The Post Season And...

[klaiggeb]

I know this question is going to surface, at the very least among media morons:

Do the Giants re instate Mekly when eligible?

For me, the answer is this complex and this simple; Not just NO, but HECK NO!

Why?

Glad you asked.

1-He betrayed his team by his actions

2-He showed utter and complete DISRESPECT for his teammates by NOT facing them, and apologizing.

3-Because of HIS absence, they have gone to heights no one expected. They did this with focus, gile, and one heck of a lot of WANNA. To take Mekly back would distrub that chemistry of the team, and would be a massive slap in the face to everyone that had to persevere without him.

4-By his actions, he figuratively spit on the team's owners, fans, teammates and the teams' managment.

He could have had every baseball players dream, the way the city adopted and fell in love with him. The Melkmen; what an outstanding concept!

Right up there with The Panda, and the Giraffe.

He could have had a ridiculous contract.

Now, he should be scorned by the Giants, distrusted and kept on a very short leash by whomever signs.

Harsh?

I don't think so. I believe in punishments that fit the crime.

By his actions he deserves what I contend he should get.

boly

[sharksrog]

I'm not sure it is ethical to blackball a player after he has served his suspension. Should the Giants win the NLDS in four games or fewer, they might be able to keep Melky out of the NLCS because he would need to miss the first game or two. But in a potential seven-game series, that would be a stretch, especially if it's only one game Melky would miss.

On the other hand, the league or the Giants themselves could extend Melky's suspension for the potentially evasive measures his representative undertook as a potential cover up. I think it would be easier for the league to make that move than for the Giants to do so.

But as far as I know, neither the league nor the Giants have taken further action.

Here is what I would do if I were the Giants. I would speak with the team leaders and find out the temperature of the team with regard to this issue. If the players want him back, I would take him back. If they don't, I would try to find a way around his return.

I still haven't been able to get an answer to the question of whether Melky gets MLB service time for the period of his suspension. If he doesn't, I believe he will remain the property of the Giants next season -- unless they trade or non-tender him.

Even if the Giants aren't planning to keep him, it would be nice to retain his rights and perhaps get something in return for him.

And more important to this season, there might even be a way to get something from him in the postseason -- assuming his teammates want him back. There is a slight difference between Melky and the pair of Gregor Blanco and Xavier Nady.

If the Giants had Melky back, they could bat Melky, Pablo or Hunter 6th. Against southpaws they could bat Joaquin Arias or even Brandon Belt 8th. Now THAT'S a lineup.

[rxmeister]

Boly, I think you're being way too harsh on Melky, it's not like he's an axe murderer! He did the crime, and after 50 games, he'll have fully paid the penalty, unless MLB decides to add on. I agree with Rog that it's totally up to his teammates, but I'll be surprised if they want him back. What he did left a bad taste in their mouths, and I'm sure they think they can win without him. Rog raised an interesting point about his free agency, but the fact that nobody else in the media or with the Giants has mentioned it, makes me pretty sure that he'll get credit for the service time and become a free agent.

[sharksrog]

I finally found the rules on MLB service time during a suspension. As long as a player is on the 25-man roster at the time of the suspension -- as Melky obviously was -- he receives service time during the suspension.

So Melky WILL be eligible for free agency this winter. That could increase the probablity that the Giants will pass on Melky in the postseason.