I can’t say definitively that Sweeney avoided the temptation of taking PEDs but it seems way outside his personality and belief system. Further, I seriously question how helpful steroids can be in helping players recover from back problems which are very tricky and very unique. On both those levels it seems very improbable that Sweeney was “juicing.”

Remember the clause in the contract that Sweeney could opt out if the Royals didn’t finish .500 or better within the first two years (I believe) of the contract? The one .500 or better season came shortly after in 2003, basically sticking KC with the contract of an oft-injured player. Before the contract could finish up, we were welcoming Mike Wood, John Buck and Mark Teahen. Fans were booing Sweeney from time to time even then towards the end.

And it’s unfortunate because he was one of my favorite Royals – not just a slugger, but a HITTER. A guy who seemed to find the clutch double or whose bat looked twice as big when he clubbed a homer. Even moderately more healthy, Sweeney could be hitting at an Edgar Martinez type rate to this day. But alas.

It doesn’t make sense to boo him when he comes into town, though. He signed a contract that, at the time, breathed a little hope and life into the franchise. I don’t even get the booing of Johnny Damon so much. People boo Kyle Farnsworth because he sucks, not because he agreed to sign for higher money than anyone else would pay. People boo Robinson Tejeda because he can’t find the strike zone with a GPS, a map, a compass, Amerigo Vespucci, and a guide holding his hand.

I don’t recall people booing Jermaine Dye, though. Maybe I just missed it.

I don’t believe Carlos ever had any intention of staying with the Royals and I believe that Baird knew that. If you have one star that will sign, and a more talented “complete package” star who seems destined to test the free agent waters, you have to take the guy who you know you can sign or be left holding the bag on both players.

All things being equal I believe Baird would have signed Beltran, but all things weren’t equal. Sweeney was willing to sign at fair market (or below market) to stay in KC. Beltran was only going to stay if the Royals paid him well above market value and the Royals couldn’t take that chance.

I remain steadfast in my belief that Allard Baird did the right thing based on the circumstances. It’s just unfortunate that Sweeney couldn’t stay healthy, and ownership never let Baird add a second large contract to the team.

We should never forget that from 1999-2002 Sweeney turned in 4 of the 10 best seasons at 1B in team history and was one of the best RH hitters in all of baseball at the time.