Questioning the Commitment of Alfonso Soriano

Questioning the Commitment of Alfonso Soriano

January 30th 2012

Alfonso Soriano of the Chicago Cubs poses for a photo during Spring Training Media Photo Day at Fitch Park on March 1, 2010 in Mesa, Arizona.  (February 28, 2010 - Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images North America)

Early reports are saying that Darwin Barney has undergone an extensive weight lifting regimen and has put on a solid 18 pounds of muscle. Marlon Byrd shed an amazing 40 pounds this off season and is mixing in Muay Thai currently as he is in the last year of his contract.

I remember a year or two back when Tyler Colvin put on a lot of muscle in the "Camp Colvin" program that was designed by Tim Buss. This is a program that Geovany Soto, Starlin Castro, Josh Vitters, and other notable players have went through to get into better physical condition.

Keep in mind that Darwin Barney made $417,000 in 2011. Marlon Byrd made just a shade under $6 million dollars. How much money did Alfonso Soriano make in 2011?

$19,000,000.

That is not a typo. Alfonso Soriano is getting paid mega-superstar money. And, he is getting paid that same amount, each year, for the years of 2012, 2013, and 2014 to a tune of 57 million dollars of unpaid production at the time of this article.

I openly question the commitment and drive of Alfonso Soriano.

I remember working with a satellite retailership over 10 years ago. One of our salespeople had been lobbying for us to pay him $100 per sale instead of the normal $50 per sale.  As an experiment, he was granted his request. His production declined rapidly. In fact, it fell off a cliff. His incentive to earn had been diminished because he already had it fostered in his mind that he could simply do as he did before with less effort.

Is this the case with Alfonso?   Or is he simply too old?   Too broken down?

(Some) fans were excited in 2010 when Rudy Jaramillo came on board with the task of helping Alfonso get his groove back. Afterall, Alfonso had some of his best years under Rudy when he was a player for the Texas Rangers.

Here are Alfonso Soriano's statistics from 2010 and 2011 under Rudy Jaramillo:

2010 - .258/.322/.496 - 24 HR's & 79 RBI's - 45BB to 123 SO's
2011 - .244/.298/.467 - 26 HR's & 88 RBI's - 27BB to 113 SO's

Read:   From 2010 - Can Rudy Jaramillo fix Alfonso Soriano

It's pathetic. There is nothing worse than one of those ball players who thinks they must swing for the fence on every single one of their at bats. I would be willing to bet that if Darwin Barney tried to swing for the fence every single time like Soriano........he would have more home runs AND a better average.

Not only is Soriano's offense pathetic, but so is his defense. He made 7 errors in 2010, and 7 errors in 2011, and that's not counting all the hits that got by him that were not counted as errors.  UZR has been kind to him because of his strong throwing arm, but I still believe he provides negative value as an outfielder compared to replacements.

Fangraph's list Soriano's value with a WAR of 3.1 in 2010 and 1.3 in 2011. This projects to an estimated market value of $12.5 million dollars for his overall performance in 2010 and only a $5.9 million dollar performance in 2011.

Considering that Alfonso made $19 million in 2010 and $19 million in 2011 it could be opined that the Cubs were overpaying him to the tune of 19.6 million dollars over the years of 2010 and 2011.

That is a staggering discrepancy between the anticipated value and the actual return. It's something so drastic that smaller teams could have been sent to their knees by a deal like this.  In fact, a recent article at Fangraphs suggests that Alfonso would make a fabulous platoon player for a lot of teams looking for a guy who can handle lefties and possibly play decent defense.   However, this is such a far cry from the 19 million dollars we are paying this man per year.

Is this mega-investment impossible to salvage?

Alfonso will generally talk to the media when it comes to trading him or his massive contract. He generally gives the standard line that he will waive his no trade clause, if it's to a winner, and if it's good for his family.

What I have not heard Alfonso say is that he is working hard in the off-season to work on his discipline. I have not heard Alfonso say he has called Marlon Byrd up to work with him on his flexibility and Muay Thai program.

Considering that Alfonso Soriano is set financially for life, (a big reason for that is the generosity of Jim Hendry and the Chicago Cubs) you would think Alfonso would do everything in his heart and mind possible to become the best player to ever wear a Chicago Cubs uniform.

Afterall, he is the highest paid.

Ever.

But, I don't see reports coming out like that. I don't see news reports where Soriano states that he is going to work hard on his defense and his hand to eye coordination.   What I am seeing are the standard reports of hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, new manager/skipper Dale Sveum and newly installed President of Operations Theo Epstein pumping the fans up with the hope that Alfonso Soriano is going to have a better year and be an important asset.

(or maybe convince another team that Alfonso is worth trading for.  Reports claim the Cubs would be willing to eat up to 95 percent of Alfonso's contract to move him.)

Like Theo, like Rudy, like Dale..........all of us Cub fans wish the same.   We would love to see the Soriano they are dreaming about.  Will it happen?  Doubtful.   Very, very, very doubtful in my humble opinion.

What is your Opinion? 

Please leave your thoughts about Alfonso Soriano

and his commitment level in the comments box below.

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Don't give up on Ron Paul

You can donate to Ron Paul here:
http://www.ronpaul2012.com

It's Sunday.  January 8th 2012.

I watched two debates. One last night and one this morning.

The good doctor is still sizzling like always.

The establishment is still scared to death of him. The constant barrage of emails by Ron Paul supporters have forced them to give him more credence and air time along with loud voices on all sides of the spectrum forcing him into public consciousness.

The Democrats have much more to lose than the Republicans if Ron Paul becomes the nominee. He is anti-war. He is the champion of civil liberties. Democrats will flock in droves to support him along with overwhelming independent and Republican support.

Any poll that tells you that Ron Paul would not beat Obama is simply being dishonest, or not calculating all the various factors that exist. While the word "moderate" has probably been distorted over the years, if there is one person that appeals a little bit to everyone of all camps...........it is Ron Paul.

He is the "moderate" in my own personal view.

I feel a lot of us who follow Ron Paul on a daily basis had the wind taken out of our sails a bit after what happened in Iowa.

Admittedly...............Ron did very well.

However, the prospect of Rick Santorum rising out of nowhere raises 3 possibilities in my mind:

1.  Rick Santorum got the job done by quietly visiting every single precinct in Iowa. This is despite the fact that he had virtually no money, virtually little coverage in the mainstream media, and had rallies where only a few people would show up.

2.  The media is truly influential and the "media bump" truly decides who wins and loses during an election.

3.  Mass corruption was present at the Iowa Caucuses and (perhaps) a concerted effort was made to "do a little bit here, and a little bit there" to give Santorum a bump. If there are 1700 precincts..........and you adjust a mere 15 votes per precinct to Santorum..........well suddenly you create 25,500 votes.

(just an example of how easy it would be to rig)

Final (Official, Unofficial?) 2012 Republican Primary Iowa Caucus Votes:

Mitt Romney - 30,015 Votes
Rick Santorum - 30,007 Votes
Ron Paul - 26,219 Votes

So am I implying that I think Rick Santorum is a sham?

Yes.

Am I implying that I think the media did, and will continue, to do everything possible to keep Ron Paul from getting the nomination? (While continuing to remain the illusion of impartiality?)

Yes.

Am I implying that I think that there will be vote fraud and that forces will be at work who will deliberately try to great minimize Ron Paul's influence or votes by any means possible?

Yes.

So why am I asking you to not give up on Ron Paul?

Because he can win the Republican Nomination.

It's that simple. I'm not going to try to appeal to you here through hype or hope.

Let's just look at the facts.

If we force honest elections, and Ron Paul becomes the nominee, he beats Barack Obama.

Let me illustrate.

Most of us Ron Paul fans look at things from our side of the fence. Imagine you were a Democratic or Republican operative who had to try to come up with massively negative things to point out to the public about Ron Paul.

What would you do?

- Well, he had those Ron Paul newsletters.   We can "imply" that he is racist.   This would imply that
maybe his "high moral character" is a facade and that ultimately he can't be trusted.

- Well, he "hates" people on social security and medicaid. Wants to cut them off. He hates the poor. Wants to cut welfare.

- Well, he is "dangerous". He would bring our troops home. The middle east would consolidate into a new Ottoman Empire and then perform Jihad on the entire planet.   China would devour the region and keep
the goodies to itself is another version we could put out there.

- Well, he is going to legalize them drugs. Everyone will be stoned and cracked out on a Ron Paul presidency. The economy would tank because everyone would be too busy shooting heroine and smoking marijuana.

Now.

None of it sticks.

That's the toughest part for all of those who are against Ron Paul.

Put yourself in their shoes.   What can you do?   They are looking for something, hell, anything they can use against the good doctor.

However, Ron Paul's numbers continue to grow.

How confounding this much be to the establishment!

No matter how much mud they sling. No matter how many times they ask him if he is going to run as a 3rd party candidate. It doesn't matter how many times they say that he wants Iran to get a bomb. Or that he doesn't support Israel. Or that he is a racist. Or that he is a crank.

None of it works.

I would like you to consider something amazing if you have read this far.

I am only one person. I did an interesting mental experiment the other night as I was really thinking hard about when I first started following Ron Paul back in 2007. I started thinking through all the people I know. The people I talk to on a regular basis. The people that see my Facebook feed. And so on.

I was amazed to learn that I have converted well over 20 people in my personal life to become Ron Paul supporters.

What's more amazing is when I see these people posting about Ron on their facebook feed or sharing one of his many interviews or videos that is out there.

It gets even more amazing when I realize that I have posted on numerous message boards and blogs about Ron Paul over the years.  Literally hundreds of messages.  Maybe even in the low thousands.

How many people did I influence I wonder?  How many of those people then influenced others? Then, one of the people influenced was a big fish..........and then that big fish influenced others...........and on and on?

It's been said that nothing can stop an idea whose time has come.   

That is what motivated me to create my Fitness Models for Ron Paul posting here at Give Jon a Dollar.

How many people did the fitness models influence when they put the link on their facebook that they supported Ron Paul and then linked here?  How many more people did I influence who might now be coming through on search?

I just ask each and every individual who is reading this to realize the full strength of your own influence.

It can be very powerful.

Here are my predictions for the Republican Nomination:

- I look for Perry to re-emerge. He has the funds and can go longer than the others minus Paul and Romney.
- Gingrich will continue to plummet and try to take down Romney as much as possible. This is a big positive for Paul.
- Gingrich, Huntsman, and one of Santorum or Perry will be gone by (or after) Super Tuesday. This leaves Romney, Paul, and "X" while narrowing the focus.
- The media will declare the race is between Romney and "X". (most likely Perry)
- The Winner take All process has changed. If Ron Paul's supporters keep the heat up the best case scenario is that Ron will win the nomination. The worst case scenario, if supporters keep the momentum rolling, is that they will broker the convention.

The worst case scenario is not that bad.

But, if we don't have the delegates, that's a REAL worst case scenario.

If all indications are correct........then this election is going to be determined by delegates.......not the popular vote.

Therefore, for Ron Paul to win, he needs delegates.

You can be a delegate.

I can be a delegate.

We can all be delegates.

Delegates determine who wins and loses. This is very important to note. Another important thing is that no Ron Paul supporter should rely on the media to be objective.

They will do some positive coverage on Ron Paul here and there to try to appear objective, but I don't think they have gone far enough to earn that trust, and I think a lot of supporters will agree with me there.

My point is that everything is going to have to be done via the grassroots, and the internet, and any coverage that the media gives Ron Paul is simply a bonus.

The last and most important thing to secure Ron Paul's chances at a fair and honest shot is to ensure that there is not vote fraud on the state and county level. I don't know the process that well, yet, but it would really be nice if we had a few Ron Paul supporters who were involved in every single county in the nation so that we know how the process works, can observe and monitor, and then report the results afterwards on the internet.

If anyone has ideas, or resources, on how to make that happen, please post those resources, along with your comments, in the comments box below.

All I think most Ron Paul supporters ask for is a fair and honest election. If the country TRULY wants Mitt Romney as it's nominee.........while we heavily disagree..........and while we think it would keep America on a path of destruction.........I think most of us would accept the voice of the electorate.

Meaning, we won't riot in the street. We will protest, state our view, and keep trying. All we want is an honest vote. I think the root of this election lies in every single county out there.

We need to make sure the votes are accurate.

How do we do it?

When all of America learns about Ron Paul I have no doubt they would support him as the President of the United States. He is wise, principled, and the only man we could potentially elect in generations that would actually do exactly what he says he is going to do.

Jesus came with a sword they say. Ron Paul comes with a sword as well.

Not to make government bigger..........but to cut it down to size.

I ask that his supporters not lose hope. Put all your energies into backing this man. It's much bigger than this single election. The influence you are creating through your efforts is much more powerful and will have a big time lasting effect.

These days you can say you are against the war without being labeled harshly like the George Bush days. These days the federal reserve is talked about. There is more support than ever for ending the drug war for financial and liberty based reasons. There is more support than ever for ending these wars.

We are winning.

Don't give up on Ron Paul!

You can donate to Ron Paul here:
http://www.ronpaul2012.com

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