It's sort of like how Yankee fans felt immediately after Johnny Damon turned in his Sox for pinstripes and a haircut. It was hard to swallow. Acceptance of a stranger from the wrong side of the street joining the family would take some time. You need to get over your resentment and swallow your pride before you get to know the guy. And so it is with the new member of our family who just signed his lease agreement to move in. His name is Jason Schmidt. I'm not about to welcome him with open arms just yet. We're gonna keep an eye on him, make sure he's not going to be a slob, eat all our food, drink all our beer and hit on our girlfriends and wives.
So Mr. Schmidt, I hope you like your new home. Weather is nice and warm, sky is always BLUE. We have a nice organ in the living room. But before you get comfy and start walking all over our lawn, remember that $47 million for three years means we expect great things from you, like the good work you did in 2003 and 2004 for those people we don't like very much. Oh, and take out the trash on your way out. And light a match after flushing, will ya?!
2 comments:
I know the feeling all too well Marcel, especially when I think back to when Dusty Baker first put on a Giants uniform in 1984, along with the free agent dalliance the Giants had with Steve Garvey at the same time.
The good about Schmidt: First and foremost, a brother in Christ - this guy's got an incredible heart for the Lord. I will always love him as a brother in Christ. On the mound, when his stuff is "on" - all he needs is his fastball (mixing speeds between 90 to 95 mph and changing location) and his changeup. The curve doesn't even come into play until late in the game.
The bad: LA signed him for a deal that's 2 years too long and $28 million too much. His durability is suspect, given that he spent time on the DL in each of his years here (except 2001, when he first came over from the Pirates in what is still one of the best trades Sabean has made). You'll get some dominant starts - but you're also going to get follow up starts in which you're going to be gnashing teeth as he struggles to get to the 6th.
Add in that your new trainer, Stan Conte, oversaw Schmidt these past 4.5 years, and I can pretty much guarantee Schmidt missing at least 4 or 5 starts each of the next three years...if he even makes it out of spring training healthy (2006 was the first year in 4 years that he did that).
This contract signing is almost as bad as the Juan Pierre and Gary Matthews Jr deals.
Jason who? I don't recognize the name any more. ;)
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