Oliver Perez

[Don Wassall]

I don't know how familiar others may be with this Mexican pitcher, but the Pittsburgh media has been sickening in its hype of this kid. He is routinely compared to both Steve Carlton and Sandy Koufax, Carlton because he throws lefty and Koufax because he had 239 strikeouts last year.


After three-plus seasons, Perez has a career mark of 26-30 with an ERA of 4.25. Not exactly the stuff of legends, but that is exactly what he was turned into during the most recent offseason. Hehas beenthe main marketing tool used to sell tickets to Pirates games, despite the team having some very good young pitchers and their first-ever NL Rookie of the Year in '04 in Jason Bay. There's also the All-American kid Jack Wilson and the blonde bomber Craig Wilson. But no, all media eyes were focused on Oliver Perez.


Thus far in 2005, Perez has a 6.16 ERA and now is out for six weeks after breaking a toe kicking a laundry cart in the locker room after being pulled from his most recent start. It turns out he has real attitude problems and a bad case of immaturity. The Pirates have been plagued with this kind of hispanic player -- Aramis Ramirez, Raul Mondesi and that guy the Angels kicked off their team last year, can't recall his name right now. All complete and total jerks.

 

[Bart]

Perez has a 6.16 ERA and now is out for six weeks after breaking a toe kicking a laundry cart in the locker room after being pulled from his most recent start. It turns out he has real attitude problems and a bad case of immaturity. .

Hot headed, impulsive,attitude problems, immature and ...Hispanic?Go figure?&nbsp ;

 

[Bear-Arms]

He almost looks white in some pictures but nonetheless hispanic. A 24 year old who can strikeout 200+ players is gonna get some hype regardless of record. Although, when you have Rookie Of The Year in Jason Bay, who will probably be perennial a All-Star you need to spread around the love. The Pirates most likely hired someone to do the marketing for the team. So commercials and marketing would be in their hands. Immaturity at the Major League level doesn't sit well with managers, I'd look for him to be gone.

What I hear from Cub fans, Aramis doesn't hustle enough on ground balls or running the bases. Also, from my observation watching him Sunday I can say the same. He is in the same mold of Sammy Sosa, cares more about stats than his team winning a game.

 

[jaxvid]

First of all marketing people all get degrees in liberal diversity loving colleges so they would naturally pitch the non-whites over the whites. Secondly they may be right. Since white fans don't much like white players perhaps it is better to ignore them. I was talking to a guy about 26 yrs old about the NBA finals, he told me that he hates Manu Ginobili more then any player since Larry Bird! Sheesh, he must have been about 10 when the media taught him to hate Bird. And so it goes.....