Why hasn't this been an issue for Green in the past? I don't ever remember reading about it. Maybe because the Jays weren't in contention it was never a big deal?

Don't forget, people miss games for the birth of their child all the time. Seems a person's religious beliefs are just as important.

It would be interesting to see what would happen if a team had, for example, 7 Jewish ballplayers, all of whom took the day off? If they were all as good as Green, the team would be devastated. Of course, I think there are only about 7 Jewish ballplayers in all of the major leagues right now, and so it's extremely unlikely that any one team would have more than one or two.

Maybe it'll rain.

Didn't the Marlins sit down several players last year for a game after the Elian Gonzalez controversy reached a boil last year. I think the Marlins were playing the Giants and Livan Hernandez sat out the game. A lot of the Latino players sat out the game, although I think the Marlins management told some of them.

I think the Marlins had an unusual lineup for that game.

Bob,

Yes, even Al Martin, who claimed to be Cuban, sat out that game.

For the record, the Marlins who sat out the game (April 25, 2000) were Miguel Tejera (on the DL however), Mike Lowell, Alex Fernandez, Vladimir Nunez, Antonio Alfonseca, Jesus Sanchez, and Danny Bautista. In addition Florida coaches, Fredi Gonzalez, Tony Taylor, and Luis Perez did not show up.

""One of the things we talked about early in spring training is for Jack not to be so location oriented," said Clint Hurdle, who was the Rockies hitting coach before becoming their manager April 26. "In Triple-A, you can wait on pitches; you can take certain pitches and still get a pitch to hit."

BLASPHEMOUS!

Why change a guy who has dominated every level of ball he's played at? Their reasoning is even more silly.

I didn't realize Cust's a NJ guy. I have friends living right down the street from his high school. I'll root for him just a little more now.

Um, If Cust hit .300 / .450 / .650 in AAA at any park I would say at ANY park in American professional baseball I would say he was one phone call away from being an All-Star hitter for the Rockies.

Here's the real question. Will Jack Cust be the next Ken Phelps? I think he is a better hitter at the same age (though that is arguable) and his future looks brighter, but as long as Ricciardi and er, Beane, maybe, continue to leave poor Cust rotting in Triple-A there is that distinct possibility.

If you think about it, Cust pretty much is just wasting time at Colorado Springs. I mean, his defense isn't goign to get much better in the next year and so if the Rox keep this attitude he simply wont play for them ever or they will eventually concede that his offense makes him useful and bring him up and start him.

Why a team that needs a big bat (every team in baseball practically) hasn't traded for him is beyond me.

Chris,

The reason that some other team hasn't traded for him yet is that O'Dowd knows the sort of hitter that Cust is and he isn't willing to give him up for as little as Arizona was. Remember, it takes two people to make a deal. I'm sure O'Dowd would trade him, but he probably recognises him as a potential All-Star hitter, and any deal would have to reflect Cust's potential. Just because Ricciardi and Beane have embraced sabermetric principles, it doesn't mean that other GMs don't (or can't) recognize talent (except in a couple of notable cases).

After Seligula's mid-season pronouncements that some teams were in jeopardy of not making currently-due payroll, the only way you could interest me with deferred salary would be with an ironclad guarantee that (should the team and MLB fail to make full payment, with interest, and penalties) I would be allowed to take a literal pound of flesh out of Bud Selig.

That's a deal I could go for.

Fracas,

Good to see that crying poor has negative consequences.

AGREED. I wonder if it's possible the union put him up to it to, as they say in chess, 'fork' the owners on their crying-poor position?

Certainly if (1) the Snakes' finances actually were what they claimed they were, AND (2) the Snakes were a public company (had to file 10-Ks with the SEC), then all suppliers, not just Walker, would demand collateral for deferred payment.

Therefore Selig, though justice be thy plea, consider this,

If only Wendy had said something giving the lie to Bud's psychotic ramblings...

How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is, to have a thankless child!

I guess an eight-figure salary equals "playing for nothing." Must be nice.

Jim, that's a pretty cheap shot and you know it. Heaven forbid a player actually tell us his feelings. It's not like Walker's not giving a full effort out there. He's just telling you what it feels like inside for him.

Aren't we always asking that players be about "more than the money?" When one is, we slam him anyway.

I liked Walker's reason for not deferring, but I'd be even happier if he said. "No. Why should I defer money when I'm the one already making concessions (allowing a trade) in the first place? If anything, they should be offering me a bonus."

I can't believe that the Girls Bluc joke lasted longer than the series.

Darren (#12), that was my comment regarding Walker's quote. And I stand by it. If you read the rest of the article - and specifically the paragraph immediately before that quote - you'd see that there have been doubts about Walker's endless string of injuries that tend to shut him down late in the season year after year. Walker's quote certainly makes you wonder.

When did the positive about athletes being willing to speak their minds start outweighing the negative about what they're actually saying? As a Philadelphia fan, I've seen this change over the last few years. Ricky Watters still hasn't lived down the "For who? For what?" comment about not trying to catch a pass late in a game the Eagles were going to lose. But then last year, Allen Iverson was practically celebrated in the media for speaking his mind in his "Practice? We're talking about ****ing practice??" outburst. Now we're supposed to pat Walker on the back for giving us this "What's my motivation?" line. Wow.

This is from a thread when the D-Rays were in "jeopardy":

As to the deferred payments--From The Law of Bankruptcy, by Charles J. Tabb, Professor of Law at the University of Illinois College of Law (Gotta plug the alma mater, and Tabb was my favorite professor, and former employer):

"Wages and other benefits based on pre-petition labor are not entitled to first priority, although the may qualify for third or fourth priority."

Basically, if something were to happen, as did with the Pens, and the D-Backs were to declare bankruptcy, I think those with deferred payments would be unsecured creditors. That would be bad. How big is the risk that they would file? I'm guessing not very big, but that's a lot of money to gamble on a World Series appearance.

I can't believe that the Girls Bluc joke lasted longer than the series.

I'm not surprised. On Primer, old jokes never die. Although some of them smell like something that died. (Are all of you "Mike Piazzas" listening?)

Basically, if...[a team] were to declare bankruptcy, I think those with deferred payments would be unsecured creditors.

Shredder, thanks for the info. Based on that and other factors, I think the union ought to establish a policy that they will no longer accept deferred money contracts. Consider:

The industry keeps crying poor.

Brett (#23), looking back at the overall media coverage of the Iverson incident, you're right. I do recall at least two pieces that were rather complimentary towards Iverson, talking about how he was "keeping it real" instead of uttering tired sports cliches. One was in the Philly papers, and the other was on ESPN.com. But the overall reaction was mostly negative (as it should have been).

Walker's agent is backpedaling over the D'Backs comment, eh? I'm betting someone in the league office threatened to take away his credentials for exposing MLB's dirty laundry.

Walker's agent's apology not accepted. Here come the slander lawyers!

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