Greedy? Not Beede

BY MIKE CORMACK

sportsnet.ca

During Friday’s roundtable on Prime Time Sports, an exasperated Damien Cox remarked: “This Anthopoulos honeymoon is reaching, like, epic dimensions.”

He could have just as easily been referring to the Tyler Beede debate which, in a way, he was.

In the wee hours of Aug. 15, the 18-year-old Toronto Blue Jays first-round pick (21st overall) spurned the club’s $2.5 million offer and instead packed his bags for Nashville to play college ball at Vanderbilt.

He was the only 2011 first-round pick not to sign.

Yet nearly a week later, the debate over whether the Jays erred in drafting him, and the desire to understand how a young man from a middle class family could turn down so much guaranteed money, rages on.

On Friday’s PTS when the discussion turned to Beede, CBC’s Elliotte Freidman called it a “hugely overrated story,” prompting Cox to argue that anytime you don’t sign a first-rounder, it’s a mistake.

When Freidman countered that selecting Beede was a risk the Jays could afford to take, and therefore not a mistake, Cox had enough.

“The honeymoon is so amazing here,” he said in reference to Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos. “This guy can draft players and not sign them and people say ‘it’s great.’

“Everybody loves everything this guy does and he’s done a lot of good things,” Cox continued. “Right now he’s on a honeymoon, he’s in his second year and good for him.

You’re going to make moves; you’re going to make mistakes. This was a mistake.”

You can listen to the full segment here:

Cox isn’t alone as many believe drafting Beede was indeed a mistake given his firm asking price of $3.5 million and his stated intention to attend Vanderbilt.

But there is also merit to Friedman’s argument that the Jays could afford to roll the dice given their surplus of 2011 picks and their willingness to offer Beede more cash than most other clubs.

But where we lost Cox was when he implied that those in defence of the Beede selection—including Friedman—were simply drinking the Jays’ “Kool-Aid.”

Granted, having spent the majority of his career covering the Toronto Maple Leafs, Cox’s Kool-Aid radar is probably more finely tuned than most, but to suggest any argument defending the pick is simply based on fan and media infatuation with the Jays’ young GM, is unfair and too simplistic.

Perhaps that’s why the venomous tone between Cox and Freidman carried over into the following segment on NCAA corruption.

It all made for some some entertaining, albeit petty at times, radio.

Beede’s coach talks to Fan 590

Meanwhile, earlier Friday on Sportsnet Radio Fan 590, the psychoanalysis of Beede’s decision continued, this time in an interview with his new college coach, Vanderbilt’s Tim Corbin.

You can listen to the full interview here:

What we learned:

- Corbin grew up with Beede’s dad.

- Tyler has known Corbin since Grade 9 when he attended his baseball camp.

- Corbin believes his relationship with Tyler’s dad may have played a role in the decision.

- Corbin thought there was a “great chance” Beede would sign with Jays.

- Beede’s family is not well-off, but “middle class.”

Count us in the minority willing to defend Beede’s decision to attend school.

If this kid really is serious about wanting to earn a degree—and reportedly become the first member of his family to do so—while also getting the opportunity to live the campus life of a star pitcher playing for a coach he knows and trusts, then who are we to argue?

Sure, there’s a risk Beede suffers an arm injury along the way or doesn’t develop as hoped, but as Corbin pointed out, $2.5 million is a lot of money, but not enough to live off of for the rest of your life.

And yes, Beede could have always gone back to school had his pro career not panned out, but would you rather walk the campus grounds of Vanderbilt as a 25-year-old, washed up ex-ballplayer, or as an 18-year-old star prospect with unlimited potential?

Suddenly, his decision doesn’t seem so crazy.

For what it’s worth, here’s how the locals at CBS Boston reacted to Beede’s decision.

You can also follow us on Twitter: @mikecormack

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