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Thursday, January 31, 2008

CARIBBEAN WORLD SERIES SCHEDULE 2008

  • XM radio is carrying some if not all these games:
  • Saturday, Feb. 2:
  • Dominican Republic 2 @ Venezuela 4:00 PM AST
  • Mexico @ Dominican Republic 1 8:00 PM AST
  • Sunday, Feb. 3:
  • Dominican Republic 2 @ Mexico 4:00 PM AST
  • Dominican Republic 1 @ Venezuela 8:00 PM AST
  • Monday, Feb. 4:
  • Venezuela @ Mexico 4:00 PM AST
  • Dom. Rep. 1 @ Dom. Rep. 2 8:00 PM AST
  • Tuesday, Feb. 5:
  • Venezuela @ Dominican Republic 2 4:00 PM AST
  • Dominican Republic 1 @ Mexico 8:00 PM AST
  • Wednesday, Feb. 6:
  • Mexico @ Dominican Republic 2 4:00 PM AST
  • Venezuela @ Dominican Republic 1 8:00 PM AST
  • Thursday, Feb. 7:
  • Mexico @ Venezuela 4:00 PM AST
  • Dom. Rep. 2 @ Dom. Rep. 1 8:00 PM AST
*All times ET, Chs. 176, 177 possibly*** (Puerto Rico is no longer in the Caribbean World Series. It was too expensive for MLB, you see, to bring players along there. MLB only made $6 billion last year, and after David Glass's son's manis and pedis, there was no money left). sm

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P. Angelos, F. Castro, B. Selig--1999

Angelos, Castro, Selig chatting at game in 1999.
  • Men are judged by the company they keep. Unless the citizenry has been feminized and deballed, which is the present condition.

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On "Radio Row" at the Super Bowl--Best, Newsday

WFAN'S "(Mike) Francesa and (Chris) Russo are Super Bowl pioneers, first setting up in a New Orleans hotel lobby in January 1990, with little company.
  • Two years later, the NFL sanctioned Radio Row. In 1993, it had 18 stations. This year there are 95, and if they were in an actual row, it would reach out the door. More wanted to come but were denied because of space limitations.
Russo said he is "absolutely amazed" at the growth he has seen. "It's just one right after the other," he said. "There are a million of these shows.""

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Writers, teams not quite ready to welcome successful MLB welfare state

  • MLB's revenue sharing and luxury tax bills vs the Yankees are enormous and intended to stop them from overspending. The system is working. Attention should now focus on what teams are doing with the Yankees' money and the profit sharing they all received from MLB.com. Baseball media define the discourse differently. Joel Sherman sums up the past week:
(Joel Sherman): "But in a "greed is bad" moment, the Twins wanted more, namely Ian Kennedy. They speculated the Yanks would never really leave the bidding. However, Andy Pettitte shunned retirement and
  • the Yanks pulled their offer. They never made another one. On

So in an attempt to move the B-plus offers of the Yanks and Red Sox to A-plus, the Twins ended up with a C-minus package from the Mets, the last team standing. This had happened once before. After the 2004 season, the Yanks decided they had the money for either Randy Johnson or Carlos Beltran, and opted for Johnson. Beltran's agent, Scott Boras, then - like Minnesota now - always believed the Yanks would eventually get back into talks. They didn't.

Good for the Mets. Persistence and fortune matter in life and baseball.

  • Johnson, though, was a Yankee mistake. Beltran would have been a better choice. Johnson proved to be part of another class of failed veteran starters imported that offseason - along with Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright -

that finally convinced Cashman the Yanks had to stop chasing this ilk and fully invest, instead, in high-end young pitching.

  • Cashman won a power struggle that offseason and gained a three-year extension based on a plan to protect touted arms already in the organization, such as Hughes, and find more in the draft and internationally such as Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain."

From NY Post column by Joel Sherman, "Phil's Pitching for a Job-Cashman's," 1/31/08

  • P.S. It's not just about Phil Hughes. It's about too much money. (sm)

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Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Orsillo saw youth instead of syringes in Grady Sizemore's eyes--how sweet

  • How lucky for the Indians and Paul Byrd. Don Orsillo doesn't mention what happened the day of Game 7 to the Indians. How they were swamped with media, one of their star pitchers having been outed by ESPN operatives that day as a serial cheater (Paul Byrd). Baseball is so lost, Orsillo even goes out of his way to look deep into Grady Sizemore's eyes THAT NIGHT, THE NIGHT OF THE SCANDAL, and say not one word about it. He says the Indians were just "young." Orsillo interviewed in Oct. 2007:
"With seven holdovers from the 2004 championship squad, the Red Sox have a decided edge in World Series experience, but does that translate to the field? “It does” answers Orsillo, who will have pregame and postgame duties for NESN during the World Series.

“Eric Wedge is a friend and he told me that the youth of his team would be a factor. As it was in 2004, the Red Sox pitching will be the key. Colorado’s pitching simply does not match up with Boston’s. I like the Red Sox in six games”"

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Derek Jeter Super Bowl commercial for Gator Ade

Sneak peak a few seconds on You Tube. 1/30/08, "Yankees' Jeter at the Super Bowl in New Commercial." cbs4.com.

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Tuesday, January 29, 2008

If you believe the Mitchell report, Knoblauch charges were not until after the 2000 "Championship Yankee Team."

If you want to use the Mitchell "report" and believe in it, fine. But you can't have it both ways. For instance, in the case of Chuck Knoblauch, his alleged HGH usage is listed as in 2001. Not 2000. Not the 2000 Yankee team. Sorry.
  • From the NY Times, 1/29/08: "In describing H.G.H. injections, McNamee told those investigators and Mitchell that he injected Clemens at least four times in the latter part of the summer of 2000,
Reference NY Times article by Duff Wilson and Michael S. Schmidt, "Pettitte Will Discuss Clemens, Lawyers Say," 1/30/08
  • (This information is on the original report, but if it doesn't advance someone's agenda they ignore it). sm

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Don't wait in the weeds for Yankees to overspend.

(Sean Deveney): "The Red Sox and Yankees broke character and decided the price for Santana, in terms of contract and prospects, was too high.
  • Bad timing for the Twins."**********************
It's not odd at all. Something is right in front of baseball writers and they refuse to see, so today's comment by Sean Deveney is in line with many of his brethren. Any hour of the night or day, international media celebrities can be heard saying the Yankees can and will spend endless amounts of money. I document this from time to time as the characterization isn't provable, but it's also not helpful to fans who want to be up to date.
  • Everyone knows the Yankees have shifted their approach in the past few years, ie, that of giving up any number of prospects or home grown players to buy expensive free agents (or soon to be free agents). Also, MLB has instituted revenue sharing and luxury tax to make it impossible for the Yankees (or Red Sox) to spend indiscriminately.
The revenue sharing bill is $100 million this year for the Yankees. To add a player now, they'd have to add 40% of his salary in tax to MLB. The system is working. Teams need to take the revenue sharing and luxury tax money they get from the Yankees and use that to build up their teams. Forget them getting into bidding wars with the Red Sox. Those days have been over for 2 or 3 years.
  • If there aren't enough good players to go around, contract some teams that Bud added. If that doesn't work, close down the Yankees. Then find someone else to complain about.
Reference article by Sean Deveney on SportingNews.com, "Santana Haul Not Worth the Wait for the Twins," 1/29/08

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The Last Becomes First--Knoblauch to go first--NY Times, AP

Reports the Committee has moved "Mr. Pettitte" to next Monday on mutually agreeable terms, thereby making Knobbie #1 going on Friday.
  • (Poor Lupica is dying to get this going). sm

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The one move the Yankees made that doomed the deal (which turns out to be good)

A commenter to Peter Abraham's Lohud Yankee blog just said this and it makes sense:
  • *The Yankees sealed themselves out of the Santana deal when they put Phil Hughes in it.*
Reason:
  • Because after withdrawing that deal (which was offered in haste and shouldn't have been), any other batch of offerings wouldn't be taken seriously by the Twins. They'd always have Hughes in their mind, no matter what scruffy packages other teams might offer.
  • There are several reasons the Yankees shouldn't have made the deal for Santana anyway. I hope the Mets finally sign him. Keeping Jeff Wilpon out of the room will help.
I expect the weak sisters at the YES Network will continue to show weepy loving footage of Santana for at least the next year as they did throughout 2006 and 2007 while ignoring the Yankees' own best pitcher.

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Big Papi and Manny now essentially in Santana's rear view mirror

If Santana's new life is in the national league, he can for the most part not worry about his line against David Ortiz:
  • David Ortiz: 12 11 2 0 0 1 1 1 4 .182 .250 .455 .705
AND
  • Manny Ramirez: 22    18   5  1  0  1   1   4   5  .278  .409  .500  .909
    
Source: Baseball-Reference

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Twins deal Santana to Mets--Nightengale, USA Today

  • "Pending 6-7 year extension,... according to two high-ranking Twins officials with knowledge of the talks and a person close to Santana....

"The deal is pending the Mets and Santana reaching agreement on a six- or seven-year contract extension and that Santana passes a physical; they have been granted a 48 to-72-hour window to do so. Santana has a no-trade clause that he will waive if agreement is reached on a contract extension.

While the deal drains much of the talent out of the Mets' farm system, they did manage to hold on to top prospect Fernando Martinez, an outfielder. Instead, they headed the package with Gomez, who turned 22 in December and spent 58 games with the Mets last year."

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Congress should intervene on Santana deal--Forbes, Ozanian

"Commissioner Bud Selig should be act in the best interests of baseball and have Pohlad keep Santana. I realize Selig works for the owners and is the highest paid league czar in the land. But how can he not be greatly disturbed by what is happening in Minnesota? ..."Pohlad is worth $3 billion and could pay Santana his $150 million out of petty cash. And Minnesota taxpayers are going to pay for about two-thirds of a new, cash-rich stadium for the Twins. The $522 million stadium, which should be ready for the 2010 season, will give Pohlad’s team the bulk of the revenue. Instead of showing his appreciation for the new stadium by keeping Santana and making the Twins a contender for the postseason, Pohlad is giving the taxpayers the finger."

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Pavano turned down pizza deal from Tigers in '04--Kevin Baxter

In negotiations after the 2004 season, the Tigers had reached their limit for a cash offering to Carl Pavano. To add more value--in hopes of getting the now disgraced guy--the Tigers had something to put on the table. They offered Pavano a free pizza franchise in Connecticut, which is worth quite a bit. Fortunately for the Tigers, Pavano (or his mother) chose not to take the offer.
  • Kevin Baxter enjoys various trends in baseball contracts, points out Troy Percival's contract with Tampa Bay includes their purchasing him a "vintage" car.
Kevin Baxter, LA Times, appeared on Baseball Beat on XM.

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NHL player prefers to play in vast expanses of the U.S.

"QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Do I think it’s a good thing for the NHL? Probably it is. But I personally wouldn’t want to do it again

  • -- Ducks D Chris Pronger, whose team opened the season in London, on playing regular-season games in Europe.
From SportsBusinessDaily.com, 1/29/08

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First there was Stub Hub, now teams scalp own tickets

"The Chicago White Sox are launching a plan to scalp tickets to several premium games this season. Tickets for premium lower box seats to 46 prime and premier games are going to be auctioned off on the team’s website, "Across town, the Chicago Cubs are pondering a similar move. With the new construction of 70 seats around the bullpen in Wrigley Field comes the opportunity for additional ticket sales. The Cubs will be auctioning off these seats to the highest bidder in the coming weeks. It is unclear whether the auction would be for the season or per game at this time."...

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Monday, January 28, 2008

Bob Ryan's son dies in Middle East--Neil Best, Watchdog

  • Very sad news about Mr. Ryan.
"The huge Boston Globe contingent here in Phoenix has been hit hard with a devastating piece of news:

Several staffers said the son of long-time columnist Bob Ryan has died in Pakistan, where he was working for the Department of Homeland Security.

Details are sketchy at this time, but I have been told Ryan has left Arizona to fly home.

More information as it becomes available."

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Dan Graziano on XM still tows the MLB/ESPN line--misses his buddy Papelbon

  • "Even if you have more money than anyone in the world like the Yankees do...
  • Now they've changed course a bit and now overpay for draft players so others can't get them..."
But Steve Lombardi posted this on WasWatching--that other teams in fact outspent the Yankees in the recent draft. This is the 2nd NY BBWAA guy I've heard on radio who's clearly left the impression the Yankees were the big bad villains of the draft when it isn't the case:
  • "The Yankees aggressively signed players in [the 2006] draft, and did so again [in 2007], spending $7,432,500 in the first 10 rounds.
  • But the Orioles ($7,672,500) and
  • Nationals ($7,619,300) outspent them there, and the
  • Tigers ($7,305,000),
  • Devil Rays ($7,172,000) and
  • Giants ($7,027,000) came close. No club topped $7 million a year ago."
  • Posted on WasWatching, 2/1/08, from Jim Callis Baseball America, August 2007
Dan Graziano with Chuck Wilson, is in line for a great financial future with ESPN/MLB in his continuing boilerplate hate and envy references against the Yankees. Dan was on Baseball Beat to discuss the BBWAA dinner in NY last night for which he was MC.
  • Interesting he managed to work in his standard anti-Yankee bias, but failed to note a big occasion at the dinner: They awarded Eric Wedge Manager of the Year Award. Manager of the team with the biggest cheater in baseball in 2007, Paul Byrd of the Cleveland Indians.
Chuck Wilson of course doesn't ask Graziano to substantiate any of his Yankee statements,
  • nor does he wonder how teams will spend the $100 million they receive from them in revenue sharing.
(Graziano also lied or at least deliberately left an incorrect impression), picking a topic that's closest to his heart. He said New Yorkers in the room booed at guys like Jon Papelbon and Dustin Pedroia. However, Papelbon did not attend the dinner (although he received an award). (Per MLB.com article today, 4th paragraph from end).
  • Last year, Graziano made Papelbon the centerpiece of the evening, drooling over the guy (Papelbon did attend last year). It makes Dan feel important to drop names he cares about so much, leaving the impression the guy was in the room when he wasn't).
MLB.com article, "Murcer Honored for Rousing Recovery," by Anthony DiComo, 1/29/08
  • UPDATE: For the benefit of "Mark" who sent me a comment that "booing" did in fact take place at the dinner at the mention of Papelbon's name and sight of him on video, I in fact assumed that was the case. I only said it wasn't made clear that he wasn't present at the event.

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David Cone to join YES booth--Joel Sherman

January 28, 2008 -- "David Cone has made peace with the Yankees and will return this year to broadcast about 50 games on YES, The Post has learned.

  • A key pitcher and leader on Joe Torre's championship Yankees, Cone had annoyed George Steinbrenner by returning after a year away from baseball in 2002 for a brief and failed comeback with the Mets. After his retirement in 2003, Cone was given essentially an open invitation to join the Met broadcast booth, but opted against it for family reasons."
From NY Post article by Joel Sherman, "David Cone to Return to Yankees in YES Booth," 1/28/08

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Sunday, January 27, 2008

Bernie Williams last reg. season at bat 2005--just listen, Cashman. THIS WAS MUSIC TO US.

This was music to us.

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Bernie Williams we loved you, the hell with Cashman and his music problems

John Sterling's call of one of Bernie's walk-off homeruns. You Tube link.

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There goes Ian Kennedy's reputation--word is out he's "Christian"

  • On the trip to the Dominican Republic to bring baseball to young people there:
"The Score instructors come from myriad walks of life. They come together for one reason: to spread the gospel through sports.
  • Making the trip along with (Brian) Donohew were college coaches and players from across the country, all kinds of businessmen and even a congressman from Kentucky.

The ''stars'' of the mission group were a small contingent of New York Yankees: future hall of fame closer Mariano Rivera, infielder Andy Phillips and minor-league pitching prospect Ian Kennedy."

P.S. I mean, he won't slit your throat with a serrated knife, but being a Christian is just as bad seeing the mockery it sustains from baseball's elite.

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More hardware for Biggest Cheaters of 2007--the Cleveland Indians

Tonight the cheater's boss Eric Wedge will receive manager of the year award at the New York Baseball Writers dinner (BBWAA). Recently Paul Byrd's even bigger boss Mark Shapiro won executive of the year at the Boston baseball writers dinner. The big hardware goes to the bosses of the biggest syringe user of 2007--ALDS champ Paul Byrd.
  • The writer of this column in the Akron Beacon Journal seems to have fears about his guy Sabathia coming into the New York baseball writers group tonight to get his award, fearing one of the New York teams will sign the guy. The writer forgets a system is well in place to keep the Yankees from overspending but he thinks New York teams do nothing but throw money at anyone and everyone. This writer either wants to promote the usual envy and hatred or is lazy.
Why would the Yankees want to continue to pay half again their payroll ($100 million) in revenue sharing every year? Not to mention millions more in luxury tax? Not to mention the 40% penalty on new contracts at this point? It's the fans that pay, he forgets, the fans that can't afford to go to games. And it's the homegrown young players they want to see, not out of towners looking for their big cash bonanza.
  • As far as the dinner, the Baseball Writers especially in New York are more concerned with their financial futures. Which emanate from Bristol, Connecticut, from Bud Selig at MLB.com, or from each other, the frat boys. Not from the New York Yankees or New York Mets. Dan Graziano, last years NY Chapter president, has nothing but contempt for the greatest present day Yankee stars, and on top of that, he has no class. He made a point of showing this in humiliating fashion at last year's dinner.
Baseball writers are most worried about currying favor with the Red Sox and MLB/ESPN. Dibs and Kevin even said this on their program recently(neither of them is a Yankee fan). So, don't worry about anyone in New York trying to get your guy Sabathia. Sabathia wouldn't want to be on the Yankees anyway. The Indians had the biggest cheater of 2007 in baseball, Paul Byrd, who wouldn't deny injecting HGH up to and including the ALDS, yet has completely skated on negative publicity. Syringes and vials in the hundreds all over the place, but he tells the media "it's a private matter." What happened to one Yankee who used it 2 times in 2002 while on the DL? He about had his career destroyed in vicious round the clock lies and slander.
  • The Akron Beacon Journal should open its eyes--the Yankees want their home grown players, not out of towners looking to cash in. MLB owners have worked a system to prevent the Yankees from over spending and it's working.
Reference, "Pat's Beside the Point," Patrick McManamon, Akron Beacon Journal, 1/27/08

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Friday, January 25, 2008

Fenway not friendly to lefties like Santana--Hartman

  • HANK, PLEASE TAKE NOTE. THE TWINS KEPT HIM OUT OF FENWAY. YOU DID WANT SOMEONE TO PITCH IN FENWAY?

"However, the Red Sox surely are aware of Santana's career record in Fenway Park.

  • He was 1-3 with a 6.89 ERA through 2006, and
  • Fenway Park never has been kind to southpaws.

...So maybe the Twins' offer is a pretty good one. Santana will be paid $13.25 million in 2008 and the Twins offered him a four-year deal at $20 million or a total $80 million guaranteed. The Giants signed pitcher Barry Zito to a seven-year contract for $126 million last year, and the result was the former Oakland lefthander had an ordinary record of 11-13.

  • The experience the Giants had might dissuade clubs from giving that type of contract to Santana."

From Minneapolis Star Tribune column by Sid Hartman, "Santana's Agent Finding Out Twins' Offer is Pretty Decent," 1/24/08

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This is a story that shouldn't be happening

  • For the record, LA Times story:
"Gene Orza, chief operating officer of the MLB Players Assn., was more blunt on the subject of Asian physique. "Chinese people love ballet. You'll see a lot of ballet in baseball. Chinese people love intricacy. You'll see a lot of intricacy in baseball. I think the sport blends very nicely with the things that the Chinese love and treasure in their culture."
  • Americans have been trying to sell the Chinese on the beauty of baseball for decades. In 1986, former Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley oversaw the building of a baseball stadium in the coastal city of Tianjin, 75 miles southeast of Beijing. Former Dodger Jim Lefebvre was sent to China in 2003 to manage the Chinese national team, which enjoyed its first success in 2005, beating South Korea at the Asian qualifier for the World Cup of Baseball in Japan.
But the Chinese Baseball League, which was established in 2003, has had a slow start. The original American promoter pulled out, turning the league over to a Japanese company. The six teams in the league routinely play in empty stadiums.
  • "Baseball is a tough sell here," said Zhou Zuyi, a sportswriter from Shanghai, who says he has covered many games from empty stands. "Imagine nobody watching while the best of China's players are out there. . . . People in this country just don't have an understanding of baseball."
Baseball has been more successful in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, all of which have sent players to the major leagues.
  • But the situation has been complicated in China by an unfortunate stigma it acquired as a counterrevolutionary sport.
The first baseball games on Chinese soil were played in the 19th century by students returning from American universities. Missionaries also helped to organize teams. Later, the Communists turned against baseball. While soldiers in the Peoples' Liberation Army were encouraged to play basketball for exercise,
  • baseball was banned entirely when the Cultural Revolution started in the 1960s. Mao himself is said to have derided it as an "evil Western influence.""

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Thursday, January 24, 2008

So many baseball writers, so little baseball news

  • Of some substance from the Post-Bulletin, the Twins need a center fielder:
(Post-Bulletin): "If the worst-case scenario continues into spring training, look for the Twins to sign a temporary fix for center field --
  • such as Kenny Lofton or Corey Patterson.
The next week should determine if the Twins really need such a contingency plan."....
  • As opposed to another statement which may have become "conventional wisdom" but other than that, it doesn't hold up. If ESPN says something, it gets headlines. Whether true or false. It's a monopoly--they can do what they want.:
(Post-Bulletin): "The Yankees remain in contact despite claiming recently that they have pulled out of talks."....
  • The Yankees didn't claim they pulled out of talks. ESPN claimed that. But they hadn't been involved in any talks, so it wasn't true they pulled out. It was time to manipulate public opinion.
Reference 2 comments from article by La Velle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune published in the Post-Bulletin, "Twins, Santana Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place," 1/24/08
  • P.S. There isn't enough baseball news to support the number of paid baseball writers. That population needs to be reduced at least by half--not speaking about Mr. Neal, but just in general. It's long overdue. (sm)

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PRAVDA, RUSSIA IS DOWN WITH ROBBIE CANO!

Russia is back. First time I've seen an actual Pravda press report on US baseball show up in google reports. I'm willing to admit either google or Russia made the move so as not to be outdone (or to capitalize) on publicity from Communist China. *The gift--our players--keeps on giving:*
  • (PRAVDA) "The New York Yankees, a professional baseball team, are allegedly to carry on negotiations for a long-term contract with Robinson Cano. A potential deal may be worth about $30 million over four years.
This deal will take the second baseman in Major League Baseball, Cano, through his arbitration years.
  • After a slow start to the 2007 season which saw him hit a meager .249 through May 29th, Cano found his stroke batting .385 in the month of July with 6 HR and 24 RBI to raise his season average to .300 by the end of the month. He finished 2007 6th in the league in games (160), 9th in triples (7), and 10th in hits (189), doubles (41), and at bats (670). He was the only batter in the top 10 in doubles in the AL in both 2006 and 2007."

From Pravda, " © 1999-2006. «PRAVDA.Ru». When reproducing our materials in whole or in part, hyperlink to PRAVDA.Ru should be made. The opinions and views of the authors do not always coincide with the point of view of PRAVDA.Ru's editors.. "NY Yankees Negotiate with Robinson Cano for long-term Contract," 1/24/08

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The Nightmare of Baseball Globalization--Dodgers in Communist China

NinerintnBlog on Thu Jan 24, 2008 05:09 pm
  • "It's AMERICAS PASTIME NOT CHINAS OR ANYONES ELSES PASTIME! But when it comes to filling Bud Seligs' money bags, who cares right?"
The false notion of globalization when it comes to baseball is in reality being confined on a cramped airplane breathing bad air for hours, taxing the immune system at best, tearing teams, families and fans apart. My response to points raised in the AP article:
  • First, you can barely see the game on US TV or playgrounds. We know this. Why aren't we repairing this problem in the US before twisting and contorting ourselves tearing families apart for this foolish Communist China trip? Or even Puerto Rico?
  • Second, a preoccupation with the Olympics. Talk to the Olympics guys, what do they pound their fists about? They absolutely MUST have the BEST U.S. players. Sure, no problem.
  • If Winfield wants to give a "gift" to the rest of the world, let him do so. Perhaps he's been leading a sheltered life, but millions of people in this country are desperate themselves. The U.S. has already given away everything that wasn't nailed down to make a buck.
  • This set of games in Communist China occurs while the Dodgers have a spring training schedule needed for their own team and fans. Again, pitching will be negatively affected. This is a nightmare.
(AP REPORT): "Unlike soccer and basketball, baseball and American football are invisible on playgrounds in China and absent from TV coverage.
  • The two exhibitions and the Olympics in Beijing give baseball a chance to show its appeal, with the sport dropped from the 2012 London Olympics but looking to return in 2016.

"There is personal disappointment that baseball won't be part of the Olympics in 2012," Winfield added. "We'll do everything we can to keep baseball on the agenda and on your minds and keep making it part of the world, our gift to the rest of the world."

  • Torre and Winfield promised that many of their top players would make the trip to Beijing. Both teams have concurrent spring training games in the U.S.

"We're making an effort to make it pretty equal — leaving back and bringing here," Torre said. "Pitching is going to be the toughest consideration. You're going to be playing two games here and you are going to be playing six or seven games in Florida. But you are going to see front-line players.""

(If you don't like this post, enjoy your career at ESPN)

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Yankee Bashing, Tim Brown on XM

Leading off Charley Steiner's show is Yankee payroll bashing with Tim Brown, in harmony with the flurry of articles just released on last year's top payroll. First, the point should be, $100 million will be given away in charity from the Yankee organization and its fans to other teams in revenue sharing. Isn't that a lot of money? About half again its total payroll. Who'll get that? What will be done with this fruit of others' labor? And this doesn't even include millions more in luxury tax Yankees will pay as penalty for the payroll.
  • Tim Brown says the same old thing, ie the Yankees said they were going to try and get the payroll down, but we don't see it, etc. Tim should be getting more assignments across ESPN/MLB platforms.
  • Tim, what if the Yankees had spent many more millions getting Santana? Would you say the Yankees are greedy and evil?
Since they haven't and may not be spending an egregious sum on Santana (an additional 40% on top of which going to luxury tax) and want to stay with the young players they've developed, isn't that an obvious sign they want to lower the payroll? Wasn't their not signing Eric Gagne another recent sign?

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Goose Gossage says he had it easier than today's pitchers--1/4/08

  • Gossage thinks pitchers today have it much tougher than he did. From AP:
"Gossage's strong opinions have not been limited to his own career. He thinks there ought to be some method of denoting in baseball's history books that From AP story by Ronald Blum on SignOnSanDiego.com, 1/4/08, "Goose Gossage Hopes Hall of Fame Vote Provides Relief."

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Red Sox to Wear Advertising on their uniforms in Japan

As the Yankees did when they played in Japan in 2004. The article says Mike Mussina was distracted by the ad patch he had to wear--most will recall he said the Japan trip threw him off physically well into the season. The Red Sox will advertise EMC data storage. Have fun all you chumps--Bud will run you into the ground before he's done. As he said last week, we won't know the game by the time he's finished. Source: Canadian Press, filed in Tokyo. 1/23/08
  • P.S. WAIT TIL THEY SPRING THE NEXT WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC ON FANS AND PLAYERS. TAKE A GUESS WHAT THAT WILL MEAN IN EXTRACTING PLAYERS--MANY OF WHOM WILL BE INJURED, SOME LOST FOR THE SEASON OR LONGER TO THEIR TEAMS AND FANS. THIS IS ALL BEING PLANNED RIGHT NOW AND FANS ARE PAYING NO ATTENTION. (sm)
Related articles listed on Canadian Press article:

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Monday, January 21, 2008

Dear Billy Wagner,

Billy, on your introducing that choke artist Gossage (see 1984 World Series) this Sunday, I'm a big fan of yours, have noted how you're not some pansy one-inning pitcher yourself, so don't let Gossage try to minimize all you've done. Gossage has been given millions of dollars of free publicity expressly to slam Rivera in the past few years (noted on this blog). What they often do to help Gossage is eliminate the entire year 1996 for Rivera--both regular and post, 122 innings. Certainly illegal in any discussion of Hall of Fame careers, but there you have it. They may cite certain stats of Rivera's "as a closer" thereby eliminating his 122 innings of late inning relief, many appearances of more than 2 innings, 3 innings 8 times in the regular season. Beyond that, Gossage doesn't mention post season or all star, which are both legally part of Hall of Fame evaluation. Perhaps he feels inferior in those areas. Billy, you deserve any recognition you're getting.
  • I just hope you won't fall into Gossage et al.'s trap and cheat Mo out of a big part of his career. No one at the BBWAA dinner will help you out in this regard--it's up to you.
P.S. Billy, here's another thing that will piss Gossage off, to give you an idea. Another blogger wrote:
  • "I remember Goose Gossage most as the scariest man to be facing late in the game against the Yankees from 1978-83. He was an intimidating presence on the mound!
In recent years, Mariano Rivera is called intimidating, but Rivera’s is strictly due to his pitching prowess.
  • When you speak of the intimidation factor with Goose Gossage it took on a whole different meaning. Not only was he a great power pitcher, but he was intimidating physically as well at 6′ 3″ with that mean stare of his."
(Quote from BaseballReflections.com, "Goose Bumps," on this year's HOF inductee).
  • Thanks,
Signed, one of very few baseball bloggers who isn't dying to work at ESPN/MLB **********('Respect' is a word BBWAA members like to use about each other. Not one of them comes close to it.)*****************

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"Baseball Ill Equipped for Global Politics," by Diane M. Grassi

12/29/07: (MLB can't make as much money harvesting in Puerto Rico or Panama--forget about its own country, the United States. They need the poorest, the most desperate):
  • (Diane M. Grassi): "...It should be noted that in 2007 Major League Baseball vastly increased its global reach, ...leaving foreign governments, economists and U.S. business leaders scratching their proverbial heads.

But questions need to be asked, as the 2008 MLB season approaches, as to whether America's Pastime has bitten off more than it can chew in entering the world of global politics. In order to remain a successful and positive example worldwide, it must not alienate certain countries while at the same time disguise its craving for riches garnered off the backs of the impoverished.

But now it does so with the risk of discriminating against some groups or cultures while rewarding others at the behest of the almighty dollar.

  • To wit, there has been a growing hostility between Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and the U.S. government....

Chavez has already made plans to nationalize certain industries in Venezuela, since he took office in 1999. He is a socialist and self-admitted revolutionary. Namely, electricity and oil and the telecom industries would be state controlled. And the vast oil reserves Venezuela enjoys has but enhanced Chavez' control and position amongst world leaders.

  • But since the 1980's the people of Venezuela, who once lived in a thriving country due to its oil resources, have also been its victims and
  • now face rampant unemployment closing in on 20%, with little savings for secondary education. After oil prices plummeted in the '80's, the government devalued the country's currency. Since that time,
  • the people of Venezuela have had to deal with civil unrest.
  • And the Venezuelan capitol, Caracas, has presently earned the unpleasant distinction of having the highest per capita murder rate in the entire world.

Ironically, subsequent to the '80's, the age of the multi-million dollar major leaguer greeted many Venezuelan players, and some speculate as the direct result of the country's poverty. At one time a family hoped their children would end up become professionals, not professional baseball players, which was never seriously looked upon as a credible way to make a living.

  • In 1989, however, that all changed. The Houston Astros took the risk of becoming the first MLB club to build an academy in Venezuela, through the efforts of then scouting director, Andres Reiner, in hopes of developing baseball players on a regular basis.

The thinking was that it was an untapped goldmine of a country of 25 million.

  • Soon, other teams followed and there were as many as 19 team-sponsored academies.

The likes of Luis Aparicio, Tony Armas and Andres Galarraga were among its first superstars. Their successors included shortstops, Omar Vizquel and Ozzie Guillen. More recently, its superstars include pitchers, Johan Santana, Carlos Zambrano, Kelvin Escobar and Francisco Rodriguez; outfielder Magglio Ordonez; shortstop Carlos Guillen; 3rd basemen Melvin Mora and Miguel Cabrera; catcher Victor Martinez; among other high quality players.

  • There were between 45 and 50 Venezuelan players on major league rosters at any one time during the 2007 season, which has remained stagnant for the past few years. However, Venezuelan players still represent the third largest group of major league players from any one country, after the U.S. and the Dominican Republic, which numbered 105 players in 2007.

But in the past 5 years, due to the country's heightened violence, crime and kidnappings of high profile athletes,

  • there are but 9 teams which still have academies that remain in Venezuela.

And in addition to the concerns that MLB has about the security and safety of its players and representatives, there is also

  • equal concern about the future intentions of Hugo Chavez and his possibly nationalizing the sport of baseball.

Current Orioles 3rd baseman, Melvin Mora, in 2006 contacted Jim Duquette, the Orioles former Vice President of Baseball Operations, about wanting to build his own academy in Venezuela. Duquette advised Mora to speak to MLB's Vice President for International Operations, Lou Melendez. Melendez' response to Mora's interest was, "I'm just telling you that there are movements afoot there that may impact what you want to do. When you see certain industries that are being nationalized, you begin to wonder if they are going to nationalize the baseball industry in Venezuela."

  • Mora then took it upon himself to meet with the Venezuelan Sports Minister, Eduardo Alvarez. With the help of Mora, Melendez set up a meeting with Alvarez in early 2007. At that time, Melendez was assured that nationalization of baseball was not on the agenda.

But two proposals were received by Melendez thereafter from Venezuelan officials as to how Venezuela would like MLB to do business there.

  • They included mandates such as certain employee and player protections with MLB, that
  • MLB clubs pay 10% of player's signing bonuses to the Venezuelan government,
  • and to require players to apply for a license to participate as professional athletes. There also was a proposal for the
  • Venezuelan Baseball Federation to have a hands-on role over the operations of the MLB academies.

On its face, the proposals do not look egregious. In fact, the players recruited and signed in the Dominican Republic are often victims of aggressive "buscones" or unauthorized agents who take advantage of them and their parents, leaving them with little of the agreed upon advances by MLB teams.

  • After all, since players in both Venezuela and the Dominican Republic are not subject to the First Year Draft Rule, they can be signed as young as the age of 16, as long as they turn 17 by the following July.

While many of these players are drop outs from school, much more so than in Venezuela, many never make it to the big leagues, and are left with broken promises and sometimes penniless after they put all of their time and effort into training.

  • This unfortunately makes it far easier for MLB to have its way, so to speak, with prospects from the Dominican Republic.

But Melendez interpreted these mandates from Venezuela by stating, "I made it clear to Minister Alvarez that we don't pay federations for signing players anywhere in the world, and we don't expect to do so. It's certainly not a way to conduct business." In fact, MLB has no intentions of complying with any of Venezuela's requests, as it cut off its communications with any parties of either sport or government bodies there in March 2007. MLB fears that it would prove more costly to sign Venezuelan players under such mandates.

  • However, Mr. Melendez either needs to be informed or needs to refresh his memory
  • that earlier in 2007, the NY Yankees, sanctioned by MLB, signed a working agreement with the Peoples' Republic of China, (PRC) in the first ever contract between MLB and the Chinese Baseball Association,
  • which is under the auspices of the Communist government of China.
  • MLB is also providing the Peoples' Republic of China's National Olympic Team
  • with former U.S. MLB manager, Jim Lefebvre, who is the manager of the Peoples' Republic of China's baseball team that will compete in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.
  • The NY Yankees and MLB will also be lending additional coaches and equipment to the PRC National team prior to the 2008 Olympics.
  • The Yankees additionally have an agreement to start development of Chinese players in Communist China with eventual plans to build academies there.

MLB is also in preliminary talks about the aftermath of the Fidel Castro regime of Cuba, upon his death. MLB is drooling at the thought of building academies there as well and formal discussions have taken place within MLB according to MLB Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations, Joe Garagiola, Jr. "There may not be any significant changes with our relationship with Cuba in the near term, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be thinking about these things", he said at the start of the 2007 MLB season.

  • Meanwhile, Puerto Rico, after 69 years went without its winter league operating this 2007-2008 off-season, due to budget shortfalls of its league development. MLB has yet to take a stance on the state of baseball in Puerto Rico which must adhere to the same rules of U.S. born players, having to finish high school and be 18 years of age to sign a minor league contract, attend a junior college or complete at least 3 years of a 4-year college and/or be 21 years of age if the 3rd year is not completed. It hardly seems fair for a small Caribbean island, although a territory of the U.S, to not be able to compete on an even playing field with either Venezuela or the Dominican Republic. But without the funding to develop its young prospects, it appears Puerto Rico has become too costly an investment for MLB.

And Panama, literally a banana republic, once the home for Chiquita Bananas International, until it moved to Costa Rica where labor was cheaper, also has largely been ignored by MLB. Only 5 major leaguers from Panama remained on MLB rosters in 2007, most notably NY Yankees pitcher, Mariano Rivera, and Houston Astros outfielder, Carlos Lee. Hall of Famer, Rod Carew also hailed from Panama. But Panama development would require a long-term investment. And there too the national baseball federation is at odds with MLB.

  • Korea and Japan have players which are developed in their own countries, with which MLB clubs can then negotiate for hefty sums. The individual pro teams in Japan require a complex posting process and upwards of $50 million per player in addition to multi-year deals for the player. Such an example was the signing of Daisuke Matsuzaka by the Boston Red Sox at the start of the 2007, for his services for 3 years. The total posting fee as well as his contract was well over $100 million. But after all, the Red Sox got a ready-made big leaguer without having to invest in his development. So the thinking is that it is worth such cost.

What this all comes down to is not some noble attempt for MLB to spread baseball throughout the world,

  • such as the U.S. government would like us to believe that globalization is about democratizing the rest of world.

It is all about the dollar, no matter if young boys and men of the Dominican Republic are exploited, or whether Venezuelan's are threatened with the possibility of losing their now national pastime.

  • And why MLB can negotiate with Communist China but does not see fit to redevelop baseball again in its own territory of Puerto Rico, also deserves questioning.

But if MLB does not proceed with caution and realize that it has not merely entered the domain of industrial globalization but the world of global politics and diplomacy, it could prove damaging.

  • After all, the good of the game and human decency should still be a priority for MLB. And when it comes time for MLB to count its $6 billion revenue dollars it realized from the 2007 MLB season, it perhaps should take heed, in order to remain accountable for its actions, before it becomes political fodder with unrealized repercussions on the world's stage."

From Magic City Morning Star article by Diane M. Grassi, "Baseball Ill Equipped for Global Politics," 12/29/07

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Bud & Baseball Owners come off as heads of Crime Syndicate--NY Post

Instead of building and repairing baseball fields--which used to exist in the United States--these men are going to the farthest reaches of the globe no matter the breathless air (thank-you, Jim McKay), the poisonous food and water, dangerous equipment, enormous stress of traveling, being away from one's family and fans. Why?
  • Why not rebuild the game in the US? Or even Puerto Rico? Ha!
Answer: Corporate sponsors such as the Oil Company owned by the Venezuelan government--not a weepy human being, a government--the Citgo Oil Company. Among many others. How is this any different from crooks trafficking in human beings? For huge dollars. Which go to team owners like the Tampa Bay Rays and the Florida Marlins.
  • Don't forget your role model--the Cleveland Indians' Mark Shapiro--BOSS OF THE BIGGEST CHEATER IN BASEBALL, PAUL BYRD--JUST NAMED EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR BY THE BOSTON CHAPTER OF THE BBWAA--BASEBALL WRITERS (posted here). (To all who seek jobs at ESPN/MLB, sorry for all the proof and evidence).
Phil Mushnick points out in the NY Post:
  • (NY Post): "Last week, when MLB owners granted Bud Selig a three-year extension to remain Commissioner, we didn't receive nearly as many missives decrying that decision. Perhaps, though, the extension spoke for itself.

That Selig had been big league baseball's top cop from 1992 until last year, when MLB was fully and finally revealed to have immersed itself in what had become obvious - a drug epidemic and a drugs-for-profit conspiracy - actually seems to have sustained his “Our Guy" status among team owners.

Under Selig, after all, MLB's revenues dramatically rose. What else matters? That The Game fell into national disrepute under his stewardship is not something, as we saw last week, that would cost him his position.

  • Quite the contrary.

Who among us could have survived on our jobs, let alone have been rewarded, had we provided such leadership?

  • Just as (Bill) Belichick met the terms of his win-at-all-cost agreement, Selig met the terms of his engagement - profit at all cost.

And yet, for some reason, we continue to call this stuff sports."

(Most who read or write baseball blogs would give anything to work at ESPN/MLB. Including those who appear to be Yankee fans. That is why this situation will only get worse. Most of the 500+ BBWAA HOF voters would love to have their own name listed on one of the HOF steering or nominating committees intertwined with Jack O'Connell and his group. 'Bud' Selig has been on the Board of Directors of the HOF since the 1970's. The point is, it's all one). sm

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Fox TV Baseball coverage aims to be unwatchable

  • Fox chose to appeal to a young demo that uses video games. David Hill had his staff play video games at least 30 minutes a day. From Los Angeles Business Journal, 4/11/05, by Andy Fixmer:
(Fixmer article): "At the outset, (David) Hill hired CBS Sports veteran Ed Goren to be president of Fox Sports. Goren remembered getting into the office around 8 a.m. for days that were finished late at night over drinks, working out ideas for the fledging division. "We'd come in the next morning and try to figure out whose stupid idea was written on this wine-stained cocktail napkin," he said.
  • Every time Hill would come up with an idea that raised eyebrows, Goren remembers, he would always convince skeptics by telling them, "Don't worry, I did this over in England with Sky and it worked like a treat, trust me."...
During the early years at Fox Sports, Goren said Hill took cues from any available pop culture source-- That exercise convinced Hill and Goren that for every action or graphic there needed to be a coinciding sound.
  • "To put together a broadcast that had appeal to a younger demo, if this is their experience then there are things we can incorporate in our broadcast from those games," Goren said.
"Today watch Access Hollywood or Fox News and when the graphic comes up there's an audio effect. Nobody had done that before we did it in our football broadcast back in 1994."" P.S. Baseball seems not to be the point. (sm)

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Sunday, January 20, 2008

Hey, Mitchell, here's a little report on you--you're a phony

Where exactly do you show that you know right from wrong? If you had the slightest sense, you wouldn't have taken the phony "job" in the first place. That's the starting point of "integrity."
  • (NY Post): "Did George Mitchell say too much, the first time around? Was he too independent, thus too provocative?
The George Mitchell who first revealed the findings of the Mitchell Report on Dec. 13, reached a strongly stated conclusion. He said, right from the top, that both the owners and players (represented by Bud Selig and Donald Fehr) chose to sacrifice integrity in favor of money.
  • For a fellow appointed by Selig, such a broad conclusion seemed to confirm that Mitchell had, in fact, investigated and then spoken in an independent fashion.

But Tuesday before Congress, when Mitchell was at least twice provided the opportunity to repeat that conclusion - that charge - he seemed to carefully avoid saying anything at all.

(MITCHELL NOW DOES HIS BEST JOSE CANSECO IMPERSONATION, IE "READ MY BOOK." )...(sm)
  • (NY Post, continuing): "Instead, he only said his findings can be found in his report.

It seemed curious that given the opportunity, Tuesday before Congress, to again get right to the heart of the matter, as he did on Dec. 13 - to repeat that baseball consciously chose to indulge the widespread presence of illegal drugs in order to increase profits -

  • Mitchell clammed up."
From NY Post column by Phil Mushnick, "Cold, Hard Cash, Greedy NFL Freezing Out Fans," 1/20/08
  • P.S. Phil doesn't have scantily clad girls on his site, doesn't pander to teen males, and apparently isn't a BBWAA member afraid of losing one of his plum committee assignments in the bureaucratic fortress of MLB, Inc. and the Baseball Hall of Fame. (sm)

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NFL greed now as bad as MLB--NY Post

"To think that just a few years ago, NFL executives were in the habit of poking private fun at Major League Baseball and the NBA for allowing TV money to dictate the dates and starting times of its playoff and championship games.

  • The NFC Championship, outdoors in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Jan. 20, will be a night game. The specialty of the institution has become prostitution.

In a season marked by the greed-driven and predictable embarrassment of the NFL Network's failure to be widely cleared and fully exploited,

  • yet to have it recognized for what it was intended to be - another money-grab made of artificial additives - the NFL continues to reveal itself as growing sicker by the dollar.

***And I'm as sick of writing it as you are of reading it, but the business of modern sports remains predicated on doing what once, as a matter of common sense and common decency, would have been out of the question.***

  • And more times than not, such colossally greed-driven decisions are made on behalf of TV money.

That baseball is now stooped and steeped in total disrepute because it replaced its sense of right from wrong with its unquenchable thirst for money is a lesson that has been ignored by the NFL.

  • No way the NFL would allow any outside entity, at any price, to mess with its game or its devoted patrons.

But here we are. The only thing that's preventing tonight's Giants-Packers from being played in daylight, when severe but regularly anticipated weather conditions will not be as severe, is money. The good of the game? You've got to be kidding."

P.S. Phil doesn't show pictures of scantily clad girls on his site and doesn't pander to teen males. In spite of that, he's correct in what he says. (sm)

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BOSS WITH BIGGEST CHEATER in MLB WINS 'EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR' IN BOSTON--Mark Shapiro

The Boston Herald story amazingly opens as follows: Mr. Massarotti, and why is that?
  • The team with the biggest cheater in baseball, Paul Byrd, hasn't been swamped with 24/7 vitriol on radio, tv, print, and internet? Why is that, do you think?
After all, he pitched in the 2007 post season in a deciding game.
  • His years-long drug use was not revealed, however until the day of a deciding game against a different team--fascinating how that timing worked out.
  • When questioned, Byrd would not deny using up to and including that moment, saying it was a "private matter." The next news we hear is:
Paul Byrd's boss, Mark Shapiro, HAS BEEN DEEMED A GENIUS AND IS NAMED 'EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR' BY THE BOSTON BASEBALL WRITERS (BBWAA chapter).
  • Massarotti makes no mention in his Shapiro story of Paul Byrd or any drug problems of any kind. Just that Shapiro has a lower payroll.
From this recognition of Shapiro and its reporting, one is left with no choice but to see MLB and its writers still do not care about drug abuse. If it concerns the Cleveland Indians.
  • They still care very much about talking about payroll disparity. How lucky for the Cleveland Indians.
Reference, Boston Herald article by Tony Massarotti, "INDIANS BUCK TREND," 1/20/08

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Only for baseball writers who'd be broke without Pettitte-Clemens

(From Newsday's Ken Davidoff): "Andy Pettitte is said by friends to be upset with Roger Clemens because of Clemens' aggressive defense to the charges leveled against him in the Mitchell Report. Most of all, Pettitte didn't care for Clemens' public airing of his taped phone call with accuser Brian McNamee, which accomplished little. "They were never as close as they were made out to be," a friend of both said on the condition of anonymity. "They just sort of went along with it in the media, because it was a good story."".... P.S. Clemens joining the Astros with Pettitte the first time was what I hoped for from the second Pettitte was kicked out of the Yankees. Anyone would've made that move who had an ounce of respect or affection for Andy. Aside from it making sense for Clemens in other ways, Steinbrenner and Cashman needed to be put in their place for how badly they treated a home grown lifelong Yankee. Move along.

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Saturday, January 19, 2008

Living in the past isn't always helpful

The ad slogan "baseball is flush with money" is based on the past. The future is another thing. (With the possible exception of MLB online enterprises). Past performance is no guarantee of future results. George Vecsey in today's NY Times:
  • "There is no point in saying he (Bud Selig) should resign, because the owners obviously love him. He makes money for them —
at least until the recession takes its cuts. (How many naming-rights sponsors will go down?)"....
  • Around the time of baseball's post season ratings flops:
Selena Roberts writes in the NY Times, 10/15/07, that baseball's popularity is diminishing in part because it can't be seen (such as the current post season tv campaign). She says:
  • "As baseball truisms go, you can’t hit what you can’t see. As viewing habits go, a sport can’t be a hit if it’s not seen. Football gets that. And with it, all the talent.
  • Certainly baseball’s fat attendance is bursting with baby boomers. But the sport is an old flame for romantic types, as proved by numbers even sabermetric lords can wrap their seamheads around."
She continues citing statisitics about young American players choosing football over baseball. (Originally posted on this blog 10/14/07).

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For those with short memories--NY Times, Aug. 2, 1999

  • A homegrown lifelong Yankee publicly hung out to dry, told has to "prove himself." 8/2/99:
(NY Times): "George Steinbrenner was in a good mood tonight, which was notable in itself because the day after the July 31 trade deadline there is reason to reconsider what your team and your rivals did or did not do. The Yankees did not do a lot.

They did not trade for a relief pitcher; rather, the organization figures it has as much or more pitching depth to plug holes and figures that Jeff Nelson and Mike Stanton will pitch better in the post-season, as they have always done....

  • It will be difficult for the Yankees to augment their roster with players from outside the organization in the final two months of the season. Before any team can trade a player, it must first pass that player through waivers.

For example: if the Yankees decided to deal Pettitte, they would first have to expose him to all teams through waivers. If any team claimed him, the Yankees then could only deal Pettitte to that team or withdraw him, and then they would not be able to trade him until after the season.

  • But the Yankees do have some options developing within their organization. Nelson, recovering from elbow surgery, is scheduled to begin a rehabilitation assignment in Tampa, Fla., on Monday."...

...................(If you still harbor any doubts, the article concludes with this):

(NY Times): "Steinbrenner acknowledged that in keeping Pettitte, the Yankees now have all but assured themselves

  • of a difficult off season of tough financial dealings. But they'll think about that later.

With their roster mostly intact, the Yankees have two months to prepare for the championship chase."

P.S. The guys who got in barfights, cheated on their wives, made trouble in the clubhouse, and stuck the team with onerous salaries were joyously welcomed by Steinbrenner. Throughout this article, Andy is portrayed as an albatross and put on a short leash for no apparent reason. The only speculation at the time was he wasn't Steinbrenner's kind of guy, ie was open about his religious faith, a quiet family man. Not nearly as open or crassly commercial about it as Paul Byrd has been, however.

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In 1996 Gov. Tommy Thompson went on a bike ride for Bud Selig--

Why would George Steinbrenner have anything good to say about 'Bud' Selig? In 1993, Selig reinstated Steinbrenner into baseball from a lifetime ban imposed by Fay Vincent. The Yankee fan is left with the reality Selig can rip them off indefinitely because of this.
  • How does Selig go about getting money? A Townhall.com writer born in Milwaukee was interested, 1/18/08:

(Townhall.com): "The Milwaukee media are impressed with, even awestruck by Selig. Their slobbering is embarrassing. They were impressed that Bud was "Acting Commissioner" with a then $1 million salary on top of what he leeches from the team. "Make money and the whole nation will conspire to call you a gentlemen," George Bernard Shaw said.

...Milwaukee's publicity junkies and status seekers needed to keep the Acting Commissioner happy; and to be happy, Buddy Boy needed a new stadium. Then he could show George Steinbrenner and baseball's other owners that his own people treat him like a real Major Leaguer. (In other words, that's how it's done. First get the media.....) sm

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