June 30, 2005
Know When to Fold Them
Kenny Rogers attacked two cameramen last night. One was taken to a hospital on a stretcher (Fox has a video link of the incident).
This wasn't Randy Johnson being surprised by a reporter jumping out of the bushes, or Tim Belcher being upset after a bad game. This was a premeditated act of violence over rumors in the press. You would think at 40 years old and 17 years in the majors Rogers would have a little more maturity.
I don't see how the Rangers can keep The Gambler at this point. He deserves a huge fine and a huge suspension. I won't be at all surprised if he's arrested and charged with assault.
I also wonder what's really going on here. At this point in his life, he should be secure money wise. According to Baseball Reference (scroll down), he's made over $55 million dollars over his career. Is he really that competitive that a lack of a contract extension, the release of a friend, and rumors in the media sends him off the deep end? I'm clueless here. He just threw away his career for no good reason.
Kenny Rogers attacking people is reprehensible and criminal charges should be considered. But we all know what will happen, he's a professional athlete, the rules don't apply to him. He might get a week or two suspension, but his career is not over becuase of this. If I did this at my job, my career would be over, but for a baseball player it's no big deal. This incident will not have significant ramifications for Rogers' career.
I think the Rangers are going to come down heavily on him. They don't want to be know as the club with players who fight the media/fans (wasn't Francisco Rodrequiz -sp- on the Rangers last year, when he threw a chair into the stands?) I suspcet 30 days w/o pay, backed up by the commish, but it'll be interesting to see the union's position.
If Rogers wasn't 9-3 with a 2.46 ERA, I would expect to see a harsh punishment; however, considering his exceptional performance this year, don't expect a very harsh punishment. That being said, I would not be surprised if the Rangers decided to save face and accept trade proposals for Rogers. Of course, being a few games out of an AL wild card slot may not be the right time to deal your ace.
Sounds like the Rangers aren't planning on doing anything more severe than making frowny faces, if this Dallas Morning News Story at http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/070105dnsporangside.5e40dae2.html is to be believed:
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Manager Buck Showalter said before Thursday's game that he plans on starting Rogers on Sunday when the Rangers conclude a three-game series at Seattle, meaning the 40-year-old lefty will travel with the team when it leaves tonight.
"I’m not concerned about Kenny,” Showalter said. “We’d like to come to a point where the decision is just about pitching [and not about his off-field actions].”
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Showalter is such a fraud.
Showalter is hardly a fraud. He's trying to win games, and pitching Rogers is the best choice for him. Rogers will get a healthy suspension - my guess is ten to twenty games after MLB just announced a four-game suspension for Kline's relatively tame argument on that balk call.
Meanwhile, Rogers will pitch while the suspension is appealed. I doubt that this supension will get whittled down. But what is Showalter supposed to do? Refuse to pitch Rogers while the appeal drags out? That might get a grievance from the players union.
Uh..rbi...it was Frank Francisco who threw the chair into the stands last year. Yes, he was, and is, a Ranger. I doubt K-rod (Francisco Rodriguez of the Angels) would appreciate being confused with that guy.
