It's been a busy week on the transaction wires. Among the well known names that appeared among the transactions include: David Eckstein, Kevin Youkilis, Mark Kotsay, Bartolo Colon, Dave Bush, Derek Lowe, Fernando Rodney, Chone Figgins, Guillermo Mota, Alex Cora, Jack Cust, Chris Ray, John Smoltz, Russ Ortiz, Trevor Hoffman and Mark Prior. But for all those well known names, there were plenty of other obscure signings from guys still clinging to the MLB dream:
Dan Ortmeier - Left Fielder - Colorado Rockies: Minor League Contract
Ortmeier is a six foot, four inch, 28 year-old born in Tennessee and raised in Texas. After a college career at Texas-Arlington, Ortmeier was drafted in the third round by the San Francisco Giants in the 2002 draft. He got two cups of coffee in 2005 and 2006 with only a handful of at bats in both seasons. He had a great 2005 year in the AA ball with 20 homers and 35 stolen bases. A year later, he had wrist and knee problems but still got called up for a few games.
Ortmeier had knee surgery prior to 2007 but was recovered enough to start the season for the Giants' top farm team. He got into 62 games in 2007 and batted .285 with six homers in 157 at bats. He even had a walk off home run against the Dodgers. He competed for the starting job at first base in 2008 and lost out to Rich Aurelia. He did manage to get 64 at bats and did not hit well.
It seems part of the problem when the Giants kept trying to get him to give up switch hitting. The Giants seemed to win and for the first time since 2002, Ortmeier batted right handed against a right handed pitcher in April and got a game winning double against Heath Bell. But by August, he was back to switch hitting, which apparently led to the team non-tendering him at the end of the year.
Ortmeier will now try to resurrect his stature as a prospect with the Rockies.
Callix Crabbe - 2B - Seattle Mariners: Minor League Contract
Now isn't this a great name? Callix Crabbe is a second baseman who was born in the U. S. Virgin Islands in 1983. After college, he was drafted in the 12th round by the Milwaukee Brewers. To give an idea of a minor league player's life, Crabbe was named the best defensive second baseman in the 2004 California League. Then in 2007, he was the Applebee's Home Town Hero of the year for the Nashville Sounds.
Crabbe made his major league debut for the Padres who obtained Crabbe in the Rule 5 draft in 2007. The slick fielding second baseman promptly made three errors in five games for the big league club. The Padres returned Crabbe (who only posted a .176 Batting average in 34 at bats) to Milwaukee (as part of the rules for the Rule 5) who promptly let him become a free agent.
Now Crabbe hopes to extend his dream with the Seattle Mariners.
John Koronka - Pitcher - Florida Marlins: Minor League Contract
Koronka is the epitome of a man who just wants to pitch in the big leagues and despite lack of success in any of his major league attempts, continues his quest.
Drafted in the 12th round by the Cincinnati Reds in 1998, he made his MLB debut with the Chicago Cubs in 2005 and started three games for the Cubs that year. He went 1-2 with an ERA over 7. Not a good start. Nevertheless, his Topps baseball card for the following year tabbed him as a future opening game starter. But it wouldn't be for the Cubs. They traded him to the Texas Rangers in March for the immortal Freddie Bynum.
Koronka started 23 games for Texas in 2006 and enjoyed the kind of success that Texas pitchers always seem to have there. He went 7-7. That part is good. But his 5.67 ERA was...well...Rangeresque. Koronka expected to be on the opening day roster in 2007 but was cut in Spring Training. He did manage to start two games for the Rangers in 2007 but gave up nine runs in ten innings and lost both of them.
Koronka went to Japan in 2008 and is back on this side of the world this year and hoping to get a shot with the Marlins. Stranger things have happened.
Jose Capellan - Right Handed Pitcher - Houston Astros: Signed to a minor league contract.
The six foot, four inch pitcher from Cotui in the Dominican Republic has bounced around quite a bit in his 28 years. The pitcher reportedly throws 100 MPH and was a highly touted prospect for the Braves after he signed with them as an undrafted player. He had a great year in the minors in 2004 and the Braves brought him up for a few cups of coffee. He poured sour milk in that coffee by giving up ten earned runs in just eight innings.
After the 2004 season, the Braves traded him to the Brewers for Danny Kolb. He got into 17 games with Milwaukee in 2005 and was somewhat effective in relief. He struck out 14 in 15+ innings and ended up with an ERA of 2.87. The Brewers then made Capellan a major part of their bullpen in 2006. That didn't turn out nearly as well.
He pitched in 61 games for the Brewers in 2006 and showed signs here and there of effectiveness. But overall, he ERA ended up at 4.40 and he gave up 11 homes in 71+ innings. He had a poor spring in 2007 and the Brewers sent him to the minors. Capellan wasn't happy about that and demanded a trade and threatened retirement. He didn't retire and pitched a few games for the Brewers before he was traded to the Tigers for Chris Cody. That didn't work out too well either as Capellan gave up ten runs in fourteen innings for the Tigers.
The Tigers then traded him to Colorado for Denny Bautista. He pitched once for the Rockies in 2008 and pitched three innings. The Rockies designated him for assignment and he elected to become a free agent. He signed with the Kansas City Royals but did not make it to their big league team, so three innings was his 2008 total.
Now, he's been invited to the Houston Astros training camp and signed a minor league deal with them. When a pitcher has a big arm, there is always some team that will give him a chance...even if that big arm has never proven to have the ability to miss many bats.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Travis Hafner on the Road Back?
There was a news story out yesterday that Travis Hafner started swinging a bat today for the first time since his shoulder operation on October 13, 2008. This must be terrific news for Eric Wedge and for Cleveland fans.
Hafner had been a force in the majors since he broke into the Cleveland lineup full time in 2004. In fact, Hafner posted OPS statistics from 2004 through 2006 of .993, 1.003 and 1.097, figures that were among the leaders in the league.
The designated hitter definitely hit a speed bump in 2007 when his Batting Average from dipped from .308 to .266 and his .OPS from 1.097 to .835. He tried to play through the pain last year but was completely ineffective and shut it down after only 57 games with a Batting Average under the Mendoza Line.
His shoulder operation was performed by the great Dr. James Andrews, who has saved the careers of so many players in baseball and football. That also has to give his manager and his fans a lot of good cheer.
Hafner's troubles, along with pitching woes, certainly hampered the Indians last year. They went from contending in 2007 to a .500 team last year. If Hafner can come back close to what he was, that will go a long way into bringing the Indians back into contention.
For his part, Hafner believes he will be close to his old self and soon. See here for that post and what he says about his injury and where he is now. Cleveland fans, no doubt, are rooting that he is right and so is the club that is paying him $11 million this year to do just that.
Hafner had been a force in the majors since he broke into the Cleveland lineup full time in 2004. In fact, Hafner posted OPS statistics from 2004 through 2006 of .993, 1.003 and 1.097, figures that were among the leaders in the league.
The designated hitter definitely hit a speed bump in 2007 when his Batting Average from dipped from .308 to .266 and his .OPS from 1.097 to .835. He tried to play through the pain last year but was completely ineffective and shut it down after only 57 games with a Batting Average under the Mendoza Line.
His shoulder operation was performed by the great Dr. James Andrews, who has saved the careers of so many players in baseball and football. That also has to give his manager and his fans a lot of good cheer.
Hafner's troubles, along with pitching woes, certainly hampered the Indians last year. They went from contending in 2007 to a .500 team last year. If Hafner can come back close to what he was, that will go a long way into bringing the Indians back into contention.
For his part, Hafner believes he will be close to his old self and soon. See here for that post and what he says about his injury and where he is now. Cleveland fans, no doubt, are rooting that he is right and so is the club that is paying him $11 million this year to do just that.
Young "Agrees" to Move to Third
Michael Young has come to his senses apparently and will move to third and drop his trade request. The story (see here) gives plenty of indication that Young was well aware of the fan and public opinion concerning his recent stand that caused four days of controversy.
Two things stand out in the post that describes his capitulation. One is that he talked to his agent and, to be sure, his agent wisely made it clear that Young did not have any options. Young says himself that there was no way the Rangers would be able to trade him (thus admitting he is overpaid).
The second thing he stated was just as pointed: "There were a couple of things about this that were tough. One is, the fans shouldn't have to choose between the club and a player. We're all working for the same thing. That's the last thing I wanted to happen." In other words, he heard and understood the backlash coming from the fans. Sometimes reading your press is a good thing.
These statements by Young show some wisdom. But, he admits he is a man of pride and won't apologize for his stand. He may not be sorry for his stand, but bets are being taken here that he is sorry he made the fuss public.
One of the comments to the Fan's earlier post on Young's initial reaction was probably correct. Young seems like a decent enough guy. Thankfully, either he or his agent saw the writing on the wall and brought him back to earth.
Two things stand out in the post that describes his capitulation. One is that he talked to his agent and, to be sure, his agent wisely made it clear that Young did not have any options. Young says himself that there was no way the Rangers would be able to trade him (thus admitting he is overpaid).
The second thing he stated was just as pointed: "There were a couple of things about this that were tough. One is, the fans shouldn't have to choose between the club and a player. We're all working for the same thing. That's the last thing I wanted to happen." In other words, he heard and understood the backlash coming from the fans. Sometimes reading your press is a good thing.
These statements by Young show some wisdom. But, he admits he is a man of pride and won't apologize for his stand. He may not be sorry for his stand, but bets are being taken here that he is sorry he made the fuss public.
One of the comments to the Fan's earlier post on Young's initial reaction was probably correct. Young seems like a decent enough guy. Thankfully, either he or his agent saw the writing on the wall and brought him back to earth.
Anaheim Gives Up
The City of Anaheim finally gave up on their long standing fight for the Angels to remain the Anaheim Angels. Arte Moreno, the most recent owner of the Angels changed the team's name to The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to attract more media attention and a more lucrative position in that area. The city fought the name change and lost twice in court. The city counsel finally gave up the ghost and voted unanimously to give it up.
To someone sitting a continent away in the frozen tundra of northern Maine, the whole thing seemed rather silly to begin with. The Angels were an expansion team in 1961 and in just 48 years, they have been the Los Angeles Angels, the California Angels, the Anaheim Angels and now their latest and most confusing name of all. For an interesting look at the team's short history, a good source is here.
While calling themselves the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim makes about as much sense as the football Giants and Jets calling themselves the New York Giants and New York Jets respectively (they both play in New Jersey), the team now has won the right to call themselves what they want.
Personally, the name, "California Angels" seemed to make the most sense and rolled off the tongue much easier than all of the rest of the names. It felt much like the "New England" Patriots which is a name that has worked very well for that franchise. The most comical take on the whole news story came from a commenter on the news wire story ESPN.com ran on the city's decision. The commenter said: "Doesn't matter what their name is, they'll still win the West and then get swept in the ALDS."
To someone sitting a continent away in the frozen tundra of northern Maine, the whole thing seemed rather silly to begin with. The Angels were an expansion team in 1961 and in just 48 years, they have been the Los Angeles Angels, the California Angels, the Anaheim Angels and now their latest and most confusing name of all. For an interesting look at the team's short history, a good source is here.
While calling themselves the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim makes about as much sense as the football Giants and Jets calling themselves the New York Giants and New York Jets respectively (they both play in New Jersey), the team now has won the right to call themselves what they want.
Personally, the name, "California Angels" seemed to make the most sense and rolled off the tongue much easier than all of the rest of the names. It felt much like the "New England" Patriots which is a name that has worked very well for that franchise. The most comical take on the whole news story came from a commenter on the news wire story ESPN.com ran on the city's decision. The commenter said: "Doesn't matter what their name is, they'll still win the West and then get swept in the ALDS."
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The One. The Only Jack Cust
Some players provoke more response than others. The Fan laughed when the story appeared that Jack Cust signed today for $2.8 million for a year. The laugh wasn't AT Jack Cust. He just provides that kind of reaction. Has there ever been another player like him?
Last year, Jack Cust came to the plate 592 times and did not put the ball in play 308 of those times. He struck out 197 times and walked 111 times. Put those two together and 52% of his plate appearances resulted in a ball not put in play. If you add in his homers (33), then 341 times out of 592 plate appearances, the fielders were not involved in his at bats (except the catcher). That's an astounding 56.7% of the time.
But that percentage did not beat the year before. In 2007, Cust had 500 official plate appearances, struck out 164 times and walked 105 times. So in 2007, he did not put the ball in play 53.8% of the time. Again, if you add in his 26 homers, then 59% of the time, the fielders just stood around and watched.
Cust is a former first round draft pick (by Arizona) in 1997. He was an 18 year old kid from New Jersey. He didn't make it in the Arizona and bounced from there to Colorado. He then caught on in the Baltimore system, then San Diego's before finally winning a starting job with the A's. Cust actually got a few at bats in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006 before he had a big spring training with the A's and made the team in 2007.
But what's to be made about a player like Cust? He only batted .231 last year but with his 111 walks, finished with a .375 On Base Percentage. Even so, his Slugging Percentage slipped from the previous year below .500. With his On Base Percentage, he did finish with a respectable .851 OPS.
Actually, there are some similarities with Cust and Adam Dunn. Both strike out a lot and both walk a lot. But Dunn put the ball in play more times. About 41% of Dunn's plate appearances were walks plus strikeouts. How about Prince Fielder? Nope, not even close: 32%. Ryan Howard? He did strike out 199 times, right? Nope, not close: 41%. Mark Reynolds struck out 204 times (incredible!!), but nope: 44%. No again for Pat Burrell (37%). The closest you can come is Carlos Pena of the Bay Rays at 48% (166 strikeouts and 99 walks).
So it is safe to say that of all players with 500 plate appearances, there is no one like Jack Cust. The Fan will leave it to Billy Beane or some sabermatrician to figure out if that is a good thing or a bad thing. To the Fan, it's just amusing.
P.S. - The Fan tried to find out how many times Cust struck out looking, but struck out searching everywhere. Can anyone find that number and leave a link? Thanks!
Last year, Jack Cust came to the plate 592 times and did not put the ball in play 308 of those times. He struck out 197 times and walked 111 times. Put those two together and 52% of his plate appearances resulted in a ball not put in play. If you add in his homers (33), then 341 times out of 592 plate appearances, the fielders were not involved in his at bats (except the catcher). That's an astounding 56.7% of the time.
But that percentage did not beat the year before. In 2007, Cust had 500 official plate appearances, struck out 164 times and walked 105 times. So in 2007, he did not put the ball in play 53.8% of the time. Again, if you add in his 26 homers, then 59% of the time, the fielders just stood around and watched.
Cust is a former first round draft pick (by Arizona) in 1997. He was an 18 year old kid from New Jersey. He didn't make it in the Arizona and bounced from there to Colorado. He then caught on in the Baltimore system, then San Diego's before finally winning a starting job with the A's. Cust actually got a few at bats in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006 before he had a big spring training with the A's and made the team in 2007.
But what's to be made about a player like Cust? He only batted .231 last year but with his 111 walks, finished with a .375 On Base Percentage. Even so, his Slugging Percentage slipped from the previous year below .500. With his On Base Percentage, he did finish with a respectable .851 OPS.
Actually, there are some similarities with Cust and Adam Dunn. Both strike out a lot and both walk a lot. But Dunn put the ball in play more times. About 41% of Dunn's plate appearances were walks plus strikeouts. How about Prince Fielder? Nope, not even close: 32%. Ryan Howard? He did strike out 199 times, right? Nope, not close: 41%. Mark Reynolds struck out 204 times (incredible!!), but nope: 44%. No again for Pat Burrell (37%). The closest you can come is Carlos Pena of the Bay Rays at 48% (166 strikeouts and 99 walks).
So it is safe to say that of all players with 500 plate appearances, there is no one like Jack Cust. The Fan will leave it to Billy Beane or some sabermatrician to figure out if that is a good thing or a bad thing. To the Fan, it's just amusing.
P.S. - The Fan tried to find out how many times Cust struck out looking, but struck out searching everywhere. Can anyone find that number and leave a link? Thanks!
Mark Prior to Try Again for the Padres
Mark Prior had it all. He was drafted second overall right out of USC in 2001 and the following year made his major league debut. His first year with the Cubs showed promise as he started nineteen games and finished with a 6-6 record and a 3.32 ERA. He struck out 145 batters in 116+ innings. But more than just his early record, talent evaluators were amazed at his mechanics and his command of the strike zone. His only problem that first year was the fourteen homers he gave up.
The following year, Prior (and Kerry Wood) led the Cubs to the brink of the World Series. Prior was phenomenal for the Cubs, finishing second in the Cy Young voting as he went 18-6 with a 2.43 ERA in 30 starts. He struck out 245 in 211+ innings, while only giving up 15 homers and 50 walks. He had a three run lead in the eighth inning of what would always become known as the Bartman game: 3-2 lead in the series, three run lead in the eighth inning with Mark Prior on the mound. But Cub fans would soon have their hearts ripped out and Mark Prior was a few months away from having his shoulder ripped out.
Today, every big league team seems to protect its young arms. The Joba Rules on the Yankees are a good example. Pitch counts are limited and plans are made to gradually build a pitcher up to a certain physical maturity. There was no such coddling of Mark Prior and maybe that led to his injuries. Here he was just two years removed from college ball, where he may have pitched 100 innings and he started 30 games in the regular season plus those starts in the playoffs. It was probably too much, too soon.
Prior won only 18 games the next three seasons as his injuries and lack of effectiveness mounted. He had shoulder surgery and missed all of 2007. The Cubs let him go. The Padres signed him to a minor league contract last year but his shoulder again blew out and he had to have another surgery and missed all of 2008 as well.
Give the Padres credit though. They signed him again this year to another minor league deal. They believe he has a chance to pitch this year. They believe his last surgery fixed what needed fixing. It's impossible not to hope they are right and that the chance they are taking on Prior rewards both he and them.
It would be great for baseball if Prior could make a comeback. After all, there are not a lot of pitchers who have a lifetime 10.37 strikeouts per nine innings as a starter. There are not many pitchers who have a lifetime strike out to walk ratio of 3.40 (it was an amazing 4.90 in his big year). Let's root for Mark Prior and hope he makes it all the way back this time.
The following year, Prior (and Kerry Wood) led the Cubs to the brink of the World Series. Prior was phenomenal for the Cubs, finishing second in the Cy Young voting as he went 18-6 with a 2.43 ERA in 30 starts. He struck out 245 in 211+ innings, while only giving up 15 homers and 50 walks. He had a three run lead in the eighth inning of what would always become known as the Bartman game: 3-2 lead in the series, three run lead in the eighth inning with Mark Prior on the mound. But Cub fans would soon have their hearts ripped out and Mark Prior was a few months away from having his shoulder ripped out.
Today, every big league team seems to protect its young arms. The Joba Rules on the Yankees are a good example. Pitch counts are limited and plans are made to gradually build a pitcher up to a certain physical maturity. There was no such coddling of Mark Prior and maybe that led to his injuries. Here he was just two years removed from college ball, where he may have pitched 100 innings and he started 30 games in the regular season plus those starts in the playoffs. It was probably too much, too soon.
Prior won only 18 games the next three seasons as his injuries and lack of effectiveness mounted. He had shoulder surgery and missed all of 2007. The Cubs let him go. The Padres signed him to a minor league contract last year but his shoulder again blew out and he had to have another surgery and missed all of 2008 as well.
Give the Padres credit though. They signed him again this year to another minor league deal. They believe he has a chance to pitch this year. They believe his last surgery fixed what needed fixing. It's impossible not to hope they are right and that the chance they are taking on Prior rewards both he and them.
It would be great for baseball if Prior could make a comeback. After all, there are not a lot of pitchers who have a lifetime 10.37 strikeouts per nine innings as a starter. There are not many pitchers who have a lifetime strike out to walk ratio of 3.40 (it was an amazing 4.90 in his big year). Let's root for Mark Prior and hope he makes it all the way back this time.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Clemens Story is Bad for the Insides
There's been a post building inside for quite some time now but it has been difficult to bring it out because it is painful. Anyone who makes a living writing understands the feeling of having something that needs to come out but makes us cower and cringe until it can't be withheld anymore. Anna Nalick already penned the feeling exactly in her haunting song, "Breathe (2 A.M.)":
"...2 AM and I'm still awake, writing a song if I get it all
down on paper, it's no longer inside of me, threatening the life it belongs
to..."
The Roger Clemens fiasco is the post and anyone (or you few) who have followed this blog for a long time has an idea of where the Fan had Clemens placed in his iconography. Then one day a little over a year ago, the trophy shelf collapsed and the icon shattered like fine porcelain hitting the dining room floor.
The feeling was exactly the same as the day when we all turned on our television sets and saw that white Ford Bronco in that absurd ride down the California freeway and a whole childhood of worshipping O. J. Simpson vanished into thick, smoggy air. We all knew immediately that Simpson was guilty. We all knew. We still know. And though we mock him and deride him and were all secretly glad his little fiasco in Las Vegas finally put him where he belonged, despite the jeers and the smug satisfaction, there was still a little boy inside sadly wearing Number 32 and remembering the thrill ride of all those runs to glory.
That same little boy inside remains for most of us, even when we are on the other side of 50. That same little boy wonders why Clemens couldn't just come clean and tell his story. This is a country that loves to knock our heroes to the ground. But we love just as much to forgive them, wrap them back up in our arms and cheer them on again. Clemens didn't follow the example of his one-time, best friend, Andy Pettitte. Though Pettitte threatens that forgiveness with his stubborn refusal of $10 measly million, he was pardoned and we could cheer him on again.
Clemens apparently has decided to go down the same road already tread by Pete Rose and Richard Nixon. We knew they were guilty. We knew they were caught red-handed. If they had just drooped their shoulders and copped to their crimes, they would have been forgiven and life would have gone on. But, whether it is because they felt they had too much to lose or because their pride would not allow them to show flaws, they held on to the lies and held on tightly until there was no place for them to go.
And thus, Richard Nixon lost the White House and Pete Rose only shows up at Cooperstown to hawk signed baseballs when a simple little plea of: "Yup, I admit it," would have left them plenty of room for ultimate public redemption. And now, one of the most celebrated pitchers of the last one hundred years is having his name removed from hospital wings and is being banished even by the charities he used to support.
The sorrow isn't for Clemens or Nixon or Rose. They sowed their own seeds as did Simpson, Bonds, fallen Olympians and the Governor of New York. The sorrow is for the little boy who wanted to cry when Clemens gave his Hall of Fame speech.
And while we're on this subject, let's reflect a moment on the last three Hall of Fame votes in which Mark McGwire continues to sink in votes. The magical year in which McGwire hit his seventy home runs came after labor problems and probably did a lot to bring the fans back to the game. For this writer, it was even more personal as McGwire's heroics came right after a gut-wrenching divorce. That stupendous Labor Day weekend filled this writer with tears of joy that were unbelievably needed in those most painful of days. It gave a fallen and disheartened man a reason to be a little boy again. That same inner little boy that baseball has sustained for a lifetime.
And again, the boy is sad as McGwire's heroics are tarnished and discounted even though, by all accounts, McGwire was and is a decent man. The love he shared those days with his son could not be faked by steroids and it brought around the circle of fathers to sons that baseball has always generated.
At least McGwire didn't lie. But if he had just come clean and told his story straight up, he still may not have gotten into the Hall of Fame because some grumpy old men lost their inner little boys a long time ago. But the rest of us would embrace him and feel better about the emotions we let loose on that magical Labor Day Weekend.
And so we will continue to watch the Shakespearean play work itself out. The snake and tempter, McNamee, gets to shriek with glee as he continues to pull the Rocket down while McNamee gets a slap on the wrist. And we may even watch as Andy Pettitte, that old best friend, becomes the man who sends that former friend to prison. It didn't have to be this way. The little boy wishes with a lifetime of emotions that it could end in any other way.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Poor Michael Young
A story that has piqued the Fan's interest concerns Michael Young, the All Star shortstop of the Texas Rangers. Apparently Young is unhappy that he was told he would need to move to third base to make room for prospect Elvis Andrus and has requested the team to explore trade possibilities. Young's biggest gripe is that he wasn't asked to move, he was told he had to move.
Consider that Mr. Young is going to make $16 million for the next five years. Consider that, despite his elevated status as a ball player on a major league franchise, he is still an employee. Consider that most of the new sophisticated fielding measures list Young as a less than stellar shortstop (despite the fielding percentage and the Gold Glove). Consider that a manager and a general manager of a baseball team are paid to make the decisions that are in the best interest of the team's prospects.
Consider all those things and little sympathy can be engendered for Michael Young. The Fan would clean out the Texas Rangers septic system for $16 million. The Fan would be so giddy at making $16 million that he would do just about anything Mr. Washington or Mr. Daniels told him to do.
Tell any one of the 8% that are unemployed in the Arlington area that someone getting paid that kind of money has hurt feelings because he has to play third base and see what kind of reaction the person collecting unemployment or has his house repossessed will have.
It is stories like this that make the little hairs bristle inside the Fan's nose. Please excuse the coming language, but Mr. Young should swallow something quickly and get his nose down on some kind of reality level and quickly retract his asinine whining. And after he does that, he should get his high paid ars over to third and play his heart out.
Consider that Mr. Young is going to make $16 million for the next five years. Consider that, despite his elevated status as a ball player on a major league franchise, he is still an employee. Consider that most of the new sophisticated fielding measures list Young as a less than stellar shortstop (despite the fielding percentage and the Gold Glove). Consider that a manager and a general manager of a baseball team are paid to make the decisions that are in the best interest of the team's prospects.
Consider all those things and little sympathy can be engendered for Michael Young. The Fan would clean out the Texas Rangers septic system for $16 million. The Fan would be so giddy at making $16 million that he would do just about anything Mr. Washington or Mr. Daniels told him to do.
Tell any one of the 8% that are unemployed in the Arlington area that someone getting paid that kind of money has hurt feelings because he has to play third base and see what kind of reaction the person collecting unemployment or has his house repossessed will have.
It is stories like this that make the little hairs bristle inside the Fan's nose. Please excuse the coming language, but Mr. Young should swallow something quickly and get his nose down on some kind of reality level and quickly retract his asinine whining. And after he does that, he should get his high paid ars over to third and play his heart out.
Post Hall of Fame Thoughts
Rickey Henderson is in as expected, though 28 people did not vote for him. What dotards are they! Jim Rice is in on his last chance on the ballot. Dan Shaughnessy will be throwing a party. Many of the rest of us will continue scratching our heads. And that's it. Just those two were elected, proving once again that the Baseball Hall of Fame is the most exclusive and fickle club of all.
Apparently two writers didn't vote at all in protest of the steroids issue. Get a grip and give up your rights, people, if you think that is appropriate.
Mark McGwire received less votes than last year and only received roughly 22% of the votes. See previous paragraph.
Tim Raines used coke early in his career and apparently is still paying for it (though Paul Molitor cruised through and had the same problem). But Molitor got to 3000 hits (mostly as a DH) and Raines didn't. Raines only mustered 22.6% of the votes. Absurd and...umm...stupid.
Andre Dawson was 44 votes shy of getting elected, which is about right. Poor Burt Blyleven only went up by two votes and is still stuck at roughly 63%. Jack Morris and Lee Smith both came in around 44%. Tommy John finished his 15 year run with 31% and Dave Parker, Alan Trammell and the rest are not even mentioned in most articles on the subject. You can see the full list here.
The Fan has been debating the Raines and Lee Smith votes and Keith Law is probably correct that race might be a factor in both votes. That is a hard position to take considering that both of this year's electees are African American. But one has to wonder why Lee Smith is not worthy and Bruce Sutter is? Or why Molitor got a pass and Raines hasn't.
And it can't be because Raines fell short of 3000 hits. If that was the case, how did Rice get in? It's troubling and...yes...fickle.
Apparently two writers didn't vote at all in protest of the steroids issue. Get a grip and give up your rights, people, if you think that is appropriate.
Mark McGwire received less votes than last year and only received roughly 22% of the votes. See previous paragraph.
Tim Raines used coke early in his career and apparently is still paying for it (though Paul Molitor cruised through and had the same problem). But Molitor got to 3000 hits (mostly as a DH) and Raines didn't. Raines only mustered 22.6% of the votes. Absurd and...umm...stupid.
Andre Dawson was 44 votes shy of getting elected, which is about right. Poor Burt Blyleven only went up by two votes and is still stuck at roughly 63%. Jack Morris and Lee Smith both came in around 44%. Tommy John finished his 15 year run with 31% and Dave Parker, Alan Trammell and the rest are not even mentioned in most articles on the subject. You can see the full list here.
The Fan has been debating the Raines and Lee Smith votes and Keith Law is probably correct that race might be a factor in both votes. That is a hard position to take considering that both of this year's electees are African American. But one has to wonder why Lee Smith is not worthy and Bruce Sutter is? Or why Molitor got a pass and Raines hasn't.
And it can't be because Raines fell short of 3000 hits. If that was the case, how did Rice get in? It's troubling and...yes...fickle.
Why Football Isn't Baseball
The Fan loves football. It's a great game and fun to watch. But it will always come in second to Major League Baseball. It's the difference between U-2 (insert your favorite artist here) and the Beatles. U-2 is the world's favorites, but the Beatles hold the passion longer and that passion is deeper ingrained somehow. It's definitely a personal preference, but if you see the Fan's friends over at sportsblogs.org, and sort blogs by sport, there are twice as many baseball blogs than football blogs and three times as many as NBA blogs. So it appears the Fan is not alone.
It would be fun to include a list of differences between the two games. Actually two lists would be better. One list is how baseball is better than football and another in how football is better than baseball. The Fan will strategically list those things better in baseball in the hopes that you will get tired of reading before you get to the bottom and miss the many ways that football is better than baseball. Here goes...
Reasons that Baseball is Better than Football
- Baseball players don't crawl on the ground or do the Hulk flex when they make a great play. Football players will do so even when their team is down by 35 points.
- Baseball playoffs give your favorite teams five or seven chances to succeed rather than a sudden death format where in one three hour blink, your favorite team could be done.
- The umpires are professional and full time instead of part time referees in football. Of course, there is still plenty of bad calls. But at least they are made by people devoted year round to the sport. Poor Mr. Hoculi will never get a break again, will he?
- Baseball records have more magic in them. A pitcher reaching 300 wins has much more glam factor than a quarterback getting to 60,000 yards passing. The only thing close in football is a rusher getting to 15,000 yards or something.
- Baseball has better single performance juice. A player can hit for the cycle or get four home runs in a game or throw a no-hitter or get an unassisted triple play. A quarterback gets 400 yards passing in a game? meh. The only thing close is 200 yards gained by either a rusher or pass receiver.
- Every baseball game (except for rain outs) gives each team an equal opportunity to win. In a typical nine inning game, each team will bat nine times. If the game goes to extra innings, each team will still have equal opportunities. In football, you have that terrible overtime rule where a team winning the overtime toss can be the only team to touch the ball in overtime when they win.
- There are no ties in baseball. As Eagles fans know real well, a football game can still end in a tie. Well, there was a tie in the All Star Game. But that was a once-in-a-century thing and the game didn't count.
- Speaking of All Star Games, the baseball All Star showcase is way cooler than the Pro Bowl.
- Spring Training games are much more interesting than pre-season football.
- The yearly off season or Hot Stove League is much more interesting than off season football (unless you lived in Green Bay for the last five seasons).
- Fantasy leagues give you 162 chances to win instead of 17.
- Baseball cards are much cooler than football cards.
- A Joe Montana football will never sell as much as a Mickey Mantle baseball.
- In baseball, you don't have to wait seven days for the next game.
- At a baseball game, at least one player will be somewhat near you no matter where you sit. In football, you could be 80 yards from any action.
- Baseball is played in the warmer months so you don't have to get frost bite to see a game and bare chested guys with letters on their stomachs aren't as necessarily crazy at a baseball game.
- There has never been a football mascot even close to the San Diego Chicken.
- The baseball Hall of Fame seems more meaningful than the Canton equivalent.
- Baseball gives you at least five to six articles a week from your favorite sports writer and not two or three like in football.
- The one on one match up between the pitcher and the batter can only be somewhat matched by the match up of the quarterback and middle linebacker. And the latter match up still depends on 20 other guys to determine the outcome.
- Related to a previous reason, at a baseball game, the fans wear much less clothing than at a football game (except in Tampa or Miami or San Diego) which is better for members of either gender.
- There is no football equivalent to the seventh inning stretch.
- Baseball players seem to have less tattoos than their football counterparts. This is purely a personal difference.
- Only Pat Summerall and John Madden even come close to legends like Harry Carey, Phil Rizzuto, Curt Gowdy, Joe Garagiola, Jack Buck and on and on go the examples.
- Except for Japanese players, you can pronounce most baseball player's names. There are few African names in baseball...yet.
- If you are in a real hurry, a digitally recorded baseball game can be zipped through faster than a football game. Try it some time. Nine innings can go by in about 12 minutes.
- Pitchers can throw 100 MPH or 60 MPH and be just as effective. Quarterbacks (just ask this year's Cowboy fans) cannot have weak arms and be consistently effective.
- Baseball players can get their own drinks in the dugout. For some reason, football players' hands don't seem to work and assistants need to squirt liquid into their mouths for them.
- No baseball player in view will be riding an exercise bike.
- There are no cheerleaders in baseball.
Ways that Football is Better than Baseball
- There are cheerleaders in football.
- There are more 'Oooh' moments in football. There are probably six to ten good hits a game in football and there might be one time a week where the runner crashes into home plate. Big and cool plays happen much more often at a football game than at a baseball game.
- A Barry Sanders run is oodles more fun than a Vince Coleman triple.
- There is no baseball equivalent to a perfectly executed long bomb from from a quarterback to a deep running receiver.
- Half time give you the opportunity to go to the bathroom and still make it back in time. Plus you may get a good act that performs (unless it's Janet Jackson 0r something).
- Baseball doesn't have anything like NFL Films and that guy with the great voice doing the narration to that really great music. The best baseball ever had was Mel Allen saying, "How about that" to a syndicated show on Saturdays. Not even close.
- The World Series never gets really cool and funny commercials like the Super Bowl.
- Really bad teams only make their fans suffer for 16 games instead of 162.
- Football reviews more plays via video tape. It took an act of Congress to get baseball to simply review foul pole if-scenarios.
- Football doesn't have glaring rule weak spots like baseball's strike zones. You may have one out of every five umpires that will call a letter-high fastball a strike, which is terrible.
- You always play football no matter the weather (except for hurricanes and the like).
- The head coach in football can run up and down the field and keep coaching. If the manager did that in baseball, he gets thrown out of the game.
- Officials in football get to throw yellow flag bombs at offending players. How cool is that?
- Football games are probably better television.
More will probably come to the Fan once this blog is published. If you would like to add your own reasons one way or another, drop a note.
The Fan would like to give a big welcome to his first follower, Josh Borenstein. Josh publishes a blog called Jews in Baseball, which is a pretty cool idea. The Fan is half Sicilian and has always theorized that Italians were the lost ten tribes of Israel. After all, our mothers give us the same guilt and we both get blamed for all the crime in America. Nice to have you, Josh, and continued success and fun with your blog.
It would be fun to include a list of differences between the two games. Actually two lists would be better. One list is how baseball is better than football and another in how football is better than baseball. The Fan will strategically list those things better in baseball in the hopes that you will get tired of reading before you get to the bottom and miss the many ways that football is better than baseball. Here goes...
Reasons that Baseball is Better than Football
- Baseball players don't crawl on the ground or do the Hulk flex when they make a great play. Football players will do so even when their team is down by 35 points.
- Baseball playoffs give your favorite teams five or seven chances to succeed rather than a sudden death format where in one three hour blink, your favorite team could be done.
- The umpires are professional and full time instead of part time referees in football. Of course, there is still plenty of bad calls. But at least they are made by people devoted year round to the sport. Poor Mr. Hoculi will never get a break again, will he?
- Baseball records have more magic in them. A pitcher reaching 300 wins has much more glam factor than a quarterback getting to 60,000 yards passing. The only thing close in football is a rusher getting to 15,000 yards or something.
- Baseball has better single performance juice. A player can hit for the cycle or get four home runs in a game or throw a no-hitter or get an unassisted triple play. A quarterback gets 400 yards passing in a game? meh. The only thing close is 200 yards gained by either a rusher or pass receiver.
- Every baseball game (except for rain outs) gives each team an equal opportunity to win. In a typical nine inning game, each team will bat nine times. If the game goes to extra innings, each team will still have equal opportunities. In football, you have that terrible overtime rule where a team winning the overtime toss can be the only team to touch the ball in overtime when they win.
- There are no ties in baseball. As Eagles fans know real well, a football game can still end in a tie. Well, there was a tie in the All Star Game. But that was a once-in-a-century thing and the game didn't count.
- Speaking of All Star Games, the baseball All Star showcase is way cooler than the Pro Bowl.
- Spring Training games are much more interesting than pre-season football.
- The yearly off season or Hot Stove League is much more interesting than off season football (unless you lived in Green Bay for the last five seasons).
- Fantasy leagues give you 162 chances to win instead of 17.
- Baseball cards are much cooler than football cards.
- A Joe Montana football will never sell as much as a Mickey Mantle baseball.
- In baseball, you don't have to wait seven days for the next game.
- At a baseball game, at least one player will be somewhat near you no matter where you sit. In football, you could be 80 yards from any action.
- Baseball is played in the warmer months so you don't have to get frost bite to see a game and bare chested guys with letters on their stomachs aren't as necessarily crazy at a baseball game.
- There has never been a football mascot even close to the San Diego Chicken.
- The baseball Hall of Fame seems more meaningful than the Canton equivalent.
- Baseball gives you at least five to six articles a week from your favorite sports writer and not two or three like in football.
- The one on one match up between the pitcher and the batter can only be somewhat matched by the match up of the quarterback and middle linebacker. And the latter match up still depends on 20 other guys to determine the outcome.
- Related to a previous reason, at a baseball game, the fans wear much less clothing than at a football game (except in Tampa or Miami or San Diego) which is better for members of either gender.
- There is no football equivalent to the seventh inning stretch.
- Baseball players seem to have less tattoos than their football counterparts. This is purely a personal difference.
- Only Pat Summerall and John Madden even come close to legends like Harry Carey, Phil Rizzuto, Curt Gowdy, Joe Garagiola, Jack Buck and on and on go the examples.
- Except for Japanese players, you can pronounce most baseball player's names. There are few African names in baseball...yet.
- If you are in a real hurry, a digitally recorded baseball game can be zipped through faster than a football game. Try it some time. Nine innings can go by in about 12 minutes.
- Pitchers can throw 100 MPH or 60 MPH and be just as effective. Quarterbacks (just ask this year's Cowboy fans) cannot have weak arms and be consistently effective.
- Baseball players can get their own drinks in the dugout. For some reason, football players' hands don't seem to work and assistants need to squirt liquid into their mouths for them.
- No baseball player in view will be riding an exercise bike.
- There are no cheerleaders in baseball.
Ways that Football is Better than Baseball
- There are cheerleaders in football.
- There are more 'Oooh' moments in football. There are probably six to ten good hits a game in football and there might be one time a week where the runner crashes into home plate. Big and cool plays happen much more often at a football game than at a baseball game.
- A Barry Sanders run is oodles more fun than a Vince Coleman triple.
- There is no baseball equivalent to a perfectly executed long bomb from from a quarterback to a deep running receiver.
- Half time give you the opportunity to go to the bathroom and still make it back in time. Plus you may get a good act that performs (unless it's Janet Jackson 0r something).
- Baseball doesn't have anything like NFL Films and that guy with the great voice doing the narration to that really great music. The best baseball ever had was Mel Allen saying, "How about that" to a syndicated show on Saturdays. Not even close.
- The World Series never gets really cool and funny commercials like the Super Bowl.
- Really bad teams only make their fans suffer for 16 games instead of 162.
- Football reviews more plays via video tape. It took an act of Congress to get baseball to simply review foul pole if-scenarios.
- Football doesn't have glaring rule weak spots like baseball's strike zones. You may have one out of every five umpires that will call a letter-high fastball a strike, which is terrible.
- You always play football no matter the weather (except for hurricanes and the like).
- The head coach in football can run up and down the field and keep coaching. If the manager did that in baseball, he gets thrown out of the game.
- Officials in football get to throw yellow flag bombs at offending players. How cool is that?
- Football games are probably better television.
More will probably come to the Fan once this blog is published. If you would like to add your own reasons one way or another, drop a note.
The Fan would like to give a big welcome to his first follower, Josh Borenstein. Josh publishes a blog called Jews in Baseball, which is a pretty cool idea. The Fan is half Sicilian and has always theorized that Italians were the lost ten tribes of Israel. After all, our mothers give us the same guilt and we both get blamed for all the crime in America. Nice to have you, Josh, and continued success and fun with your blog.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
The Red Sox Continue Stockpiling
The Boston Red Sox had another busy week and continue to stockpile players like a survivalist family stocks its doomsday cellar.
This week, they signed Takashi Saito, the 38 year old relief pitcher who had great statistics with the Dodgers but also came up with a bum elbow; Rocco Baldelli, the once great outfielder with the Tampa Bay Rays, who has a new diagnosis for his mysterious disease; Brad Penny, the former all star pitcher from the Dodgers who came up with a bum shoulder and had a bad year; and Mark Kotsay, the thirty-three year old outfielder/first baseman, who has stayed healthy and bats pretty well in an otherwise nondescript (apparently the Fan's new favorite word) career.
With the exception of Kotsay, it seems the Boston medical staff should be on red alert this year. Saito is also the fourth Japanese player on their roster.
This week, they signed Takashi Saito, the 38 year old relief pitcher who had great statistics with the Dodgers but also came up with a bum elbow; Rocco Baldelli, the once great outfielder with the Tampa Bay Rays, who has a new diagnosis for his mysterious disease; Brad Penny, the former all star pitcher from the Dodgers who came up with a bum shoulder and had a bad year; and Mark Kotsay, the thirty-three year old outfielder/first baseman, who has stayed healthy and bats pretty well in an otherwise nondescript (apparently the Fan's new favorite word) career.
With the exception of Kotsay, it seems the Boston medical staff should be on red alert this year. Saito is also the fourth Japanese player on their roster.
Obscure Signings of the Week
Once again this week, a few well known names found themselves on the transaction wire such as Pavano, Giambi and Milton Bradley. But as always on the weekend, this blog searches the same transaction wires for those obscure signings of marginal players just trying to keep their MLB dreams and careers going.
Claudio Vargas - Pitcher - Dodgers: One year contract
The six foot, four inch, thirty year old, Vargas was never drafted and didn't play any college ball. He comes from Mao and this will be his sixth team in seven career years. Mostly a starter, Vargas has started 114 games in his career and pitched in relief 50 times.
He has a winning record (46-40), which is surprising considering his less than stellar statistics. His lifetime ERA sits at 4.94 with a career WHIP of 1.45. That means that you are not going to see a whole lot of 1-2-3 innings from this pitcher. And that is not good news for this pitcher when looking at his situational stats. He has a lifetime ERA of 2.05 with the bases empty, but his ERA balloons big time as soon as someone gets on base. But the biggest problem for Vargas? The long ball. He has given up 121 homers in just 703+ innings.
That figure should be better with the Dodgers in that pitcher's park.
Royce Ring - Relief Pitcher - Cardinals: One year contract
Royce Ring, now there's a great name for you. And he was drafted with high expectations. A lefthander from San Diego State, the 28 year old Ring was drafted in the first round by the Chicago White Sox in 2002. He made his debut in the majors in 2005 and has 91 appearances in the big leagues in parts of four seasons with three different clubs.
A first round draft pick became one of those situational lefties and Ring has only pitched 65 and two thirds innings in those 91 appearances. The problem for Ring has been his control and he's walked 40 batters in those innings. Ring got away with that control problem in limited appearances in 2006 and 2007 and had decent ERA figures for those two seasons. But last year, he was dreadful for the Braves who ran him out there 42 times for a total of 22 innings in which he gave up 42 base runners good for an 8.46 ERA.
Despite that dreadful year, the Cardinals signed him to a major league contract. The Cardinals love these kinds of projects and who knows, they could turn Ring and his career around. Getting him to throw strikes consistently would be the first step.
The Hairston Brothers, Scott and Jerry Jr. - Padres and Reds respectively: One year contracts
It was a good week for the Hairston family as both brothers received one year contracts this week after nondescript careers. The sons of former big leaguer, Jerry Hairston, Senior, the family goes back to the former Negro Leagues and Sammy Hairston, one of the first African-Americans to play for the Chicago White Sox. Oh, and oddly enough, they are Jehovah's Witnesses.
Jerry Hairston, Jr., 32, is in his eleventh year and is listed as a shortstop, though he will play other infield positions. He only started one year of his eleven and has a lifetime BA of .260 to go with a .330 OBP.
Scott Hairston is an outfielder, who was first drafted as a second baseman in the third round in 2001 by the Arizona Diamondbacks. They brought him up in 2004 to play second, but he has played part time and mostly in the outfield since then. He has more power than his brother and has 41 homers in 900+ at bats. But his Batting Average (.246) and lifetime On Base Percentage (.303) don't give much to write home to dad about. But then again, Jerry Hairston Senior had a long and nondescript career himself.
One has to wonder sometimes how marginal players like the Hairston family members have such long careers.
Claudio Vargas - Pitcher - Dodgers: One year contract
The six foot, four inch, thirty year old, Vargas was never drafted and didn't play any college ball. He comes from Mao and this will be his sixth team in seven career years. Mostly a starter, Vargas has started 114 games in his career and pitched in relief 50 times.
He has a winning record (46-40), which is surprising considering his less than stellar statistics. His lifetime ERA sits at 4.94 with a career WHIP of 1.45. That means that you are not going to see a whole lot of 1-2-3 innings from this pitcher. And that is not good news for this pitcher when looking at his situational stats. He has a lifetime ERA of 2.05 with the bases empty, but his ERA balloons big time as soon as someone gets on base. But the biggest problem for Vargas? The long ball. He has given up 121 homers in just 703+ innings.
That figure should be better with the Dodgers in that pitcher's park.
Royce Ring - Relief Pitcher - Cardinals: One year contract
Royce Ring, now there's a great name for you. And he was drafted with high expectations. A lefthander from San Diego State, the 28 year old Ring was drafted in the first round by the Chicago White Sox in 2002. He made his debut in the majors in 2005 and has 91 appearances in the big leagues in parts of four seasons with three different clubs.
A first round draft pick became one of those situational lefties and Ring has only pitched 65 and two thirds innings in those 91 appearances. The problem for Ring has been his control and he's walked 40 batters in those innings. Ring got away with that control problem in limited appearances in 2006 and 2007 and had decent ERA figures for those two seasons. But last year, he was dreadful for the Braves who ran him out there 42 times for a total of 22 innings in which he gave up 42 base runners good for an 8.46 ERA.
Despite that dreadful year, the Cardinals signed him to a major league contract. The Cardinals love these kinds of projects and who knows, they could turn Ring and his career around. Getting him to throw strikes consistently would be the first step.
The Hairston Brothers, Scott and Jerry Jr. - Padres and Reds respectively: One year contracts
It was a good week for the Hairston family as both brothers received one year contracts this week after nondescript careers. The sons of former big leaguer, Jerry Hairston, Senior, the family goes back to the former Negro Leagues and Sammy Hairston, one of the first African-Americans to play for the Chicago White Sox. Oh, and oddly enough, they are Jehovah's Witnesses.
Jerry Hairston, Jr., 32, is in his eleventh year and is listed as a shortstop, though he will play other infield positions. He only started one year of his eleven and has a lifetime BA of .260 to go with a .330 OBP.
Scott Hairston is an outfielder, who was first drafted as a second baseman in the third round in 2001 by the Arizona Diamondbacks. They brought him up in 2004 to play second, but he has played part time and mostly in the outfield since then. He has more power than his brother and has 41 homers in 900+ at bats. But his Batting Average (.246) and lifetime On Base Percentage (.303) don't give much to write home to dad about. But then again, Jerry Hairston Senior had a long and nondescript career himself.
One has to wonder sometimes how marginal players like the Hairston family members have such long careers.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Rickey Henderson's Acceptance Speech
The Fan has to appreciate a ball player who always speaks in the third person. Anyone who has ever interviewed Rickey Henderson got an earful and probably laughed for a few days after. The man was and is hysterical. See here for an example.
Now that's all fine and dandy, but interviews are spur of the moment, at least for the player if not the person conducting the interview. A speech for the Hall of Fame is another thing altogether. That being the case, the Fan would like a crack at writing Rickey's speech for him. Feel free, Mr. Henderson, to use the following:
Rickey would like to thank Major League Baseball for admitting that Rickey was as good as Rickey always knew he was by putting Rickey in the Hall of Fame. It's a great honor for Rickey and Rickey will never forget this moment.
In times like these, it is customary to thank anybody who helped Rickey along the way to being Rickey even though Rickey has been Rickey since Rickey came out of the womb. So Rickey might as well thank Rickey's mother for that because she had to get Rickey out of her womb so he could be Rickey.
Rickey would like to thank Rickey's high school coach because when the high school coach saw what Rickey could do, he said, "Whoah, that Rickey can play." He was right and he just let Rickey play. So Rickey thanks the high school coach.
Rickey would also like to thank Mr. Finley, who owned the Oakland A's. Mr. Finley listened to his scouts who had come to watch Rickey play and they told him, "Whoah, that Rickey can play." Mr. Finley also brought a lot of other good players to play with Rickey and that was nice too. One thing Rickey couldn't figure out though was how those big fellas got to be such big fellas. When Rickey first knew them, they were skinny little guys. Rickey doesn't know how they got to be such big fellas, but Rickey is thankful that they helped Rickey run around the bases so much.
One thing Rickey doesn't want to thank Mr. Finley for was what Mr. Finley wanted to pay Rickey. Rickey was the best, you know? But Mr. Finley didn't want to hear anything about that. "Look at that nice used car, I got you, Rickey. Isn't that nice?" But Rickey didn't want no used car. Rickey is a Cadillac and wanted to be priced like a Cadillac. But Mr. Finley wanted to pay Rickey like some Chevy or something.
Rickey would like to also thank those nice umpires who let Rickey crouch down so Rickey had no strike zone to pitch to. If the umpires had followed the rules, then Rickey wouldn't have walked so much and Rickey liked to walk before he would run and then Rickey would run and run and run.
Rickey would like to take a moment to thank all those guys who batted second behind Rickey. If they hadn't laid off of all of those fat fastballs, then Rickey wouldn't be running free, so Rickey appreciates all those guys who let Rickey run around so much.
And Rickey would certainly like to thank all those pitchers who made it so easy to figure out when they were going to throw to first or to home. Without that, Rickey would be the one confused instead of the pitcher. But those pitchers never learned to change their routines and Rickey would like to thank them for the stolen bases and also for the laughs they provided by sweating and stuff on the mound because Rickey got into their heads cuz they knew what Rickey was going to do but they didn't know how to stop Rickey. Rickey would especially like to thank the knuckleball pitchers and those others who threw junk because then, their catchers had no chance to catch Rickey. Even when those knuckleball guys wanted to stop Rickey, they would throw those fastballs at 65 miles an hour and Rickey would be at second base before the fool behind the plate even caught the ball.
Rickey is also thankful for those pitchers that just let him hit their lazy fastballs out of the park in the first inning. Those guys just wanted to get Rickey out of the way so they could get on with the rest of their day. They knew Rickey was going to score anyway, so they figured they might as well get it over with. So Rickey thanks them too.
Rickey would like to thank Billy Martin because Billy was Rickey's kind of manager. Shoot. When Rickey would get on first base, Billy would start drooling and this icky liquid would start slobbering down his chin because he knew Rickey was going to steal second and then third and Billy would look like some kind of genius when all he was doing was watching Rickey do what Rickey does.
Rickey would like to thank Vince Coleman for being such a lousy player. That fella could run and if he was any kind of player at all, Rickey might have had to steal 150 bases to get his records back. So thanks Vince Coleman. You stunk and that saved Rickey a lot of trouble.
Rickey would like to thank all the cut off men Rickey played with for coming out a few extra steps to catch Rickey's throws. That was mighty nice of those guys.
So in closing, Rickey wants to thank everybody for saying what Rickey knew all along. Rickey was the best and now you nice people have showed everybody what Rickey has always known. And thank you for voting Rickey in the Hall of Fame because now Rickey can finally sign with another team and steal another forty bases. Barry Bonds isn't the only one who hasn't retired. Hey, that's another guy who was awful skinny when Rickey first saw him. How did he get to be such a big fella? Anyway, Rickey thanks you all. Okay. Who's next?
Now that's all fine and dandy, but interviews are spur of the moment, at least for the player if not the person conducting the interview. A speech for the Hall of Fame is another thing altogether. That being the case, the Fan would like a crack at writing Rickey's speech for him. Feel free, Mr. Henderson, to use the following:
Rickey would like to thank Major League Baseball for admitting that Rickey was as good as Rickey always knew he was by putting Rickey in the Hall of Fame. It's a great honor for Rickey and Rickey will never forget this moment.
In times like these, it is customary to thank anybody who helped Rickey along the way to being Rickey even though Rickey has been Rickey since Rickey came out of the womb. So Rickey might as well thank Rickey's mother for that because she had to get Rickey out of her womb so he could be Rickey.
Rickey would like to thank Rickey's high school coach because when the high school coach saw what Rickey could do, he said, "Whoah, that Rickey can play." He was right and he just let Rickey play. So Rickey thanks the high school coach.
Rickey would also like to thank Mr. Finley, who owned the Oakland A's. Mr. Finley listened to his scouts who had come to watch Rickey play and they told him, "Whoah, that Rickey can play." Mr. Finley also brought a lot of other good players to play with Rickey and that was nice too. One thing Rickey couldn't figure out though was how those big fellas got to be such big fellas. When Rickey first knew them, they were skinny little guys. Rickey doesn't know how they got to be such big fellas, but Rickey is thankful that they helped Rickey run around the bases so much.
One thing Rickey doesn't want to thank Mr. Finley for was what Mr. Finley wanted to pay Rickey. Rickey was the best, you know? But Mr. Finley didn't want to hear anything about that. "Look at that nice used car, I got you, Rickey. Isn't that nice?" But Rickey didn't want no used car. Rickey is a Cadillac and wanted to be priced like a Cadillac. But Mr. Finley wanted to pay Rickey like some Chevy or something.
Rickey would like to also thank those nice umpires who let Rickey crouch down so Rickey had no strike zone to pitch to. If the umpires had followed the rules, then Rickey wouldn't have walked so much and Rickey liked to walk before he would run and then Rickey would run and run and run.
Rickey would like to take a moment to thank all those guys who batted second behind Rickey. If they hadn't laid off of all of those fat fastballs, then Rickey wouldn't be running free, so Rickey appreciates all those guys who let Rickey run around so much.
And Rickey would certainly like to thank all those pitchers who made it so easy to figure out when they were going to throw to first or to home. Without that, Rickey would be the one confused instead of the pitcher. But those pitchers never learned to change their routines and Rickey would like to thank them for the stolen bases and also for the laughs they provided by sweating and stuff on the mound because Rickey got into their heads cuz they knew what Rickey was going to do but they didn't know how to stop Rickey. Rickey would especially like to thank the knuckleball pitchers and those others who threw junk because then, their catchers had no chance to catch Rickey. Even when those knuckleball guys wanted to stop Rickey, they would throw those fastballs at 65 miles an hour and Rickey would be at second base before the fool behind the plate even caught the ball.
Rickey is also thankful for those pitchers that just let him hit their lazy fastballs out of the park in the first inning. Those guys just wanted to get Rickey out of the way so they could get on with the rest of their day. They knew Rickey was going to score anyway, so they figured they might as well get it over with. So Rickey thanks them too.
Rickey would like to thank Billy Martin because Billy was Rickey's kind of manager. Shoot. When Rickey would get on first base, Billy would start drooling and this icky liquid would start slobbering down his chin because he knew Rickey was going to steal second and then third and Billy would look like some kind of genius when all he was doing was watching Rickey do what Rickey does.
Rickey would like to thank Vince Coleman for being such a lousy player. That fella could run and if he was any kind of player at all, Rickey might have had to steal 150 bases to get his records back. So thanks Vince Coleman. You stunk and that saved Rickey a lot of trouble.
Rickey would like to thank all the cut off men Rickey played with for coming out a few extra steps to catch Rickey's throws. That was mighty nice of those guys.
So in closing, Rickey wants to thank everybody for saying what Rickey knew all along. Rickey was the best and now you nice people have showed everybody what Rickey has always known. And thank you for voting Rickey in the Hall of Fame because now Rickey can finally sign with another team and steal another forty bases. Barry Bonds isn't the only one who hasn't retired. Hey, that's another guy who was awful skinny when Rickey first saw him. How did he get to be such a big fella? Anyway, Rickey thanks you all. Okay. Who's next?
Friday, January 09, 2009
Ugh! ESPN Writers Publish Their HOF Vote
How disappointing! See here. And the hero...Peter Gammons...picks Jack Morris but not Tim Raines or Burt Blyleven. Ouch! The only writer whose votes matched the Fan's (if he had a vote) was Brendan Roberts. Who the heck is Brendan Roberts?? Never heard of him. But if he is this smart, he will be worth investigating.
Many of the ballots listed are embarrassing. Truly embarrassing.
Many of the ballots listed are embarrassing. Truly embarrassing.
Is John Smoltz a Hall of Famer?
Nearly all the news stories concerning the recent signing of John Smoltz by the Boston Red Sox have featured the tag, "Future Hall of Fame Pitcher." Is the tag accurate and deserving?
Many writers have recently reiterated that there are no "benchmarks" for getting into the Hall of Fame. Despite the reiterations, most still consider 300 wins, 3000 hits and 500 home runs as benchmarks. While there are exceptions (Koufax, Feller and others), many career starting pitchers begin and end their candidacy by how many wins they compiled in their career. As one writer described it, either a player is rewarded for longevity and statistics compiled (such as Don Sutton) or for a brilliant, but sometimes brief flash of excellence (Koufax).
For those who say the benchmarks are meaningless, why else is Burt Blyleven not in the Hall of Fame? Tom Glavine has reached the benchmark and has 305 career wins. He'll get in no problem. But will Smoltz?
The easiest comparisons for Smoltz are with his two teammates that made up such a strong rotation for the Braves for all those years. We can easily eliminate Greg Maddux as he was clearly the superior pitcher. How does Smoltz compare with Glavine?
First, they each had 8 years as starters with an ERA of 3.20 or better. Glavine pitched 56 complete games in 682 starts (8%). Smoltz pitched 53 complete games in 466 career starts (11%). Glavine's career ERA is 3.54. Smoltz comes in at 3.26. Glavine has a lifetime WHIP of 1.31. Smoltz comes in at 1.17. Glavine has given up .79 homers per nine innings, Smoltz, .72.
It appears that in head to head pitching statistics, Smoltz was a superior pitcher to Glavine, though Glavine had more big years win wise.
The one problem with Smoltz is his years as a closer. There is only one pitcher to compare him to with a similar career and that is Dennis Eckersly. Eckersley pitched his first twelve years as a starter and his last eleven as a closer. The Eck compiled 197 wins along with 390 saves. If you elect Eckersley to the Hall of Fame (oh yeah, they already did), you have to do so as a closer. Eckersley was an effective starter for the first six years of his career only. He had an ERA well over 4 in four of his final six years as a starter. Hardly Hall-worthy. And Smoltz followed his four years as a closer back in the rotation where he was again, very effective. One can't imagine Eckersley having done that.
Smoltz has a better career ERA than Eckersley and has started 14 years out of his 18. Of those 14 years as a starter, only two were below par in terms of ERA and WHIP. So Smoltz has superior statistics to Eckersley. But what do we do with those "lost" four years as a closer?
If you assign him 14 wins a year for each of those four years, you can add 56 career wins to his lifetime total of 266. That puts him in the category of Mike Mussina. Okay then, how does Smoltz compare with the Moose?
Smoltz has a better career ERA than Mussina (3.20 to 3.64) but they have nearly identical WHIP stats. Mussina pitched with a DH for his career and in the strong American League East. That would seem to make the two pitchers about the same.
What seems to push Smoltz over the top is his post season performances. Smoltz dominated in the post season and has a 15-4 career record plus 4 saves to go with a 2.57 post season ERA.
The conclusions after all this analysis are that either Smoltz is as much of a Hall of Famer as Glavine or Eckersley or none of them were really good enough to get in. Eckersley is rightfully a HOFer for his unique career. Glavine will be for a long and successful career. If those two statements are true, then John Smoltz is a HOFer too.
Many writers have recently reiterated that there are no "benchmarks" for getting into the Hall of Fame. Despite the reiterations, most still consider 300 wins, 3000 hits and 500 home runs as benchmarks. While there are exceptions (Koufax, Feller and others), many career starting pitchers begin and end their candidacy by how many wins they compiled in their career. As one writer described it, either a player is rewarded for longevity and statistics compiled (such as Don Sutton) or for a brilliant, but sometimes brief flash of excellence (Koufax).
For those who say the benchmarks are meaningless, why else is Burt Blyleven not in the Hall of Fame? Tom Glavine has reached the benchmark and has 305 career wins. He'll get in no problem. But will Smoltz?
The easiest comparisons for Smoltz are with his two teammates that made up such a strong rotation for the Braves for all those years. We can easily eliminate Greg Maddux as he was clearly the superior pitcher. How does Smoltz compare with Glavine?
First, they each had 8 years as starters with an ERA of 3.20 or better. Glavine pitched 56 complete games in 682 starts (8%). Smoltz pitched 53 complete games in 466 career starts (11%). Glavine's career ERA is 3.54. Smoltz comes in at 3.26. Glavine has a lifetime WHIP of 1.31. Smoltz comes in at 1.17. Glavine has given up .79 homers per nine innings, Smoltz, .72.
It appears that in head to head pitching statistics, Smoltz was a superior pitcher to Glavine, though Glavine had more big years win wise.
The one problem with Smoltz is his years as a closer. There is only one pitcher to compare him to with a similar career and that is Dennis Eckersly. Eckersley pitched his first twelve years as a starter and his last eleven as a closer. The Eck compiled 197 wins along with 390 saves. If you elect Eckersley to the Hall of Fame (oh yeah, they already did), you have to do so as a closer. Eckersley was an effective starter for the first six years of his career only. He had an ERA well over 4 in four of his final six years as a starter. Hardly Hall-worthy. And Smoltz followed his four years as a closer back in the rotation where he was again, very effective. One can't imagine Eckersley having done that.
Smoltz has a better career ERA than Eckersley and has started 14 years out of his 18. Of those 14 years as a starter, only two were below par in terms of ERA and WHIP. So Smoltz has superior statistics to Eckersley. But what do we do with those "lost" four years as a closer?
If you assign him 14 wins a year for each of those four years, you can add 56 career wins to his lifetime total of 266. That puts him in the category of Mike Mussina. Okay then, how does Smoltz compare with the Moose?
Smoltz has a better career ERA than Mussina (3.20 to 3.64) but they have nearly identical WHIP stats. Mussina pitched with a DH for his career and in the strong American League East. That would seem to make the two pitchers about the same.
What seems to push Smoltz over the top is his post season performances. Smoltz dominated in the post season and has a 15-4 career record plus 4 saves to go with a 2.57 post season ERA.
The conclusions after all this analysis are that either Smoltz is as much of a Hall of Famer as Glavine or Eckersley or none of them were really good enough to get in. Eckersley is rightfully a HOFer for his unique career. Glavine will be for a long and successful career. If those two statements are true, then John Smoltz is a HOFer too.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
John Smoltz to the Red Sox?
Buster Olney reports here that John Smoltz is close to a deal with the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox, who have been busy lately (landing Baldelli yesterday, which is a great move), have recently liked the idea of stockpiling starting pitchers and, according to Olney's sources (which we discussed in the previous post), will continue that trend this year by signing Brad Penny and now Smoltz.
Why would Smoltz do this at the age of 41? He has pitched his entire career with the Braves. He has won a championship and been a part of a dozen playoff teams. Why uproot your entire life for one season hundreds of miles from where you have spent the last twenty years?
One reason could be the money. Perhaps the pitcher wanted to keep his career alive and the Braves figured they were going to be a year or more away from contending anyway and didn't want to throw a lot of money his direction. Then Boston would make sense.
Another reason could be for one last chance at another championship. Boston will always contend in this era of their organization because it is well run and intelligent with their personnel handling. Tampa would have been closer and probably could have swung the $5 million he will reportedly get with Boston. But he may know what many of us suspect in that Tampa will have a hard time repeating what was a Cinderella story. The Red Sox are no Cinderella. More like a Sherman that keeps marching. Oops. That's not a reference the Fan should have made with a story Atlanta fans might read. Apologies in advance.
The one problem with Smoltz choosing Boston (if he has indeed done so): He will be facing much tougher lineups in the American League with the DH and no letup at the bottom of the order. He could be setting himself up to fail at the tail end of his career, which is not a good idea this close to those who will be deciding his HOF status in the next decade.
One thing is true if this story is indeed reality, the Red Sox have clearly given up on Clay Buchholz. It would not be a surprise to see him traded in the near future.
Why would Smoltz do this at the age of 41? He has pitched his entire career with the Braves. He has won a championship and been a part of a dozen playoff teams. Why uproot your entire life for one season hundreds of miles from where you have spent the last twenty years?
One reason could be the money. Perhaps the pitcher wanted to keep his career alive and the Braves figured they were going to be a year or more away from contending anyway and didn't want to throw a lot of money his direction. Then Boston would make sense.
Another reason could be for one last chance at another championship. Boston will always contend in this era of their organization because it is well run and intelligent with their personnel handling. Tampa would have been closer and probably could have swung the $5 million he will reportedly get with Boston. But he may know what many of us suspect in that Tampa will have a hard time repeating what was a Cinderella story. The Red Sox are no Cinderella. More like a Sherman that keeps marching. Oops. That's not a reference the Fan should have made with a story Atlanta fans might read. Apologies in advance.
The one problem with Smoltz choosing Boston (if he has indeed done so): He will be facing much tougher lineups in the American League with the DH and no letup at the bottom of the order. He could be setting himself up to fail at the tail end of his career, which is not a good idea this close to those who will be deciding his HOF status in the next decade.
One thing is true if this story is indeed reality, the Red Sox have clearly given up on Clay Buchholz. It would not be a surprise to see him traded in the near future.
Sources Schmorces
One of the most difficult tasks of this off-season is to figure out rumors that are true or planted by an agent. The Fan apparently fell for one of them yesterday when a "source" indicated that Trevor Hoffman was close to a deal with the Dodgers. Today, another "source" says he is close to a deal with the Brewers.
It has gotten to the point where you have to gauge the "source" by the writer's track record. For example, as shrill as he has sounded lately, Buster Olney has been dead on recently on his reporting of deals that are expected or close. It seems that he correctly reports a story just before it happens.
The "source" reporting that Hoffman was close to signing with the Brewers in today's news happens to be a news wire service. In today's arena of misinformation, current training would seem to put this story at the feet of an agent and not legitimate. Of course, if Hoffman does sign with the Brewers, it will be back to school to again figure out where the misinformation is coming from.
This seems to be a modern phenomenon since the Internet made all news information in terms of minutes and hours instead of days like you had in newspapers. Don't think for a second that general managers and team owners don't pour over the same sports information centers that we average fans do. They would need to read constantly to stay up on what is going on in their business.
The agents have figured this out and use misinformation to get a negotiation moving or motivated. It would appear that Scott Boras, who has single-handedly put Manny Ramirez in a box he might not get out of, is a master of such misinformation, but he is not the only one. The "reports" about the Giants having interest in Manny could very well be a plant by Boras to motivate the Dodgers, the only team that seems to have an interest in Ramirez.
So, fellow fans, don't believe everything you read. Being gullible, the Fan is learning the hard way. Perhaps those of you who are cynical by nature or circumstance are better off in this atmosphere.
It has gotten to the point where you have to gauge the "source" by the writer's track record. For example, as shrill as he has sounded lately, Buster Olney has been dead on recently on his reporting of deals that are expected or close. It seems that he correctly reports a story just before it happens.
The "source" reporting that Hoffman was close to signing with the Brewers in today's news happens to be a news wire service. In today's arena of misinformation, current training would seem to put this story at the feet of an agent and not legitimate. Of course, if Hoffman does sign with the Brewers, it will be back to school to again figure out where the misinformation is coming from.
This seems to be a modern phenomenon since the Internet made all news information in terms of minutes and hours instead of days like you had in newspapers. Don't think for a second that general managers and team owners don't pour over the same sports information centers that we average fans do. They would need to read constantly to stay up on what is going on in their business.
The agents have figured this out and use misinformation to get a negotiation moving or motivated. It would appear that Scott Boras, who has single-handedly put Manny Ramirez in a box he might not get out of, is a master of such misinformation, but he is not the only one. The "reports" about the Giants having interest in Manny could very well be a plant by Boras to motivate the Dodgers, the only team that seems to have an interest in Ramirez.
So, fellow fans, don't believe everything you read. Being gullible, the Fan is learning the hard way. Perhaps those of you who are cynical by nature or circumstance are better off in this atmosphere.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Four Deals to Talk About Today
The Indians Sign Carl Pavano for one year at $1.5 million.
You can actually hear Yankee fans cackling in the background. But this may be a great deal for the Indians. And it has to be because the Fan has listed the Indians as the projected winner of the American League Central division. Seriously, though, the Indians could be getting Pavano at just the right time.
The Yankees history with Pavano is well documented. Everyone knows what happened and how Pavano came to become the lightening rod for derision from the Yankee Stadium faithful. But even if Pavano is a .500 pitcher this year with say a 13-13 record and posts an ERA in the low 4 area, the Indians will have a bargain. If Pavano can somehow get back to the form that made him 18-8 for the Florida Marlins in 2004, then the Indians will have made a major coup.
And there is little or no risk involved for the Indians. If Pavano succeeds, then incentives in his contract will still be below market price. If he fails, then it's only $1.5 million for one year. This seems like a stroke of genius for the Indians and in the tradition of all underdogs, one can't help but root for Pavano to put his Yankee (self-inflicted) nightmare behind him.
The A's are reportedly close to a deal with Giambi.
If the reports are accurate, the A's would get Giambi for about $4 million with an option for 2010 at $6 million. Giambi is going home to where he started as a player, and he is going at the end of his career for a lot less money than he is used to making. But Oakland is where Giambi had the most fun in his career and really enjoyed his years playing there. Stories seem to indicate that he was never comfortable in New York and its business-like atmosphere made it hard for his personality.
All this points to Giambi having a productive year and having fun like he did in the past. Though the saying goes that you can never go home again, it is possible that Giambi will revert back to his "hit to all fields" approach he maintained while with Oakland and forget about pulling everything like he did in New York. If he manages to pull that off, the A's could get a steal of a deal here.
The only problem with the signing is what becomes of Jack Cust and former uber-phenom, Daric Barton, who played 140 games with Oakland last year and showed little of the promise the franchise had for him. Is his playing time done? Will Cust DH or will Giambi? If it's Cust, will Giambi cost the A's too much in the field? It will be interesting. But at least Oakland's offense should be much improved.
The Rockies receive Jason Marquis from the Cubs for Jose Vizcaino.
This straight up deal does not make any sense for the Cubs. Perhaps Lou Piniella could not take another year of Marquis playing around with the corners of the strike zone and walking 70 batters a year, but Marquis is a decent and durable starter who has been fairly consistent over his career. Not only that, but he has improved on his ability to keep the ball in the park. To trade that straight up for Jose Vizcaino, a relief pitcher who wants and always demands an important role though his statistics have never shown his ability to own those roles, seems ludicrous.
The Cubs save about $4 or $5 million on the deal, but at what cost? Where are the 200 solid innings coming from to replace Marquis? It doesn't appear to this point that Jim Hendry is having a very good off season. First, he loses the productive, versatile and dynamic Mark DeRosa and replaces him with Aaron Miles, then he signs Milton Bradley instead of the cheaper and safer Pat Burrell (or Bobby Abreu). No. Not a good off season for Mr. Hendry. But, time will tell. Rob Neyer still thinks they are good enough to maintain most of their 97 wins and still win a weak division. We'll see.
The Dodgers are close to a deal with Trevor Hoffman
Reports are citing that the Dodgers have made an offer to Trevor Hoffman, the all time Save leader. The Dodgers currently do not have a closer and Hoffman should fill that vacancy. But will it be the Hoffman of the first half of last season (where he got killed), or the Hoffman of the second half where he posted a 1.59 ERA after the All Star game?
Hoffman is now 41 and while that age is not out of reach for someone like Hoffman, each year brings him closer to the end of the road and a team can't ever know when the road leads off a cliff. Hoffman is one of the good guys and so is manager, Joe Torre. It's difficult not to hope that this deal works out for both of them.
You can actually hear Yankee fans cackling in the background. But this may be a great deal for the Indians. And it has to be because the Fan has listed the Indians as the projected winner of the American League Central division. Seriously, though, the Indians could be getting Pavano at just the right time.
The Yankees history with Pavano is well documented. Everyone knows what happened and how Pavano came to become the lightening rod for derision from the Yankee Stadium faithful. But even if Pavano is a .500 pitcher this year with say a 13-13 record and posts an ERA in the low 4 area, the Indians will have a bargain. If Pavano can somehow get back to the form that made him 18-8 for the Florida Marlins in 2004, then the Indians will have made a major coup.
And there is little or no risk involved for the Indians. If Pavano succeeds, then incentives in his contract will still be below market price. If he fails, then it's only $1.5 million for one year. This seems like a stroke of genius for the Indians and in the tradition of all underdogs, one can't help but root for Pavano to put his Yankee (self-inflicted) nightmare behind him.
The A's are reportedly close to a deal with Giambi.
If the reports are accurate, the A's would get Giambi for about $4 million with an option for 2010 at $6 million. Giambi is going home to where he started as a player, and he is going at the end of his career for a lot less money than he is used to making. But Oakland is where Giambi had the most fun in his career and really enjoyed his years playing there. Stories seem to indicate that he was never comfortable in New York and its business-like atmosphere made it hard for his personality.
All this points to Giambi having a productive year and having fun like he did in the past. Though the saying goes that you can never go home again, it is possible that Giambi will revert back to his "hit to all fields" approach he maintained while with Oakland and forget about pulling everything like he did in New York. If he manages to pull that off, the A's could get a steal of a deal here.
The only problem with the signing is what becomes of Jack Cust and former uber-phenom, Daric Barton, who played 140 games with Oakland last year and showed little of the promise the franchise had for him. Is his playing time done? Will Cust DH or will Giambi? If it's Cust, will Giambi cost the A's too much in the field? It will be interesting. But at least Oakland's offense should be much improved.
The Rockies receive Jason Marquis from the Cubs for Jose Vizcaino.
This straight up deal does not make any sense for the Cubs. Perhaps Lou Piniella could not take another year of Marquis playing around with the corners of the strike zone and walking 70 batters a year, but Marquis is a decent and durable starter who has been fairly consistent over his career. Not only that, but he has improved on his ability to keep the ball in the park. To trade that straight up for Jose Vizcaino, a relief pitcher who wants and always demands an important role though his statistics have never shown his ability to own those roles, seems ludicrous.
The Cubs save about $4 or $5 million on the deal, but at what cost? Where are the 200 solid innings coming from to replace Marquis? It doesn't appear to this point that Jim Hendry is having a very good off season. First, he loses the productive, versatile and dynamic Mark DeRosa and replaces him with Aaron Miles, then he signs Milton Bradley instead of the cheaper and safer Pat Burrell (or Bobby Abreu). No. Not a good off season for Mr. Hendry. But, time will tell. Rob Neyer still thinks they are good enough to maintain most of their 97 wins and still win a weak division. We'll see.
The Dodgers are close to a deal with Trevor Hoffman
Reports are citing that the Dodgers have made an offer to Trevor Hoffman, the all time Save leader. The Dodgers currently do not have a closer and Hoffman should fill that vacancy. But will it be the Hoffman of the first half of last season (where he got killed), or the Hoffman of the second half where he posted a 1.59 ERA after the All Star game?
Hoffman is now 41 and while that age is not out of reach for someone like Hoffman, each year brings him closer to the end of the road and a team can't ever know when the road leads off a cliff. Hoffman is one of the good guys and so is manager, Joe Torre. It's difficult not to hope that this deal works out for both of them.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
J. C. Romero is Getting Jobbed
Read Peter Gammons' piece concerning the suspension of J. C. Romero here and try to tell the Fan that there is fairness in what is happening to the pitcher. The Fan has a snarky feeling that MLB is so afraid of government interference that they are willing to throw any Arab off the plane just to keep the feds happy.
True, that is a strong statement. But does it seem a coincidence that the suspension announcement was made the same week that this story was published? Of course, there are knee-jerk sportswriters out there blathering that Romero deserves his punishment. Leave it to Gammons to at least paint an accurate and fair picture.
We all want a cleaner game and we all want the emphasis on drugs and supplements to go away and leave our game alone...just like we all want our nation to be safe from terrorists. But we cannot as a nation of enlightenment (or supposedly so) throw innocent Arabs off of planes or make young men cover up unpopular messages on t-shirts and we can't let an innocent Romero get busted for something that wasn't his fault to get what we want.
If it were the Fan's $1.25 million they were taking away in such a manner, the Fan would fight the thing all the way to the Supreme Court.
True, that is a strong statement. But does it seem a coincidence that the suspension announcement was made the same week that this story was published? Of course, there are knee-jerk sportswriters out there blathering that Romero deserves his punishment. Leave it to Gammons to at least paint an accurate and fair picture.
We all want a cleaner game and we all want the emphasis on drugs and supplements to go away and leave our game alone...just like we all want our nation to be safe from terrorists. But we cannot as a nation of enlightenment (or supposedly so) throw innocent Arabs off of planes or make young men cover up unpopular messages on t-shirts and we can't let an innocent Romero get busted for something that wasn't his fault to get what we want.
If it were the Fan's $1.25 million they were taking away in such a manner, the Fan would fight the thing all the way to the Supreme Court.
The Fan's Opinion on a Couple of Debates
Andy Pettitte is being "squeezed" by the Yankees after they "only" offered him a one year contract at $10 million, or $6 million less than they paid him last year. Pettitte has turned down the offer according to recent reports.
Are the Yankees squeezing Pettitte because of their recent free agent acquisitions? The Fan doesn't think so. $10 million is a lot of money--in this economy especially--for a lower to bottom of the rotation starter. The Yankees paid him generously last year for what they received in return. Pettitte was just average in every way...a .500 pitcher with a mid 4 ERA. Pettitte isn't the same pitcher he was six years ago and won't be again as he is in the later stages of his career.
The Yankees owe him some love and loyalty after all he's done for them. Oh really? It seems that Pettitte is the one who broke that loyalty first by going to Houston as a free agent. It was a total shock at the time to the Yankees. Despite that, the team brought him back, paid him well and when the HGH allegation and his admission followed, the team supported him. Seems like a squared deal from this perch.
The Yankees/Pettitte relationship is not dead yet, and perhaps the Yankees will sweeten the deal a little and perhaps Pettitte will reconsider, retire or sign with another team (the Dodgers perhaps?). But based on performance, the Yankees offer is fair and Pettitte should take it.
Lee Smith does not belong in the Hall of Fame because Saves are an overrated statistic? Let's debate the save issue first. Is the Save a valid or stupid statistic? While it remains too easy to get a save (a three run lead or less, etc.), and others maintain that the odds of winning the game regardless of who is pitching when a team leads in the ninth inning, those who argue against the merit of a Save statistic have never been Mets fans. It may be "easy" to get a Save and it may be easy to compile Saves, but not everyone can do it and when it can't be done successfully, it sure hurts a team.
Did you know that Rollie Fingers and Goose Gossage blew more saves in their career than Lee Smith? Did you know that Lee Smith averaged over 30 saves for fifteen years? Did you know that there are only four pitchers who have more than 400 career saves and Smith is one of them? Did you know that Lee Smith gave up less career homers than Trevor Hoffman yet pitched three more years than Hoffman currently has? Did you know that Smith's lifetime ERA compares favorably with Gossage (3.03 compared to 3.01)?
Lee Smith should be in the Hall of Fame and though Bruce Sutter made it in the Hall of Fame and shouldn't have, that is no reason to punish Lee Smith, who, by numbers alone, deserves a place next to Gossage. And the argument will be the same for Rivera, Hoffman and John Franco when their times comes.
Andy Pettitte is being "squeezed" by the Yankees after they "only" offered him a one year contract at $10 million, or $6 million less than they paid him last year. Pettitte has turned down the offer according to recent reports.
Are the Yankees squeezing Pettitte because of their recent free agent acquisitions? The Fan doesn't think so. $10 million is a lot of money--in this economy especially--for a lower to bottom of the rotation starter. The Yankees paid him generously last year for what they received in return. Pettitte was just average in every way...a .500 pitcher with a mid 4 ERA. Pettitte isn't the same pitcher he was six years ago and won't be again as he is in the later stages of his career.
The Yankees owe him some love and loyalty after all he's done for them. Oh really? It seems that Pettitte is the one who broke that loyalty first by going to Houston as a free agent. It was a total shock at the time to the Yankees. Despite that, the team brought him back, paid him well and when the HGH allegation and his admission followed, the team supported him. Seems like a squared deal from this perch.
The Yankees/Pettitte relationship is not dead yet, and perhaps the Yankees will sweeten the deal a little and perhaps Pettitte will reconsider, retire or sign with another team (the Dodgers perhaps?). But based on performance, the Yankees offer is fair and Pettitte should take it.
Lee Smith does not belong in the Hall of Fame because Saves are an overrated statistic? Let's debate the save issue first. Is the Save a valid or stupid statistic? While it remains too easy to get a save (a three run lead or less, etc.), and others maintain that the odds of winning the game regardless of who is pitching when a team leads in the ninth inning, those who argue against the merit of a Save statistic have never been Mets fans. It may be "easy" to get a Save and it may be easy to compile Saves, but not everyone can do it and when it can't be done successfully, it sure hurts a team.
Did you know that Rollie Fingers and Goose Gossage blew more saves in their career than Lee Smith? Did you know that Lee Smith averaged over 30 saves for fifteen years? Did you know that there are only four pitchers who have more than 400 career saves and Smith is one of them? Did you know that Lee Smith gave up less career homers than Trevor Hoffman yet pitched three more years than Hoffman currently has? Did you know that Smith's lifetime ERA compares favorably with Gossage (3.03 compared to 3.01)?
Lee Smith should be in the Hall of Fame and though Bruce Sutter made it in the Hall of Fame and shouldn't have, that is no reason to punish Lee Smith, who, by numbers alone, deserves a place next to Gossage. And the argument will be the same for Rivera, Hoffman and John Franco when their times comes.
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