And I want a pony.

What's the deal with Derrek Lee? Is he going to be Jermaine Dye'd?

Happy Retirement, Magglio.

Sounds like Magglio just retired.

What's the deal with Derrek Lee? Is he going to be Jermaine Dye'd?

The Pirates were very serious about wanting him back for 2012, and he just wasn't interested in spending any more time in the city. C'est la vie. It seems like he's willing to sit out if he doesn't get the exact offer he's looking for, and at this point I just don't think it's out there for him.

Its nice to want things.

Me, either. Don't bother offering me some B.S. minor-league deal.

I will accept a minor league deal... that comes with MLB meal money during spring training, right?

The Pirates were very serious about wanting him back for 2012, and he just wasn't interested in spending any more time in the city.

That's odd. Pittsburgh's a nice town.

That's odd. Pittsburgh's a nice town.

I think it's the losing. The team's performance completely fell apart after he came over at the trade deadline, and it probably confirmed all his worst suspicions about how uncompetitive the team would be.

He seems like a nice enough guy, and he played hard and didn't badmouth the team while he was here, so I can't really hold it against him. Different strokes for different folks.

I think it's the losing. The team's performance completely fell apart after he came over at the trade deadline, and it probably confirmed all his worst suspicions about how uncompetitive the team would be.

He seems like a nice enough guy, and he played hard and didn't badmouth the team while he was here, so I can't really hold it against him. Different strokes for different folks.

Sure, everybody would rather play on a contender, but play MLB ball for a 70-win team for a couple of million bucks beats the hell out of sitting home on your coach watching Jerry Springer, or playing golf.

Ordonez wants a guaranteed Opening Day roster spot with guaranteed big-league money.

If I was running a team that had any sort of shot to make the playoffs and needed a part-time corner outfield bat, I'd maybe throw him a 1/$1M MLB offer with a buttload of incentives. He probably wouldn't take it right away, but he's not likely to get a better offer. Low risk, decent upside. If he's too proud to take it and decides to retire instead, so be it.

I mean, the Tigers are apparently planning on rolling Andy Dirks out there for 600 PA. Might not be a terrible idea to have an inexpensive Plan B.

The Braves really ought to be in on this.

I mean, the Tigers are apparently planning on rolling Andy Dirks out there for 600 PA. Might not be a terrible idea to have an inexpensive Plan B.

Really? Where do you see Dirks' 600 AB's coming from? Away from Young? Raburn? Boesch? Right now, Dirks is hoping to win a platoon job and not get sent to Toledo. I'm thinking 300 AB's is his max, and that's a bit of a stretch, as well.

If Young is the full time DH, then Dirks and Raburn are both going to get plenty of at bats in the outfield.

Sure, everybody would rather play on a contender, but play MLB ball for a 70-win team for a couple of million bucks beats the hell out of sitting home on your coach watching Jerry Springer, or playing golf.

One could argue that spending a summer hanging out with your kid(s) while you're a relatively young man who has already made $90M beats playing for a crappy team for a couple million, especially when your previous experience with said crappy team wasn't altogether pleasant.

One could argue that spending a summer hanging out with your kid(s) while you're a relatively young man who has already made $90M beats playing for a crappy team for a couple million, especially when your previous experience with said crappy team wasn't altogether pleasant.

Depends on the kid(s).

True!

In all seriousness, Derek Lee's little girl was diagnosed and then undiagnosed with something called Leber's congenital amaurosis. He's still pretty active in raising awareness for the disease, despite the misdiagnose. He even appeared in an episode of ER, which I totally did not know.

One could argue that spending a summer hanging out with your kid(s) while you're a relatively young man who has already made $90M beats playing for a crappy team for a couple million, especially when your previous experience with said crappy team wasn't altogether pleasant.

So bring your kids with you. It's not like he doesn't get 5 months a year off, and have his days free during the season.

Even a major league ballplayer who never takes his family on road trips gets to spend far, far more time with their families than your typical 40-50 hr. a week working stiff.

Once you stop playing, you don't get to go back.

In all seriousness, Derek Lee's little girl was diagnosed and then undiagnosed with something called Leber's congenital amaurosis. He's still pretty active in raising awareness for the disease, despite the misdiagnose. He even appeared in an episode of ER, which I totally did not know.

He can donate his salary to the cause, and has a much bigger microphone as an active MLBer.

That's odd. Pittsburgh's a nice town.

Pittsburgh should solicit players with offers of unlimited Primanti's sandwiches.

So bring your kids with you. It's not like he doesn't get 5 months a year off, and have his days free during the season.

Some people like to have stable, routine home lives for their kids rather than uprooting them to new cities all the time.

Pittsburgh should solicit players with offers of unlimited Primanti's sandwiches.

Sorry, Fielder's already signed with someone.

Some people like to have stable, routine home lives for their kids rather than uprooting them to new cities all the time.

I'm just laying out his options.

I'm just laying out his options.

Which we can be fairly sure he's aware of, and has considered.

Which we can be fairly sure he's aware of, and has considered.

Yes, and I'm offering my opinion that he choose poorly.

Also, you can't really say he's doing it for his family, if he's willing to play for a contender.

I'm just laying out his options.

Well good, it's nice that you don't want to judge others' personal situa-

Yes, and I'm offering my opinion that he choose poorly.

Also, you can't really say he's doing it for his family, if he's willing to play for a contender.

Oh.

Also, you can't really say he's doing it for his family, if he's willing to play for a contender.

Of course you can.

Playing for a contender and seeing your family some of the time > staying at home and seeing your family > playing for a crappy team and seeing your family some of the time

I am not sure how relevant it is that a baseball player has off 5 months of the year if his kids are in school during that time. And I'm also not sure how practical it is for his kids to travel with him during the summer on road trips, especially when it likely involves many combinations of plane/bus/car/hotel. And how much quality time can you really spend with your kids this way, anyway? What's Derek Lee's little girl going to do while daddy is shagging flies before the game, and is in team meetings, etc., to say nothing of during the game itself? Is it really practical to have your small children attend many consecutive road games, more than a few of which will end late at night?

Serious question, do a lot of ballplayers with families do this? Taking small children on the road with you sounds like a logistical nightmare, and that's assuming they won't get bored to tears being forced to watch a lot of baseball.

If I'm Derek Lee and the best contract offer I get is $1M, whether from a contender or a crappy team, I'd be very tempted to say #### it and just stay home and enjoy a summer with my family for the first time in my adult life.

play MLB ball for a 70-win team for a couple of million bucks beats the hell out of sitting home on your coach watching Jerry Springer,

The poor coach almost certainly agrees.

Serious question, do a lot of ballplayers with families do this? Taking small children on the road with you sounds like a logistical nightmare, and that's assuming they won't get bored to tears being forced to watch a lot of baseball.

I know Scott Brosius and his wife took their 3(?) kids on every road trip, and home schooled them so they could do so.

The kids don't actually have to come to every game. Typically players don't need to be at the park until 4PM, so they have a big chunk of the day to spend with their family.

I know Scott Brosius and his wife took their 3(?) kids on every road trip, and home schooled them so they could do so.

You were probably home schooled, right snapper?

You were probably home schooled, right snapper?

Nope. Public school the whole way from 1-12. Kindergarten was private.

I think home schooling is a little weird. We'll send our kids to Catholic school if we manage to have any.

I damn well won't send my kids to any school where they can't sing Silent Night at the Christmas pageant.

I damn well won't send my kids to any school where they can't sing Silent Night at the Christmas pageant.

Most schools don't have Christmas pageants anymore, so the matter of what can and can't be sung at them is kind of a moot point.

Nope. Public school the whole way from 1-12. Kindergarten was private.

That's odd - most public school products are better adapted to the existence of other humans than you seem to be.

Hats off to #27.

That's odd - most public school products are better adapted to the existence of other humans than you seem to be.

WTF brought that on?

The poor coach almost certainly agrees.

[Sandusky joke]

The term "home school" doesn't always mean that clueless parents gave their kids a mixture of brainwashing and miseducation. It's possible to buy entire accredited curricula that include detailed instructions on how to administer them. I never used one, but I've met people my age who did, and they're on average smarter than the ones who went to any kind of school, public or private, probably because of the amount of individual attention they were able to get. Most teachers are really trying their hardest, but in many places are simply overwhelmed by the combination of overpopulation and red tape. As for myself, I stopped going to school after one day of public seventh grade in California. It was clearly not going to be productive, and appeared to be potentially hazardous on top of that. Instead, I just read and read till I started college, and it turned out fine. There are lots of different ways of doing things.

That's not to mention, of course, that a baseball player could easily hire a governess to travel with the family.

Why would a female governor want to teach a baseball players kids?

A female governor isn't called a "governess". A female governor is called a "governor". A "governess" is an old-fashioned word for a woman who is hired to live with a family and take care of the children.

I was joking.

Edit: but props for not being a jerk about it, if I didn't know I would have found that more informative than embarrassing.

Why would someone elect a female governor?

Why would someone want a male governor watching their kids?

Because they can pay her less?

I vote for "governatrix".