Born to Play (or the Origins of Eugenio Velez)
The way Joan Ryan's latest post reads, Eugenio Velez was drafted by the Giants when he was 17 (which would have been in the late 90s). As I've always understood it, and as Baseball-reference concurs, Velez was drafted in 2001 by the Blue Jays and we picked him up in 2005. So...uh...what gives?
8 months ago
FPTV
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I think it says that the Giants tried to sign him but his mother said no.
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.
by jponry on Mar 4, 2009 7:35 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Oh wait, it says she signed.
Uh…. I have no clue.
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.
by jponry on Mar 4, 2009 7:35 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Would you like to buy one?
My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.
by howtheyscored on Mar 4, 2009 10:03 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Oh… nevermind… I only have vowels on hand. All out of clues.
My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.
by howtheyscored on Mar 4, 2009 10:04 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
In the very likeness of Tim Curry, I hope.
My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.
by howtheyscored on Mar 4, 2009 11:10 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Nothing Joan Ryan writes make sense.
Fred Lewis can stand under my umbrella.
31 May 2007, 21:38 EST - the last time Matteh's career W-L wasn't below.500
We are at war with Los Angeles. We have always been at war with Los Angeles.
by S.F. Giangst on Mar 4, 2009 7:38 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
From what I understand about Velez is he was an undrafted FA signed by the Blue Jays and the Giants picked him up in the Rule 5 draft in 2006. Unless Ms. Ryan spoke to Velez directly and got the news that debunks every other source out there, I’m calling bullshit.
I’m sorry guys. I don’t like Joan Ryan. I never have. She’s simply not good at writing about sports.
"While conservatives tell you 'leave things alone and no one will lose,' and liberals tell you 'interfere a lot and no one will lose,' baseball says 'someone will lose.' Not only says it - but insists upon it! ... Democracy is lovely, but baseball's more mature." BVCE supports SF Dugout and Manny Burriss.
by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Mar 4, 2009 7:49 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Also the other sources such as B-R, The Baseball Cube, etc. list his birth name as Vancomper, part of the origin of one of his nicknames of VC. Ms. Ryan says his name is Vancamper, which is decidedly not Hispanic at all.
"While conservatives tell you 'leave things alone and no one will lose,' and liberals tell you 'interfere a lot and no one will lose,' baseball says 'someone will lose.' Not only says it - but insists upon it! ... Democracy is lovely, but baseball's more mature." BVCE supports SF Dugout and Manny Burriss.
by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Mar 4, 2009 7:51 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Camper Van Ironglove!
Fairley odd parent to Wendell
by WTF on Mar 4, 2009 9:02 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Plenty of Dutch, French, Belgian or German surnames in Latin America.
Fred Lewis can stand under my umbrella.
31 May 2007, 21:38 EST - the last time Matteh's career W-L wasn't below.500
We are at war with Los Angeles. We have always been at war with Los Angeles.
by S.F. Giangst on Mar 4, 2009 9:52 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
True
But Vancamper isn’t his name. Vancomper is.
"While conservatives tell you 'leave things alone and no one will lose,' and liberals tell you 'interfere a lot and no one will lose,' baseball says 'someone will lose.' Not only says it - but insists upon it! ... Democracy is lovely, but baseball's more mature." BVCE supports SF Dugout and Manny Burriss.
by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Mar 4, 2009 9:57 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
She should have fact-checked the spelling. But if she transcribed it from an interview… making a mistake on a vowel wouldn’t be that strange.
Fred Lewis can stand under my umbrella.
31 May 2007, 21:38 EST - the last time Matteh's career W-L wasn't below.500
We are at war with Los Angeles. We have always been at war with Los Angeles.
by S.F. Giangst on Mar 4, 2009 9:59 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Internet journalism sees a lot more mistakes… It’s alarming how many stories have a clear indication, through use of the wrong word, that the story was only spell-checked and not proof-read.
Fred Lewis can stand under my umbrella.
31 May 2007, 21:38 EST - the last time Matteh's career W-L wasn't below.500
We are at war with Los Angeles. We have always been at war with Los Angeles.
by S.F. Giangst on Mar 4, 2009 10:03 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Ya
Fact-checking yourself is even more important as internet journalism gets bigger. A lot of these outlets don’t have fact checkers in their employ. I usually double check my stuff before I send it along.
"While conservatives tell you 'leave things alone and no one will lose,' and liberals tell you 'interfere a lot and no one will lose,' baseball says 'someone will lose.' Not only says it - but insists upon it! ... Democracy is lovely, but baseball's more mature." BVCE supports SF Dugout and Manny Burriss.
by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Mar 4, 2009 10:04 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I think the bigger error
is the part where she made the whole thing up. It makes me care less about his name being spelled wrong when I realize she doesn’t actually know who he signed with to start his career.
by boonitez on Mar 4, 2009 10:09 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
You are right. I’m so angry about the whole thing I’m just in a fog of rage. Damn, man. Doesn’t she know what it’s like to be held to a higher standard in this business just because she was born with two X chromosomes? She was in this way before I was even born. She should just know better to not add fuel to the fire by making shit up. Thanks, Joan. Every time some asshat tells me I don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s partially your fault for actually not knowing what you’re talking about.
"While conservatives tell you 'leave things alone and no one will lose,' and liberals tell you 'interfere a lot and no one will lose,' baseball says 'someone will lose.' Not only says it - but insists upon it! ... Democracy is lovely, but baseball's more mature." BVCE supports SF Dugout and Manny Burriss.
by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Mar 4, 2009 10:15 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
FireJoanRyan.com ?
Fred Lewis can stand under my umbrella.
31 May 2007, 21:38 EST - the last time Matteh's career W-L wasn't below.500
We are at war with Los Angeles. We have always been at war with Los Angeles.
by S.F. Giangst on Mar 4, 2009 10:25 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
It’s the next logical step.
"While conservatives tell you 'leave things alone and no one will lose,' and liberals tell you 'interfere a lot and no one will lose,' baseball says 'someone will lose.' Not only says it - but insists upon it! ... Democracy is lovely, but baseball's more mature." BVCE supports SF Dugout and Manny Burriss.
by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Mar 4, 2009 10:31 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
She Is Just repeating What Velez's Mom Said
Should she have checked to see if Velez’s Mom might have remembered incorrectly? Perhaps she should have, but just why should she have suspected that his Mom did’t remember correctly?
Those of you attacking Joan for this are either being rediculous, silly, or pehaps just jelous. I liked the article (inspite of this error) because it gave me insight into who Velez’s really is and what makes him tick. What is not to like about that?
by giantsrainman on Mar 5, 2009 6:51 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I think the story is very sweet and touching about how his mom encourages him and how close they are. The facts therein are sketchy, however.
"While conservatives tell you 'leave things alone and no one will lose,' and liberals tell you 'interfere a lot and no one will lose,' baseball says 'someone will lose.' Not only says it - but insists upon it! ... Democracy is lovely, but baseball's more mature." BVCE supports SF Dugout and Manny Burriss.
by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Mar 5, 2009 7:47 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I’m pretty sure she just made this up
Baseball is a lot like life. The line drives are caught, the squibbles go for base hits. It's an unfair game. -Rod Kanehl
by j14 on Mar 4, 2009 8:01 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
ego
I basically wrote the book on Velez so yeah I take issue with her story here.
"While conservatives tell you 'leave things alone and no one will lose,' and liberals tell you 'interfere a lot and no one will lose,' baseball says 'someone will lose.' Not only says it - but insists upon it! ... Democracy is lovely, but baseball's more mature." BVCE supports SF Dugout and Manny Burriss.
by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Mar 4, 2009 8:07 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
additionally,
I would like to add that if he was drafted at 17 and is still not an everyday major leaguer almost 10 years on, then maybe he isn’t quite “born to play”.
by FPTV on Mar 4, 2009 8:13 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
he was born to play
just not necessarily at the major league level.
Proud adopted parent of future big league slugger Thomas Neal
by nostocksjustbonds on Mar 4, 2009 9:25 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
good point. i was assuming she meant “Born to Play (at the major league level)”
by FPTV on Mar 4, 2009 10:34 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
except, per the baseball cube, he was signed at age 19, in which case, his mother didn’t need to sign for him because he wasn’t a minor…unless, they were all pretending he was 17…
Proud adopted parent of future big league slugger Thomas Neal
by nostocksjustbonds on Mar 4, 2009 9:31 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Re: the draft, I don’t think teams can draft players out of DR. PR, sure, because it’s a US territory. Or teams can draft DR residents as long as they’re playing for US schools, I think. Canadian players are also eligible with the draft.
Okay now I’m actually mad. MLB.com has money to pay Joan Ryan to write blatantly incorrect things yet they don’t have money to hire associate reporters for 2009? I got passed over for a job I know I can do well in favor of paying for this?
Fuck the world man. And pass the vodka.
"While conservatives tell you 'leave things alone and no one will lose,' and liberals tell you 'interfere a lot and no one will lose,' baseball says 'someone will lose.' Not only says it - but insists upon it! ... Democracy is lovely, but baseball's more mature." BVCE supports SF Dugout and Manny Burriss.
by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Mar 4, 2009 9:55 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I think
I think I used “I think” too many times in this comment, I think.
"While conservatives tell you 'leave things alone and no one will lose,' and liberals tell you 'interfere a lot and no one will lose,' baseball says 'someone will lose.' Not only says it - but insists upon it! ... Democracy is lovely, but baseball's more mature." BVCE supports SF Dugout and Manny Burriss.
by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Mar 4, 2009 9:56 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I think it's all relative
If somebody can make a living out of baseball for at least ten years, I think they were born to play.
Playoffs!!??
by PAWarrior on Mar 4, 2009 10:17 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
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