Baseball: mondesi done for the year?

hard to figure if this is serious or if he is just trying to get some leverage, whatever it is it isn't good for toes toos

Pirates OF Mondesi won't play for rest of season, citing personal reasons

By ENRIQUE ROJAS, Associated Press Writer
May 10, 2004
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) -- Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Raul Mondesi, his pay withheld for most of the season because of a civil suit, will sit out the rest of the year, he said Monday.

``I won't play another game this season,'' Mondesi told The Associated Press. ``I can't concentrate well enough to play baseball. I don't want to become a distraction for the team. This is the best for the Pirates, for myself and my family.''

Mondesi, 33, said the decision was only for this year and he may return next season.

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Mondesi returned to his native Caribbean country on Saturday. He missed a three-game weekend series against Los Angeles.

``He's going to the Dominican Republic to be with his family, and we support that decision,'' Pirates general manager David Littlefield said at the time.

A Dominican civil court ruled in February that Mondesi owed former major leaguer Mario Guerrero about $640,000 for helping him improve his baseball skills, a claim which Mondesi denies.

Mondesi appealed the ruling, but said the court ordered his nine accounts in nine Dominican banks frozen and the Pirates withheld his pay.

In April, Mondesi had threatened to leave the team if the Pirates didn't pay him by the end of the month.

Last Wednesday, a Dominican court order that caused the Pirates to hold his pay was lifted. The Pirates then said they would release Mondesi's wages from an interest-bearing escrow account.

Mondesi said he would call his agent, Jeff Moorad, to tell him his decision, and that Moorad would communicate it to the Pirates.

Signed as a free agent in February, Mondesi was hitting .283 with two homers and 14 RBIs this season.

Mondesi was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1994 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He won Gold Glove awards in 1995 and 1997 and twice had 30-homer, 30-steal seasons.

Mondesi has a career batting average of .276 with 266 homers and 842 RBIs in 12 seasons with the Dodgers, Toronto, New York Yankees, Arizona and Pittsburgh.

He said he needs a rest and wants to spend more time with his four children.

``I've played 20 straight years of baseball all year round,'' he said. ``I deserve a rest even if it's only a few months. Today I took my children to school for the first time in my life. It was an amazing feeling.''

A Dominican civil court ruled in February that Mondesi owed former major leaguer Mario Guerrero about $640,000 for helping him improve his baseball skills, a claim which Mondesi denies.

Wouldn't there be a contract involved or something? Those crazy Dominicans...