In September of 2005, on the behalf of President Bush, we asked the American people to contribute to the Bush-Clinton Katrina Relief Fund. Over $130 million has been raised to help those in the Gulf Coast region, and we are eternally grateful for your generosity. But now we are asking for your help once again, this time to address a problem that not only affects Americans, but the world at large.
Every year, as the snow gives way to green grass and singing birds, men gather all across this great country, and all across the world, to play the game of baseball. This game has played a vital role in the development and growth of America. It has united us in times of great sorrow. It has served as a welcome distraction during our most trying conflicts. It embodies everything that is good about the American spirit. And it has served as our unofficial ambassador to the rest of the world, spreading our grand pasttime to all corners of the globe. But though baseball is vital and strong, it is also troubled, and the news that came out of the Seattle Mariners’ camp yesterday has forced us to act.
Thirty-six-year-old infielder Rey Ordonez, a player whose defensive reputation is exceeded only by his offensive ineptitude and inflated sense of self-worth, threatens to break camp as a member of the Mariners’ Opening Day roster. While Ordonez is nominally the utility infielder, it would only take one injury, or one innopportune slump from one of his teammates, for Ordonez to once again acquire a full-time position. And even if he remains a part-time player, Ordonez could still inflict serious damage.
One glance at the back of his baseball card speaks volumes about the harm Ordonez could cause. In over 3000 career at-bats, he has hit only 12 homeruns, and has a slugging percentage of .310. His career batting average is a paltry .249, and his career on-base average is only 40 points higher, and that is due mostly to his time spent in the National League batting in front of pitchers. Yet, because of his experience, his apparent zeal for the game, and perhaps his rapport with the manager, players like Ordonez are given endless opportunities to ruin a team’s chances for success.
Sadly, Ordonez’ story is one that’s told much too often throughout the sport. Every year, baseball teams make ill-advised decisions involving players like Ordonez – light-hitting infielders, slap-hitting outfielders, ineffective relievers, lackluster starters, catchers named Molina.
Who can forget the Chicago Cubs’ ill-fated dalliance with Neifi Perez, or Jason Tyner‘s tenure as the Minnesota Twins DH during last year’s playoffs, or the unending reign of terror orchestrated by Quinton McCracken? Players of this ilk, when given playing time, can only do harm. They not only hinder their team’s immediate fortunes, but their continued existance on Major League rosters can also hinder the development of younger, better players. In addition, the widespread proliferation of such players can only ruin the sport in the eyes of fans all across the world.
Obviously, the responsibility to keep these sort of vagabonds and parasites away from baseball should be in the hands of the owners and general managers. But as history shows, they’ve repeatedly proven themselves unable to resist the temptation that these sorts of players present. That is why it is up to us, fans of baseball, to prevent the temptation from presenting itself.
It is up to us to educate both the players and the teams. It is up to us to help these players transition from baseball player to baseball coach or baseball scout, or hopefully a career outside of baseball. While we certainly do not want to deny these types of players the right to earn a living playing baseball, we also do not want to see these players play for our favorite teams, or even our most hated rivals.
That is why we have created The Rey of Hope Foundation, named in honor of the horrible player that spurred us into action. With your help, The Rey of Hope Foundation will provide these no-talent clowns the opportunity to clown around elsewhere. Your donations will go towards setting up scholarships to allow these players the chance to pursue a second career. Former Philadelphia Phillies fan favorite Lenny Dykstra and reliever Matt White are generously donating their time, both as members of our board of directors and as examples of how to succeed both inside and outside of baseball.
But The Rey of Hope Foundation’s assistance doesn’t stop with the players. It will also assist the teams that, for one reason or another, continually employ these crippling wastes of roster space. The Foundation hopes to set up programs that will educate repeat offenders (such as Mariners GM Bill Bavasi, or the Kenny Williams that thinks a one-two punch of Scott Podsednik and Darin Erstad will actually be productive) on the errors of their ways.
With the help of people from Stats Inc., Baseball America, and Baseball Prospectus, we hope to show these men how to properly analyze a player’s statistics, and how to best utilize tools such as spreadsheets, calculators, and checkbooks. We will also establish programs to better educate the owners, so that such repeat offenders are kept far away from the front office. As with most ills of the world, education is paramount in solving the problem, and education is what drives The Rey of Hope Foundation.
The Rey of Hope Foundation seeks to treat both the sickness and the cause of the sickness, but we can only do so with your help. If only one more team refuses to sign Carl Everett, if just one GM conveniently misplaces Jose Lima’s cell phone number, our efforts will have been worth the trouble. For more information, please contact us. We will do our best to provide you readers with updates of our efforts. And, of course, your generosity is greatly appreciated. See you at the ballpark!
