tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post5844153097325397783..comments2023-10-17T10:45:07.796-04:00Comments on FJB: Smiley Gonzalez Is a FraudUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post-49841058903197806812009-02-18T13:11:00.000-05:002009-02-18T13:11:00.000-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.An Briosca Morhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06855174362787324401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post-61185478851634925422009-02-18T12:24:00.000-05:002009-02-18T12:24:00.000-05:00Steven, I agree that it's not likely that Rijo and...Steven, I agree that it's not likely that Rijo and those below him knew - his comments on Washington Nationals News aren't exactly reassuring - I would not be entirely surprised if scam occurred at the bottom, and nobody wanted to verify the truth, first out of excitement and fervor to show their commitment to signing players, and later for fear of embarrassment. Regardless of the truth, it smacks of gross incompetency or worse. Kastsen and Learner need to drop the axe. Absent Bowden's past, perhaps he should keep his job, but if this doesn't put him on the chopping block, what will? Does he have some sort of golden parachute that we don't know about?Mike Liszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05629735358515044431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post-80773012792916299442009-02-18T11:35:00.000-05:002009-02-18T11:35:00.000-05:00Michael--I think the buscone must have known. If h...Michael--I think the buscone must have known. If he knew, I think it's unlikely that the Rijo didn't konw. If he knew, I think it's unlikely that Bowden didn't at least have suspicions.<BR/><BR/>But I agree with your latter point that even if it was an honest mistake, at minimum Rijo and Baez need to be fired for incompetence.<BR/><BR/>Whether that reaches also to Bowden depends on details I don't have access to.Stevenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14109288910583404941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post-36129983453474938102009-02-18T11:24:00.000-05:002009-02-18T11:24:00.000-05:00I don't entirely agree with the conclusory stateme...I don't entirely agree with the conclusory statements in last paragraph of the blog entry. You don't think some poor family couldn't see that their most available fast track to escape poverty would be to increase the value of what may have been their lone asset by lowering their kid's age? You don't think that Vizcaino, seeking his payday, could have take the family at their word, and could have simply talked his childhood buddy Rijo into believing the story, and so forth?<BR/><BR/>While I think your conclusions are a lot more likely than the scenario above, I'd say the jury is somewhat out. However, no matter how you slice it, this speaks to a bumbling front office that lacks competency, and perhaps is ridden with embezzlement. If there's an ongoing Federal investigation, its difficult to reach any reasonable conclusions at this point...other than some heads need to roll in the Nats front office.<BR/><BR/>Bare minimum, they have to fire Baez and Rijo. If there was an honest mistake, it would still be worthy of them getting fired. Now if this were the only incident, and Bowden was bamboozled his Latin American lieutenants, it MIGHT be dismissible. But taken with context of all the other moves he's made he really needs get sacked. If signing Dunn was a step forward in the competency file, this is 3 steps back. That's what get from Bowden's pin the tail on the donkey approach to the job. With the Dunn signing, he got it right on the tail, with this, he accidentally walked through the open basement door, fell down the stairs and smashed his face.<BR/><BR/>If nothing else, hopefully his family got out of poverty. Who knows how much was skimmed, and what kind of predatory shysters attack these kinds of families.Mike Liszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05629735358515044431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post-53245431404914540742009-02-18T10:41:00.000-05:002009-02-18T10:41:00.000-05:00Steve I just emailed the team this... I never do t...Steve I just emailed the team this... I never do these kind of things. Man, I'm pissed Jimbow would put the Nats in this postion. I know I'm not the most elequent person in the world but...<BR/><BR/>RE: E.Gonzalez<BR/><BR/>Mr.Kasten<BR/><BR/>Fire Jim Bowden! He never had the respect of Baseball insiders and with these current allogations he'll lose respect through out Baseball. Someone like him should not be allowed to make decision in regards to your Baseball team. How will anyone have faith in this ball team? I was going to purchase a small package, but I'll listen to the radio instead and if this continues I won't listen at all I sorry to say. I love baseball but it's low handed people like Jim bowden and Jose Rijos that taint an already increasingly damaged game.<BR/><BR/>Your Truly<BR/>Bernie Muller-ThymBerndaddyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12445747060916502376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post-14600896486707769112009-02-18T10:40:00.000-05:002009-02-18T10:40:00.000-05:00Hire Mike Rizzo.Hire Mike Rizzo.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post-12808313841623357552009-02-18T10:04:00.000-05:002009-02-18T10:04:00.000-05:00Looks like it might be time to put the old poll ba...Looks like it might be time to put the old poll back up...<BR/><BR/>What will this site be once Jim Bowden is actually fired?Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17311920650204603127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post-19525196604514836782009-02-18T09:48:00.000-05:002009-02-18T09:48:00.000-05:00Lets hope this SI reporter can get the info that l...Lets hope this SI reporter can get the info that links Bowden and Rijo to the missing portion of the signing bonus. Remember, Bowden most likely was given a "kick-back" for signing this player.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post-75941333268206486642009-02-18T09:42:00.000-05:002009-02-18T09:42:00.000-05:00P.S. be careful about throwing around terms like "...P.S. be careful about throwing around terms like "five-tool player". You never know, if Manny Acta ever got fired and Dusty Baker caught wind about five-tool players on the Nats . . . ugh . . . I guess you have to be a Cubs fan to truly appreciate my comment but I think you can understand . . .David Feronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09901127705798894906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post-3930191055273710652009-02-18T09:10:00.000-05:002009-02-18T09:10:00.000-05:00Here is the SN analysis:Washington NationalsFeb. 1...Here is the SN analysis:<BR/><BR/>Washington Nationals<BR/>Feb. 18, 2:09 a.m.<BR/>Esmailyn Gonzalez, who received a $1.4 million bonus to sign out of the Dominican Republic in 2006, is actually 23-year-old Carlos Alvarez Daniel Lugo, four sources have told SI.com. <BR/>Fantasy spin: Again with the four sources for SI. Of course, this isn't as big as the A-Rod scoop, but it's a definite blow to the Nats and, particularly, GM Jim Bowden, who hyped Gonzalez from the moment he landed the shortstop. Gonzalez, already considered a modest disappointment, was supposed to 16 then and 19 now. At age 23, he wouldn't seem to be a prospect at all.<BR/>Source: SI.comDavid Feronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09901127705798894906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post-15967511814834888342009-02-18T09:04:00.000-05:002009-02-18T09:04:00.000-05:00Bowden can claim ignorance, and maybe rightly so, ...Bowden can claim ignorance, and maybe rightly so, because this happens all the time in Latin America.<BR/>The 'offical' documents for these countries are little more than typed and laminated. I have seen some that were actually hand-written. Don't know if that still happens. Regardless, they are easily manipulated or forged.<BR/>Remember that 16 year-old kid who pitched in the little league world series?<BR/>Livan Hernandez also has some questions about his age, as do many other Cuban ballplayers. There's no way to prove either way, because they defected from a communist dictatorship....they can't exactly just stop by and ask for a copy of their birth certificate.Rob Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09049610714885872963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post-43085570716721113562009-02-18T07:57:00.000-05:002009-02-18T07:57:00.000-05:00I've made no secret of how I feel, so I'm obviousl...I've made no secret of how I feel, so I'm obviously biased.<BR/><BR/>But I wish some commenter who's smarter than I am will explain how the stench from this farce can be cleansed fully without firing Bowden.<BR/><BR/>I'll be right here, reading.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01915120760049904431noreply@blogger.com