...