It's hard to argue against ol' Buddy, whose comments appear in the Toronto Sun:
"(Ricciardi) is an interesting guy for all that he's done in the game," Bell told the Kansas City Star. "He's a little guy with a big mouth and all he does is whine. And you can write that. That's the kind of crap in this game that drives me crazy. He knows nothing about our situation. You've got to be kidding me. Every time I hear this guy talk, all he's doing is whining."
This is hardly an isolated incident, for J.P.'s been embroiled in similarly petty scuffles in the past. Much like another disciple of Billy Beane's, Paul DePodesta, he's had a difficult time interacting with the media, though for somewhat different reasons than DePodesta. He ofen lacks the tact required of a public figure, leading to a rather strained relationship with the media and the public. Although, to be fair, I think a lot of the media's resentment stems from older writers who negatively associate Ricciardi with the Moneyball philosophy.
In today's game, GMs are large public figures within the game, often viewed as the face of an organization's current regime. That's why it's imperative that they possess an ability to deal with the media. While their baseball tasks are often delegated to their subordinates, they are held solely accountable for the organization's administrative moves. As a result, they must resonate legitimacy, professionalism, and organization to the public through the media. And J.P.'s been at the helm for far too long to be involved in such petty altercations.
Further discussion on this topic can be found at Baseball Primer.