Filed under: Boston Red Sox
Ok so this is something that I find incredibly important to draw attention to. Today Bronson Arroyo will be finalizing a contract with the Boston Red Sox against the advice of his agents and for probably less money than he could have received elsewhere. The reason you ask? It’s as simple as it is rare. Bronson Arroyo is loyal to the Red Sox organization and quite simply, is happy in Boston. To make sure he stays in the city he loves, the 28 year old side-arm took a pay cut. In a sports market where loyalty is as common as a cross-dressing American Idol singer, Arroyo’s actions are a breath of fresh air. Events like these reaffirm our faith in professional athletes and give us genuine reasons to pour our hearts into our favorite teams.
Arroyo stated that: “I agreed to this contract with strong advice from them[his agents] not to sign it, simply for the reason that I want to play in this town. I wouldn’t have signed a deal in any other place…They basically advised me against it for one because I signed at a discount.”
A professional athlete taking a pay cut so he can play for his favorite team in his favorite city? To some people this is about as believable as Roger Clemens climbing a tree to save some child’s kitten. Its really too bad Johnny Damon wasn’t consulting the Tao of Bronson. Or even just listening to his music maybe.
Now I can understand that for many professional athletes, Boston is not the city for them. The ravenous media. The often fickle fans. The intense pressure to perform. To many it can be a very daunting environment. But not for Bronson. The skinny white dude with corn-rows loves it. Elaborating on his desire to stay in Boston, Arroyo said that: “Everyone has their own take on the city, and how rabid the fans are. I love playing here. It’s fun for me, it’s exciting, every time you come to the ballpark you know you’ve got to bring your best, or people are going to criticize you for it.”
Coming from the guy who, according to Curt Schilling has “nuts the size of Saturn”, I am beginning to think Arroyo gets as much respect from his teammates as he should get from the fans and media. Arroyo’s actions should not only elicit respect for the pitcher, they should make him a fan favorite. He has been one of the most underrated players on the team, always plays his heart out, and constantly surprises his critics. To me, Arroyo joined fellow Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield as one of the classiest acts in not only Boston sports, but professional sports in general.
To top all this off, Arroyo was also quoted as saying: “I have not spoken to the team [about my role] … I said in the past I’d do anything to help the team win. I’ve proven myself as a starter … but if I need to pitch out of the bullpen, that’s what I’ll do …”
This comment means Arroyo’s either a Rhodes scholar from the Crash Davis School of Interviewing or about as legit a team player as they come. From what I know about the guitar playing hurler, he’s a pretty humble, down to earth, laid back kinda guy. In which case these comments probably shouldn’t be a surprise. But in today’s world of professional sports, unfortunately they are very surprising. So let me be the first to say: thank you Bronson Arroyo.
theaveragefan@bostonprosports.com
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