Pat Burrell Signs with Tampa

It's official, Pat Burrell has signed with the Tampa Bay Rays pending a physical. I did my farewell of sorts to The Bat back when the Phils signed Ibanez, so feel free to get out your Kleenex and stroll down memory lane. I'm worried a bit about Pat in terms of the lack of night life in Tampa and St. Pete but I'm sure he'll do fine on the beach.

Comments

[TC]

The Ibanez deal was stupid in a vacuum, but now, seeing that the younger, better version of Ibanez could've been retained for MUCH cheaper, the deal because unacceptably stupid.

[Kale]

so....umm.....does he have to get a mohawk now?

[Joe]

He's a Florida guy, he'll manage.

Good luck to him. May the ladies of USF line up in droves for him.

[R.S.]

I'll always remember Burrell like with giant eagles wings, and singin' lead vocals for Lynyrd Skynyrd with like an angel band and I'm in the front row and I'm hammered drunk!

[Argive]

@ TC: I would wait until the season starts and we see how Ibanez does before calling the deal stupid. Hindsight's 20/20, and we all thought Pat was going to demand (and eventually get) way more than 2 years/16 mil. Does anyone here really think Amaro wouldn't have signed him for that little? It represents a huge pay cut for him, after all.

[Justin Evans]

Hard to know what he wants when you don't even talk to the guy.

[cottman&castor]

I really don't think this has anything to do with hindsight. Should we wait to see how Ibanez plays before calling the deal stupid...maybe. However, the fact that the Rays got him for 16 million proves that the Phils had NO interest in re-signing Pat at all.

[Joe]

According to DNL, the Phillies offered him 2 years/$22 million during the season, and wanted another year. Which means that the Phillies didn't want to wait on him so they moved with Ibanez, and had to take the next best offer.

[Jimm]

Yeah, by not talking to him the Phils basically gave him no chance and slapped him in the face. The 2 year 22 million rumor STILL persists even tho Pat said it never when beyond preliminary talks early in the season.

The in terms of the love-in. I can safely while I wasn't always behind him and even though he pissed me off to no end for several seasons, I NEVER called for his head. To me, the man is the personification of the Philadelphia Phillies. Streaky, overall disappointing (that is until the whole World Fucking Champions thing), but you love 'em just the same...

I guess that's why the organization has moved on. Maybe they feel they're too good to hold on to the past. Even though that past has treated them with the utmost respect and although at times tumultuous, ultimately ended in a championship.

Look for me on April 3rd, with a black arm band on my Burrell jersey, giving my favorite Phillie a standing O.

[mike c]

If the phils recieve their rings on opening night...does PTB go? The Rays won't have a game that night and will already be in town from the on deck series.

[Jimm]

on the 2 years $22mill:

There were reports earlier in the season that Burrell had turned down a 2-year, $22 million offer that would have kept him in red pinstripes. He addressed the issue reluctantly.

"This is all I'm going to say about it: Early in the season there were preliminary discussions about the possibility of an extension. And the truth of it is, it never got to be more than that. It just never did," he said. "The rest of the season went on and that was the end of the preliminary discussions. To be honest, nothing specific was ever talked about. Nothing official was offered. There were just some preliminary talks."

Then there were no talks at all.

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/sports/36154424.html

[bigmyc]

If ya think about it, in light of the sentiment regarding Pat's iminent departure, this developement is kinda sad.

[BR]

Don't get me wrong, I like Burrell and hope the best for him (and I'm extremely happy to see him leave Philly on such a high note after the years of criticism he stuck with it through), but I think this is the main reason Ibanez was a great move:

RISP/2-out, last three years:
Burrell: 204 Opportunities, .196 Avg, 67 RBIs
Ibanez: 200, .340, 95

Look at any other RISP stat for these two and you'll see basically the same thing.
And Ibanez's OBP was better in these situations too.

If he keeps putting up #s like these, it'll definitely be worth it. Can't wait for April

[jm]

That means we won't give him a standing ovation in Philly for a long while.

[theKrisheim]

"However, the fact that the Rays got him for 16 million proves that the Phils had NO interest in re-signing Pat at all."

ding, ding ding

XXXXXXX 1,000,000

NO ONE WANTS HIM - sorry phaithful

he was awesome here and terrible here, get over it

and give raul, and in this case Amaro, a chance

[Alex]

@ jm

He'll be here April 3rd and 4th.

[the bat]

@mike c

the Phils receive their rings on Wed April 8th a 3:05pm game...which i don't understand because opening night in front of a national audience sounds like a perfect time....

Pat you will be missed and I will be ordering my Pat Burrell Rays T-Shirt as soon as they become available

...you mind if i take care of business?

[Eric]

i going to miss pat the bat! =[ good luck in tamba pat. im sure we all miss u

[Eric]

ill miss u pat

[KG]

Plenty of time to call up tail while his team is on the field. win-win for bait.

[Terrence]

Pat i am going to miss your consistent inconsitent play that everyone seems to forget because of the world series. Thanks for sucking up so much money for a lack luster .250 average over your tenure. He is a good guy but not a good ball player, average yes but not werth the tons of money he sucked up for being right at the mendoza line half the time he was here.

[Stevek]

Even though Philly fans have plenty of reason to hate Tampa Bay sports, and even though the Phils beat the Rays in the World Series, I think I've found my favorite American League team. Best of luck to you Pat, the legend that is you will live on in Philly for years to come.

[Steve]

@thebat

Really? They get the rings than, I got tickets to opening night for Christmas and I'm not getting the ring ceremony, that's bullshit.

[will.H]

does he pack the buggy and ride the clydesdales to tampa? i love the big ol hammer. i think i liked him even more when he struggled. good pitching in the AL East, i wonder how long it will take pitchers to figure out that you cant burn him inside with a fastball.. only sliders

[timm]

the bat - when the white sox won a few years ago, they stretched all the ceremonies out over the first series. i'm guessing that is what the phils are doing to. first night, drop the banner. second night, trophy presentation. third game, rings. not saying i agree with it, but it is what teams are doing now to make the first series a bigger draw i guess.

[theKrisheim]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3812334

[Mark]

Can they still PLEASE play Dirty Laundry inbetween innings!!!???

[Lynniemac]

Okay, can we PLEASE get over all the money Pat sucked up for the lackluster .250 average over his tenure, as someone put it earlier?

After the debacles that were Curt Schilling, J. D. Drew, and Scott Rolen, fans and the media in this town were practically screaming to lock Pat up. Ed Wade, in a rather surprising move, gave everybody what they wanted, and at the time, 5 yrs/$50 mil had the potential to be a bargain. Did he live up to that potential? No, he didn't. It happens.

[John]

this just over the wire Romero suspended 50 games for supplement

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3812334

[WFC2008]

umm jc romero suspended?

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3812334

[Leroy]

Strippers and sorority girls in Tampa Bay beware. Rite Aids in the Tampa area better stock up on the morning after pill as well.

[ron]

it's official. i'm going to tampa for our series, and trying to get seats near the rays dugout!
fare thee well mr. bat.

[Jeff]

"I'm worried a bit about Pat in terms of the lack of night life in Tampa and St. Pete "

Shitload of strip clubs in Tampa, including the world famous Mons Venus (where all the Super Bowl winners will likely be just after the game, like the 2000 Ravens). Pat's gonna be makin it rain regularly there and in Ybor.