JD Drew Update - Nothing To Report Again
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Jason Beck | Wednesday, January 17, 2007 |
About 43 days after it was reported that JD was going to be a Red Sox he still is not here
It was Dec. 5, at about 6:45 p.m., in the lobby of The Dolphin Hotel in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., when Scott Boras announced that J.D. Drew had agreed to a five-year, $70 million deal with the Red Sox. Today is Jan. 17, 2007. A new month, a new year, and the deal remains in limbo.
Nonetheless, there is no angst apparent on either side, seemingly no doubt that Drew will be the team’s starting right fielder and No. 5 hitter. Word is that the sides have been having frequent dialogue to craft precise language about medical concerns in Drew’s right shoulder. The sides are progressing, according to a source involved in the talks.
The source described the talks as, “Combine medical language and legal language into one, and that’s what you’re up against. Every time there’s medical language proposed, it takes a couple of days to decipher it. And then there are discussions back and forth and revisions are made. Both sides are looking for precise language to protect their assets.”
New York Times columnist Murray Chass theorizes that perhaps the Sox and Giants will “swap” players involved in contract holdups
Six weeks after they agreed to terms on new contracts, Barry Bonds and J. D. Drew remain unsigned. Bonds hasn’t signed with the Giants; Drew hasn’t signed with the Red Sox. That prompts a thought. If both contracts were to fall through, the Red Sox could sign Bonds to play left field and move Manny Ramírez back to his original position in right.
This will never happen for a couple reasons
- Manny is an average fielder (and this is being kind). There is no way he would be able to patrol the huge right field at Fenway park.
- Bonds claimed he would never play for Boston because it is a racist city
But Bonds, whose knowledge of baseball history had him humorously mocking a visitor stumbling to draw comparisons between Williams’s feats with the Red Sox and those of the 39-year-old Giants slugger, said Boston is a place he would never call home.
“Boston is too racist for me,” he said. “I couldn’t play there.”
It is a judgment, he acknowledges, not derived of firsthand experience — he missed the 1999 All-Star Game, played in Boston, because of an injury — but on word-of-mouth.
“Only what guys have said,” he said, “but that’s been going on ever since my dad [Bobby] was playing baseball. I can’t play like that. That’s not for me, brother.”
When it was suggested the racial climate has changed in Boston, Bonds demurred.
“It ain’t changing,” he said. “It ain’t changing nowhere.”
They built a tunnel to honor Ted Williams in Boston. What did he imagine would be built for him?
“Nothing, man,” he said. “I’m black. They don’t build stuff for blacks.”
3. The Sox got rid of Pedro partly because of the perks he demanded.
The bottom line is that Drew will probably end up with Boston and Bonds will end up in SF, but I am sure many people, I am one of “those people”, who are hoping that does not happen.
- Red Sox Talking to Rockies about Helton
- Barry Bonds, Giants agree to $16M, 1-year deal
- Red Sox, J.D. Drew Agree, At Last
- Barry Bonds May Leave San Francisco
- Manny is Manny
- Aaron Would Rather Golf Than Watch Bonds
- Barry Bonds won’t be playing for the San Francisco Giants in 2008
- Bonds and Steroids: Circumstantial Evidence?
- The Incredible Growing Bonds
- Russ Springer Suspended for throwing at Barry Bonds
- Are we ready for some Florida Panthers hockey?
- Fire Wade Phillips
- Will Mark Purdy of The Mercury-Times please pick up the white courtesy phone
- Weekly Miami Dolphins prediction
- Former MLB Shortstop Eddie Brinkman dead at 66
- Chicago Blackhawks waive goalie Nikolai Khabibulin
- St. Louis Rams fire coach Scott Linehan
- Jacksonville Jaguars OT Richard Collier paralyzed
- College Football Rankings Stink
- Alabama Whips Georgia 41-30
Run away from Nancy Drew while you can.
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