Jay Gibbons Likes To Play
Baseball June 17th. 2008, 4:30pm
Former Oriole, Jay Gibbons has signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Independent League. The HGH-orderer and Mitchell Report star, has been trying to catch on with a major league club for the last 2 and a half months. Though not because of financial troubles. From ESPN:
Gibbons was released the Baltimore Orioles just before Opening Day after hitting .189 with no homers and four RBIs in 16 games during spring training. The 31-year-old outfielder is owed $11.9 million by the Orioles for 2008 and 2009 under the $21.1 million, four-year contract he agreed to in January 2006.
They guy is set for life. (Though maybe he’s worried about the shaky economy. *Tugs shirt collar*) He should be spending his days laughing and drinking Long Island Iced Teas with Kevin Brown, but apparently, he just wants to play.
So bad in fact, that in May he wrote a letter to all 30 Major League teams begging for a shot at a minor league contract. Getting no response from any real teams – probably due to the fact that Major League organizations don’t have mail rooms anymore due to the advent of “e-mail,” Gibbons had to turn where many former big-leaguers looking for one last shot do – the independent Atlantic League.
“Through our first 11 seasons, the Atlantic League has returned over 350 players back to affiliated organizations and 45 players to the major leagues,” Ducks owner Frank Boulton said in a statement on the team’s Web site. “We’re hopeful Jay can help us win while proving that he’s healthy and ready to contribute at the major league level.”
You just have to wonder if Gibbons will make the splash that Jose Offerman made with the Ducks.
[ESPN]
31 Responses to “Jay Gibbons Likes To Play”
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June 17th, 2008 at 4:33 PM
Further proof that steriods work!
June 17th, 2008 at 4:36 PM
Long Island Ducks, where baseball outcasts go to die.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:37 PM
As a Mets fan (bows head in shame), he’s gotta be as good as Delgado?
June 17th, 2008 at 4:39 PM
As you stated, it’s not about the money. With most of these guys, their whole lives have been consumed with playing a sport, and when they lose their gift they don’t know what to do with themselves.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:39 PM
I saw the Ducks play in Somerset, NJ last summer. Its almost surreal seeing all those washed up major-leaguers (Carl Everett was a pinch hitter) and managers (sparky lyle coaches the somerset patriots)
June 17th, 2008 at 4:41 PM
I got to see Ozzie Canseco play Carlos Baerga at a Ducks game as Bill Pulsipher pitched…and yes..as good as advertised.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:45 PM
My wife went to High School with Jay. He is a very nice guy, still doesn’t excuse the PED’s. Hope he makes a comeback.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:47 PM
Owl…ther are plenty of excuses for the PEDs as in the 21 million of them he is still owed…he has nothing to be sorry about
June 17th, 2008 at 4:49 PM
Good point, I guess it’s like being a mortgage broker in the early 2000’s.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:50 PM
If taking steroids was going to make me a major league baseball player Id dump it all out into a tub and take a bath in them.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:52 PM
Freaking took the bat with him. Eeeeeaaaassssyyyyyy big fella.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:52 PM
Hell, I’d have taken pretty much anything if it meant I could have continued playing amateur rugby.
You don’t want to know what I’d have done to play major league baseball.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:53 PM
Just installed Firefox 3 here at work. Good stuff.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:54 PM
Billy, you must be in pretty rough shape, because there are some guys in my league that make a mockery of the term “athlete”.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:55 PM
If anyone is watching the Rice/LSU game – a guy for LSU just made the gayest slide into home in the history of baseball.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:55 PM
When the roosters are crowin’ and the cows are spinnin’ circles in the pastures; ducks fly together.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:56 PM
+ a billion to goathair. Great movie.
rittyrich, true, but there’s not much he could have done.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:56 PM
What?
June 17th, 2008 at 4:57 PM
Must be a hockey movie reference if Fetch got it.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:58 PM
I know the type… it’s ironic that I’m more fit now than when I played. It’s the neck and shoulder that keep me from playing. How many injuries and reconstructive surgeries do you have before you realize that it’s time to hang up the cleats?
For me, it was two neck injuries and a third potential shoulder surgery.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:59 PM
Might Ducks 2, but I don’t get the relevance.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:59 PM
Fetch – he could have gone around, gone through, jumped over…not a pussified combo of all 3. It looked like he was apologizing before he even hit the catcher. I bet he’s mormon.
June 17th, 2008 at 5:01 PM
rittyrich- you can’t plow the catcher in college baseball, and if you leap a catcher you’re automatically out. and if he would have gone around he would have been out of the baseline.
June 17th, 2008 at 5:02 PM
@ritty. He’s from LSU. He’s probably just drunk.
June 17th, 2008 at 5:03 PM
@fetch. I don’t think you can intentionally run over the catcher, like lowering the shoulder style, but can’t you “slide” into them and pretty much roll them over?
June 17th, 2008 at 5:04 PM
ark- I suppose, but they were pretty far up the baseline, I don’t see how he gets to home plate, if I understand what you’re describing.
June 17th, 2008 at 5:08 PM
@fetch. I didn’t see it, so I’m not sure. But if they were up the baseline that makes sense.
Sweet avatar by the way.
June 17th, 2008 at 5:10 PM
thanks ark. I am quite hostile and abusive. If Rice blows this game it will be a pretty big choke.
June 17th, 2008 at 5:10 PM
speak of the devil.
June 17th, 2008 at 5:22 PM
thanks for heads up clown, just downloaded firefox 3.0 as well, nice.
June 17th, 2008 at 5:42 PM
@ Thor: I’m sure Sparky would like a shot at the majors, but you can’t beat that kind of local celebrity he is at games.