Thursday, November 21, 2013

YOUR TIME IS UP, MR. GAMMONS


I'm not too sure where to begin.  I guess you could say that in recent years, I've had a hard-on for Peter Gammons.  I used to love the guy.  A true baseball mind full of contacts and sources and information that no one had.  He was a God. Then, over the past few years, things started to change.  The sources weren't entirely that good and the information was read or heard elsewhere.  I began to have a slogan, "It's not new, it's Gammons."  While I understand how hard it is to do a job like Peter Gammons does, let's face it, in the real world, if you're not doing the job well, there comes a time where you retire, or they let you go.  What Peter Gammons said today about Alex Rodriguez was despicable and not only to ARod but to many people who were shocked and disappointed.  And despite the apology, despite his reputation as being a "great baseball mind" and current Hall of Famer, there's not much analysis going on with this statement, other than ruffling everyone's feathers in the baseball world.  It's like your grandmother in the nursing home that shares your very private secret with the rest of her blue-haired friends... it's embarrassing and it should have never been blurted out.

Mr. Gammons was on Mike Lupica's Radio show talking about ARod today. During it, in a state of being provocative, stupid or just senile, he said this about Alex:

"I’ve had people with the Yankees say this to me, he is just — he wants to blow up the world. You know, he’s like the marathon bombers... It’s just, he’s going to get them.”


I read it, I heard it and I was disappointed and ashamed.  That not only stings ARod, it stings everyone in America, and especially Boston who were affected by those bombings directly.  It's shameful. But let's back up for a moment...Gammons isn't the only one who says dumb things.


 I first had beef with Bill Madden of the New York Daily News earlier this year for comparing Alex Rodriguez to Mob thug and murderer Whitey Bulger.  Back then, it was dumb, read HERE and it's still dumb.  Last time I checked, nothing happened to Bill Madden. Now, once again, Mr. Punching bag Alex Rodriguez is the lightening rod and I sit here thinking about Peter Gammons comparing Alex Rodriguez to the Marathon Bombers and realize something;  The "great" baseball analyst is no longer "great" and no longer good at analyzing anything.  He took a giant leap and whether or not he knew what he was saying is another story.  He said it and he can't take it back. The man appears to have a screw loose and like Madden, they need to stop trying to be provocative and actually do some writing and analysis.  In other words, stick with what you know and if you’re too old, maybe it’s time you go.


Alex Rodriguez is not a murderer.  Alex he is a cheater and trying to compare him to killers, and couching it suggesting that "people with the Yankees" said that to him, is not only inexcusable, it’s a fireable offense.  I know I’m not the only one who believes this.  Now, let's also state that Peter's full of crap. NO ONE from the Yankees would say something so stupid... this came from Gammons' decaying mind. That's my opinion.


Look, it is also my opinion that Peter Gammons is trying to stay relevant, but he no longer is.  His time is up and that’s OK.  Hey, people get old.  Hey, people lose their mind and he’s one of them. Sure, he did some terrific analysis over the years, but when has he done it recently? The last time I remember him "really" blowing it, wasn’t too long ago.  It was when that North Carolina reporter named Dan Tordjman floated a  false story about Robinson Cano accusing him of steroid use. (Read FALSE RUMORS DAMAGE A PLAYER'S SOLID REPUTATION for a full background on that.) That young reporter had a “source”, a “source” that turned out to be false.  But the bigger story was the one that everyone missed, except for us at Bleeding Yankee Blue.  Shortly after that story came out, and before it was dismissed as B.S., Peter Gammons, not to be outdone, said he knew about it and said on a radio show, "I heard something . . . about three weeks ago."


As if to suggest that this Hall of Fame baseball analyst, the great Peter Gammons, already knew that… "Hey, it’s old news!"  Well, once Dan Tordjman got fired, Gammons disappeared.   Strange right? Now we have old man's loose lips blabbing again, but this time people noticed.  This one is much, much worse.

Now this is going to sound strange coming from me, but here it goes… I like Peter Gammons. For many, many years he was a tremendous source for real good baseball news.  He was “in the know” but, let’s be honest, I can’t say that anymore and much like Bobby Valentine, he’s overreached far too often to try and stay relevant. Now he’s apologized for his stupid comment. No idea if Alex has accepted, but don’t forget, this is the same guy that allegedly has a good relationship with ARod and was the only one who scooped that interview with him for admitted PEDs use on ESPN. But come on, with friends like this, who needs enemies?

Many people reached out to Gammons today, asking "Why? Why would you say that?" To Peter's credit, he responded saying it was "stupid" and that "it was a poor choice of words." But to fans, me, maybe you, we were ignored on Twitter today.  The irony is crystal clear to me... the same guy who does analysis and offers criticism of players, doesn't like to be criticized or analyzed himself. Not by the fans, not by anybody. Now in fairness, Craig Calcaterra of Hardball Talk got an explanation today.  I love Calcaterra, he's one of the good ones. I'm apparently not. This is what I asked Gammons point blank today:

It's a legit question.  I didn't get an answer. I wasn't surprised.

Many are upset.  Fans wrote several posts after his comments were revealed. Here are a few:


I read another one from Jesse Spector of the Sporting News though and I was kind of baffled from it. It was this:

Sure, good for Peter Gammons to apologize, but sorry Spector, you and I don't have to forgive him. ARod does, the families victims in Boston do.  I know you're probably buddies with the guy, doing alittle damage control, but Gammons is a big boy, he needs to do this on his own, no offense.


It just seems weird to me that the guy who wants to be at every baseball party suddenly isn't available.  Maybe he's calling the victims of the Marathon bombings, or the Mayor of Boston to apologize. Lord knows he should.  Maybe he should go on ESPN tonight, his employer, and address the country?  What he said was dumb and I'd be ashamed and embarrassed if I said that, but I'd also take my lumps and do some damage control ASAP.

I believe Gammons time is up. You may disagree and that's OK.  As far as I'm concerned though, it was fun while it lasted,  it was also great, but no longer can we have this guy strolling around the stadiums and doing radio shows. It's now dangerous.  

Awful analysis this time Pete. Check yourself…seriously.

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