Baseball Toaster The Griddle
Help
A place where a man can slow down to a walk and live his life full measure, but he has to keep his watch on Pacific Time.
Frozen Toast
Search
Google Search
Web
Toaster
The Griddle
Archives

2009
02  01 

2008
12  11  10  09  08  07 
06  05  04  03  02  01 

2007
12  11  10  09  08  07 
06  05  04  03  02  01 

2006
12  11  10  09  08  07 
06  05  04  03  02  01 

2005
12  10  07 
06  05  04  03 
Suggestions, comments, ring the catcher's interference alarm?

Email me at btimmermann@gmail.com

The stuff I keep track of
Random Game Callbacks

Select a date:

Personal favorites that I wrote
FAQs
AZ owner's remarks about Grimsley
2006-06-11 15:19
by Bob Timmermann

The Arizona Republic's DBacks beat writer, Bob McManaman, ran Arizona managing general partner, Ken Kendrick's remarks about why they wish to withhold Jason Grimsley's remaining salary on Diamondblog on the paper's website.

The notes appear to be dumped in raw form as there are some misspellings and other typos.

The end of the interview was interesting.

Kendrick said Grimsley probably should pay the Diamondbacks back some of his salary, given the circumstances, although the team isn't likely to try to ask for that to happen.

"What he's really asking us to do if he files a grievance, is asking us to pay him for not performing when the reason he isn't performing is because he was a cheater and has acknowledged his cheating for a long period of time. It's totally illogical to me how someone should be compensated under those circumstances."

"It's a shame we brought him here."

Comments
2006-06-11 15:30:40
1.   Humma Kavula
"This guy did no less than steal from us."

Wow.

2006-06-11 15:31:26
2.   Andrew Shimmin
That's wonderful. It's like Vince Vaughn is advising Kendrick on his negotiating stance. Really the only fair thing to do here is for the D'backs to confiscate Grimsley's house, and turn it into a Museum of Shame. And Kendrick should get to sleep with his wife.
2006-06-11 15:33:30
3.   Bob Timmermann
The sad part is that the DBacks likely don't owe that much money to Grimsley (relatively speaking). His salary was $825,000 and 1/3 of that should have been paid already.

Meanwhile, they keep writing big checks to Russ Ortiz.

2006-06-11 15:50:59
4.   Johnson
I think the hard-nosed stance that Arizona management is taking in this case is interesting. It seems to me that they're only talking as tough as they are because Grimsley is a marginal major leaguer. Can you imagine the Giants accusing Bonds of "no less than stealing" if he were to admit to steroid/HGH use? Look at the Yankees and Giambi. The Orioles and Palmeiro. I assume Grimsley will file the greivance - will his odds of winning have anything to do with his stature as a player? How many other players will be watching the outcome closely?
2006-06-11 15:52:05
5.   Andrew Shimmin
Maybe the out of court settlement will be that Grimsley gets the rest of his money, but as a contract killer with just one target. I'd kill Russ Ortiz for $550K.
2006-06-11 16:02:55
6.   vtsoxfan
the diamondbacks shouldn't have to give this bum another dime . i totally agree w/the GM .
2006-06-11 16:05:10
7.   DXMachina
"This guy did no less than steal from us."

Didn't Lasorda say the same thing about Darryl Strawberry?

2006-06-11 17:17:30
8.   Strike4
When Grimsley signed with the D'backs he almost certainly misrepresented himself as a clean, ready to play major leaguer. It's understandable for Kendrick to be unhappy, to put it mildly, that Grimsley misled him, and properly feels Grimsley stole from the team. Also, Kendrick must be upset about Grimsley creating a highly distracted team atmosphere, and they've now got a giant ball and chain to carry around for the foreseeable future.
2006-06-11 18:05:56
9.   Andrew Shimmin
He took a physical before getting the contract, right? Is it even legal to ask potential employees if they take steroids? If the contract he signed had a no 'roids clause, Kendrick would have said so.

If MLB wants to fine him the rest of his salary, in addition to three consecutive life suspensions (or whatever), I wouldn't care that much. But this story smells like a PR stunt. We, the people who benefitted (as little as we did) from this man's cheating, insist that we are victims of his treachery, too. Now that we cannot possible get anything out of him.

2006-06-11 19:31:35
10.   deadteddy8
Even if Kendrick felt that way in the emotion of the moment, it was a stupid thing to say. Set aside the real possibility that there are other PED-using players on the team, as taking such a hard-nosed stance pretty much precludes any "we still support you" statements. The problem is that, ostensibly, Grimsley was cheating in order to improve his play and help the team win, and therefore keep his MLB salary. Looks to me like ownership is playing the victim to try to dodge any responsibility.
2006-06-11 20:22:18
11.   Bob Timmermann
There are a lot of things players can do that tick off the ownership. And it's been pretty hard to get a contract invalidated.

Players have lied (or tried to) about how injuries were incurred (yes, I'm looking at you Mr. Kent), players have taken cocaine (very long list) and they all got paid barring a suspension from the Commissioner's office. The Rockies tried to invalidate Denny Neagle's contract because he got arrested for solicitation of a prostitute. That didn't work.

Comment status: comments have been closed. Baseball Toaster is now out of business.