Neighbors of a Serial Killer: Part Two

On January 12, 2009...I wrote this regarding Michael Young's trade request:

Neighbors of a Serial Killer
January 12, 2009

The Texas Rangers have asked Michael Young to change positions and he is not having any of it. After speaking with General Manager Jon Daniels about moving to third base, Young said,

I'm not playing third base. I'm pretty adamant about my stance. I told them I wanted to be traded.

Have you ever seen a news story on a serial killer? You know, the ones where their neighbors are interviewed and always say something to the effect of, "He was always such a nice man. He was friendly, he helped me trim my tree, and seemed like a great guy. I just can't believe that he did this!"

Well, that's kind of how many Ranger fans feel about Michael Young right now. Is comparing Young to a serial killer a little extreme? Probably...but being a lifelong Ranger fan will have that effect on you!

For years, Ranger fans have considered Michael Young a leader. They considered him the "face" of the Ranger organization. He has the reputation of a guy that will do anything to win. He is Mr. Team.

They may now be questioning whether they mislabeled their beloved shortstop. Let's examine:

1. After the 2003 season, when Alex Rodriguez was traded to the Yankees, Michael Young volunteered to move from 2nd base to shortstop. Fans and reporters considered this the ultimate "team-first" move.

But was it really?

Let's see, Young moved from 2nd base to the most important defensive position on the field. Teams value shortstops more than they do 2nd basemen. As a result, shortstops get paid more, on average, than 2nd basemen.

Three years after moving to shortstop, Young received a 5 year, $80 million dollar contract. Coincidence?

2. During the past few seasons, Young was often quoted as saying that "I am not interested in rebuilding...I am interested in getting better now."

The Rangers attempted to improve "now" by trading away prospects for veteran pitchers Adam Eaton, Akinori Otsuka and Brandon McCarthy. The Rangers also lost Armando Galarraga when they signed veteran starter Jason Jennings.

The "win now" moves rewarded Young and the Rangers with one of the worst rotations in baseball. But hey, at least they weren't "rebuilding."

3. In 2007, Texas acquired highly-rated shortstop prospect, Elvis Andrus, in the Mark Teixeira trade. Last week, the Rangers asked Michael Young to slide to 3rd to create an opening for the sweet-fielding Andrus. Young refused and instead, asked to be traded.

He went on to say,

The biggest misconception is that I was asked to move to third base. I was never asked. I was flat-out told. I was told I was playing third base. I felt that I had absolutely no say. I don't feel like there was any discussion or dialogue about the matter.

If that doesn't say "team," I don't know what does!

Guess what, Mike? Thousands of people have lost their jobs within the last few months. You are a baseball player. You "play" for a living. Sorry that you do not get to make out the lineup and pick your position. Despite earning $80 million over the next five years to play a game, you feel “disrespected” because your boss did not "ask" you to change positions? Really?

Wow.

Look, Young is probably a good guy. He works hard, he plays hard and he has carved out a nice career for himself. He is the self-appointed leader of the Texas Rangers. He has a clean-cut look, is well-spoken and has been extremely productive while in Texas.

Unfortunately for Mike, fans do not ignore "me-first" comments because you are a "good guy." Despite being the "face" of the organization, and after nine productive years with the Texas Rangers, Young will soon be traded.

And like the neighbors of a serial killer, hundreds of fans, who have seen Young as a team-first leader, will be amazed to learn that he is not the guy that they had come to know.

____________

This week, Young demanded a trade for the second time.

This scenario obviously differs from the situation in 2009 (mainly that the Rangers are coming off of a World Series appearance and look poised to continue getting better...something that might be important to a guy that is "all about" winning), but the theme remains the same: Michael Young is not some super-do-anything-to-help-the-team-win-leader that many thought he was. He is just a guy.

In 2009, the organization was concerned about the ripple effect that trading Young might have had, both in the clubhouse and with the fans. Having an ALCS banner and players like Andrus, Hamilton, Cruz, Murphy, and Feliz makes losing the "ultimate team-guy" much, much easier.

I hope that Jon Daniels honors Young's request and trades him to Baltimore so he can be a great "team-guy" on a 65-win club.

Dallas Cowboys: I want Fun Bobby back!

Dallas Cowboys: Where is Fun Bobby?

Do you remember the episode of Friends in which the show introduced “Fun Bobby?” Bobby made people laugh, he created a uniquely energetic atmosphere and, quite simply, things were more exciting when Bobby was around. The problem: Bobby’s “fun” personality was a result of a drinking problem.

The seven generic white “friends” decided that they needed to do something. The group banded together and eventually helped Bobby quit drinking. The problem: Bobby was no longer “fun.” Without alcohol, Bobby was just another guy with very little to offer (and please ignore the indirect “why you should drink” message).

Cowboys’ fans – say hello to “No Fun Tony.”

That’s right; you got what you asked for. Since taking over as the starter, Romo has been one of the most explosive playmakers in the NFL. But instead of recognizing Romo’s unique ability to make plays that no other quarterback could make, the fans just wanted to talk about turnovers.

Every time the Cowboys lost, Dallas sports-talk was littered with “Jeds from Garland” telling the world that, “This team just cain’t win with a guy like Romo who dun goes and throws them interceptions!”

Well Jed, you got what you wanted. Romo is no longer fun to watch. He no longer consistently makes amazing plays. The constant and seemingly never-ending chirping about turnovers finally got to Tony (or Garrett) – and a below-average offense is the result.

How did San Diego score their first touchdown? Philip Rivers took a shot down the field – Dallas interfered on the play – and San Diego was given the ball at the 2-yard-line. Sounds pretty simple.

Romo no longer takes shots down the field. He doesn’t look for the big play (at least not in big games). If Romo avoids trouble in the pocket, he isn’t looking downfield; he is looking for his check-down receiver. In other words, you have turned one of the NFL’s most unique weapons into Kyle Orton.

Congratulations.

The fans that united to collectively whine and complain about Romo’s “carelessness” with the ball now have the opportunity to watch this Dallas team scratch and crawl to score 17 points. When Romo was clicking on all cylinders, 17 points was a decent total for one quarter. Romo hasn’t turned the ball over in December and Dallas is 0-2. He currently has the lowest turnover ratio of his career – and yet the offense has become less productive. But hey, that’s what everyone wanted, right?

Romo is a natural-born playmaker. Did his creativity and willingness to take chances occasionally lead to mistakes? Of course it did. But when Romo was playing free and loose, his positive impact on the offense far outweighed his occasional mishap.

Do you remember the youthful exuberance that used to surround Tony? Can you recall how electric Texas Stadium became when Romo stepped onto the field? Now, none of that happens. The fans aren’t excited, the players look disinterested and Romo himself doesn’t look confident. Two years ago, if you had told me that Romo would not exude confidence when he stepped on the field, I would have called you Sarah Palin crazy!

Early on in his career, Romo’s ability to make big plays defined him as a quarterback – and I can’t help but think that this coaching staff (with help from constant criticism by the fans/media) has simply taken that risk-taking mentality away from him. Though Romo has connected on 14 big plays (40+ yards) this season, only three of them have come during meaningful times in meaningful games (2 against Philadelphia; 1 against Green Bay). A more detailed breakdown follows:

• Week 2: Loss to the Giants 33-31 (0 big plays)
• Week 4: Loss at the Broncos 17-10 (1 big play less than 2:00 remaining)
• Week 10: Loss at the Packers 17-7 (1 big play)
• Week 13: Loss at the Giants 31-24 (0 big plays)
• Week 14: Loss to the Chargers 20-17 (0 big plays)

This team doesn’t make big plays against quality teams. Against Oakland and Seattle, Dallas receivers will break a tackle and create a big play. But in close games against decent teams, Dallas simply doesn’t take many (if any) shots down the field.

And no, T.O. isn’t the difference. T.O. played in Dallas last year and, outside of the San Francisco game, the team didn’t connect on many explosive plays. This isn’t a personnel issue – this is a mentality issue. Romo no longer appears to have the playmaker mentality. He doesn’t strike fear into opposing defense and he isn’t walking with the same swagger that he used to own. He simply looks like just another guy.

I don’t know about you, but I want “Fun Bobby” back!