tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610014.post115342065215951297..comments2024-01-31T17:51:12.213-05:00Comments on Swing and a Miss: We Hardly Knew ThemTom Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816668232837298444noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610014.post-1153486350340760542006-07-21T08:52:00.000-04:002006-07-21T08:52:00.000-04:00Adversarial relationships with the media are hardl...Adversarial relationships with the media are hardly unique to this generation of athletes. What has changed are the sheer volume of media outlets, the instantaneity of news and information dissemination and the 24/7 presence of cameras, microsphones and other devices. <BR/><BR/>All of this scrutiny comes with the territory but I doubt most ballplayers think about such things as they are coming up through the ranks. Some, like a Jimmy Rollins, seem to take it all in stride and enjoy the give-and-take. Others, like Pat Burrell, appear to arrive on the scene with a chip on their shoulders and a scowl on their faces.<BR/><BR/>My advice to Burrell would be this: when you are 37 years old, Pat, you can retire without any financial worries and pursue whatever interests you have without further public scrutiny. Indeed, Pat, chances are most people and nearly all Philadelphians will have long forgotten about you before that day arrives.Tom Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00816668232837298444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610014.post-1153439336527879332006-07-20T19:48:00.000-04:002006-07-20T19:48:00.000-04:00Good points Tom. I think part of the reason for i...Good points Tom. I think part of the reason for it is also the fact that rarely do any of those players talk to the media at length after a game, particularly Burrell.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610014.post-1153435405917113952006-07-20T18:43:00.000-04:002006-07-20T18:43:00.000-04:00Mostly we get to know people by knowing what they ...Mostly we get to know people by knowing what they care about. I think the guys you mentioned do care about winning, but they sure don't let us in on it, and a lot of what they say doesn't sound like it. I'm really tired of, "I only made one mistake," or "I only had one bad inning," or "We're just going bad now."<BR/><BR/>It appears that there is no player on this team that takes everyone by the throat and says, "Get after it! No excuses. Do it or shut up!"<BR/><BR/>John Kruk said something a few weeks ago that really stopped me cold. He was asked his reaction to Philly fans when he played here and he said that he liked being held accountable. I don't believe that the players you mentioned like being held or holding themselves accountable.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610014.post-1153425064978615422006-07-20T15:51:00.000-04:002006-07-20T15:51:00.000-04:00We can only hope they disappear. The more days whi...We can only hope they disappear. The more days which go by without a single move increases my skepticism that Gillick actually believes this team has a chance. <BR/><BR/>But disappear they should. That's what happens to players who don't win. We'll see their paunches and bald heads when the Phillies hold a ceremony for the closing of BankWorldOne Stadium in 2035, and hope to forget about them before and after. A guy like Pete Incaviglia or a Danny Jackson can play here only a couple of years and be far more remembered and embraced than long-time players like Mike Lieberthal or Pat Burrell. Association is everything. I'll remember both of them as decent players, but moreover as losers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com