Bleacher Report - Articles by Tyler Hurley

The Toronto Blue Jays And The Curious Case Of Vernon Wells

Tyler Hurley — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:07:32 -0500

The Toronto Blue Jays are going into the 2009 season with no expectations at all.

Especially now that Vernon Wells is hurt. Again. Anyone surprised?

Over the last few years the team has managed to add a few key off season acquisitions that generated a buzz in the community that had many folks believing that this was finally the year.

Players like B.J. Ryan, A.J. Burnett, Scott Rolen, David Eckstein, and Frank Thomas were all brought in and provided some much needed hope to a team that hasn't been able to put it all together in over a decade.

We all know how that turned out. Albeit injuries played the majority role in this.

Even so, General Manager J.P. Riccardi has remarkably survived in his role over the last few years and has been criticized tremendously for his personality and his player moves (or lack of in this off season).

The one move that never really seemed to make sense was the enormous seven-year, $126 million contract extension that was given to Vernon Wells.

Wells was coming off a fantastic year no doubt. He led the team in many offensive categories and was the bona fide face of the team. Without Carlos Delgado leading the Blue Jays as he had done for almost a decade, the Blue Jays were really in need of a big bat and pretty face for the fans. Wells was undoubtedly the only guy around.

Ever since that fat contract was signed Wells has done nothing to prove to me or the Jays fans that he is the number one guy. He could have been or he should have been the number one guy but he isn't.

I don't even think it is his fault. He doesn't belong in that spot. He doesn't have the visual passion for the game. This is part of the reason why so many people talk about his easy going approach.

Wells was a great Robin to Delgado's Batman. He's just not leading man material.

The Blue Jays really need to find that number one guy again as Wells belongs in the sidekick role. If they keep depending on him to be the franchise player then they won't be getting any further in the standings.

Sports Without Salaries and Agents

Tyler Hurley — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 17:37:47 -0500

The annual World Juniors Hockey Tournament is over.

Canada won for the fifth straight year in a few fantastic and drama filled games. The best young hockey players in the world (not currently playing in the NHL) from Canada's John Taveras to Sweden's Victor Hedman showed why hockey is such as fantastic and exciting game to watch. They all played to win. The losers showed their sadness with tears. They played for the pride of being called the best in the world.

College sports fans understand this. Whether it's basketball, football, or hockey. Watching such talented athletes playing for the sake of winning rather than for a million dollar contract reminds us why we watch sports for in the first place.

Forget the Yankees signing 400 million in payroll. Some guys turning down millions to play a sport most of us would play for less money than we're making now. Forget Scott Boras and his lying, cheating, stealing methods for getting his client the absolute most money possible. Money, money, money, and more money.

Are we even playing a sport here? Or is the sport making as much money as possible. They should all quit and go into some other business where the most money is the winner.

I am a baseball fan on the edge of my seat—getting ready to get up and leave MLB.

I am not looking forward to this season. This is the first season in a long time I have admitted this. I do however look forward to watching the World Baseball Classic where money is not a factor on the team you play for or the reason you're there.

I respect the passion the Central American fans have for the game and enjoy watching them cheer on their favourite athletes who are not there for money for a change, they are their to represent the pride of their nation.

Mortgage Foreclosures, Bankruptcy, Lay-offs, and $100 Million Dollar Contracts.

Tyler Hurley — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 13:08:46 -0500

As the nation (being Canadian I should say nations) slumps into an economic whirlpool, news of mortgage foreclosures, bankruptcy, lay-offs, and other financially and personally disastrous items have wreaked absolute havoc and encouraged fiscal responsibility among millions and millions of people who go to work every day hoping for the best.

Read the news on any day and you’ll find that you’re not alone. Someone else got laid off, someone else went bankrupt, someone else bought a house for $200,000 and has had it recently valued at close to half of that.

Keep reading and you’ll see that the economic crisis has drastically hit the major sports free agent market as well…particularly the New York Yankees who have managed to spend over $400 million dollars on CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Mark Texeira over the next few years. Perhaps the Yankees can help bail out GM and Chrysler?

I love sports, baseball in particular. However, this type of free spending that is occurring (by specifically the Yankees) has made me really not like the state of baseball to the level that I didn’t like it after the 1994 owners/players battle.

It makes me envision the greedy evil millionaire cutting in front of the line at the grocery store in front of a poor single mother and taking the last loaf of bread that she saved up the whole week for and he takes it because he can and puts it in the freezer next to the other 10 loaves. Why? Because running low for him means 10 loaves. Because he can.

Because he has no regard for the state of the economic times—only his economic times. He is facing tough times too you know…he lost one of his $100 million in the stock market. Times are tough. Got to be frugal, get that extra loaf because you never know what might happen. You have to be prepared. Plan ahead. Only the strong survive. Maybe she should have gotten an education and a job or something. It’s not my fault.

Here’s a great article on the subject that summarizes the “Greed is Good” mantra that the Yankees are using in their attempt at getting the last loaf of bread.

Don’t get me wrong, the Yankees have made some attempts to be economically responsible by cutting some payroll. Andy Pettite, their potential 4th or 5th starter (on their team anyway) was presented a 37.5 percent cut in payroll if he wished to remain with the team.

Most of us couldn’t afford a pay cut like that but let’s remember his 2008 salary was in the 16 million dollar range. Offer most of us a million dollars and we would jump at the chance to camp out on a stranded island with 15 strangers for 40 days for the slim chance that we would even have the opportunity to bring home the money.

Andy Pettite rejected the $10 Million Dollar job offer for 2009. Stop and read that sentence again, think about where you work, how much you make, and how much money you would have to be offered to reject the offer with so much economic turmoil surrounding us.

I really wish I could reject a $10 million dollar job offer. We all do. I wish I could play baseball a little better and perhaps look a little more like a movie star and have a trophy wife too. We all wish something.

It is life that some folks are more fortunate than others.

That won’t change. However, after reading through the news and seeing this article in the middle of the sports section kind of makes me wish it wasn’t rubbed in the face of all the hard working people who would love to take a trip and drive down to see the New Yankee Stadium and drop a couple hundred hard earned and saved dollars for the chance to see the team play but honestly can’t afford it, but get a loan to do it anyway.

Gary Carter To Join Mets Again

Tyler Hurley — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:34:35 -0400

Have you heard the news that Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter was going to rejoin the New York Mets? If not, it only made the news because Carter named himself as a contender.

Apparently, Carter commented back in May that "if" Mets Manager Willie Randolph were to be fired, that Carter would love to himself manage the team. That he was "only a phone call away".

Not the type of comment that would get you the interview I don't think. Perhaps a 'if the right opportunity should arise, I would love to work my way up the ladder with the right team' would have been better.

Gary, once again, you're working against yourself.

Carter's career was one of the best careers a catcher ever had. An eleven time All Star (twice the game's MVP), three Gold Glove Awards, and five Silver Slugger Awards. He provided offence, defence, called a great game, and provided leadership. Who wouldn't want a guy like this?

Apparently, the Baseball Hall of Fame didn't.

Even though Carter was one of the best overall catchers of all time, he wasn't elected until his sixth attempt. Each year, more people began to take up Carter's cause and almost force him into the Hall.

When he did get elected I almost felt like it was only because everyone made the people at the Hall put him in that he was there.

Then they made him wear the Montreal Expos cap. It seemed to infuriate him. Then the Expos retired his No. 8. The Mets didn't. The Expos moved to Washington and have basically erased their Expos past. Good old No. 8 is being worn in Washington.

Am I missing something? Did Carter do something? Was he not as well liked as I thought? Wasn't he the fierce competitor who has won numerous awards on-field and spent countless charity hours off-field? Was the Hall messing with him?

Or was this the cap that rightly belonged on his head for the rest of history even though the team is gone?

I went to Carter's inauguration into the Hall. I swear half the crowd was wearing Expos Jerseys with his name on the back. I don't think Carter realizes that he meant more to the Expos than he did the Mets.

His most memorable days might have been with the Mets but he seems to think that everyone else should share those memories.

Gary, enjoy the moment. Your a Hall of Fame baseball player. Go after your dream of becoming a big league manager—but please don't make us feel like you are entitled to it.

This sense of entitlement that you have recently makes me wonder why you don't realize why you are not being hired by a major league team.

You had the chance and you blew it. In professional sports you don't get too many second chances - just ask the thousands of ball players before you who never made it to the big leagues!

In 2005, Carter was hired as a minor league manager the Gulf Coast Mets. He did a fantastic job and was promoted to the St. Lucie Mets. Once again, he did a fantastic job and was offered a promotion to AA. It looked like his dream was becoming a reality.

However, Carter refused the promotion to AA in an attempt to gain a position on Randolph's Major League staff. He didn't get the job and was left on the sidelines wondering what happened.

Carter could have had another fantastic year or two managing in the minors and he might have gotten the call this year. Maybe by the Mets or maybe by someone else. Does it have to be the Mets Gary?

On a side note, did everyone else see Carter at the All Star Game lifting up the Mets hat that he must keep in his pocket? Just didn't make sense? The others were doing it to salute the Yankees (ie. Dave Winfield).

Gary Carter was a great ball player. A Hall of Fame ball player. He is not a Hall of Fame Manager. Maybe some day he will be.

This year, Carter is managing an independent league team in his home state. He's won as a manager before and he's winning again this year. He is obviously a pretty good manager. Maybe someday he'll make it to the big leagues—and if he does he'll deserve it.

For now, Carter needs to realize that he is not entitled to the job. If he wants to make it to the big leagues as a manager he must first realize that he needs to be a little more humble and a little more flexible.

Gary, you're not a Met. You're a Hall of Fame ball player wearing an Expos cap.

Does Barry Bonds Deserve Forgiveness?

Tyler Hurley — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 16:39:57 -0400

Every so often, a celebrity or athlete falls into some legal trouble or is accused of doing something they shouldn't have.

Mel Gibson really ruined his career. Just the other day, Batman star Christian Bale fell into his own trouble, but I'm sure the box office won't see the backlash of it.

Why is that?

About two weeks ago, UFC fighter Quinton "Rampage" Jackson had a little spat with the law. Apparently, he wasn't under the influence of drugs or alcohol, but he did do his best to evade the police. My initial reaction was concern for Rampage, as it appeared to be a health-related matter.

I wish him the best of luck because on camera, he seemed like a good guy. Maybe I'm wrong—he does fight for a living. But I forgave him.

Toronto Maple Leaf Mark Bell pleaded no contest to drunk driving and hit-and-run charges. He was given a six-month sentence by the courts. The NHL also gave him a 15-game suspension.

I haven't met too many people who have jumped to forgive him, myself included. Bell has even said he hasn't had a drink since. Many still haven't warmed up to him because of the type of crime he committed.

NHL All Star Dany Heatly pled guilty to four of six charges in a car crash that occurred when he was behind the wheel. His teammate, and friend, Dan Snyder was killed in the crash.

Heatly had a vehicular-homicide case against him and was sentenced to three years probation. In exchange for the guilty plea, the first-degree, vehicular-homicide charge was dropped, along with a charge of reckless driving.

Heatly was given an almost instant forgiveness by the Snyder family, a forgiveness that seems to have transformed into forgiveness across the hockey world, as no one ever really seems to talk about it.

O.J. Simpson made himself more famous than he already was, as a Hall of Fame football player, when he was charged with the murder of his wife and her friend.

We all know the story of how he beat the murder rap and how he recently went on to be charged with breaking into someone's hotel room to steal some sports memorabilia. Mention his very name and it makes many of us laugh, as O.J. has become a sideshow, not someone we jump to forgive.

Pete Rose bet on baseball. We all know that. He has been banned from baseball and is the best player not in the Hall of Fame who should be. Baseball has not forgiven Rose.

However, many fans have. I have. Have you? Pete Rose made a mistake. He should not have bet on baseball. However, his "crime" did not really hurt anyone. Unless you believe that the stress he caused help propel then commissioner Bart Giamatti to his untimely death.

Many people forgave Pete Rose, and many, like myself will be there when and if he is ever voted into the Hall of Fame. Why? Because his mistake was just that, a mistake.

Recently, a lot of baseball players have been under accusation or investigation for the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Names like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, Raphael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa, Jason Giambi, Andy Pettitte, and far too many more have been in virtually every article written about steroids.

With a quick observation, it appears that those that come clean and confess are forgiven rather easily.

Giambi was nearly thrown out of New York when news that he was a confirmed steroid user hit the news. However, once he went on TV and gave a lame apology, the people embraced him.

Why? He didn't come clean until everyone knew what he had done. What else could he do but apologize? He could have said it wasn't true, but it was his admission before the grand jury that the papers used to write their story.

McGwire went from the grand hero and savior of America's game to a guy who hides as best as he can under a rock.

Sosa was never proven to have been a cheat. Oops, I forgot the corked-bat incident for a moment. Do we forgive a guy who has not really been proven to be a performance-enhancing-drug cheat?

I say sure. Do we let him in the Hall of Fame? I think baseball has been good enough to him to allow that.

Roger Clemens is fighting for his life. With limited evidence that he is a cheat, it appears even one of the greatest pitchers of all time can be kicked to the corner if he is a suspect.

The bigger you are, the harder you fall, they say.

Such is the case with Bonds. Nail him to the tree, light him on fire, and watch him burn. I honestly think there are those who feel that way. However, the more folks attack him, the more I feel for him.

Imagine being Barry for one day. Imagine being Barry at an opposing park for one day. No problem, eh? I couldn't handle it. Say what you want about him bringing it upon himself, because I believe he does as well, but enough's enough.

I feel sorry that Barry has been the receiver of all the anger that baseball fans have over how the game's history has been destroyed over the last 10 years or so. The anger over how we feel deceived and cheated by people we called our favorite players.

Hmm...what is that saying, "Don't hate the player, hate the game?" Well, the steroid game was there before Barry, he just made a mistake and got sucked into it, and his personality won't let him see the mistake.

Even though forgiveness has not been granted to Barry by many outside of the Bay Area, I forgive.

We don't really know the celebrities and athletes we see on TV. They might sign an autograph or shake our hands, but we don't know them. How easy it is for us to judge them and hate them for what they did.

What do we really know about what they did, or why they did it, or who they really are? All we really know is that they are people, just like ourselves, who want to be seen, heard, and remembered.

The only real difference is that they are.

Vernon Wells Is the Franchise?

Tyler Hurley — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 15:00:07 -0400

Perhaps it's just me. Perhaps I don't see it. Perhaps I just don't understand why Vernon Wells is often referred to as "The Franchise."

Sorry, but I just don't see it.

Apply this name to former Blue Jays George Bell, Dave Steib, Carlos Delgado, and current Blue Jay Roy Halladay, and I do see it. They all evoke the image of the Toronto Blue Jays.

When you think of the heart and soul of this team, or any other, you expect to have a player who lives, breathes, and dies for the team. One who has heart, plays hurt, motivates, provides leadership, and is an example to the other players.

These days, not many players are true "Franchise" players, but of those that are, Derek Jeter might be the best example.

Can you honestly see him playing for another team?

In terms of being a "Franchise Player", Vernon Wells is no Derek Jeter. Plain and simple. I truly believe he is called that because of an extreme lack of options. Seriously, other than Halladay, who else would you call the "Franchise Player"?

There is no doubt that Wells is the best offensive player on the Blue Jays. Not to mention the richest.

Seven years and $126 million spent. What is the true and honest return on the investment anyway? Wells is a great player, don't get me wrong, but having a banner, yet average, for some All-Star types, year does not make me believe that it was money well spent.

He is one of those, "If we could roll back time," type of signings for me.

Wells is a very good ball player, and I will not argue that at all. I even think he has shown glimpses of being a great ball player, but he has not proven that he is without question a top tier player in the Major Leagues.

When discussing today's great ballplayers, names like Ichiro, A-Rod, Jeter, Ryan Howard, and Roy Halladay quickly come to mind. Vernon Wells is not a name that I would think of very quickly.

I do have to applaud his charity work, fun loving attitude, pies-in-the-face to his teammates, and his very good ballplaying abilities. Wells is a great defensive player, no doubt, he's made plenty of highlight reels, but offensively, I get nervous when the game's on the line and he's up.

Wells seems very aloof and far too laid back for me to pin him as the main guy. He was a great No. 2 to Carlos Delgado. This is where the Jays need to keep him. Right now, Wells is a glorified sidekick.

His whole attitude and personality seem better fit to be the guy in the shadows, enjoying life and making people laugh, and not having the pressure of the team's success all over him.

Wells is as expendable as any other player on the team. I think I was madder when they let Reed Johnson (the best attitude-player I know) go than I would be if they traded Wells.

Hmm, imagine combining Wells and Johnson...that would be a "Franchise Player".