It was funny for a while, perhaps even quite a while, but it’s probably safe to say that most Dodger fans no longer think that Brian Wilson and his whole ‘Fear the Beard’ shtick is funny anymore. It’s also probably safe to say that most Dodger fans aren’t particularly thrilled that former Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti agreed to a $9.5 million player option for Wilson for the 2015 season – especially for Dodger fans who were expecting or even hoping to see a rebuilt Dodgers bullpen next season.

There’s an old saying that seems appropriate here: “You either have to be part of the solution, or you’re going to be part of the problem ” – and make no mistake about it, Brian Wilson was a huge part of the problem with the Dodgers bullpen in 2014.

Trying to be cleaver or cute will only take you so far, but trying to be cleaver and cute when you are 2-4 with a 4.66 ERA, a 1.61 WHIP, lead all Dodger relievers in walks with 29 and blow four out of five save opportunities doesn’t go over too well with Dodger fans no matter how cleaver and cute you try to be.

Before all of the silliness, this is what Brian Wilson looked like.
like. (Photo courtesy of tumblr.com)

There was never a doubt, none whatsoever, that Wilson was going to exercise his player option for 2015, which he officially announced he had on Monday. And why wouldn’t he? How could he possibly walk away from a guaranteed $9.5 million knowing full well that he would never get a contract like that anywhere else? Only a fool would do so. Of course, only a fool would have ever agreed to such a ridiculous contract like that in the first place.

During the final two weeks of the season Wilson was asked about the decline in his velocity with his once famous 100+ MPH fastballs that were now topping out at 89-91 MPH. Rather than simply acknowledging the decline in speed and admitting that he needed to reinvent himself, Wilson laid a rather lame excuse on reporters.

“When I came back last year, if you guys were looking, I was 89, 91 [MPH],” Wilson said. “And when I decided to bring it up to 95 was the playoffs and not really any time before that,”

He even went so far as to say that he can still throw in the mid-90s “if needed” and might dial it up in the playoffs which, of course, never happened.

Wilson appeared in the eighth inning of Game-3 of the Division Series. He faced three batters giving up a leadoff double to Jhonny Peralta. intentionally walked Matt Adams and struck out Yadier Molina looking. He was then replaced by left-hander J.P. Howell who immediately gave up a leadoff single to Jon Jay to load the bases but was able to get Kolten Wong to hit into a 1-2-3 double play to allow Wilson and the Dodgers to miraculously escape the inning without allowing a run.

It is an absolute miracle that Wilson escaped the eighth inning of Game-3 of the NLDS without allowing a run. (Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

During that inning Wilson made a total of nine pitches (including the four intentional balls to Adams) and never threw a fastball. Peralta’s double came on a 76-MPH curveball and his strikeout of Molina came on four sliders (two of which were fouled off) at 86, 87, 88 and 86 MPH. So much for dialing it up in the playoffs.

Can you spot the one guy ‘phoning it in’ during stretching exercises at spring training 2014?
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka – Click on photo to enlarge)

The point to all of this is that 2015 would be a great time for Wilson to show up for spring training without the antics which, quite frankly, aren’t cleaver or cute anymore. It would be a great time for Wilson to show up and at least try to look like a professional baseball player. It would be a great time for Wilson to show up and at least try to give Dodger fans (and his teammates) the impression that he actually gives a damn. It would be a great time for Wilson to show up and at least try to prove that he is worthy of the $9.5 million that he is guaranteed.

It would be a great time for Brian Wilson to show up and be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.