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Which Mets player is Steve Phillips talking about?

Triple Dee Mar 04 2008 08:13 AM

"I had a player, who we had acquired...... who had hit a lot of home runs, was a very productive player...who was struggling..... by June we found out that was the year he had chosen to give up amphetamines" http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3273430&categoryId=2521705&n8pe6c=2 Suspects: Matt Lawton Jeromy Burnitz Roberto Alomar

OlerudOwned Mar 04 2008 08:17 AM

I know Lawton has tested positive before, but I'm not sure for what.

Benjamin Grimm Mar 04 2008 08:21 AM

Matt Lawton never played for the Mets in June.

metirish Mar 04 2008 08:22 AM

Burnitz? Vaughn?

Triple Dee Mar 04 2008 08:25 AM

OlerudOwned wrote: I know Lawton has tested positive before, but I'm not sure for what. Anabolic steriods. Lawton was acquired mid-season and traded again the following off-season, so it is unlikely Phillips is referring to him.

Triple Dee Mar 04 2008 08:35 AM

metirish wrote: Burnitz? Vaughn? Alomar had the most dramatic drop in power numbers of a Mets player from the abortion that was 2003. He went from an OPS+ of 150 to 99 almost overnight. To think I felt sorry for him, because it was rumored he was the guy that Valentine, in actual fact, had outed.

Valadius Mar 04 2008 09:49 AM

I'm gonna guess Burnitz.

seawolf17 Mar 04 2008 10:16 AM

Lawton was my first guess without even looking at the choices, but Alomar makes a lot of sense.

metirish Mar 04 2008 10:19 AM

I remember Alomar hitting two homers in one game...with Piazza's bat....a rare good day for him as Mets player.

AG/DC Mar 04 2008 10:25 AM

Phillips' attitudes towards personnel management have been more disappointing the more he talks. And he's paid to talk.

Number 6 Mar 04 2008 04:10 PM

Somewhat related, since we're talking about Steve Phillips... I saw him speak as part of a panel a few months ago at the Museum of the City of New York, as part of the Baseball in New York program they were doing. It was his standard ESPN fare for the most part, with lots of brash predictions and general limb-dancing. At one point, though, he was asked about the A-Rod negotiations. I rolled my eyes immediately. To me, this issue was dead the moment it was introduced, to say nothing of now, years after it's been through the ringer of the press and talk radio. But Phillips, though, spoke with candor about it, and I think it's worth sharing. He said that Boras began with selling A-Rod's immense value, sharing the infamous binder. Phillips stopped him quickly, saying that he understood that A-Rod is a historical talent, and that there would no need to make any further argument in that area. The next step was the list of contract requirements prior to discussing years and dollars. Boras shared a laundry list of items, including the notorious marketing tent selling exclusively A-Rod merchandise, individual chartered flights to and from spring training, a marketing assistant with his/her own office at Shea, his own luxury box, and several more which I forget right now. Boras was clear in indicating that the negotiations would not proceed any further without these terms being accepted. At that point, Phillips had the reaction he's since described. Interestingly, though, the way he distilled it at the event was by describing Mike Piazza as the perfect low-maintenance superstar. Phillips had even used this as leverage in the past with other players who requested perks (Mike doesn't get this, so why should you?). He didn't see how this attitude fit in on the team as constructed, and probably (speculation, now) wasn't nuts about the slippery slope he could face in dealing with the other players, who would be disgruntled by the Mets' sudden willingness to treat a certain player differently than the rank-and-file. Nonetheless, he took the requirements to Doubleday and Wilpon, and recommended not proceeding any further. Wilpon agreed immediately. Doubleday was inclined to just throw enough money at A-Rod so as to make the perks go away, but eventually he relented, and we all know the story from there. According to Phillips, at no point in the conversation with Boras was money or years ever discussed. Again, this is all from the mouth of Phillips, so take it as you will. But I thought it was interesting enough to share (and hopefully has not already been detailed by someone else).

metirish Mar 04 2008 04:51 PM

I t is interesting and some day Phillips will probably write a book about it, or at least it will cover a few chapters. No surprise about Piazza being low maintenance.

smg58 Mar 04 2008 06:28 PM

You can agree or disagree with how Phillips handled A-Rod, but what bothered me was how the media assumed he was making shit up. And then they never questioned Brian Cashman's statement that Boras offered Beltran to the Yankees at a discount.

Triple Dee Mar 05 2008 01:27 AM

metirish wrote: I t is interesting and some day Phillips will probably write a book about it, or at least it will cover a few chapters.. It was rumored that Phillips once upon a time posted in the Mets newsgroup under the pseudonym "Ken Volkner". His posts were characterized by appalling spelling and grammar, and retorts to other posters that they didn't have the DATA!!!! (emphasis his) The posts are [url=http://groups.google.com/groups?as_q=&num=10&scoring=r&hl=en&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_ugroup=alt.sports.baseball.ny-mets+&as_usubject=&as_uauthors=KenVolkner&lr=&as_drrb=q&as_qdr=&as_mind=1&as_minm=1&as_miny=1981&as_maxd=5&as_maxm=3&as_maxy=2008&safe=off]archived[/url] in Google Groups in case anybody is interested.

AG/DC Mar 05 2008 06:11 AM

Wow, four exclamation points. How insane would it be if Phillips was posting at the MOFo as Sell the Team NOW!!!!