Orioles manager Buck Showalter:
“I’d like to see how smart Theo Epstein is with the Tampa Bay payroll,” he said. “You got Carl Crawford ’cause you paid more than anyone else, and that’s what makes you smarter?
Uh. Oh. Rule #1: You never question Theo Epstein. If you do, every single bracelet-wearing, membership-card holding Red Sox fan will come for you — just like Kool-Aid slurper and Boston sportswriter, Gordon Edes:
What goes unsaid, however, by Buck, who may not be PC but is smart enough not to bite the hand that pays him, is that the Orioles have had 13 straight losing seasons not because of their unwillingness to spend money, but because of ownership meddling, unstable management (because of owner meddling), bad drafts, bad trades and bad free-agent signings, all of which has created an environment toxic to the top-shelf free agents, many of whom have been pursued by the Orioles but have said no thanks. All of that has led to a precipitous decline by one of baseball’s proudest franchises. Showalter and Andy MacPhail may succeed in turning things around in Charm City, but let’s be clear about one thing: If Epstein, who launched his baseball career as an intern in the Orioles’ media relations department, had been running things in Baltimore, they would have been winning again long before this.
You have to wonder if Edes was slamming his fingers down on his keyboard when he was typing this up. There’s a lot of venom and bold proclamations in this paragraph. But, that’s what you get when it comes to this fanbase. If they hear the faintest critique of their Child King, they will all come for you, including the local writers.
Deal with it, Boston. Welcome to the Buying Championships Club. We saved you a seat.
Someone questioned the Red Sox front office.
*Props to Louis Winthorpe III and Wade Garrett for also contributing to this post.
30 Comments
nick March 25, 2011 00:54
first
Average Nomaas Commenter March 25, 2011 00:59
good for you
Sensitive RAB guy March 25, 2011 11:27
Boy Wonder now apparently means: Ben Kàbak, Mike Axxisa and JoePaawl
Joe Thunder March 25, 2011 14:38
You got lumps.
K Last Designs March 29, 2011 11:15
First in lumps.
Average Nomaas Commenter March 25, 2011 00:56
nothing on Jeter??
Sky Is Falling March 25, 2011 01:01
On a related note to Showalter’s tirade about kicking Boston’s ass, I have a feel-good story for everyone:
BOSTON
C Buchholz IP:4 H:11 R:11 ER:6 BB:1 SO:5 HR:4
Not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 HR surrendered to the Marlins. Just give him the Cy Young already – and don’t you forget, BASTAN still has THE BEST ROTATION IN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE!!!1!!11!one!!
MannyGee March 25, 2011 10:23
Six Aces FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!
I really hope their rotation shits the bed this year. nothing will make me happier
Kevin S. March 25, 2011 02:50
Yes Mr. Edes, Boston and Baltimore have totally had comparable payrolls over the past decade. Wait, they haven’t? What?!
Billy Ray Valentine March 25, 2011 03:55
You get the feeling that Theo’s becoming the new Chuck Norris joke in Boston?
Warner Wolf March 25, 2011 04:03
“Deal with it, Boston. Welcome to the Buying Championships Club. We saved you a seat.”
This should be the NM slogan.
An average Red Sox Fan March 25, 2011 04:37
We up heya in Beantown don’t buy championships like you Yankee punks do. We do it the right way.
The Truth March 25, 2011 06:26
Actually you are wrong, the red sox media, SOSH and the members of dumbfuck nation can critcize Theo. However if you do it, all hell will break loose. Honestly nothing would make me happier than to see us, Tamps and Baltimore finish ahaed of them. Just like the Phillies are now finding out it is hard to be the head the wears the fictional crown.
duh March 25, 2011 07:28
He’s absolutely correct. Same goes for Cash. Money covers mistakes that would be devastating to a team, as evidenced by the Orioles. Every mistake they make sets their franchise back 10 years, while Cash and Theo have the ability to buy their way out. Doesn’t make them better, or worse, it’s just a fact. It’s why Cash deals with the meddling from Tampa … where else is he going to go? Kansas City?
Daps March 25, 2011 08:52
The gorilla!! Hahaha.
Bada-Bing Crosby March 25, 2011 08:59
Although its been said, many times, many ways…the Yankees and Red Sux DO NOT have the richest owners in baseball. The other owners simply choose not to spend the money. SO they can all just stop complaining right now….Merry Christmaaaaas, toooooo yooooooou.
FU Baltimore March 25, 2011 09:17
It’s more of a question of revenue, not the personal wealth of the owners. The Steinbrenners aren’t selling their personal investments to pay for player contracts. They’re using the revenue generated by the organization. Same for the Red Sox. The two clubs generate the highest revenue in the game.
Delusional RSN March 25, 2011 09:22
Also, per this article a $77 million payroll is just as good as a $200 million: http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2011/03/orioles_manager.html:
“Meanwhile, didn’t Showalter once manage the well-funded Yankees? Or the Diamondbacks in 2000 when they had what was then a healthy payroll of $77 million?”
Alfredo Griffin March 25, 2011 09:41
And of course, Pete Abraham goes after Showalter too. The comments on that post are crazy. Like complete hysteria that someone insulted Epstein. They all scramble.
Look at these.
laimby wrote:
theo’s smart enough not to draft busts like matt wieters
Arizpatsfan wrote:
Didn’t the Tigers, Mets and Angels all have payrolls comparable to the Sox the last few years? How did they do? The Yankees AVERAGED over $200 million in payroll per year for a decade and only won one measley title. No mention of them either, Buckhead?
And how about the Sox farm system? Youkilis, Pedroia, Buchholtz, Papelbon, Ellsbury, Bard, et al. The Sox didn’t buy them, Bonehead, they developed them.
-check out the spelling “Buccholtz’
[Censored] March 25, 2011 09:23
What is “boy wonder” the new auto correct for RAB?
Ben Kaabaack, Future Esq March 25, 2011 21:23
You don’t need to talk to my Dad, I’m a Atty.
I havent passed the bar yet, so I will only charge you $200.00 per/hour and offer you Heeb advice.
Sensitive RAB guy March 25, 2011 21:50
You don’t need all those A’s…
kabak!
kabak March 25, 2011 21:51
whatever. F this site.
Ralph March 25, 2011 10:59
where was the sox farm system before 2007 ? 2004 team was ladened with veterans… so they can really only say they built a champion in 2007 but not the prior decades before then.
A meathead Red Sawx fan March 25, 2011 12:56
Go fuck yaself you Yankee cawksucka! Theo has constructed the best farm system and ML club in the buisness using just a minimal paroll and his scouting talenst. Your jus jelous that we already won this thing.
jyak March 28, 2011 10:15
what did you win?
Jon Schimenti March 25, 2011 13:09
haha, theo is a clown, haha, if you have money you use it to pay the bookie not to sign crawford, haha
Sensitive RAB guy March 25, 2011 13:25
According to Joe Pàwlikowksi:
If you don’t like SABRmetrics, you probably condone slavery. Or something.
“Follow this to its logical conclusion
It won’t be long before we get the first wave of nonsense from stat-crazed dunces claiming there’s nothing to be learned from a batting average, won-loss record or RBI total. Listen, just go back to bed, OK? Strip down to those fourth-day undies, head downstairs (to “your mother’s basement and your mother’s computer,” as Chipper Jones so aptly describes it) and churn out some more crap. For more than a century, .220 meant something. So did .278, .301, .350, an 18-4 record, or 118 RBIs. Now it all means nothing because a bunch of nonathletes are trying to reinvent the game?
-Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle
For more than a century Americans owned slaves. I guess Bruce Jenkins approves of that, too.”
[Censored] March 25, 2011 15:11
For centuries people were into fat chicks too, maybe Joe is trying to find acceptance for his fetishes.
John March 25, 2011 15:42
This is true but then what comes into question is the amount of money the owners pocket from their investment. If they have a lot of personal wealth and do not take substantial money from their team revenues then that is your point. But many owners make bank on their teams and do not reinvest.