Special kids get chance to play
Benefit held for crash victim
WSU vs. Milwaukee
Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy has retired from the Dayton Daily News after covering the Cincinnati Reds for 37 years. Hal's blog, though, will continue to be a must-read for Reds fans. He'll share his thoughts on the team this season and will file updates from Great American Ball Park. You also can catch Hal in print every Sunday in his popular Ask Hal columnHome > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2008 > August > 16 > Entry
Alonso: more than $4.55 million
OK, so here’s the scoop, the breakdown of the contract the Cincinnati Reds gave No. 1 pick Yonder Alonso.
Mama, do let your babies grow up to be first basemen.
Alonso’s contract is worth a little more than $4.55 million, with incentives.
The breakdown:
He receives a $2 million signing bonus - $1.5 million now, $500,000 on June 15 of next year.
For the rest of this season, he gets $50,000 in salary. His salary then escalates to $400,000 next year, $500,000 in 2010, $600,000 in 2011 and $1 million in 2012. If he is arbitration eligible in 2012, that supersedes the $1 million.
In addition, for his last three college semesters, the Reds will contribute $78,000 - that’s $60,000 in tuition and $18,000 in books and board.
In addition, a trip for his immediate family will be paid for by the Reds for his first major-league game.
In addition, he gets $25,000 if he is Rookie of the Year, $100 if he is MVP and $100,000 if he is MVP of the World Series (for what team?).
Everything is guaranteed, he is on a major-league contract and he will be in big-league camp in spring training next spring and in 2010.
While Alonso said he was confident a deal would get done - it was cementt done he had his fall class scheduled to the University of Miami on a table to his left and a contract for the independent Long Island Ducks to his right. Just in case.
Alonso has been friends with A-Rod since they were in the Boys Club together when they were 9 and was taking advice from the New York Yankee superstar. In fact, A-Rod offered to let Alonso share an apartment in New York if he played for the Ducks.
Let’s see, $4.55 million from the Reds and a start at Class A Sarasota, or a chintzy check from the Ducks and a chance to get a glimpse of Madonna. Some choice.
Asked to describe himself as a player, Alonso said, “I have a lot of hunger, I’m a very passionate guy about baseball and I’m a winner.”
With that contract, he can wipe out the hunger part.
When the Reds drafted him in June, he said he was looking forward to meeting Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn.
Whoops. Now what?
“Well, I don’t want to see them, but I ‘m looking forward to seeing Jay Bruce and Joey Votto.”
One of the major issues in the deal is that Alonso wanted a major-league contract and to be placed on the 40-man roster.
“It was very important to me to be part of a major-league 40-man roster, to be part of the club,” he said.
Despite the class schedules and the independent contract as his fallbacks, Alonso said he spent Friday afternoon watching Al Pacino in ‘88 Minutes’ to take his mind off the clock ticking away his future.
“The movie was very funny and relaxing, but the day was very stressful,” Alonso added.
He said A-Rod advised him, “Stay relaxed and don’t panic. They’ll get something don’t. And even if they don’t, you’ll still be playing baseball. Hey, it’s an honor and a privilege to know him and to go to his home in the winter and hit in his batting cage.”
Somebody asked what was next - meaning what would he do in the next few days - and Alonso was taking the long-term approach when he said, “I’m going to hit line drives, drive in guys and make it to the big leagues as soon as possible.”
Permalink | Comments (31) | Post your comment |
Tweet
Comments
By seo lace
May 2, 2010 12:20 AM | Link to this
I am hqving a ard time seeingg www.daytondialynbwes.cmo in Opera 9.3, I just figured I would lte youknow!
By Buy Ambien
April 5, 2010 8:29 AM | Link to this
rodents lacking haiti execubooks stadmed athttp ribeiro reach visions blog peaceful
By Buy valium
April 4, 2010 2:05 PM | Link to this
sociological rica measurable awareness parkway covering approx hatred storyboard terrorism hates
By Russian
March 22, 2010 6:44 PM | Link to this
Thanks for info, I am always looking for something interesting on the Internet, i want to send photos for your blog
By ラフティング
September 21, 2008 10:41 AM | Link to this
だと思わない？
By Larry
August 21, 2008 8:12 PM | Link to this
Had the opportunity to watch Yonder hit his first BP in Sarasoto today - this kid is the real deal!!
By michael
August 18, 2008 9:57 AM | Link to this
Thats just too much money for any unproven professional, but I don’t worry about the $$, just the win column. I will just stay home and watch FSN when they raise the ticket prices because they have to pay Yonder, Dunn, and Griffey.
By Pete
August 18, 2008 7:56 AM | Link to this
This kid sounds like a punk to me. W/ all the jack the Reds are promising him, he’d better put Votto, Bruce & a few others out of a job all @ once. Pay for his college?? On a scholarship? Did he graduate? Uh, don’t think so. That was a stupid thing for the Reds to do.
By mike cahill
August 17, 2008 10:01 AM | Link to this
Keep writing KR, I enjoyed that. I think these kids are picking up on the fact that they have a good shot at playing sooner rather than later. Walt knows also that there needs to be something large done to sell tickets for next year. Somewhere there will be a free agent who is right handed and can hit the ball very much far.
By Deaner
August 17, 2008 9:05 AM | Link to this
I’m happy that Alonso signed but these first-rounders (and their agents) are unbelieveable… It was very important to me to be part of a major-league 40-man roster, to be part of the club, he said. You have to EARN a spot on the club! Alonso has done absolutely nothing to earn his spot.
By donb51
August 17, 2008 8:30 AM | Link to this
Any friend of A-Rod, is a friend of mine. Birds of a feather flock together. Maybe, just maybe, we got ourselves a real star.
By Jason
August 17, 2008 6:24 AM | Link to this
Ok.. for you folks getting made for a kid with a contract that stipulates airfare for his family.. don’t you think that his lawyer recommended most of these extra clauses? Get real. Also, Yonder is a heck of a hitter. Only thing I have some concern is his batting lefty. When will the reds get another right handed power player?
By Jason
August 17, 2008 6:23 AM | Link to this
Ok.. for you folks getting made for a kid with a contract that stipulates airfare for his family.. don’t you think that his lawyer recommended most of these extra clauses? Get real. Also, Yonder is a heck of a hitter. Only thing I have some concern is his batting lefty. When will the reds get another right handed power player?
By Kevin
August 17, 2008 6:18 AM | Link to this
I`d dump EE(for another good young catcher maybe?) and convert Alonso into a third baseman. That would leave us needing only a good starting shortstop and a left fielder. Might not be a bad starting eight in the not to distant future.
By Gary Maloy Jr
August 17, 2008 2:06 AM | Link to this
2010: First base: Alonso. Outfield, L-R: Votto - Dickerson - Bruce. Might we really be looking at the future? The youth movement is on - it’s what Griffey/Dunn bashers have demanded for a long time. Embrace it, guys.
By Knucklehead
August 17, 2008 12:56 AM | Link to this
And why is it that “Coco” seems to be lights-out when it doesn’t matter but sucks when the game is on the line?
By coach
August 17, 2008 12:46 AM | Link to this
And, how will this rich youngster respond when the Cubs/Cardinals/Astros,etc. WALK him; or put the Griffey-Dunn shift on him? And, will the other youngsters ever hit like the Cardinals and Cubs players do,so as to make it a team effort?
By Y-City Jim
August 16, 2008 11:15 PM | Link to this
PHELPS!!!! 8 Golds!!!!
By Mike-Cinci
August 16, 2008 10:37 PM | Link to this
Welsh said tonight that Harang looks good after he retired 3 in the first inning. He has done that before about other Reds pitchers. Of course Aaron was soon blasted for 5 runs in the 2nd inning. Chris has a tendency to tell us the Reds pitcher looks better than the last time out and he is often wrong. Thank goodness Chris is our TV guy and not the pitching coach. Both Welsh and Pohl can’t figure these guys out. Maybe it is the pitcher.
By bigdoc
August 16, 2008 10:05 PM | Link to this
I like the way the kid talks (with George and The Creeper tonite). He’s sure hungry (but not ‘lean and hungry’)—escaped from Cuba, etc. We have a very awkward 1B, who we may need to convert into something else. Yonder plays a lot like the big 1B at San Diego, Gonzalez. Gosh I feel bad for Harang—he’s been a real warrior for us.
By Y-City Jim
August 16, 2008 9:58 PM | Link to this
Mike is correct. I just looked up expenses. It’s $50,000 for two semesters.
By pocketpool
August 16, 2008 9:33 PM | Link to this
I guess the Reds needed to pay the airfare because Yonder is hurtin’ for money. What a scam.
By Mike-Cinci
August 16, 2008 7:39 PM | Link to this
The University of Miami (Florida) is a private university as are Duke, Wake Forest, and Boston College who are also in the ACC.
By rob
August 16, 2008 7:17 PM | Link to this
How about the clause stating the Reds pay his family’s airfare to his big league debut? A tad presumptuous. Geez, the guy hasn’t done squat and the Reds are making all these promises to him.
By Y-City Jim
August 16, 2008 6:55 PM | Link to this
I’m sure his scholarship is no longer valid since he won;t be playing for them any longer. It is a state school but Is he classified as a in-state resident? He would be subject to higher fees if not.
By carsick
August 16, 2008 6:37 PM | Link to this
$78,000 for three semesters at the University of Miami??? Is it that good of an undergrad program? Isn’t it a state school and isn’t the kid on scholarship?
By Y-City Jim
August 16, 2008 5:03 PM | Link to this
I must say I admire him for wanting to finish his college education.
By K.R.
August 16, 2008 4:53 PM | Link to this
Can’t blame the kid for getting what he can up front, but the last time I looked we had a 1st baseman; remember Votto? I’m sure Dusty will find a place for him. We know how adept he is at personnel moves. I’m sure the kids agent pointed out that the Reds were in last place fading faster than a prison tatoo, and to hold out for what he could get. If he can hit it will certainly be welcomed on a team that should be called the Cincinnati Gatlin Bros. because they haven’t had back to back hits since the late 80s.
By youth movement
August 16, 2008 4:49 PM | Link to this
This guy hit 24 hr in 250 ab’s this year and 22 last year. Evan Longoria is a recent example of a prodigious college player who didnt take long to pay dividends. The issue will be his productivity in 2010. If he never lives up to his billing, would a 2 millions dollar minor league deal make it better? Of course not, Ill take my chances with 4.55 mil on a young stud and you can have your 118 mil to griffey, 13 mil/year to Dunn, 6 mil to Stanton, 27 mil to Milton, and 3.5 mil to patterson……all of whom were “proven” 40 man roster guys with track records and all of whom were bad “values” for a small market club. Its time to embrace the youth movement.
By rob y
August 16, 2008 4:43 PM | Link to this
Don’t like the major league portion of the deal. What has Alonso done to deserve a spot on the 40 man? Nothing. He should have to prove himself like all the other minor league players. Beware of the Dane Sardinha and Wily Mo Pena syndrome….
By Don
August 16, 2008 4:32 PM | Link to this
The Reds must think this guy is the “Real McCoy.” What’s that make you Hal ????