Braves done doing business with Furcal's agents

2008-12-19T16:59:37-05:00

2008-12-18T15:29:19-05:00

2008-12-19T16:59:37-05:00

Puma07

Gillette 384180

96 For $30 million, you get a guy who has hit .300 exactly once in 9 seasons (not counting this year's .357 in fewer than forty games)? Please. . . he'll give you .285/9/40 with 30 steals and above-average defense. In short, he's not doing anything more than most of the SSs in the bigs can give with sufficient ABs -- for a lot less. Let him go to LA and return to form; meanwhile, draft and develop your own, and use the money you saved to sign some pitching. 3717090

2008-12-19T12:12:07-05:00

bpcubs23

Las Vegas 638002

95 He did burn the Cubs the same way a few years ago. To do this again to another team shows his lack of class. The Dodgers get what they pay for. Furcal is just another self-centered athlete who has no idea what it's like to work in the real world. Good for the Braves for taking a stand 3713477

2008-12-18T16:54:27-05:00

letsplay2

San Francisco 633250

15 Atlanta didn't even have a countersigned term sheet (let alone a formal contract), hadn't heard anything from Furcal directly and there is no indication that Atlanta was prevented from pursuing any other transaction because of its negotiations with Furcal. I can understand Atlanta's management being disappointed that Furcal took what looks to be the same deal from another organization, but you take your medicine and move on. To put pride and ego ahead of what is best for the organization and its fans is, at best, bad for business and, frankly, rather childish. 3705039

2008-12-19T10:25:39-05:00

nsu2002

El Paso 637911

Atlanta didn't even have a countersigned term sheet (let alone a formal contract), hadn't heard anything from Furcal directly and there is no indication that Atlanta was prevented from pursuing any other transaction because of its negotiations with Furcal. I can understand Atlanta's management being disappointed that Furcal took what looks to be the same deal from another organization, but you take your medicine and move on. To put pride and ego ahead of what is best for the organization and its fans is, at best, bad for business and, frankly, rather childish.

94 You obviously don't understand that in that business, with so much money involved, if you say "Raffy loved it. Were good.", you better back it up and deliver your client to that team. Thats the bottom line. 3711464

2008-12-18T20:41:11-05:00

Fogman

Los Angeles 189962

72 New York Yankees AL 26 1923, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1977, 1978, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 St. Louis Cardinals NL 10 1926, 1931, 1934 '42, 1944, 1946, 1964, 1967, 1982, 2006 Boston Red Sox AL 7 1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918, 2004, 2007 New York Giants NL 5 1905, 1921, 1922, 1933, 1954 Philadelphia Athletics AL 5 1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, 1930 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 5 1909, 1925, 1960, 1971, 1979 Los Angeles Dodgers NL 5 1959, 1963, 1965, 1981, 1988 Cincinnati Reds NL 5 1919, 1940, 1975, 1976, 1990 Detroit Tigers AL 4 1935, 1945, 1968, 1984 Oakland Athletics AL 4 1972, 1973, 1974, 1989 Baltimore Orioles AL 3 1966, 1970, 1983 Chicago White Sox AL 3 1906, 1917, 2005 Chicago Cubs NL 2 1907, 1908 Cleveland Indians AL 2 1920 '48 Florida Marlins NL 2 1997, 2003 Minnesota Twins AL 2 1987, 1991 New York Mets NL 2 1969, 1986 Philadelphia Phillies NL 2 1980, 2008 Toronto Blue Jays AL 2 1992, 1993 Anaheim Angels AL 1 2002 Arizona Diamondbacks NL 1 2001 Atlanta Braves NL 1 1995 Boston Braves NL 1 1914 Brooklyn Dodgers NL 1 1955 Milwaukee Braves NL 1 1957 Kansas City Royals AL 1 1985 Washington Senators AL 1 1924 3707211

2008-12-19T01:14:27-05:00

Ferrnt

San Diego 637515

New York Yankees AL 26 1923, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1943,1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962,1977, 1978, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000St. Louis Cardinals NL 10 1926, 1931, 1934 '42, 1944, 1946, 1964, 1967, 1982, 2006Boston Red Sox AL 7 1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918, 2004, 2007New York Giants NL 5 1905, 1921, 1922, 1933, 1954Philadelphia Athletics AL 5 1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, 1930Pittsburgh Pirates NL 5 1909, 1925, 1960, 1971, 1979Los Angeles Dodgers NL 5 1959, 1963, 1965, 1981, 1988Cincinnati Reds NL 5 1919, 1940, 1975, 1976, 1990Detroit Tigers AL 4 1935, 1945, 1968, 1984Oakland Athletics AL 4 1972, 1973, 1974, 1989Baltimore Orioles AL 3 1966, 1970, 1983Chicago White Sox AL 3 1906, 1917, 2005Chicago Cubs NL 2 1907, 1908Cleveland Indians AL 2 1920 '48Florida Marlins NL 2 1997, 2003Minnesota Twins AL 2 1987, 1991New York Mets NL 2 1969, 1986Philadelphia Phillies NL 2 1980, 2008Toronto Blue Jays AL 2 1992, 1993Anaheim Angels AL 1 2002Arizona Diamondbacks NL 1 2001Atlanta Braves NL 1 1995Boston Braves NL 1 1914Brooklyn Dodgers NL 1 1955Milwaukee Braves NL 1 1957Kansas City Royals AL 1 1985Washington Senators AL 1 1924

93 Nice cut and paste... Apply thought please 3709026

2008-12-18T23:33:42-05:00

Diezler14

Cranbury 610897

91 no one likes the braves anyway so its no wonder he would rather play for LA 3708392

2008-12-19T01:09:50-05:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/192/003/thumb/16.jpg 4 OH

mitchharris1947

Elyria 192303

no one likes the braves anyway so its no wonder he would rather play for LA

92 Really? I guess all those people going to their games and supporting them are 'no ones'. I've lived in LA and Atlanta both. If I had to choose between the two, Atlanta would win hands down. Not only are the sports teams class orginazitions, but so are the citizens there. In LA all the people know how to do is treat you like non enities. The only reason that California hasn't fallen into the sea yet is because of all the bloated egos that keep it afloat. If you enjoy smog so thick that you can't see more than a mile on a clear day, of being cut off on the freeway and then having the person that cut you off cuss you out, then surely live in LA and support the Dodgers. But in reality most of the fans at Dodger games only go there to sleep in the stands and work on their tans. If you want respect, and be treated like a human being, then live in Atlanta. The Atlanta fans stay awake long enough to cheer their teams and actually know the names of most of the players. 3708967

2008-12-18T23:33:42-05:00

Diezler14

Cranbury 610897

91 no one likes the braves anyway so its no wonder he would rather play for LA 3708392

2008-12-18T23:20:33-05:00

rizzo74

Highland 630503

90 So him being rich means that he is somehow going to abandon his culture. Maybe all his money will suddenly make him lose the desire to socialize with other Latin people. People with money still go to church, eat at restaurants, go to nightclubs and attend cherity events etc, etc. Most of these guys grew up very poor, and they remember where they came from. 3708240

2008-12-18T23:18:47-05:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/622/961/thumb/images554.jpg 82 AL

runningman53

Alabaster 623601

89 everybody is using wren for a punching bag man when u gonna fight back. 3708237

2008-12-18T22:52:48-05:00

Fzec

No City 89603

88 I totally don't believe in building through free agency. Sure, Furcal is good when he's on the field and they could have maneuvered Escobar, Furcal and Johnson around and plugged some holes, but that's not building for the long run. Look at Phils (Howard, Utley and Rollins - homegrown) and Mets (Wright and Reyes - homecooking) with their best players relatively young and all coming from their respective farms; I am not even going to mention freaking Florida which probably has the best young core in the East. You need to suck for a few years, build your core and then start plugging in via trades (primarily) and free agency (secondarily). And yo, please, the Dodgers have been mediocre for essentially 20 years. You think one playoff series will change that? 3708151

2008-12-18T22:18:11-05:00

23goat

Los Angeles 637610

87 What relevance do the teams' historic struggles and successes in the postseason have? The Braves were awful last year, and the East has only gotten better with Ibanez to the Phils, K-Rod and Putz to the Mets. Furcal obviously has a better chance of making the playoffs (and therefore more money from his playoff share) with the Dodgers in the weak NL West. Why wouldn't he take that better chance if he could? Any of us would do the same thing. Full discosure: I am a Dodger fan, but I'll be excited about this deal when Furcal plays more than 40 games in a season without getting hurt. Also, all that talk about which city is better for a latin player is ridiculous. He's a multimillionaire, it's not like he lives in the same neighborhoods as the average hispanic population in these cities anyway. 3707820

<div class="photo_container image_right" style="width: 300px;"> <div class="photo"><img src="http://img.fannation.com/upload/si_blog_post_images/rafael-furcal-ap.jpg" alt="Rafael-furcal-ap" width="300" height="400" /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align:right;">The Braves thought they had a deal with Rafael Furcal. AP</div> </div> Braves general manager Frank Wren said Thursday the Braves have notified the baseball agency that represents Rafael Furcal that they intend never to do business with them again. The Braves thought they had a deal earlier this week to bring the star shortstop back to Atlanta, where he began his career, before Furcal decided to stay with the Dodgers for virtually the same terms. Wren said that Braves president John Schuerholz called Arn Tellem, who heads the baseball division of the Wasserman Media Group, to inform Tellem that the Braves will no longer enter into negotiations with them regarding baseball clients. "We don't have any intention of doing business with them, and they've been notified of that,'' Wren told SI.com this afternoon. Reminded that Tellem's group of agents -- which includes well-established veterans such as Tom Reich, Adam Katz and Paul Kinzer -- is one of the biggest in baseball and represents many star players (including Francisco Rodriguez, Carlos Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Giambi and many more players), Wren responded, "When you can't trust who you're doing business with, you can't do business with them. It's plain and simple.'' Tellem reponded to the Braves' claims <a href="/si_blogs/hot_stove/posts/33941">in a lengthy e-mail</a>, saying: "There was never an agreement reached between Rafael Furcal and the Atlanta Braves. In fact, the Braves were fully aware that Furcal was not prepared to make a decision but had requested an opportunity to sleep on it, before deciding." The Furcal negotiations were anything but simple, and ended with Furcal returning to the Dodgers for basically the same three-year, $30 million deal the Braves believe he'd agreed to with them. As Wren tells it, he and Kinzer, Furcal's main rep, negotiated the terms over several calls Monday night, and after Kinzer told Wren that if he raised the base a little, they'd be able to make a deal, Wren did just that. Kinzer then told him "I think we're good,'' but still explained he had to take it to Furcal. Sometime later, there was a message on Wren's voicemail with Kinzer saying, "We're good. Raffy's excited. Send me the term sheet.'' Wren sent the sheet. But Furcal never signed it, and according to Wren, Kinzer started "backpedaling.'' Pretty soon, Furcal's agency was talking to the Dodgers and within a day agreed to virtually the same deal with L.A.: $30 million over three years with a vesting option for a fourth year based on Furcal's health. In L.A.'s deal, Furcal needs 600 at-bats in 2011 for the fourth year to vest; Atlanta's deal was slightly better for Furcal, stipulating that he needed only 130 games to have it vest. It's a little bit of a mystery why Furcal would rather go to L.A. after he was said to be excited to return to his roots in Atlanta. But Wren can't believe it's because they told Furcal they were envisioning him at second base instead of shortstop. Wren said they told Furcal that three weeks earlier, and that Furcal raised no objection and in fact seemed enthused about the prospect. So where does this leave Wren and the Braves? They are looking for a pitcher and an outfielder after making an exception with Furcal, a player they loved. And as he concedes, they're out of luck on this deal. But they won't let this happen again. "There's nothing enforceable,'' Wren said. "We just took his word. That doesn't count for much.'' 33741 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/100/64/thumb/Heyman_Jon.png 0 NY

Jon Heyman

New York 10084