Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia doesn’t appear to be a big fan of people looking at his statistics.
Arencibia took offense at a New York radio host pointing out his .063/.118/.156 line in his first nine games on Twitter.
...I’m not going to get up in arms about an athlete taking a cheap shot at a media member—those of us in the public eye (even the tiniest of eyes) have to expect some sort of criticism, it’s just part of the game for players and for the media types. What bugs me is that he took such a lame, easy shot. As uninspired as the original tweet was, Arencibia’s response was less imaginative or funny than the original, and as a pro, you should have a little more pride than that, even on Twitter. Of course, I’m guessing if Arencibia tried 35 jokes, he may get two hits and even one could be a home run. The shot he took Wednesdy was a K—something he’s pretty familiar with, having struck out 13 times in 35 plate appearances so far this season with just one walk (and a hit-by-pitch).
Arencibia may have to make some half-hearted apology at some point, and if he does, it’ll likely be as sincere as it needs to be (not at all), but it just goes to show that players (and radio talk show hosts) are people too, they can get their feeling hurt just like anyone else. People are mean-spirited, and most hide behind Twitter handles that have nothing to do with their real name or message-board anonymity. The internet is a cruel place where people say things to famous people—like Arencibia and to a lesser extend the radio guy here—on a keyboard that they’d never have the stones to say in real life. It’s the sad state of the world we live in (and if you don’t believe that, just read the comments here in a little bit), but it’s true.
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1. Paul D(uda) Posted: April 19, 2012 at 01:45 PM (#4110620)This happens all the time on Twitter, and I don't get it - why would the original tweet (by the radio host) include Arrencibia's twitter handle? Why send it to him? (Unless it's the Iron Sheik's feed)
That's how you get attention which is the point of Twitter (not trying to be as snarky as I sound there).
For example, if I'm writing about Paul D(uda) I should write "That #PaulD(uda) is a real sharp dresser. Wish I could be like him! LOL #BaseballThinkFactory #MadelineAlbright" or some such thing. Now I'm reaching the audience of people reading about Paul D(uda) and related topics. As I understand it # gets you to link to the name and @ is meant as a direct message.
I think that's how it works anyway. I'm not really a Twitter expert but that won't stop me from chiming in dammit.
Is J.P. OK with us mocking his OBP and SLG?
Why not? That is the value of twitter to a significant amount of it's users. You get to trade on someone else's popularity for free. It's not like anyone is particularly interested in what "The Mirl" has to say, so you namedrop.
[1] It's a total dick move. Rip all you want, but sending it so that the player directly sees it? There's no point unless you want to be a dick.
(As a first-class online dick, I'm very well qualified to comment here)
I agree. And I have to take away props for his "Besides I see enough donuts" line since he was a dick to begin with.
Mark Reynolds: #K_King
Evan Longoria: #MyAgentSux
Ryan Howard: #Jackpot
It's the simplest, easiest, and most obvious thing in the world to remark that he's a shameful putrid scab, an embarassing, ludicrous monstrosity that makes one frankly ashamed to be a baseball fan and that his ideas and standards are a stain on our national game...that's easy, anyone can see that! There's nothing difficult about that.
@ em or dap em.
BB Ref: Bobby Abreu: (twitter: @BobKellyAbreu)
Neither JP nor the article mentions his batting average at all. That's a Repoz Special and you, my friend, have fallen for it.
He would only see it he was looking at what people are saying about him. If he don't want his precious calm to be disturbed he may want to refrain from doing that while he is sucking royally.
Why do we assume that about players?
Do you operate at peak efficiency every day, or week at work? Don't we all have peaks and valley of effort based on how we feel physically, mentally, how our personal lives are going, how we feel about our boss and co-workers, whether we got a fair raise/bonus/promotion, etc., etc.? It's a truly rare bird that gives 100% every day at work.
Why should athletes be any different? I'd guess that at any given time at least 50% of MLB players are not trying their hardest.
Not to say they're not giving effort on the field (though there are plenty of guys that occasionally loaf). But, if you're getting blitzed every night after the game, a la Ozzie Guillen, or hang out in the strip clubs til 4 AM, you're not trying your hardest. Just to cite two examples of common player behavior.
Because barring definitive evidence, it's the decent thing to do.
Do you operate at peak efficiency every day, or week at work?
Effort is not the same thing as efficiency.
Why should athletes be any different? I'd guess that at any given time at least 50% of MLB players are not trying their hardest.
And you'd be comfortable having someone say this about you, I assume?
But, if you're getting blitzed every night after the game, a la Ozzie Guillen, or hang out in the strip clubs til 4 AM, you're not trying your hardest. Just to cite two examples of common player behavior.
At least 50% of MLB players are getting drunk every night or hanging out in strip clubs?
Comfortable? No one likes to hear negative things.
But, to put in perspective, some weeks you have get in to work at 8 AM and stay late, are busy every moment of the day, and take work home at night and on the weekends. Other weeks, you don't. If one week you work 70 hours, and another you work 40, you can't be trying as hard the second week.
Some weeks (too many in the last 3 years) I'm sick, or in pain. I'm certainly not trying as hard those weeks as I am when I feel great.
I expect ballplayers are no different.
At least 50% of MLB players are getting drunk every night or hanging out in strip clubs?
No. 50% of ballplayers probably have something going on in their lives that they're not giving their best effort at work.
Some of them are dealing with nagging injuries, or a flu bug. Some are fighting with their wives. Some have a parent in the hospital, or on his death bed. Some have a sick child, or a new born baby keeping them up all hours. Some are mad at their manager, or their GM. Some are depressed, maybe clinically. And, yes, some are getting drunk, chasing women and hanging out in clubs.
Sure you can. The work required of you in the second week may be less or maybe you've found a way to become more efficient and cut down on your time.
For example, last month I had to file sales taxes for a new state. It took me about half a day to create a series of reports and downloads that allowed me to file the taxes properly. Yesterday I filed for the same state and it took me about half an hour. I had saved the reports I did last month so that I could just change the query data ("March" instead of "February") and get the info I needed.
I didn't work harder last month, just longer out of necessity.
Working longer is working harder.
If there's less work you aren't trying as hard? Is this part of your work-until-you-drop-dead philosophy? EDIT: I guess it is.
Anyhow, it's a stupid argument (I don't necessarily mean your position, I mean the entire argument.) I simply disagree that less effort isn't maximum effort.
Oh? I thought if you used the @ sign you were sending it directly to him?
Well, yes. I mean there's always more stuff you can do, but life doesn't work that way. We don't give maximum effort all the time, and no boss expects maximum effort all the time.
If have no problem saying that an investment banker that works 80 hour weeks works harder than I do. I don't think he's necessarily more productive per hour of work, but he does more work. He also gets paid a lot more. That's part of the bargain.
Every job has a compensation level and a proportional expected level of output. It's a tradeoff.
As long as you meet or exceed the expected level of output, no one generally cares how hard you work.
That's why I've devoted my life to lowering expectations from all comers.
OTOH, what was it Roger Ebert said: "Someday I will be thin, and you will still be the director of The Brown Bunny?"
Yeah, but he's just riffing on Churchill.
2. If they do well, they make absolutely preposterous amounts of money.
3. Their failures are public and therefore embarrassing in a way most of us cannot relate to on a professional level.
It's marvelous that there are cocoons that protect software developers from being publicly ridiculed for their often embarrassingly public failings. No one ever says: "There goes the guy that crashed seven million computers last week, boooo!". And for that I'm very thankful.
The cool factor wears off quickly I'd guess.
2. If they do well, they make absolutely preposterous amounts of money.
And if they're mediocre, they make absolutely preposteous amounts of money. And, contracts are guaranteed. I think this cuts both ways.
3. Their failures are public and therefore embarrassing in a way most of us cannot relate to on a professional level.
True.
That's not really true, most people that go into professional baseball come out with absolutely nothing to show for it except memories.
Well, some of them get really cool surgical scars too.
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