Manning shouldn't
have made efforts
to 'manipulate' draft
By Steve Kelley
Seattle Times (KRT)
SEATTLE — Eli Manning picked a
bad week to manipulate the draft.
In the same week former Arizona
Cardinals safety Pat Tillman made the
ultimate selfless sacrifice — surren
dering his life fighting for his country
— Eli Manning was the ultimate in
selfishness.
In the same week Tillman was killed
in the hellish desolation of
Afghanistan, Manning whined to the
Chargers that he wouldn't play for
them. He said he'd sit out the season
and make himself eligible for the 2005
draft rather than play for San Diego.
So when San Diego took Manning
with the first pick in Saturday's NFL
draft, he refused to smile and petu
lantly held the Chargers' jersey as if it
were toxic.
1 le ignored the offer of the Charg
ers hat and looked as uncomfortable
on the midtown Manhattan stage as
Rosie O'Donnell in "Grease."
An hour later Manning was all
smiles.
He no longer was a Charger. The
New York Giants drafted Philip Rivers
and traded him and a gaggle of prime
draft picks for Manning. And Man
ning's smile beamed across the coun
try as if he were named the winner on
"American Idol."
"I don't think so," Seahawks coach
Mike Holmgren answered when
asked if he would have let the Man
nings — Eli and his father Archie —
manipulate him as they did the
Chargers. "And after I got off my ini
tial shock and maybe my stubborn
ness, well, I can't imagine that hap
pening. I really can't.
"I'd think there would be some way
I could fix that. I think I'd kind of dig
in my heels. I don't know the whole
story on this one, but on the surface I
don't understand this one too much. 1
would think San Diego would be a
pretty cool place to play."
Yo, Eli. A little perspective here.
Pat Tillman died Thursday and his
death touched every American, foot
ball fan or not. He believed in his
country's war on terrorism so much
he gave up the good life, gave up his
three-year, $3.6.million contract with
Arizona to be part of that war.
Tillman believed in something oth
er than himself.
"Every time you see a player get bust
ed for drugs or a player getting arrested
for beating his wife, I believe it reflects
on all of the NFL," former NFL quarter
back Hugh Millen said Saturday. "But
now we take so much pride in what Pat
Tillman has done, his sacrifices. He is
the best the NFL can offer.
"People will remember him. Peo
ple will know about Pat Tillman. I
have kids who are 1 and 3, and I'm
going to put a picture of Tillman on
my desk and tell them he's the finest
example this league has ever had."
Tillman believed in loyalty so
much he once turned down a five
year, $9-million contract offer from
the St. Louis Rams and accepted the
Cardinals' $3.6-million deal because
he thought he owed allegiance to the
team that drafted him.
The draft meant something to Till
man. He understood how important
it has been to the league's success.
The draft has helped make the NFL
enormously profitable and, in part
because of the draft, you will be of
fered a $15 million signing bonus by
the Giants. Before you take your first
snap, you and your family will be
secure for life.
A little perspective, Eli.
Turn to KELLEY, page 12
Fewer visa ‘slots’ in U.S.
creates problem for MLB
If Major League Baseball and the U.S.
government do not come to an agreement,
it could hinder international signings
By Kevin Baxter
Knight Ridder Newspapers (KRT)
MIAMI — The national pasttime and another defining
element of American society, the national bureaucracy, are
at odds over one of the hot-button political issues of the
day, immigration. And unless the two sides can work out a
compromise in next few weeks, baseball may have to
change the way it does business.
For years the U.S. government has granted the 30 major
league organizations approximately 1,400 visa "slots,"
which the teams have used to bring foreign-bom players
to the United States for spring training, instructional
camps and the minor league season. And if a player got
hurt or wasn't performing well, the club could send him
home and use that "slot" — essentially the same tempo
rary work visa — to call up another player.
But a Congressional mandate that quietly went into ef
fect this year has changed all that. Under the new directive,
the Department of Labor cannot issue more than 66,000
temporary visas for 2004,13,000 fewer than a year ago and
a limit it reached in early March. Many of those went to
agribusiness, the construction trades and other traditional
employers of seasonal workers, and the government says
no new visas will be issued until Oct. 1, after the minor
league seasons have ended.
And that has clubs who have invested considerable time
and money in their international operations concerned.
"If Major League Baseball does not reach an agreement
with the government, then all international scouting this
year will be for naught," says Charlie Wilson, manager of
minor league operations for the Toronto Blue Jays.
The new rules do not impact major league players such
as Luis Castillo, Pedro Martinez or Ichiro Suzuki, who are
on their team's 40-man rosters and have P-1 visas, reserved
for individuals deemed by the government to be "out
standing in their profession." But it could threaten the ca
reers of nearly half the 6,117 minor league players under
contract with U.S. clubs since those players cannot come
to the United States without the H-2B temporary work
visas the government is now limiting.
"It hurts those foreign players because instead of being
able to get over here and be able to show what they can do
here in the States, they're going to be restricted," says Tim
Purpura, the Houston Astros' assistant general manager
and director of player development.
And it virtually rules out the signing of Japanese profes
sionals, Cuban defectors or other foreign-bom free agents.
Major League Baseball is currently lobbying the govern
ment for relief and hopes to have some sort of exemption
in place before the new law disrupts June's amateur draft.
Canadians, as well as Puerto Rican and U.S.-bom players,
must register for the draft before they can sign professional
contracts, and as many as 45 Canadians are generally se
lected in an average year. But since Canadians need visas
to work in the U.S., some clubs appear unwilling to spend
a draft pick on a player they can't use until the winter in
structional leagues — if then.
"It looks to us like we won't be able to sign Canadian
players," says Wilson, whose team, through based in Cana
da, must adhere to the same U.S. immigration rules that
govern the other 29 teams. "We can draft and control, but
at this stage we can't sign a Canadian kid or have him get
involved this summer."
The biggest change, however, will be in how teams eval
uate players, mostly Latin Americans, already under con
tract. In the past, clubs have used their academies in the
Dominican Republic and Venezuela to audition raw
prospects, then used visas to bring the most promising of
those to the LJ.S. for closer inspection. It was also common
for teams to release players who had failed in their minor
league trial, then use that visa to check out another
prospect. That, too, has been eliminated by the new law.
"It will make us evaluate quicker when we start to put
our roster together for spring training," says Wilson.
"Sometimes we would wait to see how some of those play
ers did in winter ball. Now we won't be able to do that."
A Major league Baseball official in New York confirmed
that heavy lobbying is underway and says the commis
sioner's office is "cautiously optimistic" a compromise
with the government will be reached. And so is Rafael
Perez, the manager of baseball's Dominican operations,
who is refusing to push the panic button yet.
"It is still too early," says Perez, who will meet with
international scouts early next month to brief them on
the new law. "My understanding is that baseball is
thinking about different alternatives to make sure that
those guys that are supposed to go to the States, but for
some reason or another couldn't, that something is
done on their behalf."
(c) 2004, The Miami Herald. Distributed by Knight
Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
‘Streaky’ Thome is enjoying quick start to season
The Phillies’ first basemen
has had a productive first
month after breaking a finger
By Todd Zolecki
Knight Ridder Newspapers (KRT)
ST. LOUIS — Jim Thome doesn't
know exacdy why he's enjoyed such a
nice April.
Maybe he was due.
Maybe it was his broken finger.
"I've had some Aprils when I've hit
home runs," Thome said. "I've had
some Aprils when I've hit. 100. But
I've always said you want to stay on
water in April. A hit a day. If you can
get a hit a day you stay on water."
He's on water, and without the help
of water wings even. Thome is hitting
.344 with a .429 on-base percentage,
five home runs and seven RBI.
His early numbers certainly are no
table. Consider:
Thome broke his right middle fin
ger after the first Grapefruit League
game in Florida early last month,
and had just 17 spring-training at
bats. Thome said at the time that he
had no idea how much the injury
might affect him, but he always said
he liked having around 50 at-bats
every spring to get himself tuned up
and ready to play.
He still can't completely bend the
finger. He still wears a small splint for it.
He also has had what he termed a
"deep bruise" on his left thumb ever
since Cincinnati's D'Angelo Jimenez
ran into him at first base during a
double play. Bowa said it bothers
Thome more than he lets on.
Thome has a reputation as a slow
starter. He entered the season with
fewer career home runs (40) and
RBIs (133) in April than any other
month. His .268 average in April is
slightly better than his .260 average
in September.
"To explain it? I don't know," he
said. "But I'm glad that it happened.
Because you always want to get off to
a nice start. But would I give up a nice
start personally for a good start for our
team? Yeah. That's what you want."
Back to the busted finger. Bowa has
said recently that it might have been a
blessing in disguise for the big man.
Perhaps it shortened his swing.
Perhaps it slowed him down.
"I think so," Thome said. "Maybe
a little bit, yeah. I'm an aggressive
hitter anyway, but maybe it did slow
me down a little bit. I'm glad it did,
if it did."
(c) 2004, The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune
Information Services.
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