An Ode to Ray

I think that at the outset of spring training, I was particularly pessimistic about anyone young showing anything this year, that our position player prospects close to the big leagues were completely of no value. Durham was going to play because, well, who the else would we throw out there.

I think that, at least for now, I'm drinking the Kool-Aid with Eugenio, Freddy and Bowker. Bowker may be a flash in the pan, but, hell, I'm going to enjoy finding out, and I hope he's up the rest of the year.

So now that we have some guys that can hit, and the pitching (save for Zito) is looking to live up to the hype, maybe this team can win a few games here and there.

As an aside, I don't have the same vitriol towards Zito because he actually seems like a good guy that works hard and is a good influence on the team. Once again, echoing Doc's sentiment, I can't fault him for signing on the dotted line of that ridiculous deal.

But Ray is everything that was wrong with yesterday's Giants, with many athletes and, even more broadly, the overpaid employed in general. He has a smug sense of self-entitlement, of taking care of his own, and does little to back it up. And management at all levels reinforces these notions, at the expense of players who are young and hungry and actually have some talent.

[RANT WARNING]

The "Durham is in for a power bat" excuse is wearing very thin.

He has had a two years of 20+ HRs and has shown NOTHING since - GASP - signing a contract. He .218 with 11HRs last year! No injuries, just shitty play.

He has 1 HR this year in a bandbox in a game in which the Giants had no chance to come back when a pitcher was mopping up. Eugenio's been tagging balls and wreaking havoc on the basepaths. Oh - and he's a better defender.

This Durham charade has gotten patently ridiculous. He's a total freaking disgrace that needs to go the way of Old Yeller. His spring training antics were really the nail in the coffin for this no-heart mercenary.

I understand starting veterans that may be a bit long in the tooth as they can show youngsters how professionals conduct their business, etc. a la Aurilia. Aurilia is terrible but he's a good guy and Ort is not exactly pushing him (although that may be changing).

Durham doesn't take care of himself, puts himself before the team and plays neither offense nor defense well. The fact that he's on this team (does anyone think ANYONE will trade for him? For what? His amazing glove? His veteran influence? His cheap contract? Oh - his POP?) is shameful.

NOTE TO SABES - WE KNOW YOU'VE MADE MISTAKES - WE WOULDN'T BE IN THIS POSITION OTHERWISE. CUTTING RAY IS NOT AN ADMISSION OF A MISTAKE. IT'S AN ADMISSION OF YOUR UNDESERVED HUBRIS. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, STOP THE BLEEDING.