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JL21 wrote:

MrCrowesGarden wrote:Are you suggesting Bernie pulled this out of thin air? I give him more credit than that.

I do, too, but he also has a vested interest- clicks and the like- in exaggerating. And in this case, it certainly could be speculation.

In the very least, I'd take something like that with a huge grain of salt.

It could be speculation, but maybe I don't see it as "wild" speculation, if that makes sense. He's been around Matheny for a long time and would certainly know his personality. He's had, I would venture, more than just a passing interaction with Fowler the past two seasons.

I certainly know the importance of clicks/likes/etc., but I've not sure I've ever met someone in all my media experience who's exaggerated or fabricated to do so. I've seen it from the national media-- which I have no experience with-- but not local, like Bernie.

JL21 wrote:I do, too, but he also has a vested interest- clicks and the like- in exaggerating.

I think this is possible, but it was buried in the middle of the article and never really expounded on. Maybe that indicates the seriousness -- or lack thereof -- but I think if he wanted to get clicks it would've figured more prominently. I wouldn't have batted an eye if Frank Cusumano hadn't said something earlier in the week. Perhaps Bernie heard what Frank said and wanted to get in on it, too?

Part of me believes that these guys are all professionals and the money is going to win out over the manager, but I could be naive.

MrCrowesGarden wrote:

It could be speculation, but maybe I don't see it as "wild" speculation, if that makes sense. He's been around Matheny for a long time and would certainly know his personality. He's had, I would venture, more than just a passing interaction with Fowler the past two seasons.

I certainly know the importance of clicks/likes/etc., but I've not sure I've ever met someone in all my media experience who's exaggerated or fabricated to do so. I've seen it from the national media-- which I have no experience with-- but not local, like Bernie.

I'm not sure why it's safe to assume that Bernie has more than a passing interaction with Fowler. Why would he?

Bernie didn't necessarily fabricate or exaggerate anything. He likely read the speculation somewhere, and is assuming there's something to it, and is repeating it. Maybe he just has a gut feeling. Again, it would be completely different if he had said "sources have told me". He didn't say that.

MrCrowesGarden wrote:It could be speculation, but maybe I don't see it as "wild" speculation, if that makes sense. He's been around Matheny for a long time and would certainly know his personality. He's had, I would venture, more than just a passing interaction with Fowler the past two seasons.

I certainly know the importance of clicks/likes/etc., but I've not sure I've ever met someone in all my media experience who's exaggerated or fabricated to do so. I've seen it from the national media-- which I have no experience with-- but not local, like Bernie.

I think your speculation vs. wild speculation thing is the most likely scenario. I think that's totally fair. I kind of question how well he knows Fowler, but I don't think it'd be totally baseless.

The thing about Bernie, too, is that he is sort of national. He's kind of the go-to guy when national folks need a hot take from a STL sports personality. Now... he's not 100% national or anything. But he does make a lot of appearances nationally. (I say all of this with the caveat that I have a lot of respect for Bernie... I actually like Bernie a lot, but it does seem like he blows things further out of proportion than they should be. Just my opinion.)

Farewell Friends wrote:I think this is possible, but it was buried in the middle of the article and never really expounded on. Maybe that indicates the seriousness -- or lack thereof -- but I think if he wanted to get clicks it would've figured more prominently. I wouldn't have batted an eye if Frank Cusumano hadn't said something earlier in the week. Perhaps Bernie heard what Frank said and wanted to get in on it, too?

Honestly, the Cusamano part makes it less plausible for me. Maybe I don't know enough about him, but he hardly strikes me as the kind of guy who's going to have some huge scoop like that. If Bernie's knowledge of Fowler is somewhat questionable, Cusamano's is extremely questionable. I kind of laughed it off when it came from him. Again- maybe I should give him more credence. I do think you make a good point about the way it's buried in Bernie's article, although even then... that kind of suggests to me that he's speculating. That if he wasn't speculating, he could have played it up.

Really, though... it's not totally implausible that Fowler wouldn't want to play for Matheny. I just struggle to put much weight in it when it's coming in these forms. Doesn't mean it's not true. Just that I don't think this is any sort of damning evidence or indictment.

Socnorb11 wrote:

MrCrowesGarden wrote:

It could be speculation, but maybe I don't see it as "wild" speculation, if that makes sense. He's been around Matheny for a long time and would certainly know his personality. He's had, I would venture, more than just a passing interaction with Fowler the past two seasons.

I certainly know the importance of clicks/likes/etc., but I've not sure I've ever met someone in all my media experience who's exaggerated or fabricated to do so. I've seen it from the national media-- which I have no experience with-- but not local, like Bernie.

I'm not sure why it's safe to assume that Bernie has more than a passing interaction with Fowler. Why would he?

Bernie didn't necessarily fabricate or exaggerate anything. He likely read the speculation somewhere, and is assuming there's something to it, and is repeating it. Maybe he just has a gut feeling. Again, it would be completely different if he had said "sources have told me". He didn't say that.

About 40 games or so of Cubs-Cardinals the past two seasons, postseason included.

I bet staying in CF and making money is more important than playing for Matheny.

i think it's plausible considering he played with jason heyward for a year and it was pretty clear heyward didn't like stl or the clubhouse atmosphere.

BW23 wrote:I bet staying in CF and making money is more important than playing for Matheny.

I would agree. I think the Matheny factor is more than zero, but if we offer the best contract, he'll get past it.

go birds wrote:i think it's plausible considering he played with jason heyward for a year and it was pretty clear heyward didn't like stl or the clubhouse atmosphere.

Did I miss this? Heyward didn't like the clubhouse atmosphere?

MrCrowesGarden wrote:

Socnorb11 wrote:

MrCrowesGarden wrote:

It could be speculation, but maybe I don't see it as "wild" speculation, if that makes sense. He's been around Matheny for a long time and would certainly know his personality. He's had, I would venture, more than just a passing interaction with Fowler the past two seasons.

I certainly know the importance of clicks/likes/etc., but I've not sure I've ever met someone in all my media experience who's exaggerated or fabricated to do so. I've seen it from the national media-- which I have no experience with-- but not local, like Bernie.

I'm not sure why it's safe to assume that Bernie has more than a passing interaction with Fowler. Why would he?

Bernie didn't necessarily fabricate or exaggerate anything. He likely read the speculation somewhere, and is assuming there's something to it, and is repeating it. Maybe he just has a gut feeling. Again, it would be completely different if he had said "sources have told me". He didn't say that.

About 40 games or so of Cubs-Cardinals the past two seasons, postseason included.

I would call that mostly passing interaction.