Alex White isn't that sad to be gone.

[Watt]

"Denver or Cleveland, Denver or Cleveland? Let's be honest, I'll take Denver. With the exception of a few people." This was the tweet sent out by Alex White(notes) (@Alex_White6) at 11:47 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 2.

There were fans upset when Alex White was included in the deal that brought Ubaldo Jimenez(notes) to the Cleveland Indians. For this young pitcher, that does not seem to matter. What loyalties does he have to the city? None. He simply pitched a few games here.

As fans of any sports team, we have close emotional ties to the team and to specific players. What we often do not realize is that our love for them is often not reciprocated. Gone are the days where players dedicate their careers to a specific team. It is a new era now where players chase either big contracts or championships.

Did Alex White say anything that bad? Not really, but is it necessary to give a smack in the face to the fans who supported you and were ready to cheer you on in your young career? We know our city does not have the draw of others. We are a hard-working blue-collar city that loves our sports teams. We love our professional athletes wholeheartedly until they break our hearts.

White did not leave the Indians organization as a free agent opting for big money or more fame. For Tribe fans, he was a victim in a trade. We didn't want to see him go. White and Drew Pomeranz were to be our one-two punch of the future.

A classier thing to do would be to thank the fans for all the support they have given. To go on a public forum, such as Twitter, and make a comment like that to such a passionate fan base shows a serious lack of maturity. You have every right to be happy. You may have no ties to our humble city that we happily call home, but what positive can come out of such a public comment?

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ycn-8902451

Hope he feels the same way once he's pitching in Coors Field.

[redneckofsc]

Didn't some reporter speak with White when he was leaving the stadium the day he was traded, and he said something like "I think it is a stupid trade" If he really said that, I would take these new comments more of him being bitter and pissed that he was traded, not like he was glad to leave.

[peeker643]

Saw that while I was getting a a few allergy shots this afternoon and, to be honest, it didn't bother me.

Don't know if that's because it was innocuous or because I'm immune to such things. Or maybe it's because Denver is that nice.

Not sure.

I'm magnanimous. I wish Alex White as long and productive a career as Adam Miller has had.

When all is said and done Alex White and I just don't give a shit about each other.

[scrambler]

All things being equal, I'd also rather go to Denver than Miami at least!! Alex White is just stating in so many words that he's taking his talents to the front range.

[Dnthateonthepronk]

Honestly I just think he is being a normal immature kid. He is just pissed he got traded, so he is throwing a a tantrum and lashing out like a child. Probably because he feels a little "betrayed" or something. Kind of along the lines when you hear players say "I'm going to make the 29 other teams who didn't draft me pay"

[redneckofsc]

Honestly I just think he is being a normal immature kid. He is just pissed he got traded, so he is throwing a a tantrum and lashing out like a child. Probably because he feels a little "betrayed" or something. Kind of along the lines when you hear players say "I'm going to make the 29 other teams who didn't draft me pay"

Like Tom Brady?

[RedDawg53]

Of course he's gonna say Colorado, he's going to be pitching for them. Would he actually say Cleveland and that he wish he never was traded? No way. Rockie fans would be pissed. He just has to make the best of things now.

He could always come back to the Tribe after he's a free agent.

[e0y2e3]

I'm so confused.

The media is evil for looking down on Cleveland and supporting regions with money.

Outside players that talk down on Cleveland are the anti-christ.

LBJ is the anti-christ.

But this kid pretty much says, "yeah, why would I want to live in Cleveland over Denver?" (which is a true statement, although there are a lot of cities you can sub in there) and everyone is okay with it? I mean, I'm okay w/ it but what line is this double standard centered upon? Because he's a kid? Because he was traded? I mean WTF. Every time anyone else talks shit on Ohio they are lit on fire.

[redneckofsc]

It was much funnier when Oil Can Boyd used to talk shit about Cleveland

[Dnthateonthepronk]

I'm so confused.

The media is evil for looking down on Cleveland and supporting regions with money.

Outside players that talk down on Cleveland are the anti-christ.

LBJ is the anti-christ.

But this kid pretty much says, "yeah, why would I want to live in Cleveland over Denver?" (which is a true statement, although there are a lot of cities you can sub in there) and everyone is okay with it? I mean, I'm okay w/ it but what line is this double standard centered upon? Because he's a kid? Because he was traded? I mean WTF. Every time anyone else talks shit on Ohio they are lit on fire.

Its not about talking shit on Cleveland, He doesn't have to like Cleveland. There is just a certain amount of class that people in general should have. Of course people would rather live in Denver. Its just when it is stated in spite or has the intention of trying to be insultful, its kind of annoying.


Again IMO Its pretty obvious when you look at his quotes he is just pissed off he got traded. So he is acting like a child, I'm not angry I'm just pointing out the kid is immature and obviously does not know how to be a professional. Hopefully Todd Helton and teach him a thing or two

Alex White: Just like School on Sunday......No Class.

[motherscratcher]

WTF? Is it possible for an athlete to leave Cleveland...in any way...without getting one last kick in the sac on the way out?

Does this happen in every city and it just never lands on my radar?

[Pressrunnr]

Then there's this: He had a nice few starts in Cleveland before he got hurt,and I would've liked to see more ... and don't wish him any ill will, and I think he will ultimately succeed at the major league level and maybe even be a star. BUT ... for Alex White, 23, it isn't yet exactly a choice between Cleveland and Denver. I mean, he hasn't quite made it yet. Will he? Again, probably. But I don't see his comments so much as a slap at Cleveland as they are talk from a presumptuous young guy who's read too many clippings about how much the Indians gave up.

[Dnthateonthepronk]

Does this happen in every city and it just never lands on my radar?

I can think of a couple Carmelo Anthony, Jason Taylor ( though that was more at Big fat Bill Parcells than Miami) Chris Bosh, Vince Carter, I'm sure there are loads more, those are just the ones off of the top of my head.

[Lokais]

WTF? Is it possible for an athlete to leave Cleveland...in any way...without getting one last kick in the sac on the way out?

Does this happen in every city and it just never lands on my radar?

It happens everywhere, come on. You guys are just extra sensitive about it for some reason. And because you wouldn't even pay attention to someone else saying it about another city. It's like when you buy a car and suddenly everyone is driving that car.

[redneckofsc]

Jim Thome said they would have to rip the jersey off his back, he liked it here so much.

[Lokais]

I mean, come on guys. How can you forget "I'd retire first. It's the most hectic, nerve-racking city. Imagine having to take the 7 train to the ballpark looking like you're riding through Beirut next to some kid with purple hair, next to some queer with AIDS, right next to some dude who just got out of jail for the fourth time, right next to some 20-year-old mom with four kids. It's depressing... The biggest thing I don't like about New York are the foreigners. You can walk an entire block in Times Square and not hear anybody speaking English. Asians and Koreans and Vietnamese and Indians and Russians and Spanish people and everything up there. How the hell did they get in this country?"

[scrambler]

WTF? Is it possible for an athlete to leave Cleveland...in any way...without getting one last kick in the sac on the way out?

Does this happen in every city and it just never lands on my radar?

It's odd. I'm not sure why the kid couldn't have just said I'm ecstatic to be going to Denver and pitching for the Colorado Rockies...I can't wait. I think that would be quite sufficient. No need for him to mention the city of Cleveland at all.

[redneckofsc]

I mean, come on guys. How can you forget "I'd retire first. It's the most hectic, nerve-racking city. Imagine having to take the 7 train to the ballpark looking like you're riding through Beirut next to some kid with purple hair, next to some queer with AIDS, right next to some dude who just got out of jail for the fourth time, right next to some 20-year-old mom with four kids. It's depressing... The biggest thing I don't like about New York are the foreigners. You can walk an entire block in Times Square and not hear anybody speaking English. Asians and Koreans and Vietnamese and Indians and Russians and Spanish people and everything up there. How the hell did they get in this country?"

You forgot the line when that Korean woman cut him off in traffic.

[scrambler]

I mean, come on guys. How can you forget "I'd retire first. It's the most hectic, nerve-racking city. Imagine having to take the 7 train to the ballpark looking like you're riding through Beirut next to some kid with purple hair, next to some queer with AIDS, right next to some dude who just got out of jail for the fourth time, right next to some 20-year-old mom with four kids. It's depressing... The biggest thing I don't like about New York are the foreigners. You can walk an entire block in Times Square and not hear anybody speaking English. Asians and Koreans and Vietnamese and Indians and Russians and Spanish people and everything up there. How the hell did they get in this country?"

Someone actually said that? Wow, that's scary. Had to be a really dumb guy or something.

[1Perry]

He shouldn't have said what he did perhaps but I can imagine saying something similiar at that age so I'll give him a pass and if he ever comes back all is forgotten.

Thome wasn't a wet being the ears kid.

[redneckofsc]

Pic of Rocker's girlfriend:

[OldDawg]

WTF? Is it possible for an athlete to leave Cleveland...in any way...without getting one last kick in the sac on the way out?

If I recall, CC Sabathia bought a full-page thank you ad in the PD after he got traded. That was class. No problems with how CC, Lee, and a handful of others departed from Cleveland.

[swerb]

Eff Alex White in his ear. Show a little class to an org and a city that drafted you and spent a lot of money on a signing bonus for you.

Kid acts like he's actually done something in the majors. I'm half tempted to send a Todd VanPoppel baseball card to his attention at Rockies team headquarters, drenched in the patchouli oil that Ziner and all those god damn Colorado granola eating hippies wear.

[Am I Here Again?]

Googled the name since I wasn't familiar with him. This little clip is from Wiki: Van Poppel was signed to a major league contract rather than the standard minor league contract, the A's only had a limited number of minor league options they could use on him. Must have had Borass as his agent. I think we had a pitcher who was brought on under those terms, right? If I remember correctly the name Jeremy Guthrie wants to attach to that fact. Too lazy to Google two things....

[Dellucci TailGator]

As others have said, there aren't too many cities that Denver isn't nicer than. Maybe four or five I'd rather live in.

[peeker643]

I don't know the context. Could very well be he was appealing to a new fan base and group of media and playing to them. Making too much of it IMO. Maybe even joking around.

I just don't care if he ends up being Adam Miller because he's no longer a part of this org and I honestly don't care about him any longer.

It's not a Don't Piss on Cleveland thing at all.

I left Cleveland for Phoenix 10 years ago. I'd personally rather live in Phoenix.

[e0y2e3]

As I said, my issue isn't with the logic. You couldn't pay me enough to move back to Ohio.

That said, I'm just used to insane overreactions due to the Cleveland Inferiority Complex whenever ANYONE hints at Cleveland (or Ohio) being inferior.

It's almost , like, people are growing up.....

[Kingpin74]

There are 7 other Midwest metro areas that are pretty similar to us quality of life wise: Pittsburgh, Detroit, Milwaukee, St. Louis, KC, Cincinnati, etc. Why are we the only one that consistently gets this garbage in the media? Did we ever ask to be compared to the glamour/scenic cities in America?

[Dellucci TailGator]

I bought a Todd Van Poppel autographed baseball at a sports auction in the late 1990s...for $4.

Also got an Alvaro Espinoza ball for $6. (No one would dare forge Alvaro's signature, my reasoning went). That's how much Van Poppel fell off the surface of the earth.

[e0y2e3]

There are 5-6 other Midwest cities (and by cities, I mean metro areas) that are pretty similar to us quality of life wise: Pittsburgh, Detroit, Milwaukee, St. Louis, KC, Cincinnati, etc. Why are we the only one that consistently gets this garbage in the media? Did we ever ask to be compared to the glamour/scenic cities in America?

I can personally say I would live in Pitt or St. Louis WAY before Cleveland.

Haven't been to all of em, but seriously, Cleveland, Detroit and Cinn are similar. I think you're taking some serious liberties w/ the rest of your list.

[Dellucci TailGator]

There is nothing similar to Detroit. My uncle lives there and every visit more and more looks like scenes from Mogadishu.

[Kingpin74]

I can personally say I would live in Pitt of St. Louis WAY before Cleveland.

Haven't been to all of em, but seriously, Cleveland, Detroit and Cinn are similar. I think you're taking some serious liberties w/ the rest of your list.

I can't speak for Pitt beyond my Penguins game trips wherein I spend my time in a 2 block radius. But I lived in St. Louis for a year and I think we have it much better in Cleveland. Their crime is awful and the dining/entertainment options aren't as good.

[e0y2e3]

Meh, every time I have been there I have found it nicer, if you are looking at the city the crime is damn similar to Cleveland and the economy is better.

Also the demos are trending, well, not to a population of zero in a hundred years.

And Pitt is actually a really nice city. Not my cup of tea at all, but a nice all around city.

[Kingpin74]

There is nothing similar to Detroit. my uncle lives there and every visit more and more looks like scenes from Mogadishu.

And that's why I had my metro area caveat. Downtown is a disaster but Oakland County (Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester Hills, etc.) is one of the nicest in the US.

[peeker643]

There are 7 other Midwest metro areas that are pretty similar to us quality of life wise: Pittsburgh, Detroit, Milwaukee, St. Louis, KC, Cincinnati, etc. Why are we the only one that consistently gets this garbage in the media? Did we ever ask to be compared to the glamour/scenic cities in America?

Cleveland isn't the only place that gets it.

You hear about it here because it's noted here.

Do you have any idea what Colby Rasmus said upon leaving St Louis or Hunter Pence from Houston?

Not likely, because no one here cares and the media/bloggers here wouldn't mention it.

It's geo-centric.

[e0y2e3]

Oh Houston... uhg.

I may choose death by a thousand paper cuts over even visiting there ever again.

[motherscratcher]

There are 7 other Midwest metro areas that are pretty similar to us quality of life wise: Pittsburgh, Detroit, Milwaukee, St. Louis, KC, Cincinnati, etc. Why are we the only one that consistently gets this garbage in the media? Did we ever ask to be compared to the glamour/scenic cities in America?

Cleveland isn't the only place that gets it.

You hear about it here because it's noted here.

Do you have any idea what Colby Rasmus said upon leaving St Louis or Hunter Pence from Houston?

Not likely, because no one here cares and the media/bloggers here wouldn't mention it.

It's geo-centric.

That's what I was wondering. Not too worried about what he said. It just seems like a lot of people take swipes on the way out and I didn't know if it was like that everywhere.

Also, Pittsburgh is a really nice city IMO.

[Dellucci TailGator]

There is nothing similar to Detroit. my uncle lives there and every visit more and more looks like scenes from Mogadishu.

And that's why I had my metro area caveat. Downtown is a disaster but Oakland County (Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester Hills, etc.) is one of the nicest in the US.

Nice, but I'd kill myself if I had to live there out of sheer boredom and Pleasantville undertones.

[Lokais]

There are 7 other Midwest metro areas that are pretty similar to us quality of life wise: Pittsburgh, Detroit, Milwaukee, St. Louis, KC, Cincinnati, etc. Why are we the only one that consistently gets this garbage in the media? Did we ever ask to be compared to the glamour/scenic cities in America?

Cleveland isn't the only place that gets it.

You hear about it here because it's noted here.

Do you have any idea what Colby Rasmus said upon leaving St Louis or Hunter Pence from Houston?

Not likely, because no one here cares and the media/bloggers here wouldn't mention it.

It's geo-centric.

Exactly. That's what I was saying as well. You notice it because it's your city and you're reading about players coming and going from your city.

[Lokais]

Also, to be fair, Clevelanders tend to be a bit sensitive about people who decide to leave Cleveland.

[e0y2e3]

And because after years of being a sports laughing stock Cleveland sports fans are pretty sensitive (which again, is why this thread shocks me, it's the anti-thesis of every other message board reaction to a similar statement ever)

[Kingpin74]

My only point (and it's a tired one) is that I get annoyed by the national meme that it's so crappy here. Is it just a legitimate opinion from the 70's and 80's that lazily survived today? I just meant that there are other similar cities that you never hear too much about because they're kept in context.

And Pittsburgh is very nice and seems to be considered as such nationally. But I think that beyond a much better showcasing of their waterfront, it's a pretty comparable place to here when you get down to it (non-glamorous but functional downtown, cold weather, nice suburbs, great people, etc.)

[e0y2e3]

Naw, Pittsburg is a much nicer city. You are living in delusion if you think the city itself is even comprable to Cleveland. And downtown Cleveland is barely even a city when you consider the lack of development, people living there, economy, etc. It reminds me of Hartford, a shell that people go to work at or to watch a game at then leave.

[swerb]

St. Louis is a shithole. Detroit makes St. Louis look like San Diego.

Both are vastly inferior to Cleveland. On every level or metric you could measure them.

All bias aside, I like CTown better than the Nati as well. Never been to Milwaukee or KC. Pittsburgh has some nice spots if you can get past the mouth breathers everywhere.

[Kingpin74]

Naw, Pittsburg is a much nicer city. You are living in delusion if you think the city itself is even comprable to Cleveland. And downtown Cleveland is barely even a city when you consider the lack of development, people living there, economy, etc. It reminds me of Hartford, a shell that people go to work at or to watch a game at then leave.

I live in the suburbs so I might be the wrong person to opine on this subject. I just think the swipes at our downtown are overblown. We have pretty much any entertainment option you would want (aside from a hardcore clubbing or live music scene, which I couldn't care less about), the restaurants are really good and stand up nationally, and it's as safe in the popular areas as most comparable cities. I mean, how many really thriving downtowns are there in America right now? Probably no more than 15.

[e0y2e3]

Fair enough, I'd throw myself in front of a semi before I'd live in the suburbs anywhere. But my visits to Cleveland feel less like I am visiting a real city and more like I am visiting a shell of a city where people go for work/food and then run away to their suburban home.

[Kingpin74]

Fair enough, I'd throw myself in front of a semi before I'd live in the suburbs anywhere. But my visits to Cleveland feel less like I am visiting a real city and more like I am visiting a shell of a city where people go for work/food and then run away to their suburban home.

You live in Boston though, which has one of the better downtowns in the country. I'm just trying to stack Cleveland up against its peers. Pittsburgh may look nicer in spots but I'm guessing the numbers of young people who actually live downtown (and their social options) are pretty similar. And you're right about the Cleveland suburbs but those suburbs are usually 15 traffic-free minutes away from Downtown. I think that's a big factor in our favor and doesn't always happen elsewhere.

[e0y2e3]

Meh, you can say it about a ton of cities. And if I didn't live in Boston I'd live in NYC, Chicago, Toronto or SF. Suburbs suck.

[swerb]

Fair enough, I'd throw myself in front of a semi before I'd live in the suburbs anywhere. But my visits to Cleveland feel less like I am visiting a real city and more like I am visiting a shell of a city where people go for work/food and then run away to their suburban home.

Spit out a couple kids and get back to me.

Valid point on CTown though. They've badly bungled lakefront development and downtown housing. Its a shame. For many other positive reasons, would never be mentioned in the same vein as the Detroits of America if they hadn't.

[e0y2e3]

No doubt kids are a different animal. There's a reason I have no plans on having any.

And yeah, this is why I was so impressed by the Browns lakefront development plans. Somebody needs to do something there, it's a damn joke the city has been developed as it has.