The Rocket Report

Is it me or is Roger Clemens starting to sound a whole lot like OJ Simpson? I'm sure you have all heard the reports that the Rocket is planning to launch his own (presumably objective) probe into who was conveniently left off the Mitchell report. Well guess what dear readers, we here at 567 Miles From Home have seen an advanced copy of the Rocket Report!! Here are some of the names that Mitchell had the audacity to overlook. Sure, only one of them is a baseball player but that shouldn't matter:

10. Mike Wallace - The Rocketeers want to make sure that they have some ammunition in advance of Rogers big interview on 60 Minutes. Although rumor has it that Wallace only used once and that was to help quickly recover from a Katie Couric related injury.

09. Mickey Mouse - Come on Mickey, you aren't fooling anyone! You expect us to believe that at your age you can continue to make major league level cartoons? M-I-C-K-E-Y you used andro-stenedio-ne

08. The Energizer Bunny - Give me a break, that thing has been going strong since the late '80's, it keeps going and going and going for more HGH.

07. Mario AND Luigi - Those weren't harmless mushrooms that made them grow so big!!!

06. Curt Schilling - Although admittedly Schilling has never used juice to improve his game, Curt did use them become an even bigger a**hole.

05. Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer - Reportedly Rocket Research has a signed affidavit from Comet saying that he personally injected Rudolf multiple times. Rudolf your nose wont shine so bright, if you don't time your cycle just right!

04. All of the beer bottles from the Bud Bowl - Wondering what happened to the Bud Bowl from the Superbowl commercials? Apparently each and everyone of those bottles was a raging steroid-aholic. It was so rampant they cancelled the contest indefinitely until they could find an effective way of testing.

03. George Mitchell's Mom - That's right B***ch, according to eye witnesses she also wore combat boots and was so fat she beeped when she backed up!!!

02. Superman - How do you think he is able to leap all of those tall buildings with a single bound? Plus the Daily Bugle has photographic evidence of one bad case of back-ne.

01. George Mitchell - The biggest hypocrite of all time. Have you ever seen that guy with his shirt off? JACKED!!! Reportedly he purchased them from Nanci Pelosi who conveniently owns a house near BALCO laboratories.

So as you can see just from this sampling, not only was the Mitchell report wrong about Roger...IT WASN'T EVEN FULLY COMPREHENSIVE!!!! I smell a lawsuit.

~~I hope everyone had a good holiday!!

Happy Holidays

With the Christmas rush and everything else I haven't had much time to post, so I am going to take a little vacation from blogging. In the meantime happy holidays to everyone, see you in 2008.

A Form Letter For Use by Those Named in the Report

So your a major league baseball player who has just been outed as a steroid user thanks to the Mitchell Report? Here are three handy form letters to help you apologise or explain yourself to the fans, free of charge. Happy Holiday's guys:

Letter #1 - Coming Clean:

Dear Fans,

As you are aware I have been listed as a user of (circle all that apply) The Clear/ Human Growth Hormone /Anabolic Steroids / Some Crazy Drug You have never even heard of, in Senator Mitchell's report. I deeply regret that between the years of ____ and _____ I did in fact use performance enhancing substances in violation of (circle all that apply) federal law/ State Law / baseball's anti doping policy. I regret any harm that my actions may have on the game, or on any young athletes who may have emulated me during that time. I can only ask for your forgiveness and hope that those who chose to use as a result of my actions have not done any serious long term harm to themselves or their loved ones. While this is a difficult time for everyone who loves the game, hopefully though openness and honesty we can move forward and put this dark chapter behind us.

Letter #2 - The Pettitte Letter:

Dear Fans:

As you know I have been accused of using performance enhancers. The truth is, yes, I did but I only used them (circle all that apply) Once / Twice / Three times, but that last time I didn't realize it. I regret that I took them, but I did so only for the purpose of (circle all that apply) Recovering Quickly From an Injury / To Help With My Dwarfism / To help rid me of unsightly acne / Because Roger Clemens Made Me Do It. I hope that we can move on from this dark chapter and get back to the business of (circle all that apply) playing the game of baseball / Going After the Real Users Like Bonds.

Letter #3 - The I didn't do it Letter:

Dear Fans:

As you know I have been accused of using performance enhancing drugs in the recently released report by Senator Mitchell. At no time did I (circle all that apply) knowingly / purposely / recreationaly / use steroids or any other form of performance enhancers. In fact this report is nothing but a (circle all that apply) witch hunt / slanderous accusation / media fueled circus show / and I stand by my (circle all that apply) home run record / career as a pitcher / ability to add 15 pounds of muscle over the age of 35 as a testament to my hard work and dedication to the game. Unfortunately I realise that there will be some out there who find it difficult to believe that I am innocent, to them I say (circle all that apply) Those Really Weren't My Cancelled Checks / Roger Clemens Did It...Let's Only Go After Him / Come On, My Last Name Isn't Bonds / Fuck You. Hopefully we can move past this dark time and get back to playing baseball.

More Thoughts On Yesterday

Since I was two years old I have been a baseball fan. Through the years my attention has waxed and waned depending on the stage of my life and events in the game (the strike of '94). However I am proud to say that even with the strike and various other life distractions baseball has always been something that I could come back to and rely on. Since I started this blog almost a year ago my love and dedication to the game has grown. I love writing about it, thinking about it, and I especially love going to games. Now this....today isn't an easy day. Any true fan of the game no matter what team you root for has to do some soul searching now. Individually and collectively we all need to decide what the Mitchell report means and what if any effect it will have on our admiration for the game. I can't write an in depth analysis on anything as I have yet to read the full report, so instead today's post comes straight from my initial reactions to what was said yesterday, broken down into three parts one for each of the press conferences and then some final thoughts. Here goes:

Mitchell
I really believe that Mitchell took the high road with this whole endeavor and in his statements yesterday. He assigned blame all around and yet made it clear that in some instances the lack of cooperation he received was to be expected. He also moved for the commissioner to forego disciplinary actions in order to move the game forward and to not keep it mired in the state that it finds itself in today. To the extent that players (with the sole exception of Giambi)failed to cooperate, as a fan I am disgusted. As someone who works in the legal industry I am no layman to the potential legal ramifications that may have been associated with a non privileged conversation with Mitchell, but in order to actually move forward all those responsible need to admit to their guilt so that all parties can move forward and we can learn from the mistakes of the past. Certainly players through their attorneys and through the office of the commissioner could have worked out a deal that would have shielded them from any further litigation or disciplinary action, but they did not and in fact the players union advised them against it. As a result I feel that Mitchell also errs by petitioning for no disciplinary action. Human nature is such that if no one is forced to pay the price for their actions then justice is not properly served. I say that discipline should be forthcoming and swift not only in the name of justice to all of baseball, but also for the purpose of setting an example to future players. Anyone who used steroids, particularly after the ban went into effect knew that there was a potential for ramifications.

Selig
I have NEVER been a fan of Bud Selig. At yesterday's press conference he made two big mistakes. Number one he started off by trumpeting statistics for the games revenues and new stadium construction. Try as he may to leave a legacy for expanding the game, Selig will always be known of first as the Commissioner who presided over the steroids era. Which brings me to his second mistake which I find far more egregious than the first, when asked about if any responsibility lay with him he dodged the question. I am insulted by his assertion that he bear no blame for what has transpired. However, I do commend Selig for taking the imitative to commission this report when all others opposed it. What's more I applaud his stance that he will look at each individual on a case by case basis in order to judge what if any disciplinary action should be enforced, so long as he does it in a way that is fair. To me, and this is based purely on my own speculation, it seems as though Selig wants to go after Bonds full steam ahead. I think that he should, but only so long as he also goes after the others who may not be as high profile just as aggressively as he hunts down Bonds.

The Players Union
Obviously the players union is set up to protect the interest of the players so their reaction should come as no surprise. As I said I am disheartened by the lack of cooperation, but now the ball is really in the players union's court. It is their responsibility to recognize the Mitchell report as what it is, a referendum on drug abuse, and work not only in the best interest of the players but also really think about the far reaching implications that any disregard for Mitchell's recommendations will have. The players need to realize that the fans will not side with them if they continue to fight against drug testing. Remember guys, many hearts are broken with the release of this report, mine included.

On the Names
It breaks my heart to see Andy Pettitte's name on the list. I have always thought of him as a class act who set a good example. That just goes to show you how far reaching this problem has become. Regarding Clemens, honestly I have never liked him even when he was helping us win it all. Still, his name on the list breaks my heart too. Maybe I had the wool pulled over my eyes but I did respect his career, I don't know how one could not. That is all over for him now though, he will never be fully vindicated. The best pitcher of the era will always have an asterisk over his head as will so many others.

Final thoughts
I am disappointed today, desperately so, but I will get through it and hopefully all parties involved will rectify this situation sooner rather than later. I just want this whole thing to be over and done with. Let's dish out the suspensions, hear a few apologies, implement a fire proof testing program and move on. Let's not let the game continue to suffer because of dirty needles, it means too much to too many people.

A brief comment on the report

Here is the list of players named. (Thanks Jess)

Mitchell has released his report and although I haven't yet had a chance to read it (it is 400 pages) it confirms what we have already known for year, steroid abuse has been rampant in baseball for the last decade. The players named in some cases are no surprise to anyone (Bonds, Giambi) but some were (Pettitte). Many of the players mentioned are lesser known utility players that even Gammons probably wouldn't know. But regardless of their profile, the question is now what? In his press conference Mitchell said that there should be no retroactive disciplinary action for those players named (except in the most extreme cases) and that baseball as a whole needs to move forward. I agree that baseball needs to move forward, but to let everyone from the trainers to the players to the owners get away with this without a single head rolling is an insult to the history of the game.

From a strictly legal standpoint there is no way that you can retroactively discipline players since there was no steroid policy in place until very recently. However that should not serve to wipe out accountability. What do you tell a young athlete who has permanently damaged his or her body because he or she took performance enhancers in order to emulate their heros who themselves were using? Like it or not professional athletes have a responsibility to set an example.

I'll write more once I have a chance to read the whole thing. I also want to see what Selig has to say at his 4:30 press conference today....stay tuned.

Names on the report

This is what I have heard so far:

Clemens, Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, Pettitte, Damon, Giambi, Nomar, Baggy, Pudge, Varitek, Sheff, Tejada, K Wood, Gagne… and Pujols.

Here is the full report

Waiting for the Report

I've been pretty quiet lately even though there have been some things to write about, specifically Matsui's potential trade to San Francisco, the Nationals smart post season maneuvers, and the rumors that talks for Santana may be back on again. Honestly though, I'm waiting on the Mitchell report and I have to say that it is making me a little nervous. Despite what I had previously thought, I don't think that there will be long lasting consequences. What makes me nervous is that I am afraid to hear who ended up on the list. I can't imagine he is on there, but it would break my heart to see someone like Jeter on the report. Imagine the tee shirts the nation would break out then.

I suspect that there will be upwards of 20 - 30 suspensions of various lengths starting from 15 - 25 games depending on how much evidence Mitchell has on the particular player. I also have to imagine that the players union is going to scream bloody murder, and with good reason. The players are the ones taking all the heat in the steroid scandal, but as I have said previously EVERYONE IN BASEBALL deserves some of the blame.

In other news he whose name has been banned from this blog has been asked to accept a minor league contract. How much do you want to bet that the jerk doesn't accept it...how about 39 million?

The Boras Factor May Point to Even Bigger Trouble on the Horizon

"The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime."
-Babe Ruth

Players and agents take notice, in today's market there is a cap on what teams are willing to spend and/ or give up to acquire a single player. That hasn't always been the case, but given the disastrous effect of the Stienbrenner model of the early part of this decade and last months A-Rod debacle, it seems that general managers and owners are finally starting to see the forest for the trees. Even the teams that can afford to spend exorbitant amounts of money on top talent are becoming more and more hesitant to give up the farm and the keys to the safe. I say this because it seems that Santana is in danger of pricing himself out of the market. That's bad for him, but I'm afraid that it could be indicative of an even greater problem that may be once again looming the horizon for baseball, another round of disputes between the players union and the owners over market share.

For all of his greediness Boras made a good point, baseball revenues are at a historical high and are continuing to go up every year as the game experiences a renaissance in popularity. The players should see a part of that increased revenue. But how much is enough? On the one side the owners argument is true that while revenues are up as a whole, to own a baseball franchise is not a truly lucrative endeavor (albeit you have to be pretty rich to own one in the first place). Profit shares are relatively small and for those teams that are profitable there is the luxury tax issue to deal with. On the flip side the players make the game what it is. People don't go to the ballpark to see Hank Stienbrenner put up a power point presentation about market share and revenue versus the price of the Yen. What I fear from all of this is a whole new round of cat fights between the players union and the owners about who should get what percentage in the form of salaries. Any fan who remembers 1994 and the subsequent clashes between the two parties will tell you that baseball just can't sustain another strike, especially right after dealing with the steroids issue.

In a perfect world baseball would share a higher percentage of the revenues and give smaller market teams a bigger cut and better access to top prospects similar to football's model. In this imaginary Utopia MLB would also give players a percentage of the profit based on performance in exchange for......dare I say it....a salary cap. I'm no mathematician but it seems that a reasonable cap could be figured out by creating some sort of algorithm that keeps the market competitive for even the most cash strapped team. Unfortunately if the owners were even to realistically hint at a salary cap the players union would chase them down the streets with torches and pitchforks, but even more baseball is a business, not a socialist entity. So for the foreseeable nothing is going to change much and the teams with thin purses will be forced to trade off top talent for whatever they can get. Nothing proves that point more than yesterday's deal between the Marlins and the Tigers. It's really a shame, you would thing that MLB would realize that as teams other than the usual suspects make it deep into the post season, interest in the game and in turn revenues go up. Well, that's just my two cents anyway....in the meantime go Yankees go.

Deal For Santana Off? Don't Count on It..and Detroit is Now the Team to Beat

If A-Rod is any indication, Hank Stienbrenners soft deadlines and hollow threats are nothing to take too seriously. Especially now that the Sox seem to be making a legitimate push to aquire Santana. The Twins have played this one perfectly knowing that the biggest rivals in all of sports would eventually duke it out for the rights the two time Cy Young winner. However the Twins have forgotten about this little thing called a no trade clause and that Santana actually WANTS to play for New York. Honestly though at the end of the day the Yankees were offering a better package than the Sox. Despite the talk, this deal isn't dead yet. I just hope that they Yankees don't cave and offer up Hughes AND Kennedy, in that case the trade just wouldn't be worth it.

The real head line of the day is Cabrera and Willis are headed to Detroit for a package of six players. This simply baffeles me. Somehow Florida has been able to hoist up two world series trophies in the past decade (just as many as the Sox) and yet they never even try to hold on to thier top talent because they know they can't afford to. Both Florida teams are like a revolving door. The good young prospects come out of Miami, and then the old washed up ones head back to Tampa to retire. Its a shame and it goes a long way to making the argument that baseball expanded to fast and into the wrong markets (DC being the shining exception). But that is an argument for another day. So now Detroit is stacked to the gills. Good for them, bad for the Yankees prospects of earning number 27. It is going to be an interesting 2008.

Hughes Thrown in the Pot For Santana

The Yankees have decided to offer up Phil Hughes for Santana. The deal would also include Melkey Cabrera and probably between 20 - 25 million dollars a year. If a decision doesn't come later today from the Twins the Yankees have threatened to pull the offer. As much as I would hate to see Phil Hughes go, aside from the boat load of cash that we would be paying for Santana it would be a pretty good deal for both sides. Santana is a two time Cy Young winner, and that was with the Twins. Imagine how lights out he could be if he had a solid defense and run support to help him out! Hughes has already had two injuries since he was called up earlier this year. I don't think that is indicative of his future, but his fastball never seemed to break the low 90s after he came back from the sprained ankle. Really though I am just trying to justify losing Hughes. I think that he is going to be an ace no matter where he plays. In fact he may shine even brighter for a smaller market team. It will be a shame to lose him, but if you have an opportunity to get the best pitcher in the game while he is still in his prime then you have to make some sacrifices. Santana is a known commodity, and while I think eventually Hughes will be a number 1 starter, he still has some things left to prove.

It seems as though we are seeing a lot of the same from the Stienbrenner sons in terms of spending. However they are not subscribing, or at least haven't yet subscribed, to the old Stienbrenner philosophy of selling the farm to acquire old veterans past their prime. The Santana deal is a must for the the organization, regardless of if Pettitte returns or not. Without Santana the rotation only has one sure fire ace, Wang. For all of the hype Kennedy is still unproven and it remains to be seen if Chamberlin can be as effective as a starter as he was as a set up man. Including Santana as the number 1 starter ensures that the rookies have some time to settle into their roles as a starting pitcher, while also taking some of the pressure off Wang. Should Pettitte return I wouldn't be surprised if the rotation looked like this:

Santana
Pettitte **
Wang
Kennedy
Mussina

With both Pettitte and Santana I think you keep Chamberlin right where he is until the inevitable collapse of Mussina. Although it may be difficult to switch from a set up role to a starter mid season if anyone can do it I think Chamberlin can.

Not to be conceded here, but if we do get Santana I would like to point out that I have been saying he would be in New York next year for months. But until I can officially pat myself on the back we will just have to wait and see.

**After posting I just found out that Pettitte will return next season. YES!!!

This Years Hall of Fame Class

This years Hall of Fame class is one of the weakest in recent memory. Here is the list in case you haven't seen it already:

2008 first time nominees
Tim Raines, David Justice, Brady Anderson, Rod Beck, Shawon Dunston, Chuck Finley, Travis Fryman, Chuck Knoblauch, Robb Nen, Jose Rijo and Todd Stottlemyre. (The five-year waiting rule was waived for Beck, who died June 23)

Still Waiting:
With their 2007 vote percentages, Andre Dawson (56.7), Bert Blyleven (47.7), Lee Smith (39.8), Jack Morris (37.1), Tommy John (22.9), Dave Concepcion (13.6), Alan Trammell (13.4), Dave Parker (11.4), Don Mattingly (9.9), Dale Murphy (9.2) Harold Baines (5.3), Goose Gossage, Mark McGwire, and Jim Rice.

What a cast of characters this is. Rod Beck?! Really? No disrespect, I know that he just passed away and all, but the only thing that was hall of fame about his career was his mullet. Chuck Knobloch? I like him and appreciate his contributions to the Yankees Championship teams, but I don't think that he belongs in Cooperstown. Really the only good think about the weakeness of the class is that it probably means Mattingly and Goose Gosage will finally be enshrined. Aside from those two bits of justice I think that the Hall needs to move away from the idea that someone must be inducted every year. It certainly isn't official policy, but be careful about how low you are willing to lower the bar.

Steroids Won't Destroy The Game

I hate to admit this but from time to time I read the New York Daily News. I'm embarrassed by this because the writing is awful and the commentary doesn't make sense half the time. Now I have never claimed to be Bill Shakespeare here, but I have to imagine that the Daily News at least has editors. Case in point, this article by Bill Gallo talks about how much trouble baseball is in these days and equates it to the 1919 Black Sox scandal. He essentially argues that baseball needs a Babe Ruth in order to save the game. I agree that Ruth did a whole lot to help the game back after the Black Sox scandal, but the fact of the matter is that the steroid scandal we are facing now is no where near the level of severity of 1919, or for that matter the strike of 1994. Further, if you want to make an argument about players who saved the game, or at least bridged the gap from dark days to great days, you have to mention Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire.* I know, that hurts a bit considering that they more than likely juiced up and corked bats, but the disdain towards baseball after the 1994 strike was much more wide spread and damaging than the 1919 Black Sox scandal. That said I am not trying to take anything away from Ruth who in my opinion was the best player ever pound for pound.

There is no questions that baseball is in some hot water right now, but when the Mitchell report comes out and big name players are drawn across the coals it won't have the devastating effect that Gallo, or the rest of the media, would like us to believe. It is and has been common knowledge that steroid use has run rampant throughout the game for at least the last decade. Despite that fact baseball is more popular than ever and only continues to draw in new fans as it drastically increases revenue. Sure, guys like Barry Bonds stain the game, but we are not talking about canceling the World Series or missing an entire season the way that the NHL did a few years back. Players who used will face fines and suspensions (maybe jail in Bonds case) and then the game as a whole will move on. We don’t need a superstar to do that, we just need good clean baseball.


Incidentally, Mark McGuire is up for the hall of fame again this year. I'm betting he doesn't make it in.

I hate the first day back after vacation

Is there anything worse than the first day back at work after a vacation or the holidays? I don't think so. Two weeks ago I was sunning myself on a white sandy beach looking out at the clear blue water of St. Thomas. I came back to the city only for a day and then went home to Vermont for time with the family. So for pretty much the last month I have had something to look forward to. Not today, this marks the beginning of the first full week I have had in half a month. Talk about agony. To tell you the truth I'm really not even in the mood to update my blog today, so I'll leave you all with a welcome back weary travelers.

567 Miles From DC

I'm home for Thanksgiving today, as I am sure that most of you are too. So while I wait to stuff my face here are a few updates from the world of baseball.

Shelley Duncan has been treated for a blood clot! I was unaware of this but apparently Duncan underwent hernia surgery ten days after the end of the season. That is a bit troubling, but it isn't the end of the world. Most likely Duncan will take over at first base since the outfield seems to be set with Damon, Abreu, and Matsui. I guess I didn't realize that Duncan is 28 either, I just assumed that he was younger. Well that is what I get for not looking at his stats.

What if? What if Pettitte doesn't come back? We certainly would rather not deal with that situation, but we need to plan for it. If Pettitte doesn't come back Santana comes into play. I have said all year that I had a feeling that the Yankees are going to make a push for Santana, but the question is if he is worth the price at this point since Minnesota will almost certainly ask for one of our young pitchers. Given that price tag it begs the question, can we make do without another ace in the rotation? Without Pettitte New York is looking at a Wang, Hughes, Chamberlin, Kennedy and Mussina starting rotation. That's not too bad, but it certainly doesn't completely settle the nerves. Who knows what Mussina we are going to get next year, and will Chamberlin be able to successfully adjust to a role as a starter? What about Hughes? Were the problems he had at the end of the season last year attributable to him settling in and trying not to re-injure himself, or is he prone to break down in high stress situations? Kennedy went 1-0 with a 1.89 era this season, but he doesn't have any high heat, does he have enough other junk to make it in the majors? So in answer to my question, yes, the Yankees need at least one more ace in the rotation so that we can all sleep a little bit easier. Despite this, a trade for Santana should not include any of the young pitchers. Holding on to and developing these guys makes more sense than returning to the old Stienbrenner model. Please Andy, just come back for one more year so we don't have to worry about this so much.

Ok, I'm going to go and play with the dog and my nephew. Happy Thanksgiving everyone, I hope you have a great holiday and a safe trip.

Rivera Agrees to Three Year Deal, and More Thoughts on Last Weeks News

Mariano Rivera (who incidentally shares the same first name as my grandfather) has agreed to a three year $45 million dollar contract. Phew. For all the instability in the the days following the Yankees loss in the the ALDS, A-Rod's opt out, and Joe Torre's departure it is more than comforting to see the veterans returning, albeit slowly. It's hard not to respect a guy like Rivera. In addition to his 433 regular season career saves (3rd all time) he has a post season era of .77 in 76 games. That's not to mention the fact that he has built schools and donates Christmas presents every year in his native Panama. Still, there will be those that say how can you pay a 37 year old reliever that much money. Well the simple answer is that Mo isn't your everyday closer, but that should go without saying. Rivera pitched slightly fewer innings this year, mostly because the early season didn't give Torre many opportunities to use him, but his era was still a respectable 3.15 (granted it was a career high not counting 1995) with 30 saves. More importantly though Rivera only blew four saves all season. I am willing to bet that he will continue to produce results at least over the next two seasons. After that we will have to wait and see. Regardless, the aura of the sandman alone is worth the price tag.

I've been thinking more and more about the A-Rod issue. I do think that his actions have helped him regain some much needed credibility, but I am interested to hear what he has to say after the ink is on the contract. Personal baggage aside he is the best player in baseball and Yankees fans need to remember that in spite of everything that has happened so far in this off season we never would have made it to the ALDS if not for his contributions. While ultimately A-Rod bears responsibility for opting out in the first place, I do feel somewhat bad for him. No doubt Boras pushed him hard to opt out selling him on the idea that certainly no one other than the Yankees would be able to afford him so it was a win win situation. He could stay in New York but make unheard of sums of money. When that obviously wasn't going to pan out I would be willing to bet that Boras said, oh well, we'll look someplace else despite his clients best interests. I could be wrong on this, but actions do speak louder than words so the fact that A-Rod came to the Yankees on his own terms without Boras says a lot. Still, it will be an uphill road before the fans truly trust and re-accept A-Rod. Such a shame considering he was finally starting to fit in.

This leads to another question, are the days of Scott Boras over or is this just a hiccup in the days of greed in baseball? I think that it is too early to tell. While I do think that the days of Scott Boras are quickly coming to an end, unfortunately I think that there will be someone right there ready to pick up the pieces of his fallen empire. However, one has to assume that the days of over the top contracts are over. It will be quite a while before baseball sees another A-Rod type contract. Then again that is what everyone said after A-Rod signed on with the Rangers in the first place. So I guess that there really isn't an answer to this question. In the meantime we will all have to sit back and enjoy the meltdown that will soon engulf Boras.

On an unrelated topic you will notice that I haven't talked much about my vacation yet. I will sooner or later, but in the meantime this picture of the view from my room speaks a thousand blog entries:

What A Week!

Ok, so where to start....let's begin with A-Rod.

As you all know I was on vacation last week, so imagine my surprise when I found out that A-Rod had decided to negotiate a contract sans Boras. I nearly choked on my pina colada. I'm not sure how to feel about this. On the one hand we get the greatest player in baseball who will surely bring in huge revenues as he approaches Barry Bonds* home run record. On the other hand whether or not he realized the error of his ways with Scott Boras, I still feel betrayed by him. It's going to take a lot for A-Rod to gain the respect of the organization and of course the fans, but since we are stuck with him for the next decade (which means ten more years of pictures of A-Rod with a purse, sigh) we are all going to have to learn to get along. In the end this may turn out to be a good thing since it will most likely end the Boras era. After all, Boras looks like the biggest loser in all of this. I'm guessing that he'll be run out of the majors, in fact he just lost Kenney Rogers as a client for chasing the money more than listening to the wishes of his client. Sure, A-Rod is still making an obscene amount of money, more than any one player is worth, but if he can get that post season monkey off his back, apologize to the fans, and bring legitimacy back to the home run record then I think that in the end he will someday finally become a true Yankee. Until then I am sleeping with one eye open.

Bonds

Come on, is anyone surprised at all by this? I sure wasn't. The question is should Bonds be allowed into the hall of fame when he is ultimately found guilty, and trust me he will be. In my opinion if and when he is found guilty his chance of making it to the hall of fame are over. He will become the next Pete Rose, a player who should be there, but because of poor choices that were bad for the game his reputation will be too tarnished to join the ranks of the legends. Sure, Cobb had a bad attitude, Ruth was an overweight womanizing alcoholic, and Mantle had more personal demons than you can count. The difference is that these guys never cheated, or at least were never caught. On top of that they never openly and knowingly lied about it. So Barry, your day in court will come and judgment will be rendered, but before you call yourself a victim think of all the kids who because of you feel that the only way they can achieve greatness is to use steroids. Think of all of the bodies that you have destroyed. Then think about who the real victims are here.

I wish I had more time to write about all of this because frankly this has been one of the craziest weeks for baseball in recent memory. In the meantime I'll leave you with this weeks poll question. I'll be interested to see what people have to say.

I'm Back

But I am too busy catching up to write this morning and there is oh so much to talk about. I will post as soon as I can.

On Posada, Tejada, and Crede

Jorge Posada and the Yankees have agreed to a 4 year, 52.4 million dollar deal. That's a relief, it seemed as though for a while there Posada might actually be switching to the number 7 train to Queens next year. It's a good contract for Posada and he was smart to stick to his guns for the extra year and money. The Mets would have been a good fit for a year or two, but his career stats would have suffered in the National league assuming that the last year of his contract will most likely be a DH role.

Posada is one hole that needed plugging, now we need to finish up with resigning Rivera so we can work on figuring out who is going to play third. On the issue of third base, the other day I commented that I would take Tejada over Crede hands down. I think I spoke too soon. Let's compare the numbers over the past four seasons:

Miguel Tejada
2004 – OPS 131, RBI 150, HR 34
2005 – OPS 128, RBI 98, HR 26
2006 – OPS 126, RBI 100, HR 24
2007 – OPS 109, RBI 81, HR 18

Joe Crede
2004 – OPS 83, RBI 69, HR 21
2005 – OPS 96, RBI 62, HR 22
2006 – OPS, 107 RBI 94, HR 30
2007 – OPS, 49 RBI 22, HR 4


I put in the 2007 stats to round out the numbers, but considering Crede only played in 47 games versus 133 for Tejada you can't really count use 2007 as a good reference. Clearly Tejada is the better player, but its also pretty obvious that his numbers are significantly declining every year while Crede's are getting better. Over the course of each of their careers there is no question that Tejada will be the overall better player, but in terms of making a smart decision financially you have to take this flip flop into account. The Yankees could most likely steal Crede away at this point, not to mention the fact that he wont need time to readjust to the position. While Tejada is historically better, we would be paying a lot of money for someone who is quickly becoming nothing more than just an average player. So at this juncture I think Crede makes more sense than any of the other options available.

In case you haven't heard, Derek Jeter made some pretty telling comments to the press the other day with regards to Posada, Rivera, and Pettitte. He predicted that Posada would resign (which of course he now has), Mo would be back (I'm willing to bet that he will too), but that he wasn't sure about Pettitte. You have to think that Jeter is giving us an inside tip here. Based on that the best bet is to count out Pettitte for next year.

On a completely unrelated note, for my regular readers you are about to notice a drought in my posts. That is because I am going on vacation to the Virgin Islands for some much needed R&R starting tomorrow. I'll be back next Monday to catch up on everything that I've missed, but in the meantime have a good week everyone!

Could It Be Tejada?

This post is dedicated to Abbott, a fan of all Baltimore teams through thick and thin....but recently predominantly thin.

Miguel Tejada has resisted moving from short stop to third base in Baltimore, but considering how sick he is of playing for a glorified minor league team that attitude may be subject to change. The prospect of Tejada working the corner in New York may just be our best option. Tejada doesn't come without baggage though. The former AL MVP is starting to get older and it will take some time for him to adjust from short, especially after suffering a broken wrist last season (the first injury of his career). Not to mention the whole thing may be a moot point if Palmero's accusations of Tejada using steroids are true. On the other hand he still has power, and most likely will be able to produce another four seasons of .290 and above hitting. Add that to the fact that the Yankees wouldn't have to give up a whole lot to get him. In a two way race between Crede and Tejada I think you have to go with Miguel. I'd rather take Cabrera over either of them, but the Marlins want Kennedy, Hughes, or Chamberlin and that just isn't going to happen. Or at least it had better not.

Tejada's time with the Orioles is really a shame. In fact the Orioles as a whole are really a shame. Rewind to the early and mid 90's and the Orioles had just built a brand new and beautiful ball park with a team who was beating up the American League east like Mike Tyson in his early 20's. Cal Ripkin, who may be a future candidate for King of Maryland, broke the continuous game record. The stadium was always filled. Then Angelos decided to destroy the team. Baltimore fans would say that the Yankees hired Jeffrey Maier, but I wouldn't be surprised if Angelos had a hand in that too. After that season everything just came unglued. The O's kept losing, their best players were traded or sold away, and then Ripkin retired. Baltimore hasn't put up a winning season since. It's gotten so bad that Orioles fans openly revolted at Camden Yards. Angelos has sold off everything he could get his hands on, and made bad trades in the process (Sammy Sosa I'm looking in your direction). All of Baltimore, and anyone who likes baseball for that matter should grab their pitchforks and run Angelos out of town. Not only has he single handily de-feathered the Orioles, but also thanks to him Nationals fans hardly ever get to see live games on MASN.

Instant Replay and Arbitration

It has been brushed aside with all the hoopla surrounding A-Rod, Torre, and Steroids, but in case you haven't noticed baseball is considering implementing instant replay. I'm on the fence about this. On the one hand I think that it is about time, but only for instances involving home runs and foul balls. Anyone who watched the post season this year would agree that the calls were just awful. On the other hand what we don't need is managers asking for an instant replay everytime there is a questionable ball or strike. I love baseball, but frankly the game is long enough as it is. If they were to review every call a game would take longer than an 8 part TV miniseries about paint peeling. Plus instant replay takes away the human element to the game. There is something that just feels right about seeing a call, knowig the umpire got it wrong, and calling him an idiot for it. To put it plainly, Baseball isn't football. Although this quote is talking about batters, I think that it also applies to umpires and gets to the heart of why instant replay in baseball seems so sterile and industrial to me:

What is both surprising and delightful is that spectators are allowed, and even expected, to join in the vocal part of the game.... There is no reason why the field should not try to put the batsman off his stroke at the critical moment by neatly timed disparagements of his wife's fidelity and his mother's respectability. ~George Bernard Shaw

So fine, we'll test out the replay in situations that don't delay the game and don't call into question every single pitch. I reserve the right to change my mind on this after it is implemented.

In other news the Yankees are going to offer A-Rod arbitration. I love this! Sure there is a slight risk that A-Rod will come back for one year and make more money, but I don't think anyone in their right mind actually believes that will happen. It's a really smart move when you consider that the Yankees will be able to pick up a first-round draft pick and a sandwich pick. In fact that is how we aquired Chamberlin and Kennedy two years ago.

This makes me so happy....http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21661702/

The Coming Storm

With the general managers meetings taking place this week in Florida we should have some answers to the free agent questions in the coming days and weeks. Unfortunately all of the excitement that circles around trades and player acquisitions is about to be overshadowed by the coming report on steroid abuse by former U.S. Senate majority leader George Mitchell. It wont be pretty and you can bet that there will be some big name surprises. Unfortunately I would be willing to bet that the finger pointing will stop short of where the blame stems from...the commissioners office, and maybe even the White House.

In the years immediately following the strike baseball was in serious trouble, fans had left the game in droves and ratings were down across the board. Suddenly you saw the rise of players like Sammy "Corked Bat" Sosa and Mark "androstenedione" McGuire. You saw Barry Bonds go from a lanky player about to enter the twilight of his career, to a Mr. Universe-esq tiny headed power hitter. Records were broken, and some eyebrows were raised, but everyone was so happy to see baseball back that no one said a whole lot. That includes the commissioner. To think that he had no idea what was going on at the time is simply ridiculous. In fact Selig probably would have let the abuse go unchecked if not for the media finally stepping in and demanding answers. It wasn't just Selig who turned a blind eye, the owners did too. Frankly home runs were good for the game at that point, and nervous owners needed a way to draw fans back into the seats. One of those owners now lives in Washington and you'll notice has said very little on the subject.

Now we wait on the findings of the report and the subsequent disciplinary actions from Selig. Unfortunately the only ones who will be affected by this are the players and not the owners, or Selig himself who in fact owes all of baseball an apology for not putting an end to this sooner. By not outlawing performance enhancers earlier Selig has set a dangerous precedent. Higher and higher percentages of players and young athletes now feel that the only way to compete in the majors is to use some sort of supplement. Fines and suspensions won't change that, there will always be doctors out there willing to engineer a new gel that will evade detection. Reports serve the purpose of making it look like something is being done, but until the players, owners, and especially the commissioner makes a real efforts to stop the practice the steroid era will go on indefinitely. So before you judge players like Guillen and even Bonds too harshly, look who their enablers are.

Pettitte to Opt Out, Posada in Limbo

Here we are again, facing another potential round of veteran Yankees saying adios to the Bronx. Nothing is set in stone yet but here is the latest:

Pettitte opts out of one year 16 million dollar deal
You have to respect Pettitte, it has never been just about the money for him like it has for some OTHER players (ahem). This isn't the end for Andy necessarily. He is still undecided on his return and I don't think that this is some sort of A-Rod tactic to make more money. Hank Stienbrenner went as far as to say that the Yankees need Pettitte, they do, and that he can take as much time to make his decision as he needs. Despite his status as a free agent Pettitte has always said that he would pitch for New York in 2008 or retire. I don't see any reason not to believe him. If he decides to pitch he will get the same 16 million, possibly with another player option into 2009. Right now I would say his return is 50/50.

Posada Wants 40 Million and 4 Years
Well nothing unexpected here. Jorge is waiting for offers from other teams before making his final decision about a return to the Bronx. Clearly Posada is upset by the front office decision not to extend his contract during spring training, but to that I have to say can you blame them? Resign a 36 year old catcher for an extended contract? Posada has always been a consistent force offensively and the fact that he is a switch hitter is a huge plus. However, prior to 2007 Posada had never had a season where he hit over .300. Even in 2003, his best year prior to last season, while he hit 30 home runs and 101 RBI's, his era was .281. Granted he is a catcher, but Cashman was right to have pause before throwing mounds of money at Posada. That was then and this is now. The free agent market for quality catchers is non existent. When you couple that with all of the young pitchers who will need an experienced catcher to work them through the season there is no choice but to get Posada back. Sure, he will be 37 next year, but based on this season it is safe to say that you can count on at least two more good years. I do think he will come back, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it come down to the wire.

Speaking of former Yankees, I watched Joe Torre's press conference from Dodgers Stadium yesterday. It was so bizarre to see him in Dodgers blue. It was like watching an ex talk about how wonderful their new relationship with someone else is. Still, I wish Torre and Mattingly the best of luck on the left coast.

There is still time to vote in the "Where will A-Rod End Up" poll. Aside from the people could care less, and I include myself in that category, the consensious seems to be Boston or the Dodgers. Unfortunatly I added this poll prior to the rumors about Detroit showing an interest, if I had to bet I would say that is where he headed.

This has nothing to do with baseball, but it is by far my favorite commercial of all time and I just happened to come across it today. It's just hilarious, enjoy:

Video: Sun Fizz Sprite Commercial

Who's On Third?

Cashman has made it pretty clear that A-Rod's tenure in New York has come to a close, despite Jerk-Rod's comments about hoping the door to the big apple is still open. So where does that leave us at third base? I see a couple of options that should be entertained AFTER we finish the business of resigning Posada and Rivera, and just maybe after making a move for Santana.

Option 1:
Damon to Chi Sox for Joe Crede
That's the Rumor and I think it is a very likely possibility. As I have said pretty exhaustively in the comments from the other day Damon is starting to break down a bit. He is only 33, but clearly he lost a step this season. The Yankees would be wise to trade him off now before his market value plummets. If the Yankees could acquire Joe Crede for Damon I think you have to make the deal. That would also solve the problem of the surplus of outfielders and Melekey would then become the every day center fielder. The good news would be that Crede is coming off major back surgery so we could probably get him fairly cheap. The bad news is that Crede is coming off major back surgery so he is a bit of a question mark, but even more so Crede is a Boras client so we could be right back in this spot again next year.

Option 2:
Miguel Cabrera for a King's Ransom.
Cabrera has a history of friction with his team mates, and no doubt Florida is going to want the farm to ship him up to New York. However, last year Cabrera hit .320 with 119 RBI's, so he would be a good replacement in terms of numbers. Oh and did I mention that he is only 24? Attitude aside I think he would be a good option depending on the price. There is a strong potential for a bidding war here, most likely with the Sox if they decide to nix Lowell. For anything less than 10 million I say we take him, anything over that and we keep looking.

Option 3:
Stick with what we've got, Wilson Betemit
That's why we got him right, in case A-Rod bolted? Unfortunately his offensive numbers are pretty dismal. He has never been an every day third baseman, but his defensive numbers seem to suggest that he could handle the job pretty well. Not a top option, but he is only 27 and the money is right.

At this point the Yankees would be best to go with option number 1, unless somehow we get a good deal on Cabrera. I like Damon, I do, but given our surplus and his aging legs I think we would be better to completely retool and say good bye to his weighty salary given the options at hand.

*I just say this:

If the Yankees are interested in replacing Alex Rodriguez with Cabrera, the newspaper speculates Florida would ask for 21-year-old starter Phil Hughes in return.

If that is the case it isn't worth it!

Just Some Quick Thoughts Today

The Yankees have opted to resign Abreu for another year and close to 16 million dollars. Sigh. I would be fine with resigning Abreu if he didn't cost us so much. As I wrote yesterday his numbers were actually slightly improved from 2006. But at that price we should be getting a known commodity, not a slump prone right fielder who is over priced and has poor range in right field. The real mistake here though is signing up Abreu before dealing with Rivera and Posada. They should have been the first two to get offers. Maybe they did and they are still in the renegotiation process, but still I'm starting to get a little worried about the front offices intentions here. If you want to go young then do it. Don't send mixed messages by signing a replacement player who could fall apart sooner rather than later. I may be wrong, Abreu could have a Posada like year in 2008, but I wouldn't bet 16 million on it.

The Yankees are not the only team making bad decisions this post season, case in point the Red Sox who exercised a 4 million dollar option on Tim Wakefield. This baffles me. They didn't trust his shoulder enough to let him pitch in the world series and yet here they are saying come on back for another season as a starter?! Sure, they aren't dropping the kind of cash on him that the Yankees are on Abreu, but still, Wakefield is 41 years old and only has one pitch. One pitch that is going to cost you a lot of runs if it isn't spot on. At least Abreu will be good for at least 80 RBI's next season, twenty of which will probably come off Wakefield if he even makes it out of May. It wont be as disastrous as a Brett Saberhagen was for the Sox or Carl Pavano was for the Yankees, but I still think its a stupid idea. If I were the Sox I would sooner sign Schilling (and that is coming from someone who hates Schilling), but most likely that wont happen.

Seattle will most likely say adios to former national Jose Guillen. Full disclosure, I have always kind of liked the guy for some reason and I even have his bobble head on my desk at work. His numbers are really pretty good this year:

.290 era
23 home runs
99 RBIs

This could just be posturing for a better contract, but I doubt that Seattle will give him the multi year deal he wants. That's actually a smart decision. At 31 years old I think that Guillen's career has peaked and he isn't going to get any better. If Seattle wants to avoid blowing the wild card race like they did this year they would be wise to dump what will quickly become mediocre talent like Guillen.

Around The Horn

The Yankees are considering whether or not to pick up the option on Bobby Abreu's contract for next year. It actually isn't as easy of a question as I had first thought once you look at the numbers. Despite some pretty extended slumps, Abreu still managed to score 123 runs, hit 16 home runs, tack on 101 RBI's with an OPS of .814 this season. While his batting average went down, he still scores better in some key areas in 2007 over his combined statistics with the Phillies and the Yankees in 2006. Alternatively look at Caberea who for all the hype is actually a bit over rated at this point. In 2007 Caberea scored 66 runs, hit 8 home runs, tacked on 73 RBI'with an OPS of .718. But Abreu is old right? Not really, Abreu is only 33, although admittedly he is starting to look like 43. Caberea on the other hand still needs some more time to develop, but probably will end up being a career .285 hitter and a decent fielder. So what should the Yankees do? I say drop Abreu, move Melkey to center, and push Damon over to right given the question marks about his legs. I have to believe that long term that is the smartest choice considering Melkey will continue to improve and most likely Abreu will start to slow down sooner rather than later. Not to mention Caberea certainly has better range in the outfield and there is no chance Bobby could cover center field if Damon isn't 100%. Finally, the money that is freed up from Abreu could be used to go after someone like Torii Hunter.

November 13th. That is the last day the Yankees have until their exclusive negotiation rights with Jorge Posada expire. To this I say...WHAT'S THE HOLD UP?!?!?!?! I've written extensively on why we need to resign him. So lets get it over with, NOW, before we lose him to the Mets (which would actually be a good alternative for him).

Rumor has it that the Yankees are ready to offer Rivera 40 million and three years. He's earned it although I admit that it does seem like quite a lot to offer an aging closer, even if he is the best the game has ever seen. The Yankees really need to get on this though because Rivera's return will most likely determine Joba's career as a starter or a closer.

I have to say that I am getting pretty frustrated with the Yankees sluggish pace and lack of urgency regarding their free agents. I suppose some of it can be attributed to Hank and Hal taking the reins, but these contracts need to be negotiated before its too late.

Don't Even Think About It!!

I can't believe the picture that I have chosen for today's post. Do you know how many times it has been sent to me over the years? Well today I think that it is appropriate:

"Alex wants the Yankees to be a part of this, because the opt-out was not done with the intention of saying goodbye to the Yankees," said the source. "Alex wants to see what his market value is, but that doesn't mean he necessarily wants to leave the Yankees."

Let me start by again giving a hearty F-YOU to both A-Rod and Boras. What this sounds like is that some of the negotiations with the other clubs A-Rod hoped to bank rob aren't going as well as he and Boras had hoped. I'm guessing that they are starting to realize that they screwed themselves by opting out before they even gave Cashman the courtesy of a face to face meeting and there may be a real possibility that A-Rod will actually end up making less than he did last year as a result. Oh how I would love that!

So that begs the question should the Yankees consider renegotiating with Stray-Rod? HELL NO!! I was actually trying to formulate an argument as to why it might not be a bad idea...that was before I read this:

The question posed to Boras was why Rodriguez's regular-season numbers haven't translated to postseason success.

"That's a characterization that, when you look at the data, is frankly inaccurate," Boras said. "If you look at Alex's first season in New York, I believe he was 7-for-16 with two home runs and five RBIs going into Game 4 in Boston.

"The brilliant Mariano Rivera, probably the only flaw he's made in a historic career over the postseason*, if he got those three outs (in the ninth inning of Game 4), Alex would have been in the World Series and he would have been held to have a great postseason.

Hold the phone there BorASS, are you actually trying to go after Mariano as an excuse for A-Rod? You have got to be kidding me! As Julie pointed out in the comments a few days ago, here are Choke-Rod's post season stats for the last few years:

2007 - .267
2006 - .071
2005 - .133
2004 - .258

You can compare other players post season statistics if you want, but its not relevant, we are strictly talking about Choke-Rod's performance. So what happened in 2005 and 2006? Did Rivera steal A-Rod's Teddy Bear or something? My point is not only is he not worth the money, he isn't worth the bad vibes he brings to the team.

From everything that I have read lately I get the impression that MLB is anxious to make Boras look like an idiot, and the players union probably isn't going to go to the mattresses to protect a guy like A-Rod. Honestly, who does Boras think he is? Where does he get off calling Selig and recommending switching the format of the World Series to 9 games, two of which would be in neutral cities? He wants to make the World Series into the Superbowl and the Homerun Derby into some sort of circus side show where the players make extra money for participating. He is an agent, not an owner or even a player. He is bad for the game and a public lynching would be good for all of us.

* I hate to say this but apparently he forgot what happened in game 7 of the 2001 World Series.

It's Official...and A Few Housekeeping Items

It's official, Joe Girardi is the new manager of the Yankees. Anyone who reads this page knows my feelings on this decision so I don't want to sound like a broken record. What I will say is that straight out of the gate I am impressed with this ambition. Hank Stienbrenner seemed to be giving him an out just in case he didn't make it happen next year by asking for patience. But Girardi, who is no stranger to New York, had this to say:

"I expect to be playing in the Fall Classic next October," Girardi said. "I think that's every one's expectation. You do everything you possibly can to get there and then you see where you are."

Your damn right Joe, I like your moxie!

As predicted Torre seems headed for LA. I think that this will be a huge test for him. For the last 6 years he has pretty much been on cruise control with the Yankees. His players were a well known commodity and he knew for the most part who he could count on and when. It will be interesting to see how he readjusts to the National League. In fact it will probably be a much bigger challenge for him than New York ever was.

Interestingly enough a friend of mine was cleaning out his old room in his parents house and found a treasure chest of old baseball and sports memorabilia which he sent to me and another friend. One of the items that he sent was Sport Magazine from July of 1984 which contains an article by Bill James ranking the baseball managers. One of the managers ranked happens to be none other than Joe Torre who was with The Braves at that point. The contents of the article don't go into too much detail on Torre, but the cover pretty much says it all "Torre, Not Brave Enough, Second Division." Let's hope that Joe can continue to prove him wrong 24 years later.

I would like to switch gears here and take a moment to respond to an anonymous comment from yesterday's post. Normally I wouldn't do this but since I am pretty sure that I know who the commenter is I thought I would formally respond. Here is what he wrote:

"It's hard to face facts but the Red Sox are now the new Yankees. I don't think the Yankees will win a world series for a long, long time with all of these changes and shake ups. And what the hell are they building a new fricking stadium for?!?!? You don't tear down the House that Ruth Built!!!!!! That's probably what is going on!!! Babe Ruth is mad and has reversed the curse!!!"

Wow, the irony of this comment is so thick you could almost cut it with a knife. So now the Sox fans are comparing themselves to the Yankees. It's like a little brother trying to one up his older brother, or Canada saying that it is the new United States. Should we expect to see t-shirts that say "Boston - the New New York?" What does this mean for the future of the Yankee Suck chant if in fact the Sox are the new Yankees? The fact of the matter is that while yes, the Sox are well positioned for the next couple of years it is too early to start throwing around the word dynasty. Let's not forget that the Sox failed to even make the post season last year and have yet to mirror the Yankees success of the late 90's with multiple World Series wins, and even more appearances. I'm not saying that it can't happen, I'm just saying that it hasn't happened yet. It's absurd to think that the Yankees are out of it already. I'm not going to go into too much detail on this because I wrote about it yesterday, but consider all of the young stars coming through the Yankees system right now. New York is well positioned for another few years based on those rookies alone. You bring up superstition. While I agree that I think that it is blasphemy to tear down Yankee Stadium, I think that you have to attribute the Yankees recent down turn with poor acquisitions and trades rather than the ire of the Ghost of Babe Ruth. Bad moves like Kevin Brown, Carl Pavano, and Randy Johnson have much more to do with the drought than banshees.

Now a Few Housekeeping Items

I'm sure that by now my regular readers have noticed the countdown clock and the addition of a poll. I'll be trying to spice some things up in the off season to keep it interesting for you all. Any comments and suggestions (or criticisms) are welcome.

I would also like to say thank you to all my regulars. I've had 1,000 hits in just over a month which at least makes me feel as though I'm doing a better job of analyzing the game than I did when I started this. I even got a shout out on DCblogs...thanks guys!

Sleep Tight Baseball

There are plenty of reasons why Girardi was the right choice to take over in the place of Joe Torre, his experience with young players and the fact that he has been part of the organization as both a player and a coach just to name the most obvious. But I have to say that I didn't see Mattingly taking the decision so hard. I'm sure that in some back room George all but promised him the position when he rejoined the team in 2004, but he of all people should have known that a promise from a Steinbrenner comes with conditions. Chin up Don, you may not be in the drivers seat next season but I would be willing to bet that if Girardi fails you are next...that is if you'll take it. Enjoy the Dodgers, since that is where I am assuming you and Torre will go, but don't forget you are a Yankee and always will be.

I don't see Girardi failing though. I think that this is exactly the type of situation in which he will excell in. What's more, for all of the tales of doom and gloom about the Bronx right now I have to say that we are not in as bad shape as ESPN might like you to believe. Consider this, assuming we don't have to work through the injuries that plagued us this year our pitching staff will be stacked next season. The young guys like Duncan, Melkey, and Cano have all proved that they can hit and play solid defence. We'll lose some numbers now that Dick-Rod is gone but who cares, he was never a Yankee and we will be better off without him. I wouldn't be surprised if we used some of the Jerk-Rod money that has been freed up to make a move for Santana which would give us a rotation second to none. We may not go all the way next year, but give us two and we will be right where we belong, drenched in Champagne and hoisting up number 27.

I didn't say much about the end of the season yesterday thanks to Ass-Rod, but the few days after the World Series are always bitter sweet for me. I'm going to keep writing about baseball as much as I can in the post season, but as the winter sets in you'll be seeing fewer posts. A few years ago when I lived in Boston I walked by Fenway park the day after the season ended. Even though I hate the red sox and I was happy that they were eliminated, walking by Fenway was depressing. It was dark, cold, and quiet. Baseball had gone to bed for winter and the old park almost seemed lonely. I still think about that every year after the season ends, all the stadiums quiet, their lights out, fields covered...waiting. So that's what I have to do too, wait, wait for the days to get warmer and longer so we can do it all over again. Sleep tight baseball, see you in the spring.

I Couldn't Agree More

Breaking News

Yankees Make Offer To Girardi
Just one day after saying "goodbye" to Alex Rodriguez, the Yankees have offered Joe Girardi the managerial job left open when Joe Torre walked away. Girardi is expected to accept an offer in the three-year, $6 million range, a source told 1050 ESPN New York's Andrew Marchand. Story Olney

Hey A-Rod Son't Let The Door Hit You On The Ass On The Way Out

hyp·o·crite –noun
1. a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.

2. a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, esp. one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.

"This feels like home," Rodriguez said after the champagne celebration.
"So much has happened to me here - adversity, some success - that I feel
like anything but New York feels weird to me now. ... I love New York."
Alex Rodriguez on Sept. 26 following the team's wild card
clincher"

You're asking me what my sincere feeling is. I want to 100 percent stay in
New York. Period. That's it. I don't know how many ways I can say it."-- Alex
Rodriguez, on WFAN-AM's "Mike and the Mad Dog."

In short....go to hell A-Rod. This represents everything that is wrong with professional sports, ALL SPORTS, not just baseball. Professional athletes who are motivated by money more than loyalty to a team or winning championships. Excuse my words here but his douche-baggery is further enforced by the fact that he used Torre's departure and the uncertainty about Posada and Rivera's return as an excuse. Not to mention the fact that they waited until the Red Sox won the Series to announce it all. Is there any higher level of insult to the Yankees and their fans? Screw you A-Rod, I would be willing to bet that none of those guys would even say bless you if you sneezed. What's more is that A-Rod's decision is going to ruin whichever team decides to pick him up for years to come. As my friend Matt correctly pointed out this morning, 30 million dollars is not a smart investment for one player. Think of all the development a team throws away. Sure, you get a player who probably has a couple more MVP seasons left in him, and there is some potential to increase revenue, but A-Rod isn't a Michael Jordan, a Babe Ruth, or even a Barry Bonds for that matter. You can’t win a World Series with one premadonna player. There is going to be backlash from this, not just amongst the players but with the fans too. What’s more this type of contract sets a horrible precedent and furthers to separate the wealthy teams from the smaller market teams. To put it less eloquently and to quote from Goodfella's Boras and A-Rod are staring in the face of Major League Baseball and saying Fuck you, pay me. It makes me sick. If I were A-Rod I would tread VERY carefully every time he sets foot in New York from now on. In fact he may want to helicopter it into Yankee Stadium the next time he plays there because I promise you there will be a lot of people waiting in the parking lot for...but not for his autograph.

As for the series my predictions weren't even close for games three and four. The Red Sox simply dominated and beat the Rockies by the greatest differential in World Series history. Frankly the Rockies had no business being there in the first place. They were at best a .500 team who just got lucky, just like most of the rest of the National league. But hey, a trip to the show is more than the Yankees were able to manage this year, so for that my hats off to you Colorado.

Tomorrow I'll write something more about the end of the season and what it means to me. Hopefully I'll be talking about Girardi as the new manager, but in the meantime I have some frustration to vent.

A Letter To Boston Fans

Dear Boston Fans,

First of all congratulations. You had the best team this year and you deserved to win, it's a shame that you couldn't do it in Fenway. Now that you have won your second World Series in three years, and it looks as thought the Patriots are going all the way, I ask this of you....please be good sports. Every city deserves a great sports era, but what separates the eras of some against others is the level of sportsmanship both in winning and in losing. Remember, nothing lasts forever so enjoy it....but just because you won that doesn't meant that everyone else sucks.

I'm thinking I should work at the Psychic Hotline

Ok, I wasn't spot on, but I was pretty close. The Red Sox won again last night, Schilling was good, and so was the game. The real story though is how few runs the Rockies gave up to Boston. As predicted the Rockies looked like they were falling back into their grove. That should at least be encouraging going into game three against Dice-K who I really feel is going to have a hell of a time putting the ball where he wants in Denver. He has a tendency to hang some of his stuff after thirty or so pitches. That is going to be simply devastating in the thin mountain air.

My feelings for Boston aside, I have to say that it's a shame that the World Series is turning out to be such a one sided contest. Colorado winning would be a great story, they would be like the Cleveland Indians in the movie Major League....but for real. A lopsided World Series really isn't Denver's fault, or Boston's for that matter. The American league simply has better players across the board than the National league. In fact there are really only a couple of teams from the NL that could put up a good fight against Boston. It would be nice to see some equality so that the World Series is a bit more exciting.

Red Sox beat blah blah blah

Game 1 prediction - Sox 6 Rockies 2, actual score Red Sox 13 Rockies 1.

The game started off pretty much as I predicted. The sox struck early, the Rockies looked rusty, and frankly Jeff Francis looked terrified. It wasn't a fun game to watch. It was almost like watching your little brother get beat up by the high school bully but there is nothing you can do about it. Even the sports commentator on cnn headline news (I have a massive crush on Robin Meade) said he shut the game off after the fifth inning. It's too bad, but no one should really be surprised at all by this. Facing a team like Boston at Fenway against the best pitcher in the majors in your first World Series appearance ever isn't exactly a routine game. It's not over until the gravitationally challenged lady sings, but if the Rockies are going to have any hope at all they are going to need to figure out a way to put the ash to the leather. Unfortunately I expect more of the same tonight.

Since the World Series is painful to watch, but even more painful to write about I am going to switch gears.

Anyone who even thinks about baseball is chiming in on who they think is the best pick to be the Yankees new manager. I've already voiced my opinion on that, but what I haven't gone into a lot of detail about is why I think that Don Mattingly SHOULDN'T be the next manager. We all know the biggest argument, that he has never managed in the majors. But there are some other factors that should be considered as well. For example his performance or rather the Yankees performance under Mattingly as a hitting coach. Lets take a look at some numbers.

Before Mattingly:
2002 - Yankees average .275
2003 -Yankees average .271

With Mattingly:
2004 - Yankees average .268
2005 - Yankees average .276
2006 - Yankees average .285

And what about this year after leaving the batting cage for the bench coach position?
2007 - Yankees average .290

These numbers are inconclusive at best. Obviously the team has changed over the past five years but you have to notice that the average drops when he takes over and then rises when he is promoted. There is a consistent climb throughout his tenure, but keep in mind that in those three years the Yankees had a massive drought of big post season hits. I'm going out on a limb here to an extent, but since he has no stats to back up his application for manager we have to look at what we have.

There is another factor at play here, his legacy. I don't need to tell anyone that Don Mattingly was the saving grace of the Yankees throughout the 80's and the first half of the 90's. From the mid 80's until Jeter's ascension he was the only player to even come close to deserving the title of captain (no offense to Paul O'Niel, but he was a bit of a cry baby). So what happens when he takes the reins of a transitional team and he fails? Does that change what he did for us as a player? No, but it does take away some of his mystique as "Donny Baseball." It also brings back awful memories of all of those years when the Yankees stunk...and I mean really stunk. Plus what happens to his employment status if the Yankees don't make the playoffs? Would the Stiennbrenners run Don Mattingly out of town? It sounds crazy, but after what happened with Torre anyone looking to fill his shoes had better be ready for some rough waters ahead. Mattingly just isn't the guy for the job right now. Oh and by the way, I was wrong about Giardi not wanting to manage NY.....Joe Girardi sees Yankees job as 'honor.'

World Series Predictions

The World Series is upon us, and even though it's hard to see a certain team from the American league in the series I still have to watch it. Why? Because as INPY so eloquently put it a few weeks ago, baseball is an investment. You wouldn't dump your entire 401K just because you had a lousy year, so why wouldn't I want to watch this thing through to the bell? But I digress, it's prediction time so here I go, a game by game breakdown:

Sox in 6 (sigh)

Game 1 - With Beckett starting the Sox pretty much have a sure thing for game 1 especially since it is at Fenway. They still have plenty of momentum from the ALCS, and Colorado hasn't played in 8 days. In fact Colorado has been practicing in the snow. Look for the Sox to strike early in the game as Francis struggles to find his grove after the break. Becketts post season WHIP is .61 and I don't see him slowing down anytime soon, so if the Rockies are going to score any runs it is going to have to come from stringing together some bloopers. I expect the score to be decisive, but nothing like the 11-2 massacres Boston just handed down. Then again there is also a 70% chance of rain in Boston tonight.
Final score for game 1 - Sox 6 Rockies 2 (assuming the game goes on).

Game 2 - Schilling will only need to be as decent as he was last Saturday night assuming that Boston's offense can light up the Fens again. Jimenez has had some decent numbers this past season, but at 23 I won't be surprised if he gets a little lost under the pressure. Again I expect the Sox to strike early, but the Rockies will probably start to get back into their grove. Ultimately this game is going to come down to which Schilling shows up. If its the dominate post season Schilling then the Rockies are in for a long game. But if it's the Schilling we saw in the second half of the regular season then the Rockpile should at least be able to keep in it and use up some of Boston's bull pen in the process.
Final score Sox 8, Rockies 3 ....if it's bad Schilling then Red Sox 6 Rockies 4

Game 3 - Plenty of people are predicting that the Sox are going to hit the ball into orbit in Denver. I think that the return to the Mile High City will actually be in the Rockies favor considering the altitude, the fact that weather in Colorado should be in the low 40's / high 30's around game time, and the Rockies have already been practicing in the snow. Look for Ortiz and Manny to be gasping for breath and the fans to be waving bibles instead of terrible towels or tomahawk chops. Seriously though I think that Dice-K is going to have a really hard time with all of the factors at play. I don't see him making it out of the 5th. Matsuzaka is going to give up some big runs and wear out the bullpen even more in the process. Fogg is in a similar boat as Jimenez, but at least he is a bit older so he may be better at dealing with the pressure.
Final Score Rockies 4 Red Sox 2

Game 4 - With Wakefield out of the line up game 4 will be a match up between Aaron Cook and Jon Lester. Cook has a slight advantage with the numbers but not by much. This will probably be the most exciting game of the series with plenty of big hits from both sides. I still think that the altitude will play a factor for Boston...but not for much longer.
Final Score Rockies 9 Redsox 8

Game 5 - I have to speculate that Beckett would get the nod for game 5 and I think that will finally take the wind out of the Rockies sails. By this point both teams will probably have had to go deep in their bullpens, but Beckett will more than likely pitch at least 7 innings giving Boston a huge advantage. Look for Boston's offense to adjust to the altitude and climate and finally smack the ball into orbit off Denver's tired rotation and thinning bullpen.
Final Score Red Sox 12 Rockies 3

Game 6 - And here comes the nail in the Rockpiles coffin. I'm guessing Schilling takes the start in game 6. Normally I would question him just like I did in my analysis for game 2, but in the most important game of the year I don't see him making too many mistakes. The idea of winning one in Fenway is going to have that crowd electrified and that will certainly play a big part for Boston. I don't even think this one will be close unless the ghost of Babe Ruth returns from his three year nap.
Final Score Red Sox 13 Rockies 2

So there you have it, my World Series predictions. For you Yankees fans out there I am sure that it was as painful to read as it was for me to write. Please Colorado....prove me dead wrong!

So Now What?

With all of this talk about Torre in the past few days there hasn't been a whole lot of time to talk about anyone else. So today I give my thoughts about the free agents and what we should do. Cashman, I hope you are listening.

Jorge Posada
2007 season Stats
G - 144 (not too bad for a 36 year old catcher)

R- 91

HR - 20

RBI - 90

BA - .338

OBP - .426

SLG - .543

Jorge just had a career season. Amazing when you consider that Posada has been the every day catcher for years and is 36 years old. It's unlikely that he can keep this pace up for too much longer, however I would expect similar numbers over the next season and probably even the next two. But the real reason the Yankees need to resign Posada is that there are really are no good catching prospects on the free agent market right now. So what should we do? Well all know that all of the Yankee free agents have a lot of leverage right now given the way the Steinbrenners screwed Torre, but in a perfect world I'd say give him a two year deal that has a club option for a third.

Alex Rodriguez
2007 Season Stats
G - 158

R - 143

HR - 54

RBI - 156

BA - .314

OBP - .422

SLG - .645

3B - 0

Sure, A-Rod's season statistics are incredible....but did you know that he didn't hit one triple all season!?!?! How can we honestly expect to spend 30 million a year on a guy that can't even hit a triple? Obviously I am kidding (although that really is the only stat he scored a goose egg in). Here comes the dilemma. Can you justify spending 30 million a year for up to 6 years for one player, even if he is the best player in the game? Keep in mind the Yankees wouldn't have made the post season if it wasn't for his amazing numbers this season. Also keep in mind that A-Rod brings a lot of baggage with him. Not too many players seem to like him, he is a serious postseason question mark, and for that price you could buy yourself two farms worth of prospects. At this point in his career A-Rod shouldn't be focusing on the money, he should be concerned with a ring. It's crap if A-Rod tries to use Torre's departure as a catalyst for opting out. Torre and A-Rod never seemed that close. If he opts out he'll really show his true colors, plus the Rangers would no longer subsidise his contract. I just can't see anyone paying him what he wants, but some team probably will and as a result will carry a heavy burden for years. So unless he decides to show some loyalty to a team for once instead of the almighty dollar I say good riddance. We will certainly miss his numbers but at that price he just isn't worth it. Plus he can't hit triples.

Mariano Rivera

2007 Season Stats

G - 67

SV - 30

WHIP - 1.12

ERA - 3.15

There is no question that Mo is getting older. At 37 his numbers have declined slightly and he has blown more saves in the past few years than I care to remember. But he is still the greatest closer in the history of the game and has two more years of cutters left in the tank. Like Posada, Rivera is going to have a lot of leverage to renegotiate his contract, but the question is does he want to come back to the Bronx? Mo's relationship with Torre was probablysecond only to Jeter's, and we all know Rivera's thoughts on the subject. So if the Yankees are going to make a move for him they are going to have to give him some cash, and a lot of it, otherwise there are plenty of other teams who will pick up the slack in a heartbeat. At this point he's earned it and should be allowed to pitch at least one season in the new stadium. Heaven forbid they screw this one up too and Enter Sandman is blasting over the PA system at Fenway. I shudder at the thought. So the only real option here is a two year contract with a player option for the third. That is assuming he even accepts that.

Roger Clemens

Wait....are you kidding me? If he comes back next year I'm going to scream. I'm not even going to analyse his stats because they suck. He basically stole 18 million dollars from the Yankees this year. Enjoy your money Rocket, maybe you can use it to buy yourself a soul.

Of course there are other question marks, Pettitte, management, rookies etc. I would love to see Pettitte come back for one more season, but I really think he is done. I've written pretty extensively on who I think should and shouldn't manage next year but we will just have to wait for the answer to that. As for the rookies they are the only silver lining in the grey cloud that is over the stadium right now. But you know what, I don't want to jinx anything so I am just going to leave it at that.

In other new...further proof that Vermont is the best state in the nation
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21409672/