After a three week retirement, Derrick Mason announced yesterday that he would return to the Balmer Ravens. It's only slightly hyperbolic to say that he just turned the Ravens back into Super Bowl contenders.
After four months of ineptitude at the plate, Balmer Orioles third baseman Melvin Mora complained that manager Dave Trembley did not respect him because he had been benched for three-of-four games against the Boston Red Sox.
Two major stories in Balmer sports this weekend. Two completely different situations. And each one so compelling in my mind that there was no choice but to write about it on www.thebaltimorons.com (if anyone is still reading ... tell your friends!)
Mason received a lot of flack three weeks ago for announcing his retirement after an offseason in which he was reportedly seeking a contract extension from the Ravens. This was a contract ploy, fans proclaimed. An absolute disgrace that he'd announce it through a marketing firm, sportswriters decried. He just doesn't want to go to training camp, others thought.
It smacked of deception by Mason at the time, without doubt. Until you really started thinking.
Mason played with one arm for half of last season and still remained Balmer's top receiver. He never complained. He's 35 years old, and by now his body is surely asking him, in daily installments, "Derrick, what in the holy #$(@ are you doing to me?"
Mason is a fiery competitor. He proved that last season especially. But what us in the media mean when we call a player "fiery" is really that he is emotional (emotional just doesn't sound quite as tough, you see, as fiery).
So, then, it isn't a leap to say that the murder of his longtime quarterback, Steve McNair, sent Mason into an emotional tailspin. His shoulder hurt. He was getting older, he wondered if it was time to hang it up and re-introduce himself to his family. And then on top of all that, the man who gave him the ball for the vast majority of his career was suddenly gunned down.
All athletes -- especially professional athletes -- often think they are invincible. The fans tend to think that way too. McNair had disproved that theory with his tragic death. Do you really think that didn't hit Mason square in the jaw?
So, the emotional player made a knee-jerk, emotional decision. He retired. It was all too much for him.
Those who knew him best, who spent the most time with him, understood that. That's why coach John Harbaugh said early on that he thought Mason would change his mind. That's why Ozzie Newsome seemed content to sign journeyman Drew Bennett (who retired two days later, anyway). Harbaugh and Newsome thought Mason would return once he had time to let all the information sink in. It was a gamble, sure. But Newsome is an experienced poker player.
It's worked out pretty will for him for the Ravens in the past, wouldn't you say?
So Mason is back. Oh, and the contract situation? According to The Baltimore Sun's Jamison Hensley, Mason's back without a contract extension. The emotional wide receiver just wants to play football. And he only missed one week of camp, so the suggestion that the veteran didn't want to come to practice seems a moot point.
Mason's a wide receiver, so it's required that he have a selfish personality. But as wide receivers go, he may be one of the least selfish in the game for as successful as he has been. It certainly appears that Mason's retirement -- which could have been construed as a threat -- was not a selfish ploy for more money or less time on the hot turf at McDaniel College.
Now, for the other M, Mora.
For nine seasons Melvin has been an effective player for the Balmer Orioles. He's been a bright spot, someone that I've enjoyed watching play. He's been a leader on and off the field. Remember, it was Mora who called Miguel Tejada and convinced him to stop his griping when the shortstop demanded a trade a few seasons back. I'm a Melvin Mora fan, and frankly, he should be considered for induction into the Oriole Hall of Fame once he retires.
But he's way, way off base with his comments today that Trembley does not respect him.
First, airing dirty laundry like that in the media is never a good idea. As a reporter/blogger, I love it because it gives me something to write about. As a fan, though, it leaves a nasty feeling in my stomach. As a fan, I want to believe that Mora is the consummate team player that I've known him to be for nine seasons. Remember, there were years at the beginning of his O's career when Mora would come to the ballpark every day not knowing which of the nine positions he'd be playing. And he never once complained.
Melvin's frustrated, and that's understandable. He's been an All Star since moving to third base permanently. He's played hurt and he's produced. And now, at age 37, his skills have eroded. The former top-to-middle of the order hitter is now best suited for the nine-hole. He has three homeruns and 27 RBIs. He's hitting in the .250-.260 range. And his contract is up at season's end.
Mora's future isn't as the O's third baseman. Mora's future probably isn't as an everyday player in the majors, not at age 37.
Dave Trembley is perhaps the most player-friendly manager this organization has had in the last decade, which is both a strength and a weakness. Remember, the manager that Mora says is disrespecting him is the same guy who allowed Miguel Tejada to extend his consecutive games streak by recording one first inning at bat before being replaced in the lineup, announces his starting lineup for the next day a game in advance and allowed Mora himself to play through nearly three-quarters of the 2009 season despite numbers that keep getting worse, not better. Trembley has shown Melvin more than enough respect. He's been more than fair.
No one wants to finish their career on the bench, but Mora's limping to the finish line. Not to mention the simple fact that, with a last-place team on the field, Trembley's managing for his professional life.
You've been a great Oriole, Melvin, and by all accounts a wonderful teammate and member of the community.
But like most of your Balmer teammates, you've been caught way off base on this one.
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