Pat White: Two Time Loser

O.k. don’t crucify me, the title was simply instituted to irritate the Pat White supporters out there.  I don’t know the kid anymore than I know Dan Marino. For all I know he could be one helluva philanthropist.  Of course with the money he took from Miami he should be.  Anyways, I digress, the former 2nd round bust for the Miami Dolphins, a player who should go down in history as one of Bill Parcells’ biggest wasted draft picks, has “retired” from baseball. After one season on a farm team I might add.  I suppose this makes him a two time loser?

BASEBALL!

How the hell do you not want to play baseball?

White was signed by the Kansas City Royals after he was released from the Dolphins prior to the start of last season.  Remember, White was abscent the opening of training camp and his brother came out publicly and said that he was “dealing with some issues” or something to that affect.  He returned on day 2 as I recall and didn’t do anything.   He was released shortly thereafter.

So, he turned to the more suitable baseball gig, as pointed out in our comments, he didn’t play at the college level.  White was a star at West Virginia and to this day, his college fans will stick up for him to the very end, (probably a few in our comments section).  Now it appears that Pat White’s personal issues have driven him from sports all together.

The Royals released a statement that White did not show up for spring training after being assigned to a development league last year.  Hmmmm, same as with the Dolphins.  To me this is a kid that simply had it too good at WV and doesn’t possess the work ethic a pro athlete needs to compete and get better.  Talent alone doesn’t get you anywhere without drive.

Baseball is an easy sport, no offense to the millions of baseball players out there.  I played since I was five and loved every minute of it.  The hard work and conditioning was so worth the price to stand on a freshly cut field to play what was then “America’s Game”.  I would have paid my way into the minor leagues and had it not been for an untimely knee injury, I may have done just that.

I have little respect for quitters.  Especially those with God given talents that waste it while taking other people’s money.   His minor league contract with the Royals was peanuts and likely not guaranteed but the signing bonus.  In Miami, his 4 year 4.5 million dollar deal had partial guarantees and a signing bonus.  For the year he was actually on the roster doing nothing he made some decent change.

It seemed that most of his drive at the NFL level was halted in it’s tracks following a vicious final game hit by Ike Taylor of the Steelers that knocked him out on the sidelines.  Whether that played a part in his desire to return to the NFL is unclear, and in no way do I make light of that hit.  It was, again, vicious.

White is the only one who knows his next route but it’s likely that is pro-level sporting days are over unless you consider Arena football, the UFL, and the Lingerie League, pro level sports.  Whatever his reasons were for retiring, I do hope that it’s not some personal demon that is racking his brains but rather a simple loss of love for playing the game of baseball.  The kid has talent, it’s now simply wasted.

O.k., let her rip…I have thick skin!