Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the new ace of the Los Angeles Dodgers, is not one of the MLB players who has a negative perception of San Francisco.
Following Yamamoto’s press conference to join the Dodgers on Wednesday, Joel Wolfe, Yamamoto’s agent and Brandon Crawford’s agent, spoke to reporters after the Giants acquired the prized Japanese pitcher. [h/t The Los Angeles Times’ Dylan Hernandez].
Yamamoto’s feelings toward San Francisco were sparked by former Giants catcher Buster Posey insinuating that the city’s reputation was having a negative impact on teams looking to sign free agents.
Yamamoto liked San Francisco, but ultimately signed a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers, the largest pitching contract in MLB history.
Posey’s comments came after the Giants passed on Shohei Ohtani, who also signed with the Dodgers, even though San Francisco offered a similar 10-year, $700 million contract (mostly including deferred payments). .
“What I think is worth noting, and unfortunately what comes up again and again from the players, and even the wives of the players, is that there’s a little bit of anxiety in the city itself, with the situation in the city, crime, drugs, etc. ” Posey told The Athletic’s Andrew Bagley on Dec. 12. I think this is a frustrating cycle, not just in baseball. Baseball is a secondary and important thing in life. But I’ve seen it affect things as far as pursuing free agents. ”
Since Posey’s comments, celebrities including new Giants manager Bob Melvin, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, and MLB agent Scott Boras have made the assumption that San Francisco is an undesirable destination. I am objecting.
“The players have always wanted to come to San Francisco,” Melvin told The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami. “It’s a great, great city. I think big cities have similar problems. And at the end of the day, we want people who want to be here. So if people[about the city]) You can’t really influence how you feel.
“The more players that end up here and have success, the more players that want to be here. That’s the way I look at it.”
Kerr, who has been based in the Bay Area for the past 10 seasons as the Warriors’ coach, acknowledged that other players see the opposite of Posey’s explanation.
“It’s an interesting dynamic,” Kerr said on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard and Dibs” on Dec. 15. I’ve heard things like, “Oh, this city is really great, it’s a great place to live.” That’s what we know, right?
“For those of us who live here, we know it’s a great place to live, but because of the publicity and political fallout of everything we’ve been going through in America lately, San Francisco…you turn on “Fox News” and you say, “This is the epicenter of Armageddon. And like every other city, we certainly have our problems, but it’s a great place to play.” It’s a great place to be, a great place to live, and our players and their loved ones always represent that.”
“It’s tough having to deal with his reputation, it’s tough for the city, but again, to me it’s just more politics than reality.”
Boras, who helped 25-year-old Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee sign a six-year, $113 million contract with the Giants in early December, said the criticism San Francisco is receiving is “unwarranted.” I thought it was fair.
“The players are talking about whether ownership is willing to spend money to win,” Boras told John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle after Lee’s press conference. “Will they pay me what I’m worth? What makes them a consistent winner in the minor leagues? They’re focused on baseball. Homeless in downtown Los Angeles, near San Diego ballpark Problems such as
“It’s really unfair to pin it down to San Francisco. Every major city has issues, whether it’s Chicago or New York or anywhere. The main focus of the players is the structure of the organization and winning and competing. The Giants have problems. The biggest problem is the fact that the Dodgers are getting better. Players want to know if they can compete with the Dodgers when they get here. And now it’s Arizona. That’s if San Francisco has to answer. That’s a really big question.”
The Giants lost to the Dodgers because of Yamato’s pitching, but it’s clear from Wolf’s comments that the pitcher’s decision had nothing to do with his concerns about coming to San Francisco.
Download and follow the Giants Talk podcast