I have no idea how to create pages but I'll figure it out eventually godammit

Friday, February 20, 2009

Dear John Smoltz,

Please stop talking.

You have very effectively established your argument that you did actually desperately want to end your career with the Braves, but the heartless and unfeeling Braves front office physically threw you out the door and forced you at threat to your own bodily person to sign a more lucrative contract with the Red Sox than was being offered by the Braves at the time. The fact that at the time of your signing the Braves still had not signed a single pitcher to bolster the rotation and that you are injured and will not play until at least June had nothing to do with it, it was all Frank Wren being wantonly cruel to you despite all you've done for this franchise. You have made your version of the account abundantly clear, and due to the several negative incidents that have occurred to the Braves this offseason, your version of the story does seem quite plausible.

However, consistently repeating these allegations of unfairness and abuse at the hands of the cold and calculating Atlanta front office every single day to whoever will listen since you signed the dotted line is beginning to undermine your claims. Instead of a bold assertion of your loyalty and disappointment, these constant criticisms are beginning to make you instead sound whiny, guilty and desperate. Your point has been made, any further reiteration of the matter in question will only serve to characterize you as petty and vindictive toward the organization. If you are truly angry at the way you have been treated, please focus that energy into your rehabilitation. Then when you are ready to pitch once again, go out and contribute to a Red Sox playoff berth and World Series Championship. That way you truly will have revenge against the Braves for their ill deeds.

I ask this because there are still millions of Braves fans out there who look up to you as a player, and I do not wish for them to become as disillusioned with you and your childish antics as I have become. While sadly I will never again see you as anything but a greedy, bitter, egotistical, whiny, full of himself, lying, blowhard, turncoat, two faced son of a motherless goat, I would not want your despicable behavior to spoil the joyful memories of all the people who still love you and the Braves. So please John, for the sake of all the fans you have not already completely and utterly alienated, just shut the hell up.

Sincerely,

some jackhole on the internet.

5 comments:

Ben said...

Baseball is a business. We as fans can have no expectations of free agents until they're signed. This off season has sucked, hard. But you can't fault Jake Peavy or Burnett for not signing.

It would have been nice to snag Griffey, but in the long run I don't know how much good he's capable of doing in the National League any more. Now that I've said that, he'll figure out a way to put up a 40/40 year...

Smoltz though really annoys me. For a whole lot of years he was my favorite on that staff. He battled through injuries at a time where things came so easily to Maddux and Glavine.

I was sad to see Maddux go. But he left in the same manner that he carried himself his entire career, quietly and with no fanfare. And he left before he had reached the limits of his effectiveness. I think had Maddux retired after the 2004 season, he'd have stayed in Atlanta that year.

Smoltz could have signed with the Yankees in 96 and I don't think a single one of us would be that upset. Sure we would have lost a great pitcher who was in his prime. But we wouldn't have had to sit here and listen to an old man whining about not being able to play his last season in Atlanta. He had every chance possible to stay in Atlanta. He chose not to.

I can understand some of the players' annoyance towards the front office in the days following the decision, they didn't have all the facts and neither did we. But once Smoltz opened his mouth about his time with the Braves, I lost interest.

I wish him all the best in Boston and I'm sure we'll see him in a Braves hat in Cooperstown, and more than likely in the Braves announcing booth in the years to come. But it's going to take a lot for him to win back my respect.

Not because he left my favorite team. But because he trashed his reputation as a team player, as one of the very very few players in this era that stayed in one place for 20 years. For what? A few million dollars? Maybe a chance at the playoffs (which I think Atlanta has a good shot at this year)?

It's absurd.

Once again, I'll direct everyone's attention to my masterpiece:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IXWg4DnBsD8/SXP91aC9W_I/AAAAAAAAAMQ/q2A3T2Y7PdQ/s1600-h/Smoltz.jpg

Captain Canuck said...

No one. No one was a bigger Smoltz backer than I was.
No one trashed the Braves ownership after Ted more than I.
But I completely agree.
Shut up... shut up and let me enjoy my team. Good for you john. You deserve whatever you want. But you've left. Now be the bigger man and move on.

Harris said...

Well said. I went from originally being angry at management, to blaming both sides, to ultimately having worse feelings toward John as he continues to open his mouth. If he thinks he is winning over the fans by telling his side of the story, he is sorely mistaken. He only comes off sounding like a petty, small man. A class act keeps his mouth shut about these things and is secure in the knowledge that he made the right decision. Someone who prattles on, like John is now, reminds me of someone who is second guessing themselves.

If I had to pick one card that represents this week in a sort of morbid fashion, I would have to choose the 2008 Goudey John Smoltz. Beneath John's grinning visage is "Ken Griffey Jr. says..." Sometimes cards are depressingly poetic.

JoshSamBob said...

Bitter Bravos fans... *sigh*

At least you guys didn't re-acquire Andruuuuw. THAT would have been a debacle of epic proportions.

dayf said...

I'll quit being bitter when John quits flappin' his gums about my team.

You're absolutely right about Andruw though. He would be the everyday center fielder for Bobby whether he was hitting .250 with 30 home runs or .130 with 3 home runs.