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.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
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.
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.
Monday, November 26, 2007
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.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
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:
Monday, November 19, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
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!
Friday, November 9, 2007
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.
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.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
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:
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.
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.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
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.
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.
Monday, November 5, 2007
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
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!
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!
Saturday, November 3, 2007
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.
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.
Friday, November 2, 2007
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.
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.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
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.
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