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Giants designate Miguel Tejada and Aaron Rowand for assignment
They cant come back to Giants lineup again. This is the end of an era.....FINALLY...dead weight gone
Tejada, Rowand: Dead Weight Gone
That was a strong move by Brian Sabean today, essentially clearing Aaron Rowand and Miguel Tejada out of the Giants' clubhouse. Both were "designated for assignment," which effectively means the end of their Giants' tenure.
As the rules state, such "designated" players can be placed on waivers, traded, assigned to the minors (not a factor now, with the minor-league seasons ending) or given their outright release. I'm not sure how it will shake down for Rowand and Tejada, but one thing is for sure: They can't come back under any circumstances.
It's really a shame what happened to those two guys. Rowand is revered in Chicago and Philadelphia for his hard-nosed contributions to winning teams. He's had his moments in San Francisco, but the years have taken their toll, and we find him now as a player who can only contribute defensively.
I like the guy. I like how he kept his chin up last year, when his playing time diminished, and how he hasn't lodged any public complaints this year. The Giants would love to have the Rowand of 2005, when he played for the world champion White Sox, or the guy who became a leader -- on and off the field -- for the Phillies. Right now? I swear, he's the worst two-strike hitter I've ever seen. I mentioned that in the press box last night, and when Andy Baggarly looked it up, he found that Rowand is hitting .152 with two strikes (I find that shockingly high) and .077 with an 0-and-2 count.
Maybe Rowand can hook up with another team for the stretch drive, or try to resurrect his career in a new setting next spring. He has become a tired look here (especially that batting stance), and I can't imagine that he'll be missed.
As for Tejada, he hung himself the other day when he said, glumly, "I just work here." He was trying to explain why he didn't run hard to first base when asked to bunt, an order he found insulting, but that's the attitude of a quitter.
Listen, this guy was a great, great player in his day, an MVP in the American League and a shortstop who could do it all. He's simply done right now. He's the last to realize it, but the evidence is on the field. A lot of scouts felt Sabean erred badly in taking a gamble on Tejada. I was behind the move until I caught Brandon Crawford's act at shortstop -- gifted hands, makes the tough and easy plays, the whole package. Now we've got Orlando Cabrera and Mike Fontenot at that position, and they're not exactly tearing it up, either. But at least the Giants have separated themselves from Tejada and his sour attitude. Let's hope he carries pleasant memories of better days.
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Originally Posted by stevek173
