We have seen this reaction from Cooper during the last regular season. He isn't a happy camper. Two straight shutouts pitched against the Astros in the spring doesn't make him feel better.
Coop feels like ripping a new "you-know-what" in some of the players. But he decides to hold a closed door meeting with his coaches instead. I wonder if he got it off his chest by ripping them instead? He says the coaches were ordered to convey the proper message about attention to detail to the players.
Here is what Cooper said, according to the chron.com's blog by McTaggert:
"It's about how you play, how you go about your business," he said. "If you lose, you lose, and that's OK. It's how you do it. Body language, the effort, those kinds of things. That's what bothers you more than anything else.,,,
"You think the level (of effort) would be up really high because there is some people still fighting for spots," Cooper said. "Contrary to what people think there are spots to be had and your level needs to be at that level. There's no guarantees in this game. There's none. You think you've got a starting spot or backup spot and you cruise through it, there are some people that are hungry here.
"I see some individuals that are hungry, but I see some individuals who are cruising along. It has to pick up. Those are just facts. A lot of people I haven't seen before they you need to impress me in some ways. If you get outs, you have to at least show me you have some get up about you."
Some players are hungry...and some should be hungry but they aren't, apparently. I guess Cooper should close down the buffet line and make them all hungry.
0 recs | 7 comments
It's only spring training but....
Veterans set the example for the guys in the majors. How many times have you heard an interview where a veteran (say Pat Burrel) says he was brought in not only for production but to mentor/advise younger guys that might be taking his spot in the next few years. It sets a bad precedent and guys, young or not, when they think their spot is locked down just start to slack off because spring training doesnt count in the standings. Work ethic, not natural talent, is what got guys like Eckstein into the majors. To me it’s sad that managers dont seem to hold as much weight with players as they used to say 20 years ago.
oneseasoncom - March 7, 2009
Coop --Check out Pudge
Pudge Rodiguez is 4 for 4 in first WBC game (including 2 home runs and a walk). Is that what you ’re looking for, Cecil?
Joe in Birmingham - March 7, 2009
ahem
Do not go gentle into a game with no-hit,
The coach should burn and rave at poor approach
Rage, rage against those playing like shit.
Only_A_Lad - March 7, 2009
good stuff
Trei Brundrett - March 7, 2009
Dylan Thomas would be proud...
assuming he was a baseball fan.
TexSkins - March 8, 2009
the veteran newcomers signed during the off-season...
seem definitely referred to in the next-to-last sentence: “they need to impress me”—that wouldn’t apply to some A-level rookie who’s a ways away from contributing, and I would think NRIs would be working hard to make an impression because nothing at all is promised to them.
Sounds like he’s saying something like Wade and McLane may have brought you in, but you still have to prove it to me if you don’t want to collect your little one-last-fling, going-away-tour paycheck as merely a bench jockey. But I’m just guessing (especially since I haven’t really followed/studied the results of the few spring games so far).
Another way to put it: you guys, depsite your past laurels with other clubs in the past, are not getting paid THAT much by recent standards—you’re getting paid at something approaching replacement-player rates—so don’t assume for a minute you won’t end up spending the bulk of ’09 on the bench like any replacement-level player if you show me nothing in spring.
va que va - March 7, 2009
or not be on the team at all
nothing guaranteed
Joe in Birmingham - March 7, 2009
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