Posted
by Chris Wristen
October 27, 2005 at 11:58 a.m.
Hat's off to Jermaine Dye
I've always had a hard time rooting for ex-Royals when they've bolted Kansas City for eight-figure contracts and the big-market media spotlight.Not Jermaine Dye, though.Dye was named the Most Valuable Player of the World Series on Wednesday night after the Chicago White Sox edged the Houston Astros, 1-0, to sweep the series in four games. I'm thrilled for him. Seriously.You might recall midway through the 2001 season when the Royals elected to trade Dye to the Oakland Athletics because they assumed they couldn't afford to keep him around. Dye had hit .321 with 33 home runs the year before. In '01 he had 13 homers and a .272 average through 97 games. His power at the plate and lethal throwing arm scared Royals management into believing Dye wanted out of town. Management believed he would bolt KC after the season and the Royals would get nothing in return.Dye claimed that wasn't the case. In fact, his wife tearfully told reporters that the family wanted to stay in Kansas City. Dye just wanted management to talk to him about a new contract - one he insisted wouldn't be beyond the club's affordability. Royals General Manager Allard Baird wouldn't even talk to him about it. Instead, he sent Dye packing against his will.Dye finished the season with Oakland, hitting .333 with 13 homers in 61 games with the A's. After battling injuries the next few seasons, he was shipped to Chicago for the 2005 season. He hit .274 with 31 homers this season, but he saved his best moments for the World Series.Dye blasted a first-inning homer off of Roger Clemens in game one of the World Series, sparking the Sox to a victory. Then he closed the series with an eighth-inning single that brought home the game-winning run.It saddens me to think that Kansas City had a chance to keep Jermaine Dye around all these years, but I've never had a problem rooting for him in the years since he left because I know KC had a place in his heart. He didn't run for the money like Johnny Damon and Carlos Beltran did. He didn't use Kansas City as a springboard for his career and then badmouth the city for not supporting him when a "contract year" arose.No, Dye always conducted himself with class. Now he's a World Series champion and an MVP. I'm happy for him.Major League Baseball vs. Milk: In case you haven't seen the commercials yet, Major League Baseball announced that it was furious with the California Milk Processor Board last week for a series of "Got Milk?" commercials the company released.![][1] [The commercials][2] poke fun at baseball's recent steroid scandal and depict players getting busted for "pouring." The commercials describe milk as a performance-enhancing substance that is good for the body.Ironically, Major League Baseball's hypocritical officials [responded quickly][3] to the parody commercials, compared to their 10-years-too-late response to the league's steroid problem. Apparently milk commercials are a bigger problem than steroid use and abuse. [1]: http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/w... [2]: http://www.gotmilk.com/fun/pouring.html [3]: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=2201890
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Mr_A (Bryan Anderson) says…
Coincedently enough, the Royals won the World Series 20 years ago today. I can't even remember the last time the Royals even sniffed at the playoffs.
Sometimes it's so hard to be a Royals fan.
Actually, it's all the time that it's hard to a Royals fan.
cvillehawk (anonymous) says…
I'm circulating a theory that all the Cubs need to do to break their own World Series drought is bring in an ex-Royal or two. They have Neifi Perez, but I refuse to count him. I think they need to trade for Mike Sweeney if they really want to win the big one. I did some research, and the AZ Diamonbacks are the only team since the turn of the recent century to win it without at least one former Royal on their roster.
mwoodard (Matt Woodard) says…
Once again, on point Chris. Dye, how did we lose another one like him. Of course he lands on a team destined to be Series Champs. What a bonehead move it was pushing him out the door. Class act, great, solid player, and budding star (at least right now he's a star). Nothing new here at the breeding camp that is KC. I'm sure the Cubbies will slap a uni on a current Royal soon hoping for some results. Other teams are catching on...everyone but the Royals!
Frankly, baseball is like golf...boring as hell to watch but fun to play. Especially with an adult beverage in hand.
rwood (Ryan Wood) says…
Wristen, how can you criticize Baird's decision to trade Jermaine Dye when you consider the star quality KC got in return?
The media will twist anything to support their point of view. Makes me sick.
cwrist (Chris Wristen) says…
Yeah, Neifi Perez turned out to be a real winner. lol
cvillehawk (anonymous) says…
Neifi is, by the way, a Cub. I just don't think he's got the Mojo the Cubs will need.
As far as Dye, he was injured often after KC got rid of him - I suspect nobody could have seen this coming. I still don't like the notion that we got rid of someone who actually wanted to stay, though.
randleroadie (anonymous) says…
I don't know deep down how much Dye wanted to stay anyway, no matter what he said. Seriously would you consider playing for the Royals for less money when you could go someplace else, make the playoffs on a regular basis and make more money? I don't remember Jermaine Dye's wife crying after the trade. Did that actually happen?
cwrist (Chris Wristen) says…
I know what you mean. I'd have a hard time wanting to stick around to a franchise that has shown a commitment to losing for the past 20 years -- with the lone exception being locking of Sweeney (and that has been somewhat of a bust for $11 million). I don't blame guys for wanting to go to a winner, but it just bugs me that so many of them seem to turn on the city the moment negotiations begin (thanks to superagent Scott Boras). Dye was the one guy who I remember saying he wanted to try to negotiate something, but Baird wouldn't listen. Strange huh.
As for Dye's wife crying, that actually did happen. It was on the local news right about the time he was traded. It's been a few years since it happened, so my memory is a little fuzzy as to what she said, but I think it was something along the lines of having friends here and wanting to raise a family here. Either way, I'm sure JD and his wife don't feel too bad about it now.