This Broke My Heart A Little

The Voice of the Mariners has a few new posts on the team’s newest acquisition, Jesus Montero. Some of the stuff is pretty cool but the picture to the left is just…wrong.

I know I said I was happy with the trade the other day, but seeing this picture hurts. I guess I knew the time would come when Jesus would do promotional photo shoots and that kind of stuff for his new team, but I’ll be damned if it’s not bizarre seeing him at Safeco. It will be even weirder once he puts on their jersey.

Montero is really the first position player I was old enough to follow the whole way through the minors, so it feels like I’m losing a son. I know that’s a dumbass comparison to make, but whatever. You don’t like it get your own blog.

Anywho, check out some quotes from Jack Z and Montero’s conference call and another interview with the kid after the jump.

Montero was asked about the delay in finalizing the trade, which was screwed up due to last week’s snow and ice storms, and he said he had a “rough week trying to get to Seattle, but I finally made it and I’m very happy to be here.” Don’t listen to him. He’s only saying these things to hurt you. He doesn’t really mean it.

He also dropped a fun little tid-bit about our old friend Alex Rodriguez. It seems that the former Mariner learned the future Mariner a few things about work ethic after the latter’s September 1 call-up.

"He told me to go to the cage. He told me he’d fine me $100 a day if I didn’t go. So I started going to the cage and learning my routine. I learned a lot from A-Rod."

It’s refreshing to hear good things about A-Rod. It doesn’t change my opinion of him, but it is refreshing.

On hearing that he was traded to the M’s:

"[The Yankees] called me at my dad’s birthday party and I was in shock because I was always told it wasn’t going to happen. But my family is really happy. This is a new opportunity for my life and my career. I just want to win every day."

That is awful news to get at your father’s birthday. Finding out you’ve been traded from one of the greatest organizations in sports to one that hasn’t made the postseason in a decade and only owns four playoff appearances (with no World Series) in its history must be crushing. Talk about a party foul.

There’s some other good stuff in there too (even a Kei Igawa mention!), so check it out.

You can also listen to Jesus’ interview with Rick Rizzs, Shannon Drayer and Matt Pitman on the Hot Stove League Show on 710 ESPN Seattle here. Montero talks about his excitement about becoming a Mariner, his goals as a player and his love for drag racing.