The $10 Million Curse

by Bambi on May 27, 2005 12:53 PM PDT

Only three A's have even been paid more than $10 Million a year.

Jermaine Dye was the first, and was paid (on average) more than $10 Million a year for 3 years. Sure enough, he was average to terrible for those three years. Not once was he worth $5 Million a year, let alone the $10 Million he received.

At first I though it was a simple mistake, and best to let it slide. This year though we are paying two more players over $10 Million a year (on average). And sure enough, each of them are now playing at a level where we wouldn't have paid them $5 Million a year. Kendall moves to the A's and suddenly can't connect with the ball. Chavez suddenly gets the salary he seemingly deserved his entire career and returns the favor with his worst season ever.

It may be that as a small market team we have to scrap and claw. We needs lots of hungry players all tying to make it. Being a highly paid player when your teammates are all underpaid messes up the chemistry. It just doesn't feel right, and it lets itself out on the field.

Anyway, that's my theory. I wonder what other theories you guys have. It may just be bad luck. Hopefully this so-called curse will end ASAP. But you have to admit, this is the fourth and fifth time we've paid more than $10 Million a season and so far we've regretted all five of them. That's even worse than our Game 7 record in the first round of the playoffs. Either it's just bad luck, just something else, or a bit of both. The question is, what is that something else. I gave you my first attempt at a theory. I see some flaws in it, but it's a start. Please give me some more. I'd love to hear them.

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Chavez signed his contract before last season

so he has already had a year with his big contract already in place, and last year he had a big year.

Sure, this technically is the first year of the contract, so if Chavez has no heart, and just wants money, what happened last year?

You'd think he would've bombed last year, the way people are talking.

Next, i don't know what you're watching but Kendall has been hitting. He had a 4 or 5 game hit streak recently, and his average and obp are slowly rising. Chavez as well, he had a 6 game streak.

I took a torpedo through the lower abdomen while on patrol in the north Atlantic. They replaced my entire bowel with hemp. Clogs easily. -Loyd Bridges

by robber23 on May 27, 2005 1:11 PM PDT reply actions

Not the same thing

There is a big difference between knowing you will be paid big bucks in the future and actually receiving that salary in your bank account.

Even during a stink bomb of a year you will have winning streaks here or there. I hope they both turn around their seasons, but so far the numbers look pretty bad.

Mind you that allegations of a curse do not need to come with an explantion of them. Maybe Chavez feels guilt of some sort which didn't kick in until he actually received the money in his bank account. Personally I don't think that's it, but who knows? We know Dye didn't purposely hurt himself, but maybe he tried too hard. Again, who knows? All I know is that so far we have an even uglier pattern than our recent first round Game 7 playoffs record. I realize that no one will recommend this post becuase it is too painfull. Sometimes though the first step to solving a problem is to admit it exists in the first place.

by Bambi on May 27, 2005 1:37 PM PDT up reply actions

Cmon...Not like he's spending all the cash.

The security of knowing it is coming and actually getting it isnt that big a difference. Not like his $5 million or whatever was a paroblem last year. There's little differnec,e and definitely not a big difference.

Bring back Hammer.

by OaktownPower on May 27, 2005 2:34 PM PDT up reply actions

If it was pressure

He would feel more pressure when he is actually getting the big bucks. Lst year if he didn't do well, he was still giving the A's a great deal. His salary was the closing of a six-year relationship in which he gave the A's much more than they gave him.

This is the start of a new raltionship, in which he is so far fleecing a msall market team that can't afford it.

But again, the basic observation is undeniable and quite scary. Every season played by an A's player in which his pro-rated salary was above $10 M has been a bomb. We are so far 0-5. Pretty bleak.

by Bambi on May 27, 2005 2:40 PM PDT up reply actions

Well

There is a big difference between knowing you will be paid big bucks in the future and actually receiving that salary in your bank account.

I don't know about you, but I'd think Chavvy would have been fairly ____ (whatever emotion you think might be causing this) last year with $5.7 million dollars the A's dropped into his bank account.

And if we're only concerned with what is actually dropped into bank accounts, as opposed to what will be guaranteed in the future, it's pretty silly to talk about $10m averages, when neither Chavvy ($8.5) nor Kendall ($9.5) is actually receiving $10 mil this year.

The next time I slap a guy's ass, can we all just assume it's because I wish I was a baseball player?

by devo on May 27, 2005 1:49 PM PDT reply actions

I'm sure they think of it as $11 Million a year.

But again, a curse need not have an explanation. This is the fourth and fifth time in a row we've paid someone more than $10M a year, and each and every time it didn't pay. We seem to be best when we act as NoMoneyBall. Big Market salaries mess with that vibe.

by Bambi on May 27, 2005 2:35 PM PDT reply actions