J.P. Arencibia has been complaining to the media about about how mean Gregg Zaun and Dirk Hayhurst are, yet again.
Now, the first time he popped off about how terrible he was being treated in the media, I wrote it off to blowing off steam. Everyone's allowed to do that, once. I didn't like the way he tried to make it sound like he was talking for his teammates and I thought the comments about Zaun's PED history were below the belt, but all-in-all, I generally think we all deserve to blow off steam occasionally. I've done it, I'm sure you've done it. Generally, we don't do it on the radio but still, we all need to let off steam. JP has never really had to deal with failure before, it's tough, especially in front of millions of people.
When he's at it again, two weeks later, on MLB Radio, no less....I have far less patience for it. It shows that he is fixating on this. It's been a tough season, but JP should have better things to do with his time than to worry about what some talking heads are saying. Honestly JP, you said your piece a couple of weeks ago, now shut up about it.
The fourth-year backstop joined "Inside Pitch" with Casey Stern and Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio on Friday and said certain members of the media "that we employ" are too negative.
"We employ". If I was Zaun I'd go ask JP for a raise.
Of course there is no part of a 'we' that includes Arencibia who employs Gregg and Dirk. Now, I don't expect a major league catcher to understand how a large company like Rogers works but I would expect someone would tell him that he isn't the boss of every Rogers employee.
But the best part about his rant, this time, is this:
I talked to our president about the issue [and asked], "How do you build a fan base when everything that fans are hearing is negative? You don't build a fan base just by having somebody who works for you throw out negative stuff all day long.
He went to Paul Beeston to complain about Zaun and Hayhurst? Isn't that the equivalent of running to daddy to whine that someone was mean too you? Can you imagine being Beeston? Your secretary buzzes you, "Paul there is a Mr. Arencibia here to see you". He comes in and asks you to fire two people that aren't your employees, and you have to spend your time explaining how a corporation works, when you'd much rather be out golfing.
And, really, the bad part isn't that he went to Beeston, though that's incredibly dumb. The bad part is that he tells the media that he did it. Isn't that something that you wouldn't want to have come out in the media? You want everyone to know that you went whining to daddy that people were being mean to you and you want them beaten up?
It really is time for JP to grow up, to concentrate on baseball, to prove Gregg and Dirk wrong on the field. That's where his talking should be done, on the field. If you have a .253 OBP, you really have have to expect people to criticize you. I have an idea, play good and they won't criticize.
Maybe now is the time that John Gibbons could go over to JP, quietly and away from microphones, and tell him to stop this crap and start worrying about keeping his job.