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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