Question: Which general manager can take a young, competitive team, trade its two most likeable, affordable young stars for unproven prospects, and come out smelling like a genius?
The answer is certainly not Brian Sabean. But Sabes's mirror image, Billy Beane, has the media and blogosphere's noses so far up his ass, I mean, tushie... I should stop the metaphor right there. It’s going on the Internet. One day La Malita Monkeypants might read this, and I don’t want her to think her father is a potty-mouthed crank.
Scatology aside, imagine Sabean had pulled the same moves. The howling masses would not realize "intellectually why it was a good thing" or cite Beane's infinite wisdom ("Being a .500 team is death," or something like that -- I can't find his exact quote).
Even slavishly loyal Beanophiles (see above link) admit that no one short of a few hundred cretins with green-and-gold tattoos plus a smattering retirees with nothing else to do will go see the A's next year. I understand rebuilding. I encourage rebuilding. The Giants should rebuild, and they are, though not quite as demonstratively as I want. But the 2007 A's were not saddled with old, indifferent, untalented veterans and a hodgepodge of middling prospects. They had injury problems. And the guys Beane traded were not the injury problems.
And now, just to throw another intemperate punch at Athletics Nation, they think Beane will sign Barry Bonds? Two words, dudes: Um, like, right. Peep this:
So why not sign Bonds? Not because you're "going for it" in 2008, but because it makes a lot of business sense. People love drama and intrigue and he will provide plenty of it. And I think someone else brought this up in Rubin Sierra's diary, but Bonds could also be flipped to a team needing a big bat at the deadline for more of those prized prospects.
"Drama and intrigue"? What, as in, Will he play today or decide to sit in the clubhouse and talk on his three cell phones? Or, oh my God, I just saw him hit home run #768? Or, What color suit did he wear to court? And I love this: he “could be flipped to a team at the deadline.” Sorry to get all Perricone on your a--, er, tushie, but WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU INJECTING OVER THERE IN ATHLETICS NATION, AND IS IT STILL AVAILABLE NOW THAT GREG ANDERSON IS IN THE CLINK?
The point is not to spray my spittle
on Beane or his acolytes but to remind us all that a public figure’s image is
often all or nothing. Idiot or savant. On the rocks or on the rebound. One day
you’re the doormat of Iowa, the next you’re the
honored guest of New
Hampshire.
There’s no subtlety, no moderation. It’s all a bit sickening to watch, really, this constant craving for snapshots
without context.
Enough world-weariness. Answer me this: which team would you rather watch next year, the Giants or the A's? And why?
