Friday, March 24, 2006 |
Bobby Jenks, Up To His Old Tricks
"I told him when you show up out of shape, you're ruining 25 guys wearing this uniform,'' Guillen said. "You're not ruining myself or you, you're ruining your teammates that come in shape. That means you show up and you don't give a [bleep] about them."He understands. I told him, 'When you're fat and you're good, you're a strong guy. When you're fat and you're horse[bleep], you're fat.'"
While Guillen reiterated that Jenks hasn't lost the closer role with his recent pitching funk, he made sure the right-hander was very aware that his heroics from last year were exactly that -- last year.
"Not because you had a good year last year, you're on this ballclub,'' Guillen said. "I go by performance. You perform, you help us, you stay. You not perform, you're not going to help us, you go. I'm not talking just to him, everyone.''
After beginning Cactus League play with four consecutive scoreless appearances, Jenks has allowed seven runs and six walks over his last four outings.
Anaheim fans in general display a lack of objectivity about their team. (Granted, you are nowhere near as bad as Cubs fans). I recall listening to the Angels ESPN post-game radio shows last year, just prior to the All Star break, when Anaheim was playing well. I thought at the time that they still lacked a bat to complement Guerrero.
The Angels studio host would hear none of it, and insisted they would not need another bat prior to the trading deadline. The substanital majority of Angels fans calling in seemed to concur. Instead of addressing real weaknesses, they'd wax pollyannaish, and praise Scoscia and the wonderful farm system.
Given Anaheim's performance in the ALCS, it looks like a little objectivity is in order.
And you're judging fan objectivity by the words of an Angels organization broadcaster paid to say positive things about the team?
Tsk tsk. No fans are objective, and neither are you. You're protecting your own at this point. I challenge you to show that this site or any other prominent Angels forums have had a "daily" Jenks watch. I read many of them, and I just don't see it.
The only two posts where I even mention Jenks after October, 2005: 3/7 and 3/21. If that's a "daily basis", you need your calendar readjusted, Southsider.
Are you THAT beholden to Bill Stoneham and his baseball judgment?
That would be Bill StoneMAN, and quite frankly, if you've read me for any length of time, you know that I go back and forth on the losses of Turnbow and Jenks, Jenks particularly because he had maturity and medical issues. Congratulations on winning the title with him on the mound, but don't be too sure he'll hold together beyond that -- a point your very own manager is driving home with the unusual (for most managers) sledgehammer of calling out his player in the press, yet. Jenks has had plenty of close encounters with uselessness, and somehow never quite seems to learn from them.
Anaheim fans in general display a lack of objectivity about their team. (Granted, you are nowhere near as bad as Cubs fans).
Aaaand this is based on... listening to radio call-in shows? Here's a hint: the squeakers who call in to those shows aren't always the brightest bulbs in the pack. And that's true for any team. How many Manny-Ramirez-for-Mike-Edwards trade ideas do you have to hear on the air before you understand that basic precept?
I thought at the time that they still lacked a bat to complement Guerrero.
No, really? Nobody here said otherwise. The problem the Angels suffer from now is overlong contracts handed out to Garret Anderson and Darin Erstad, neither of whom amount to a frontline starter anymore. What, you think we don't notice things like this? Or do you base your entire view of the Angels fanbase by the loons who call talk shows? Talk about straw men!
Relax a little, bro. Please make sure you do not misspell Scott P-o-d-s-e-d-n-i-k, as you did on Nov. 7, 2005. ;-0 (I've been reading you guys longer than you think, and generally like your stuff; your sometimes questionable analysis is offset by the useful weblinks you supply on a daily basis).
As for my prior comment about Anaheim fans IN GENERAL lacking objectivity, I base this on my experience living in Orange County and commuting to LA the past few years. I know a ton of Angels fans, and go to a ton of Angels games. For most of them, Scioscia is the Second Coming, Erstad is great, Stoneman is a genius, Rex Hudler is insightful, the farm system is the greatest in the history of baseball, and the Halos can do no wrong.
(And when the topic of Doug Eddings comes up, I try to tell them about Mickey Owen and the Ninth Inning of Game 4 of the '47 World Series... but, oh, forget it, what's the point...)
As for Maxwell's comment: "Tsk tsk. No fans are objective, and neither are you. You're protecting your own at this point." You do not know what the hell you are talking about.
I am South Side Irish and was born and reared on the South Side of Chicago. With the exception of possibly Phillies fans, there is no set of fans as hard on their team and its management/ownership than White Sox fans. To give you an example, check out this post over at Cheat's blog:
http://southsidesox.com/story/2006/3/23/14037/1357
(By God, you'd think the sky was falling: the White Sox will be lucky to win 50 games given the problems with Jenks, Hermanson, and their apparent lack of bullpen depth.)
I am by no means "protecting" Jenks. He has a great arm, but is also a great risk, both from a physical and mental standpoint.
But you guys just seem to be giddy about all of his problems this spring. You may not have a daily Jenks watch, but can I see it coming.
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