Not really.
Those of you that read me regularly know that I've been on the Larry Baer watch quite some time and not just about his Giants' influence.
Oh, there's so much.
Which is fine, I guess. Power is elusive and special and those that hold it usually abuse it.
So when the infamous Baer video showing him physically rip a cell phone out of his wife's hand and causing her to fall, became public, I wasn't shocked at all. I'm not suggesting that Baer is a domestic violence perp; whatever happened here is between he and his wife. But the video did one thing: it showed a side of this man that has existed quite some time but virtually ignored by the Bay Area media, sporting and news press too.
Baer has a dark side. Trust me, I know.
And again, I'm not alluding to his altercation with Pam. Sure, we all saw Baer in a light he's unaccustomed to: not the usual happy, chirpy, confident man who loves to mingle with the elite and rich and famous down near the Giants' dugout and at cocktail parties in the city. Truly, Baer was out of his element this time and there was no massaging from the lame SF media.
Baer loves Baer. Baer loves power. Baer is an advocate for Baer. He's also one of the most cunning, egotistical, outrageous jerks in the Bay Area if not the universe. The happy-face persona is a ruse. Baer is mean-spirited and petty too; how petty and mean-spirited? Just ask Dusty Baker, the onetime Giants' manager whose tax issues with the IRS were leaked by Larry Baer. It's known in the industry, especially locally yet Baer was given a pass.
Dusty never forgot.
Baer has every right to enjoy his social and political clout in this city but when he goes overboard he should also be called out. The incident involving his wife should have provided an opening to the local press to gauge deep into the Baer history but the pansies looked the other way. Am I surprised? Hell no.
Phil Matier, barely a word.
Ann Killion tried her best but swung and missed. Probably on purpose as Killion likes to pick and choose her fights but wasn't about to rock the boat especially when the editor-in-chief of her Chronicle newspaper is a dedicated Giants' fan.
Scott Ostler, who should know better and chews out villains on Sunday, had the perfect opportunity to nail Baer but even Scotty fouled out.
Hank Schulman? Are you kidding; gimme a break.
This is a new era in this city because in the old days even below-average reporters would have taken the time and do some honest research and examine Baer and his grip on San Francisco political and social circles. There's a lot to chew on, believe me. Baer owns this city. At one point years ago he considered running for mayor and he'd have probably won because his fingerprints are on pretty much every known particle, human and otherwise. And that extends from the ballyard to City Hall to the Hall of Justice.
Fear.
I suppose Baer is feared by the local media because they enjoy their Giants' privileges . The team has been sucking lately but doing business at the park remains on the to-do list and Baer, when he eventually comes back to China Basin (and he probably will sooner or later) still keeps tabs on those who continue to goose him and those who don't. Loyalty is a Trumpian virtue with Mr. Baer, who knew?
I do.
Coming soon: The Jeff Adachi story disgrace.
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Instead of wallowing in your depression you should have been paying attention. All you criticize talked about it. How about praising those who you heard? Same old Rich. Focus on the negative.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back Rich.
ReplyDeleteIt continues to amaze me how certain people can't get out of bed and so much as fart without being called on it, yet there are certain people who seem to skate through life as they get one free pass after another free pass. Hopefully the veneer has been pealed off to the point where everyone sees this fellow for what he truly is.
ReplyDeleteThe guy's wife took his phone. He took it back. She screamed. He’s out a job.
ReplyDeleteso you didn't see her knocked to the ground..no biggie..right?
Delete1:48, she didn't get "knocked to the ground", both of them were holding on to a phone and the chair she was in fell over. Watch the video, idiot.
DeleteLarry must not have paid Rich off we all know Rich is on the take
ReplyDeleteNo one is paying you for this garbage, Baer probably has lawyers ready to bend you over.
ReplyDeleteexcept for this one little legal concept...Res ipsa loquitur...the thing speaks for itself...get your eyes examined, then view the video again.
DeleteTo the poster at 1:42pm.
DeleteOhhhh no!
The Giants fan club is out in force today.
Watch out everyone. We are scared.
Welcome back! I was waiting for a story like this . . . we need you, man.
ReplyDeleteSame old Rich...yea! Same old posters...including those that are perpetual complainers about your blog... so why are you negative people here...? You obviously have been reading a long time. Go read the Jan Wahl pages and stay away from here. I don't mean you have to agree with what he posts, but you come in and attacking him for what you already know he does. Either that, or the negative posts are by Rich, just trying to boost the comeback.
ReplyDeleteThis is what you do best. Give us your hot take on breaking stories.
ReplyDeleteLet's wait and see for the outcome after SF Police and Major League Baseball investigate the incident.
Lynn
great write up Rich! this is the kind of thing I would love to read more of
ReplyDeleteSaw the Larry/Wifey strifey story on the news, and immediately thought of Rich. Glad he came back to comment on it!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to see you back. Missed you.
ReplyDeleteAll I know is that if a baseball player threw his wife around like that and it was caught on camera they'd be fined, suspended, and/or out of a job.
ReplyDeleteLocal media is basically a spin/PR/propaganda machine for the Giants, Larry Baer makes sure of that...watch in the coming days/weeks as a few Chron columnists and radio idiots put it out there that Larry's a great guy and this entire episode was just a big misunderstanding...
ReplyDeleteFinally someone has the guts to reveal the person behind Dusty Baker's federal tax problems.
ReplyDeleteA cowardly act.
Only a disgracefull man like Larry Baer would do this.
Where was KNBR? Nowhere to be found,
Only silence.
"finally"? Where have you been?
DeleteThe editor in chief at the Chronicle?
ReplyDeleteWhy should she speak?
She has her own luxury suite at ATT Park (no Oracel here).
We can understand why the writers and reporters at the Chronicle would keep quiet
They want to remain employed.
Ahh yes . . . journalism in the Bay Area!
It's been known for years by Giants employees that Baer is a tyrant. It's about time the public saw his real side. He's a phony!
ReplyDeleteLARRY BAER IS AN EMBARRASSMENT TO NOT ONLY THE ORGANIZATION BUT ESPECIALLY TO US FANS!
ReplyDeleteI recall the late , great Hank Greenwald disliked Baer; he clearly doesn't have the humility of a Peter McGowan or the Microsoft attorney who preceded him as C.E.O.
ReplyDeleteThe Chronicle's editorial on the topic went out of its way to kiss Larry's A. Incredibly embarrassing.
ReplyDelete