If and when the axe finally falls on Allard Baird and severs his ties to the Royals organization, historians should be quick to note its importance as the final chapter in the professional sports survivalist hand guide. It borders on the absurd that in May 2006 there would still be Royals fans that blame the mess here in Kansas City more on the Glass family then the one actually pulling the trigger on baseball decisions.
(Editors note: read DAs early critique of Allard Baird 2006 offseason at http://thedashow.com/archive/wrongroyals.asp)
Theres no argument David Glass is an owner with business interests above baseball interests. He has readily admitted on 610 Sports airwaves, his priority is simply not to lose money on his investment. His son Dan, team President, is as socially clumsy as the kid that eats paste. He comes off as a baseball nitwit, promoted to Lieutenant of the Royals because of his genes.
But neither of these two figures (or the other Glasses found in the front office) is paid to make baseball decisions. Open up the Royals media guide and Dan Glass is lauded as a guy who put together the team cable network, RSTN. David Glass? Just there to sign checks. Putting a semi-respectable team on the field? All Allard.
Bairds litany of egregious errors while running the Royals into the ground over the past six years is enough to make Lawrence Phillips cringe. Jermaine Dye for Neifi Perez. Carlos Beltran for Mark Teahan, John Buck and Mike Wood. Eli Marrero. Juan Gonzalez. Benito Santiago. Scott Sullivan. Colt Griffin. Roscoe Crosby. Jose Lima. Joe Mays. Genghis Kahn.
Its obvious more than ever, though, that even while standing at the gates of baseball hell, Baird did at least one thing right. He answered all questions, did all interviews, never made excuses all while making plenty of friends in the industry. All we ever hear from media, local and national, are praises of Baird being a -Baseball Man.- To my best knowledge, you have to actually earn that mantle with a -baseball- move once in awhile.
Honestly, what makes Baird a -baseball man?- Finding Raul Ibanez on the scrap heap? Getting 86 RBIs out of the anonymous Emil Brown last season? Sure, Baird has been in baseball his entire life. Yes, he allegedly learned from one of the best, former Royals GM John Schuerholtz. But because Baird is intellectual, a polished speaker and overly accessible he is given a pass.
What truly separates Lions GM Matt Millen from Baird? Millen has hired the wrong coaches, drafted the wrong players and given way too much money to the wrong free agents. Because he is a former NFL grunt and ham-fisted with the media, he is viewed as a meathead, dead bolt in way over his head as an executive in charge of personnel decisions of a professional franchise. Yet, with all of the same mistakes on his resume, Baird in the same amount of time has driven his franchise into the ground and shoulders little of the blame from fans.
Is Baird hamstrung by payroll? Of course. But so is every owner outside of New York and Boston. More than 75-percent of GMs have to operate within a budget, with certain limitations. Somehow, Twins GM Terry Ryan and As GM Bill Beane field competitive outfits annually with the same exact restrictions. Point is, even with said limitations, theres no way anyone else could have done any worse than Baird. On pace for a third straight franchise record for losses? Check. A fourth 100-loss season in five years? Check. A manager with no answers? A farm system with no young pitching? A team dead last in every major category? Check, check and check. Theres no debating this is a tough situation for any GM to walk into. But Baird may as well be renamed Allard Blaine, because his death-defying, otherworldly run as respected -Baseball Man- is legendary. Thank goodness we are coming to its merciful end.
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one, the only, Zach Greinke from Royals Spring Training. The
2007 One NIT NIT Moment.
The 2006 Caller Hall of Fame Track One: Christopher Walken's legendary roast
of the new class
First the staff. Then listeners. Now LJ has the Herm-gasm? Crazy
Ray sings the Growing Pains theme song. The
Royals 70's jingle that puts a smile on your face during another horrid season
in KC. The
local TV anchors slip up on the broadcast and luckily the D.A. Show was rolling
tape. 6-6-06:
The Crypt Keeper's Holiday Crazy
Ray displays his talent for singing. Could he make a run at the next American
Idol? Oklahoma
takes it on the chin with this famous call from R.B. Missed
any of the NIT NIT action? Check out the recaps of the games and a special
edition of The One NIT NIT Moment. We
couldn't leave Alex the Intern out of the mix, check out the drunk dial message
Alex left for D.A. The
D.A. Show tribute to Alan Thicke.
Is
Crazy Ray really crazy? Take a listen to find out.
A
D.A. Show Investigation reveals color commentators handing out the pink slip
to local college coaches.
Quinner's
feeling a bit down. We ask, what's wrong with Quinn Snyder? Herm Edwards gave us quotable material right from jump street. He gets a montage based on his introduction presser. A
staple of any good office party. It's the Dick Vermeil montage XP: final edition.
Duh, ok.
DA's Hometown Hottie contest created controversy throughout KC. Radio superstar Johnny Dare stuck his nose in the middle of it. The
callers finally had their own chance to put their stamp on the Vermeil montage Why
do the sista's hate the show? It all started here: Yvette's call of the day The original D.A. Show parody of Jim Rome's smack-off (circa '04). The '05 D.A. Show parody of Jim Rome's smack-off, complete with a certain national columnist. The '06 smack-smack, which brought all the D.A. Show legends together for one fab event. You asked for it. We delivered. DA Show icon Alan Thicke's first appearance.
If and when the axe finally falls on Allard Baird and severs his ties to the Royals organization, historians should be quick to note its importance as the final chapter in the professional sports survivalist hand guide. It borders on the absurd that in May 2006 there would still be Royals fans that blame the mess here in Kansas City more on the Glass family then the one actually pulling the trigger on baseball decisions.
