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This is 3-4 days old, but I don't see it posted anywhere:

 

Delmon Young celebrated a national award Monday by ripping his organization.

 

Young, named Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year, said he's upset at the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for not calling him up to the major leagues when rosters expanded this month.

 

"The only thing I can think of is them being cheap," Young said on a tel-econference organized by the Devil Rays.

 

"They're not going to the playoffs, they're not going to get out of last place," he said. "They might as well call up some guys who will be there in the future."

 

Young, who turns 20 on Wednesday, played with the Montgomery Biscuits this season and was the Southern League's most valuable player.

 

The Devil Rays promoted him to Class AAA Durham in mid-July, but didn't bring him to the big leagues when the Bulls' season ended last week.

 

By delaying his debut, the Rays can possibly delay Young's eligibility for arbitration, a step that has proven expensive for teams.

 

"The only way to get better is in the big leagues, not watching it on TV," Young said.

 

The major-league roster limit expanded from 25 to 40 on Sept. 1, but Tampa Bay has promoted only three players: pitchers Lance Carter and Dewon Brazelton, and infielder Eric Munson.

 

"I'm not disappointed. I put up great numbers, a lot better than some who got called up around the majors, and a lot were called up on contending teams," Young said.

 

"I'm not really worried. I did the best I could. Tampa isn't going anywhere this year."

 

Young said he'll leave the Devil Rays once he becomes a free agent. Tampa Bay drafted him No. 1 overall in 2003 and signed him to a major-league contract.

 

Because of protracted contract negotiations, Young made his pro debut the next season. He reportedly signed for a $3.7 million signing bonus.

 

"There's no reason to try to stay around there for the long haul," Young said.

 

A change in Rays ownership won't affect his decision, Young said.

 

Vince Naimoli, according to the St. Petersburg Times, has agreed to cede control to Stuart Sternberg.

 

"It will still linger with me," Young said. "Nothing is ever going to change. They could clear house and everything. ... They're so worried about saving dollars and cents they can't even compete."

 

Young said Rays general manager Chuck LaMar never told him he wouldn't be promoted -- he read it in a newspaper -- nor has any Tampa Bay official explained the decision.

 

"Chuck LaMar hasn't returned any of my agent's calls," Young said. "They could have the common courtesy to call me and tell me why. ... They haven't told anyone."

 

The Rays own the rights to Young for the first six years of his major-league career, but he's eligible for arbitration after his third year.

 

Young is Tampa Bay's top prospect, according to Baseball America, and put up hefty numbers with both the Biscuits and Bulls.

 

He hit .336 with 20 home runs and 71 RBIs with the Biscuits to threaten for a league Triple Crown. In Durham, Young finished with a .285 average in 52 games with six homers and 28 RBIs.

 

"We think Delmon Young is one of the finest players in all of minor league baseball and by sometime next season believe that he will begin to establish himself as an outstanding major league player," LaMar said in a release.

 

"Having said that, we saw him play the latter part of August and thought he had had enough. He had already gone from Double-A to Triple-A and we thought it was time for him to go home and get ready to play winter ball if he wanted to, or if not, get ready for spring training."

 

Last year, Delmon played a full minor-league season, then played in the Arizona Fall League and reported to major-league spring training in February.

 

"People only say you're tired when you're not batting .350 with 30 home runs," Delmon said. "Everybody is tired.

 

"When you don't get hits, people want to have an excuse."

 

That's from the Montgomery, Alabama paper. The Durham paper has a couple more quotes:

 

"Tampa may be trying to keep me from arbitration," Young said of future salary negotiations. "They might send me to Durham [to begin the 2006 season] to keep down my service days."

 

Young said the snub may make him think about signing elsewhere as soon as he automatically becomes a free agent following his sixth season.

 

"When they call me to do stuff for Tampa, they might be going through a long wait," he said. "They haven't given me the common courtesy of a phone call. There's no reason to stay there for the long haul -- just get your six years and leave."

I completely agree with him.

 

There's probably two organizations in baseball that you don't want to be drafted into, the Yankees and the D-Rays.

He should shut off

I'm baffled as to why the D-Rays didn't call him or Upton up.

The reason that Upton was not called up is simple.

 

The Marlins' ninth inning today was Upton's whole season defensively. He looked like a Little Leaguer - 53 errors at Durham, and he was DHing every other day. If he didn't have such a good bat, there's no way he would have spent the whole year at that high a level; lucky for him, he's in the farm of an AL club, and he can hit. Probably most of the guys in low-A ball who can probably do better than 53 errors at AAA.

 

Delmon, I think, should probably start next year at AAA - he's 20, so why rush him? He'll be given a shot at the Devil Rays' starting job, but unless he plays in the AFL and plays well there this year I wouldn't mind sending him back to Durham. An outfield of Crawford-Gathright-Gomes isn't half bad; the team has had a pretty good second half, after all.

The reason that Upton was not called up is simple.

 

The Marlins' ninth inning today was Upton's whole season defensively. He looked like a Little Leaguer - 53 errors at Durham, and he was DHing every other day. If he didn't have such a good bat, there's no way he would have spent the whole year at that high a level; lucky for him, he's in the farm of an AL club, and he can hit. Probably most of the guys in low-A ball who can probably do better than 53 errors at AAA.

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He's not fixing that problem by sitting at home.

 

It's not rushing them if they're being called up in September when you're team has been out of the race for about 3 months. All it does is let them gain much needed experience and also a way of deciding whether or not these guys can contribute for them next year.

Because Lamar is a f***in idiot

 

Letting Young and Upton watch tv instead of playing is his smartest move this side of Abreu for Stocker

 

f***

The D-Rays are idiotic, and not just for this. What are they saving the money for? They already have a pretty good offense, which can only improve by calling up Delmon. If they actually spent money and got pitching they'd have a good team.

Delmon has a good point, but still needs to show some maturity. No sense burning any bridges when since he will be under team control the next 6 years. He's much better off voicing his complaints the FO in private rather than in the press.

there are some owners/organizations that have no business in the mlb.

 

 

this would be one of them and the top one of those that are totally inept in all ways.

there are some owners/organizations that have no business in the mlb.

 

 

this would be one of them and the top one of those that are totally inept in all ways.

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hey man, we got Alex Gonzalez for SS and tried to have Alomar at 2B instead of Cantu. :plain

 

It makes me sick.

Delmon has a good point, but still needs to show some maturity. No sense burning any bridges when since he will be under team control the next 6 years. He's much better off voicing his complaints the FO in private rather than in the press.

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I think he tried. As he said, the GM wouldnt even return his agents calls.

While we are talking about the great GM that is Chuck Lamar.

 

Jorge Cantu is hitting .290 with 27 homeruns and 108 rbis

 

Lamar, yes that Lamar, tried to have Cantu back up for Roberto F'n Alomar

 

is that enough said?

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