Larry LaRue Explains Rumor Mongering

Dave · November 4, 2008 at 8:31 am · Filed Under Mariners 

Seriously, this is about as good an explanation as you’ll ever hear for why you shouldn’t get all wrapped up in the stuff that gets printed in the papers right now.

Among the dozens of assistant GMs wandering the halls of the St. Regis was Bob Boone.

Boone, the father of Bret and Aaron, is a former manager and once came to spring training for Seattle – and didn’t make the team.

Now, he’s with the Washington Nationals.
As he walked by a handsome, manly writer he knew well, Boone asked how things were going.

“Would you like to be a managerial candidate in Seattle?” the writer asked.

“Sure, put me on the list,” Boone said.

So, GM Meeting Update!!

Bob Boone is a possible candidate for the vacant Mariners managerial job.

That’s how it works here….

He’s not kidding either. You’d need to own a salt mine in order to have enough grains to take these rumors with. However, LaRue’s blog has been pretty entertaining the last few days. You might say he finds the hotel where the GM meetings are being held to be a little bit overpriced…

Comments

28 Responses to “Larry LaRue Explains Rumor Mongering”

  1. Steve T on November 4th, 2008 9:06 am

    If you think about it, it could be as simple as someone saying “well, we’re sure not looking at Bob Boone to manage” and having someone walk by just in time to hear “looking at Bob Boone to manage”. Or the biggest nut in the world throwing out the name, to universal sneers and jeers, but having a reporter only hear the name. Note also that it would be spectacularly easy to seed these eavesdropping moments to throw people off deliberately.

  2. JMHawkins on November 4th, 2008 9:10 am

    You might say he finds the hotel where the GM meetings are being held to be a little bit overpriced…

    And LaRue is surprised by this because the food, drink and parking at your typical MLB stadium are all so reasonable.

    Reading some of his down-blog entries, I saw the Steve Moss signing. Hmm, might just be organizational filler, but it seems like a good move from Zduriencik. Essentially no-cost with some potential upside – a definite improvement over the high-cost-potential-downside signings we’ve gotten used to.

  3. bakomariner on November 4th, 2008 9:20 am

    I think Z has made a couple good moves so far…Signing Moss can’t hurt…putting Wilson on the 40-Man to protect him…calling Ibanez (and I don’t want Raul back, but calling him is a very classy move)…

    So far (and I know it’s the SMALLEST of sample sizes) I like what is happening…

    Now hopefully we don’t hear anything crazy in the next few days…

  4. Typical Idiot Fan on November 4th, 2008 9:40 am

    Despite LaRue’s kvetching about the cost of things there, he appears to be having fun:

    Zduriencik might be talking to his old team, the Brewers, who figure to lose C.C. Sabathia and Ben Sheets to free agency, leaving gaping holes in their rotation.

    Jarrod Washburn, anyone? How about a nice Carlos Silva?

    Yes, the local writers are smarter then our previous GM.

  5. irish on November 4th, 2008 9:47 am

    From LaRue’s next-most-recent post:

    Raul Ibanez can’t talk contract with another team until Nov. 14, but that hasn’t stopped the Cubs and Mets from telling him they’re interested. That doesn’t bode well for the Mariners keeping him.

    Maybe that doesn’t “bode well” to LaRue, but it warms my heart to know that Ibanez should have some suitors in free agency if the M’s offer him arbitration. Surely Jacky Z knows the value of those compensatory draft picks a lot better than Bavasi did.

  6. bakomariner on November 4th, 2008 9:51 am

    I hope Raul gets the arbi offer, declines it, goes on to win a World Series before he retires…win-win situation…

  7. BBOneFive on November 4th, 2008 10:15 am

    If Raul has the likes of the Mets and Cubs talking to him, there is no way he accepts arbitration and comes back to Seattle. I’m not so sure he’d come back even if they offered him a competitive extension. I will wish him well when he’s gone.

  8. msb on November 4th, 2008 10:15 am

    but that hasn’t stopped the Cubs and Mets from telling him they’re interested.

    I love the idea that Lou might be the one agitating to get the Eyebanez kid back.

  9. BBOneFive on November 4th, 2008 10:16 am

    I love the idea that Lou might be the one agitating to get the Eyebanez kid back.

    Lou has said he wants another LH bat. Is there a better one on the FA market that won’t command $20MM?

  10. smb on November 4th, 2008 10:24 am

    I also heard from Seth Everett that the Rays might be interested in Griffey. That flies in the face of their apparent franchise-wide enlightenment, doesn’t it?

    Don’t know if anyone else heard, but Tuba Man (Edward McMichael) was apparently murdered. Sadly, I don’t believe this is even a rumor. Sad, sad day for anyone who’s been going to M’s games for the past couple decades. He’ll be missed.

  11. msb on November 4th, 2008 10:27 am

    Lou has said he wants another LH bat.

    Lou always wants another bat.

  12. msb on November 4th, 2008 10:30 am

    Don’t know if anyone else heard, but Tuba Man (Edward McMichael) was apparently murdered.

    yup.

  13. wabbles on November 4th, 2008 10:38 am

    Ah yes, who can forget that scintillating rumor posted in this very space at almost exactly this time (Nov. 11) in 2005?

    Cuban vampire baby pitcher throws 104mph escapes to Costa Rica, Yankees interested!

    Whatever happened to that kid anyway? Costa Rican sun get to him?

  14. wabbles on November 4th, 2008 10:38 am

    Yes, I heard about Tuba Man, that is tragic.

  15. galaxieboi on November 4th, 2008 10:55 am

    That’s terrible. Talk about a fixture.

  16. mrmitra on November 4th, 2008 11:01 am

    I didnt recognize the name “Tuba Man” but recognized the picture. I remember going to Mariner games with him playing the Mariners theme tune. Rest in peace. Maybe in heaven the Sonics still play in Seattle.

  17. Carson on November 4th, 2008 1:48 pm

    Wow, that is really sad about Tuba Man. He was really funny when he was in the games dancing all crazy. I also saw him a few times at bars after the games.

    He was a really funny and entertaining dude. Going to be odd not to see him at games. He was up there with Moose Man and Rick the peanut guy.

  18. msb on November 4th, 2008 1:59 pm

    hey, and after Bob Boone, they can bring back David Bell

  19. msb on November 4th, 2008 2:13 pm

    there is now a memorial/funeral fund for Ed McMichael

  20. Carson on November 4th, 2008 3:59 pm

    hey, and after Bob Boone, they can bring back David Bell

    Ha, along with Ryan Jackson and Chris Bosio – it’s the All-Former-Mariner Coaching Staff!

  21. msb on November 4th, 2008 4:01 pm

    you know, between Bell & Bosio, that might be one hardnosed coaching staff– with firm ideas of just what doing things “the right way” entails.

  22. metz123 on November 4th, 2008 5:29 pm

    Rumor mongering is fun, but this is the funniest article I’ve read in a long time

    It’s a Hickey story about how Bloomquist has signed with Boras and Boras is at the winter meetings “talking up” his new client.

    Poor, delusional Willie.

    Urgh…link isn’t working in the comment….

  23. msb on November 4th, 2008 5:56 pm

    he’s a 30-team type player, you know.

    Hickey also talks up Junichi Tazawa.

    my, what lovely weather.

  24. sympathetic oriolesfan on November 4th, 2008 5:57 pm

    i always find those types of ridiculous rumors frustrating like you

    just want to shake the reporters or the delusional radio talk show

    host… but thankfully there is ussm

  25. msb on November 4th, 2008 6:25 pm

    Larry Stone also talks to Boras

    man, I love Larry.

  26. TomTuttle on November 5th, 2008 1:28 am

    RIP Tuba Man.

    Seattle just lost a little of its heart and soul today.

  27. TomTuttle on November 5th, 2008 1:32 am

    In other news, I can only imagine what the meeting would be like between Boras and Z about Bloomquist’s new contract.

    Z: “What’s up Scott?”
    Boras: “I’m here to talk about my client getting
    a new deal.”
    Z: “Oh, that’s nice. Which client are you
    referring to?”
    Boras: “Bloomquist.”
    Z: “Sorry, I have to go now.”

  28. bigcat on November 5th, 2008 6:45 am

    Larry LaRue is one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. About 12 years ago I was stuck at O’Hare airport for about 10 hours on the way to Detroit. Sitting at the gate area near midnight, Larry sat down next to me. I recognized him and we had a great conversation about what the M’s needed to do with some pitchers, as well as Griffey and ARod.

    After several minutes, he said he was heading to Detroit as well and would leave me tickets at Tiger Stadium for the next game. I couldn’t, unfortunately, make the game due to conference scheduling. But, damn, what a nice guy.

    I’ve always admired his writing and hope his health is well now! I look forward to reading him in my hometown paper for many more years.

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