Finally, permit me a bit of a rant, which is well timed with today’s salary-dump trade of Dan Haren to the Angels:
Gibson’s influence aside, it’s going to be a long, long time before the Diamondbacks are a competitive team again.
I base that on watching the product on the field, yes. But I base it on a few other things, too.
This is a tight-fisted organization. The payroll is going down and I expect it’s going to continue heading in that direction. The cost-cutting is happening in all areas of spending, and in some areas, it’s a downright embarrassment.
Look, I don’t complain much about press facilities. Nobody likes a grouch, especially one that watches baseball for a living. But this is the only place in the major leagues that requires you to buy the full dinner (which is wretched, by the way) to use the soda machine. They replaced the coffee with some abomination that serves instant brewed dreck. They print, like, five major league stat packs and don’t refresh them. They turn off the lighting in the press box barely an hour after the game ends.
And if you think it’s fun to write in the dark, imagine trying to go to the bathroom with no lights.
Yes, it’s true.
As MLB.com’s Chris Haft and I got ready to leave last night, Chris made a stop in the boys’ room. He soon realized the light switch didn’t work.
I kid you not, I had to hold open the restroom door so a little ambient light from the hallway would allow Chris to see what he was doing.
Just a little tip for you, Mr. Efficiency Expert: Keep the lights turned on in the head. The janitorial staff will thank you later.
Ridiculous.
