Turn Off Ads?
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 23

Thread: Josh Willingham disgruntled

  1. #1
    Reds 5:11 coachw513's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Posts
    642

    Josh Willingham disgruntled

    Per Nationals website:

    Willingham airs playing time issues
    Outfielder expresses desire to be everyday player for Nats
    By Bill Ladson / MLB.com

    MIAMI -- Nationals left fielder Josh Willingham had a pleasant meeting with acting general manager Mike Rizzo recently in Miami to talk about his status with the club.
    Willingham expressed his unhappiness about being on the bench, while Rizzo, in turn, told Willingham how much the organization respects him as a player. Willingham did not play in the first two games against the Marlins, but was able to receive a start on Wednesday afternoon at Dolphin Stadium.

    "I can't tell you what he told me, but we were honest with each other. We got everything out on the table," Willingham said. "I know where he stands, he knows where I stand. I wanted to hear from him and he wanted to hear from me.

    "[The meeting was about] the whole situation, how he feels about me as a player, all that stuff. That's what the meeting was about. It was good. We'll go from there."

    When then-general manager Jim Bowden traded for Willingham last November, the plan was for Willingham to be the everyday left fielder. But that changed when the team signed free agent Adam Dunn this past February. Bowden thought he could trade Nick Johnson and put Dunn at first base, but Johnson is still on the team. Rizzo declined to be interviewed for this story.

    "If you ask me if I would rather be playing -- yeah. What am I going to do?" Willingham said. "I'm not going to sit there and pout about it or anything. I'm just going to get ready and help the team."

    Willingham has proven that he is more than a bench player. During Spring Training, he led the team in RBIs with the 13. During his career, Willingham has proven to be a Nationals nemesis, hitting .328 with 13 home runs and 33 RBIs against them.

    Bill Ladson is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs
    Is he worth acquiring??


    You cannot defeat an ignorant man in an argument!
    -William Gibbs McAdoo

    Though many of us here are sure trying


  2. Turn Off Ads?
  3. #2
    breath westofyou's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2000
    Location
    PDX
    Posts
    56,984

    Re: Josh Willingham disgruntled

    Josh Willingham, this generations Gus Zernial

  4. #3
    High five!
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Irvine, CA
    Posts
    6,976

    Re: Josh Willingham disgruntled

    If one is happy with their playing time, are they "gruntled?"

  5. #4
    Posting in Dynarama M2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2000
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    45,727

    Re: Josh Willingham disgruntled

    Quote Originally Posted by westofyou View Post
    Josh Willingham, this generations Gus Zernial
    Zernial was one of my dad's favorite players when he was a kid.

    I notice that Bennie Agbayani is on Willingham's baseball-reference comp list. I'd say the Hawaiian Nightmare is a better equivalent than Zernial, who had enormous power. Hitting 'em out of Shibe was no small feat, especially for a RHB.
    I'm not a system player. I am a system.

  6. #5
    breath westofyou's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2000
    Location
    PDX
    Posts
    56,984

    Re: Josh Willingham disgruntled

    Quote Originally Posted by M2 View Post
    Zernial was one of my dad's favorite players when he was a kid.

    I notice that Bennie Agbayani is on Willingham's baseball-reference comp list. I'd say the Hawaiian Nightmare is a better equivalent than Zernial, who had enormous power. Hitting 'em out of Shibe was no small feat, especially for a RHB.
    True, Gus is bigger power guy, but as for the type I see them as both being power guys, unappreciated and just a tad below getting that appreciation. I'm certain that guys like Gus were gruntled by certain things, as were the Wally Posts of the world.

  7. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    Shelburne Falls, MA
    Posts
    12,216

    Re: Josh Willingham disgruntled

    Hitting 'em out of Shibe was no small feat, especially for a RHB.
    Indian Bob Johnson was my dad's favorite player, speaking of Shibe sluggers.

  8. #7
    Member cincrazy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    South Vienna, OH
    Posts
    4,693

    Re: Josh Willingham disgruntled

    I like Willingham. He has a pretty good OBP and decent power. But where would he play? Would he just platoon in left? Because I think he's good enough to be an every day player. But unless you platooned him with Dickerson there's nowhere to put him, with Taveras locked into center and obvious Bruce in right.

  9. #8
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2001
    Location
    Cincinnati Ohio
    Posts
    2,729

    Re: Josh Willingham disgruntled

    love to see the Reds get him.. he would be a great addition to this team and he is disgruntled and a fire inside to prove the Nationals made a bad decision to not start him

  10. #9
    Bullpen or whatever RedEye's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Posts
    9,295

    Re: Josh Willingham disgruntled

    As many others have pointed out on other threads, this is the guy the Reds should have gotten this off season instead of Taveras. A Willingham-Dickerson-Bruce OF would be nice to watch for the next few years. Josh would fit right in with the young nucleus of the team--he could bat 4th or 5th and Dickerson could be the lead-off hitter.

    *Sigh*
    “Every level he goes to, he is going to compete. They will know who he is at every level he goes to.” -- ED on EDLC

  11. #10
    RZ Chamber of Commerce Unassisted's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Athens, OH
    Posts
    13,572

    Re: Josh Willingham disgruntled

    Quote Originally Posted by redsfan4445 View Post
    love to see the Reds get him.. he would be a great addition to this team and he is disgruntled and a fire inside to prove the Nationals made a bad decision to not start him
    It's apparent from the article that in order for him not to be disgruntled, he needs to be handed a starting role. If he's picked up by the Reds, who does he start in place of?
    /r/reds

  12. #11
    Haunted by walks
    Join Date
    Apr 2000
    Location
    Syracuse
    Posts
    9,931

    Re: Josh Willingham disgruntled

    Quote Originally Posted by nate View Post
    If one is happy with their playing time, are they "gruntled?"
    Technically, "gruntle" means to complain, or grunt like a pig. Dis- in this case is not an opposite but an intensifier. "Disgruntled" means complaining like a pig, only more so. That meaning comes from the 16th century, but it was lost for many years. In the 1920s, P. G. Wodehouse used "gruntled" as the opposite of "disgruntled." He treated it as a backformation, like "burgled."

    Maybe if Willingham came to the Reds, he would be degruntled ... but more likely ubergruntled.

  13. #12
    High five!
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Irvine, CA
    Posts
    6,976

    Re: Josh Willingham disgruntled

    Quote Originally Posted by BCubb2003 View Post
    Technically, "gruntle" means to complain, or grunt like a pig. Dis- in this case is not an opposite but an intensifier. "Disgruntled" means complaining like a pig, only more so. That meaning comes from the 16th century, but it was lost for many years. In the 1920s, P. G. Wodehouse used "gruntled" as the opposite of "disgruntled." He treated it as a backformation, like "burgled."

    Maybe if Willingham came to the Reds, he would be degruntled ... but more likely ubergruntled.
    That's good to know. Maybe if we can get him down to "gruntled" we can turn him "ungruntled" or even "degruntle" him.

  14. #13
    He has the Evil Eye! flyer85's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    south of the border
    Posts
    23,858

    Re: Josh Willingham disgruntled

    Putting him in LF and Dickerson in CF would be a big step forward but I doubt there are not going to give up on Willy T anytime soon.

  15. #14
    Member wally post's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2000
    Location
    New york state
    Posts
    1,494

    Re: Josh Willingham disgruntled

    Quote Originally Posted by westofyou View Post
    ...I'm certain that guys like Gus were gruntled by certain things, as were the Wally Posts of the world.
    Yep.

  16. #15
    Jack of all trades Root Down's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    NW Ohio
    Posts
    206

    Re: Josh Willingham disgruntled

    This move seems like it would be a lateral one to me. I'd really like to see them add some power if anything to the lineup.


Turn Off Ads?

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.

Thank you, and most importantly, enjoy yourselves!


RedsZone.com is a privately owned website and is not affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds or Major League Baseball


Contact us: Boss | Gallen5862 | Plus Plus | Powel Crosley | RedlegJake | The Operator