Mike Sweeney: Ive been Misled! - Page 3

Deberg_1990 · 01-14-2005, 10:04 AM

Well folks it was inevitable. This guy now wants out of town as well. Its official now, The Kansas City Royals are the worst run team in baseball:

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...s/10642207.htm

By JEFF PASSAN

The Kansas City Star

First baseman Mike Sweeney, frustrated with the Royals' shallow plunge into the off-season free-agent market, said Thursday he felt “misled” by the team's plan to build a contender around him and would not rule out trade possibilities.

Minutes before he signed a club-record five-year, $55 million contract extension March 29, 2002, Sweeney and Royals owner David Glass spoke about the team's future. Sweeney said Glass told him he planned to increase the team's payroll incrementally until it ended up in the $60 million range.

After spending $44.7 million on last season's 104-loss team, the Royals' 2005 payroll currently projects to between $41 million and $42 million.

“It looks like the plan isn't what I thought it would be,” Sweeney said. “It is a bit frustrating. I'm not the owner. And I'm not the GM. But I am a player who wants to win. It's frustrating when you're told they're going to build the team around you. I was willing to do that. I said, ‘Just show me that it'll be worth it for me.' Not financially, but just show me you're going to build a team, a winning team, around me.

“I don't feel like Mr. Glass lied to me. He's a fine man. I just feel like I've been misled a little bit.”

Glass, the Royals' owner since 2000, said he does not recall telling Sweeney about a substantial payroll increase. Nor, Glass said, does one guarantee success.

“I think Mike's just misled or doesn't understand,” he said. “I don't think the size of the payroll determines how good your team is. There were a lot of teams with a smaller payroll that won a lot more games that we did. The quality of the players matters most.

“We're putting a team together with a lot of young talent. I hope Michael wants to be a part of that.”

When general manager Allard Baird shopped around his veterans last season, Sweeney's name surfaced in trade talks. Sweeney, 31, said in mid-June he wanted to stay with the Royals.

A limited no-trade clause, along with worries about his back that caused him to miss time the last three seasons, thwarted any movement. If Sweeney were traded, the cost of his contract's final three years would jump from $33 million to $37.5 million.

Last season, the Royals traded outfielder Carlos Beltran. This off-season, they lost third baseman Joe Randa via free agency to Cincinnati. Sweeney remains the only position player from the 2000 Royals team that scored 879 runs.

And Sweeney's position on staying with the Royals, likewise, has softened.

“I'm definitely not throwing up the white flag and saying get me out of here,” he said. “But I am saying I'm frustrated. If Allard Baird came up to me and said, ‘Mike, this team who's a winner every year wants you to play first base,' I'd have to pray about it, speak to my wife, speak to my family and then make a decision.

“Would I slam the door on it? No way. I'm not 25. I'm 31 years old. Only God knows how many years I have left to play. I want a chance to play in October.”

Sweeney enters his 11th big-league season wanting to prove, above all, he can stay healthy.

Originally a catcher, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Sweeney moved to first base in 1999 and immediately became one of the American League's best hitters. His last full season came in 2001, a year after he hit .333 with 29 home runs and drove in 144 runs.

Back problems flared during 2002 and continued into last season, when Sweeney hit .287 with 22 home runs and 79 RBIs in 106 games.

With the expectations of an American League Central Division title already squashed, Sweeney missed last season's final 42 games because of a herniated disk. He has missed 146 games over the last three seasons, most because of back troubles.

“No one played better last year, including Michael,” Glass said. “He had a lousy year.”

Two weeks of fly-fishing trips with family and friends constituted Sweeney's off-season. After that, he outlined a rehabilitation plan with Robert Watkins, a back specialist in Los Angeles, and returned to Kansas City primed to work.

On Thursday, for example, Sweeney woke up at 6:30 a.m., lifted weights with his trainer for almost three hours and spent three more hours hitting, running, throwing and fielding ground balls. He followed with another hour and a half of back exercises and said he has felt pain-free in his two weeks of baseball-intensive workouts.

“For our success this season, we're a different ballclub when Mike's in the middle of the lineup,” said Baird, who would not address the possibility of trading Sweeney. “Completely different. But the overall success is going to come from the young kids stepping up to the next level. No doubt, when Mike Sweeney is not in our lineup we're a completely different team.”

With the Royals choosing to rebuild through their minor-league system instead of making free-agent splashes, they will trot out a lineup next year that includes youngsters John Buck, David DeJesus, Angel Berroa and, sooner than later, rookie Mark Teahen.

To bolster their weakness at the corner outfield spots, the Royals traded for veterans Terrence Long and Eli Marrero. Their big free-agent signing was No. 2 or 3 starter Jose Lima, and the Royals also brought in third baseman Chris Truby as a stopgap for Teahen.

“I would have liked to see them be a little more aggressive,” Sweeney said. “I didn't think our team payroll would be around what it is. When I signed my contract, I was under the impression it would start around 55 or 60 (million dollars). ... We had a great showing in 2003. I was really excited after that season. I saw what moves we made in 2004. It seemed like we were really making a push to capture the division.

“Everyone in baseball knows the Central Division is the weakest. But you have to go out there and try, make some good off-season acquisitions. Build around your veterans and hopefully supplement them with guys from the minor leagues and free agents. I'm looking at the team for '05 and it's not what I hoped it would be as far as stacking the team to win a division in 2005.

“I don't want to come off like I'm sitting back and crying because we don't have a team like the Yankees. The whole reason I'm frustrated is because when I signed my contract I was promised something else.”

Said Glass: “We don't gauge how we're doing based on how many dollars we've committed.”

Which is why, Sweeney said, he will soldier on. He wants to embody the captain's C on his chest by advising the younger players. He wants to return to his pre-injury standing.

“He wants to win, too,” Glass said. “The fact that he's frustrated is probably a good sign. If he just wanted to earn his salary and come and play and go home and not worry about it, he wouldn't be Mike Sweeney. But he also can help in that regard by being a good leader and setting a great example for the kids.

“We're all in this together.”

In the meantime, Sweeney will continue working out, remedying his back and spending time with his wife, Shara, who is expecting in August a sibling for their first child, Michael.

And, he said, he'll leave it up to Glass, Baird and the rest of the organization to assemble the winner he felt promised.

“I've never felt bad for myself and never been angry at God because I'm playing a game I love,” Sweeney said. “There are so many things that are horrible. There are people in Asia with the tsunami. There are people in Kansas City without a home. It's trivial whether the payroll is going to be $40 million or $60 million.

“I guess I'm just a man of principle. When you tell somebody something, you try to fulfill it.”

Demonpenz · 01-14-2005, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk13

I didn't even wanna post this article because I saw this thread coming. I've been a huge Mike Sweeney fan over the years, but for the first time in 15 years we might have a GM who's doing this thing right, if you don't want to be a part of it.... there's the door. It's amazing how quickly everyone forgets that just last year that the organization that doesn't want to win went out and signed big names like Juan Gonzalez and Benito Santiago and it crashed and burned. I guess I can't blame fans for thinking that, our own freaking team captain doesn't even remember it apparently...

Instead of signing those two they should have kept beltran. Holy crap that avatar is funny. Wombat veteran

Calcountry · 01-14-2005, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Its possible, but they have people running the show who dont seem to have a clue how to do it right??? So basically, by the time they figure it out, or MLB decides to change its rules to allow profit sharing and salary caps like the NFL, it will be too late for Sweeney. I say trade him for whatever we can at this point.

When the ratings for the Yankees vs the Mets arent' worth a dang west of the Hudson River, then they will figure it out.

tk13 · 01-14-2005, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ali Chi3fs

Funny thing is... the Royals should have given Beltran his contract.

Beltran never would've taken it. Baird has never come out and said it, but the "in the know" reporters like Jayson Stark have basically not-so-subtly hinted that Boras told the Royals that they needed to start at a 10 year, $200 million dollar contract to even begin to have a chance at re-signing Beltran.

Calcountry · 01-14-2005, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scaga

Maybe we can get a MLB (that's middle linebacker) and another corner for him.

Let's call Washington (Nationals and Redskins)

That would be cool, if a city actually owned and operated all of their franchises as a corporation. Each one would be merely a divisioin withing the corporation of sports franchises.

Oops, that would really suck for one sport towns. lmao.

Calcountry · 01-14-2005, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

OK ill admit i get a little emotional and say things that i dont really mean later on. But im sure we are all guilty of that.

Not me. Naaaw, I never do that.

**ChiTown** · 01-14-2005, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk13

Beltran never would've taken it. Baird has never come out and said it, but the "in the know" reporters like Jayson Stark have basically no-so-subtly hinted that Boras told the Royals that they needed to start at a 10 year, $200 million dollar contract to even begin to have a chance at re-signing Beltran.

Exactly. Even then, Boras didn't want his client in KC. Boras can get Beltran (as well as himself) as much money in advertising/endorsement deals as his current annual contract value, now that he's with the NYM's.

He was never, lemme repeat, NEVER going to re-sign with the Royals............

Calcountry · 01-14-2005, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedNeckRaider

Untill they move or get new ownership this team will be nothing more than a triple-A team for the rest of the teams to pull talent out of.

They are actually 4A because their talent is obviously better than 3A.

MLB should just make a 4A league out of all of the small market clubs and end this facade of competitiveness that it now has.

With that said, who should be in the MLB and who should be in the 4A.

My list:

KC
Oakland
Minnesota
Texas
Seattle
Toronto
Pittsburgh
Millwaukee
Detroit
Should be in 4A

let the Big boys have their fun with themselves.

tk13 · 01-14-2005, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiTown

Exactly. Even then, Boras didn't want his client in KC. Boras can get Beltran (as well as himself) as much money in advertising/endorsement deals as his current annual contract value, now that he's with the NYM's.

He was never, lemme repeat, NEVER going to re-sign with the Royals............

There's no hard evidence that Boras asked for that, but either Baird or Glass said Boras wanted a 10 year deal.... and Jayson Stark said in a column a month or two ago that Boras told one team that they'd have to start negotiations at 10 years, 200 million.... never said it was the Royals but I can put 2 and 2 together. He certainly wasn't going to give us a hometown discount...

beavis · 01-14-2005, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bunnytrdr

They are actually 4A because their talent is obviously better than 3A.

MLB should just make a 4A league out of all of the small market clubs and end this facade of competitiveness that it now has.

With that said, who should be in the MLB and who should be in the 4A.

My list:

KC
Oakland
Minnesota
Texas
Seattle
Toronto
Pittsburgh
Millwaukee
Detroit
Should be in 4A

let the Big boys have their fun with themselves.

Seattle has one of the largest payrolls in the league. Texas wasn't far behind until the got rid of A-Rod.

beavis · 01-14-2005, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk13

There's no hard evidence that Boras asked for that, but either Baird or Glass said Boras wanted a 10 year deal.... and Jayson Stark said in a column a month or two ago that Boras told one team that they'd have to start negotiations at 10 years, 200 million.... never said it was the Royals but I can put 2 and 2 together. He certainly wasn't going to give us a hometown discount...

He just flat out wasn't going to sign here. I don't think it would have mattered what we offered.

Deberg_1990 · 01-14-2005, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiTown

He was never, lemme repeat, NEVER going to re-sign with the Royals............

Exactly, the minute Beltran hired Boras has his agent that spoke volumes about his long term intentions.

Pitt Gorilla · 01-14-2005, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Maybe the Royals feel they were misled when they signed Sweeney. They thought they'd be getting a healthy player who was one of the elite hitters in the AL.

Exactly. Sweeney should be brought up on criminal charges for stealing that much money; the Royals thought they were getting a player who would actually play and produce...

BigChiefFan · 01-14-2005, 03:53 PM

Sweeney has really struggled in recent years, but I can't blame him for wanting to win. MLB is a joke the way it is operated and nobody will do a damn thing to change it.

Dr. Johnny Fever · 01-14-2005, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demonpenz

Instead of signing those two they should have kept beltran.

Would have never happened anyway.

With the addition of Lima...the return of Hernandez and a healthy Sweeney, this team could win 50......maybe even 55 games next season. If they can stay healthy, get some clutch hitting, a psuedo stopper for the pen and rub Budda's belly before each game. Crazy things can happen.

01-14-2005, 10:04 AM
Deberg_1990 In Search of a Life Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Antonio Tx. Casino cash: $3914454	Mike Sweeney: Ive been Misled! Well folks it was inevitable. This guy now wants out of town as well. Its official now, The Kansas City Royals are the worst run team in baseball: http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...s/10642207.htm By JEFF PASSAN The Kansas City Star First baseman Mike Sweeney, frustrated with the Royals' shallow plunge into the off-season free-agent market, said Thursday he felt “misled” by the team's plan to build a contender around him and would not rule out trade possibilities. Minutes before he signed a club-record five-year, $55 million contract extension March 29, 2002, Sweeney and Royals owner David Glass spoke about the team's future. Sweeney said Glass told him he planned to increase the team's payroll incrementally until it ended up in the $60 million range. After spending $44.7 million on last season's 104-loss team, the Royals' 2005 payroll currently projects to between $41 million and $42 million. “It looks like the plan isn't what I thought it would be,” Sweeney said. “It is a bit frustrating. I'm not the owner. And I'm not the GM. But I am a player who wants to win. It's frustrating when you're told they're going to build the team around you. I was willing to do that. I said, ‘Just show me that it'll be worth it for me.' Not financially, but just show me you're going to build a team, a winning team, around me. “I don't feel like Mr. Glass lied to me. He's a fine man. I just feel like I've been misled a little bit.” Glass, the Royals' owner since 2000, said he does not recall telling Sweeney about a substantial payroll increase. Nor, Glass said, does one guarantee success. “I think Mike's just misled or doesn't understand,” he said. “I don't think the size of the payroll determines how good your team is. There were a lot of teams with a smaller payroll that won a lot more games that we did. The quality of the players matters most. “We're putting a team together with a lot of young talent. I hope Michael wants to be a part of that.” When general manager Allard Baird shopped around his veterans last season, Sweeney's name surfaced in trade talks. Sweeney, 31, said in mid-June he wanted to stay with the Royals. A limited no-trade clause, along with worries about his back that caused him to miss time the last three seasons, thwarted any movement. If Sweeney were traded, the cost of his contract's final three years would jump from $33 million to $37.5 million. Last season, the Royals traded outfielder Carlos Beltran. This off-season, they lost third baseman Joe Randa via free agency to Cincinnati. Sweeney remains the only position player from the 2000 Royals team that scored 879 runs. And Sweeney's position on staying with the Royals, likewise, has softened. “I'm definitely not throwing up the white flag and saying get me out of here,” he said. “But I am saying I'm frustrated. If Allard Baird came up to me and said, ‘Mike, this team who's a winner every year wants you to play first base,' I'd have to pray about it, speak to my wife, speak to my family and then make a decision. “Would I slam the door on it? No way. I'm not 25. I'm 31 years old. Only God knows how many years I have left to play. I want a chance to play in October.” Sweeney enters his 11th big-league season wanting to prove, above all, he can stay healthy. Originally a catcher, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Sweeney moved to first base in 1999 and immediately became one of the American League's best hitters. His last full season came in 2001, a year after he hit .333 with 29 home runs and drove in 144 runs. Back problems flared during 2002 and continued into last season, when Sweeney hit .287 with 22 home runs and 79 RBIs in 106 games. With the expectations of an American League Central Division title already squashed, Sweeney missed last season's final 42 games because of a herniated disk. He has missed 146 games over the last three seasons, most because of back troubles. “No one played better last year, including Michael,” Glass said. “He had a lousy year.” Two weeks of fly-fishing trips with family and friends constituted Sweeney's off-season. After that, he outlined a rehabilitation plan with Robert Watkins, a back specialist in Los Angeles, and returned to Kansas City primed to work. On Thursday, for example, Sweeney woke up at 6:30 a.m., lifted weights with his trainer for almost three hours and spent three more hours hitting, running, throwing and fielding ground balls. He followed with another hour and a half of back exercises and said he has felt pain-free in his two weeks of baseball-intensive workouts. “For our success this season, we're a different ballclub when Mike's in the middle of the lineup,” said Baird, who would not address the possibility of trading Sweeney. “Completely different. But the overall success is going to come from the young kids stepping up to the next level. No doubt, when Mike Sweeney is not in our lineup we're a completely different team.” With the Royals choosing to rebuild through their minor-league system instead of making free-agent splashes, they will trot out a lineup next year that includes youngsters John Buck, David DeJesus, Angel Berroa and, sooner than later, rookie Mark Teahen. To bolster their weakness at the corner outfield spots, the Royals traded for veterans Terrence Long and Eli Marrero. Their big free-agent signing was No. 2 or 3 starter Jose Lima, and the Royals also brought in third baseman Chris Truby as a stopgap for Teahen. “I would have liked to see them be a little more aggressive,” Sweeney said. “I didn't think our team payroll would be around what it is. When I signed my contract, I was under the impression it would start around 55 or 60 (million dollars). ... We had a great showing in 2003. I was really excited after that season. I saw what moves we made in 2004. It seemed like we were really making a push to capture the division. “Everyone in baseball knows the Central Division is the weakest. But you have to go out there and try, make some good off-season acquisitions. Build around your veterans and hopefully supplement them with guys from the minor leagues and free agents. I'm looking at the team for '05 and it's not what I hoped it would be as far as stacking the team to win a division in 2005. “I don't want to come off like I'm sitting back and crying because we don't have a team like the Yankees. The whole reason I'm frustrated is because when I signed my contract I was promised something else.” Said Glass: “We don't gauge how we're doing based on how many dollars we've committed.” Which is why, Sweeney said, he will soldier on. He wants to embody the captain's C on his chest by advising the younger players. He wants to return to his pre-injury standing. “He wants to win, too,” Glass said. “The fact that he's frustrated is probably a good sign. If he just wanted to earn his salary and come and play and go home and not worry about it, he wouldn't be Mike Sweeney. But he also can help in that regard by being a good leader and setting a great example for the kids. “We're all in this together.” In the meantime, Sweeney will continue working out, remedying his back and spending time with his wife, Shara, who is expecting in August a sibling for their first child, Michael. And, he said, he'll leave it up to Glass, Baird and the rest of the organization to assemble the winner he felt promised. “I've never felt bad for myself and never been angry at God because I'm playing a game I love,” Sweeney said. “There are so many things that are horrible. There are people in Asia with the tsunami. There are people in Kansas City without a home. It's trivial whether the payroll is going to be $40 million or $60 million. “I guess I'm just a man of principle. When you tell somebody something, you try to fulfill it.”
Posts: 66,914

01-14-2005, 03:53 PM	#43
BigChiefFan MVP Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: In the Top 10 Casino cash: $9924205	Sweeney has really struggled in recent years, but I can't blame him for wanting to win. MLB is a joke the way it is operated and nobody will do a damn thing to change it. __________________ A 35 year drought can make you thirsty.
Posts: 15,777