max power

I don't know what to say. Brian has only had like a dozen at bats. Its not fair to say he shouldn't play.

That article about thome in tropicana was spot on. MVP of the series no doubt.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 20, 2008 -> 01:47 PM) If Jenks gets lit up the next appearance, will you be talking about how far below his belt his gut appears to be hanging? Jenks isn't a middle infielder and he doesn't run the base paths. Also, Jenks is far more productive. Juan tends to bring criticism on himself with his play.

I don't think he is that fat. He is fatter than he used to be and therefore too fat. You'd think he'd take his athleticism more seriously since that is a huge part of his career.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 20, 2008 -> 01:41 PM) I bet 95% of the people who constantly have the Uribe weight comments have bigger waistlines than him. They are also not paid professional athletes.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 20, 2008 -> 01:39 PM) I can't really understand him too much when he talks. Lot of Spanish. There usually is about 8 people the few times I've been out. But he will laugh at anything you say. So he is a jolly fat man.

What is the score?

Even when he is hot his OBP isn't.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 20, 2008 -> 11:09 AM) Stairs, at this time, appears to be the better option, at least temporarily, which, if Frank kept his mouth shut and acted like a member of a team, probably would have eventually realized. Frankly, no pun intended, I wouldn't want to be on the hook for $10 million next year, especially if he has nothing left, which is always a possibility at this stage. At the very least, he's probably not a $10 million player performance-wise in 2009, but now he can make his own deal. That all makes perfect sense from the blue jays prospective. What I don't understand is why you fault frank so much for being pissed off about it and doing something about it-forcing the blue jays to make a move.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 20, 2008 -> 11:03 AM) Did you read some of the earlier posts in this thread? I realize that some people think he might have been screwed. He quoted me though, I am trying to make the point that I don't.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 20, 2008 -> 11:05 AM) Frank didn't want to be there anymore, so the Blue Jays are going to pay him their contractual obligations and let him either go home and relax or find a team he would rather play for. They will have paid him $18.2 million. Not bad. I don't see how that has anything to do with what I posted but I agree.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Apr 20, 2008 -> 11:03 AM) I respect your opinions in this forum. You are well informed and always make sense. I don't think Blue Jay mgmt. would want to see an $8 million dollar investment leave after 3 weeks of a season. You make it seem as though they huddled up and said let's piss off Frank by telling him he's benched "indefinitely", which could be anywhere from a day to the whole year , and then release him and blow $8 mill. this year but save $10 mill. on next year. I don't buy into any conspiracy theory. How could they even give an $8 mill. contract to someone and just expect 304 plate appearances ? That's a lot to pay for a base clogging part time DH. With all that you said you have to consider the alternative. Do you think frank just flipped out and went crazy thinking that he was going to be benched, not because they told him he would be, but because he thought that up on his own? That seems so illogical to me, I am forced to think it didn't happen.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 20, 2008 -> 10:59 AM) Maybe we can take up a collection for the Big Whiner here's his contract details, basically the Blue Jays are paying him $18.2 million for 1 season and 60 ABs and people think he's being screwed: Thomas gets a $9.12 million signing bonus that is payable in January, a $1 million salary next year and $8 million in 2008. The deal includes a $10 million vesting option for 2009 that would become guaranteed if Thomas has 1,000 plate appearances in the next two seasons or 525 plate appearances in 2008. Who thinks he is getting screwed? Why do you keep saying that? I think the blue jays are screwing themselves, both with frank, and in the future by damaging their image to potential free agents.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 20, 2008 -> 10:58 AM) Addition by subtraction....sometimes it's better to get rid of that negative attitude in the clubhouse. They also have some stud offensive players in the minors, so I wonder if they'll call up Snider. No doubt at that point. I guess my whole point is that they should have never come to that position. They shouldn't have signed a contract like that if they weren't going to give the player an opportunity to fulfill it. 60 at bats and he is suddenly not worth what they signed him for? After being their best hitter or second best hitter last year?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 20, 2008 -> 10:52 AM) What is indefinite? It could be 2 games, it might be 20. I seriously doubt he was just going to take up a roster spot and get paid $8 million to occassionally pinch hit. I know. It makes so much more sense to pay him not to play on their team. Who are they going to use that roster spot on that is better than frank?

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 20, 2008 -> 10:48 AM) They might have the best DH in the American League already. Its pretty sad that a young player like that can't even play first base.

QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Apr 20, 2008 -> 10:46 AM) Because he complained about being benched despite batting .167. Immediately. Then said it was about money. So this isn't about money at all? Please.

QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Apr 20, 2008 -> 10:41 AM) I said you cant say that with certainty. Why? Because the season was 16 games old. Anything could have happened, Stairs could get injured tomorrow and they could have plugged Thomas right back in and he would be pissed and motivated, and possibly hit his stride. No, there is no way any of could know that now. Its over. Implied, sure. I didnt make anything up. You imply plenty yourself LOL, so should frank wait around and hope matt stairs gets injured so he can have an opportunity, which he already fully deserves, to vest his option by performance? Yeah, what I imply is based on what parties involved said about the situation. Blue jays management only said they mutually decided on a release. You just dismissed what frank said about no longer being a part of the lineup because . . . ????

QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Apr 20, 2008 -> 10:36 AM) what did i make up? That there is no way he was going to be benched indefinitely and not reach his option. Obviously its a possibility. You implied a lot with that post.

QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Apr 20, 2008 -> 10:33 AM) yes, a player complaining about money should always be taken at their word. whatever No one said that. Right now its the only information out there. Since you don't have anything else, its pretty stupid to just make stuff up. Also you totally ignored my point about logical sense which gives him more credibility.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Apr 20, 2008 -> 10:29 AM) Maybe I'm missing something. 320 AB's or less he gets $8 mill. 320+ AB's he gets $10 mill. What is there to cry about ? You are. 320 at bats and he gets 18 million. 8 this year, 10 next year.

QUOTE (scenario @ Apr 20, 2008 -> 10:28 AM) Yes you ARE apologizing for him. You're making it look like the big bad Blue Jays did this to him and he had no part in this bad ending. Beeeeep. Frank screwed himself by being a selfish non-team player who ran his mouth in the media. Then he walked away rather than congratulating his team mates after a win. Any body who runs a business and has an employee like that realizes that it's a potential cancer situation - so you find ways to cut and run. If Frank hadn't run his mouth, and acted like a baby, he'd still be on the team. He would have had more chances to hit. And if he started hitting, they would have played him often enough to get the option. No. You think I am doing that because you have some preconcieved notions about me. I only said that the blue jays are idiots, not that they are "big bad" whatever. Don't you understand that he doesn't WANT to be on that team? I do. So why in the world would I think the blue jays are bad?

QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Apr 20, 2008 -> 10:27 AM) The guy was benched for 2 games out of 16. 2 games. There is no way you can say with any degree of certainty that Frank was going to get his hot and start smoking the ball and get his at bats, and you also cant say that he was going to stay benched "indefinitely" and watch the option pass him by. This entire situation was escalated by Thomas bringing it to the media and acting like a baby, and now he is being paid to stay away from the Jays. Frank said he was told he wasn't going to be a part of the lineup. Do you have any information that says otherwise? I don't some I am inclined to believe him. I highly doubt he would freak out for no reason at all and start saying that. It doesn't make logical sense.

QUOTE (AWhiteSoxinNJ @ Apr 20, 2008 -> 10:24 AM) He can spell Thome here on days off. I wish. Would be nice to have him against lefties.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 20, 2008 -> 10:20 AM) So they would have just sat him the rest of the season? He was still going to play, just not everyday. If he started to get hot, he would have played. There isn't 1 MLB team that would take his contract. Nobody want to be on the hook for $10 million with him next year. His only hope of having that option kick in was with Toronto, but as KW has so perfectly described him, the man is an idiot. Maybe he's a nice guy, he certainly was a HOF hitter, but he is dense. His best option would have been keeping his mouth shut and working hard waiting for his next opportunity. Toronto is trying to win. If Frank were to get hot he would have stayed in their line-up. Now some team will give him the minimum and he'll have nothing for next year. I imagine they would have got him as close to the three hundred and twenty some more at bats as they could with out going over. Frank still thinks he is an everyday player. His last few years prove he is right until he has at least a prolonged slump of a few hundred at bats. They shouldn't have inked him to that contract in the first place if they weren't going to give him more than 60 at bats in his second year, after a good 1st year. How is this going to look when they try to sign vets in the future?