Andre Ethier Deserves More Respect

Most rumors don’t bother me much. Some do come true, but most are just what they are, a rumor. For the last couple of seasons we’ve been hearing multiple rumors about the Dodgers trading every one of their outfielders. According to the rumors, most have involved trading either Matt Kemp, or Andre Ethier.

Now I know from speaking with certain people, that the Dodgers had no intentions of trading Kemp or Ethier. Don’t believe the rumors. Sure the Dodgers fielded calls on both players. We heard that the Mariners were interested in both Kemp and Ethier at one time. But don’t be fooled. There was never a solid trade in the works for either. There was never a framework in place for a trade. The Dodgers had some phone conversations and that’s about as far as it went. Yes the Mariners were willing to part with certain players, and let the Dodgers know this. The conversations never got passed the initial stages. Nothing was ever close to fruition.

Nope, Ethier is not going to play for the Red Sox-Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Those rumors are annoying enough. But the Ethier wanting to go to Boston to play with his buddy Dustin Pedroia are even more annoying than any of these other trade rumors.

I had thought that finally we could put these stupid rumors behind us. We’ve made it through two hot stove seasons in a row without either player being traded. Kemp is still a Dodger, and Ethier is still a Dodger. Unfortunately, somebody decided to play telephone again, and opened their big mouth. According to some National League assistant,

"“He needs someone to kick him in the butt, that’s why he would be perfect in Boston with [Dustin] Pedroia. That’s his buddy, and Pedroia would get the most out of him. He doesn’t have anyone like that in L.A.,”"

This comment enrages me, and makes my blood boil. Where do I even start with this nonsense?

First of all, Andre Ethier doesn’t need anyone to “kick him in the butt”, like he’s some bum or something. This is a two-time all-star we’re talking about here, who is a career .290 hitter with 141 home runs, and an .832 OPS. I don’t think he needs a kick in the butt. He needs to stay healthy yes, but he does not need any kind of kick in the rear. be real. And I don’t want to hear the whole can’t hit left handers argument. If I were Ethier, and heard someone say that I would be offended. Actually, it is offensive. Ethier has always been a good player, and has done a lot for the organization over the last eight or nine years. It’s insulting to talk about him like he’s some kind of unaccomplished bench warmer that needs to be “kicked into gear”.

Now to the part that really bothers me. The part about him being a “perfect fit in Boston” just because he’s friends with Dustin Pedroia. His friendship with Pedroia doesn’t mean he’s going to leave for Boston, nor does that mean he’s a good fit for the Red Sox either. What if the Red Sox already have outfielders? First of all, Ethier is under contract, and unless the team trades him, he’s not going anywhere. If he was actually pining to go to Boston he wouldn’t have signed an extension with the Dodgers. This whole Ethier is friends with Pedroia so that must mean he wants to play in Boston baloney is retarded.

I’m sure Ethier has many friends in Baseball. So if Ethier has a friend who plays for the White Sox, does that mean he wants to play in Chicago? Is Ethier going to start following around his friends? Now you would think if Ethier was going to leave the Dodgers for any team, hypothetically speaking, it would be for the snakes, since he’s from Arizona, and his family lives out there. But again, I’m playing the telephone game and speculating. The whole thing is ridiculous. Enough!

And then this assistant goes on to say, “Pedroia would get the most out of him”. This is beyond stupid. Andre Ethier is a professional athlete. An MLB veteran of nine years, I don’t think he needs anyone to get the most out of him. I’m using air quotations as I’m writing this. He knows how to play Baseball.

He doesn’t have anything like that in LA? Uh-huh, sure. He just has thousands upon thousands of adoring fans, and his teammates who love and respect him. But not according to this guy.

I am so sick of the Ethier bashing that I can no longer stand it. People talk about him like he’s nothing. This anti-Ethier garbage needs to stop right now. This malarkey was started by some stat kids who didn’t like his defense and has been perpetuated by some of the other writers. It’s a shame that one of the longest tenured and most talented Dodgers over the last eight years has these terrible rumors spread about him.

I’ve never said Ethier is a superstar. But he is a solid player with a lot of talent. He may not be a spring chicken anymore, but he’s far from old. He’s done a lot for the Dodgers, and for all the walk-offs and amazing catches I feel he deserves more respect than this. He deserves more respect in general. Am I biased? Am I a big Ethier supporter? You better believe it.

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

I’m not saying Ethier will be a Dodger for his entire career. Odds are he’ll leave at some point towards the end of his playing days. He might even go to the American League one day, but not anytime soon. With the injuries to Kemp, and Crawford’s rustiness, and Puig’s shoulder, the Dodgers need Ethier. We’ve been over this a hundred times before.

This is like a game of telephone where one person says something to another person, and it gets passed down from one person to the next. Each time the rumor gets more watered down and more out of context. I’ve had enough of the Ethier bashing, and the ridiculous rumors that seem to follow him around. Stop the Ethier bashing, don’t listen to the rumor mill, and don’t play the telephone/speculation game. Ethier deserves more respect than this. Oh and by the way, since we’re talking about the telephone game, tell the person next to you I said purple monkey dishwasher.