azdad1978
Championship!!!!
Dan Bickley
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 12, 2004 12:00 AM
Here they go. Splash. Like rats off a sinking ship.
Grab a life preserver before it's too late.
If you don't mind, leave one behind for the general manager.
The Diamondbacks' surreal off-season grew even dimmer Thursday, when the team learned without a doubt that its resident superstar wants out of Arizona. Alan Nero, one of Randy Johnson's agents, told the Sporting News that his client would like to pitch someplace else in 2005.
The Diamondbacks have yet another public relations debacle on their hands.
"When he gets back in the country, we'll want to meet with him face to face," team President Rich Dozer said. "It's hard for us to consider trading what we consider to be the best left-hander of all time and a future first-ballot Hall of Famer. However, we'll take his feelings into account."
Beginning today, free agents can sign new deals with new teams. Johnson, who is off touring Japan, is worried that the market will dry up by the time his matter is resolved, that the Yankees will fill their pitching staff with inferior names.
So he forced the issue, and unlike last time, when he had hoped to look like a martyr in a salary dump, Johnson has made it clear he is done playing games. He wants out.
"Randy has very, very strong feelings about his community and home," Nero told the Sporting News. "In his heart, he'll always be a Diamondback. But I would think at this stage of his career, his goals would supersede that."
Surely Johnson noticed that three out-of-town writers didn't even rank him among the top three National League Cy Young contenders. To him, that affirms that pitching on a losing team comes with a very high price. He will not see his trophy collection or his quest for 300 wins suffer any longer.
Johnson is the scowling face of the Diamondbacks organization, which has been through an almost comical free-for-all. The team's fourth manager in seven years, Wally Backman, lasted all of four days. Sandy Johnson, one of the few real baseball men in the building, bolted for the Mets. Richie Sexson may soon sign with Seattle.
Yet none of that hurts like Johnson's impending departure, which will complete the Diamondbacks' stunning shift from have to have-not.
Johnson should retire in purple, an eternal touchstone for good memories. Problem is, he no longer trusts the organization. Not after the fiasco at last season's trade deadline, not after the exit of Jerry Colangelo, the one guy in a suit whom Johnson truly admired.
"I haven't talked to Randy since it all went down," Colangelo said. "I saw his agent in Chicago the other night and we talked about the Cy Young voting, but the Diamondbacks never came up, good or bad."
Now the pressure falls squarely on General Manager Joe Garagiola Jr., who is flying without the Colangelo safety net for the first time in his career. If he hopes to change Johnson's mind, he had better ink Sexson or sign some appealing free agents, quickly.
If not, he had better work a trade that restores faith among highly suspicious fans.
"If we do make a deal for him, it will not be one of those deals you see as a giveaway or a salary dump," Dozer said. "We would have to get value back commensurate with Johnson's value."
Good luck.
To date, Bob Brenly has been the only fall guy for this busted franchise, and it doesn't take a bloodhound to see where this trail leads. Joe Jr. is on the clock. Without the right moves, his next stop will be the griddle.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/columns/articles/1112bickley1112.html
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 12, 2004 12:00 AM
Here they go. Splash. Like rats off a sinking ship.
Grab a life preserver before it's too late.
If you don't mind, leave one behind for the general manager.
The Diamondbacks' surreal off-season grew even dimmer Thursday, when the team learned without a doubt that its resident superstar wants out of Arizona. Alan Nero, one of Randy Johnson's agents, told the Sporting News that his client would like to pitch someplace else in 2005.
The Diamondbacks have yet another public relations debacle on their hands.
"When he gets back in the country, we'll want to meet with him face to face," team President Rich Dozer said. "It's hard for us to consider trading what we consider to be the best left-hander of all time and a future first-ballot Hall of Famer. However, we'll take his feelings into account."
Beginning today, free agents can sign new deals with new teams. Johnson, who is off touring Japan, is worried that the market will dry up by the time his matter is resolved, that the Yankees will fill their pitching staff with inferior names.
So he forced the issue, and unlike last time, when he had hoped to look like a martyr in a salary dump, Johnson has made it clear he is done playing games. He wants out.
"Randy has very, very strong feelings about his community and home," Nero told the Sporting News. "In his heart, he'll always be a Diamondback. But I would think at this stage of his career, his goals would supersede that."
Surely Johnson noticed that three out-of-town writers didn't even rank him among the top three National League Cy Young contenders. To him, that affirms that pitching on a losing team comes with a very high price. He will not see his trophy collection or his quest for 300 wins suffer any longer.
Johnson is the scowling face of the Diamondbacks organization, which has been through an almost comical free-for-all. The team's fourth manager in seven years, Wally Backman, lasted all of four days. Sandy Johnson, one of the few real baseball men in the building, bolted for the Mets. Richie Sexson may soon sign with Seattle.
Yet none of that hurts like Johnson's impending departure, which will complete the Diamondbacks' stunning shift from have to have-not.
Johnson should retire in purple, an eternal touchstone for good memories. Problem is, he no longer trusts the organization. Not after the fiasco at last season's trade deadline, not after the exit of Jerry Colangelo, the one guy in a suit whom Johnson truly admired.
"I haven't talked to Randy since it all went down," Colangelo said. "I saw his agent in Chicago the other night and we talked about the Cy Young voting, but the Diamondbacks never came up, good or bad."
Now the pressure falls squarely on General Manager Joe Garagiola Jr., who is flying without the Colangelo safety net for the first time in his career. If he hopes to change Johnson's mind, he had better ink Sexson or sign some appealing free agents, quickly.
If not, he had better work a trade that restores faith among highly suspicious fans.
"If we do make a deal for him, it will not be one of those deals you see as a giveaway or a salary dump," Dozer said. "We would have to get value back commensurate with Johnson's value."
Good luck.
To date, Bob Brenly has been the only fall guy for this busted franchise, and it doesn't take a bloodhound to see where this trail leads. Joe Jr. is on the clock. Without the right moves, his next stop will be the griddle.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/columns/articles/1112bickley1112.html
