The D-Fab Fait Accompli Comments

by gondeee on Feb 19, 2009 12:02 AM EST in Free Agents Comment 11 comments

Yes, I love to pick on the man, so here are his comments the last few days regarding the Griffey non-signing.

The Braves' star power is set to rise as Ken Griffey Jr. has decided to play for the Braves, a person close to the veteran outfielder and familiar with the negotiations told the Journal-Constitution.

Griffey’s expected to make a decision and sign this afternoon, and I’d be very surprised if it’s not with the Braves. I’m told the details have already been worked out, though the agent will meet with GM Fran Wren once more this afternoon. Don’t know about the physical yet, if they’re doing it today or what.

Seattle is his other option, but it’s been clear for several days that the Kid was leaning heavily toward Atlanta, to be so much closer to his family in Orlando and play for Bobby Cox on a team that’s expected to be more of a contender than the Mariners.

I would suggest that Griffey and his agent had told the Mariners they would talk to them this afternoon before making any decision, and that they plan to do that before announcing any decision.

We’re not going to get an announcement from the Braves today, I can pretty much assure you.

And so we begin Day 4 of the Junior Watch, and if Ken Griffey Jr. isn’t officially a Brave by the end of the day, please shoot me.

The Braves haven’t announced he’s signed or even a "major press conference" today. But there’s still no doubt in my mind that, as we reported yesterday in the AJC, Griffey has decided to be a Brave.

Again, I’ll say it’s just a matter of time before it’s official. Will it be today? I’d guess so, but not certain. Maybe in an hour, two hours, we will be certain.

Sourced here, here, and here.

0 recs | Comment 11 comments | Share

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

If I was him...

I’d run away and hide… wow that’s embarrassing.

by MatM on Feb 19, 2009 12:07 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

very funny.

i love dob. but this is no good….
but i appreciate everything he does, so it’s tough to get pissed about this.

by stephenkrose on Feb 19, 2009 12:10 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

If I was Braves Management I would serve him a warm glass of shut the BLANK up!

best defensive shortstop in baseball hahahahahahahahahah (omar visquel)

by mvandonsel on Feb 19, 2009 12:36 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I despise DOB. His articles hurt to read, with all the crappy lyrics. No one cares about your goddamned music, just write about baseball please. What is this, some 13 year old girl’s LiveJournal?

by Enron on Feb 19, 2009 1:20 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

For one thing, DOB’s track record as a connected info source is obviously poor. He has been dead wrong many times in recent years. He was wrong about Peavy, Burnett, and Smoltz. Why would it surprise anyone that he is wrong about Griffey? Also, his backhanded criticisms of Frank Wren are sophistic, at best, and tend to keep the Braves fan base upset before there is anything to be upset about in reality. Read DOB for entertainment if that makes people feel better, but don’t waste your time taking him seriously.

Second point. Ken Griffey hit .249 in 2008. He hasn’t hit over .277 since the 2005 season. With the exception of 2007, Griffey hasn’t hit over .260 since 2005. He is 39 years old. He was a great player a decade ago, but I honestly can’t underdstand what all the fuss is about now. It amazes me that anyone thinks Griffey would have been a difference-maker in Atlanta.

Third point. I don’t have much faith in Jeff Francoeur, but it is time to do what almost any other NL team would do by giving opportunities to Atlanta’s other young outfielders. The Braves haven’t had a true leadoff hitter since Rafael Furcal bolted to LA, but Josh Anderson can solve that problem. Anderson has a .315 lifetime major league BA, steals about 90% of his attempts, and plays good defense in CF. The LF job is set-up for a Diaz/Jones platoon until Jordan Schafer is ready in June or July. Sometime in the next 18 months, Jason Heyward will be in Atlanta. These kids should not sit. Let them play.

It’s niave to think the Braves will make up a 20 game deficit in the NL East standings in 2009. But they can be comtenders again within another 2-3 years if Wren hangs onto the young talent and doesn’t block them with over the hill reclamation projects like Griffey and Garrett Anderson. And it’s time for the fan base to wake up, small the coffee, wise up to DLB, and stop pressuring Wren to do the wrong thing with 40 year old players.

by Messenger on Feb 19, 2009 6:45 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Goodbye, journalistic credibility

Formerly Uncle Charlie of Minor League Ball

by Yakker on Feb 19, 2009 1:39 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I’m sick of the AJC getting my hopes only to smash them into a thousand pieces. How many weeks did DOB say he was confident that a deal with the Padres for Jake Peavy was nothing short of inevitable? Even after the Braves pulled out of negotiations he still calimed that the two sides would realize they were best suited to fulfill each others needs and would get the deal done. Whoops. I can forgive them for the Frucal incident because every news outlet thought Furcal going to Atlanta was a done deal but the Griffey story was nothing short of an embarrassment to sports journalism. It’s not all DOB’s fault either, in all fairness the sports editor was the one who wrote the incendiary headline that Griffey was coming to Atlanta for sure. However, DOB’s pathetic attempt to blame everyone else (Griffey for changing his mind, Bowman for speculating that DOB’s original story caused Griffey’s change of heart, his editor for the headline) is such a weak and backhanded apology it makes A-Rod’s apology look like the gold standard in comparison. From now on they need to cross every “t” and dot every “i” before they even think of reporting anything about the Braves.

by kevsny13 on Feb 19, 2009 1:42 AM EST reply actions 0 recs