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Tuesday, December 8, 2009

The Business Of Baseball

After their spectacular (and pathetic) meltdown at the end of the regular season, my Detroit Tigers decided to become the Florida Marlins this off-season. Which means it's fire sale time in Detroit. Everybody must go. Trade talks have literally involved just about every player on the team, including my fantasy boyfriend, Curtis Granderson.

I originally dismissed these rumors as just that - rumors. Frankly I didn't buy it. The Tigers have invested quite a bit in Curtis, and in return, he's invested quite a bit in them. Hell, even Major League Baseball has been slobbering all over this kid. Educated, articulate, the son of two teachers, extremely active in the community, does a mountain of charity work. He's young, he's single, and at a time when MLB is concerned about the dwindling number of African American ball players - he's a black kid from Chicago playing baseball in the Motor City. Seriously, he's like a PR guy's wet dream. So yeah, I wasn't buying the rumors - that is until they kept getting louder, more insistent, and weren't going away.

Well, it's looking like it's a done deal. Curtis Granderson. Light of my life. Apple of my eye. Our cutie-patootie center fielder who I adore despite the fact that I hit left-handed pitching better than he does is going to be....

I don't know if I can say it. It's just too much.....

Excuse me for a moment.....

A Yankee.

Yes. Wendy's fantasy boyfriend is being traded to the Yankees in a three-team deal involving Detroit, the Skanks and the Arizona Diamondbacks. In exchange for my fantasy boyfriend, the Kittens are getting a couple of pitchers and an outfielder prospect.

To give you some idea on how I feel about this - not only did My Man call me at work this afternoon, but so did my father.

Yeah.

I'm sure there's a bright side here, but frankly I don't have the heart to look for it right now. In the immortal words of Scarlet O'Hara, "I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow."

Sigh.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

We have been talking about this all night. Ugh. Just ugh.

Phyl said...

Yeah, that has to hurt. The Phils signed Polanco, which is minor compared to Granderson. But it has been quite the fire sale for your team hasn't it?

Wendy said...

Jessica: Unless what we got in return pans out HUGE, I foresee a lot of unhappy Tigers fans. Granderson, besides being my fantasy boyfriend, was extremely popular with fans.

Phyl: Well Polanco was a free agent and I had resigned myself to us losing him. My gut told me the Tigers weren't willing to offer what he was likely asking for. Gotta say that I was a bit surprised by the 3-years the Phillie gave him - but when Polanco's "on" he's a really good, solid player who consistently delivers. Could work out huge for your team....

Katie Mack said...

I don't follow baseball so I've got nothing to add regarding the trade, but I followed the link to your massive fangirl crush post and am laughing my ass off.

Kristie (J) said...

I so feel your pain!! I've heard talk - don't know how true it is - about Doc being traded to the Yankees.
It's hard to be a fan of sports anymore - there is no such thing as loyalty anymore. It there is loyalty from the player to the team - then there is none from the team to the player. If that's not the case then it's the other way around. I used to debate this with Ron - how can you cheer and route for a team that then turns around and trades/doesn't resign a player who is fan favourite. That's one of the reasons I watch sports from more a distance anymore - you begin to care for a player - he becomes your fantasy boyfriend and WHAM - he's gone!!

Wendy said...

Katie: It was a serious fangirl moment - and I didn't even "meet" him in person. If it weren't so funny it might be a little sad. Heh.

KristieJ: Big Sis left a message on our answering machine instructing My Man to keep me away from all sharp objects and put me on "suicide watch." Ha! I called her when I got home from work and she pretty much said EXACTLY what you did. I don't necessary want to go back to the "good old days" when the owners had these guys over a barrel, but yeah - I totally hear you.

Oh, and brace yourself. Other rumors have the Red Sox gunning for Roy. Either way, he's probably ending up with one enemy or the other. Blergh.

nath said...

Did they call you to turn the knife deeper? :P

It's too bad about the exchange. It sucks so much, seriously... but as a fan, there's nothing you can do.

In 1994, when there was the strike, the Expos had to get rid of ALL their best players. I cried, seriously.

Wendy said...

Nathie: I think they called to make sure I wasn't standing on the ledge ;-)

My Man still talks about the strike and that Expos team. It was just all around sad.

Tara Marie said...

Can you see the giant smile from 3000 miles away :D

Hilcia said...

Oh Wendy, I feel your pain. I'm a baseball fanatic (not just a fan) and I agree with both you and KristieJ on this one. Don't shoot, but I'm also a Yankee fan... can't help it, I'm from Jersey... BUT, I know how it feels when they get rid of your most favorite all around player without thought or regard for how fans feel. SO sorry...

Kati said...

*rubs Wendy's back*

Stupid, stupid Tigers.

I'm sorry, doll. I feel your pain.

Wendy said...

TM: Honestly I'm a little worried for Curtis. If he doesn't figure out how to hit left-handed pitching, I foresee quite a few Bronx cheers. Hopefully your hitting coach can straighten him out.

But from a PR standpoint? Y'all got Derek Jeter Jr. Seriously.

Hilicia: In today's game, players come and go. I've learned to roll with it. But Curtis was my fantasy boyfriend. Waaaaaaaaahhhhhhh! I can't believe our GM once again DID NOT CALL to consult with me. Asshole.

Kati: It's brutal. Whine, whine, whine. I don't even have a good football team to keep me warm at night :(

Anonymous said...

Hi Wendy from a fellow Librarian in Cleveland Ohio...I went to an Indians game last summer against the Tigers...Curtis Granderson signed everything and then some for anyone who approached him...Tribe players not one signed a thing... I feel your pain as the Cleveland Indians are the minor league team for just about everyone..

David said...

I like winning.

Wendy said...

Anon: A big reason why this stings so badly is that Granderson has always comported himself in such a positive way. Signs autographs, does a ton of work in the community, intelligent, well-spoken, just an all around nice guy. Seriously, from a PR standpoint the Yankees have hit one out of the park. You can put this kid in front of a zillion cameras and he'll do just fine.

David: It's been brutal. We trade Granderson, but we still have the derailed D-Train for one more year and Drunky McDrunk Drunk playing first base. I would not want to be Dave Dombrowski right about now. If he wants to survive the next several months he needs to start traveling around town in some sort of disguise.

Kristie said...

I too, am heartbroken. I can't even talk about it or think about it. Now I like the Yankees and am happy to see him go to a winning team, but I forsaw Curtis being a lifetime Tiger, the new Lidstrom or Yzerman of the baseball kind. It hurts. We will miss him and all he has done for our community. And oh yeah... don't even get me started on Cabrera!

Wendy said...

Kristie: He did have all the markers for being a guy who would stick with "one team" for his entire career. Although in today's game, that's not terribly realistic.

Still. It sucks.

SonomaLass said...

I'm so sorry! Can you possibly still fantasize about a Yankee? I would feel the same if the Dodgers traded Andre Ethier (not gonna happen), or Casey Blake (which COULD happen, but I'm hoping not!).

Wendy said...

SonomaLass: My general rule of thumb is to pretty much hate all things Yankee - with exception of Yogi Berra (I adore Yogi). So Granderson now lands on my "I respect the guy even though he plays for the enemy" list - alongside Jeter, Posada and Mariano.

It's hard though. I find myself having to reevaluate my venom levels.

Janet Webb said...

I am SO sorry ... I feel your pain. My heart broke when the As traded Marco Scutaro to the Jays ... their fans all fell in lurv with him and now he's been traded to the BoSox.

WHY?! I hate the biz of baseball!

Wendy said...

Janet: Scutaro was a really good signing by the Sox. He's good defensively, can play several positions and can actually hit the ball. I have NO idea what the Jays are going to do for offense next season. Scutaro was one of like 3 guys on the team last year who actually hit.

Megan Frampton said...

I am sorry. But you know, don't you, that all good players eventually serve time in Yankee jail?

Wendy said...

Megan: Ha! Let's see how much time he serves :) If the hitting coach can solve his issues against left-handed pitching, he could end up serving a loooooong sentence.

nath said...

LOL, isn't that sweet of them? :)

Hey, I still remember it, so it was a very marking event T_T