I know that a ton of people are frustrated with Erik Bedard, and just want to see him go away so that all parties can move on. And, believe me, I get it - his story has been an easy one to grow sick of. But then, on the other hand, consider this:
"I was offered twice as much money last year to sign somewhere else, and I got offered a guaranteed deal this year by another team," Bedard said from his Ottawa home. "I said, 'Ooh that’s interesting,' but I never pursued it. I told the Mariners before I went home last season, I wanted to come back.
"This may surprise some people, but I'm loyal. I want Seattle fans to see the guy they thought they'd traded for. There have been moments I've been myself, but they didn't last long."
It would be easy to spin this in a cynical direction, were one so inclined. Bedard could be lying through his teeth, returning to Seattle not because of loyalty and not because of the fans, but because Safeco's a good place for him to re-establish his value. And I'm sure there are people who are going to see it that way.
But I prefer the more direct surface interpretation that Bedard doesn't want to leave Seattle on a series of sour notes. There's a degree of selfishness in one's desire to repair his image, to be sure, but there's a degree of selfishness in even the most altruistic behavior, and I think Bedard truly feels he owes the city of Seattle more than he's been able to provide. It's an endearing sentiment. I don't think it makes Bedard a hero, but there are tons of guys who would've left for the guaranteed money, and Bedard chose to stay. That's unusual, and worthy of praise. Loyalty, in baseball's current state, is a rare thing.
Bedard doesn't stand a chance of becoming a true fan favorite until or unless he actually returns to the mound. But it's interesting to think that one of the team's least popular players in 2008 and 2009 - a guy who routinely had his commitment called into question - could spend the 2011 season as one of its absolute coolest.
3 recs | 50 comments
Sounds like somebody owes Erik Bedard an apology.
…
Janic - December 4, 2010
Yeah well,
I’m sure Steve Kelley will offer up a SINCERE apology.
Kevman22 - December 5, 2010
Being the class act that he's always been, I'm sure this is true.
/sarcasm off
ToddK - December 5, 2010
Sometimes there's a man,
I won’t say a hero…‘cause what’s a hero? But sometimes there’s a man. And I’m talkin’ about Bedard here. Bedard, from Canada. Sometimes there’s a man, well, he’s the man for his time and place. He fits right in there. And that’s Bedard. Bedard, the Seattle Mariner. And even if he’s a broken man – and Bedard most certainly was that. Quite possibly the most broken arm in the history of the Seattle Mariners, which would put him in the running for most injury-prone worldwide. Sometimes there’s a man. Sometimes, there’s a man…Well, I’ve lost my train of thought here. But aw, hell. I’ve done introduced it enough.
slamcactus - December 4, 2010
It's good knowin that he's out there...
taken her easy for all us sinners. Shoot, I sure hope he makes the finals.
RustyJohn - December 4, 2010
Weebles wobble but they don't fall down
Kermit. - December 4, 2010
Darn tootin.
royalcurve - December 4, 2010
One should also add, pride
which also seems characteristic of him — he doesn’t want to leave Seattle a failure if he can avoid it. It makes sense to me.
The Ancient Mariner - December 4, 2010
I think this might hit the nail on the head.
Erik Bedard, despite his aversion to the press, has been, by his team mates words, a good guy and pretty easy going. He’s been a quiet “get it done” kind of fellow that things haven’t worked out so well for to date. I would bet his pride is a part of why he’s back.
I do see a difference in him though. He’s not that cocky young man that was portrayed as a complete jerk shortly after he arrived. He has twice signed for less money to stay in Seattle. That makes me think that on some level he actually does like playing here. Be that Safeco and her effect on his game or something more heartfelt, I have no way of knowing. I do know that my perception of him has changed for the better each time. If he ends up pitching well for the M’s or not, he has cemented a place in this fan’s heart.
ToddK - December 5, 2010
I would agree with this. Bedard has had a couple of opportunities to leave and has chosen to stay.
No matter what his reasons are, he’s one of my favorites.
TrustBaseball - December 5, 2010
I don't want to know the kinds of Mariner fans who dislike Erik Bedard.
Everything I’ve heard about the guy tells me I don’t adore him nearly enough.
katal - December 4, 2010
The story behind how he signed an autograph for a prominent LLer is phenomenal.
katal - December 4, 2010
Me? Is it me?
royalcurve - December 5, 2010
Absolutely.
katal - December 6, 2010
That time when he told reporters he'd only answer three questions, a guy responded "Really?" and Bedard replied "That's one."?
Hilarious and badass. You know Geoff Baker wishes he could do that at his next blogging panel.
katal - December 4, 2010
That was the moment I decided I really liked Bedard.
Goose - December 4, 2010
Same.
It reminded me of the reported incident with President Calvin Coolidge, Silent Cal as he was known. Dorothy Parker came up to him at a party and claimed to have made a bet with a friend that she could get more than three words out of Coolidge during the evening. Coolidge just said, “You lose” and that was the end of that.
JY - December 5, 2010
I really don't think Baker would enjoy being able to give a 2 word answer.
Robert - December 5, 2010
I think a bunch of us would enjoy that immensely.
ToddK - December 5, 2010
I bet they also have a curious predilection for a particular recent former member of the Mariners.
abender20 - December 4, 2010
Two guys I work with hate him.
Because he obviously got injured on purpose.
wazzu93 - December 4, 2010
Another well-known person at this site tells the story of running into Erik Bedard right when he was shut down for the season.
Needless to say, Bedard was pissed about it. It’s bullshit for people to assume that lazy motivations were behind his injury.
katal - December 4, 2010
He pitched through a lot of pain for us, even while local journalists were all but calling him a pussy.
katal - December 4, 2010
Local journalists often suck... I wont say always, but I will say almost always...
Tyler Jorgensen - December 5, 2010
You really must read more Thiel and Stone.
ToddK - December 5, 2010
A healthy Bedard is Felix-good.
An unhealthy Bedard, as evidenced by more than half the innings he’s thrown for us, is pretty good too.
katal - December 4, 2010
I don't get it
They must just rely on local sports talk radio guys to form their opinions of players, because I’ve never seen anyone more inexplicably reviled by local sports talk radio hosts than Bedard.
Gihyou - December 5, 2010
I work with a guy who hates Bedard and I told him to stop bringing it up because it just boils my blood.
He coaches his son’s baseball team and thinks it has made him an expert on the game.
Sec 108 - December 5, 2010
I find it hard to believe he's lying because Bedard is known as The Interview for a reason.
He could have just kept his mouth shut per usual. But no, he offered this explanation. We remember how ridiculously happy he was after Felix’s slam against Johan; that picture of him and Adam Moore in Tacoma he has a giant smile on his face. He’s always been a frank, no bull shit guy.
I’ll stick with the alternative explanation: Erik Bedard is honorable. Also, a badass.
harkening - December 4, 2010
I'm just hoping for more greeting cards.
jwolf0 - December 4, 2010
I just love that he obviously loves Felix.
msb - December 4, 2010
The fact that he was injured and still destroyed batters
is fricking awesome and I hope he takes a BIG DUMP on the chests of all of his haters.
Darth Flamingo - December 4, 2010
I'm sorry. LL hates acronyms, and I hate acronyms.
But I definitely LOL’ed at this. I love poop jokes. Ha. Poop.
Pete_ - December 4, 2010
Why not just say "I definitely laughed out loud at this?" >_>
joof - December 5, 2010
That requires more typing.
They might be running out of pixels and want to conserve.
ToddK - December 5, 2010
We don't hate acronyms.
We say LL. We talk about GTE during the season.
I love acronyms!
WAR, FIP, tRA, wOBA…
We encourage eschewing chat speak for the sake of intelligent conversation.
harkening - December 5, 2010
With Felix, Bedard and my blazing fastball in the rotation, the M's might have a chance.
“It was Little League and we were ten years old.”- Coop
RustyJohn - December 4, 2010
I don't hate Bedard but I'm far from adoring him either.
Asides from the well intentioned talk he’s shown very little on the field.
I’m sure Jose Lopez had the best intentions toward the Mariner organization also. Doesn’t mean we have to love him.
NeighborTom2 - December 5, 2010
He's been great every time he's stepped on the mound
He just hasn’t been there very often.
MT Olson - December 5, 2010
He has been on the field very little but when he has been on the field he has been a great pitcher
Lopez was on the field a lot and wasn’t a great player. Bedard, if and when healthy, is a great starter – it’s keeping him from breaking that’s the challenge.
pdb - December 5, 2010
He has been good to great despite being injured.
Can you say with absolute certainty that anyone else wouldn’t have gotten hurt were they here in his stead?
I didn’t think so.
ToddK - December 5, 2010
I know what you guys are saying.
And that is why I say I don’t hate him. And last year, I was excited about Bedard coming back, but he was a no-show.
IF he does actually get on a big league mound and throw this year, I’m sure I’ll like him very much. But for now it is just “well intentioned talk” as I wrote above. Until he’s actually shows up, I’ll save my love for the guys who are actually fighting out there every day.
NeighborTom2 - December 5, 2010
<3 Josh Wilson
Graham MacAree - December 5, 2010
Rob Johnson?
Matt Erickson - December 6, 2010
Love for the fighting guys?
Figlet is pretty adorable.
harkening - December 6, 2010
Good one!
NeighborTom2 - December 6, 2010
He was blamed for who he was traded for
The fact was, he was hurt from the start but Bavasi never checked it out. He’s a competitor and he has pride and loyalty. It’s not his fault Bavasi was stupid.
If he gets healthy the rotation looks really good. Offense is needed, however!
New England Fan - December 5, 2010
No he's not. The people who hate him didn't give a care about Jones, Tillman, etc
They blame him for the 2008 season sucking and because those fans always blame injuries on the player
Matthew - December 6, 2010 via mobile
Bedard doing the honorable thing.
Pretty crazy to think he turned down guaranteed money to try and do right by Seattle. Thanks Erik. This reminds me of when Johjima let the M’s out of the remainder of his contract. More players need to have this kind of ethic.
grips - December 6, 2010
I'm fairly certain Johjima went back to Japan to play full time.
If you remember he was used as a backup in ’09.
ToddK - December 6, 2010
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