keg in kc
04-03-2003, 02:09 AM
Baird on Damon trade: `I'd do it again' (http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/baseball/mlb/kansas_city_royals/5543562.htm)
By JEFFREY FLANAGAN
Columnist
Posted on Thu, Apr. 03, 2003
The more Royals fans see Angel Berroa up close this summer, maybe, just maybe, they'll be willing to forgive Allard Baird for the Johnny Damon trade in January 2001.
It was then Baird dealt Damon -- who was unwilling to sign a long-term deal here -- and received Berroa, Roberto Hernandez and A.J. Hinch in return.
Phone lines to talk shows lit up as fans fumed that winter.
But now that those same fans can see in person the potential of Berroa....
"I knew it would take time when you make a deal like that," Baird said. "In retrospect, we got a guy in Hernandez who could save 50 games and we got a guy with a huge upside who was two years away.
"Well, the problem was we weren't winning so (Hernandez's) value didn't seem to be as much and no one could see Berroa except people in the organization. So I can see how fans would be upset."
Yet to this day, Baird will defend the trade to anyone who'll listen. He'll defend it far more than the Jermaine Dye trade.
"The Dye trade was (lousy)," Baird said. "That was my fault, all my fault.
"But as for the Damon trade, I'd do it again. Right now.
"We're just at the beginning with Berroa and right now I'd say he has the best range in the American League and the second-best arm."
The best arm at shortstop, Baird said, still belongs to Alex Rodriguez.
III
Fred White will be filling in for Bob Davis on the Royals Sports Television Network on Friday and Sunday.
Word has it that Davis might be headed somewhere else this weekend.
III
Trivia question: Name the four Royals on the present roster who have career winning records.
We'll give you three: Runelvys Hernandez, Ryan Bukvich and Kris Wilson.
The fourth is listed at the end of the column.
III
You might think it was risky for manager Tony Pena not to start Carlos Febles so early in the season, considering Febles' potentially fragile psyche. After all, Febles was all but given up on by the Royals last season and he had to earn a starting job this spring.
But Pena said he wasn't concerned.
"Not in the least," Pena said. "Carlos is my second baseman. He knows that.
"But I've told everyone on this team that it's a 25-man roster and everyone will play. Everyone includes Desi Relaford. Desi is going to play for me. He's going to be a busy person. He can play second, short and third. He will be busy.
"But that doesn't mean we don't have faith in Carlos."
Febles did enter the ninth at second base.
III
If you think hitting Mike MacDougal is hard, try catching him. With MacDougal's velocity and the movement on his ball, catcher Brent Mayne works extra hard to keep the ball from going to the backstop.
"I'm pretty accurate in catching it in the webbing," Mayne said. "That's not a problem so it's not really a pain issue. I don't worry about catching one on the thumb.
"But sometimes there's a problem when he's pitching the ball high. When it's that high and going that fast, it can yank my shoulder back a bit. It's not enough to yank it out of my socket, but I can feel it."
III
Trivia question answer: The fourth is Mayne, who got a win in an extra-inning game for the Colorado Rockies in 2000 by pitching a scoreless inning.
By JEFFREY FLANAGAN
Columnist
Posted on Thu, Apr. 03, 2003
The more Royals fans see Angel Berroa up close this summer, maybe, just maybe, they'll be willing to forgive Allard Baird for the Johnny Damon trade in January 2001.
It was then Baird dealt Damon -- who was unwilling to sign a long-term deal here -- and received Berroa, Roberto Hernandez and A.J. Hinch in return.
Phone lines to talk shows lit up as fans fumed that winter.
But now that those same fans can see in person the potential of Berroa....
"I knew it would take time when you make a deal like that," Baird said. "In retrospect, we got a guy in Hernandez who could save 50 games and we got a guy with a huge upside who was two years away.
"Well, the problem was we weren't winning so (Hernandez's) value didn't seem to be as much and no one could see Berroa except people in the organization. So I can see how fans would be upset."
Yet to this day, Baird will defend the trade to anyone who'll listen. He'll defend it far more than the Jermaine Dye trade.
"The Dye trade was (lousy)," Baird said. "That was my fault, all my fault.
"But as for the Damon trade, I'd do it again. Right now.
"We're just at the beginning with Berroa and right now I'd say he has the best range in the American League and the second-best arm."
The best arm at shortstop, Baird said, still belongs to Alex Rodriguez.
III
Fred White will be filling in for Bob Davis on the Royals Sports Television Network on Friday and Sunday.
Word has it that Davis might be headed somewhere else this weekend.
III
Trivia question: Name the four Royals on the present roster who have career winning records.
We'll give you three: Runelvys Hernandez, Ryan Bukvich and Kris Wilson.
The fourth is listed at the end of the column.
III
You might think it was risky for manager Tony Pena not to start Carlos Febles so early in the season, considering Febles' potentially fragile psyche. After all, Febles was all but given up on by the Royals last season and he had to earn a starting job this spring.
But Pena said he wasn't concerned.
"Not in the least," Pena said. "Carlos is my second baseman. He knows that.
"But I've told everyone on this team that it's a 25-man roster and everyone will play. Everyone includes Desi Relaford. Desi is going to play for me. He's going to be a busy person. He can play second, short and third. He will be busy.
"But that doesn't mean we don't have faith in Carlos."
Febles did enter the ninth at second base.
III
If you think hitting Mike MacDougal is hard, try catching him. With MacDougal's velocity and the movement on his ball, catcher Brent Mayne works extra hard to keep the ball from going to the backstop.
"I'm pretty accurate in catching it in the webbing," Mayne said. "That's not a problem so it's not really a pain issue. I don't worry about catching one on the thumb.
"But sometimes there's a problem when he's pitching the ball high. When it's that high and going that fast, it can yank my shoulder back a bit. It's not enough to yank it out of my socket, but I can feel it."
III
Trivia question answer: The fourth is Mayne, who got a win in an extra-inning game for the Colorado Rockies in 2000 by pitching a scoreless inning.