Edmonds Sounds Off

In a radio interview with KFNS in St. Louis that has made it rounds since airing yesterday, former Red (unfortunately) Jim Edmonds had some fairly critical comments regarding his former club, the Reds medical staff, Reds teammates, the Reds playoff run, and well….pretty much everything that wasn’t the Cardinals.

In a fashion Tony LaRussa would be proud of, Edmonds had a take on a many things that are sure to stick in the craw of Reds fans.

When asked about his injury situation of last season, Edmonds responded:

"“It’s awful. It’s still awful. I can’t do the things that I want to do. I’m frustrated. And I don’t know the right words to use toward the Cincinnati doctors. I’m in a situation now where I thought I would never be. I went so far in my career without really having a huge injury and had a bunch of surgeries. And I thought ‘Gosh, I’m going to be able to get out of this with everything, my health my kids are happy and I’m hoping to be able to walk out of this.’“It’s been a frustrating situation. It’s not healing and surgery is the option that I have and that would be a year rehab. I’m not looking forward to that.”"

He riffed on some more about his play in San Diego, Chicago, and Milwaukee leading up to last season and follows with this,

"“The worst thing that I did was accept that trade for Walt Jocketty. I should have just shut it down and went home and I’d be healthy right now and probably playing.”"

And this was just the beginning. After his demonstrative comments regarding the apparent damage done by the Reds medical staff Edmonds came off as backhanded and condescending regarding the Reds team itself and the playoff run,

"“They’re still pretty young, I kind of had a feeling that playoff situation was going to play out the way it did. It just didn’t seem they were ready for that. I think they had that loose atmosphere that you have during the course of a season, and everything happens to go right and you can win the division but there’s a different monster when you get in the playoffs. You need some veterans and some guys to really step up, and you need to be ready to play. You could see that they weren’t. They were a really young team and really naive. I’m hoping, for their sake, that it helped them a little bit.”"

Thank you oh wise sage Edmonds for hoping for the Reds sake. And the story turned inevitably to the brawl between the Reds and the Cards which stemmed from Brandon Phillips’ comments on the Cardinals, which coincidentally happened right after Edmonds trade to Cincy from Milwaukee for Chris Dickerson.

About the incident, Edmonds says,

"“A bunch of good guys. Other than that one situation with that one player, they’re a young, talented, nice group of guys. I think that one incident was very unfortunate and it put a black eye on the rest of the rivalry.”"

“That one player” being Brandon Phillips. About Phillips’ comments he says,

"“He says he wouldn’t take it back, but hopefully he learned from that and realizes that he was overboard right there and causing another distraction that especially the Reds didn’t need and probably fired up the Cardinals.”"

Le sigh….and that’s all the stuff to have Reds fans properly riled. Well it all got me a tad. But here’s the funny stuff (and I saved the best for last).

"“I think from the outside looking in, everybody compares themselves to the Cardinals and hates to get beat and sees all the things that Tony does to cause a distraction at times, to have an advantage at times, to just downright outsmarting everybody else at times. I think it’s tough on people. I heard it on the other side…people get tired of getting their ass kicked by the Cardinals.”"

Bahahahaha…I can’t help but thinking that that has never been said in the Reds clubhouse not even in joking.

Take this for what it’s worth. It’s something to read on, shake your head about, headdesk over, laugh, and then make you that much more ready to take on the Cardinals and really just not care much for Jim Edmonds (didn’t take much for me). Just another thing that is putting this rivalry into high gear fast.