Angels closer Troy Percival makes a fairly innocuous comment about Mo Vaughn, and Vaughn loses it. Just what the Mets need, another major head case.

Percival said: "We may miss Mo's bat, but we won't miss his leadership. Darin Erstad is our leader." Not all that nice, but fairly harmless given how much Vaughn campaigned to get out of Disneyland.

Vaughn proceeds to go on an expletive-filled tirade. According to ESPN, Vaughn screamed: "Has he led his team to a pennant? Has he ever (expletive) pitched in a big game that meant something?" He then got angry: "This guy talks so much (expletive), and he hasn't even done (expletive) ... He has the right to evaluate and analyze people, but what the hell has he done to deserve that right? He hasn't done (expletive) to lead them anywhere. I got hardware, I got playoff appearances, I got an MVP. I've been to the playoffs twice. What the hell has he done? Who the hell is he?"

Two effin' play-off appearances in a 10-year career and Mo's criticizing Troy Percival as if he's baseball's answer to Michael Jordan? In both of Mo's playoff appearances (1995, 1998), the Red Sox lost in the opening divisional series. Vaughn played well in '98, but he was tits-on-a-bore useless in '95. Some experience.

Nevertheless, Vaughn's apparently convinced that he's Babe Ruth, Abraham Lincoln and the Dalai Lama rolled into one. Right. Rolled into Big Mo's big midsection, maybe. They'd fit there. Comfortably. Shut up, Mo.

ARTICLE

[ March 27, 2002: Message edited by: Charlie in the Trees ]

Whether Vaughn is a head case or not isn't a big concern for me with the Mets. If he can still hit like he did a few years ago, he'll be worth it. But I'm still shocked that he was picked up by an NL team--the idea of him in the field every day is kind of frightening.

I'm more concerned with his weight-270 lbs and counting!

[ March 27, 2002: Message edited by: tzeile29 ]

Leave Mo alone! Percival had no right to rag on him. Vaughn's teams have gone to the playoffs and he was an MLB MVP, which is more than can be said for Percival. He played hurt there. I do wish he could drop some of that weight, but if he can put it behind his swing and help the Mets...what am I SAYING???, I'm not a Met fan, but a Vaughn fan, so I hope *he* does well.

GO CARDINALS, GO YANKEES!!!

I don't care if the Angels finish 10-152, getting rid of No Mo is the best move they've ever made--yes, even better than getting Nolan Ryan.

He was a clubhouse toxin from the get-go; if baseball players could have half-life's, like plutonium, Mo's half-life would be 10,000 years. He punked out during a basebrawl, then when a bunch of players rebelled against him playing the next day, he went behind Terry Collin's back and bitched to Tony "Thank You For Leaving" Tavares, the Mouse's baseball guy, and demanded that Collin's be fired. ass****!

He can wuff all he wants about MVP's and playoff appearances--funny how he and Troy Pervical have the same amount of World Series rings to their credit--but that was years ago. He's a fat tub of goo with an ego the size of Rhode Island who's done nothing in the last 3 years to justify it. He rips the Angels for his injury problem last year and then when called on it, admits he didn't tell the team he was hurt. Jerk! No wonder the Red Sox were glad to see him go.

Mo is a punk-ass bitch and I hope he destroys the Mets from the inside out (chill out, I'm not a Yankee fan). I've rarely hated a sports person like I hate him.

Takes on Vaughn seem to fall on two different extremes: either the guy is just the greatest, so well-raised, great clubhouse guy and leader, or he's a selfish ass**** who does nothing but take up room, and a lot of it at that. Good golly, folks around here were horrified, just horrified that Duquette let Vaughn go. It was only after he was so utterly useless in California that Duquette was proven right (blech! I hate to admit it when DD's right!).

An old co-worker worked in Mo's hitting camp for a summer. This guy gets along with everybody, and it takes a whole lot to get on this guy's bad side. But man, he couldn't stand Vaughn. He said that he was the biggest ass**** hypocrite. MV couldn't give a shit about any of the kids there, and basically just stood off to the side with his entourage -- until of course the cameras came by. Suddenly it was Mo, making jokes with the kids, teaching them, just give give give. And the moment the cameras left, he couldn't be bothered. Another friend of mine is Vaughn's dealer ... no, not drugs -- diamonds. Apparently the guy buys a lot of them. He reports that he's just baffled by Vaughn's sterling reputation in Boston because from what he's gotten to know of MV, he's no Mr. Good Guy.

I don't really care one way or the other. I'm just so damn grateful that the guy is NOT playing for the Red Sox, and God forbid he ever return. I couldn't believe it when the Mets picked up two former Red Sox, Vaughn and Valentin (who I know for a fact is an ass****). With Vaughn you have a $15 million guy with no throwing arm and in rather dubious physical condition. In Valentin you have a guy with a knee made of chalk -- that knee has all the durability of Anna Kournikova's next winning streak. Gee, can you make GM's take a drug test???

[quote]Originally posted by Jim Allen:

Mo is a punk-ass bitch and I hope he destroys the Mets from the inside out (chill out, I'm not a Yankee fan). I've rarely hated a sports person like I hate him.

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Whoa! This is a bit strong and harsh don't you think? "Punk-ass bitch?" Would you say that to "Fat Goo" Mo's face? Well, as I said, I hope *he* does well. Just so long as the Cardinals beat the Mets in the standings--and playoffs--I wish them well.

And attempts to justify Dan Duquette's bad decisions are ridiculous. Had Vaughn stayed and not gotten injured in Anaheim, who knows what might have happened? The team had the ingredients for a serious run, but as last year saw, incompetence at the GM and managerial levels can destroy anything. Duquette was trying to destroy Pedro Martinez's arm--what kind of moron was this guy?

Roger Clemens supposedly was toxic and over-the-hill and 1) won 2 Cy Youngs in Toronto and 2) won a Cy Young AND World Series rings in New York. With Duquette GONE, the Red Sox may finally be on the route to winning the big one again. I can't stand that team, but hey, if the Patriots can do it, there's hope for the Red Sox!

The best thing for Vaughn to do is let his bat do the talking.