Will the real Jon Garland please stand up?

[WhiteSoxFan84]

During the Jerry Manuel Era, I didn't like Jon Garland. I saw a young kid who was emotionless. To me, it seemed like he just didn't care. If he pitched a great game, he would have the same expression on his face as he would after a horrible outting. We all know Manuel had no faith in the kid and was pulling him out early almost everytime. We heard the chatter that Garland was not happy and had every right to be unhappy.

Two seasons ago, with Ozzie Guillen as his manager for the first time, Garland posted his worst ERA (4.89) since his rookie year (6.46). I was ready to give up on the kid. He just didn't seem to have the desire it takes to become a top flight pitcher. And I don't want people to think that emotion equals success, but showing SOME emotion does at least let the fans know that this guy cares. I wanted this guy off my team.

Last season, Garland goes 18-10 with the low ERA (3.50) and everyone is talking about how the kid has matured into the man that everyone thought he would be. Of course I enjoyed it and how can you not enjoy a great season like the one we had? So I started building up some love for Jon Garland and I even made up a nickname for him, The SoCal Cool. What's weird is, I gave him that nickname for the same reason I disliked him - his "lack" of emotion on the field. When you're losing, no signs of any emotions means you don't care. When you're winning, no signs of emotions means you're just cool. It's odd, but that's truly how it works in a lot of people's minds.

So my new found love for the SoCal Cool was a great one. I started enjoying every game he pitched and bragging to my friends and family about how he was so damn good and yet he was still very young. I also threw in the fact that we picked him up from the Cubs for some reliever who's name I forgot, I believe it was Art Kuschner. I even went out and bought this kid's autographed rookie card. My love for the Gar-man (another nickname, lol) was extreme. As it was for the rest of the team. But then, the offseason comes...

And now, I don't like Jon Garland. At all. He has gone back to making me think that he doesn't care about anything. Who cares if we won the World Series? Who cares that the team put up with his sub-par numbers for five years until he finally came through last season? And the chemistry he has built with his fellow teammates, who cares about that? I'll tell you someone who does care: Paul Konerko. He cared and he signed for less money to stay with the team that gave him every chance he needed. Now don't get me wrong here, I understand where the kid is going by trying to get his money. He's young, he's in the prime of his career, and heck, we don't know the whole story. But, from what I'm reading here and on other websites or newspapers, he's not going to sign an extension with us or anyone else unless he gets a ridicilous offer ($10-12 mill per). This hurts us in two ways; 1) the obvious, being that he most likely will leave the Sox, 2) teams looking to trade for him won't give up as much because they know he will probably be a one year rental, thus lowering his value.

I just scrolled up and saw how long this looks, so I'll end it with this; he should look around the pitching staff and ask himself; am I better than Mark Buehrle? Am I better than Freddy Garcia? Am I better than Jose Contreras? The answer to all 3 questions is NO. Yet Buehrle and Garcia recently signed multi-year deals paying them each $9 mill per. Contreras is making $8 mill per and probably will get an extension paying him $9-$9.5 per. Looking outside the team, arguably the best pitcher in baseball, Johan Santana is making $10 mill per. Garland should ask himself, "Am I better off taking a chance of having a bad season and/or getting injured AND going into a deeper market next offseason and not get paid what I think I'm going to get" -OR- "Should I just stay where I've been practically my whole career, where I won a World Series ring(!!!), and where I'm being offered a very reasonable amount".

Hopefully Garland comes to his senses before it's too late. If not, good riddance. You did what you had to do here and if you think you're time has come, so-be-it. You used us to raise your value and you were practically a waste of a spot in the rotation for 5 years until you finally decided to step it up and be a man last year. We used you to win a World Series title. Fair trade I guess. Just do us all a favor, don't bitch and moan when the door hits you on the way out. Don't tell the media stories about how we didn't offer you enough money or that we were never serious about keeping you around. IF you leave, leave with a smile and a thank you.

[XplodingScorbord]

Somebody mail this post to Jonny. Well said, especially the bit about "Is he a better pitcher than..."

Jon, be smarter than Magglio. Take our millions now, just be freakin' reasonable about it.

[chisox]

nicely said.

[kevin57]

Last year, Jon Garland finally pitched as all the scouts and experts said he could/would.

The team was very patient with him. I do think he "owes" a certain amount to the organization that hung in there with him. As you say, like Konerko. Konerko did give a sort of hometown discount in the end. That would be reasonable.

As to his personality, I really don't care about how "emotional" he is. For all we know, after the cameras and microphones are turned off he stays awake all night upset at himself over a bad outing. We all have different personalities.

[dlee120]

I happen to like his even keel personality. This is the attitude that allows success. It is a flatliners approach - no point gets to high, no point gets to low. It keeps you humble when success finds you, and it allows you to keep your head up when failure hits. And just because you don't wear your emotions on your sleeve does not make you unemotional or apathetic.

[SOecks]

Great thread and great post. You summed up my feelings on Garland exactly. It is obvious to me that he doesn't want to be here anymore and I'm sure KW will give him his wish sooner than later.

[Goose]

Great post!

I have been thinking about these situations since PK went through his FA stint (and, of course, the eventual signing with the Sox). I have come to believe it is a situation very much like our every day life. We, like ball players, work for a "company". Ours may be listed on the Stock Market, where their company is a team, but when you boil it down, as they say, it is just a business. Some of us LOVE the company we work for, and others like the type of work we do, meaning that we would never change fields, but don't have much of a loyalty to our current employer. We accept the paycheck, do the best we can, and every once in a while, we meet someone that works at another company and they offer a better salary for a similar job. If they offered you more money to do the same job would you not at least consider that other company? Now, some people would resign from their current job with the hopes of a serious counter offer from your employer if there is some sort of loyalty for that company. If the offer is reasonably similar to the new offer, you may want to stay. If there is no loyalty, then you may just take the new job for a change of scenery (and sometimes come to find that the money is not always what matters, but the intangibles like the people you work with that make the difference).

Bottom line is that WE think of this from a FAN'S perspective, and not from an employer-employee perspective.

I definitely do not disagree with you, I just wanted to offer a different perspective.

[MsSoxVixen22]

Originally Posted by WhiteSoxFan84

During the Jerry Manuel Era, I didn't like Jon Garland. I saw a young kid who was emotionless. To me, it seemed like he just didn't care. If he pitched a great game, he would have the same expression on his face as he would after a horrible outting. We all know Manuel had no faith in the kid and was pulling him out early almost everytime. We heard the chatter that Garland was not happy and had every right to be unhappy.

Two seasons ago, with Ozzie Guillen as his manager for the first time, Garland posted his worst ERA (4.89) since his rookie year (6.46). I was ready to give up on the kid. He just didn't seem to have the desire it takes to become a top flight pitcher. And I don't want people to think that emotion equals success, but showing SOME emotion does at least let the fans know that this guy cares. I wanted this guy off my team.

Last season, Garland goes 18-10 with the low ERA (3.50) and everyone is talking about how the kid has matured into the man that everyone thought he would be. Of course I enjoyed it and how can you not enjoy a great season like the one we had? So I started building up some love for Jon Garland and I even made up a nickname for him, The SoCal Cool. What's weird is, I gave him that nickname for the same reason I disliked him - his "lack" of emotion on the field. When you're losing, no signs of any emotions means you don't care. When you're winning, no signs of emotions means you're just cool. It's odd, but that's truly how it works in a lot of people's minds.

So my new found love for the SoCal Cool was a great one. I started enjoying every game he pitched and bragging to my friends and family about how he was so damn good and yet he was still very young. I also threw in the fact that we picked him up from the Cubs for some reliever who's name I forgot, I believe it was Art Kuschner. I even went out and bought this kid's autographed rookie card. My love for the Gar-man (another nickname, lol) was extreme. As it was for the rest of the team. But then, the offseason comes...

And now, I don't like Jon Garland. At all. He has gone back to making me think that he doesn't care about anything. Who cares if we won the World Series? Who cares that the team put up with his sub-par numbers for five years until he finally came through last season? And the chemistry he has built with his fellow teammates, who cares about that? I'll tell you someone who does care: Paul Konerko. He cared and he signed for less money to stay with the team that gave him every chance he needed. Now don't get me wrong here, I understand where the kid is going by trying to get his money. He's young, he's in the prime of his career, and heck, we don't know the whole story. But, from what I'm reading here and on other websites or newspapers, he's not going to sign an extension with us or anyone else unless he gets a ridicilous offer ($10-12 mill per). This hurts us in two ways; 1) the obvious, being that he most likely will leave the Sox, 2) teams looking to trade for him won't give up as much because they know he will probably be a one year rental, thus lowering his value.

I just scrolled up and saw how long this looks, so I'll end it with this; he should look around the pitching staff and ask himself; am I better than Mark Buehrle? Am I better than Freddy Garcia? Am I better than Jose Contreras? The answer to all 3 questions is NO. Yet Buehrle and Garcia recently signed multi-year deals paying them each $9 mill per. Contreras is making $8 mill per and probably will get an extension paying him $9-$9.5 per. Looking outside the team, arguably the best pitcher in baseball, Johan Santana is making $10 mill per. Garland should ask himself, "Am I better off taking a chance of having a bad season and/or getting injured AND going into a deeper market next offseason and not get paid what I think I'm going to get" -OR- "Should I just stay where I've been practically my whole career, where I won a World Series ring(!!!), and where I'm being offered a very reasonable amount".

Hopefully Garland comes to his senses before it's too late. If not, good riddance. You did what you had to do here and if you think you're time has come, so-be-it. You used us to raise your value and you were practically a waste of a spot in the rotation for 5 years until you finally decided to step it up and be a man last year. We used you to win a World Series title. Fair trade I guess. Just do us all a favor, don't bitch and moan when the door hits you on the way out. Don't tell the media stories about how we didn't offer you enough money or that we were never serious about keeping you around. IF you leave, leave with a smile and a thank you.

VERY well said! Yeah someone should def email this to JG.

[Chicken Dinner]

Who's going to start the Jon Garland appreciation thread????

[TheKittle]

Originally Posted by SOecks

Great thread and great post. You summed up my feelings on Garland exactly. It is obvious to me that he doesn't want to be here anymore and I'm sure KW will give him his wish sooner than later.

What are you talking about??? He doesn't want to be here just because he's asking for a lot of money??? I mean he didn't set the market. The Blue Jays overpaid for Burnett. Why not just wait until things get settle with Garland before ripping him? I mean if he holds out or gets traded due to his high salary demands, ok fine, rip him. But right now in Dec. why make such a big deal about it??

[miker]

Loyalty is all well and good but c'mon, he's got a family to feed.

[DaleJRFan]

Originally Posted by miker

Loyalty is all well and good but c'mon, he's got a family to feed.

Garland is single with NO kids.

[miker]

Originally Posted by DaleJRFan

Garland is single with NO kids.

So that means he should take less money (in theory) to stay with the White Sox?

[Ol' No. 2]

Originally Posted by miker

So that means he should take less money (in theory) to stay with the White Sox?

Absolutely. Where's his loyalty to the team and to the fans?

Nevermind the fact that the team tried to trade him at least twice and the fans booed him repeatedly up until this year.

[MillerSoxFan]

To me JG was a symbol of the Sox - great potential but couldn't quite get there. Then in the beginning of the season he (and the Sox) just kept on winning and winning. I hope he stays, but I will never forget the first half of the 2005 season as the most unexpected beginning to an amazing year.