People have to be stars to be signed by a major league team. At least a high school star, somewhere.
They get paid a good amount of money while very young. Girls follow the team buses around, and they make baseball cards with your name and picture on them for kids to purchase.
As we all know, if you make it to the major leagues, you have a chance at great death and fame. Brian MCCann gets $85 million for 5 years, guaranteed. Whether he plays or not. Whether he performs well or not. And we know that he has already logged millions form the Braves. And he is a mod-level starter. The Derek Jeters of the world get multiples of McCann's fame and fortune.
There is a catch, however. A requirement of sorts. Each season, from low "A" ball up to AAA, the competition stiffens. Exponentially. And, if a player is going to make it up through those ranks, he has to perform at every level.
Few get the chance to debut in the major leagues but, when they do, they must perform. Immediately and consistently. Or their who at fane and fortune will likely be withdrawn, and they will be on the bus back to AAA. Not a bad life for a young person. They still make $300,000- $400,000 on average for playing ball, girls still chase them, and the dream lives on for a while.
Let me say it again; When you get your chance you have to deliver.
A few Yankees who recently were given this shot:
1. Almonte - got almost no playing time and few at bats. But he struck out, hit into double plays, and popped up every time. He blew it. I know it is unfair, but he has to "wow" everyone with his abilities to hit and field, if he is going to be a player. He did not flash. And is on the bus.
2. Ramirez - the new pitcher from Scranton debuted last night and, aside form the hat angle designed to "set him apart as a stud," he gave up a home run, a near home run, a double, a walk and the lead, in two innings of work. Pitchers always get a free ride when there is no one else. But this was not an awe-inspiring start.
3. LeBlanc - a piece of detritus who should be on some bus, going away, very soon. Were he not a lefty, he would have been roofing homes a long time ago. Pure crap from the scrap heap.
4. Preston Claiborne - on the bus. He was given a lot of chances. and was, largely, mediocre. When he had to come through, get the big out to keep us in the game, he gave up home runs instead.
5. John Ryan Murphy - Has the league already caught up to him? Last night he was far worse than even Soriano. He wss always batting from 0-2 counts, and pretty much strikes out. He was ferocious at the plate when he first arrived, and we all got excited. Last night, he had a shot to show himself worthy of being our starting catcher. A door opened to that fame and fortune. He developed "doe eyes" and failed miserably.
The door will shut if he performs like that again. And his chances from here forward, dwindle significantly.
In this game, potential stars perform when they get the chance. And they do it with regularity. None of the above performed when they had their shot.
It may not come again.
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10 comments:
Okay. Next time I'll proof-read. I was hungry.
Wealth not death. Fame and fortune . that kind of thing. No woo inags.
Don't apologize. I liked "great death and fame." The best writers are hungry.
Aren't you being too hard on Murphy? Everybody's entitled to a bad night. Even The Master.
I am way too emotionally invested in JRM than is good for me. Please don't pop my bubble just yet. I have to cling to something, you know.
Please, please, please (bitte sehr!) don't be so fast to dismiss John Ryan Murphy! He just turned 23, for chrissake - give him a chance! He's by far the most promising young Yankee I've seen in many years (and that goes back to my NYC days in the 1990s). Think of what he could do with just one or two more years on the regular roster, and STOP judging him (and all other rookies) from just one or two games. If the Yankees are to have a viable future, Murphy is at the forefront.
I just hope that the dreaded Cashman et cie don't deal him away.
Thank goodness Alphonso wasn't in charge when Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, and Bernie Williams--to name but a few--first came up. They would never have made it past the first month.
You can't bitch about the Steinbrenners' allergy to young talent and then replicate their irrational impatience with kids making their debut.
I guess even the loyal opposition among Yankee fans has no immunity to the Steinbrenner virus.
I both agree totally and disagree completely with Alphonso. You have to step up when this rotten organization gives you the chance. But if you don't you shouldn't be abandoned immediately.
This is my new approach as a balanced font of wisdom. I am, however, only on my second drink.
I'm a HUGE fan of JRM, and I agree with Austria's OBF and KD that he's got a bright future in the organization if he's given a chance to mature.
It's the retreads that are the nightmare scenario, a tired model that mythically puts fannies in the seats ( NOT) and sells merchandise like so many tee shirts @ a Styx/Foreigner/Foghat reunion tour. The Yankees have become the dumping ground for every other team's former Allstars, we're the sucker who believes nostalgia trumps reality.
Thanks, Mustang. Good to hear from you.
As to Murphy….he will be given another shot. Not likely in back to back games where you can be so good, Girardi makes it , " back to back to back " games. Ands so it can go. Lou Gherig did it.
But Murphy did, through a harmless and ineffective offensive night, cement himself into the back-up role, barring injury.
We fans believe Murphy should be starting. But the Yankee brass does not want that at all. They are more interested in " saving face" than in winning.
Another multi-year, big dollar contract for a worn out talent on the decline, is what they do not wish to face. So the beat goes on. "McCann will get his hitting eye back; he'll break-out when he starts to see some of these AL pitchers for a second time"; etc )
This management approach is at the core of why the Yankees are facing a long-term problem. They have become, under Cashman, a worn out, talent-thin organization who think they can remain competitive ( until a miracle strikes ) by buying old guys with resumes.
Alphonso, you may want to amend that to read,"...old guys with highly-redacted resumes."
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