I for one will take the public-averse guy who puts up Hall of Fame numbers for 5 of 6 years while the team goes to the playoffs 5 of 6 years ... just about every day in the week, month, year, decade, etc.

I know I’m being unreasonable.

Well, yeah.

Isn't Vlad like Ichiro, in that they can speak English, but just rather not?

Why do people want Vlad to talk so much? So he can spout off sports cliches, or should he venture into non-cliche territory, people can tell him to shut up?

Then again, his unwillingness or lack of desire to learn new things is kind of indicative of his career.

What?? This is pretty uncalled for. He's a borderline-HoF level player. What was he supposed to learn, exactly? How to hit .400?

I don't like this. Attention all Angels fans: There is to be no bad-mouthing Vlad in the event that he's played his last game for the Angels. This article isn't really mean-spirited, but I don't like the direction I see here. Other teams, their media, and their fans may feel the need to turn on a player as he heads out of town. Let's not be like them.

There should be nothing but thanks for the efforts of Vlad, Figgins, Lackey, Abreu, and Oliver for several great seasons of Angels baseball, in the event that they are not part of the 2010 team. Gary Matthews Jr., of course, remains fair game.

I don't get the obsession with people wanting to know all about the personal lives of athletes.

Basically my rules are 1) Be a good ballplayer and 2) be a decent human being. The more you are of (1), the less you can be of (2) and vice versa. Vlad is/was a good ballplayer. I don't care if he can or can't speak English or if he really cares about the fans.

I guess a little public interaction is too much to ask of a guy who made $15 million this year.

. . . to play baseball. That's what he made the $15 million for. Not to talk with or please you.

I find I become less and less tolerant of people who readily resort to mentioning money when arguing about things--baseball-related or not--that have little to nothing to do with money. If you're talking about a team's plans and a player's production relative to his value, sure, money should come into it. Otherwise, you're usually just going for the easy, emotional shot and you're revealing a lot about yourself that I'm not inclined to like.

I don't think it is a bad thing, generally speaking, for players to interact with the fans, that's nice enough. But I've always gotten the impression--and this is all from the media anyway--that Vlad isn't rude or indifferent to the fans, he just wants to be left alone. He doesn't like doing press, he doesn't like doing appearences, he just wants to play baseball and that's it.

Which seems fair enough.

I heard these stories about Vlad since he played for the Expos, specifically regarding how Vlad was basically, quiet, shy, nervous around people, anti-social, and all the other adjectives. This guy hasn't gotten used to it yet?

And, what RB said.

Vlad has never been outspoken. He would not even speak witht the only Montréal Spanish-speaking journalist when he was here.

But you, who cares? I've been privileged enough to see him play in person several times a year for 6 and a half seasons, and that's enough for me.

Now, I have a question: I haven't seen him played that much over the past 6 seasons, but when he was in Montréal, Vlad struck me as an incredibly talented guy, but a bad baseball player. Has he improved?

These are human beings, not monkeys. They're not paid to dance and do tricks for you. Vlad has spent a huge chunk of his career living with his mom and his brother. He spends time with friends, and otherwise lives a quiet life with family.

And he hits a baseball better than almost anyone who's ever lived.

That's more than enough.

OK, I'll defend the guy here. None of us have an obligation to be sports fans, or fans of a specific team. He likes rooting for guys that he feels make an effort to connect with him. He didn't see that with Vlad, and as a result, he wasn't as much a fan and won't miss him that much when he's gone.

Vlad absolutely has a right to keep to himself, avoid press and the fans. And True Grich has an equal right to decide that, because of Vlad's choices, he's not much of a fan of his.

Vlad is an island. He could have had the world in his hands. I know he’s still popular, but I don’t think he’s beloved. Tim Salmon was beloved. Torii Hunter is beloved. These guys understand that this game is nothing without the people who come to watch them play. The day Torii Hunter left Minnesota he left a huge void in his wake.

More players should leave voids in their wakes. Minnesota fans are probably happier than Vlad's former Expo fans are.

More players should leave voids in their wakes. Minnesota fans are probably happier than Vlad's former Expo fans are.

Delmon Young is both an offensive and defensive void, so yeah, I guess Torii did leave a void in his wake.

Minnesota fans are probably happier than Vlad's former Expo fans are.

Sad but true. After all those years, I'm still looking for a team to root for. Ideas, anyone?

Sad but true. After all those years, I'm still looking for a team to root for. Ideas, anyone?

White Sox.

Ideas, anyone?

Not Toronto. With the way things have gone recently (and are going to go this offseason), I may also soon be looking for a new team to root for.

Not Toronto. With the way things have gone recently (and are going to go this offseason), I may also soon be looking for a new team to root for.

The Mets await!

MWAH HHAHHA HA HA HHAHHAH HAHA HHAAAA!

No, not Toronto. Never. Imagine, back in 1992, I was doing a student exchange in British-Columbia and everybody was rooting for the Jays but I just couldn't. So I sided with the Braves. That was before I was stuck with them in my division, though...

Nor the Mets.

Nor the Phillies.

Nor the Dodgers.

Nor the Nats (God forbid)

Nor the White Sox (!)

Nor any AL team, for that matter. All those years growing up watching real baseball, I can't bring myself to root for a team that uses a DH.

So, I guess that leaves me with the Pirates or the Reds... Sigh. Or the Braves, maybe, when Cox is gone.

You don’t see Vlad on Sports Center doing interviews. You don’t hear him on the radio with Jim Rome.

That's true, but it might be because I neither watch SportsCenter nor listen to Jim Rome.

I'm with Tim here. No team will replace the Expos.

One shouldn't forget that Vlad is basically a country rube. He's reasonably smart (i.e. no relation to Pedro Guerrero), but he doesn't have much education and as a result has never been comfortable speaking to strangers. He isn't particularly articulate in Spanish either, from the few interviews I've heard, so it's not just a question of not mastering English.

But I don't care. The man in his prime was more articulate with his bat than a thousand Ivy School graduates. That's good enough for me.

There's also the Cardinals, Brewers, Rockies, Padres, Diamondbacks, and Giants. There are some nice organizations there.

Nor the Mets

But they've got that guy with the French name!

The Mets? Why would you want to inflict that sort of suffering on someone?

I'm a little conflicted on this issue. From my point of view, I consider MLB (and all pro sports)to be a diversion, as a form of entertainment that requires more than a troupe of trained monkeys.

I own and still sometimes wear an Expo's jersey with "Guerrero" on the back of it. Very rarely do I encounter people out on the street that have any idea who this guy is and that's cool since most times I'd rather not interact with random strangers (in person) any more than I have to - kind of like how I suppose Vlad feels.

And if I wear a Red Sox jersey with "Martinez" on the back of it - people who have never seen a baseball game in their lives know who it is. Both are superbly talented, HOF baseball players who once played for the Expos; but I would guess that Pedro has created more new fans (or retained fans at risk of apathy) of baseball over the years than Vlad has through his self-promotion, a larger than life size persona created in concert with the media and interaction with young fans.

I certainly don't begrudge Vlad for his wish for privacy and to be left alone to play ball but I'm not sure how MLB would continue to exist if every player expected the right to never have to interact with their teams fans.

Now, I know that’s good enough for some fans, but it’s never been enough for me.

And after all, when it comes right down to it, it's all about YOU, isn't it?

Other teams, their media, and their fans may feel the need to turn on a player as he heads out of town. Let's not be like them.

We prefer to turn on players before they get to town, like Shea Hillenbrand and Gary Matthews.

I know he’s still popular, but I don’t think he’s beloved. Tim Salmon was beloved. Torii Hunter is beloved.

Maybe it's because I'm not in SoCal, but is Torii Hunter beloved? I like Torii, but I don't think I'd put him in the "beloved" category. He's certainly not in the same league as Tim Salmon, or even Eckstein when he was around.

but I would guess that Pedro has created more new fans (or retained fans at risk of apathy) of baseball over the years than Vlad has through his self-promotion, a larger than life size persona created in concert with the media and interaction with young fans.

The fact that one spent his prime years in Boston while the other was in Anaheim is a pretty significant factor.

The fact that one spent his prime years in Boston while the other was in Anaheim is a pretty significant factor.

A factor yes, but if Vlad had played in Boston and Pedro in Anaheim the end result likely would have been the same.

A factor yes, but if Vlad had played in Boston and Pedro in Anaheim the end result likely would have been the same.

I think you're on drugs if you really believe that.

Some of us want to feel connected to our players

Well, some of us are older than 10 and have real friends to connect with.

Not me, but some of us.

The Mets? Why would you want to inflict that sort of suffering on someone?

Because, Ryan, like Jim Jones, I know what's best for you.

Now come over here, sit down, relax, and watch a game with me.

Care for a drink?

Sad but true. After all those years, I'm still looking for a team to root for. Ideas, anyone?

I picked up the Devil Rays, but of course my own path to Expos fanhood was long and circuitous since I wasn't even Canadian.

I think you're on drugs if you really believe that.

That's very witty - I'm just slow by nature and not because of drugs. I'd prefer a civil conversation if it's possible.

What clear advantages are you attributing to Boston for Pedro that Anaheim wouldn't have given him? Anaheim is a major baseball market with a strong fanbase afterall. And I'm simply requesting for education via a less derisive retort.

I wonder how many foreign languages the author speaks well enough that he would be comfortable interacting with foreign media in. For some folks learning a language, especially with near fluency is very hard.

My impression of Vlad has always been that of a quiet, shy person who is making huge money but still prefers to live with his mother. I'd much rather have a player I root for doing that than hanging out in bars at 2 AM every night...

Sad but true. After all those years, I'm still looking for a team to root for. Ideas, anyone?

Hanshin Tigers?

My impression of Vlad has always been that of a quiet, shy person who is making huge money but still prefers to live with his mother.

Considering that Vlad is a quiet, shy person who makes huge money and still lives with his mother, that's a pretty accurate impression.

If Pedro is that much more popular than Vlad, does it depend on what coast you live on? Is Pedro more likely to be known by casual fans in California than Vlad?

What clear advantages are you attributing to Boston for Pedro that Anaheim wouldn't have given him?

From a national media persepective, there's simply no comparison between the amount of coverage the Red Sox receive from traditional press, and the amount of attention the Angels receive. Some of that is because the Sox have been a bit more successful over the past decade (though not a ton more), some of it due to the coast they play on. But I can virtually guarantee you that "#27 Guerrero" would be much more recognizable to the average person if he had spent the last six years in Boston, regardless of how many interviews he gave. I'm not saying that their personalities have had nothing to do with it, and I've never made that argument. But there's simply no question that the Red Sox garner FAR more free publicity than the Angels in the national press.

Stop talking about Vlad and Pedro. That makes my heart bleed.

Ideas, anyone?

Someone suggested the Cards. I kind of like the idea. The problem though is that you can't be made to root for a team. This kind of stuff just happens.

Maybe if I lived in the US somewhere? But I'm stuck in Edmonton and it's snowing as I'm writing this. My daughter has to f***ing wear winter clothes under her Halloween costume. So much for baseball fandom...

Vlad isn't paid just to play baseball, but also to represent the team and be a good role model so said team has an easier time filling the stands with paying customers.

But that said, if said team doesn't care, esp. since Vlad's general public image still remains very positive, this guy can go bite it. Vlad Guerro's behavior isn't the greatest, but it's so far from the worst that it's de facto admirable.

Vlad's just an anti-social jackass who lives in his mother's basement. I hate that guy.

The problem though is that you can't be made to root for a team. This kind of stuff just happens.

I think I'd pick a player and rooting for his team might just follow naturally. Given that all I know about you is that Tim Wallach is apparently your hero, maybe Evan Longoria?

He might be a fan of low on-base percentages. How about Jeff Francoeur?

Vlad isn't paid just to play baseball, but also to represent the team and be a good role model so said team has an easier time filling the stands with paying customers.

That's true. Thank goodness, for the most part, his badass hitting does that. And I don't really care about how well he can spout cliches.

Vlad isn't paid just to play baseball, but also to represent the team and be a good role model so said team has an easier time filling the stands with paying customers.

That's true.

Is it? Does his contract say that? Or does it simply bar him from engaging in acts of moral turpitude or which would bring opprobrium to the team?

And even if it does, what does "being a good role model" mean? Is he required to actively engage in certain positive behaviors in order to be a good role model, or is it enough to not engage in negative behavior? Do you have to learn a second language in order to be considered a good role model?

It seems like in professional sports, the bar for "good role model" is set pretty low -- if he makes it through his professional career without being indicted, that sounds pretty good.

but is Torii Hunter beloved? I like Torii, but I don't think I'd put him in the "beloved" category. He's certainly not in the same league as Tim Salmon, or even Eckstein when he was around.

Agreed. Lackey has more of a fanbase. Torii just does every interview, all the time. Which actually might become annoying during the latter half of his contract, when he (presumably) declines.

Nor the Nats (God forbid)

I used to feel like that. But the more I thought about it, the more I decided that one can't blame the Washington baseball team for what happened. The Montréal Expos died in the 2001-02 offseason, when the scouts and front office people largely went to the Marlins. The players stayed to become the MLB Expos, which eventually metamorphosed into the Washington Nationals. Eventually I resumed being a fan of the franchise, but that's just me.

I'd apply a simple rule for any ex-Expos' fan in choosing an NL team. Which one is closest to where you live? Or which one might you have family living near so that you might actually go to their ballpark when you and your wife pay a visit to your brother-in-law (or whomever) in Los Angeles (or wherever).

Vlad has spent a huge chunk of his career living with his mom and his brother. He spends time with friends, and otherwise lives a quiet life withfamily.

The question is, which family? Isn't Vlad sort of the Shawn Kemp of MLB?