Presented without comment, some thoughts from Mike Wilner on a J.P. Ricciardi statement from the Blue Jays’ fanfest thingy:
The other confusing thing was another bit of revisionist history. In response to a fan’s statement that it would be crazy to even consider trading a talent like Alex Rios, and, in his estimation, they Jays would never have thought of dealing Rios for Giants’ righty Tim Lincecum, Ricciardi responded by saying the following:
“When we were presented with that, we thought long and hard and obviously we value Rios more than we valued the other guy and that’s why he’s still here.”
Excellent answer. Except that’s not what happened. According to Ricciardi at the winter meetings in Nashville, the Rios-for-Lincecum offer was sitting on Brian Sabean’s desk waiting for the Giants’ GM to give the OK. According to Sabean in Nashville, he was considering doing Lincecum for Rios, but was really unsure about whether he should pull the trigger. He kept going back and forth on it for a week, and when the Giants signed Aaron Rowand to play centrefield, Sabean finally told the Jays the deal was a no-go.
I don’t understand why Ricciardi would have said that to the fans. Does it make him look good to the fans that he didn’t make a trade that they didn’t want him to make, even though he wanted to? Why give that answer when it’s obvious to anyone who turned on a radio, picked up a newspaper or looked online during the Winter Meetings that it’s simply not true? I just don’t get it.
How much more time is JP going to get? His drafts are terrible, he overpaid Wells by a lot, and signed Eckstein.
Have I mentioned how much I appreciate the reason and logic that goes into the decisions made by the Indians’ front office?
I haven’t? Oh. Well this seems like a good time to do that.
Wow. I don’t know who I feel worse for: Blue Jay fans or the people that work for Riccardi.
I would wager that most Jays fans fall into three different categories on this kind of stuff: 1) Fans who didn’t pay attention to the Winter Meetings and haven’t really noticed that this statement is a steaming load. 2) Fans who can’t stand Ricciardi no matter what he does– but especially when he lies. 3) Fans who are just plain used to this sort of stuff.
So, no need to feel sorry for us Jays fans. This kind of thing happens all the time. Of course, the weirdest thing about this particular little gem is that most times I like to think can reason my way through JP’s playing with the truth’s balls, but this one seems to tend to the more pathological side of things, doesn’t it?
Regardless, until Scott Rolen has season-ending surgery JP is doing alright by me. No, seriously.
Keith, Ricciardi sounds like he panders a lot. Frankly, I haven’t read much print that makes him look altogether great. What are some things that he does well as GM?
Keith-
Now that we know that Ken Tremendous of FJM is a writer for the American version of, ‘The Office’ will you be more inclined to watch the show? It’s hilarious.
I just told my wife that now I have to watch the show.
Fantastic. Welcome aboard.
Its hockey season. Would anyone in Toronto really notice what happens with the Jays until the middle of April anyway?
Joe, there are a few of us who don’t like hockey and follow baseball religiously, but all in all the answer is no.
Oh, and Keith, because this is a Blue Jays post I’ll ask you a Jays question. If Lind were still a prospect where would he rank around in the top 100?
Not only is KT a writer, but he also plays Dwight’s crazy brother. This newfound info has blown me away. I’m tickled.
I’ve followed JP extremely closely for years and I can help but think he is a liar – and that’s probably why Keith Law left. JP does good and bad things as a GM but I don’t get his lack of tact and tendency to lie, when its simply not necessary. Off the top of my head, he claimed that “they never really made an offer to Lilly or Meche” after they signed elsewhere. He lied about BJ Ryan’s back, and AJ Burnett’s elbow (“scar tissue” = a mild strain, same with Wells’ shoulder, they said he needed a cyst removed in surgery, and really his labrum was frayed I THINK), his whole Zaun-Barajas drama thing. Also, he just seems like a horrible negotiator. Every time Brian Collangelo comes out of a negotiation, its better than you would have thought. With JP, its always much worse. Glaus traded for just Rolen. Wells gets maximum money. Overbay traded for 3 young players. etc. etc. He also is delusional in his acquisition of players, like their injuries wont ever happen: Thomas, Rolen, Glaus, Burnett…huge money going to red flags. Anyway.
oh yeah forgot about the huge paycheques to bj ryan and burnett (he overpaid big time), and the fact that his definition of not lying is: “if we know the truth its not a lie.” I really don’t understand that…isn’t that the very definition of a lie?
Has everyone checked out FJM recently and seen that the authors have dropped their cloak of anonymity. Keith did you know have an inside track to the identity? And if not than how about KT, arguably the most frequent poster attended Harvard (class of ’97) and writes for my favortie TV show The Office. Congrats to the guys for putting it all out there and I can’t wait to see if there is any fallout.
Well, I mean, if you read between the lines (or actually just paid close attention to things they said straight out), it was pretty clear they were mostly Harvard grads who wrote for TV shows. It being The Office is pretty awesome though.
Man, I can remember those first few posts I read, wondering whether Fremulon Insurance was a real place…
Anyway, man, I never realized how much the BBTNers hate them ’til today. Wow. I thought your post there, Keith, was spot on. They’re usually right, usually very funny, and their snarkiness is while arrogant, certainly not just “haha, I’m smarter than you!”
That was supposed to be BBTF not BBTN–though I’m sure John Kruk et al hate FJM just as much.
Will the FJM guys now need a security team to watch out for a pitchfork-wielding mob led by Woody Paige and Hat Guy?
I’ve been on BBTF a long time, yet I still generally like FJM, even if it gets old quick. I think the BBTF thing is based on a general aversion to spleen on their part. It’s understandable in that so much of the bad sportswriting discussed at BBTF is bad because it’s all spleen and no brain. I don’t think that accurately describes FJM, but BBTF folks are probably inclined to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Ken Tremendous is Regis Philbin’s son-in-law. Life imitates art.
http://www.celebrity-babies.com/2007/08/regis-philbin-t.html