Schilling Blames Boras/Hicks For Baseball's Woes

Max Power · 08-25-2002, 11:28 AM

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/baseball/3746324.htm

Quote:

Interviewed on The Dan Patrick Show on ESPN Radio, Schilling responded to Patrick's suggestion that the Rangers didn't have to give Rodriguez such a lucrative contract."That's two people's fault: Tom Hicks' and Scott Boras'," Schilling said. "I guess you give Scott Boras a pat on the back for screwing everything up. But he got his. Scott Boras has never been about anything but getting his. To me, he's what's wrong with sports. He always has been and always will be."

I can never recall a player blaming an agent (his or another) for what's wrong with baseball. Wow.

On ESPN's OTLW this AM, Boras responded that Schilling should not use his excellence as a platform to address one player signing/contract - address the system, sure, he added - but, he didn't seem too pleased, overall.

JamesI · 08-25-2002, 11:47 AM

Boras does seem to cause problems. When teams refuse to deal with a particular agent, that is a problem. Hicks is a hypocrite, giving A-Rod 252 million then becoming one of the hardline owners.

pwdennis · 08-25-2002, 02:07 PM

Personally, I agree with Schilling but he didn't go far enough. To the unholy duo of Hicks and Boras I would have added Donald Fehr, an unworthy successor to Marvin Miller

Craig S. · 08-25-2002, 02:50 PM

I enjoyed watching Boras' reaction this morning on OTL. Not so much what he said, but just the look on his face before his response. I thought it said a lot, and I think he had to really temper his words.

I think the implications are pretty big. Having one of the premier players in the game speak out against an agent and an owner certainly doesn't give an impression of true solidarity.

Somone this morning - I think on Sports Reporters - mentioned that NBA players now had to settle for contracts of $89 million instead of $120 million, and that baseball players might have to settle for less too. I didn't know what to think of that statement.

JamesI · 08-25-2002, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Craig S.
Somone this morning - I think on Sports Reporters - mentioned that NBA players now had to settle for contracts of $89 million instead of $120 million, and that baseball players might have to settle for less too. I didn't know what to think of that statement.

I'll settle for 89 million!

Imagine the hardship of being Shaq or Kobe, and not being able to buy that small island nation they've always wanted because they couldn't have the extra 31 million dollars.

SmedIndy · 08-25-2002, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pwdennis
Personally, I agree with Schilling but he didn't go far enough. To the unholy duo of Hicks and Boras I would have added Donald Fehr, an unworthy successor to Marvin Miller

Well, then, add Selig and Deputy Dupuy to the list too....

sweaver · 08-25-2002, 05:54 PM

Boras is upset? He'll have to deal with it. Schilling hit this nail on the head.

poorme · 08-25-2002, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pwdennis
I would have added Donald Fehr, an unworthy successor to Marvin Miller

there was an article about Fehr in the NYT the other day. said fehr and miller still speak weekly to talk strategy. although they have a good relationship, Miller has, at times, criticized Fehr for giving too much away in negotiations (!)..........(!!!)

Fehr does what the players want him to do.

TimmyB · 08-25-2002, 08:12 PM

It's things like this (Schilling) coupled with the mayhem created by Selig's couple day "lifting" of the gag order on the owners that leads me to believe there are some real rifts/fears/concerns on both sides.

The hardliners on both sides are running MLB towards the abyss (or playing chicken -- can't quite decide on my metaphore/cliche') and it sounds like some members are starting to get nervous.

Do the moderates have enough voice/votes? Tune in Friday...

VNV Nation · 08-25-2002, 08:23 PM

Kudos to Curt Schilling for speaking honestly knowing he'll obviously take a lot of heat for his comments.

The problem with Boras in this whole mess is that he has an agenda -- to try to destroy the draft and punish owners as much as possible for paying "below-market" wages to players for their first six years. Now that's his job as an agent and he's good at it. But people like Boras exacerbate the contentious relationship between players/owners.

moose · 08-25-2002, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by VNV Nation
Kudos to Curt Schilling for speaking honestly knowing he'll obviously take a lot of heat for his comments.

heat from who? so scott boras won't represent him -- oh well, all other agents would. and how do you know that's his honest opinion (even if it sure seems like it).

I think this was in poor taste, to be honest. To basically point to an agent and say "you ruined baseball by taking an owner up on his own idiocy," is silly. I don't see Schilling renouncing his giant contract extension -- ESPECIALLY when his team is already in financial trouble.

i wouldn't fault boras, either, at least not on this one. there are plenty of examples of a sports agent almost extorting owners, but heck, that's their job -- i'm not defending the action though.

but a-rod is not boras's fault. only hicks is to blame for $25M -- hicks AND boras would be to blame for ~$20M or so though... but in this case, hicks outbid himself.

maybe it's just my dislike for schilling here, but I really don't think so. read the quote again -- you could have put that in mo vaughn or troy percival's mouth early this season, and we'd be saying it was "sad" that players would resort to "personal affronts." But the minute someone says nasty things about a guy we already dislike, we're applauding it.

VNV Nation · 08-25-2002, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by moose

but a-rod is not boras's fault. only hicks is to blame for $25M -- hicks AND boras would be to blame for ~$20M or so though... but in this case, hicks outbid himself.

maybe it's just my dislike for schilling here, but I really don't think so. read the quote again -- you could have put that in mo vaughn or troy percival's mouth early this season, and we'd be saying it was "sad" that players would resort to "personal affronts." But the minute someone says nasty things about a guy we already dislike, we're applauding it.

Schilling is making what...60 percent of what Mike Mussina gets?

A-Rod is Boras' and A-Rod's fault...There was no way Boras was going to let A-Rod take anything less than a groundbreaking contract, and all the talk of "Seattle's going to see just why they won last year ('00). Seattle offered 4 years, $80 million? A-Rod wanted to play for the Mets but Boras scared them off with some outrageous demands.

Coming out of any other player's mouth, the reaction would have been the same.

Quote:

I can never recall a player blaming an agent (his or another) for what's wrong with baseball. Wow.

pwdennis · 08-25-2002, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SmedIndy

Well, then, add Selig and Deputy Dupuy to the list too....

okay, I will

I think one of the big problems is an artificial solidarity caused by a lack of secret ballots in union voting - I suspect that a lot of players really don't like the MLBPA stance but are afraid to say so

Husier · 08-25-2002, 10:40 PM

If there is some simmering resentment towards Boras from some established players (a la Schilling), I suspect it has more to do with his work (capitalizing on loopholes, etc.) in landing astronomical signing bonuses for draft picks. The MLBPA doesn't seem too thrilled (jealousy?) with the bonuses paid out to unproven talent these days.

JamesI · 08-25-2002, 10:43 PM

The bonuses paid to draft picks in all sports are crazy, baseball the most so. Very rare are the players that can be drafted and become productive mlb players within a year or two. Players should show they can play well, then get the money.

08-25-2002, 02:07 PM	#3
pwdennis NetShrine All-Century Team Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Winter Springs, FL Posts: 2,503	Personally, I agree with Schilling but he didn't go far enough. To the unholy duo of Hicks and Boras I would have added Donald Fehr, an unworthy successor to Marvin Miller __________________ "I would submit that if the world survives for a million years, perhaps its finest hour may be that in the last half of the 20th century, when the power to blow up the world rested in the hands of a few men in two very unsophisticated and suspicious countries, we didn't do it, and one American, Richard Nixon, moved the cold war away from permanent confrontation toward victory. How could any wrong that he did compare with that?" - John Sears

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08-25-2002, 11:47 AM	#2
JamesI Netshrine Vacuum Cleaner Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Potsdam, N.Y. Posts: 3,723	Boras does seem to cause problems. When teams refuse to deal with a particular agent, that is a problem. Hicks is a hypocrite, giving A-Rod 252 million then becoming one of the hardline owners.

08-25-2002, 02:50 PM	#4
Craig S. Guest Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 6,330	I enjoyed watching Boras' reaction this morning on OTL. Not so much what he said, but just the look on his face before his response. I thought it said a lot, and I think he had to really temper his words. I think the implications are pretty big. Having one of the premier players in the game speak out against an agent and an owner certainly doesn't give an impression of true solidarity. Somone this morning - I think on Sports Reporters - mentioned that NBA players now had to settle for contracts of $89 million instead of $120 million, and that baseball players might have to settle for less too. I didn't know what to think of that statement.

08-25-2002, 05:54 PM	#7
sweaver Netshrine Cleanup Hitter Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: The Mountain State Posts: 8,883	Boras is upset? He'll have to deal with it. Schilling hit this nail on the head.

08-25-2002, 08:12 PM	#9
TimmyB NetShrine's Magic 8-Ball Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Where the cops speak slow and the air is nice Posts: 2,591	It's things like this (Schilling) coupled with the mayhem created by Selig's couple day "lifting" of the gag order on the owners that leads me to believe there are some real rifts/fears/concerns on both sides. The hardliners on both sides are running MLB towards the abyss (or playing chicken -- can't quite decide on my metaphore/cliche') and it sounds like some members are starting to get nervous. Do the moderates have enough voice/votes? Tune in Friday...

08-25-2002, 08:23 PM	#10
VNV Nation Membership Suspended 11/19/02 Join Date: May 2002 Location: VNV Nation Posts: 2,952	Kudos to Curt Schilling for speaking honestly knowing he'll obviously take a lot of heat for his comments. The problem with Boras in this whole mess is that he has an agenda -- to try to destroy the draft and punish owners as much as possible for paying "below-market" wages to players for their first six years. Now that's his job as an agent and he's good at it. But people like Boras exacerbate the contentious relationship between players/owners.

08-25-2002, 10:40 PM	#14
Husier NetShrine All-Star Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Kentucky Posts: 112	If there is some simmering resentment towards Boras from some established players (a la Schilling), I suspect it has more to do with his work (capitalizing on loopholes, etc.) in landing astronomical signing bonuses for draft picks. The MLBPA doesn't seem too thrilled (jealousy?) with the bonuses paid out to unproven talent these days.

08-25-2002, 10:43 PM	#15
JamesI Netshrine Vacuum Cleaner Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Potsdam, N.Y. Posts: 3,723	The bonuses paid to draft picks in all sports are crazy, baseball the most so. Very rare are the players that can be drafted and become productive mlb players within a year or two. Players should show they can play well, then get the money.

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