Mariners fan scathing letter to Jesus Montero published in Seattle Times

[seahawksfan234]

Thought this was interesting:

Dear Jesus Montero: An angry fan's letter to Mariner | Take 2 | Seattle Times

Dear Jesus,

Let me take you back, for a moment, to my childhood and the dreams that I had as a little boy to be a baseball player. To that time when picking up a ball and glove was an outlet for me. When playing “Home Run Hitters” with my brothers and friends was the highlight of my week.

I was Babe Ruth. I imitated Ken Griffey, Jr. I channeled my inner Barry Bonds. Derek Jeter. Cal Ripken Jr. It was all fantasy, yes, but also my own reality. It was my escape. There was one problem that derailed my hopes and dreams: I couldn’t hit a baseball.

I was at a massive disadvantage because I was born legally blind in my left eye, and as I grew older my depth perception suffered. Sure, I could have tried to fight through it, tried to conquer it, tried to master it. Instead, I pulled up a bleacher seat and put all of my efforts into rooting on my hometown team. I took all that love, fire, desire that I had as an overweight, half-blind kid with cowlicks; shook out my wrinkled Mariners shirt and hoped, like the rest, to witness a World Series championship someday. We’re all still waiting.

This is where you enter the dream that I’ve held as a baseball-loving fan. And with the recent news, this is also where you piss me off and anger the boy that didn’t make it. While your 50-game suspension last season will forever be an embarrassment, I was waiting this offseason to see how you would make up for your blunder, right the wrong and be that right-handed bat this team sorely needs.

You fail.

I punch a time clock twice a day, five times a week. That’s 10 times a week that I make sure I am punching in and out, logging the hours to keep a roof over my head, feed myself, keep the lights on and the heat working, keep enough gas in my car to make it into work to punch that same clock. It’s a vicious circle for a mere $104.40 a day after I bend over and pay Uncle Sam.

You pick up a baseball bat and throw a ball of rubber and yarn covered in leather. You chew sunflower seeds and spit tobacco while getting to travel on someone else’s dime to play a kid’s game in front of millions of people who, like me, would trade you places seven days a week.

Have you ever thought about how you’re living someone else’s childhood dream? Did that cross your mind as you stuffed your face, sat on your ass gaining weight, and counted the money you made as a cheater last season? I’m willing to bet your 2014 salary that you didn’t write that worthless apology you made. I’ll bet it came from your agent or your publicist. Just a fee from that $503,300 stack of coinage you keep next to the weight set, treadmill, and workout plan that have collected dust.

You will forever be a cheater and nothing will change that. You had the opportunity, however, to bury that distraction, show up at spring training camp in the best physical shape, and let your play do the talking on the field. You had the chance to put your “I’m sorry” into action and help this team win.

Instead, there’s a reasonable chance you’ll never see the field at the major-league level again with the Mariners or any other team.

That boy inside me with the cowlicks, the fat one that looks like you do today, is no longer rooting for you to succeed because you’ve become a roadblock.

You fail.

 

[seattle]

thanks for posting that could not be said any better.

 

[SeattleCoug]

Agree this is perfectly said. You would think a guy who has had trouble breaking into the big leagues and then goes and gets hurt and suspended last year would do everything he can to prove everyone wrong. Even if he was in amazing shape it was a long shot for him to make the 25 out of spring. Clearly instead of trying to come back from this he just gave up. I have zero hope he ever amounts to anything and would be shocked if he played a big league game in Seattle this year let alone get a starting spot.

 

[wazzu31]

Agree completely but kind of shocked that they would run that letter.

Defense and work ethic were the only knocks on him and it appears. Guess its not considered a bad trade cause Pined a hasn't panned out.

 

[NWinAZ]

I can't blame Montero for sitting back and eating his way out of contention of a MLB roster spot this year. After all, if you don't try you can't fail. He now has several reasons to why he won't make the roster and contribute and all talk of PED's takes a backseat. Smarter than I thought he was.

 

[mcnabb7542]

That's is a great letter and this fan might be 110% correct on some of his or her's points...

 

[gowazzu02]

Meh I dont know. I mean he is who we all thought he was. It's not like he was in shape or even competant defensively when we traded for him.

This reeks of a girl who married a guy and then tried to change him. Jesus is who Jesus is. He's a one trick pony. And gettign mad at him cause he doesn't develop other tricks is silly imo.

 

[Banned 10x]

thanks for the post. I agree with the letter 100%

 

[johnfree63]

Meh I dont know. I mean he is who we all thought he was. It's not like he was in shape or even competant defensively when we traded for him.

This reeks of a girl who married a guy and then tried to change him. Jesus is who Jesus is. He's a one trick pony. And gettign mad at him cause he doesn't develop other tricks is silly imo.

This is where I blame Jack Z. It looks like all he did was look at Baseball America's Top 100 Prospect list and completely ignored Jesus's "work ethic".

 

[gowazzu02]

This is where I blame Jack Z. It looks like all he did was look at Baseball America's Top 100 Prospect list and completely ignored Jesus's "work ethic".

yup.... Or maybe we look at the mariners player development as a whole.

Seager worked out.

Ackley, Smoak, Montero, Saunders did not. I could go further but these were all top notch "can't miss" type prospects.

 

[seattlefan75]

In the end this is Jacks team to control he has had if or i believe 5-6 years now? He hasnt done a single thing for this team other than signing felix hernandez to a long term deal. None of his prospects panned out and are all looking like busts now. He is on his 3rd manager going into this season and now here we are 2014 were still drafting in the top 5.

I feel a little remorse because dustin ackley was infact suppose to be one of the top hitters in the draft the scouting report on him was crazy and the same goes for Justin Smoak when we traded for him a lot of ranger fans were upset when that happened. Maybe he brought them up to quick and put to much pressure on them to play well? IDK but if we dont play around .500 this season I think its time for him to be fired

 

[NWinAZ]

I just got back from spring training practice where Montero was taking BP with Bloomquist, Franklin, and Morrison. Morrison is a big boy, but his swing was sad. He was shaking his head a lot. He must of hit the top of the cage at least a dozen times. Uppercut swing the whole way.

Montero looked heavy and he was swinging with his arms a lot because he was outfront on a lot of pitches. What else I noticed was even when he made contact, there wasn't a lot of carry to his ball unlike Morrison who when he did make contact he put some deep over the fence.

Bloomquist looked good hitting line drives. He and Franklin stayed after everybody else and played catch in front of my wife and I and another family of 4. He gave the two balss to the young girls with the other family and then signed for us. Franklin kind of started to walk away and I said, "Oh no Nick, get over here and sign too" and he did. He wasn't being rude, he was being shy actually. Nice kid, but still not very big.

Just read where Miller said he is up to 213 adding 10 lbs of muscle.

Also read where Felix said no doubt Walker and Paxton make rotation and pitching coach Wise kind of backed that up unless something weird happens.

 

[seahawksfan234]

I just got back from spring training practice where Montero was taking BP with Bloomquist, Franklin, and Morrison. Morrison is a big boy, but his swing was sad. He was shaking his head a lot. He must of hit the top of the cage at least a dozen times. Uppercut swing the whole way.

Montero looked heavy and he was swinging with his arms a lot because he was outfront on a lot of pitches. What else I noticed was even when he made contact, there wasn't a lot of carry to his ball unlike Morrison who when he did make contact he put some deep over the fence.

Bloomquist looked good hitting line drives. He and Franklin stayed after everybody else and played catch in front of my wife and I and another family of 4. He gave the two balss to the young girls with the other family and then signed for us. Franklin kind of started to walk away and I said, "Oh no Nick, get over here and sign too" and he did. He wasn't being rude, he was being shy actually. Nice kid, but still not very big.

Just read where Miller said he is up to 213 adding 10 lbs of muscle.

Also read where Felix said no doubt Walker and Paxton make rotation and pitching coach Wise kind of backed that up unless something weird happens.

Always love reading your posts on spring training, always really interesting. Perhaps you could make a thread for it and continue posting your observations?

 

[NWinAZ]

Always love reading your posts on spring training, always really interesting. Perhaps you could make a thread for it and continue posting your observations?

I would love to, but I doubt I will make many more. Each year I attend fewer and fewer unfortunately.

I did have Iwakuma run right by me when I got there. He is bigger than he looks on TV.

 

[gowazzu02]

Getting down to spring training is on the ol' bucket list. Probably wait until my son gets old enough to enjoy it too. Glad to read your report. thanks for sharing.

 

[unlvmariners]

Always love reading your posts on spring training, always really interesting. Perhaps you could make a thread for it and continue posting your observations?

Agree, I always looked forward to reading AZ's ports about spring training.

 

[JDM]

So this guy seems jealous.

 

[NWinAZ]

Getting down to spring training is on the ol' bucket list. Probably wait until my son gets old enough to enjoy it too. Glad to read your report. thanks for sharing.

Agree, I always looked forward to reading AZ's ports about spring training.

Thanks. I wish I could get there more for more updates. You really hear and see so much while walking around them. I will try to get back as soon as I am able.

Your son will enjoy it when he gets to that age. I sold my daughter on it for years, but she is 20 now so now she enjoys going for different reasons.

 

[SeattleCoug]

This is where I blame Jack Z. It looks like all he did was look at Baseball America's Top 100 Prospect list and completely ignored Jesus's "work ethic".

At least he knows how to get top 100 prospects. Oh wait we only have one prospect in the current top 100. Jack's specialty is evaluating talent right? Good to see it showing itself in Year 6 of the rebuilding plan

 

[gowazzu02]

At least he knows how to get top 100 prospects. Oh wait we only have one prospect in the current top 100. Jack's specialty is evaluating talent right? Good to see it showing itself in Year 6 of the rebuilding plan

Well to be fair here, its because all of them are now in the majors......