Move On

My, how different things could have been.

Timing, apparantly, is everything on this site. Just after I wrote about not wanting Barry Bonds to pass Hank Aaron on the all-time homerun list, word came out about the upcoming book on Bonds that fully documents his steroid regimen. I mean, it was a matter of hours after I posted the entry. I felt like I kind of missed the boat.

Today, however, timing appears to be in my favor. Two days ago I wrote about my favorite Opening Day memory (2004). In that entry, I mentioned how the tone of the season was set by Michael Young volunteering early in the spring to switch positions to make room at secondbase for Alfonso Soriano. Again, how different things could have been.

In his two seasons in Texas, there was never a negative word uttered about Soriano by his teammates. In fact, quite the opposite was true. He fit in very well with the "cornerstones" of the organization: Young, Hank Blalock, Mark Teixeira. They raved about the comradery of the entire infield and how everyone got along both on and off the field. Soriano was the model teammate.

Popular with the players in New York, popular with the kids in Texas. However, the common denominator of those situations was that Soriano was bringing his cement glove to secondbase.

So what happens when his new team, the Washington Nationals, asks him to switch positions and play left field? Evidently, only eight players come out of the dugout, including just two outfielders.

This could get very interesting. The ramifications of Soriano's protest could lead, as the article linked to above suggests, to Sori being placed on the "disqualified list". And that, in turn, affects his service time. And that could prohibit him from becoming a free agent after the 2006 season. This is awful messy.

Washington GM Jim Bowden said they would pursue trade opportunities in order to get Soriano on a team that would slot him at secondbase. The downfall is that every other team knows that Bowden's hands are tied, so the offers he has received have been underwhelming. Does anyone now want to question Jon Daniels' handling of Soriano and the fact that we didn't get a major league pitcher in return? And what about Daniels refusing Washington's request to talk to Sori before the trade was consummated? Nothing short of brilliant. And Bowden making the trade anyway? Idiocy.

Meanwhile, on the Rangers, Michael Young returns from his WBC tour of duty to take his position at shortstop. He has had back-to-back All Star Game appearances at the position. He was the AL Batting Leader in 2005. And he continues to be a strong clubhouse presence as his stature among his peers grows astronomically.

My, how different things could have been.