[CBFF] Ct - It's beautiful when heart trumps wallet

Wed Jul 11 12:40:51 MDT 2007

http://winningtheturnoverbattle.blogspot.com/2007/07/buehrle-must-really-love-chicago.html

"Mark Buehrle and his agent had said all along that they would not back down from their demand for a no-trade clause from the Chicago White Sox. In the end however, Buehrle agreed to sign a 4 year, $56 million deal with the Sox which does not contain a full no-trade clause. Instead, the deal has a no-trade clause in the first year alone, and a trade in the second or third season would move his salary from $14 million to $15 million as well as add a fifth season, also at $15 million. 

<Graphic representation of statistics cut because they won't get through the CBFF e-mail system>

As you can see, pitchers with poorer results and far less consistencty over the past few years signed deals that were comparable or greater to the one Buehrle just signed. In fact, of the four above pitchers Zito is the most comparable as he was the same age as Buehrle, is also lefthanded, and had almost equal success and consistenct to Buehrle. So if he was able to get $18 million a year, how does Buehrle's contract in light of that fact? If Buehrle had hit the free agent market he would have likely commanded $16-$17 million a year. Proven and consistent lefties are a valuable commodity in baseball, and they are paid accordingly. By signing with the Sox for $14 million a year, Buehrle is likely giving up $8-$12 million over the life of the contract.

From Buehrle's perspective however, giving up that money is worth it if it means being able to stay in Chicago. So will the contract keep him in Chicago? To put it simply; no way on earth. If the White Sox don't improve next season Buehrle will be shipped out, no question about it. Even with the trade kicker, what big market team wouldn't want a 29 year old stud lefty for 4 years and $60 million? At that rate Buehrle would still be at or even slightly below the market value for a left handed pitcher of his age and ability. Buehrle lost big time in these contract negotations, and the money he gave up won't keep him in Chicago any longer than the first year of the contract."

----- Original Message ----
From: Jerry Madsen <jerrywm at gmail.com>
To: post at chicagobearsfanforum.com
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 2:16:06 PM
Subject: Re: [CBFF] Ct - It's beautiful when heart trumps wallet

Yeah, trading him will be a tall task for the ChiSox if they so desire
in the years to come.

That aside, I wasn't sure what to think about the article.  I couldn't
disagree with anything he wrote, but when he got talking about Briggs,
I thought Morrissey got pretty preachy, even by his standards.

Jerry

On 7/11/07, Kenny Claxton <kenny.claxton at gmail.com> wrote:
> He has a no trade next season and has a list of teams that he can be traded
> to the season after that. No to mention the $20 million that is added to his
> deal if he's traded.
>
> On 7/11/07, mactbone <mactbone0 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > BTW, it's a virtual certainty that even with the hometown discount the
> > White Sox are going to trade Buehrle in the next two years. Sure gives you a
> > warm fuzzy feeling for sports franchises.
> >
> > -Chris
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----
> > From: Jerry Madsen <jerrywm at gmail.com>
> > To: CBFF <post at chicagobearsfanforum.com>
> > Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 12:35:27 PM
> > Subject: [CBFF] Ct - It's beautiful when heart trumps wallet
> >
> >
> > It's beautiful when heart trumps wallet
> > Rick Morrissey
> > In the wake of the news
> >
> > July 11, 2007
> >
> > For years, we have been fed a steady diet of depravity—criminal
> > activity, drug abuse, infidelity and unbridled greed. But enough about
> > the NFL.
> >
> > Something happened this past weekend that doesn't happen often in the
> > world of professional sports. Two athletes in the same town looked
> > around, decided their lives weren't going to be enhanced by more money
> > and chose to stay put.
> >
> > Presumably independent of one another, the White Sox's Mark Buehrle
> > and the Bulls' Andres Nocioni came to the conclusion that a fellow
> > could live quite comfortably on a huge, multimillion-dollar contract
> > if he were frugal and kept his Maserati collection down to a workable
> > number of, say, 10.
> >
> > This is not meant as faint praise. The natural instinct is to say that
> > it doesn't take a whole lot of character and self-control to say yes
> > to a four-year, $56 million contract, in the same way it wouldn't take
> > a whole lot of character and self-control for Brad Pitt to hold off
> > evicting Angelina Jolie from their thatched hut.
> >
> > But when Buehrle accepted the above contract and when Nocioni agreed
> > to a five-year, $37.5 million contract with the Bulls, it at least
> > meant that sanity had established a tiny beachhead, that heart
> > mattered and that happiness levels don't necessarily increase as
> > salary numbers spin upward.
> >
> > Buehrle, who would have been a free agent after this season, could
> > have received much more money on the open market. If Barry Zito could
> > land a seven-year, $126 million contract from the Giants last year,
> > then Buehrle surely would have gotten something in that ballpark after
> > this season.
> >
> > But he said he liked playing for the Sox, the organization he grew up
> > in as a pro. He said he liked living in Chicago. He said his wife
> > liked living in Chicago. Their soon-to-be-born child probably will
> > like Chicago, too, though the infant might wonder what general manager
> > Ken Williams is going to do about getting the Sox back to the
> > playoffs.
> >
> > Nocioni would have made slightly more money and would have been a
> > starter if he had signed with Memphis. But he liked where he was,
> > liked his team, liked his life. He liked it so much he was willing to
> > stay in Chicago despite the likelihood he will remain a reserve for
> > the Bulls, though a valuable reserve.
> >
> > The money might be greener on the other side of the out-of-bounds
> > line, but you can't always trust that it's better.
> >
> > "I just want to say thank you to the fans, thank you to the
> > organization for giving me the opportunity to play five more years in
> > the NBA," Nocioni told the Tribune's K.C. Johnson. "I'm really happy
> > for this. I want to give everything of me to play hard every night,
> > with passion every night, to win for the Chicago Bulls.
> >
> > Gratitude and hunger from a pro athlete. Interesting concepts.
> >
> > The Bears' Lance Briggs probably thinks all of this is impossibly
> > naïve. And maybe it is. Maybe Buehrle and Nocioni are suckers. The
> > Bears exercised their right to place a franchise tag on Briggs for
> > this season, meaning he can't sign with any other team but the Bears
> > have to pay him $7.2 million in 2007. He doesn't like this and is
> > threatening to sit out the year.
> >
> > You wonder how he would feel if the Bears traded him to Oakland, where
> > he would get a long-term contract and the prospect of long-term
> > losing. Would that be a victory for him? Would that bring happiness?
> >
> > The problem is that Briggs and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, can't see
> > the forest for the money trees. They can't see the bigger picture—that
> > if Briggs ends his silly protest, he will make more money in 2007 than
> > 99.9 percent of the population makes in a lifetime and that he will
> > play for a Super Bowl contender.
> >
> > Briggs' fear that it all could end tomorrow because of injury doesn't
> > hold up. It indeed could end tomorrow, and Briggs somehow would have
> > to make do for the rest of his life on $7.2 million and whatever else
> > he has saved. If he got bored, he could spice things up by actually
> > finding another profession.
> >
> > What's missing here is what Nocioni exhibited earlier: gratitude.
> > Briggs would be wise to sit back and take stock of what he has. He
> > plays a game he apparently loves. He plays for a very good team. He
> > can make a huge amount of money this season. He has the opportunity,
> > if he has some luck on his side, to make a lot more money in the
> > future.
> >
> > He has friends here too. The other night, Briggs threw a party at a
> > Rush Street club that reportedly attracted 1,000 people, including
> > many teammates.
> >
> > But he's obsessed with what he doesn't have—more money and more fame.
> > More's the pity.
> >
> > rmorrissey at tribune.com
> >
> > Copyright (c) 2007, The Chicago Tribune
> >
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