Before the regular BBTF contingent piles on, I’ll just point out that I think what Lo Duca says here is quite well put and heartfelt. Selected excerpts:
I just felt, take pride, take pride in the game. You know, I’m in a situation here where I’m on the bench now, and I can’t pout about it. The kid, Flores, has played well. I’m in a situation where, if I go to another team, I go to another team. But I’m still a National [for now]… When you are a losing team or last-place team, a lot of things get magnified; when you don’t hustle balls out, or you don’t do the little things to win ballgames, things get magnified. And, you know, we don’t have the big boppers in our lineup, and we need to do the little things to win. And we need to take pride in that. And, not play for paychecks, but play for pride.
[...]
And I told them, do you think I really want to play outfield or first base? No. But it’s the way I’m going to get at bats, and I almost killed myself yesterday; I was out here at 2 p.m. taking fly balls, and I’m too old for that crap. But you know, that’s what I’ve got to do to get at bats and get in the game and show that I can still play. And I’m going to do that. And that’s the approach we need to take. Don’t take it for granted. I’m 36 years old, and my career is not over. I want to keep playing, and I want to take that approach until they take the jersey off of my back. And that’s what you need to do. This game is not about stats, it’s about going to sleep at night. I don’t care how much money you’ve got in the bank or whatever, I want to sleep at night with a World Series ring. I’ll tell you that right now. And I’m not going to stop until I get it. If I don’t get it, Hey, at least I know I gave an effort and tried. That’s the way I want these guys to look at it. You know, I gave Flo (Flores) a big hug after the game. That’s a professional at bat. He had four tough at bats, he’s gone in a little slump; that’s gonna happen. We’ve all done it. He comes up with a big hit when it counts. He doesn’t keep his head down. I gave him a hug and that’s how you do it.
[...]
But listen, you’re going to lose ballgames, you’re going to win ballgames, but you can’t lose ballgames by—like, even myself, missing cutoff men and doing little things like that. You don’t want to lose ballgames like that. You get out-hit and the guy on the mound shuts you down? So be it, you tip your cap. You’d rather lose ballgames like that than the way we’ve been playing—which has been sloppy.
[...]
I’m not saying I’ve got a lot of wisdom, but you know, I’ve been through a lot of hard times in this game. The last three years of my career have been hell, off and on the field, off the field more than on. But I’ve straightened my life out, I’m happy, I’m gonna get married again. I went through a bad divorce. I went through all of it...We’ve all got skeletons in the closet. But when you come to the ballpark, get here early, get your crap done and get ready to play. Go to that batter’s box knowing that I’m prepared. And that’s what we need to do: prepare ourselves. Baseball players, preparation is everything. And if you’re not prepared, that guy on the mound ain’t gonna make friends with you.
[...]
It’s not fun to be a last-place team. We’ve got the worst record in the National League. And we need to do something about it, and take pride about it. I don’t want to be the last-place team in the league. I don’t care if I’m playing or not. I’m not going to let that happen, and that’s the way I look at it.
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To be fair, I only read the excerpts and I agree that those parts are thoughtful and heartfelt.
I don't think steroid use or being an off the field D-bag makes him less qualified to show leadership in the dugout. A baseball team ain't no bible study group.
I guess he can just take the same attitude toward leadership that my dad did toward parenting: Do as I say, not as I do.
I guess he can just take the same attitude toward leadership that my dad did toward parenting: Do as I say, not as I do.
In the context of baseball? No.
Is venting to the press leadership in the dugout though?
What does that mean? I think people underestimate the professionalism of professional athletes. There's a reason guys don't choke their GM once a week. They aren't as dumb and jockish as many make them out to be. On a 25 man roster, I feel certain that there is always going to be a better leader on the team than Paul LoDuca and that the players in search of leadership from someone will be able to see it. LoDuca could maybe mentor a young catcher (and if I were in management, that would make me nervous as hell), but that's about it.
That's different. Players don't like that, but if they don't like LoDuca, I would bet large sums of money it has nothing to do with the Mitchell Report or LoDuca's choice of snatch.
I don't think I'm underestimating their professionalism? Does LoDuca know the game? Does he work hard? Is he a "good guy" in the clubhouse? Do his years of experience give him knowledge he can pass on and does he have the knack for communicating this knowledge to younger players? If LoDuca had all these attributes, isn't that professionalism? I'm not saying LoDuca has these attributes--I don't know--but if he did, they would outweigh the public view of him as being an ass. I think we're much more prone to moralizing and pronouncing judgements on character around here than the average ballplayer is.
It seems we're just different then. I work in a bottom-line industry and if there was an experienced guy around who could help me excel at my job I wouldn't care if he was a raging coke fiend and liked to fly to Guatemala on the weekends to see women have sex with donkeys. What makes a guy a jerk and abhorrent in one aspect of his life doesn't negate what he can offer positively in another.
Shooty, check your email- I'm sending over my resume.
Damn, Guapo, I am not from Havana!
Would that be a good boss if you were just out of college? Would you want that guy managing twenty-five people?
That said, Lo Duca is in a good position to tell young guys what they shouldn't do, and if he's learned from his mistakes, that's a good thing.
Why not? I wouldn't invite him home. I wouldn't hook him up with my sister. But why couldn't he be a good boss, even for someone right out of college?
Unless he insists on showing you his pictures from his weekends.
I almost killed myself yesterday; I was out here at 2 p.m. taking fly balls, and I'm too old for that crap.
Unless he insists on showing you his pictures from his weekends.
I concede this point.
People are complicated. All of us are bad and even immoral in some areas, and good in others, and in between the rest of the time. I don't think it serves any purpose to sort out Lo Duca into the category of "bad person" and then read everything he does for the rest of his life through that lens.
Actually, it usually is.
I really don't care if Lo Duca used roids, and good for him for getting some young #####. He's still an ####### for the reason most ######## are ######## -- he's just an #######.
As it turns out, he almost did! (He left the game early that evening with dizziness.)
The short answer is that this is what we're paid to do at Baseball Primer.
The longer answer is that while you make a good point, Lo Duca's motives can also be questioned. From the WaPo beat writer's blog:
Paul Lo Duca, who left the team yesterday and headed to the hospital, is back in the clubhouse today and available. His text message sent yesterday night to Manny Acta asking to start today, though, was ignored.
He then gave the speech to the press that evening.
You could interpret that as the persistent actions of a gamer, or I guess you could interpret that as trying to speak to the manager through the press.
And you're getting paid for this? Where's my check, dammit? Haven't I accumulated enough tenure here yet?
I'm arguing on the premise. I suppose such a Jekyll/Hyde is within the realm of possibility, but my life experience teaches me that people generally do not compartmentalize their lives, that they are essentially the same boss as they are a person. My good bosses have all been good people. And I knew no bad person who was a good boss.
I've seen a couple of examples where a boss who was a real @$$hole and backstabber but treated his underlings well, probably because he was so dependent on their work and was at least that self aware. But they were paternalistic relationships, not the kind where you can freely challenge* your boss (and vice versa) about some action or proposed action.
*Not in the Shawn Chacon way, but in a constructive, transparent way.
The FireJimBowden guy was brought on to handle payroll. Sorry. :-(
In retrospect, I'll admit I was overly harsh on Lo Duca. I'm just very tired of him at this point.
Backstabbing is easier when someone trusts you enough to turn his back on you.
And even my worst bosses have had some positive (if not exactly redeeming) features. I've been a bit lucky in that regard.
I'd interpret it as both.
"... we just have to wait until she's legal."
"This kid, Flores. He's got more talent in his baby toe than I have in my entire body. The only reason I've even had a career is my willingness to jam a needle in my ass. So it's tough to sit on the bench, collect your dough and knowing you suck. The new testing regimens, it makes cheating tougher and tougher. All my connections have gone to ground. The feds are all over me. I'd lift weights and stuff but I'm a lazy ####, always have been, and that working out and stuff bores the #### out me and take away from chasing teenage ass. I just love teenage ##### and I can't even get that anymore. My new fiance is on to me. So I'm depressed. All I can do is sit here, cheer Flores and hope I get my 5 ABs a week and a blowjob on the road every now and then."
I just skimmed it looking for my name.
There are a lot of things I dislike about Lo Duca, but "only saying what he is supposed to say" is about the last thing in the world I would ever think of Lo Duca. If anything he has far to little filter between his brain his heart and his mouth and as a result puts his foot into his mouth on a regular basis. I think you must be thinking of some other catcher.
I have no problem with who a guy is "sloshing" after work. I do care that Lo Duca keeps calling out his teammates in the press and seemed to be a rather disruptive force to the Mets clubhouse, but I could care less about his girlfriend.
As a ball player, he's obviously not alone in this. But the point was brought in regards to his chances of being a manager. It shouldn't surprise anyone if there are managers that sleep around, they just aren't known adulterers before they get the job.
My thoughts exactly.
Agreed. Are we supposed to feel sorry for him?
It all depends on the type of behavior. Let's say you know a guy who acts friendly to your face, volunteers to help you with things, and offers to take you to the ball game on his season tickets, then turns around and badmouths you to mutual friends, doesn't show up on moving day, and always has some reason why he can't take you to the game whenever it comes up. I'm pretty sure that he's a backstabber at the office who promises things he can't deliver*. Because those are personality traits. Put someone in similar situations and they'll act similar.
However, having a mistress may not have much in common with managing people. Of course you can always make a parallel, but you don't really know if others think that the same behaviors are analgous.
*Or he just doesn't like you.
You mean publicly-known adulterers. If adultery disqualified you from being a ML manager, my guess is there'd be about 28 jobs open tomorrow, as a conservative estimate.
Discounting the occasional Dale Murphy, baseball players are reprobates, but from PEDs to prostitutes, we'd rather pretend otherwise.
Yes. The media loves to invent a story, but hiring a manager who used PEDs, dealt them to teammates and had a teenage concubine in every divisional city doesn't need stories made up about him. LoDuca actually has a good mold for a future manager--toiled in the minor leagues and worked his butt off to become a regular player (of course, with the help of PEDs), is a catcher and was/is pretty good with a staff, has a reputation as a leader... but the baggage is just too glaring.
I'm having a hard time picturing two of Bobby Cox, Joe Torre, Charlie Manuel or Rod Gardenhire having a mistress or two.
Athletes live lives that lead to involvement with more than one woman, and I doubt that LoDuca and Clemens are the only ballplayers to go for barely legal.
How much of that has to do with that they're never home? There are lots of ex-players on 2nd or 3rd marriages. They might have early in their managing careers, but now they're old fat guys. Some managers though, I'd be disappointed if they didn't have a mistress or two.
I've never understood the complaint. If it's legal, if she's willing, of sound mind (as much as any of us are), and eagerly consents, why does anyone care if one person is 19 and the other is 35, or 50, or 70?
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