Four and Twenty

Knowing a bit about the relationship he has with the Cardinals scout that discovered him, I get the impression Albert does not feel he owes any man or team a thing. The Cardinals were the beneficiaries of one of the most team-friendly contracts ever, getting well over $100MM extra in value over the course of his current contract. Albert knows this well and has every right to demand he gets his due. He owes the Cardinals nothing and the Cardinals owe him everything. I'm sure Albert enjoys playing in St. Louis. He has a routine there and knows the city and has made it his home. He says the right things about his team, pledges his allegiance to them, and gives them everything he has both on and off the field. That's what good teammates do. That being said, Albert's top priority is his family. He is their provider and ultimately plays for them and their futures. For his children and their children. Some naive notion of allegiance to a corporation pales in comparison to the dedication a husband and father has for his own. To top it off, said corporation is balking at his contract proposal because they're afraid he won't be worth it in the finals years of a 10 year contract. We're talking about the best player today, the best player of his generation, and potentially the greatest player of all time who happens to play the least injury-prone position on the field. A guy who has had only two sub-1.000 OPS seasons (.955 and .997) in his 10 year career while posting 4 season of 1.100+. How absolutely insulting. I can imagine the prospect of joining the rival of the team that spurned him and leading them to their first World Series title in over 100 years might be a little enticing, too. Hah.

Also: internet

Great off-season, Tony.

Well, he's Latino so he can pretty much only have concentration issues or a real flair for the game. FIERY Plays better in the heat of a Chicago summer, too. Melanin, dudes.

I think you posted the wrong link. Yes, indeed.

Bald Cub Fan Club. I'm in.

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r71/bcvm22/sigzeon/quade_scruffy.png There's definitely a resemblance. Positively striking.

I think he dabbled in both, but I'm calling BS until Aramis punches him in the face. Mike Quade really needs to grow a thick mustache. Then again, he would look more like Scruffy from Futurama than Lou Brown from Major League. Works for me.

It seems people rarely consider his ability at the plate when determining his value.

What stat do you prefer? More than one as the worth of a player is not gauged by one dimension. Or, in this case, two dimensions.

Last November, Uggla turned down a 4-year, $48MM extension. Shortly thereafter, he was traded to the Braves.

Worth noting if it hasn't already. Though, most of us knew Kerry took less to return home. Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman tweets: "wood's $1.5 mil cubs guarantee isnt close to #yanks, #redsox bids. nyy would have bid $10 mil for 2 if he was interested" Turning down $8.5MM in guaranteed money to return home is most definitely a "hometown discount." Thank you, Kerry, and welcome back. You've been missed.

Halladay, Lee, Oswalt, Hamels has the edge, but Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez, and Bumgarner is a damn good rotation, too. NLCS rematch?

that's what annoys me about people who want to write off next year and "save" all this money to spend big in 2012 or 2013. first of all, you're going to lose money if you suck next year. second of all, if you suck it's going to make you less attractive to FA's. and finally, who the hell do you think they're going to spend all this "saved" money on? Pujols 7/200 10/300 Let's do it. For kicks.

Glad to have Larry the Substitute Teacher back for another year.

There is your conditional. He is posturing and in doing so getting the attention for the last 5-6 starts that he so desperately needs, both professionally and personally. And, truthfully, if he can continue on a pace similar to that of a top 30 pitcher in baseball over the remaining duration of his contract then this sort of posturing is an intelligent tact.

You forgot to include Bryce Harper.

If you've never seen this, you have now. http://www.fistedfoul.com/storage/juan-pierre-21.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1272634224359 Also: http://www.fistedfoul.com/featured/2010/4/30/guillen-ruining-pierres-run-at-history.html

This front has been altogether too quiet.

so why freak out about it? I was unaware of any freaking out. Man. Whoa, man. Calm down. You're out of control.

I have laughed numerous times while reading this thread. Thank you OleMissCub, WrigleyField 22, Elwood, chuckywang, et al, for making a rather dismal situation actually funny rather than sad-funny.

Yeah, maybe this is a ploy to get Zambrano eligibility as a RP in one of Tom Ricketts' fantasy leagues... Though, I don't play fantasy baseball so I don't know if eligibility can change mid-season. I assume it can or depends on the league.

Needs more half-shirts and collies.

I hope his Cooperstown speech is as colorful.