In related news it turns out that Keith Law will also be awful forever.

Law is 100% in the right here.

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If I ever have a kid who has a chance to make lots of money throwing a baseball, I will emphasize to him that you always take the guaranteed money. With a position player, maybe the pros can wait. But if you're a pitcher, you better be getting a whole lot of non-monetary value from going to college instead of taking the money.

Turned down two million bucks and a good chance to make his career in America's best city, instead choosing to spend more time in Florida. It's pretty hard not to say something snarky.

It's pretty hard not to say something snarky.

No it's not.

But snark is one thing, celebrating the injury is another step beyond that.

America's best city

Ugh. San Diego is warm most of the time. Its cultural scene, its food scene, and its transportation system all pale before, like, Philadelphia.

Its obvious America's best city is Los Angeles because its not a city at all, just a series of little community that have to live together.

Its obvious America's best city is Los Angeles because its not a city at all, just a series of little community that have to live together.

West coast cities, despite their many home field advantages, will always be on the outside for people who don't want to own cars. I go back and forth on that depending on the day, and count many west coast cities among my favorites, especially Seattle.

MCoA is dead right about San Diego, though. You get used to the beauty after exactly 2 days, and then you're just in a boring city.

Its obvious America's best city is Los Angeles because its not a city at all, just a series of little community that have to live together.

MCoA is dead right about San Diego, though. You get used to the beauty after exactly 2 days, and then you're just in a boring city.

Yikes. You can have Philly and whatever heart-clogging food scene they've come up with. Yeah, you need a car. Count me a someone who doesn't see the charm of public transportation from the inside of my X6.

Takes all kinds. We need someone to live in those sprawling cold weather concrete jungles.

i'm with gaslamp here. the guy turned down 2 million dollars and is now in a position where he may never even get a guaranteed bonus, so yeah, i'll point and laugh at him now, and i'll probably never hear his name again in the future.

Yikes. You can have Philly and whatever heart-clogging food scene they've come up with.

we now have cheesesteak pretzels. and they're glorious.

Count me a someone who doesn't see the charm of public transportation from the inside of my X6.

Yeah I don't know what that means. Presumably it's some kind of car? Congrats. I also own a car.

West coast cities, despite their many home field advantages, will always be on the outside for people who don't want to own cars. I go back and forth on that depending on the day, and count many west coast cities among my favorites, especially Seattle.

San Francisco would like a word with you. Been here 5+ years and have had a car for maybe 6 months of that.

Turned down two million bucks and a good chance to make his career in America's best city, instead choosing to spend more time in Florida.

He turned down that money because he'd just been diagnosed with diabetes, and he wanted to take time to figure out what that meant for his body and his health rather than jumping right into pro ball.

What a monster!

San Francisco would like a word with you. Been here 5+ years and have had a car for maybe 6 months of that.

Another favorite. Though the hills seem like they'd be much less charming if I actually lived there.

My favorite cities. I haven't lived anywhere but the northeast corridor, but I've been traveling to visit friends in a few places, and mostly traveling to conferences for years now, and I've been making it a habit to legitimately explore the cities, because #### networking and cities are great.

Love Love Love: San Francisco. All else equal, I'd live in San Francisco. New York has volume, New York has that ineffable quality that I've only otherwise seen in London of just being bigger than anything and full of more human culture than anyone could accomplish in a lifetime, but San Francisco combines awesome food and culture with just being a gorgeous place. The only major US city I know that can contend at all SF in aesthetic quality is New Orleans, and it has its own problems.

Love: New York, Chicago. That seems self-explanatory.

Also basically love: Boston and Philly, Montreal (which people often consider this continental, hoity-toity place, but it's pretty much Boston with people speaking French, I felt at home immediately), New Orleans (I might need to become a different person, but that would probably be a good thing), also Seattle

Good places: DC (so expensive for what you get, but a good place), Nashville (it's ain't walkable, but it's all kinds of fun), Minneapolis, Vancouver (weirdly ugly city, needs some zoning laws), Los Angeles (I think)

There's good stuff, but: Atlanta (seriously, where's the city at?)

Didn't like it: San Diego, Pittsburgh

Hell: Phoenix

Other than San Francisco and maybe Seattle - though I've only been a few times, I don't know that there's a single city west of the Mississippi I'd spare from nuking... Austin maybe, if Texas counts.

Nothing will ever beat Chicago in my heart - can't see myself ever relocating elsewhere for any reason.

NYC is probably my favorite to visit, with New Orleans a close second (I'm a sucker for creole food and the music).

-gap-

I like Philly more than most... maybe it's because it sort of shares this chip on its shoulder "2nd city" attitude with Chicago.

Memphis is another food and music favorite

-larger gap-
DC

I've enjoyed Baltimore, but most of my experience has been near the wharf/convention/ballpark area

-gap-
Boston has been hit or miss with me, so much so I'm convinced my good times have been mostly a function of the company I was keeping

St Louis, but most of my experience was from my 20s/college era

-gap --- getting into the 'dislikes'

Miami is the only Florida city I've really been able to stand

Indianapolis (if it counts as a 'city') isn't great, but it's surprisingly not as awful as one might think

I'd put Cleveland in the same boat - not good, but not as awful as its reputation

-hate-

Minneapolis... it seems everyone goes out to the burbs on weekends? ANd that's a city? I suppose the winter pedways are unique, but I'd still never visit here unless forced

Las Vegas... at least, after the first 36 hour rush

-Intensely hate-

San Diego... weather's nice... but so are plenty of June days in Peoria

-Passion of a 100000 exploding suns hate-
Los Angeles... I have zero use for this city

Tampa.. what a hole...

Tampa.. what a hole...

Tampa is the perviest city I've ever visited. Sex shops on every corner, all the strip clubs on Dale Mabry south of the Bucs' stadium, massage parlors and "photo studios" everywhere... It was too much. And I'm a proud perv!

Another favorite [San Francisco]. Though the hills seem like they'd be much less charming if I actually lived there.

Yeah, they are. It was the first thing I got used to when I lived there. You would plan to go someplace and figure you could find parking in the area. Then you'd get there and discover that the place was at the top of a hill, so unless you parked right there, it was like climbing Everest to get to it. The hills here are not fooling around. They will happily kick your ass.

There are parts of this town that are great for walking or biking, but big swatches of it where you really want to be in a motorize vehicle of some sort.

Tampa is the perviest city I've ever visited. Sex shops on every corner, all the strip clubs on Dale Mabry south of the Bucs' stadium, massage parlors and "photo studios" everywhere... It was too much. And I'm a proud perv!

Heh, this...

Ever time I've been in Tampa - and it's only been a blessed 3 - I've always felt inappropriately dressed... I agree that plain brown wrapper seems better than anything

He turned down that money because he'd just been diagnosed with diabetes, and he wanted to take time to figure out what that meant for his body and his health rather than jumping right into pro ball.

That was Covey.

Lessee...I work in Philly, Baltimore and DC. Great towns, lotsa fun. But I don't and won't live in any of them.

But...I do live in a small beach town (<3500 pop.) on the Gulf Coast, where it happens to be about 65 degrees at 9p CDT. We do have a little bus that circulates about once an hour, so there's that. We also are allowed to register and plate golf carts to travel about the island, which is what most of us do. Nowhere in the city limits is any form of transportation allowed to go more than 30mph. IOW, most of us just park the car and throw a tarp over it. Bicycles are very popular here too.

There are only two ways to get on or off of the island: One is a road that goes south to the next island, and the second is by ferry.

I can't think of any place I would rather live than where I am now. It is well worth the time I have to spend away from here working just to be able to come back enjoy this little island in the Gulf.

About that kid: Them's the breaks. When someone offers you a good deal, you need to learn to take it.

He turned down that money because he'd just been diagnosed with diabetes, and he wanted to take time to figure out what that meant for his body and his health rather than jumping right into pro ball.

He thought he'd get better treatment under the care of the U of Florida health services, than an MLB organization that just invested $2.1M in him?

Dylan Covey, drafted by the Brewers, is the one who didn't sign because he learned he had Type 1 diabetes during his team physical. He and his parents felt that he would be better off going to college close to home while he adjusted to the new diet and lifestyle rather than going on the road to play minor league ball right away.

Karsten Whitson was taken a few picks earlier by the Padres and didn't sign due to money. Word was that he represented that he would sign for a certain dollar amount and then during negotiations kept ratcheting up the figure until the Padres finally called off the negotiations.

I wonder if the notion that if people don't choose millions of dollars or else they're an idiot is a uniquely American mindset or if its more global than I suspect.

I wonder if the notion that if people don't choose millions of dollars or else they're an idiot is a uniquely American mindset or if its more global than I suspect.

I dunno. I suppose it depends on your other situations, but that kind of financial security simply can't be taken for granted in terms of quality of life effects. I guarantee you that most of Eastern Europe would call you an idiot for turning down that kind of money for almost any reason.

Yes there are reasons to turn down two million dollars that don't make you an idiot, but knowing now what I know, I think I'd be sure they were pretty good ones.

Dylan Covey, drafted by the Brewers, is the one who didn't sign because he learned he had Type 1 diabetes during his team physical. He and his parents felt that he would be better off going to college close to home while he adjusted to the new diet and lifestyle rather than going on the road to play minor league ball right away.

Karsten Whitson was taken a few picks earlier by the Padres and didn't sign due to money. Word was that he represented that he would sign for a certain dollar amount and then during negotiations kept ratcheting up the figure until the Padres finally called off the negotiations.

Covey went to go play his college ball at the University of.... San Diego.

So there's your connection.

I wonder if the notion that if people don't choose millions of dollars or else they're an idiot is a uniquely American mindset or if its more global than I suspect.

Given how poor much of the world is, I'd imagine "idiot" is the kindest thing you'd hear in many place about somebody who turned down $2.1 M.

And having seen Moneyball in a theater in New Zealand, I can certainly tell you that the biggest crowd reaction is at the end when they tell you how much money Beane turned down.

From a 2011 report from the Census, lifetime earnings of a white male high school graduate is estimated at $1.7 M; for a full bachelor's, it's $2.8 M. $2.1 M upfront at 18, even with pathetic returns, will get you to $2.8 lifetime by the time you hit 65. Add in that he can pay for college after his career plus the chance of making the majors plus the chance of getting a coaching job after his career ... from a financial standpoint, it makes no sense to turn down $2.1 to go to college, especially if you're a pitcher. Even if you plan to take your education seriously. I can't imagine it was a great idea for the kid with diabetes either ... especially when you factor in the greater chance of disability, mortality/morbidity and health care costs. I wish both these guys good luck!

It seems to me it's usually pitchers who do this ... is that true or do we just talk about them more because it's obviously not smart?

I wonder if the notion that if people don't choose millions of dollars or else they're an idiot is a uniquely American mindset or if its more global than I suspect.

I think it's not at all unique to any location. Also it's not necessarily stupid. There are lots of reasons to turn down more money, chief among them being happier in a different circumstance. Whitson and Covey don't need anyone else to understand or agree with their decision. If they're happier this way, then more power to them.

15 - Based on your list I'd recommend a trip to Stockholm if you get the chance. The way you describe Montreal as Boston with people speaking French is how I felt in Stockholm (substituting Swedish for French).

I wonder if the notion that if people don't choose millions of dollars or else they're an idiot is a uniquely American mindset or if its more global than I suspect.

It depends. If he plans to earn his living as a baseball player, he is nuts. If he plans to study seriously and earnhis living outside of baseball, I'm all for that. Most people I know would take reasonable income working what they want over earning huge money risking their health and doing what they don't like. Of course, question it depends on wether you can find something you like where you can earn what you think is reasonable income.

I wonder if the notion that if people don't choose millions of dollars or else they're an idiot is a uniquely American mindset or if its more global than I suspect.

Since I made a claim that could be interpreted this way, I'd like to clarify.

A kid who's drafted in the top 10 of the MLB draft is almost certainly not someone who has spent his high school years floating around wondering what to do with his life. He's been living in the gym and on the ball field. That's the only way you build yourself into a top 10 draft pick. I don't begrudge a kid the chance to change his mind, but I also don't trust 18-year-olds that much to make a snap decision after years of dedication and effort. To get yourself to the point of being an MLB draftee as a pitcher and then walk away from the contract - that isn't necessarily bad decision making, but it probably is.

Cities I've lived where I'd live again permanently: San Francisco

Cities I've lived in where I would live again but probably eventually grow tired of: Los Angeles, Portland

Cities I've lived in I wouldn't ever live in again even if you probably paid me: Seattle


Cities I've visited where I would live permanently: Krakow, Riga, Reykjavik (or anywhere in Iceland), anywhere in Vietnam

Cities I've visited I would live in but probably eventually grow tired of: Miami, Boston, Warsaw, Auckland

Cities I've visited but wouldn't live in even if you probably paid me: Moscow, St. Louis, Denver, Philadelphia, Bangkok

Covey got rocked last night, by the way.
As I understand it, there were no hard feelings between he and Milwaukee. Probably not the case with Whitson and San Diego.
I doubt Whitson made the right decision financially, but it's his life - I'm not going to begrudge him his choice here.

Fave places: SF, Montreal.
HM: Chicago, New York, Boston, DC. Portland was interesting, but not enough time to rank.

Wonder if Whitson just did not want to be a Padre and adjusted his demands accordingly. Might his actions have been different if teams could trade draft picks?

Cities I did/would live in long-term: London, Glasgow, Berlin, NYC, Chicago, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Toronto, DC, Seattle, Melbourne, Auckland, Christchurch (pre-earthquake).

Cities I might/did live in for a while but tire of: Boston, Providence, Chapel Hill-Durham-Raleigh, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Denver, Los Angeles/Santa Monica/Long Beach, Honolulu, Austin, Portland, New Orleans, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Sydney, Vancouver, Edinburgh, Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Rome.

Cities I do not wish to live in: Philadelphia, Charlotte, Atlanta, Miami, Tampa, Nashville, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Diego, Fresno, Spokane, Salt Lake City, Beijing, Tel Aviv.

City that's better to live in than visit: Kansas City.

Fantastic town that's a little full of itself: Boulder

Underrated Jewel: Dresden

City that I should like, but actually hated: Berlin.

I wonder what people think is the break even point between "stupid to turn down" and "other factors are important, too." A million dollars? Two million?

If you knew in advance that you would have a significant major league career, any bonus would be fine. If you knew in advance that you'd be knocking around the minor leagues until you were thirty, a million dollars doesn't sound so great anymore.

If I had 10/5 rights I'd veto trades to Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Miami, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Cleveland.

If all money was equal and I was judging solely on city, my top five FA destinations would be (1) San Fran (2) New York (3) Seattle (4) Toronto (5) Washington.

I think Detroit is fairly underrated. Not that its great by any stretch, but there are some neat little neighborhoods and parts of downtown can be fun. I've long heard Pittsburgh is underrated too not that I've ever been.

There are lots of reasons to turn down more money, chief among them being happier in a different circumstance. Whitson and Covey don't need anyone else to understand or agree with their decision

That's kinda my thinking. My guess is Whitson was gambling for money, but even if he was, so what? Its his life. He doesn't owe Padres fans ####, nor does he have to explain himself. And if you really think about it, the odds that a professional athlete would use their millions in salary to "set themselves up for life" is a fairy-tale that probably won't happen anyway.

If you knew in advance that you'd be knocking around the minor leagues until you were thirty, a million dollars doesn't sound so great anymore.

You can walk away when you're 23, and go back to school. When I taught college math, those kinds of students did pretty well, even though many of them had full-time jobs eating up huge chunks of their time.

Have live in Brooklyn (same apartment) for almost 33 years; quite fond of it. Haven't traveled much, visited Chicago a few times, really liked, but now older son has moved back east (Baltimore area) so not likely to visit soon. He'd been living in Rogers Park, very cool and very walkable neighborhood, lots of good coffee shops, craft beer places, public art, plus only a half hour or so to Wrigleyville on the El. Chicago's contemporary art museum is really fine, and the Art Institute has what's for my money the single most important painting in North America, Seurat's L'apres Midi etc. YMMV

Spent some time in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore a few years ago, was really nice. Even walked over to the Poe house (which is in a "really bad" neighborhood, but didn't seem too horrible to me).

Visited Montreal once many many years ago, really liked. Have been to Toronto twice, once on our honeymoon, then to the Film Festival a few years ago. Great weekend, definitely hope to do again for a longer stay.

Went to Glasgow back in '06 and was very impressed. Had it in my head that it was a very depressed area, industries closing, high unemployment (which was the case in the early 80s) but it's made quite a comeback. Some of the old Victorian-era buildings have been restored & repurposed, they've done a good job preserving & presenting the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and the transportation museum is a hoot.

Have visited Limerick a few times and always enjoyed it a lot. Last fall we unexpectedly got 3 days there, courtesy of Hurricane Sandy, 1st we'd been in almost 12 years. Great little town to walk about in, history, bustling little art scene, big boom in coffee shops, and of course a fine array of Guinness dispensaries.

While I can't see turning down a 2 million dollar bonus, I can't see laughing at a guy who got hurt either. Well, Hitler maybe.

That was Covey.

Well, crap.

If I ever have to set foot within the confines of New York City, it'll be far too soon.

Continuing AG1F's 10/5 theme, I think the only places I'd accept a trade TO would be Kansas City, Arlington, Houston, and maybe Atlanta. Although earning several million a year and not having to live in any of those other hellholes year-round might change my perspective on some of the cities on the fence.

San Fran is great, but just so so expensive.

From my skewed perspective as a broke grad student, its really hard to beat Chicago for shear livability and awesomeness.