The Yankees "renewed" Joba Chamberlain's contract for the major league minimum of $390,000 the other day. For those of you who don't know what "renewed" means, it means they set his salary because he doesn't have any leverage. They didn't negotiate with him, or if they did they didn't give him what he asked for.
Here's what Joba said when we asked him about it:
“I don’t play the game to get paid. I play the game to enjoy it and love it. The paycheck’s a bonus. What do I have to complain about?”
The same thing (with a different dollar amount) happened to Milwaukee's Prince Fielder and Philly's Cole Hamels. Here's what they said about it:
Fielder ($670,000):
"I'm not happy about it at all. The fact I've had to be renewed two years in a row, I'm not happy about it because there's a lot of guys who have the same amount of time that I do who have done a lot less and are getting paid a lot more. But my time is going to come. It's going to come quick, too.''
Hamels ($490,000):
“I know what’s been going on and everything. It’s just a part of the game when you’re in my situation. You don’t have any say, you just have to take it. Sometimes it can be frustrating because you feel you’re a part of the team but I just want to see some generosity and understanding about what I’m going out there every five days to do.”
Comments (8)
I'm glad Joba is in our camp. In a few years when his bargaining is more in favor with his ability. He'll be paid accordingly. Fielder's waist is almost as big as his mouth. He'll be paid what he's worth down the road if his head dosn't get in the way of his game.
Hamels looking for generosity had better smarten up. There's no gnerosity in baseball contracts. You better have the spreadsheet on your side when it comes to generosity.
Larry M,
What else can the kid say? He has no leverage and no record. The article itself is a Red Herring. Hamels and Fielder are 4 steps ahead of Joba. They at least have achieved something to justify their disastisfaction. I don't recall seeing Joba in last years All Star game. Those two were. I mean Fielder hit 50 HR in his second year in baseball.
Now Im not a fan of any player that bitches about money because we work 20 years to make what they make in 1, but it is also disingenuous to use the three together as if they are at the same career points. Last I checked Joba is still trying to make the team. Fielder and Hamels are 2 years past that point. The thread heading is just further indication of the poor quality of journalism that you get here at Newsday....as well as at most other papers.
BTW, when do pitchers with an accumulated 24 innings of MLB experience get to negotiate anything, other than their shoe size?
> What else can the kid say?
There are the many things he could have said, and then there is the thing he did say. You are probably correct that based on their performance, comparing Chamberlain's quote to Hamels' and Fielder's (and, come to think of it, Papelbon's call for a better salary and labor solidarity from the young non-leveraged Sox) is apples and more expensive apples, but Chamberlain's words stand on their own. I find it refreshing that a player (with post-season experience) making the low-end wage of the baseball spectrum realizes and acknowledges how fortunate he is to be paid what he gets paid while doing something he loves.
BTW, when should anyone use number of All-Star appearances as a metric for anything other than counting the number of All-Star appearances?
BBTW, you described the article as a Red Herring and then threw a Straw Man into the mix.
Put them on an Afrikaner farm in South Africa, or in a Karen refugee camp on the border of Burma and Thailand, or drop them doing the hell of the DRC and then let them see how lucky they are to make so much money playing a game.
This while so many other people, including women and children, must suffer unimaginable cruelty and privation.
These nauseating spoiled brats will be in for a rude awakening when the economy crashes, or perhaps war comes to US soil, and there are no more professional sports.
Great read on the makeup of the 2008 team. Breaks down the lineup, rotation, bullpen and even win total. Has a poll to vote in too!
http://mlbfleecefactor.com/2008/03/05/the-2008-new-york-yankees-cashmans-last-stand/
Nudge: If you have learned anything about professional athletes. There time in the show or for that matter AAA usually has no reflection on the grabbage that comes out of their mouth as Kat's sample of the three indicates with Mr. Fielder's comments. I understand the system and how it limits the younger players ability to make some extra cash for good performance. Yes, Joba is a few years shy of the tenure marks for pay but he could have said many things and they could have been negative which would make the average fan more turned off to the overpaid professional athlete.
Life is tough in the real world and I'd liked what Joba said. And I'm glad he's on my team.
there is nothing wrong with what any of them said .
Fielder actually is correct they had to do thsi with him TWO years in a row?? he put excitement back in Milwaukee baseball. he played two whole season , Of course Joba cannot complain and that is why he got his raise after what a half of season work.