I waited a long time to become a free agent. From the time I was first drafted, it was over 10 years before I earned the right to exercise this choice.
I entered free agency after my father had been gravely ill for three years, an illness to which he would succumb by the end of the 2002 season. It made me re-think what would go into my decision to embrace my new freedom.
It was the bottom of the 9th, tie game and no one was on base. My team, the Phillies, were navigating a bullpen that had been over-taxed that week. Without any veterans available, we needed to rely on a rookie reliever to get us into extra innings. Coming to the plate was Vladimir Guerrero. The home team’s legendary slugger who was the dynamite inside the lineup of the Montreal Expos.
Free agency, although an important player right, is not a glorious time for most players, especially when you are just hoping to get a phone call. I had three years in free agency.
Defensive Excuse Response Time (DERT) – The time it takes for someone to come up with a theory couched in a fact, while obscuring an excuse. Measured in micro-fake seconds.
Double Bluff Blame Radius (DBBR) – When the simple answer will do, like “I overslept,” the range of other excuses put in its place. Measured in height of snow.