Cool. Not meaning to be confrontational, as I see your point about agents. It's just that Richard Justice is freaking pond scum when comes to so-called journalists. A drivel machine. His columns more often resemble foaming at the mouth than responsible, credible journalism. Serious crap. I would actually *take* an agent, with the exception of Borasss, over Justice--he's that ridiculous.
And I'll take the word over an agent and organization who are on the same side of someone trying to make a story out of nothing just to stir the pot. You still haven't given us a reason why Bagwell's agent would lie about the Astros not pressuring Bagwell to retire.
I wasn't making Justice an issue but rather agent credibility. In this case what is the agenda? It's Bags v Retirement (Uncle Dray). Bags needs to hang it up before reporting to Kissimmee to ensure 90% insurance pay off. Does anyone really want to go against JB -- or in fact believe in his ability to perform at a MLB level at bat and in the field for 7 (or 8) months? I am 100% for Bags and 99% for him retiring. I'm not going to approach that figure w/Uncle D and RJ combined. Throw in an agent's words and the number increases none.
But Justice is the source of this incident, not McLane, not Bagwell, and not the agent. McLane *still* has not made a public statement. So, your only source for the "ugly" part of this (forcing Bags out) is Justice--and that's not a source of anything but fresh, runny bull$$$$. Here's what I've seen in the media since the original Justice defecation: Jeff saying the Astros understandably (his words) want to know but he can't until ST, and TP saying the best thing for the Astros is a healthy JB but they need to make sure they don't end up with a $17M pinch hitter. Everything else, IMO, is Justice-pot-stirring-unadulterated-BS-mindless-drivel.
This is good news... http://houston.astros.mlb.com/NASAp...t_id=1296688&vkey=news_hou&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou Lidge, Wheeler ink one-year deals Astros sign two top hurlers Tuesday By Alyson Footer / MLB.com HOUSTON -- The Houston Astros wiped two more key pitchers off their to-do list when they inked Brad Lidge and Dan Wheeler to one-year deals on Tuesday. Lidge, one of the league's top closers, will earn $3.975 million in 2006. Wheeler, who emerged as a solid setup man, signed for $930,000. Both contracts include incentive clauses. Third baseman Morgan Ensberg is the only remaining arbitration-eligible player yet to be signed. Shortstop Adam Everett inked a one-year deal on Monday worth $1.9 million. Lidge, 29, was 4-4 with a 2.29 ERA and 42 saves over 70 appearances for Houston in 2005. His 42 saves ranked third in the National League. A first-time All-Star in 2005, Lidge struck out the side in his inaugural appearance in the All-Star Game at Comerica Park in Detroit, becoming the first pitcher since Bill Caudill and Dwight Gooden in 1984 to accomplish the feat. Lidge tied the franchise record with 22 second-half saves in 2005, and he has led all Major League relievers in strikeouts in each of the last two seasons, striking out 103 last season and fanning a National League reliever-record 157 in 2004. He set the franchise record for consecutive save chances converted when he was successful on 24 consecutive opportunities from June 21-Sept. 28 of last year. In 234 career big-league games from 2002-05, Lidge is 17-12 with a 2.71 ERA and 72 saves. His save total ranks fourth on the Houston career list. He is 1-3 with a franchise-record six saves and a 2.52 ERA in 17 career postseason games. He has recorded 38 strikeouts in 25 career playoff innings while walking nine and allowing only 17 hits. Wheeler, 28, was 2-3 with a 2.21 ERA and three saves in a career-high 71 outings for Houston in 2005. He held opponents to a .204 batting average last season, and his first-half ERA of 1.60 was the third-lowest in the National League. In 35 appearances at Minute Maid Park, Wheeler posted a 1.45 ERA. Wheeler has appeared in seven League Championship Series games and has never allowed a run. His 9 2/3 scoreless innings are the sixth-most for any pitcher in LCS play without allowing a run. In 182 career Major League appearances, Wheeler is 8-12 with a 4.18 ERA (121 ER/260 2/3 IP) and five saves. He has pitched in parts of six Major League seasons for Tampa Bay (1999-01), the New York Mets (2003-04) and the Astros (2004-05).
We also signed Adam Everett to a $1.9 million contract for next season. I guess his experience earned him most of that cause his performance sure the hell didn't.
I suspect every single Astros' pitcher would agree that Adam Everett is worth every bit of that contract.
For the defense, Adam is worth the money...He just needs to take some BP and roids' and he'll be just fine... I'm glad we got Lidge and Wheeler back, but that doesn't mean we can't trade Lidge...I still think Lidge is great, but if you can improve, then you do it...
i'm glad you're more for bagwell than his agent is. his agent says there's no conflict...that the astros didn't approach them that way. i'm glad you're here to keep him straight, though. none of that makes any sense whatsoever.
anyone else??? but i'll just speak for me. yeah. mostly because you STILL can't explain why in the world the agent would side with the team instead of creating a media martyr out of his client in this situation.
It doesn't make sense, unless one is a management/McLane hater. Why else would anyone put any stock in a Richard Freaking Justice article? Why else would anyone--beyond even that--believe said Richard Freaking Justice excrement over the word of *all three parties*?? Good gravy, Bagwell, Axelrod, and Purpura have *all* denied said excrement. So no. No, this doesn't make sense at all.
Besides, the agent is an extension of the player. The agent would not have said that had Bagwell not wanted him to. Bagwell has not spoken out against the agent's claims, so you have to treat it as if Bagwell himself denied most of what Justice wrote. You are 100% for Bagwell, so you must agree with what he says, right?
Well, his point seemed to be that this is often not really the case, i.e. agents are snakes. That said, *all three* parties have denied the claim, so the moral character of the agent, or any agent, is really a moot point.
