Kenji Johjima robs 37-year-old man of income, job
Catcher Jamie Burke (pictured left) was not offered a 2009 contract by the Seattle Mariners and it’s an injustice. Burke, the 37-year-old who has spent the majority of his career in the minor leagues, became a victim of the Mariners poor organizational management when he was cut loose today, possibly headed for retirement. The veteran backstop did everything for the M’s in his two years with the team, including pitching in a game last season and mentoring younger players. A logjam of catchers, brought about by the horrible decision-making of the Bill Bavasi era, forced Burke out of a job and I won’t hesitate to point the finger of blame at Kenji Johjima.
Not that this is entirely Kenji Johjima’s fault. Johjima was rewarded with a three-year contract extension last Spring for no reason whatsoever. There isn’t even any speculation as to why Johjima was rewarded for a lack of effort, the move has simply been chalked up as one of the worst contractual decisions in history. The 32-year-old Johjima regressed miserably from 2007 to 2008 and with a glut of young receivers climbing their way up the organizational ladder, should have been allowed to make his way into free agency during the ’08-’09 offseason. Instead, Joh was given a three-year extension worth $24-million which essentially rewarded him for being one of the worst catchers in baseball.
The presence of Johjima over the next three seasons will be a detriment to this ballclub. He may be a very nice man, but last season the pitching staff complained about a breakdown in communication with Kenji and by season’s end, the three-year veteran was backing up Jeff Clement. Clement should take hold of the starting job this season and force Johjima into a role all too familiar to Seattle sports fans: overpaid backup. Which is why Burke, of all people, has been the one most hurt by Johjima’s lack of performance. Johjima will earn his paycheck no matter if he plays or not. The idiots that gave him his extension have already been fired for their mistakes. Burke, the innocent bystander in all this, has been canned despite the fact that he outplayed Johjima last season, was a favorable clubhouse presence, and was deemed the best defensive catcher on the ballclub.
There is really no resolving this situation without calling for Kenji Johjima’s job. I’ll admit I was excited to see Joh come to Seattle back in 2006 when we had a catcher-desperate ballclub that benefited from his services. But now this has gotten out of hand. If nothing else, Johjima should give half his annual salary to Burke, who will exit the Major Leagues having not earned a fraction of the amount that Johjima will take home this year alone. Personally, I’m all for releasing Johjima and letting him walk with the rest of his money, rather than letting him bring down this baseball team and take a roster spot away from a deserving replacement. The cost-effective Burke would have been a cheaper, more fan-friendly option and who doesn’t cherish the thought of seeing the former Oregon State kicker on the mound in extra innings again, firing away with his 80-MPH heater?
Johjima needs to go, and the Mariners need to bring back the veteran backstop who can spell Jeff Clement and give this team a reliable option on Sundays. The Bring Back Burke coalition begins here.
How come the pitchers don’t have a say in who they want to catch them, that way we would see who they have the most confidence with.
A couple things:
1.) The Kenji extension was done by the Japanese ownership, and not by Bill Bavasi. That is fact, not a rumor. They were just trying to help him out one of “their guys” (as the report said, if I remember right).
2.) Burke probably would have been non-tendered regardless of Kenji’s presence. Rob Johnson has nothing to prove in AAA, and isn’t going to be a starter in the big leagues. It made sense to have Clement and Johnson as this year’s catchers.
I would also be in favor of just releasing Johjima and just eating the money. Maybe not now, but if he starts sucking again during the season just pull the trigger and get him out of sight. Being a few million short every offseason for the next 3 years would be better than having to deal an Adam Moore or take PT away from Clement just because he’s here.