An announcement …
Posted: December 22nd, 2008 | Filed under: Baseball | 74 Comments »
We are in New York City this week — it’s the daughters first time to the city and they are dutifully awed — so this could be a slow blog week. But even as the week begins, I do feel it’s important that I make this very personal announcement.
You have to understand this wasn’t an easy decision. This wasn’t just something that I decided off the cuff, without deep consideration. Of course, I consulted with my family. I leaned on my faith — I guess you could say I “prayed on it.†I talked it over with my closest friends, the people who know me best and will tell me straight if I am making a mistake. I can’t say that my choice was unanimously agreed upon, but in the end this is my decision to make and I have made it and I must live with it now.
I’m pulling out of the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes.
Yes, it’s hard. I want to say right up front that I think Mark is one heck of a guy. This is not something that should reflect at all on him as either a person or as a player. He’s a great player, but even a better person. I have the greatest respect for him. And I was willing to go to 100 million for five years, bring him on to help the company softball team, help me write a few columns and move a few boxes around the house, and just be around as a friend because he’s such a wonderful guy.
But after discussing this at length, I believe that Mark will have better offers elsewhere and I feel like it’s time to move on. I mean, I felt like 100 million for five years was a competitive offer, but I have been told this will not be enough and at this point I have to say anything beyond five years, $100 million would be ludicrous. I might have been willing to go to five years $105 million. Or six years $118 million. Perhaps four years at $93 million. But I think anything more than these numbers that I have just made up off the top of my head would be irresponsible, especially in times like these. Maybe seven years at $138 million.
Like I say, and I do think it’s important to say this, I think Mark is a wonderful person, really one of the finer human beings on planet earth in addition to an excellent defensive first baseman and a talented chef, I am told, and I know he would be a fine addition to any team or family or corporation. He would make a fine cleanup hitter or a good friend or an excellent host for any of the reality TV shows. But at this time, I feel like I just have to pull out and move on. I do wish Mark the very best, though I will miss him terribly and will always cherish the time spent together.
Maybe four years 88 million. I might be able to swing that.
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If I had bought more copies of the Soul of Baseball, maybe you could have snagged Teixeira. I feel responsible.
Am I the only one that never realized Texiera was an elite player that could command that type of money. A very good player, yes, but that’s a lot of coin…
Mongo Teixiera nothing but pawn in game of Boras.
By the time this is all said and done, Teixeira’s going to sign with the Pirates for 2 years and $8M.
If you and Margo get dinner alone, try Craftsteak on 10th Ave., around 20th St. For a fun family meal, try Ethiopian, if you never have; not sure where you’re staying, but there’s a place near Times Square, Meskerem (468 W 47th St., between 9th and 10th).
Couple of other good places if you’re in the area around mealtime: Acme, a southern/Cajun/comfort food kind of place (9 Great Jones St., which is basically 3rd St., between Lafayette and Broadway, near Tower Records), and Bistango, and Italian place at 415 Third Ave. (29th St.).
Hmm; probably could have just e-mailed this to you …
Whew. You scared me at first.
I wholeheartedly agree with the recommendation of Acme. Also, bring the girls to Max Brenner’s Chocolate Restaurant in Union Square.
Joe, I see through this post for what it is: just another negotiating ploy. After reading that you flew your private jet down to Texas to talk to Teixeira about the role you envision for him (what boxes need to be moved, etc) am I really to believe that you would so quickly step away?
Forgive my cynicism, but I for one will not be surprised when I see your press conference unveiling Teixeira as the latest addition to the Posnanski team.
I hope Scott Boras gets what’s coming to him….
Son-of-a-b****h! That is the most despicable, disgusting, unprofessional move I’ve ever heard of. If that is the way you are going to treat your readers in the future – fine. I’ve been buying newspapers and reading different columnists for years and have never been treated this way. As far as I’m concerned, you can take your blog off my Favorites list. I’ll go read the hundreds of other journalists who treat their readers with respect. And Merry Christmas.
[...] maybe good for a one-sentence chuckle but is instead stretched out over an insufferable 511-word blog post? Sigh. Yeah, we’ve got that [...]
Good God. I thought you were leaving the KC Star. I would have thought the rest of the post was funnier if I wasn’t so relieved.
If my application for a federal bailout goes through, I will be back in the sweepstakes for Heck Of A Guy Teixeira.
Is it bad that I chose Rogers Hornsby simply because I hate Joe Morgan The Announcer so much? Based on the votes, I don’t think I’m alone.
Wow that opening was scary – thought the blog was coming to an end!!!
Charles O. Finley was right many, many years ago when this whole free agent thing got started. His comment at the time was “make them all free agents”. In other words, he said, give every player a one year contract every year. That way, the quality players don’t trickle into the market, but flood in and the law of supply and demand will keep the prices down.
Would you really pay Texeria $20 million+/year when Albert Pujols was avaiable, and Derrick Lee and Lance Berkmann and Kevin Youkillis and etc, etc, etc?? Of course not.
Even though I was relieved, it was still a funny bit. “Greg” & co. need to calm down.
“this could be a slow blog week”
So, what, just because you’re in New York with your family for Christmas you won’t be cranking out daily 5000 word blog posts?
Whatever happened to professionalism?
You will end up like all the other small-market teams like Houston, Tampa, Detroit. Cough up the big bucks or you will NOT compete and only mint $ from when wealthy teams visit and you sell out and when you get your revenue-sharing portion. (Not too late to get back in.)
This gave me a great laugh on a tough day. Thanks Joe.
“good.”
-yankee fan
…………..from a Rangers fan who has seen and supported both. A-Rod……..Tex………..they are the same guy. All window dressing. Both can play and will go in the hall of fame. But, both bring discord to the club house, both are much more concerned with their own numbers and paycheck than the success of the team. Oh, they both want to win, but neither will put team success in front of personal success. It’s just who they are. I personally hope Tex goes to NY. He can continue to be the hypocrit he has shown to be. Remember, he was one of the ones in the club house in Texas that indicated they would all be better off and play better if A-Rod was gone. He will show his true colors if he CHOOSES to join him now.
As tongue-in-cheek as this was, I’ve always wondered if there might be some truth to this kind of thing. As unrealistic as it may be, what about a hypothetical scenario where a group of billionaires decided to start up a slo-pitch softball team and they figured, hell, why not offer Manny four years at $100 million?
Obviously, it would have to be a player toward the end of his career – your hypothetical five years for Teix would manage to ruin potentially lucrative subsequent contracts for him, but an offer for someone like Manny that outshines whatever else he could get on the market and will allow him to retire even richer, don’t you think SOME players might consider it?
Now, it’s obviously a pretty foolish waste of money for the billionaires on the softball team, but I do think it would be kind of entertaining (and pretty telling), at the very least.
As an added point – could a very wealthy, very avid fan of a given baseball team sign a player and then somehow bequeath him to said team? If I found a suitcase with a couple billion dollars in it, could I offer Teix $200 million for 10 years and then arrange for some way for him to play for the Blue Jays at a minimal cost to the team, or are there rules against this? Another possibility: could I offer him the same $200 million in some sort of personal services or endorsement contract, but make the contract contingent on him signing with Toronto at a price of their choosing?
The Mud Hens almost had Alex Rodriguez: http://www.bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1653&Itemid=42
We’ll take Teixeira as long as he endorses the auto bailout, or as long as the bailout money lasts and we can continue to pay him.
My guess is that your giving up on Teixeiria so you can go after Manny. The problem with that is…….Manny will move boxes only when Manny wants to move boxes.
Smart move Joe, don’t let Scott Boras play you for a fool.
Have a great time with the family in NY. Happy holidays.
Justin, your “group of billionaires” idea has been tried — 60 years ago by Jorge Pascual. He got Sal Maglie, Max Lanier, Mickey Owen to “jump” their contracts and go to his Mexican League.
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/Mexican_League.shtml
If you find a suitcase with a couple billion dollars in it, call me and I’ll help you come up with a plan for it.
i sincerely hope Teixeira signs with the Nationals and then talks passionately about wanting to be on a winner.
“i sincerely hope Teixeira signs with the Nationals and then talks passionately about wanting to be on a winner.”
it’s been his lifelong dream to play for the washington nationals.
Thanks for the info, David. I knew one (and probably more) of the knowledgeable readers here would have the answer. You’re first on my potential co-GM list when I find that elusive suitcase.
Justin, don’t you think Joaldo would be a must-have GM when you find that suitcase? Look at the negotiating skills he’d bring.
Thank GOD you are only giving up on the Texiera nogotiating….I was fearful that you had given up on some purported book in the pipeline about some big red machine produced in SW Ohio back in the ’70s!
Merry Christmas, Joe and also to the wife and kiddos…. Be safe in that NYC. I hear that muggers are getting as much as $6.00 per mugging down in DC!!
Oops – that’s nEgotiating…Although, “nogo tiating” might be a better way to say/spell it if the bargaining reaches an impasse!!
Unrelated post coming up here.
Dock Ellis died this weekend at 63. Two great Dock links.
Dock reflects on his legendary LSD no-hitter: http://technorati.com/videos/youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DUNzMBwq1uqU
Dock tries to bean the entire Reds lineup, along with some other good stories: http://web.mac.com/jaykaplanstudio/Ellis,_D./Essay_on_Dock_Ellis.html
One of my favorite players ever. RIP.
Splendid post, really, the supreme irony of it all… kudos!
Joe – a good family-style Italian spot in the Theater district: Becco, on 46th. Not expensive, great food. Somebody suggested Craftsteak – which is amazing, as are all the Craft restaurants – but unless you’ve got Teixeira’s $$$ you may want to look elsewhere, as it’s in the Top 3 most expensive restaurants in NYC.
Ping
You’re in New York? I left yesterday. Not that that really makes a difference, but, y’know, maybe I would’ve walked past you on the street and then I could call up all my friends and say, “I just Joe Posnanski walking down the street!”
…
Yeah, it’s probably better that I can still pretend to have a life this way.
Anyway, if we’re being annoying NYers and giving restaurant suggestions, let me say that if you want good Thai in a nice, non-crowded, affordable place, check out Lantern on 18th and 2nd.
TD, a team full of players who put their personal success in front of team success, and were as personally successful as A-Rod and Tex are and have been, would be a very, very successful team.
That’s probably even true of football and basketball teams to some degree, but baseball is fundamentally an individual sport. If your drive for a paycheck means you’re always trying to put up the best numbers you possibly can, hey, fine by me.
Please slow down the writing permanently!! It’s having a seriously adverse effect on my job performance.
Oh nevermind…I’d probably just wind up finding another blog to read.
“I just Joe Posnanski walking down the street!â€
What does it mean to Joe Posnanski? Is it legal to do in public?
I see, you were standing in midtown Manhattan trying to flag down a taxi, when you saw that certain free agent sitting in the back seat of the one you were hoping to get into, but then said to yourself “who wants Teixeira cab?
@GOB – Classic! I couldn’t put it better myself.
Tex is quicky becoming a disgrace to the game. I will (reluctantly) give A Rod a little credit for realizing what Boras was doing. When you’re making that kind of money what’s a couple millions? He is proving he cares nothing about playing or the game, he is all about the money. Stay away from my Royals!
HAHA Who wants Teixeira cab?!! HAHA!
Antoniomo,
I plan on holding an extensive and fully transparent process when hiring co-GMs. I won’t turn down any applicants, with the exception of Bill Bavasi. And Ed Wade. And Brian Sabean, Ned Coletti, Dave Littlefield…
Okay, maybe I’ll just start with a short list and whittle it down from there.
[...] Posted by TheKilo It’s good that Joe Posnanski is out of the bidding, that’s for sure. He was a real threat, only improves our chances. BTW, maybe this Damon stuff should be split off? [...]
Joe, I beg of you to reconsider. I fear you may have overlooked the most crucial asset that Texeira could bring to the Posnanski team – his unparalleled love for sports journalism.
In rescinding your offer to Texeira, you are now left to sign Adam Dunn, who is known to harness an avid hatred towards reading and writing of any kind. Don’t let his consistent line of 40 HR (Hardcovers Read) and .390 OBP (Overall Books Published) fool you, the man uses Sports Illustrated to wipe his ass.
So please, please put your offer to Texeira back on the table, if only to avoid the potential printing room disaster that is Adam Dunn.
Just more evidence that you care more about lining your own wallet than you do about winning.
Joe,
I would like to personally (or at least over the internet) offer you a 10 year $20 million contract for your work. Of course, you will have to put out a few blogs this week. Get back to me if you think the offer if fair. Ok, make it $25 million, but if I don’t hear from you in 1 week, I will rescind my offer (upon the counsel of my advisor Hank Steinbrenner).
Posting about Teixeira is a guilty pleasure for me, cuz I sure cannot talk about him as I still do not know precisely how to pronounce his name.
Oh, and on that Hornsby vs. Morgan comment: Until Barry Bonds, Hornsby had the NL’s highest OPS+ for a season and for career, so I certainly see no upset about his leading Morgan in the voting.
“TD, a team full of players who put their personal success in front of team success, and were as personally successful as A-Rod and Tex are and have been, would be a very, very successful team.”
You mean like the 2003 Texas Rangers?
Maybe you could get Mark for your team if you traded all future draft choices to his current masters, along with Ricky Williams and Mike Ditka’s autographs…
How are the small-market sportscasters EVER supposed to compete with the big-market writers?? I hear Mariotti is primed to offer 8 years and $235 million to fill in for him on the paper so Mariotti can go around and do ESPN shows…
David Wintheiser,
The 2003 Texas Rangers didn’t really have “a team full” of A-Rod and Teixes. They had a rookie Teix who hadn’t really come into his own, and they had A-Rod, who had a fairly standard excellent year. They had solid-but-not-great years from Blalock, Raffy and Michael Young, plus good half-seasons from Juan Gone and Everett.
So that’s really only one outstanding hitter, plus a bunch of good-to-very-goods. They also had a ton of pitchers who padded opposing batters’ stats. A few “selfish, stat-padding” starters would have gone a long way toward fixing that team.
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Leaves more room for he Hiroshima Carp to get involved.
To complete Justin’s comment (not that it really needs it), the Rangers top 5 pitchers in IP in 2003, were (with their season ERAs parenthesized, and ERA+ behind):
John Thomson, 217 IP (4.85, 104)
Colby Lewis, 127 (7.30, 69)
R. A. Dickey, 116.7 (5.09, 99)
Ismael Valdez, 115 (6.10, 82)
Joaquin Benoit, 105 (5.49, 92)
Yikes.
And that team actually outperformed their Pythag by 2 games (71 to 69).
For those of us who endured the end of Bat-Girl.com and still haven’t quite recovered, pleeeeeease don’t do that.
[...] close to negotiations say another potential suitor for Mark Teixeira has pulled an offer off the [...]
1. Loved the Mongo is only pawn in game of Boros line. Maybe the loser in the Teixera sweepstakes can send him a “candygram”
2. Joe, you do know that Bonds is still available? Or are you in on the collusion as well??????
3. I wish you and Margo and the kids a great holiday in the Big Apple!
Bob McWilliams, Kansas Public Radio
fyi – we have two TD’s in this thread – my only comment was about Bat-Girl.. To tell the difference you can click through on my headers to a link, the other person’s is not clickable..
A slow blog week? What a slacker………….
Yes, Pete Rose should be in the HOF.
And O.J. Simpson should be kicked out of Canton.
Smart rich guys already buy players and bequeath them to major league teams. Those teams play at the University of Florida, the University of Texas, and they are called “boosters”. Maybe we can get a Booster Club together for the Royals?
enjoy yourself in town, Posnanskis! the kids would love the Broadway Grinch or Shrek (though you may claw your own eyes out). quick tip: more expensive the ticket, the more horribly unfunny/cloyingly simplistic/condescending the show is, and (therefore) the more popular. Just a thought. great town, have fun!
David Wintheiser,
no, not at all like the 2003 Texas Rangers. They had one great player and a couple pretty good ones. That’s a randomly awful example to pick, unless you’re just trying to point out that (an undeveloped and mediocre version of) Teix and A-Rod played together once before. I mean, yeah, there were a lot of jerks on that team, but they were also mostly has-beens or never-wases by that point.
TD (the second), just what I was thinking when I read this. I never want to be reminded of Batgirl’s far-too-soon departure.
“Tex is quicky becoming a disgrace to the game. ”
That’s very unfair. How is he a disgrace to the game? For starters he hasn’t even signed yet and there’s a good possibility he’s not going to take the highest offer. He’s looking to get the most money possible (and it’s not even him doing it, he’s letting his agent do his job). You’re telling me…what? If you were a baseball player you’d just sign with the first team to make you an offer even though you know your agent can drive the price up higher? Baseball is a business, and I don’t see where Teixeira has done anything wrong to this point.
I love the article but I love the responses even more.
From the true tongue in cheek stuff to all the other options that Joe could use.
Actually Pat Burrell wouldn’t be a bad move. He could be had for a lot cheaper and I’ve heard he’s also a great guy a good move to propel Team Posnanski to promotion to the Rookie Leauge.
i’d love for Tex to be a National.
i’m a Bostonian who voted for Tokyo, though, so what do i know?
Is it just coincidence that Joe was in NYC when he passed on Tex, and then Tex signed with the Yankees?
Hell. No.
It’s called collusion, folks. Look it up.
Ryan, I think Greg was joking. I hope so.
I guess this proves that Joe is not the Yankees.
Oh, and the blog entry was pimped today on the WAPO’s baseball blog.
I have a great fondness for the Carnegie Deli. Gads, but I wish their Beverly Hills branch was still in business. But I haven’t been to NY since I was on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” back in 1999, and didn’t win. Then again, you don’t really need $$$ to eat at Carnegie.
Mark Texeira, as we all know now, signed with what was almost certainly the biggest offer he got. But I can’t really blame him. The Yankees are a contender and they are relatively near where he wants to be. He could have signed with Washington and been nearer (I don’t think the O’s were in the running) but then he’d have been back on a bad team, and who would want that? The Phillies have a great young first baseman. So New York is probably the closest contender that was in the running. I *think* it’s just a coincidence that the Yankees offered the most money. And yet, IIRC, he’s making less per year than Giambi was, unless he collapses in New York as some do he’ll probably give them Giambi like numbers at the plate and really help their defense, and there’s no smell of steroids attached to the guy.
Unfortunately, this indicates to me that the Yankees may be making good deals. I mean, Sabathia is a lot more sound than was Kevin Brown or Carl Pavano, and Texeira seems a safer bet than a drug free Giambi. The risk to baseball is not having one club with an unlimited budget; it’s having one club with excellent GMs with an unlimited budget.
And for all you A-Rod haters out there (yes you, TD), he has won two MVPs in New York. He changed position even though he was a better fielder than Jeter; does that not put team ahead of individual? He gave the Rangers the best three year stretch of his career; doesn’t that show he tries even when the team sucks? And in the postseason A-Rod has a reasonable OPS of .844; not as good as the regular season, but not tanking, especially since most postseason pitching staffs are better than average. Jim Rice’s postseason OPS is .679, more like a defensive shortstop than a defensively suspect left fielder. A-Rod was pretty clearly on track to be considered the best player of all time, given that he was a gold glove winning shortstop, and now, well, not so certain; he’s an average third baseman at best, so he’ll probably lose in the comparisons to Ruth. Were I A-Rod, the two time reigning GG shortstop, and selfish, I’d have insisted Jeter move.