Jeff Weaver is Not a Team Player

by JA, The Feed

The Seattle Mariners are mired in a six-game losing streak that threatens to spoil all the good feelings engendered by Mike Hargrove's departure from the dugout. An attempt to change their luck was definitely in order. Creativity wasn't, however. They went the tried-and-true route of team haircuts as a way to bolster spirit in the clubhouse and shake their losing mojo.

Putz and first baseman Richie Sexson came up with the idea of having all the players cut their hair. Nothing necessarily extreme, but everybody needed to lose some locks. It started slowly in the early afternoon, but one after another the players got on board. The last of the players to agree were DH Jose Vidro and starting pitcher Felix Hernandez. Hernandez did what many did and got something resembling a crew cut. Vidro went further and shaved his head.

Some players went with more unconventional looks. You can see that Ben Broussard is sporting a mohawk that'll make him a big hit in Fremont. One guy wasn't willing to join in the fun, though. Jeff Weaver's been having his best stretch of the season of late and, in a Samson-esque move, refused to allow his scissor-happy mates a go at his flowing locks. He did say he'd submit to a shearing if he won tonight's start, which seems counter-productive to the idea of getting haircuts to end a losing streak.

It may not make him part of the crew-cut club but I'm with Weaver on this one. Refusing to be a sheep could pay off for the much-pulverized pitcher. When the Mets pulled this trick in May, Jose Reyes was one of the few players who didn't want to change his coif. He ended up starting in July's All-Star Game and is having one of the best seasons in the National League. Weaver's finally found a groove after several seasons spent looking for one, he shouldn't go changing just to please others. So stick to your guns for now, Jeffy. Whenever that pixie dust you've been sprinkling on your pitches wears off you can get a haircut and be one of the Putzes.

And since we're at it, isn't it time to come up with a team building exercise other than group haircuts? You could all get tattoos, the team that gets trampstamped together stays together after all, but in the unlikely case of a Jewish teammate or a player who isn't in the market for a permanent reminder of being on a team that traded him the next week that won't work. I don't really think the world is ready to deal with the possibility of a major league clubhouse full of guys with pierced nipples and dying hair to match the color of a team isn't going to work either. The concept of a fully manscaped team makes me uncomfortable and would raise questions about just what goes on during those infamous closed door team meetings. So I open the floor to you, fearless readers, what should replace the haircut as the karma shifting exercise for 2007 and beyond?