Vicente Padilla exists in a small sliver of the pitching population of baseball: the sustained mediocre. He’s never good enough to, well, be considered good. He’s never bad enough to be moved to the bullpen or demoted. He’s just there.
(He fights like he pitches: Poorly and with that stupid look on his face.)
Well, he was there, anyway. Texas, apparently tired of paying $12 million a year for a steaming plate of below average, designated the pitcher for assignment today. And they seem to be really, really happy about it.
Per the STAR-TELEGRAM:
Padilla was designated for assignment before the opening game of a critical series against first-place Los Angeles, a move that was deemed necessary after his last start.
Aw. His teammates have to be upset, right?
He was portrayed as a bad teammate by general manager Jon Daniels, who announced the move about three hours before first pitch, and the players who shared the same clubhouse with Padilla fully endorsed the decision.
“About time,” said outfielder Marlon Byrd, who also played with Padilla in Philadelphia. “It’s absolutely a positive for this team. We have to get rid of the negatives to make a positive, and I believe this is a huge positive for this team.”
Oh, ouch. Although, really, there’s not many other people in the league who probably gave their teammates the swine’s flu. That couldn’t have helped.
But Marlon Byrd? Who’s Marlon Byrd? Don’t the Rangers need some better ammo than some random utility player in the clubhouse?
Rangers brass didn’t want that type of influence around young players anymore. Some were fearful that top prospect Neftali Feliz might be negatively affected with Padilla in the clubhouse.
“You have to be a good teammate,” Byrd said. “You have to help teach younger guys the right things. He wasn’t a positive influence on the young guys. You started questioning his character and about how much he cared.”
Okay, we get it. Padilla wasn’t popular and he might have given rookies bad advice on things like “hustling” and “caring” and “washing your hands after taking a dook.” There’s no need to rub–
As word spread throughout the clubhouse, Rangers players showed Daniels their approval. Handshakes were exchanged, and Ian Kinsler went so far as to say, “Congrats.”
That’s cold-hearted. Though in the players’ defense, when a real butthole of a person gets their comeuppance in swift, decisive fashion, there’s little more satisfying than that.
So the Rangers have 10 days to trade or release the pitcher, who’s 8-6 with a 4.92 ERA. Would anyone want him? 8-6 and 4.92 isn’t terrible. It’s just… there.
7:20 pm on August 19th, 2009
That is why , texas rangers will never make it to the play off games….you release Padilla and now you hire ivan rodriguez……What the hell is in daniels head?…….You should trade Daniels…not Padilla.
4:32 pm on October 5th, 2009
Texas Rangers may have been tearing out their hairs after watching Padilla make wins on the dodgers team with 4 wins with quality starts on 6 games (2 bad starts but Dodgers won in his game so he is a positive). Now with Padilla on the playoffs with the team that welcomed him and gave him a chance on the team and now with a chance to be starter in the playoffs the Rangers must be hurt in their heart because they are paying a pitcher that contributed with the Dogerds to win their league division since the rockies were just 1 game close and if they wouldnt acquire padilla they have been fighting for the wild card.
And rangers suffering for good pitchers that contributed to their loss. Congratulations Vicent Padilla, you have demonstrated us that people is that is mediocre and that some news are mediocre, talking about people is finished, and trying to finish you, but when you demonstarte yourself what you can do this cant stop you. Good Luck Padilla, I loved Rangers but now I am a Dodgers fan cause o you, Go Dodgers!, also hate this guy that wrote about this article and called Padilla a Stupid you just dont do that, hope you write something positive now on Padilla.
4:34 pm on October 16th, 2009
To the comment below me, they got rid of him because he’s a skum bag. He’s negative. You don’t need that shit in the dugout when your trying to win games on the highest level in the Majors. He starts fights, acts erratic and immature. And he’s got some good stuff but he’s not that great to keep.
4:35 pm on October 16th, 2009
( I mean to the comment at the very top)Mike Rebhorn. You don’t know much about baseball do ya kid? You seem like a mental midget.