It’s been a busy week for the Diamondbacks, not only because of the draft, but because of the public admission from managing partner Ken Kendrick that he’s disappointed in Stephen Drew and Justin Upton. Here are some notes on the team via Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic…
- GM Kevin Towers said Kendrick has the right to make bold comments, even if they don’t often occur in Arizona. “That happens in New York City about once a month, and in Boston and other places,” Towers said. “It kind of shocks everybody when it happens out here because you don’t see it happen that often.”
- Towers said the Diamondbacks aren’t really looking for ways to add top pitching prospect Trevor Bauer to the big league team. The GM noted that Bauer has done basically everything the team has asked of him in the upper minors.
- Scouting director Ray Montgomery said the Diamondbacks and first round selection Stryker Trahan are “in an area where [the sides] both feel like [they're] going to get something done,” as we heard from Piecoro last night.
Man, how do you get a name like Stryker?
Airplane!
Kendrick’s comments come; then the D-Backs rattle off convincing victories vs the Rockies. Could be coincidence.
I was thinking the same thing. I might name my kid that.
He was named after the Burt Reynolds character B.L. Stryker.
As a Boston fan living 20 min. north of Boston, I can honestly say that ownership NEVER calls out players; they are incredibly calculated in their comments with regard to public opinion etc. In fact the one time a player (Youkilis) was called out, it was by the manager (Valentine) who immediately retracted/corrected his statement.
You’re right…they wait until after the player/manager has left to completely throw them under the bus.
Nobody was questioning his right to say whatever he wants, just the sense of doing so.
For what it’s worth I saw more of the quotes in context and the one about Upton really wasn’t that bad. The one about Drew, though, really never should have been said. I guess the one about Upton probably shouldn’t have been said either if for no other reason than it seemed to bother him, but it was pretty mild.