"Hall of Fame Unemployment Line?" (NYT article)

NYTimes baseball writer Jack Curry's take on why all these potential HoFers (Pudge, Junior, Thomas, Pedro, etc.) are still unsigned.

about 3 years ago ballhawk 8 comments 0 recs |

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Good article

Pudge and Pedro will land on their feet. It’s just a matter of them coming to grips with their current relative market value at this stage of career and in these awful economic times. I have a feeling Thomas and Griffey will announce retirement soon.

Pudge, Pedro, Thomas, Griffey….all four will be in the Hall of Fame. I guess it is sad somewhat that they couldn’t have more glorious end, but sometimes that is how the cookie crumbles.

by BLou on Jan 22, 2009 1:35 PM CST reply actions

Yeah, I'd say of those four...

…the pitcher and the catcher should be able to find work somewhere. I really wonder about Thomas and Griffey. They could find themselves in the awkward position of having to declare retirement just to save face from having to admit that “nobody called.”

RIP Ron Asheton (1948-2009)

by daver on Jan 22, 2009 2:18 PM CST up reply actions

There were a few of these last year, too...

… Piazza, Lofton (though Lofton isn’t a HoFer, he probably could have helped someone).

Why these guys don’t lower their financial expectations is beyond me. All of them must have made enough to live comfortably for the rest of their lives, and have helped their kids and grandkids be comfortable.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Jan 22, 2009 2:18 PM CST reply actions

Neither Frank Thomas or Ken Griffey has much left in the tank

So I’m not sure if these harsh economic times are the primary reason for their unemployment. Sometimes you just need to know when to hang it up.

by BLou on Jan 22, 2009 2:31 PM CST up reply actions

One word:

Pride

Hey, it's a new century!

by cowsarecool220 on Jan 22, 2009 2:45 PM CST up reply actions

Pride leads to stupidity, in this case.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Jan 22, 2009 2:52 PM CST up reply actions

One other word they seem to be missing out on:

Fun

What a perfect time in their professional career to go back to why they started playing the game in the first place – for fun! So maybe you’re not a starter anymore, big deal. You tell me you wouldn’t get jacked up being a pinch hitter with the game on the line in the bottom of the 9th?

Instead of keeping track of how many homers you hit, keep track of how many hotfoots (hotfeet?) you give to your teammates. Or become the scourge of all post-game interviews with your shaving-cream-in-the-face antics.

Maybe a $400K salary isn’t what your lifestyle is accustomed to, but it’s better than nothing, eh?

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Jan 22, 2009 4:20 PM CST up reply actions

Part of this is also

Supply and Demand. Too many kids in the MInors who are borderline ready, or have been ready, adn teams want to play them instead of signing a higher priced vet.

"I like coconuts, you can break them open and they smell like ladies lying in the sun" Widespread Panic

by Cubbie-Tim on Jan 22, 2009 5:56 PM CST reply actions