The Mind Gone Mad

History repeats itself. That is a fact. I think only because there are not nearly as many outcomes to life as we think there are. Probably only 10 possibilities in life. But it’s the why things are like that that seems endless. Why does someone want to help others or why does someone want to hurt others? Those are two of those small possibilities and encompass just about all aspects of life. General I know, but that’s how I break it down. Yet the why a person chooses such a path can be a list that goes on forever.

So why do I bring this up? Because I’ve realized over the past month or so how I’ve foolishly repeated history. How so many of us left this online gaming clan known as SFI as a means to escape a horrible, dictator-like leader only to find that when we created something new, I ended up following that exact same dictator path. Fact is fact and that is what happened.

Now I’m in an interesting place. I’ve changed. Most certainly, I have changed. It’s the why I have changed that makes it interesting and it’s something I don’t feel like sharing. Not because I’m embarrassed or anything, but rather because I don’t believe many others want to hear it. Might take it the wrong way. Whatever. I dunno. I don’t care. It’s my reason and I have embraced it. I’m not the same for it and that makes me happy.

So this is just one of many apologies I have been making to people. People I have gamed with and have felt my egotistical wrath.

I now sit here thinking out a new course of action. One that may change things for all of us. For better or worse? Who knows.

I dunno. Not so interested in keeping up with this thing anymore. It tends to come and go, but right now it’s gone and has not come back in a while. The entry about the Yankees I did just for the hell of it.I do plenty of writing on web forums to keep my desire to write satisfied.

I’m going to contemplate on whether or not to keep this going. I certainly don’t want it to turn into just a place where I review baseball, movies, and TV. That was never my intention. Every time I’ve done it has been filler. I’d feel weird if that’s all this was reduced to for me.

We shall see.

It’s such a long list that it hurts. But here goes:

-Front Office, Shut Up!

This is a place of too many chiefs and not enough indians. Everyone is trying to say what they think should be done to fix everything. And they all think they have the perfect “cure it right away” remedy. The truth of the matter is that if you want to fix a team like this, it takes time. But no one in that office wants to saying that one word. It is the ultimate taboo. But I will say it: rebuilding.

New stadium, bad economy, yeah yeah yeah. Heard it. But that’s your own damn fault. If this team wants to contend again, it can’t be done with a giant check book and the hottest free agents each off season. They need to redo their scouting (because it sucks) focus in on prime draft choices, rework their minor league coaching, teach the basics and fundamentals of the game, hire a creative manager who doesn’t give a shit about what a player is making (sorry, Girardi, that’s not you, it wasn’t Torre either nor would it be Mattingly), and tell the General Manager that the job is his and he doesn’t have to put up with bullshit. Because I think that has been the real problem. Cashman probably has some solid ideas and most of them get knocked out of the air. Then his plans that needed everything to fall in place have only half of them falling in place and he looks like a moron.

It’s the front office and their meddling. Fuck off you guys. You hired a guy to do a job so let him do his fucking job.

-No Country For Old Men (oh I’m so clever)

Way too many guys who are either past their prime or on the down side of their prime signed to long fucking deals. Damon, Matsui, Sheffield, Posada, Randy Johnson, and A-Rod to name a few in recent history. Expect Jeter to be the next one.

Hey, I like a lot of those guys too. Especially those core players. But the fact is that a guy’s peek comes in his late 20’s. Not his mid 30’s. Or higher! Stop signing guys to insane fucking contracts because you think there is a little more left in the tank and you want them to be happy. Players should not be happy. They should be hungry.

Props I will always give to the Red Sox is their ability to drop a guy when he doesn’t have what they want out of the position (Damon, Pedro, Lowe) and then sign guys to reasonable, incentive laden contracts. Add those incentives to make a guy go out there and work. It’s like Office Space. It doesn’t matter how much extra work he does, he doesn’t get more money for it. But he will with the incentives. That’s the point. If a player thinks that it is an insult, well fuck him! It’s just telling that he really doesn’t want to work for it. If he thinks he can achieve those goals and not get hurt then where is the fucking problem? Props to you, Boston front office. You do well there.

-SCOUT YOU BASTARDS!

I mentioned this once already, but the scouting needs a massive overhaul. I mean really. Jose Contreas, Kei Igawa? Jeez guys. Do you ever know what “talent evaluation” means? It’s not just what a guy is doing against his peers at the time. It’s what he is doing overall. How are his mechanics? What’s his stuff look like by itself? How is his conditioning? Just because a person is good in one place does not mean he is any good in another.

Gene Michael was the best scout the Yankees ever had. Long ago he was pulled from that duty for God knows what reason and they have never been able to replace that natural ability to find natural ability. It’s sad and it’s pathetic.

And don’t go saying Chien-Ming Wang, Robinson Cano, or Joba Chamberlian at me. Wang had 2 good season which he has yet to follow up and he’s now approaching 30, Cano still has not proven he can do it when it counts, and Joba is still on the fence. So none of that means shit. Their position players can’t hit in the minors and they are pretty much out of pitchers.

-Ignore the Hype AND the Critics

It’s New York. I know. Reporters and camera and bloggers. Oh my! Just ignore it, guys. It’s not that big a deal. So the fuck what? Get over it. Is your self esteem that fragile that it affects your ability to play baseball? OK, it is for A-Rod, but the rest of you? Fuck, half of you can barely speak English. Go home, get some sleep, wake up, and get ready to play the game you’ve been playing since you were a kid. Don’t put on the radio or read the paper, or watch ESPN. Just live your fucking life and do what you gotta do. Or so help me, I will kick your ass myself!