Getting Paid
The Cy Young Awards were won by Clayton Kershaw and Corey Kluber– both were worthy winners. And really, can you remember a CY winner who wasn’t worthy?
CY bonus awards are what I always find interesting. If I was a GM, I would build huge bonuses for MVP and CY awards into every contract I write. Why wouldn’t you? Give the players something to shoot for. It would also fix salary inequities. As it stands, the bonuses are largely underwhelming. Take Kluber for example. He made $514,000 last year. He scored a 10K bonus for winning the CY. That’s about 2% of what he made in 2014.
ClayKersh made 4 million last season and got one of the biggest bonuses I’ve ever seen for winning the CY— 1 million. Not bad. By the way, next year CK starts making 30 mil a year…….
And here’s the biggest bonus I would offer: World Series MVP. Make that 20 mil for every player on my roster. What GM wouldn’t gladly pay that out? And yet I never see WS MVP bonuses written into contracts. Isn’t being the WS MVP the most esteemed award any baseball player could win in a single season?
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Your QB out there also has the initials “CK”.
Believe in omens?
You mean a truck with technology and stuff isn’t good enough?
Funny Sarge.
Marlins about to give Stanton 12 years/$320 million.
That’s 2 Pandas.
I must have watched that clip about 50 times. I actually had a similar embarrassing experience not long ago so I could somewhat sympathize with that poor bastard. I still think Selig’s reaction was priceless.
Dodger fans get poignant talking about Kershaw’s season:
These awards just show how amazing he truly is. It is what made this season so special and the postseason hurt so much….but the postseason would not have hurt without the beauty before.
by Kevin Lewis on Nov 14, 2014 | 7:42 AM
If there is a player worth paying $30 million, it’s Kershaw Just needs another shot at playoff redemption.
by BFDC on Nov 14, 2014 | 8:22 AM
Kershaw deserves better than what ocurred during the NLDS. That was just a completely awful series.
by BPC1120 on Nov 14, 2014 | 8:25 AM
that STL series was just an absolute nightmare
where’s that office from “eternal sunshine of the spotless mind” again?
by kinbote on Nov 14, 2014 | 8:36 AM
I am sure that Kershaw would gladly trade all of his prior awards for one world series championship. The dude is a monster in the regular season, but I do not believe any one player is worth 30 mil per. Would you be down the the Giants paying him 30 mil if he could suddenly change teams?
And Dodger fan angst, comparing Kershaw to Bum:
■ Badger says:
November 14, 2014 at 9:14 am
And somewhere Madison Bumgarner is smiling, looking at his rings and contemplating HIS multiple MVP awards, comfortable in knowing he would take what he has over what Kershaw got. Every. Single. Year.
Log in to Reply ■ Bobby says:
November 14, 2014 at 10:14 am
So would I
Log in to Reply ■ artieboy says:
November 14, 2014 at 10:28 am
I just find it fascinating that a 94 win team is just a mediocre team four out every five days. And I think it’s telling. I don’t denigrate 94 wins, but if behind it is a massive payroll of one MVP supported by mediocrity maybe that isn’t the recipe for “success” if “success” is defined as reaching the WS. Is it possible that the current champs were better than their record indicated while out team was worse than the record indicated? Not sure about the former but I’ll agree about the latter.
Log in to Reply ■ Badger says:
November 14, 2014 at 10:42 am
The whole “World Series or Bust” thing is exacerbated by the fact the freakin’ midgets won the damn thing. If the Royals had whooped their ass it wouldn’t still be stuck in our throats. We had a good year. We won the division, got some Gold Gloves, won the Cy and the MVP……. but……… there is that 7th inning of Game 1…. followed by another 7th inning…….. 2 innings defined our year. It’s a shame really. We have a very good team here. Things are looking up. But, when looking up, we all keep seeing a Mad Bum.
artieboy should agree with the former because the Giants are world champs.
I’ve got a good buddy who is a dodgers fan that I’ll see around the holidays. I have a Western Division Champions shirt picked out as a Christmas gift. I hope he likes it.
Hah! Yer one cruel dude when you want to be!!! That made me laugh . . .
You should wrap the thing in World Series Champs paper. If there is such a thing.
Classic, Dirt. Love it…and I like Charlie’s idea of the gift wrap, too.
I have always felt that contracts should have more incentives tied to them instead of a huge base salary. But, if the player is in a position of strength when negotiating, obviously they are going to tell the GM to take his incentives and go bone himself.
Things to do while we wait for Spring
*You remember that stuff that you step on in the back yard? Scoop it …
*Sleep until P&Cs report
* Buy new furniture, the wife moved out while you were sleeping
*Buy a TV, IPad, laptop, tablet, refrigerator , and clothes to wear. She took those too.
* Was it a dream or is the 2015 infield to be Rich Murray, Rennie Stennett, Brian Bocock, and Edgardo Alfonzo?
* It wasn’t a dream- the new GM is Terry Donahue
*Get over losing Pablo, he has – he’s got 120 million dollars and an extra 100 pounds.
* Let the cats move in
*Wear your WS gear till P&C’s report
I thought the MLB vs. Japan exhibition series might be quasi-interesting, but it’s been heavier on the quasi than the interesting, IMO.
I’m just grateful for what Pablo has done and not worried about what he will do. No one lasts forever.
Except The Rolling Stones and Keith Richards.
Snarkk couple threads ago posted about Giants aim should be an OF that can hit .275, 12-15 HRs, run and defend well. As he mentioned Giants used to produce these guys routinely in the farm system, from Jose Cardenal through Matthews and Maddox, too many OFs/too few openings.
Most of these guys were either black or latin, but there was also Ken Henderson. His numbers from 70-72:
50 HRs 50 SBs
OPS .854 .798 .755
Compare that to Gardner of Yanks last year: .256 BA 17 HRs 21 SBs. .750 OPS. The OPS featured a slugging pct over .400, no doubt aided greatly by short RF in Yankee stadium. Plus he got benefit of playing games in AL East hitter friendly yards like Fenway Camden and Toronto.
Henderson of course put up his playing half season at the Stick.
Gardner salary: 4 yrs $52 mil. Yeow!
Of course Andre Ethier makes $17 mil per.
Dave Stewart’s first big move is to trade for Jeremy Hellickson? Jesus.
Cal basketball from Haas on right now, taking on the Braves of Alcorn State…home of a couple of my fav players, Steve Air McNair and Mr. Mean Larry Smith.
Used to be really cool to see all the hardhats up on top of Coliseum at Dubs games.
Loooved Larry Smith.
I commend LaRussa for giving Stewart a shot. I think that sort of loyalty is important and respect it but nothing about LaRussa being a good manager who was wound tighter than a gnats arse tells me he’ll be good In the FO. Having never run a team he’s not making the best choice by going with an inexperienced GM. The new regime will implode just like the last one in AZ.
I agree with most of your post but why “commend LaRussa for giving Stewart a shot?” GM isn’t something you fuck around with in terms of *loyalty*.
Post baseball Stewart has held a variety of positions from pitching coach to assistant GM to agent so it’s not as if he’s walking into it blind. I believe he has interviewed for some GM openings but not been selected for whatever the reason may be. Sometimes you just need that break or someone willing to give you the shot to breakthrough. If I was LaRussa I probably wouldn’t do it in my first executive gig so I commend him for having some loyalty to the guy and giving him the nod. I think those kinds of relationships are important in life.
Anyone wonder if LA gets further with Boch vs 2 steps? No way he lets kershaw, mad bum or anyone else give up 6 straights hits in the 7th inning of a playoff game. LA wins that game and who knows. Reminds me how lucky we are:)
Hey flav, watched Stanford men last night, nice core of Randle A Brown and much improved post. Good ball movement, not a lot of depth. Played lot better comp than Cal, which will play another chump team and then get Syracuse who will likely blow them out. Better comp you would learn more about your team as opposed to just trying to build confidence, but everyone plays it different. Cal picked 7th in conference
Monty did Cal game…he’s a coaching clinic, so knowledgeable, but will have to learn to tone it down. Casey Jacobsen did Stanford game, not bad at it. See if anyone emerges to challenge U of A, unlikely.
Month from now HS ball will begin–bunch of kids I coached earlier will be playing locally, will be fun to sit and watch them.
Everything on line for Shaw today…others in conference have sights set on top bowls. Lose today he’ll get a suck one even if he spanks Cal.
yeah, today is a huge game for them. I’m not confident but I could see them winning
I’ve heard rumor radio talk about Shaw becoming Niners coach if Harbs leaves. Got to be kidding me. Shaw’s offensive scheme would make the Niner’s current one look like a Ferrari. Please, I hope that rumor is absolutely FOS…
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