Sternberg On Kazmir Deal: This Is Who We Are
Stuart Sternberg September 2nd. 2009, 6:03pmMarc Lancaster brings us this brutally honest quote from Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg on fans being upset about the Scott Kazmir trade…
“If I were a casual fan or a real fan of the team, I’d feel the same thing,” he said. “People love Scott. He was a great Ray here, he did a lot of tremendous things. This is what we do. This is who we are and this is what we do. People better get used to it, because it’s going to continue.”
Well. If there is anything we know about Stu, it is that he is absolutely from Brooklyn.
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So if you are a player, how does this make you feel? Do you play injured for this guy? If you read the whole Lancaster bit, it is slightly less arrogant. But if I’m the guy selling season tickets, I want Stu to shut the hell up before sales get any worse.
I think the Boston guys calling them cash cowards is pretty dead on and Stu doesn’t like the criticism and is getting prickly.
http://www.boston.com/sports/columnists/wilbur/2009/09/01/cash_cowards/
I outlived Culverhouse and, God willing, I’ll outlive these guys too.
So if we don’t have the lead in the playoff hunt at the start of September, we will be sellers if the right deal comes along. Even if it costs us a shot to make up the ground.
Good to know.
In Stu, Matt, Andrew, Gerry and Joe, I trust.
First of all, don’t get on the guy for telling the truth and being up front on how he plans on running this team. You want him to sugar coat things? It’s the only way to maintain a viable and competitive franchise in the long term in this market. Cash cowards? Give me a break.
Secondly, this comes down to how valuable you find Kaz. It appears you two (Gus and John) find him more valuable than Ray’s management, or I for that matter. We got three good prospects, and most analysts out there who actually know how Kaz has pitched the last 2+ years think that this is, at best, a clear win and possible steal for the Rays and, at worst, a win-win for both teams. And while we aren’t out of it at all, 5 games back this late in the year isn’t a promising spot.
No, the trade is a very good trade. We got a lot more than Kaz is worth. I would never dispute that (especially after the PTBNL.) The Angels made the deal because they are in a playoff hunt, and it makes them better in the short term. We made the deal because (apparently) we are not in the playoff hunt. It makes us better in the long term.
I’m just trying to get a feel for where Stu’s “if we are in the playoff hunt we won’t cut payroll this year” line is. As far as Stu is concerned, we obviously have to be closer than 3.5 games back at the end of August. And as a fan, frankly, that sucks.
I largely agree with John. I just think it will be hard to keep this team focused in the future if they get down and the owner has a quick hook because his profits are more important than winning. In Stu’s world, the 2007 Rockies never happen, the 2006 Astros never happen. That ain’t cool. And while I too was driven nuts by Kazmir and would have welcomed an off-season trade, there was no doubt he was the Rays 2nd best starter in the last 5 weeks. 18 consecutive retired today leads you to believe maybe he had it figured out. He would have been better than Sonny’s tired act, and all the sarcastic columnists (Fennelly ripping on Kaz) look pretty much like homers apologizing for their skinflint owner (at least for this week).
Kaz was awful to start the year and started to pitch pretty well lately, but seriously was Kaz going to be the difference this season to us getting into the playoffs? No. He starts maybe 6 games and who knows what pitcher you’re going to see. I like this deal a lot, we needed to clear up a spot for Wade Davis and this saves us plenty of money so maybe they can keep Crawford. The team this year was not riding on the arm of Scott Kazmir to get into the postseason. They’re 5 games back it’s going to take a lot more than just Kazmir to pull this off. To me this deal almost seems like the Texiera deal for the Angels, Kaz is basically the 5th starter and that’s what they needed, but they’re in the playoffs (most likely) anyways. He won’t start in the postseason over their guys and he doesn’t make that team really that much better. The only difference is they do get to keep him longer, but remember when they traded for Tex their original play was to resign him. The Rays couldn’t afford him and got a large return for a player they wouldn’t keep at the end of the year and the Angels don’t need him this season. So in the end it looks like the Rays won this deal and it doesn’t effect their chances all that much for the postseason.
Missing Kazmir…check out LA score(early)!….Kaz….. his usual self…
Good riddins!
Why is there an Imperial, “Be equipped to root for the Red Sox” ad at the top of the Rays Index page? I’m disgusted.
Does he mean that dumping payroll will continue? I hope he doesn’t mean dumping Crawford. How bout’ Upton instead and put Jennings and Joyce in center and right and dump gross and kapler
Hey Stu
17,000 for the Red Sox. Better get used to it… it’s what we do.
Now THAT was funny
how about the more important part?
“I would like to think people know me and know us better that we’re not rolling up any carpets and that we have at least enough of a track record that we have a sense of what we’re doing,” he said. “I think any real fan who looked at it could clearly see that it’s not a salary dump. As a casual fan you want more, more, more – ‘Why didn’t you get this guy? Why didn’t you sign this guy?’ We live within our means. It’s a reallocation of resources.”
Sternberg is basically calling The Professor a casual fan, some would agree…
Wow. When did I call it a salary dump? All I ever said was that to many it looks like a salary dump, and how that is bad when trying to grow a fanbase. In fact I have never said it was a bad trade. I just questioned the timing. How does that make me a casual fan?
hey that’s how it’s going to be in tampa…..get used to it….complain about yankee and sox fans in your stadium…consider yourself lucky that that is almost 20% of your home games…..17000 fans the other night when boston is in town…..kazmir wont be the last one on that train out of town….support your team thick or thin or it will get thin real quick
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