90 replies to this topic

[Snodgrass'Muff]

He is the face of a franchise with no soul.

It's the perfect role for Adrian Gonzalez.

You can take the man out of San Diego, but you apparently can't take the laissez-faire SoCal nonchalance out of the player who is quickly becoming the maddening, non-charismatic answer to JD Drew.

Just not in God's plan, I guess.

Has there ever been a more forgettable MVP campaign in recent memory than what Gonzalez gave the Red Sox last season? One-plus seasons into his Boston contract, is it realistic to add the first baseman to the elongated list of colossal Theo Epstein blunders the former GM orchestrated before escaping the increasing disaster that is this franchise?

The fact that Gonzalez refused to answer any inquisitions about his failures yesterday is simply the perfect way to sum up what this team has become. It's one thing to fall apart, it's something else to not stand up for your actions. The Red Sox are in freefall mode, losers of five in a row, and when it comes time to face the music, their star player plays coward.

Gonzalez is a heck of a ballplayer, and perhaps he'll even rebound from one of the worst starts of his career.

But he doesn't belong here.

One has to wonder if he ever really mentally got here. He's totally unprepared for what it means to be a team leader in a place like Boston.

He is perhaps the most boring superstar in the game, and now it appears he's running away from the heat. Maybe he should take a breath and dash for it.

Like back to sunny San Diego.

http://www.boston.co...lez_the_pe.html

It's one thing to criticize a player, but this a character assassination piece. I'm amazed at how far Wilbur goes here.

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Who is Eric Wilbur and why do we care what he has to say?

Let's be honest, the reason Wilbur's running that hit piece today is because Gonzalez went 0 for 8 yesterday.

[rembrat]

Yesterday was probably the worst game of Gonzalez's career, an epic 0-8 afternoon with a pair of strikeouts in Boston's 9-6, 17-inning loss to the surprising Baltimore Orioles. After the game, the stand-up Gonzalez defended his performance by slinking away, refusing to answer any questions from reporters, just what you want from a $154 million franchise cornerstone, and supposed leader.

Wahh, he refused to answer my asinine questions, wahh.

[Doctor G]

It is pure hypocrisy to call a player boring, and then rip him for not talking to the press.

[86spike]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but has anyone on the team or in management ever indicated that Adrian Gonzalez is expected to be a team leader?

Dustin Pedroia is a leader of this team. David Ortiz is a leader on this team. Gonzalez is the firstbaseman.

[Foulkey Reese]

Well this is what happens when a position player strikes you out in 3 pitches. Things are going to get very ugly if the team keeps this up.

[Stitch01]

Wahh, he refused to answer my asinine questions, wahh.

Well that lack of charisma is leading to failures in the clutch so its relevant. At least in the fantasy world Eric Wilbur lives in.

For the second time in a week, Gonzalez's failure to come through in the clutch spoke volumes about the man's charisma. Think about it. Gonzalez struck out against Orioles DH Chris Davis on three pitches. That's almost impossible to fathom, isn't it?

Lets burn him at the stake over 125 at bats!

[Rudy Pemberton]

Wilbur is a douche, but I think it's fair to question whether Gonzalez should be accountable and act as a leader, especially given all the clubhouse turmoil of the recent past. Now, he may be doing that in the clubhouse, which is what really matters, not speaking to the media. But, the team does seem to be lacking in leadership and accountability, and having the team's biggest star take that role could help. To be fair, though, he may just not have that personality.

The cheapshots about his play last season aren't warranted, he had a fantastic season and many huge hits which are forgotten b/c the pitching staff routinely shit the bed.

That being said, Gonzalez has been here long enough to know that ignoring the press after such a game isn't going to help anyone.

Edited by Rudy Pemberton, 07 May 2012 - 08:50 AM.

[Kremlin Watcher]

I know these players are supposed to have thick skins, getting paid so many millions to play a game, but why the hell would anyone want to play in this town when you get absolutely shredded in such a public forum for having a bad day at the office? Yellow journalism at its finest.

[InstantKarmma]

Yesterday was probably the worst game of Gonzalez's career, an epic 0-8 afternoon with a pair of strikeouts in Boston's 9-6, 17-inning loss to the surprising Baltimore Orioles. After the game, the stand-up Gonzalez defended his performance by slinking away, refusing to answer any questions from reporters, just what you want from a $154 million franchise cornerstone, and supposed leader.

No. What I want is for Adrian Gonzalez to perform on the field. I don't give a rat's ass if he talks to Eric (who?) Wilbur after the game.

[smastroyin]

I don't care about his personality. I will say that something about him, even though my brain knows he is a great player (albeit one in a slump at the moment), I just don't get that sense of excitement like I did with a Manny or David Ortiz. I know he's a good hitter and I know that he is one of the only guys (he, Scutaro, um, Ellsbury I guess) who didn't tank last September. But something is just kind of weird, I don't get that nervous tension that something great might happen in his at bat. Then again, I don't get it with Ortiz anymore either, so most likely I am just a pissy entitled Red Sox fan who doesn't like this team when they lose.

[TheoShmeo]

I don't care about what Adrian says. I do care that he's become a singles and doubles hitter since around the All Star break last season and is off to a slow start this year. Given everything else that we've seen from the Red Sox since August, 2011, I admit that Adrian's performance and lack of late game accomplishments is becoming a reasonably large concern for me.

[Buzzkill Pauley]

http://www.boston.co...lez_the_pe.html

It's one thing to criticize a player, but this a character assassination piece. I'm amazed at how far Wilbur goes here.

What a dissociative, narcissistic, maggoty stinking bovine spoor.

The only folks who cared that AG didn't talk to the press last night were the folks who already wanted to crucify him this morning.

I'm glad I stopped reading the Glob this season.

[PedroKsBambino]

Who is Eric Wilbur and why do we care what he has to say?

Well put. And the answer is 'who knows?' and 'we shouldn't'

[David Laurila]

Regardless of one's opinion of this article as a whole, "Gonzalez's failure to come through in the clutch spoke volumes about the man's charisma" is as incomprehensible of a sentence as the sports pages have seen in quite some time.

[Captaincoop]

That article is idiotic and not worthy of discussion. Gonzo's lack of production is something to discuss now, IMHO. His power has been missing in action for 70% of a season's worth of at bats, and he just gave us one of the worst single-day performances we will ever see a Red Sox player have.

Edited by Captaincoop, 07 May 2012 - 09:12 AM.

[MiracleOfO2704]

Well put. And the answer is 'who knows?' and 'we shouldn't'

We shouldn't, and most of us on the board won't, but there are plenty of Johnnys from Burger King that'll read that article and think he's hitting on something. And while we here are more interested in games won over PR battles, Wilbur has just set the stage for the Pink Hat Mafia to have their say. That part scares me a little bit.

[MyDaughterLovesTomGordon]

This should maybe be in the media forum, but the writers at the local rags smell blood in the water and are going to tap into fan frustration in a big way if things keep going as they're going. Like lots of folks on this board, the fanbase is more than a little restless, already fueled by last September's collapse and being fed by a team that appears unable to get out of its own way.

As we say up here in Maine, Adrian is still "from away," a recent import with a giant contract and (to date this season) a performance that is not commensurate with that contract. Add to that his stone-face, it's-God's-will attitude, and you've got JD Drew times two if the guy is still slugging under .400 for any extended period of time. He's a very easy target who also isn't likely to stick up for himself.

Yesterday was simply as ugly as it gets and low-brow media types in search of pageviews are going to capitalize. Expect more of it.

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

That article is idiotic and not worthy of discussion. Gonzo's lack of production is something to discuss now, IMHO. His power has been missing in action for 70% of a season's worth of at bats, and he just gave us one of the worst single-day performances we will ever see a Red Sox player have.

I don't see why a single bad day at the plate is worthy of any type of serious discussion. By that standard, his previous 2 games, where he went 6 for 10, should have been worthy of a big dicussion as well.

0 for 8 sucks, but it's a single awful game. Whoop de damn doo. Chris Davis had an equally bad day at the plate yesterday. Maybe Valentine should have seen if Gonzo could have pitched.

[someoneanywhere]

Look, I'm all for fair. I'm all for decent. I'm all for integrity.

But I'm also all for accountability. You can't take a donut like that and slink away, no matter how truly awful you feel: not if you're being paid the kind of money he's paid, and not if you're playing on a club with real question of character, toughness, and entitlement that surfaced last September, but perhaps have been there and growing as long as two years. Right now this club is not good. Period. No excuses about injuries, please. The team on the field is still one of the better paid teams in the majors, no matter how much of the other money is on the DL. You've got an ace pitching like a #3, a #3 pitching like a Double AA looper, a #2 who can't stay on the field, and bunch of everyday guys who seem to be more worried about what can go wrong than about grinding out the right. Never, ever, should a Red Sox club play like that at Fenway.

So Wilbur may be a douche. He may be an assassin. But the questioning in general? Sorry. They've all earned it.

[Stitch01]

The team absolutely deserves to be held accountable for the turd of a season they are laying. Id rather Gonzalez have answered the questions than not answered them. None of that justifies this hatchet job.

[Van Everyman]

What about the reporters? How are they held accountable? Wilbur has been terrible for about three years now -- I'm shocked he still has a job given Gasper and Mazz are on staff. But the larger issue is that these guys are allowed to put stuff like "Adrian Gonzalez is one sour dude" in a column and never have to explain what that even means, much less back it up.

Also: we are in the first week of May.

[86spike]

What about the reporters? How are they held accountable? Wilbur has been terrible for about three years now -- I'm shocked he still has a job given Gasper and Mazz are on staff. But the larger issue is that these guys are allowed to put stuff like "Adrian Gonzalez is one sour dude" in a column and never have to explain what that even means, much less back it up.

Also: we are in the first week of May.

Wilbur's editors likely told him to write this. The Globe just wants eyeballs on their prose. That's all this is.

[Pumpsie]

Regardless of one's opinion of this article as a whole, "Gonzalez's failure to come through in the clutch spoke volumes about the man's charisma" is as incomprehensible of a sentence as the sports pages have seen in quite some time.

This.

I think that's one of the funniest sentences ever written in regards to the Red Sox. Anyone who would write THAT doesn't need to be paid any attention.

Still, I'm also concerned that Adrian's power disappeared soon after taking part in last year's AS Game home run contest and has yet to return. I don't think that it has anything to do with charisma or leadership, however.

[trekfan55]

Look, I'm all for fair. I'm all for decent. I'm all for integrity.

But I'm also all for accountability. You can't take a donut like that and slink away, no matter how truly awful you feel: not if you're being paid the kind of money he's paid, and not if you're playing on a club with real question of character, toughness, and entitlement that surfaced last September, but perhaps have been there and growing as long as two years. Right now this club is not good. Period. No excuses about injuries, please. The team on the field is still one of the better paid teams in the majors, no matter how much of the other money is on the DL. You've got an ace pitching like a #3, a #3 pitching like a Double AA looper, a #2 who can't stay on the field, and bunch of everyday guys who seem to be more worried about what can go wrong than about grinding out the right. Never, ever, should a Red Sox club play like that at Fenway.

So Wilbur may be a douche. He may be an assassin. But the questioning in general? Sorry. They've all earned it.

Just 4 days earlier this was a quote from Gonzalez:

"This game is all on me," Gonzalez said. "I had two great opportunities and I didn't come through. It was one of those things. I'll make a definite point to not let that happen [again]."

Several sources quote it, I found it here.

So, I'm not sure that Adrian is shying away from the questions or maybe he was really pissed off this time. But that being said, he had two chances to give the Sox a lead on Wednesday, and struck out on 3 pitches vs a DH on Sunday (with men on 1st and 2nd) that is embarrassing, and at this point he cannot expect anything else but questions and inquiries. He came up with San Diego, was a local boy, etc. He was traded for and signed to his big money deal in Boston and expectations must and should be higher.

After all that, I don't know what's lower, Adrian Gonzalez's performance yesterday or the hatchet job that he's been given.

[Soxfan in Fla]

The article is certainly over the top but when one of your star players, who is struggling mightily at the plate, goes 0-8 and strikes out against a position player this kind of snarky shit happens. Once again, thanks for the mess Lucky.

[24JoshuaPoint]

Wow that is a pathetic sentence along with a pathetic overall attempt to garner readers. Are they questioning Pujols 'clutch charisma' out in Anaheim too? What exactly does he want AG to do? Tell the press he had a bad day and he's so sowwy? I wouldn't expect anyone to stick around and answer questions after a marathon game like that.

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

This.

I think that's one of the funniest sentences ever written in regards to the Red Sox. Anyone who would write THAT doesn't need to be paid any attention.

Still, I'm also concerned that Adrian's power disappeared soon after taking part in last year's AS Game home run contest and has yet to return. I don't think that it has anything to do with charisma or leadership, however.

His power disappeared, but he did have an 893 OPS after the break, so he was still productive.

I think Wilbur's mother didn't love him enough or something. It's such a blatant cry for attention by throwing a tantrum.

[Dogman2]

His power disappeared, but he did have an 893 OPS after the break, so he was still productive.

I think Wilbur's mother didn't love him enough or something. It's such a blatant cry for attention by throwing a tantrum.

So Wilbur is related to Clay?

[Gene Conleys Plane Ticket]

This reminds me of the days of Pete Carroll. "He's too laid back. He's from California! He's too mellow!"

Really comes down to, "He's not one of us!" And even more than that, "He won't PRETEND to be one of us!"

I love New England, but sometimes it's so provincial and small minded I get a little sick.

Edited by Gene Conleys Plane Ticket, 07 May 2012 - 10:00 AM.

[tonyarmasjr]

Just another display of the quality of American media.

Out of curiosity, did other players stick around and answer questions yesterday? 1) What is he/they supposed to say? "I went 0-8 and struck out against their first baseman." Yeah, that's useful to everyone. 2) They just played a 6+-hour game and have to play again in KC the next day. I'm sure I'd want to hang around and talk to the media, too.

[terrynever]

I know these players are supposed to have thick skins, getting paid so many millions to play a game, but why the hell would anyone want to play in this town when you get absolutely shredded in such a public forum for having a bad day at the office? Yellow journalism at its finest.

Boston is becoming a tough place to play baseball. And that's shocking considering for nearly 10 years it was the best place in MLB to play. I don't blame the media totally for this. The players and management share guilt, too. So do the fans.

Some of the things that made Boston so attractive are now becoming liabilities. The fans hang on every pitch, which is great when you're winning and painful when you're losing. The newspaper coverage has never been positive, even in good times. Over the past decade, ESPN-Boston, ComCast and two competing radio sports talk stations have created additional media attention that puts the focus on sports 24 hours per day.

When did SOSH really switch into high gear? Message boards have added fuel to the fire, too. Not that players read message boards. We're just all part of the equation now, and players like Gonzo and Youk who don't appreciate the attention must be stunned by the non-stop scrutiny in Boston, especially when things are not going well on the field.

Edited by terrynever, 07 May 2012 - 10:06 AM.

[someoneanywhere]

Just another display of the quality of American media.

Out of curiosity, did other players stick around and answer questions yesterday? 1) What is he/they supposed to say? "I went 0-8 and struck out against their first baseman." Yeah, that's useful to everyone. 2) They just played a 6+-hour game and have to play again in KC the next day. I'm sure I'd want to hang around and talk to the media, too.

it's not about what they say. He can say anything he wants -- he has the book of cliches, I'm sure. It's about stepping up exactly because he has a game to play the next day, and exactly because he's pissed about his zero. That's what being a professional is about.

[gammoseditor]

So he openly mocks him for being religious. He also questions if he ever mentally got here when by one measure (fWAR) he had a career year last year. Someone doesn't belong in Boston and it's not Gonzalez.

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

it's not about what they say. He can say anything he wants -- he has the book of cliches, I'm sure. It's about stepping up exactly because he has a game to play the next day, and exactly because he's pissed about his zero. That's what being a professional is about.

Being a professional is preparing oneself to the utmost every day to play to the best of his abilities. I don't see where giving banal quotes to the media after a tough loss fits into that equation.

[Harry Hooper]

I love New England, but sometimes it's so provincial and small minded I get a little sick.

C'mon, the NY papers would definitely call out Jeter or Rodriguez if they left the locker room without talking to the press after an 0-for-8. Granted, Jeter typically would just mouth some bland platitudes, but he would stand there and say something.

Having said that, this is something written by Eric "Super Bowl" Wilbur, which by definition merits no discussion on this board.

[mabrowndog]

Who is Eric Wilbur and why do we care what he has to say?

Ha. Shows what you know. Eric Wilbur is somebody, dammit. And he's famous.

He's got a Wikipedia page and everything.

uhhh...

And it's not like he's some middle-aged balding douchebag trying to escape the anonymous-minnow-in-an-ocean syndrome.

Oh wait...

[someoneanywhere]

Being a professional is preparing oneself to the utmost every day to play to the best of his abilities. I don't see where giving banal quotes to the media after a tough loss fits into that equation.

That's because you don't have the right definition of professional.

Seriously, major-league clubs invest capital and human resources in just this very thing -- substantial ones. Minor-leaguers go to school to learn how to deal with the media at the major-league level. How's that not part of professionalism?

The media part of the game, part of the job, part of the profession. It's part of the responsibility of being one of 800 guys in the world -- one of eight-fucking-hundred, in a world of billions -- paid a lot of dough for the privilege of the game that exists only because people pay to watch them.

A lot of guys may not like it, but who likes everything about what they do? The very definition of a professional is to do everything about your job to a standard, even the parts you despise. If I could stop grading the banal term papers of your average 19-year-old, I would. In a fucking heartbeat. But I can't. It comes with the territory. So I do. And I do it as best I can -- even when it takes me hours and hours away from the thing I was trained to do.

Edited by someoneanywhere, 07 May 2012 - 10:35 AM.

[TomRicardo]

Why does anyone read the Boston Globe anymore? We should have banned linking to that awful site a long time ago. We just increased the web traffic and validated its existence. Why can't it just die the death it so richly deserves?

Newspapers shouldn't be involved in the ownership of teams.

[Alcohol&Overcalls]

Dear diary,

I still don't understand the Fundamental Attribution Error, after all of these years. WHY are all these bad people disappointing me?

Sincerely,
Every Boston Sportswriter Ever

[bosoxsue]

0 for 8 sucks, but it's a single awful game. Whoop de damn doo. Chris Davis had an equally bad day at the plate yesterday. Maybe Valentine should have seen if Gonzo could have pitched.

Oddly enough, I think it said in the Cafardo story (I know, I know) that Gonzalez volunteered and Valentine said no.

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

That's because you don't have the right definition of professional.

Seriously, major-league clubs invest capital and human resources in just this very thing -- substantial ones. Minor-leaguers go to school to learn how to deal with the media at the major-league level. How's that not part of professionalism?

The media part of the game, part of the job, part of the profession. It's part of the responsibility of being one of 800 guys in the world -- one of eight-fucking-hundred, in a world of billions -- paid a lot of dough for the privilege of the game that exists only because people pay to watch them.

A lot of guys may not like it, but who likes everything about what they do? The very definition of a professional is to do everything about your job to a standard, even the parts you despise. If I could stop grading the banal term papers of your average 19-year-old, I would. In a fucking heartbeat. But I can't. It comes with the territory. So I do. And I do it as best I can -- even when it takes me hours and hours away from the thing I was trained to do.

We're going to part ways here. For me there's nothing necessary about speaking to the press for a ballplayer.

[cannonball 1729]

Boston is becoming a tough place to play baseball. And that's shocking considering for nearly 10 years it was the best place in MLB to play.

It's probably not as shocking when you consider that this is pretty much what Red Sox coverage was like pre-2003. What was shocking was watching a neutered Boston press over the last 10 years.

[Buzzkill Pauley]

Smas just posted this on the other thread, which shockingly was not mentioned by Wilbur:

He is still only 30 (tomorrow actually is his 30th birthday) so it's not like he is 35 or something where we might have to worry.

He's in Kansas City for the next three days. Just maybe the guy's plans for a birthday dinner with his wife didn't leave enough time for playing an 18-inning game, answering stupid questions afterward, and getting onto the team plane on time?

[tonyarmasjr]

That's because you don't have the right definition of professional.

Seriously, major-league clubs invest capital and human resources in just this very thing -- substantial ones. Minor-leaguers go to school to learn how to deal with the media at the major-league level. How's that not part of professionalism?

The media part of the game, part of the job, part of the profession. It's part of the responsibility of being one of 800 guys in the world -- one of eight-fucking-hundred, in a world of billions -- paid a lot of dough for the privilege of the game that exists only because people pay to watch them.

A lot of guys may not like it, but who likes everything about what they do? The very definition of a professional is to do everything about your job to a standard, even the parts you despise. If I could stop grading the banal term papers of your average 19-year-old, I would. In a fucking heartbeat. But I can't. It comes with the territory. So I do. And I do it as best I can -- even when it takes me hours and hours away from the thing I was trained to do.

Part of being a professional is being accountable, sure. And if you don't perform, you should be held accountable to your boss, your co-workers, and whomever you support with your job. Talking to the media isn't in his or any other player's job description or contract (as far as I know). They aren't public officials who should be held accountable to their constituencies. If they don't want to talk to the media, that's their prerogative.

[deconstruction]

That's because you don't have the right definition of professional.

Seriously, major-league clubs invest capital and human resources in just this very thing -- substantial ones. Minor-leaguers go to school to learn how to deal with the media at the major-league level. How's that not part of professionalism?

The media part of the game, part of the job, part of the profession. It's part of the responsibility of being one of 800 guys in the world -- one of eight-fucking-hundred, in a world of billions -- paid a lot of dough for the privilege of the game that exists only because people pay to watch them.

A lot of guys may not like it, but who likes everything about what they do? The very definition of a professional is to do everything about your job to a standard, even the parts you despise. If I could stop grading the banal term papers of your average 19-year-old, I would. In a fucking heartbeat. But I can't. It comes with the territory. So I do. And I do it as best I can -- even when it takes me hours and hours away from the thing I was trained to do.

You totally have the right to be fucking pissed at the players, but they totally have the right to not "step up" or give you the soundbytes (or whatever comprises your definition of professionalism). They're not going to get fired for not talking to press. You'll likely get fired if you neglect to grade papers.

[lexrageorge]

Gonzalez owes the media nothing; he owes Eric Wilbur less than that.

Seems like Shank has taught his Padawan well.

[HriniakPosterChild]

Seriously, major-league clubs invest capital and human resources in just this very thing -- substantial ones. Minor-leaguers go to school to learn how to deal with the media at the major-league level.

Okay, major league clubs do that. Do the Padres?

[scotian1]

Well that lack of charisma is leading to failures in the clutch so its relevant. At least in the fantasy world Eric Wilbur lives in.



Lets burn him at the stake over 125 at bats!

Maybe Wilbur was also counting how he performed last year against the Yankees and the Rays. That being said I quess we can assume that Wilbur will never have a question answered by him now.

[LeoCarrillo]

Wilbur's editors likely told him to write this. The Globe just wants eyeballs on their prose. That's all this is.

I agree with this part of the post. But not to sell papers, per say. To remind the Red Sox organization of the symbiotic relationship between papers/media and the team.

Did this piece go too far? Yes. But to say that players "owe nothing" to the media isn't exactly true. As a business, the Red Sox receive what amounts to around 3-5 pages of free full-page advertising every day in the paper for their product, generating excitement, creating buzz, helping sell tickets. (And yes, the Globe benefits too, by selling more papers). Implicit in that agreement is access. Part of a player's salary comes with the understanding that they'll help promote the team, and that means giving interviews.

That said, I do think a player after the worst day of his career has the right to say, "Not today guys." I'm sure the Sox made many players available. And it wasn't like the media wanted to ask about a key play that affected the outcome to better tell the story. They wanted to say, "Hey, that was your biggest professional pants-shit ever. You were struck out by a first baseman, Adrian. Discuss."

So I don't blame Gonzo for snubbing the press on a single given day. If he shut them out permanently, then a different story. And I also agree with people here who think Wilbur and the Globe editors who either assigned the hit piece or later approved it for the paper (or web site, whatever) have overstepped. Words like "coward." Way over the line.