Open Mouth, Insert Foot!
Monday, July 11, 2011
How does that Adidas cleat taste Buck? I would imagine not too good.
Just a few months after Baltimore’s outspoken skipper threw Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein under the bus with some not-so-kind comments, Theo’s Sox pounded his Orioles at Fenway completing a 4-game sweep heading into the All-Star break.
In case you didn’t hear about Showalter’s comments, he told the April edition of Men’s Journal, “I’d like to see how smart Theo Epstein is with the Tampa Bay payroll. You got Carl Crawford cause you paid more than anyone else, and that makes you smarter? That’s why I like whipping their butt. It’s great, knowing those guys with the $205 million payroll are saying, ‘How the hell are they beating us?’”
Last time I checked, getting swept in a 4-game series by the Red Sox doesn’t exactly qualify as, “whipping their butt!”
While there is a certain element of truth to Showalter’s comments, is he really that stupid?
Yes, Theo’s job would be more difficult if he had a more limited payroll like that of the Rays or another small market (or small revenue) team. But let’s also remember that Epstein has done a fantastic job in drafting and developing talent in the Red Sox organization.
Furthermore, is it really wise for a manager of a team to call out one of its division opponents? Particularly one that you know you will be chasing in the standings all season long?
But no one ever accused Showalter of being a Rocket Scientist. And now, his players are paying for his unfounded bravado.
The sad part about it is that the Orioles players, themselves, are apparently consumed with the Red Sox high payroll as well. Pitcher Kevin Gregg said after he was ejected Friday night for hitting David Ortiz, “they’re gonna whine and complain about it, because they think they’re better than everybody else, but no, we have just as much right to pitch inside as they do.”
Gregg continued, “We’re not scared of them. Them and their $180 million payroll. We have just as much right to play here, and we’re gonna do everything we can to win.”
Now do you really think that those were his original thoughts? Or, perhaps, did their good ole skipper give them a fiery pep talk before one of their meetings with the Red Sox this season saying how nice it would be to stick it to a team with such a high payroll like Boston?
I’m betting on the latter.
The funny part about it is that Showalter never complained about payrolls when he managed the New York Yankees in the mid 90’s. Then again, what was there to complain about? His Yankees probably had the highest payroll in all of baseball back then. Not that he could manage that high-priced talent to a World Series title. They had to fire him and bring in Joe Torre to do that – 4 times in the next 5 years!
To Baltimore’s credit, they were a respectable 2-2 against Boston this season coming into their weekend series at Fenway. Four losses later, they are 2-6 against the Sox and heading into the All-Star break with their tales between their legs.
Yes, they can try to intimidate Boston batters by pitching them inside and even hitting them as was done on a few occasions this series. But can they actually beat the Red Sox when it matters?
Buck can lament the Sox’ (and the Yankees, for that matter) lofty payroll all he wants to. But what should be of more concern to him is the fact that his team has lost 7 straight and 12 of their last 13 and find themselves in dead last place in the American League East some 18 games behind the team whose butt they supposedly love to whip!
At 36-52, Baltimore has the 4th worst record in all of baseball and at -99, they have the second worst run differential in the Majors. But Buck is more concerned about Theo Epstein having it easy in Boston because John Henry lets him spend more money than most GM’s in the game.
Hey Buck! You sure as hell can talk the talk but you most definitely cannot walk the walk!
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