Players Union involved with the Sabathia signing?

by guggs on Dec 10, 2008 1:37 PM PST

I'm not sure if anyone has brought this up, but it seemed strange that CC signed with the Yankees. The Yankees had an offer out for quite some time and it looked like CC wasn't interested.

Recently, all of the sings pointed to a California team since he grew up here, and has a house here. He also likes to hit, so I figured he would want to be in the NL. There were news reports that said he wanted to be a Dodger, and his wife said she wanted him to be in California.

The likely answer is the extra money he will get, but the opt out after 3 years seemed a bit odd. However, I don't know if that is a player option or a team option.

A friend of mine said that he thinks the MLBPA put pressure on him to take the highest contract since it would bring up the market value for future free agents. Is it possible this is the reason? Is there any truth to that statement?

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uhm yeah...

its been publicly stated (real or imagined) that the players union was pressuring him to accept the best offer. thats the dual nature of unions, good and bad. one says the waters cold, one says the waters deep

i adopt the ghost of ernest riles

by Headhunter Rollins on Dec 10, 2008 1:42 PM PST reply actions

I do not see what kind of meaningful action the union could take to pressure him.

by Scottsdale on Dec 10, 2008 1:46 PM PST up reply actions

Well there's always extortion...

I’m sure some dues paying member has seen him with a woman who wasn’t his wife..

/sure it’s far fetched but someone had something on him if they bent him like this.

Down in Front Meat!

by homerdrew415 on Dec 10, 2008 1:54 PM PST up reply actions

its a solidarity thing. People could be mean to him or something like that. I’m not saying it isn’t childish, but it happens. They really don’t like it when you cross the union. I recall a few years back, the Brewers had a catcher who had been a strike player and was never allowed to join the union after crossing the line. they wouldn’t even let him in the team picture because of it. I’m not saying it would go that far, but we’re talking about peer pressure.

Bonds stands alone.

Proud adopted parent of future big league slugger Thomas Neal

by nostocksjustbonds on Dec 10, 2008 2:07 PM PST up reply actions

I recall a few years back, the Brewers had a catcher who had been a strike player and was never allowed to join the union after crossing the line.

So did we. Matt Herges.

GROUGTHINK ALERT

by groug on Dec 10, 2008 2:09 PM PST up reply actions

well there you go.

the Brewers catcher I was thinking of was Damian Miller.

Bonds stands alone.

Proud adopted parent of future big league slugger Thomas Neal

by nostocksjustbonds on Dec 10, 2008 2:12 PM PST up reply actions

I guess the rule is that none of the replacement players were allowed the join the union.

Bonds stands alone.

Proud adopted parent of future big league slugger Thomas Neal

by nostocksjustbonds on Dec 10, 2008 2:13 PM PST up reply actions

I remember that because Herges wasn’t in any baseball games. Not that I’d use him anyway…

comics | art | Nattowear | McFAQ I & II

by Natto on Dec 10, 2008 2:31 PM PST up reply actions

Funny story, a couple of Giants veterans actually asked Herges if he wanted to be the team’s player representative to the union. He had to tell them that he wasn’t actually a member of the union, so they should probably ask somebody else.

by FluLikeSymptoms on Dec 10, 2008 3:50 PM PST up reply actions

When I first read this, I thought you said Matt Herpes. I wonder which the Giants would rather have, Herpes or Herges?

by joebirdie3 on Dec 10, 2008 11:05 PM PST up reply actions

Or his first choice was California but 1) The Angels were waiting on Teixeira 2) The Dodgers didn’t really want to commit the years & were bluffing Manny and 3) The Giants never offered a contract.

Don't think, it could only hurt the ballclub.

by ResDog on Dec 10, 2008 1:57 PM PST reply actions

Plus, Sabean called him a "fallback" option

Obviously it wasn’t an insult, just a way of stating that our priority is hitting, but I still wouldn’t want to pitch for a team that calls me that. Especially when the Yankees are willing to fly all the way to SF just to meet with him

by Useful_Idiot on Dec 10, 2008 5:40 PM PST up reply actions

That flight from Vegas to SF really showed him they were serious ...

Or maybe it was the extra $21M and the opt-out clause

LinceCain and pray for rain .... or for someone to take Zito off our hands.

by Lincecain on Dec 10, 2008 9:45 PM PST up reply actions

Maybe C.C. Sabathia is a dirty dog liar. Ever think of that?

by satyricrash on Dec 10, 2008 2:06 PM PST reply actions

we could say it was union pressure that ended the delay… or that it was just the extra year and 20 million.

Idolizing Robb Nen since 2002...

by Smoke on the Water on Dec 10, 2008 2:08 PM PST reply actions

what probably happened

The Yanks made their offer and CC didn’t really want to go to NY and hoped that a West Coast team or another NL team (like the Brewers) would step up and get close to the Yanks’ offer. After speaking with those clubs and finding that no team would be close to the Yanks’ offer, he went with them after squeezing another year and a few more dollars out of them.

Bonds stands alone.

Proud adopted parent of future big league slugger Thomas Neal

by nostocksjustbonds on Dec 10, 2008 2:09 PM PST reply actions

Ding Ding Ding!

We have a winner!

My plans for 2009: getting married and attending Tim Lincecum Bobblehead Day.

by Kitspool on Dec 10, 2008 3:06 PM PST up reply actions

On the Brian Sabean interview yesterday, he sounds pretty clear that he wasn’t going to give Sabathia (or Mark T) the years they wanted. I expect it stands to reason that he wasn’t going to give Sabathia the money he wanted either.

Basically, I think Brian Sabean can probably back up what you’re saying.

"He called the sh** POOP!" -- Adam Sandler

by JRPhillips on Dec 10, 2008 3:49 PM PST up reply actions

I think he just took the money....

the next closest offer seemed to be in the 100 million range, and he got 7 years and 161…making him the richest pitcher ever

Do you Wazzel?

by NeifiChicken on Dec 10, 2008 2:34 PM PST reply actions

richest pitcher ever

there’s been a new one for 3 straight years now

2007: Zito
2008: Santana
2009: Sabathia

by Link on Dec 10, 2008 6:01 PM PST up reply actions

2010: Brian Wilson

by FluLikeSymptoms on Dec 10, 2008 6:51 PM PST up reply actions

2011: Neifi Perez

just because

facepalm.jpg

by Zonis on Dec 10, 2008 8:13 PM PST up reply actions

2012: Lance Neikro

and his 3D psychedelic Knuckler from hell

Charlie Hayes ate my homework

by glenallen hill's waterpipe on Dec 10, 2008 11:11 PM PST up reply actions

So you’re saying that Zito is the third most expensive pitcher ever?

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Dec 11, 2008 12:36 AM PST up reply actions

MLBPA is controlled by the Mafia

You heard it here first.

I'm as tall as Mel - why can't I hit 500 home runs?

by Ott on Dec 10, 2008 9:16 PM PST reply actions

The MLBPA works for Dick Jones! Dick Jones! He’s the number two guy at OCP. OCP runs the cops.

by Sandor Clegane on Dec 11, 2008 9:08 AM PST up reply actions

(whimpering)

you’re a cop…

FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?

by zenbitz on Dec 11, 2008 9:20 AM PST up reply actions