Perennially hurt and constantly underachieving Oakland A’s infielder Bobby Crosby is being jerked around by the organization that signed him to a 5-year $12.75-million deal in 2005, for whom he’s “produced” a disgusting .231/.292/.347/.639 line since.
Seriously, disgusting isn’t even foul enough to describe what a monumentally shitty baseball player Crosby has been over the last four seasons—in which, he’s only been healthy enough to play more than 100 games once. But don’t tell that to daddy…
From the Long Beach Press-Telegram, via Fanhouse:
“My feelings are that he has been messed around with, and that Billy Beane has done a number on him,” says the 60-year-old Crosby, a retired major league scout who resides in Garden Grove. “Right now Bobby's on the disabled list, and he's not even hurt. He had a twinge in his left calf, but it wasn't serious enough to put him on the DL. But they were just looking for an excuse. Bobby's not hurt, period.”
“I know I'm Bobby's father, and I'm biased when it comes to him,” concedes Ed Crosby. “But I also know he hasn't been treated properly by Billy Beane. They're supposed to be making a movie about Billy Beane with Brad Pitt starring. What's it going to be, a comedy?”
“The A's take the bats out of their players' hands from the time they're in the minor leagues,” he says. “Bobby was taught always to take the first pitch. They take all the aggressiveness out of their players. Look how much better guys like Eric Byrnes and Nick Swisher and Marco Scutaro have become once they got out of Oakland.”
He makes a fair point at the end there—Jays fans certainly are aware that Marco Scutaro, who was stolen from Oakland for minor leaguers Graham Godfrey and Kristian Bell, is a whole lot better than he was with the A’s—but, I’m just not sure how great a comparison that is with a guy who hasn’t had an on-base above .300 for the last four seasons.
Interesting, though, how far Beane’s stock has dropped over the last decade. I guess a mere one playoff appearance over the last six years will do that to a GM… well, unless he’s in Toronto.