C.Rector Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 From: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sport...all/7860711.htm Bottom line: Pudge makes a dash for dollars DAN LE BATARD dlebatard@herald.com Having considered lucrative offers from teams in Siberia, Iraq and Hell, Marlins superhero Pudge Rodriguez opted instead Monday for Detroit, where he can spend the remainder of his career counting his money. Reached exclusively by The Herald at his home Monday, a heartbroken but reasonable Satan said, ``I just couldn't guarantee a catcher his age a four-year contract. I'm evil, dude, not crazy.'' You'll find greed and gluttony in these pages about as often as boxscores. Fans not angered or repulsed by the scent of it are merely numb by now, lobotomized, the dollars not registering in any real-world context. But salary is how athletes keep score between games, so it takes Pudge but a few months to go from lovable face of an underdog team to yet another rented mercenary blowing through South Florida on his way to the next bank. Why live year-round in the beach mansion with your yacht, the kids, that giant statue of yourself and merely many millions when you have a chance to upgrade to the billowing factories in one of America's most depressing cities and yet more millions? Rarely in the history of games has an athlete gone from so high to so low while this overtly reaching down to grab more and more cash. CASHING IN Where is the precedent for what Pudge just did? He didn't merely leave a reigning champion. He left a reigning champion that led the league in feel-good, Florida's joy and enthusiasm making work not only a pleasure but a fountain of youth. The man was kissing teammates to celebrate playoff victories, for the love of Morganna. And Pudge didn't leave this to join merely a bad team or a last-place team or even baseball's worst team; no, he left it to join a national laughingstock that needed a late winning streak to avoid by one loss becoming the worst team in more than a century. So he cashed in, in other words. Chose money over winning, chemistry, pride, relevance, desire, competition and everything else pure and holy in sports. Yes, Pudge knows his finances and spending needs better than we do. Yes, he has a finite amount of time when he can earn like this. And, yes, we never seem to begrudge movie-star salaries the way we do those of athletes. But where is the financial line? The sanity? Pudge has made $60 million the past six years. He made plenty of millions the six years before that, too. How much is enough? Does he need more statues of himself? More yachts? Post-career, the man can make more money signing memorabilia for a couple of hours than a guy tarring roofs will make all year. But he needs more. Pride and ego wouldn't allow Rodriguez to settle for anything less than the $40 million he coveted, so he got it in the most fraudulent way possible -- from one of the most abysmal teams in the history of sports, and with most of the money not even guaranteed. If Rodriguez gets hurt either of the next two years, he isn't going to see half that money. Given the state income tax differences between Michigan and Florida, Rodriguez as an injured Tiger isn't going to make much more than he would have as a healthy or injured Marlin. Well, at least we have the memories, right? They, unlike Rodriguez himself, are priceless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 Rock on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UofIChiSox Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 He didn't merely leave a reigning champion. He left a reigning champion that led the league in feel-good, Florida's joy and enthusiasm making work not only a pleasure but a fountain of youth. The man was kissing teammates to celebrate playoff victories, for the love of Morganna. Obviously Pudgy realizes that without Ozzie Guillen the Marlins won't lead the league in this new statistical category, feel-good. Without that fountain of youth he'll feel like an old man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Critic Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 I love listening to LeBetard on ESPN radio on Sunday mornings. He is one crabby-ass bastard, but doesn't come off as smarmy as Tony Kornheiser. He's got a dry sense of humor. Good stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan4life_2007 Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 They need to come out with a sequel "All about the Benjamins 2"...Cause obviously that's the only thing Pudge cared about. But atleast he didn't end up with the Cubs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baggio202 Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 i cant really blame pudge.. a 4 year 40 million dollar contract for a catcher at his age and his history of injuries ... but in the end its us fans that perpetuate this cycle...when we say , look we have had enough of watching hired guns and rosters turning over at alarming rates , and stop going to games and doing other things with our time then baseball will take a serious look at how it operates.. ultimately the fans have the power to change things.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSteve Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 I love listening to LeBetard on ESPN radio on Sunday mornings. He is one crabby-ass bastard, but doesn't come off as smarmy as Tony Kornheiser. He's got a dry sense of humor. Good stuff. I enjoy when he is on 'SportsCenter's Voices' aswell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greasywheels121 Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 Well, at least we have the memories, right? They, unlike Rodriguez himself, are priceless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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