Ross Gload Picked Up an Extra $50,000 in Oakland

by Freneau on Jul 31, 2008 11:21 PM EDT

Alright, not really. But check this out, according to the legendary Cot's site:

Ross Gload 1b
2 years/$3.2M (2008-09), plus 2010 club option

re-signed 1/18/08 (avoided arbitration)

08:$1.3M, 09:$1.9M, 10:$2.6M club option

2010 option increases to $2.8M with 1,100 PAs in 2008-09, $3M with 1,200 PAs in 2008-09

annual performance bonuses:

$50,000 each for 300, 350, 400 PAs

$75,000 each for 450, 500 PAs

award bonuses: $50,000 each for All Star, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, LCS MVP, $0.1M each for WS MVP, MVP ($50,000 for 2nd-5th)

Thanks to Hillman's remarkable fidelity to Gload (43 straight starts I believe), our man Rossie has now topped the 300 PA plateau, doing so in the second game of the Oakland series.

If The Explosion gets to 500 PAs, he'll have totaled an extra $300,000 in pay. That isn't insignificant for a guy only making 1.3 million.

Ross is Boss.

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Comments

joel's

gonna call you a hater.

Don't Stop Believing!

by KC Chris on Jul 31, 2008 2:33 PM EDT reply actions

I don't know who should be more embarrassed

Dayton Moore for signing him to a 2-year deal, Trey Hillman for overplaying him, or Joel for defending him.

Let’s call it a gentleman’s tie.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by Scott McKinney on Jul 31, 2008 2:37 PM EDT reply actions

Its a conspiracy

Obviously Ross is paying Hillman to put him in thelineup.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Jul 31, 2008 2:37 PM EDT reply actions

Crazy idea:

Why not have a bonus that takes a bit stricter view of “performance”

LIke I said elsewhere, I’m guessing there is an “attempted steals” bonus lurking in theire somewhere…

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by Matt Klaassen on Jul 31, 2008 2:43 PM EDT reply actions

This is a really stupid performance incentive for a guy that has spent his career as a bench player. Usually playing time incentives are for guys that are always injured (see Sweeney, Mike). Gload’s ABs are dependent on his manager and how foolish he is for playing him.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Jul 31, 2008 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Many players get playing time incentives in their contracts...not just injured ones

It’s basically a “Pay me X if I’m a bench player, but pay me Y if I’m a regular” contract. It’s also pretty common for relievers (like Riske’s contract last year and Yabuta’s contract this year).

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by Scott McKinney on Jul 31, 2008 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions

and vesting of options for players like Grudz

Don't Stop Believing!

by KC Chris on Aug 1, 2008 9:36 AM EDT up reply actions

And Yabuta

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by Scott McKinney on Aug 1, 2008 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Odd as it may sound,

I believe it is against the collective bargining agreement to tie incentives to performance. I think they can only be tied to awards and playing time.

www.rockchalktalk.com for pretty good KU baseball coverage

by James Quinn on Jul 31, 2008 3:40 PM EDT up reply actions

i believe you are right

by Freneau on Jul 31, 2008 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions

I think you can tie them to performance

in a “lead the league” sense, but you cannot tie them to an actual number. We can blame Chuck Comiskey for that one.

Sarcasm™. It's the new gravy.

by jonfmorse on Jul 31, 2008 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Here, then,

Why not just give Ross an incentive clause along the lines of: no worse than the second worst of qualifying first basemen.

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by Matt Klaassen on Jul 31, 2008 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Aaaah

another fan of the wonderful movie “Eight Men Out”

by loyal2sdad on Jul 31, 2008 5:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Great movie.

by rockchalk on Jul 31, 2008 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions

at least the Wal-Mart fortune is safe

from the assorted all-star, silver slugger, gold glove, and MVP bonuses.

by loyal2sdad on Jul 31, 2008 5:29 PM EDT reply actions

Hey, good for him

Its not Gloadie’s fault that Hillman keeps playing him every day.

by raefzilla on Aug 1, 2008 1:28 AM EDT reply actions

I wonder why...

...Gload gets the “good for him; it’s really Hillman’s fault for playing him” vibe, but TPJ didn’t get the same thing? I’m not hanging this just on you, raefzilla. There’s been lots of “don’t blame Gload” comments today. Seems like everyone was happy to blame TPJ for his performance as well as blaming Hillman for playing him.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by Scott McKinney on Aug 1, 2008 1:34 AM EDT up reply actions

Interesting question

and I actually had to ponder it, because I realized I felt the same way.

I have reached the answer. Gload is Gload. I mean, we watch him hit, and there’s nothing really leaping out. Yeah, he’s a little hacktastic, but that’s not really the problem; Gload’s problem is that he just can’t HIT well. I don’t think there’s much you can do with a guy who, on those occasions where he waits on a good pitch and gets it, pops out to shallow center field.

TPJ, on the other hand… the flaw in his swing was noticed not only by Barnett but by half the people on this site. Barnett talked to Pena about it. Pena made an adjustment, which we all also noticed. And Pena actually started hitting a little better for a few days.

Then Pena went back to the old stance and swing and began sucking ass again.

So, with Gload… I mean, if someone could spot a problem, bring it to his attention, and give him a chance to make an adjustment… well, he’d still not hit with enough power for his bat to play at 1B, but maybe he could at least reach the level of a career-peak Todd Benzinger or a career-average Wally Joyner. A player like that is at least worth playing regularly.

I think that’s the difference. It looks to us like Gload’s at least doing as well as he can, whereas we know Pena can do better because we saw him do it then abandon the approach.

Sarcasm™. It's the new gravy.

by jonfmorse on Aug 1, 2008 2:47 AM EDT up reply actions

I really think you're putting way too much on choice

I don’t think TPJ is stubbornly choosing to go his own way. I just think when he gets up there, he locks into the only way he knows how to hit. It’s not that easy to just change your approach at the plate. Just like Gload (or pretty much any other player), he is what he is. That’s the kind and quality of hitter he is. I think you are attempting to rationalize the irrational.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by Scott McKinney on Aug 1, 2008 2:51 AM EDT up reply actions

We're back to confusing moral responsibility with plain-ol suckitude again

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by Matt Klaassen on Aug 1, 2008 3:12 AM EDT up reply actions

If you are a major league hitter

it most certainly IS easy to change your approach at the plate. Indeed, that is the very definition of a major-league hitter: someone who’s able to make those adjustments.

Regardless, the fact remains that Pena did make an adjustment with the assistance of the team’s coaching staff. The adjustment was actually very successful; Pena went on a mini-tear that almost got him out of the Mendoza zone. Then he just gave it up and went back to holding his goddamned bat down at the knob and trying to hit home runs.

That’s all on him.

And, amazingly, Hillman responded to that by yanking him out of the lineup, which I think is a very interesting morality tale.

Sarcasm™. It's the new gravy.

by jonfmorse on Aug 1, 2008 3:48 AM EDT up reply actions

very good point jonfmorse...

I, personally, thought Gload could hit better than he is, but I have noticed that when he gets his pitch to hit, he blows it…I think if he just tried to hit, and not slap the ball around like Ichiro, he might be fine…I mean he did hit over .300 in quite a few ABs before coming to KC right?...I think all we want if he is gonna be an everyday 1B, is to at least hit .300 with no power…I can’t believe Gload became Captain Hacktastic…Teahen’s gotten that way too…doesn’t a coach or 2 need blamed for this…we all see the promise in our players and these coaches are either babying them too much, or just flat out teaching them the wrong thing

Don't be lonesome for your heroes. Be your own hero.

by PhattStairs on Aug 2, 2008 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions

If I had to make a guess at this

it would because TPJ is historically awful, and his defense is average to slightly better than average, where as Gload sucks, but is not as bad as TPJ. Keep in mind that TPJ can’t hit, can’t run, can’t bunt, etc., etc. Glaod’s number are better than TPJ across the board.

All that said, neither should be playing every day. TPJ should be in the minors (if he’s picked off waivers, oh well), and Gload should be a bench player period. See if Shealy can play. See if Butler can play. Hell, find anyone and put them at first and see what happens. I don’t care as long as both Gload and TPJ are not in the lineup.

by nkkc on Aug 1, 2008 10:08 AM EDT up reply actions

Difference is that Gload's "better numbers" are canceled out by playing first base

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by Matt Klaassen on Aug 1, 2008 11:22 AM EDT up reply actions

In a season where we've been subjected to one of the worst everyday offensive shortstops of all time

We also get to watch one of the worst everyday offensive 1B’s in the history of baseball.

by Top Ramen on Aug 1, 2008 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions

but think of all the runs they save in the field!!!!!

The concept of progress acts as a protective mechanism to shield us from the terrors of the future. - Collected sayings of Muad'Dib

by buddyball on Aug 1, 2008 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions

I think they've both been hated on quite a bit...

some of the more positive Gload comments may be b/c of “steve phillips” return…

also, Gload is old, is on the biggest contract he’ll ever get, has already spent a decade languishing

TPJ was essentially handed a job out of nowhere

by Freneau on Aug 1, 2008 12:15 PM EDT up reply actions

gload and TPJ both suck

where tpj happens.

by blue bandwagon on Aug 1, 2008 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Also, I believe...

that if Billy Butler were hitting like Mike Aviles, EVERYONE would want Gload on the bench…like TPJ. There is nobody hitting like Aviles to take Gload’s spot in the roster.

by stlfan on Aug 1, 2008 2:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Shealy

IIRC, Aviles was tearing up Omaha and people were defending the Royals not calling him up, claiming he wasn’t a real prospect.

by jbrocato on Aug 2, 2008 6:52 AM EDT up reply actions

That's just sad

Ross Gload sucks ass. I know. Shocking World News there, huh? But, seriously, If we have “The Boss” in 2009 and 2010, we aren’t trying to put a winning product on the field. The contract basically says, “If we don’t find somebody better than you, we’ll just pay you.” Does that seem like a winning solution to anyone else? Well, not me. I’m neither a fan of Gload (he sucks and should be held accountable as such), nor much of a fan of this front office right now. We’d better be closer to playoff contention than this season looks like because this is not the AL Central Champ of 2009, 2010, or anytime soon. If Ross Gload is your starting 1B, you’d better start looking for something better.

Yes, I'm still alive. Sorry to disappoint you.

by royaldaddy on Aug 1, 2008 1:53 AM EDT reply actions

So true

SHEALY NOW!

Rowdy Hardy Fan Club member.

by doublestix on Aug 1, 2008 4:26 AM EDT up reply actions

Not getting sucked in this time

Shealy is a AAA/AAAA player. Nothing more.

Guys can crush AAA mistakes and die in the bigs- and all I heard about the past two STs was Shealy’s slow bat.

Give him a look? Sure, for two reasons:
1) He probably WILL be better than Gload at the plate.
2) He will open up a spot for Mai Tai aka Kila Kaaihue to play in Omaha

But it’s not realistic to think that he can be a long term solution at first.

But if we see him trotting his carcass out to first over the next two years, you’ll know royaldaddy is right. We’ve got an important off-season coming up.

. . . a weary nation turns to Gil Meche

by vegasroyals on Aug 1, 2008 9:21 AM EDT up reply actions