July 02, 2003
More On Everett
I was re-reading the ESPN article on the trade, and listening to the BBTN commentary (link on the same page), and I kept reading and hearing this, first from Everett:
"I'm going to go there and play the game I always play," he said. "I play hard and I play to win. It feels good that a team like that thinks that I'm one of the missing pieces to their team."
Then from Palmeiro:
"He's a very good player. He knows how to play the game. He plays the game hard and plays to win. He's a great team guy," Texas first baseman Rafael Palmeiro said of Everett.
Peter Gammons repeats this in his commentary. My question is, how many players doesn't play to win? It appears to me that most hitters and pitchers on the White Sox are currently playing to win. If some Chicago White Sox fans want to point out White Sox players who are playing to lose, I'd love to hear from you.
My second question is, where's the evidence that Everett plays to win? Here's a picture of Everett's career through July 1, 2003 (thanks to STATS, Inc.). Everett is in his 11th year of major league ball. He's had two outstanding years (1999 and 2000), one very good year (1998), and half a good year (1995). Other than that he's been ordinay to bad. His teams have made the playoffs twice, Houston in 1998 and 1999. Everett was 4 for 28 with 2 walks and 12 strikeouts in the playoffs, and Houston did not get out of the first round either year. So Carl may know how to play to win, but he certianly doesn't play to win all the time.