Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Are you kidding?!
PAY UP!
Bob Nightengale
It boggles the mind that clubs won't blink paying their players an extra $1 million or so, but when it comes time to pay their employees, they act bankrupt. The Cardinals, for example, better hurry and come to their senses before it's too late because they're on the verge of losing general manager Walt Jocketty, the 2004 Executive of the year, perhaps to the Diamondbacks.
Jocketty, widely considered one of the finest GMs in the game, is on the verge of resigning and accepting another GM job if the Cardinals don't re-sign him soon. His contract expired Dec. 31, 2004, and the Cardinals' ownership has yet to sign him to an extension.
St. Louis offered Jocketty a 3-year, $2.1 million extension — paying him $650,000, $700,000 and $750,000 — well below market price considering Jocketty's tenure. Jocketty, 54, not only would remain one of the lowest-paid GMs in baseball, but he would be paid nearly one-third of what GMs John Hart of Texas and David Dombrowski of Detroit get. They earn $2 million a year.
"I'd like to work out something here, but nothing's been done yet," said Jocketty, whose teams have reached the postseason in three of the past four years. "Several clubs have expressed an interest. If nothing happens shortly, I'll have to look at that."
The Diamondbacks and at least one other club have informed Jocketty that they're extremely interested in him if he leaves.
I can't believe this is even an issue. Somebody must be smoking crack. Jocketty doesn't have a perfect record, but who does? This is just the stupidest thing I've heard all off-season. I'm going to believe it's just a leak to shame ownership into giving him more money.
For all that is good and right in the world - pay the man.
