So, if we're reading every story put out yesterday by every writer covering the Jays correctly, Vernon Wells is starting to feel like this is his team.Really. Seriously, Vernon. That's where you want to go with this.
Somehow, over the past dozen years, there was something missing for you, because there were always those pesky folks blocking your way. Like Carlos Delgado. Or Roy Halladay. But now that those perennial All-Stars, Silver Sluggers, Cy Young winners and Sporting News AL Players of the Year are out of the way, you can feel comfortable enough to stretch your shit out and feel like the man of the house around Dunedin.
(Never mind the fact that there are two incumbent Silver Sluggers in your lineup who are on the cover of the Canadian editions of all the baseball preview magazines this year. Ignore that altogether.)
And here's the really sad part for us fans: If this has somehow become "Vernon's Team", it is due far more to the attrition of talent around him rather than his stepping forward and claiming that title for himself in any of the past four seasons.
And don't get us wrong here: We would really love to see Vernon and his Manboobs of Glory triumph over the AL and have him go 30/100 again. We even suspect that he could do it. But to be frank, there's something that is way wrong in that dude's head.
The Parade of Links to Vernon's Leadership Declarations
Griffin: The time has come for Wells to make the Blue Jays his own (Professor Griff, The Star)
Jays leadership role to Wells (Bobby Mac, The Globe and Mail)
Wells takes on leadership role (Bastian!)
It's his team now (Arash Madani, Sportsnet)
Wells is back in the swing of things (Ken Fidlin, Sun)
And to be fair, we've taken the bait, as have most of our blogging compatriots. (Although much praise is due to GROF's Drew and his actual statistical researching and pie-charting of Vernon's issues. Where we play the dime store psychologist for Vernon, he plays clinical psychiatrist.)
Still, this story takes on a predictable echo effect. Sorta like the Edge's guitar in the last few U2 albums.
Like this. I definitely wasn't too impressed with his comments yesterday, they mostly just made me sad.
ReplyDeleteI'm 99% sure that when your (former? star?) CFer says he's starting to feel like a leader, it's not supposed to drive you to drink.
It's frustrating to me how every single spring, Vernon has a new reason why he's going to be huge. Best shape of his life. Hammies feel better. Wrist feels better. My team now. Whatever. Just do what we all want you to do and be an above aveage major league ballplayer. Forget about the insane contract. You'll never "earn" it. Just fucking perform.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's Hill's team anyway.
I hate to say this, but...
ReplyDeleteWhen I took a look at the website for Vernon's charity, there was a not so subtle sense that he's decided that "there are more important things in life than baseball...like hosting lots of charity barbecues."
And you know what? There ARE lots of things in this world that are more important than baseball, but if dude wants to walk the Earth like Kwai Chang Caine, then do it, but walk the fuck away from that contract and leave those of us who have our priorities completely out of whack to indulge in a fantasy of a baseball team with an extra $20 mill of salary space.
(And yeah, I realize this is all shallow and unfair. Why is it so goddamned hard to get behind Vernon?)
Asked whether he or Hill were going to be the team's leader, Wells smiled.
ReplyDelete"I've got him on that one," Wells said.
Fuck that shit.
If the Jays are truly Well's team, they're doomed!
ReplyDeleteI'm with The Ack, this is more Hill's team than Well's team. You don't become a leader just because you've been there the longest.
Well, now that the unequivocal leadership of the team has been ceded by Kevin Millar, I guess it is up for grabs. Like a banana republic after the CIA assassinates the democratically elected president, these leaders in waiting may want to be careful what they wish for.
ReplyDeletePeel the bulls eye off your back, place it neatly in the manila envelope and send it back through intra-office mail. Let the guy with the shakiest command of the English language be the leader and give ALL interviews.
Leadership aside, its nice to see that by all reports he has come to camp thinner. The guy is 6-1 and last year I think he was at 235 lbs, trying to play centre. At that weight he's probably one of the heaviest centre fielders in the majors.
ReplyDeleteAs a guy who has battled weight (okay battle is definately the wrong word, watched my weight increase year after year) I have no idea how a guy could play centre at 235 lbs. Hell I can feel it in day to day activities when I'm 5 pounds lighter, let alone trying to play CF.
I think we'll see a resurgence in VDub at this lower weight (30 lbs by some estimates), and if not then he is probably done.
I do agree I think vern's charity work and other non baseball related activities have taken away from his focus on the field too.
Just lay off the slider away, Vern
ReplyDeleteI hear ya, Bwilly. My struggle with weight is the struggle to button my jeans while hold in my gut and then watching it spill over my belt. It's quite sexy, I must admit.
ReplyDeleteI refuse to use my name for this post
What do talent level and leadership ability have anything to do with each other? I doubt FDR could hit a slider away either. I don't deny he'd be better in center, though....
ReplyDeleteAnon 1:14PM :
ReplyDeleteDamn, those are some smooth pick up lines you have. Please teach me to be as smooth as you are with the ladies.
Nothing wrong with an athlete having confidence in himself, Tao, even if it is unfounded. An athlete without confidence will never been a successful one.
ReplyDeleteAs always, stop sucking the fun out of everything.
UM ...26 million Vern. Get your ass in gear! We didn't sign you to be just an okay player. And I'll happily forgoe the leader stuff ... just so long as you've dropped the facepies for good.
ReplyDeleteGo Dub!
so really, BFF, you can't tell the difference between a player being confident in their abilities and deciding several years later that this is "their" team?
ReplyDeleteAs always, try to contribute instead of being a whatever the fuck it is you are.
I think they are one in the same quality, shithead.
ReplyDeleteAs the most experienced player on the team, Vernon thinks that he carries a greater responsibility now. That might not be the reality of the situation, but I can't see how you can fault him for having that confidence in himself and his leadership ability.
Either way, ragging on Vernon Wells because he thinks he's a leader in the clubhouse is pretty fucking low. It's so much easier to comment on his inability to hit or field without getting into character assassinations like "there is something way wrong in that dude's head."
No, but...clearly, there IS something wrong in that dude's head. As evidenced by the fact that he's only starting to have that sort of a realization.
ReplyDeleteIt just seems as though he has to be bashed over the head with the facts before he can see them right in front of him. That goes for the way that he dealt with his struggles at the plate and in the field as well.
So basically you're bashing him for his good intentions right now and the fact that he's saying all the right things in the absence of Roy Halladay. Yeah...fuck Vernon for acting confidently and taking on a "leadership role" as he becomes the longest tenured player...doesn't he know that he sucks!?!
ReplyDeleteIt's as if you're just making up reasons to hate the guy outside of his poor performance. Completely unnecessary...he's a good guy.
ah, shithead. nice one. you're faulting the tao (and me) for your trouble with reading comprehension. good thing you're against the ad hominem attacks. right, holier than thou BFF?
ReplyDeleteHey man, I kinda LIKE Vernon. But then again, most of my friends are aging adolescents who have spent the bulk of their 30's avoiding adult responsibilities. So I have a type
ReplyDelete(Cut to my friends reading this, saying: "Hey! What did I do?" Sorry dudes. We did our best to stay as young as we could for as long as we could.)
Why does everyone gotta be a shithead today?
ReplyDeleteHey man, I kinda LIKE Vernon. But then again, most of my friends are aging adolescents who have spent the bulk of their 30's avoiding adult responsibilities. So I have a type.
ReplyDeleteAnd if those aging adolescents started showing responsibility, I'm sure you'd start hating on them as well.
good thing you're against the ad hominem attacks.
Attack the guy all you want. But have an actual, legitimate reason for it. In regard to you, I did.
You're not a shithead, Tao. Just a fun sucker. It has its pros and cons.
ReplyDeleteBFF, i kind of like how you don't at all appreciate the irony of your own statements.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, you can't call out someone for calling out someone without calling that someone out.
ReplyDeleteOne more thing.
ReplyDeleteIf Vernon made self-deprecating comments yesterday about his abilities and leadership qualities instead of confident ones, would you have been satisfied by that? Would that have been better?
It would have definitely proven that there is something wrong in his head, anyway.
Hey cool. Tao and his anonymous buddy are having an internet fight with BFF. Don't be afraid to use your nails, boys!
ReplyDeleteI don't see how he could feel it was his team when Carlos and Roy were there.
By the way, Carlos and Roy is also the name of the hottest ambiguously gay magic act at the Halifax Casino. Don't miss it, I know I won't!