August 19, 2009: The Draft Holdout Forum
Diesel:
Matt Harrington (born February 1, 1982) is a pitcher in baseball and a
former first round pick in Major League Baseball's First-Year Player
Draft. He was considered good enough to be a possible first overall
selection in the 2000 Major League draft, but excessive contract demands
by his then-agent Tommy Tanzer caused him to slip to the seventh
overall, at which point he was drafted by the Colorado Rockies.
Harrington, acting on his agent's advice, rejected the Rockies' offer of
$4.9 million, refused to sign a contract, and waited for the next draft.
Meanwhile the inactivity caused him to lose speed and effectiveness in
his once-prized fastball. The San Diego Padres, the next team to draft
him, were aware of this and offered him barely $1 million, which was
also rejected. Harrington was drafted three more times, each year
slipping further down the draft board and offered substantially less
money than the previous year.
He played on various independent league
baseball teams the whole time, and had a tryout with the Chicago Cubs in
2007 after he finally fell off the draft board, but was quickly
released. He retired later that year and now installs tires in a Price Club
in Texas for $11.50 per hour.
Major League Baseball Draft:
Sandman:
Is he any relation to Joey Harrington?
White Russian:
There are enough of these cautionary tales that every rookie should take whatever generous offer they get from the team that drafted them, say thank you, then proceed to prove that they deserve even close to that already ridiculous amount.
I liked Crabman out of Texas Tech and thought it was great he was going to the Niners, but now he just looks like a greedy bastard idiot. His worst case if he signs for whatever the 49ers are offering is that he is a millionaire even if he flames out. So your ego and big head took a hit because you weren't drafted in the top five - get over it asshole...
Sandman:
These kids are real idiots who get their agents pumping their egos up, while trying to increase the agent commission. All that work that they did trying to get to that point just goes for not when they hold out and it goes pear shaped.
White Russian:
The pick after Crabman is also unsigned - Maybin in Buffalo. Why is it so difficult to get the remaining few signed? It has been established that the salaries fall in line with where they are drafted. Is the problem that these players think they are worth more than the ridiculously high amount that is already on the table? Who gives a crap where you thought you should be drafted - if you were drafted 10th or 11th then that is where your salary falls. Maybin's Penn State teammate from a couple of years ago, Paul Posluszny, says, "Every time he sees us play, he's dying." Really? If that is even close to true then why doesn't Maybin tell his agent to sign the effing contract so he can join the team and not have a wasted season?
The thinking is that Maybin is waiting for Crabman, who is trying to get the same money as Heyward-Bey got because Crabman's ego has taken a hit after he "fell" all the way to the low low pick of number 10. If Crabman gets more than his slot, then Maybin can squeeze the Bills for more.
The current structure already means that players who have never played a single down in the NFL are made instant millionaires the moment they are drafted. And that obscene amount of money is not enough? There is no valid explanation or excuse to justify a holdout, especially in this economy. Their contract offers should irrevocably go down every day they don't sign...
Diesel:
If I was a current player I would be bothered by these hold outs, as the player hasn't earned the right to complain about anything until he's done at least a season. I like your idea that the contracts go down each day past a certain point. Unfortunately, certain owners, Al Davis, would abuse that and lowball rookies from the start and let the contract auto decline. They need to have a standard salary and contract length for each of the 254 picks. Turning down millions of dollars even though the odds are that you will underperform for where you were picked is idiotic. Theses rookies have not yet embraced the team or the city and are only looking to line their pockets. When the contract is signed they will announce how great the city is and how much they are looking forward to playing there. All BS. If they were offered more money to play in another city they would go. Even Favre is playing for 12 million per season. Does he really need that type of money and wouldn't he be better served if he took less and let the team spend that extra loot on some solid free agents?
The money they all get is unreal yet they all sincerely feel the right to complain about being lowballed or being disrespected. In an ideal world players would make enough to live well, owners would use those savings to make attending games affordable and concessions stand costs reasonable, parking would be free, agents wouldn't be needed as players were given salaries like all of us with bonuses for doing well or achieving certain goals, players would stay on the same team for most of their career, players wouldn't whine as much abotu being disrespected, and players would act like adults and not get arrested constantly for stupid offenses.
White Russian:
Amen, brother. I agree with everything you said. I like your selection of Professional Sports as your number 1 most overrated. Every year I am more and more disillusioned with professional sports and the a-holes getting rich off of it. Of course it's not just the players' fault - the owners keep dishing it out and expect the fans, corporate sponsorship, and the team's city to pony up the green. And then the players have the audacity to complain about money, disrespect, etc. Like the housing bubble, I hope the sports bubble bursts soon and these jokers are reminded what it's like to live in the real world.
It wouldn't bother me so much if these players showed true humble, sincere appreciation for what they have been given. To say a player is dying to get out there and join their team is disengenuous at best. If they really truly felt that way then the deal would just get done.