What career would you rather have?

[backwardsk]

Jerry Hairston vs. Brian Roberts

Back in the day, when the organization had both Hairston and Roberts, I advocated keeping Hairston. I was way wrong. The Orioles obviously made the right choice. But, hypothetically, what career would you rather have?

Roberts: 2 time All-Star, played for one organization, made $32mm+ with another $30mm owed to him, teams have been terrible and never had a winning season.

Hairston: Not nearly as productive as Roberts, has bounced around the league (6 organizations), made around $13mm over 13 seasons, has a WS ring, gets to play a season with his brother.

As an old man, what career would you rather tell your grandkids about?

[dhaze]

How is this even a question?

Being a journeyman utility player who lucked into a WS ring or multiple time all-star who wrote his name all over a franchise's record books.....anyone who says the former is too obsessed with championships

[Moose Milligan]

Hairston. Won a ring.

Compared to someone who spent the prime of his career languishing in the cellar. It's a no brainer for me.

[Crazysilver03]

Hairston. Won a ring.

Compared to someone who spent the prime of his career languishing in the cellar. It's a no brainer for me.

Hairston never signed with a team that had a real chance to make the playoffs. He has signed with the Cubs, Reds, and Padres. He was traded to the Rangers and the Yankees and lucked into the WS wing because of that. He is a journeyman that had to settle for non-contenders.

Roberts has had the chance to stay in Baltimore his entire career and start philanthropies and been able to give back. He has wanted to be apart of winners and wanted to be there when Baltimore finally turned into one. He had the opportunity to leave but decided to stick around.

[scOtt]

Theirs wives are a tossup...

[Moose Milligan]

Hairston never signed with a team that had a real chance to make the playoffs. He has signed with the Cubs, Reds, and Padres. He was traded to the Rangers and the Yankees and lucked into the WS wing because of that. He is a journeyman that had to settle for non-contenders.

Roberts has had the chance to stay in Baltimore his entire career and start philanthropies and been able to give back. He has wanted to be apart of winners and wanted to be there when Baltimore finally turned into one. He had the opportunity to leave but decided to stick around.

Lucked into a ring or not, he still has one. He was still able to say he played in a WS.

Staying in a city for an entire career and starting philanthropies is nice warm and fuzzies but for me, I'd rather say I have a ring no matter how small of a role I played on the team.

[Moose Milligan]

Moose, you have officially jumped the shark.

What, cause I wouldn't want to spend my entire baseball career playing for a loser?

[waroriole]

I don't think it's laughable to pick Hairston's career. Personally, I'd pick BRob's, but I could see why someone would want the ring, and a chance to play on a team with at least 3 (maybe 6 or 7) Hall of Famers. Of course, if that team is the MFY, I'd rather give you the ring back.

[BRob51]

I take Roberts' consistent PT and full career with one team, where the entire fan base treats him like a hero, over Hairston's travels, though I'd be happy with either.

[dhaze]

Moose is on "everything about the Orioles is detestable" auto-pilot so of course he's going to pick the player that left

[waroriole]

I take Roberts' consistent PT and full career with one team, where the entire fan base treats him like a hero, over Hairston's travels, though I'd be happy with either.

Seriously. It's a win-win situation when compared to talking about baseball.

[scOtt]

I don't think it's laughable to pick Hairston's career. Personally, I'd pick BRob's, but I could see why someone would want the ring, and a chance to play on a team with at least 3 (maybe 6 or 7) Hall of Famers. Of course, if that team is the MFY, I'd rather give you the ring back.

Second that. I'd pick BRob too, but it's not a slam dunk. Moose is getting unreasonably slammed here.

[Moose Milligan]

Your logic here is laughable. Let's take it to the next level. Chico Salmon or Ernie Banks. Ernie is a HOF and never won a ring. Chico did. Still take the guy's career who had the ring?

Thats an apples and oranges comparison, and you're calling my logic laughable?

Gotta wonder what Ernie would sacrifice from his lengthy list of personal accomplishments to get a ring. And at least Ernie played on a few WINNING TEAMS. It's quite conceivable that Roberts will NEVER play on a team that is over .500.

It's my personal preference, I don't see why you've got a stick up your ass about it...it's not like Hairston has had a horrible career. It certainly hasn't panned out the way he wanted it to but he's still made more money than you or I will ever see in our entire lives and he won a ring.

I'm not sure why anyone would pick playing for a perrenial cellar dweller for their entire career but I'm not also berating anyone for their personal preference.

[ShoelesJoe]

Let's see -- a $62 million career vs. $13 million career?

Sorry, that is a slam dunk, ring or not.

[Moose Milligan]

No, because you'd rather be a mediocre player who happened to play on a good team one or two years, instead of being a very good player. Have some pride, dude!

Sorry, I just don't see the attraction of wanting to play for a loser for my entire career. Talk about a crushing blow to your pride.