It's not what you are, it's what they say you are.

(NY Times' William C. Rhoden):

• "Recognizing the news media’s power to define and project images,

(Ozzie) Guillén has a rule that his players accommodate reporters. “Talk to the media, they’re part of the game,” he said during a telephone interview Friday. “The better you treat them, the better you’re going to come out.

• You’re not going to win a battle against the media.

They will find a way to break you down, especially in big cities.”"

• From Mr. Rhoden's NY Times column, "Measuring Success by Double-Sided Yardstick," 6/1/08

Since "the media" are unelected and unaccountable, I've never considered them part of the game. Anyone who chooses to hang out in someone's dressing room has problems with propriety to begin with in my opinion. (sm)

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MLB promos World Baseball Classic using "legendary slugger" Sammy Sosa

• Nothing new--Bud selling tickets the way he always has--promoting home runs. Now for the WBC:

From MLB.com's legendary website, 5/30/08, picture of Sosa and intro to article:

• "While Sammy Sosa doesn't currently have a Major League team to call his own,

• the legendary slugger

• has announced his intentions of playing for the Dominican Republic team in the next

World Baseball Classic."...

• MLB.com includes phrases describing the non-English speaker:

• "The charismatic Sammy Sosa

• plays by his own rules. He always has and he always will.

• Strong-willed, stubborn, borderline selfish,

but always competitive and almost always with a smile on his face,

• his strong personality is part of the reason he is loved....

Sosa has made up his mind to play for his country. And...he probably will and

• he'll probably hit a home run or two along the way.

Even at age 39, ancient for a ballplayer, Sosa can still make things happen on the baseball field

• on sheer will alone....

He is still a great athlete....

• Rangers closer C.J. Wilson and the younger Rangers called Sosa

• a rock star.

Sosa's Latino teammates called him...

• a living legend.

With 609 career home runs, it's easy to see why.

• The Dominican is one of the greatest home run hitters of all-time,

the greatest from Latin America and

• one of the most intriguing characters

• in the game."...

From MLB.com, "Sosa Living, Playing on Own Terms," by Jesse Sanchez, 5/30/08

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Overheard on WFAN about Delgado

On Steve Somers' show, caller and Somers note Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez reference to published report.

• Delgado upon hearing rumors he might be platooned (for total indifference), says, if that's the case, he'll (Delgado) have to have a talk with management.

It would be best for everyone if the talk went as follows:

• Met management: "Goodbye, Carlos. Your checks will be mailed to you."

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XM radio again deletes Yankee post game show

The Yankee-Twins game ended tonight and they immediately went to a taped interview of something unrelated. I went down the dial and noticed XM was running the post game show for the Indians-Royals. Another great job by Randy Levine, Yankee President out of the loop.

• ADDENDUM: XM RAN A FULL POST GAME FOR THE BOSTON-BALTIMORE GAME, including full local post game coverage by Baltimore broadcasters. Advertisers of course received the benefit of having their commercials run.

Update #1, Saturday night, 5/31/08: Cleveland at Kansas City, XM channel 178 runs full post game show with local Royals broadcasters and interviews. And commercial advertisers.

• Update #2, Saturday night, 5/31/08: Boston at Baltimore, XM Channel 177, runs full post game show with local Orioles personalities, billboards, etc.

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FARNSWORTH GIVES UP HOME RUN #8

Bottom of the 8th, Yankees at Twins. In 23 innings, Farnsworth has given up 8 home runs. That' s 1 HR each 2.87 innings. Great idea to have him in the crucial 8th inning.

• AND, HE GOT A 'HOLD' STAT FOR HIS again hideous performance. Although not an official MLB stat, it litters the landscape. Congrats to all those involved.

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Desperately seeking lowest common denominator

(Slate, Jack Shafer on Michael Crichton's opinion): ""The biggest change is that contemporary media has

• shifted from fact to

• opinion and speculation....Contentious hosts on cable shows* keep the arguments rolling,"

...Crichton believes that

• we live in an age of conformity much more confining than the 1950s....

• Instead of showing news consumers how to approach controversy coolly and intelligently,

• the media partake of the zealotry and intolerance

of many of the advocates they cover."....

• From Slate by Jack Shafer, "Michael Crichton Vindicated--His 1993 prediction of mass-media extinction now looks on target." 5/29/08 via Poynter.org/Romenesko.

*ESPN qualifies as does sports talk radio. ESPN ombudsman would agree.(sm)

• Who will stop the media celebrities? Sorry--the "guardians, the conscience of the game?"

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Crane kills 2, 91st & 1st, Manhattan

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Who will ask for a refund plus damages for MLB sucker punch?

(NY Post): "...So you spent $300 on tickets to Sunday's Dodgers-Mets.

• So you were going to bring your father and your son, make a three-generation day of it.

• And so it was a kids promotional game, a Mr. Met Dash day.

And so, at the last minute, MLB switched the game from a 1:10 p.m. start to 8:05 p.m. on behalf of its ESPN deal.

• And so now your kid, with school the next day, and you, with work the next day, and your dad, who has difficulty staying awake past 11 p.m.,

not only can't go,

• but getting rid of tickets, last minute, to a Sunday night game is a problem.

So what? Tough noogies. If you don't like it, lump it.

• It's not as if you didn't know that baseball considers you a sucker,

• that it hasn't had a commissioner

• since Bud Selig was named commissioner."

From NY Post column by Phil Mushnick, "When to Take Out the Trash," 5/30/08 (end of column)

• (These are just the facts. Today's "landscape" certainly eschews such things). sm

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Czech President Vaclav Klaus has inconvenient news for Al Gore, Bud Selig and MLB owners.

From President Klaus' words at the National Press Club 5/27/08 on the political grab of man-made global warming. He has a book discussing the problem. Via Powerline blog:

• "My today's thinking is fundamentally influenced by the fact that I spent most of my life under the communist regime which ignored and brutally violated human freedom and, as I remember quite well,
• wanted to command not only the people,
• but also the nature....

I do not see the future threats to free society coming from the old and old- fashioned communist ideology. The name of the new danger will undoubtedly be different, but its substance will be very similar.

• Like their predecessors, they will be certain that they have the right to sacrifice man and his freedom to make their idea reality.

• In the past, it was in the name of the Marxists or of the proletariat; this time, in the name of the planet. Structurally, it is very similar. The current danger, as I see it, is environmentalism and especially its strongest version, climate alarmism. ***

My central concern is in a condensed form, as was mentioned by Madam President, captured in the subtitle of this book. I ask, what is endangered, climate or freedom? And my answer is it is our freedom and, I might add, and our prosperity.

• The book was written by an economist who happens to be in a relatively high political position. I don't deny my basic paradigm, my economic way of thinking, because I consider it an advantage, not a disadvantage, by stressing that I want to say that the climate change debate, in a wider and the only relevant sense,

should be neither about several tenths of a degree Fahrenheit or Celsius, about the up or down movements of sea level, about the depths of ice at north and southern poles, nor about the variations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

The real debate is and should be about costs and benefits of alternative human actions, about how to rationally deal with the unknown future, about what kind and size of solidarity with much wealthier future generations is justified, about the size of externalities and their eventual appropriate internalization,

• about how much to trust the impersonal functioning of the markets in solving any human problem, including global warming,
• and how much to distrust the very visible hand of very human politicians
• and their bureaucrats."...

From PowerlineBlog 5/27/08, "Skeptical? Not Exactly"

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Charleston RiverDogs, Bill Murray, Director of Fun

Bill Murray is a co-owner of Yankee Class A Team, the Charleston River Dogs. Which doesn't mean he can't root for the Cubs. Unfortunately, he's experiencing some off the field troubles.

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MLB samples in Canada

Recent articles reference the seized 2003 MLB samples, scenarios of players being questioned by the Feds. On 4/11/08 was the new drug agreement. At the end of a 5/18/08 report on the 2003 seized names is this:

• "Under the rules of MLB's joint drug policy at the time, Quest Diagnostics of Teterboro, N.J., analyzed some 1,400 urine samples taken from players in 2004. Comprehensive Drug Testing of Long Beach, Calif., collected the specimens and compiled the data.

Those tasks have since been transferred to U.S. Anti-Doping Agency-approved labs in Montreal and California."

• MLB.com, "Feds to Use Drug Test Results," by Barry M. Bloom, 5/18/08

On 5/11/04 an MLB.com press release announced a business arrangement with a new lab.

• In Canada.

The minor league lab will be in

• California.

Not mentioned in any of these articles is the key distinction of the Canadian locale:

• LESS CHANCE THE FEDS CAN SNEAK IN AND RAID THE NAMES AS THEY DID WITH THOSE NOW IN THE NEWS.

Who figured this out? A person who is no longer living, the late Doug Pappas. He wrote on that date about the 5/11/04 announcement:

• "In MLB's press release, Rob Manfred and Gene Orza say nice things about the WADA, but never mention the biggest benefit of switching to this particular lab.

That benefit? The use of a Canadian lab will ensure that all of the 2004 drug testing samples are

• stored beyond the reach of U.S. prosecutors and grand juries, eliminating the possibility that last month's seizure will be repeated.

• This was no accident -- MLB chose to have its minor-league testing administered by the WADA-approved testing program at UCLA,

• which could certainly have handled the major leaguers' specimens, too."

• From Doug's Business of Baseball Weblog, 5/11/04, "MLB Drug-Testing Programs Move to Olympic Certified Laboratories"***********

Referenced paragraphs from the 5/11/04 MLB press release:

• "Major League Baseball announced today that it has reached an agreement with the Major League Baseball Players Association to move the testing under the Joint Drug Treatment and Prevention Program to a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) certified testing facility located in Montreal, Canada, effective immediately.

Additionally, Major League Baseball has moved the testing under the Minor League Drug Treatment and Prevention Program to a WADA-certified testing facility located in Los Angeles, California."

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Man-made global warming star to receive opera from La Scala.

MLB has bought the Hollywood idea of man-made global warming, while "The Untouchables" (Selig and entourage) jet back and forth to polluted Communist China. Oscar winner Al Gore, the leader of that great diversion, shows he has the mind of an MLB executive. Gore is branching into a kind of international "stadium deal." ie he is helping Milan, Italy in its pitch for Expo 2015 which pledges to include an "underground railway" in the deal. In return, Al Gore receives a specially commissioned Opera from Italy:

• "La Scala, one of the world’s most famous opera houses in Milan, Italy, announced today that it will stage

• the operatic version of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,”

the title of his Oscar-winning documentary as well as his book warning of the effects of global climate change."...

• From blogs.wsj.com/washwire, "Al Gore: Another High Note?," by Susan Davis, 5/29/08

For the record, this is the international business movement MLB has hooked up with.

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Outside Camden Yards it's Eutaw not Utah

Suzyn Waldman notes a street outside Camden Yards which sounded like "Utah" Street (where Giambi hit it high, far, etc.) But Kat O'Brien's report on the night informs me the street is spelled "Eutaw." Suzyn interviewed Chad Moeller after the game discussing pitchers tonight. About Mo he said:

• "It's an honor to be on the field with him. There's nobody like him, never has been and probably never will be."

The still employed international celebrity Sheldon Ocker left Rivera's name entirely off his 2005 AL Cy Young ballot (Rivera came in #1 on the James/Neyer AL Cy Young Predictor, but Ocker enhanced his own career arc by in effect saying: Mo does not exist because I said so, and I'm the conscience of the game). Ocker:

• "''For him (Rivera) to get anybody's attention

• outside of New York now,

• he'd probably have to save 65 games.'' "

From NY Times article by Tyler Kepner, 11/9/05, "Award Eludes Rivera, Colon Wins Cy Young"

• ("Outside of New York now?" ERIC WEDGE ISN'T IN NEW YORK AND HE NOTICED. Rivera pitched 2 innings in the "Bugs" game and got Wedge's attention. Ocker would deny a pitcher's life work (ie, difficulty of saves, deadlocked pennant race, pitching 6 out of 8 days in that stretch in Sept. 2005, etc.) in the BBWAA "total save stat" contest. It's so fun and so easy--just pick the right voters. sm

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1st time Jeter picked off in 10 years

John Sterling notes stat during tonight's Yankees-Oriole game from Elias:

• Last night's game was the first time Jeter had been caught stealing in 10 years.

On Yankees.com, these were my 5 votes for the Yankee DVD (courtesy waswatching.com):

• 1977 WS #6

• 1995 ALDS #2

• 1996 ALCS #1

• 1999 ALCS #1

• 2003 ALCS #7

The selection is limited by necessity. Honorable mention should go to:

• 2001 ALDS #3 (NYY @ Oak.)

• 2006 8/20/06, 4th game of the 2006 Boston Massacre

P.S. Suzyn Waldman says Ian Kennedy also has bursitis on top of the lat strain. Bad news.

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Similarities--the Park and the Stadium

I've had the same experience at Yankee Stadium as this Red Sox blogger has had attending Fenway Park. He lists items after attending a game at Fenway 5/18/08:

• "5. The game was virtually irrelevant to 70 % of the patrons in the park. and

• 7. Kids under 10 should not be taken to games."

From 38Cliches.com, a blog that talks a lot about their radio guys.

• Dating from 1990, the Yankees did not rank #1 in attendance in the AL until 2003. An even higher percentage of people attending games at the new stadium will probably have no interest in the game. Which isn't helpful for fans. If the new stadium sells out forever, fine. Recent history doesn't suggest this will necessarily be so.

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Americans drove 11 billion fewer miles in March 2008

Compared to March 2007. CNN: "At a time when gas prices are at an all-time high, Americans have curtailed their driving at a historic rate.

• The Department of Transportation said figures from March show the steepest decrease in driving ever recorded.

Compared with March a year earlier, Americans drove an estimated 4.3 percent less -- that's 11 billion fewer miles, the DOT's Federal Highway Administration said Monday, calling it "the sharpest yearly drop for any month in FHWA history." Records have been kept since 1942."....

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Miguel Cairo got a hit tonight for Seattle. Hank struck out.

Since Hank the hotelier and horseman has destroyed the Yankee bullpen 'by force' as promised, one looks elsewhere for good stories. Miguel Cairo got a hit tonight for Seattle-not an RBI, but good news. Update: Cairo also had a sac bunt in the bottom of the 9th in a tie game. UPDATE #2: MARINERS WIN.

• THE GUY MIGUEL CAIRO BUNTED OVER WAS THE GUY WHO SCORED THE WINNING RUN FOR THE MARINERS.

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MLB seeking payments from XM--Mel Phillips, Radio Daily News

(Phillips): "The announcement from FCC head Kevin Martin that there could be a decision on the XM-Sirius merger by the end of June couldn’t come fast enough for XM.

• What XM is going through now is a convincing argument against carrying sports. Since announcing its deal to carry Major League Baseball in 2004, XM has forked over roughly $180 million of the total package of $650 million due MLB before the deal has concluded in 2015.

Now XM is struggling to maintain a required $120 million escrow account which is part of its agreement with MLB…With money now tighter than ever, XM, having a tough time coming up with the dough may have to issue more stock which will hurt existing shareholders.

• In the meantime XM is having discussions with MLB about the escrow and related matters."....

From Mel Phillips Now and Then Blog, "MLB Puts the Heat on XM," 5/27/08 Via RadioDailyNews.com

• (Needless to say, baseball needs to stay on satellite radio, hopefully it's XM). sm

MORE ON THE XM/SIRIUS DEAL: Re: the FCC delay is costing XM money.

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Out of the goodness of his heart, Dan Naulty wants a book deal.

Certain types decide what is "news" and send their best talent looking for it in trash cans in the greater Houston area. The news of Dan Naulty wanting a book deal has been around since at least 12/23/07. Without examination of that detail, he received millions of dollars in publicity portraying him as a selfless, Godly man who just wanted to help.

• Item at the end of an article about Naulty in the NY Daily News, 12/23/07:

"The 37-year-old Naulty now lives in Colorado with his family and is pursuing a Ph.D in Biblical studies.... He hopes to teach at a university or seminary

• and publish his story in book form."

From NY Daily News staff, 12/23/07, "Reliever Dan Naulty from 1999 World Series Team Spills Ugly Truth on Steroids," statements of the NYDN at end of Naulty narrative.

• Naulty had infinite media coverage but I could find none critical of him. Media chose to embrace him rather than look into obvious problems with his presentation. I posted 2 items I found well after his publicity tour that deflated big parts of his credibility--that he "stole jobs," and that steroids gave him both better velocity and overall performance as a pitcher.

The "stealing jobs" part has been denied in the case of Mike Trombley and hasn't been substantiated in other cases. While his velocity increased as he wailed (the alleged reason for his connection to the drug expose), his performance in other pitching areas decreased, making him a LESS effective pitcher. The media ran with the "velocity" story and never looked at his other stats, as an mlblogger actually did. But no headlines on that.

• The Christian principle of making amends (also used in Step 9 of Alcoholics Anonymous) explicitly states NOT to do so in the manner Naulty has chosen, ie. making unsubstantiated public statements and innuendo about famous people who had nothing to do with his behavior and were not victims of his:

""The bottom line is this: Step Nine invites us to develop empathy--the capacity to anticipate how others will be affected by our amends.

• This is exactly the quality of character that we lacked at the time that we did the harm we are now seeking to undo.

The principle involved here is a biblical one:

• "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Philippians 2:4).

"Step 9

Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. "This step does carry a condition -- except when to do so would injure them or others. If the act of making amends will open old wounds or create new harm, then making direct amends should be avoided.

• ***The benefit of making amends to the recovering person (Naulty) does not outweigh the need to
• do no more harm."

(From Alcoholism.About.com)

• This was Naulty's entire schtick. Mass media hanging celebrities' names in mid air worked well. He was presented as the opposite of what he really is: a guy looking for money seeking publicity and still possessed of major character flaws. Jose Canseco with different feathers.

P.S. The first 4 words in the NY Daily News story about Naulty (12/23/07) are as follows:

• "Yankees closer Mariano Rivera..."

Of course Rivera has no involvement in the trumped up story Naulty created for his apparent book tour. Nor was Naulty on the 1999 World Series roster nor any Yankee post season roster. Nevertheless, the NY Daily News headlined their story, "Reliever Dan Naulty from 1999 World Series Team Spills Ugly Truth..." (etc.) (If link expires, try inputting headline in google).

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Thanks to Ed Mullen, Surviving World War II Air Force Veteran

Thanks, Dad.

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Big story lines lead to Randy Levine

George Vecsey of the New York Times characterizes recent Yankee activities as nervousness and over-reaction to NY Times business partners, the Boston Red Sox (whom he describes as "underfunded.") Some items Mr. Vecsey mentions I see more as a reflection of incompetence of Yankee President, Randy Levine. eg, Lack of proper supervision on the stadium construction site.

• It turns out standards have been so lax that memorabilia from another team was embedded in the concrete. How can Levine at this point even guarantee the structure isn't compromised in other ways as to be structurally unsound? He has no credibility on this.

Secondly, Mr. Vecsey refers to the "jovial" player David Ortiz starring in a Yankee Stadium Babe Ruth contest. The most important point of it was reported earlier in the week by Jack Curry in the NY Times, which is:

• Randy Levine has been in charge of the All Star game for a year, and had no inkling the contest was in the works (and is being promoted as a done deal).

In fact, a commercial promoting Ortiz' appearance at Yankee Stadium ran today on the Yankee Radio post game broadcast on XM radio (immediately preceding Suzyn Waldman's clubhouse report).

• Most of the world knew about this, but not the President of the Yankees.
• Does Randy Levine know a Yankee broadcast was used by an advertised MLB site today to promote Ortiz' appearance at the Stadium? Levine is more oblivious and belatedly pompous than nervous from my extended observation of him.

Reference, NY Times article by George Vecsey, "Plenty to Preoccupy Mets and Yankees," 5/26/08

• P.S. I don't care about the Home Run Derby and hope no Yankees are in it. I care that the Yankee executive supposedly in charge of the All Star game knew nothing about it. (sm)

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Chien-Ming Wang delivers enough to keep Yanks in rare come from behind game

Yanks end up winning 6-5 over Mariners, Wang does well although didn't get the win. 12 groundouts. Photo from NY Post.

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MLB ad for David Ortiz All Star promo ON YANKEE RADIO on XM 175 today.

• The David Ortiz promo at Yankee Stadium was advertised today on Yankee radio on XM. Another great job by Randy Levine.

Around 4:46PM a commercial ran on the Yankee post game feed on XM 176. As I've noted, XM doesn't always run the Yankee post game show including highlights and Suzyn Waldman's clubhouse report. But today they did. The spot right before Suzyn's report is a good one, too.

• An excited voice alerted listeners to log on to a website to vote about David Ortiz home run contest during the upcoming All Star game at Yankee Stadium. Which Yankee President Randy Levine has put his best efforts into for a year, and about which he was blindsided once again by MLB and the Red Sox.

It appears no one at MLB is giving the slightest attention to Levine's protest. The website in the ad on Yankee radio led to an MLB.com site also advertising State Farm Insurance: sfcallyourshot.com.

• Many others consider the Red Sox promotion a done deal, per google:

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Randy Levine's reported mother-in-law connection to Bud Selig

Which may or may not be a good thing:

• In 1996 Randy Levine worked for the owners negotiating a new players' agreement. Owners themselves were divided on Mr. Levine's plan to the point where one faction tried to remove him from the job:

(NY Times, 11/3/96, by Murray Chass): "In the attack on (Randy) Levine, in a Chicago paper, unnamed owners called for his dismissal, saying the only reason he would not be fired was

• that his mother-in-law is a friend of Selig's wife."

From NY Times by Murray Chass, 11/3/96, "Labor Deal in Jeopardy as Selig Stays Silent."

• (David Peterson, 4/97): "More revealing still was New York Times Baseball writer Murray Chass, In Chass's November 3 story about some of the internecine struggles then taking place among the 30 ownership groups that comprise the Baseball cartel, he fingered a mysteriously

unnamed Chicago-area sportswriter for helping Reinsdorf plant what Chass called an "attack on [Randy] Levine" in one of the Chicago newspapers.

• "In the attack on Levine, in a Chicago paper, unnamed owners called for his dismissal, saying the only reason he would not be fired was that his mother-in-law is a friend of Selig's wife," was how Chass described the smear campaign coming from within the owners' ranks.

"Reinsdorf's hand appeared to be so evident in that attack," Chass continued, "that during a conference call of Major League Baseball's executive council [on Oct. 30], other owners criticized Reinsdorf, a council member, for it." ("A Silent Selig Speaks Volumes About His Take on the Talks," Nov. 3.)

• Just three days before, in his "On Baseball" column., (Jerome) Holtzman had quoted an unnamed owner who averred that "Randy's mother-in-law [who's from Milwaukee] is one of Sue Selig's best friends. [Sue is Selig's wife]. What Randy has done is horrendous. Bud is bleeding and very hurt, but there isn't much he can do."

Pretty good smear. In his effort to help Reinsdorf smear Levine, Holtzman went so far as to charge Levine with assisting Donald Fehr in Fehr's effort to smear the owners by "putting a monkey on the owners' back: clearly, they are the ogres," said Holtzman, mocking Fehr and Levine. ("Owners doubt that Levine is the real deal," Chicago Tribune, Oct. 30.)"

• By David Peterson, from "Chicago Ink April 1997," ink.uchicago.edu/page_olga_made/archives/april97/holtz.html, "A Stenographer to Power: Jerome Holtzman"

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Terry Francona on how long games get that way.

(AP report): ""You don't want to lose sight of the fact you're trying to win a game. We get memos a lot on pace of game.

• Teams with better records play slower.

It's always been the case since I've been here. We always play long games.""

• AP report in USA Today, "Red Sox Discuss Pace of Game Rules," 5/24/08. By Janie McCauley.*********

The longest 9 inning game was 8/18/06, Yankees-Red Sox, 4:45, 93 foul balls.

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Overheard on Red Sox Radio--Tampa Rays attendance

Joe Castiglione notes pennant fever may be happening at the Trop, only 13,000 in attendance yesterday but a big 30,000 crowd for today's Rays' win v Baltimore.

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Randy Levine promises his "best" to China while blindsided back home by the Red Sox...

ap photo from ChinaDaily.com 1/31/07, From RANDY LEVINE photo op in Beijing, AP: "An agreement signed with China's baseball administration would see Yankees staff posted to China "in the next few months" and training academies built in Chinese cities "in the near future," Yankees president Randy Levine told a news conference.

• "We will provide our best talent,

• our best knowledge

• and the full commitment of our

• financial and
• personnel resources
• to this great strategic alliance," Levine added"...
• From AP Report, 1/31/07, ChinaDaily.com

Reference, NY Times article by Richard Sandomir, "Ortiz as Ruth? Yankees Say Not in Their House," 5/24/08

• And posted on this blog, 5/23/08 after first NY Times article about Red Sox/Babe Ruth promotion.

Maybe China will reconsider this gift of Levine's "best" personnel services, knowing he worked for a year on the All Star game and had no idea a Red Sox star slugger had been inked to a Babe Ruth promotion at the Stadium.

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Girardi serves suspension in Cashman's booth

5/23/08, Girardi's 1 day suspension for kicking dirt at an umpire is served in Brian Cashman's booth. photo by Newsday

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Andy Pettitte, Mariners at Yankees

5/23/08, photo by Newsday

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Everything is temporary.

"The nation's media, once hostile to labor, tended to side with the players in every labor dispute.

• Something had to change.
• The owners just weren't going to take it anymore.

• This was their game and they wanted it back.

• Beginning with Vincent's ouster in 1992, they set out to take it."

From Juicing the Game: Drugs, Power and the Fight for the Soul of Major League Baseball by Howard Bryant, published in 2005.

---

From the greatly missed Doug Pappas' website:

• "April 29, 2002: Text of bill pending in Congress to repeal MLB's antitrust exemption as it relates to contraction and franchise relocation.

This is the bill introduced in response to MLB's threatened contraction of the Expos and Twins. Like the Curt Flood Act, it's much longer than it needs to be

• because the minor leagues have such clout in Congress that no baseball antitrust bill can pass without saying in about three different ways that it will have no effect on the minors.

Nobody wants to be portrayed as the Representative who killed the local AA team, even though the recent experience of independent minors like the Northern League suggests the minors could survive on their own."

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Marvin Miller on XM re opting out of "Banana Republic" Hall of Fame voting system

The previous 80-member Veterans Committee wasn't anxious to open Hall of Fame doors to newcomers but gave Marvin Miller a 63% approval on its most recent vote prior to 2007. Miller said to his knowledge, no one has ever gotten to this amount and not received at least 75% on his next vote (guaranteeing entrance to the Hall). Miller had long ago been told by an MLB big wig he'd see to it he'd never get in the Hall. That was accomplished by:

• Reducing the number of voters from 80 to 12, and

• Selecting the correct voters for a desired result.

Miller said, which should be obvious, the panel of electors was rigged to achieve a certain result (not saying it specifically involved him, but perhaps to insure someone else would gain entrance).

• That the 80 member Veterans Committee was simply abolished and stacked with only 12 voters, most guaranteed to vote a certain way, Miller comments:

You wouldn't even expect to see this kind of thing from a 2-bit dictator in a Banana Republic.

• 3 selected to judge Miller were collusionists who had been found guilty.

Dibs and Kevin ask Mr. Miller what he thought of the "Mitchell Report:"

• The way the media has treated steroids and HGH, I don't believe a pill can make a super athlete. None of these people writing about it including the New York Times or George Mitchell has any experience or scientific knowledge to deal with this.

Miller questions some ways the NY Times has written about the story. He says, they'll write, "the Senator said," which is wrong, he's not a senator. More importantly, he's not a scientist. We're dealing with a scientific question here. A former prosecutor or senator, or me (Mr. Miller speaking of himself) or just anyone should not be listened to in this area.

• The idea is nonsense, close to scandalous. Mitchell was wrong to take statements (and make them public in the manner he did) about those who've not had a chance to respond to their accuser, to damage the people involved. He should know this. (4:50 PM, interview ends, Dibs and Kevin thank him). *****************

The 12 voters on the 2007 Hall of Fame Veterans/Pioneers panel, 3 of whom--which 3 is not known-- voted for Marvin Miller:

• Monte Irvin, Harmon Killebrew, Bobby Brown, John Harrington, Jerry Bell, Bill DeWitt, Bill Giles, David Glass, Andy MacPhail, Paul Hagen, Rick Hummel, and Hal McCoy.

Allan H. "Bud" Selig has been on the Hall of Fame's Board of Directors for 32 years, having been elected in 1976....

• From AP report following APSE meeting, 4/24/08:

"(Donald) Fehr said changes in the format of the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee made it a

• "foregone conclusion that Marvin Miller would never be elected."

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Marvin Miller on XM with Dibs and Kevin

Mr. Miller was on for about 20 minutes, made a number of interesting comments, Dibs and Kevin both say that Miller should be in the Hall of Fame if in fact it's a "museum" as they note Jeff Idelson described it. From William C. Rhoden, New York Times, 5/22/08:

• "(Hall of Fame President Jeff) Idelson said he understood Miller’s disappointment.

• “Marvin has always been very proud

• and very emotional,” Idelson said.

• “And I have no doubt it hurt him that he wasn’t elected,"....

"Lion Who Made Players Roar Faces the Quiet," by William C. Rhoden, NY Times, 5/22/08

• Marvin Miller referenced the idea he was supposedly "emotional." Said for 20 years he'd been left off the ballot entirely and never said anything to anyone about it, so is ridiculous he's all of a sudden "emotional."

Dibs mentions Miller retired in 1982. I took other notes about the interview which I'll post later. Perhaps someone will be able to post a transcript.

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Atlanta Braves considering free gas promotion

(AJC): "At the onset of the team's peak attendance period — Memorial Day weekend through mid-August — the Braves admit they don't know how $4-per-gallon gas in a slow economy will affect trips to the ballpark.

• So far, they say the biggest impact they've seen from the economic downturn was a disproportionate number of season-ticket cancellations by customers in housing-related businesses. But with summer attendance typically boosted by out-of-towners, team officials now have a wary eye on gas prices.

Figuring some fans might prefer free fuel to, say, a bobblehead, the Braves are talking with gas retailers about a potential promotion in which gas gift cards would come with some ticket packages."....

• From Atlanta Journal Constitution article by Tim Tucker, 5/23/08, "Economy Worries Teams; Gas Giveaways Possible."

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Randy Levine and the Yankees--humiliated by the Red Sox again

Randy Levine and the Yankees should not be surprised that the Red Sox have once again shown them to be inattentive patsies, easily humiliated at the biggest moments. Levine has been hard at work for a year on the upcoming All Star game and HAD NO IDEA a Red Sox star hitter had been chosen for a big promotion linking Babe Ruth and the Home Run Derby, per the NY Times.

• The Yankees have inattentive and/or insufficient supervision at their new stadium to the point where memorabilia from the Red Sox was embedded in the concrete of the stadium, with rumors now even more stuff is buried.

The Yankees and the YES Network were easily fooled by ESPN who broadcast an important Yankee press conference in October 2006. The Yankees had "asked them not to" but they did anyway, the Yankees only meekly protested. The YES Network themselves had even refrained from broadcasting contents of the press conference live.

• Then the minor issue of the Radomski/McNamee names, the separate treatment by MLB of documented offenders who didn't make that list but still made the Mitchell Report--no protest from the Yankees. These actions took place well before the actual "report" came out, i.e. certain players interviewed by MLB excused from having to speak to Mitchell.

A 4/11/08 AP Report says "names" will never again be announced in this manner (grand ballroom, worldwide press, etc.) meaning the method was acknowledged to be unethical. Result?

• Players lucky enough not to have been "named" at that time, never have to worry they'll be subject to the same treatment, slander and libel as were Yankee players and teams. Handy.

The Yankees and Randy Levine are sitting ducks for every joke and humiliation coming down the pike. Out of the loop in every way. Let them flutter around, too little and too late.

• Reference: NY Times article by Jack Curry, "Who's Calling the Shots--the Yankees or Ortiz?" 5/23/08

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Joe Girardi's 100th Win as a manager, 5/22/08

Yankees 2-1 win over the Orioles: "It was Girardi’s 100th career win as a major league manager,

• not that he was in the dugout to see the finish."...

From AP report by Ben Walker, "Cano's 2-out single in 9th Lifts Yanks Over O's," 5/22/08, published on YahooSports.com

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How to read an MLB.com article if you must

• From Helene Elliott interview in Sports Media Guide, 9/12/06:

"Q. Are writers for the league websites doing real journalism? Mlb.com for example?

• A. It's an arm of Major League Baseball. If you are an mlb.com correspondent and you start writing things critical of Bud Selig do you think you would keep your job? It may not be edited by MLB but MLB would remember what you wrote. When it came time to pick the correspondents for next season they would go in another direction.

Q. How should readers approach league sites?

• A. With healthy skepticism."

From Sports Media Guide interview with Helene Elliott, 9/12/06, last item in interview Ms. Elliott was hired as a baseball writer by the LA Times and covered the Angels for 3 years, reported on other sports as well for the LA Times, hockey 'on and off since 1980,' stated in the interview. Became a general sports columnist in September, 2006.

• Posted originally here 9/6/07

One voice, one government, no questions. Lots of money.

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Hank: Alright, if nobody will notice me, how about this?

Mark Herrmann, Newsday on the upcoming absence of Joba Chamberlain in the crucial set-up role:

• "Sure. Anybody would be thrilled to put a game, and the season, in the hands of
• Kyle Farnsworth.
• This observer always has believed that if you have someone who is the best anywhere at what they do, you should keep them in that job.

Newsday, 5/21/08, "Thanks to Steinbrenner, Chamberlain Will Get Start," Mark Herrmann

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AP, Selig's stenographer

AP should just call it, "From the desk of Allan H. Selig."

• NEW YORK (AP) -- "With games seeming to run longer each year, Major League Baseball on Wednesday asked teams to help enforce speed-up rules already on the books.

A nine-inning game is averaging 2 hours, 51 minutes, 42 seconds this season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. That's only 29 seconds longer than last season, but 5 1/2 minutes longer than five years ago."...

• For added drama AP chooses this stat, without elaboration:

(AP): "In 1981, an average game took 2:33."...

• Why include this ancient stat without providing any context, such as television commercials, endless promotional announcements,

environmental ceremonies and lectures by Robert Redford co-sponsored by MLB, appearances by EPA hacks, the Governor of Pennsylvania, etc. to push all the Hollywood and government grift MLB loves to do?

• Reference AP article published on SportingNews.com, "MLB Orders Teams to Pick Up the Pace," 5/21/08; AND
• AP article published in USA Today, "MLB Asks Teams to Enforce Rules, Speed Up Games."

***In the longest 9 inning game played (4:45) there were 93 foul balls hit. Did AP/Selig address the problem of foul balls???

• (The NY Times version of this story was more factual. "Quick Reminder to Speed Up Games," by Michael S. Schmidt).

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Notes from the evening

• Sutcliffe, ESPN, Mets-Braves: 8th inning, says Jose Reyes was not ready for a ball that went by him and should have been. Billy Wagner on the mound.

• O'Brien: Only 1 Mets error officially tonight, but there have been several bad plays.

• Earlier in the game they noted bad play by Delgado at first. (I noticed a similar lazy missed play by Beltran). I root for the Mets when they're not playing the Yankees. Unfortunately Mets fans are stuck with Delgado and Beltran both of whom since day 1 have given less than minimum effort on all fronts.

****************************** I'm now prepared for the addition of another umpire to all MLB games, which won't necessarily result in more accurate calls (such as disputed home runs). The reason: Dave O'Brien floated the idea on MLB's business partner, ESPN. ******************

• XM MLB provides home games with the home team's announcers, eg tonight's Orioles-Yankee game was heard with voices of John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman. XM occasionally deletes the Yankee home game post game show which includes clubhouse report by Suzyn Waldman. Tonight was one of those nights. They gave no announcement, just went to a replay of an interview about another team.

Fortunately, I wasn't in my car and was able to turn on the Yankee feed on my computer to hear the post game show. In Suzyn's report, she announced Joba was officially being converted to a starter.

• If I had counted on XM radio, I would have missed this important part of the game.

P.S. Yankees lose. Let's see all those multiple inning, runners-on-base, and back to back days Farnsworth said would be no problem.

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Robinson Cano--Bowa: "work ethic wasn't good"

Dibs and Kevin bring up that Cano wasn't in position for Jeter's throw last night, (which the guys on Orioles radio also said in their post game), that he's not doing a lot of other things including hustling to first, not focusing in general.

• Dibs and Kevin replay an interview with Larry Bowa when he was with the Yankees and discusses Cano:

Bowa: "Cano's work ethic wasn't good when I got to the Yankees and I was told that."

• So he (Bowa) worked with Cano on fielding and it made a difference.

Dibs and Kevin note Cano has gone back to his old ways, now that he got the big contract. Dibs says one coach should be assigned to work with Cano in all phases of the game. Says somebody's got to get to him.

• June 3, 2007, Bob Klapisch: "Robinson Cano Will Break Your Heart."

P.S. The "Robinson" in his name was for Jackie Robinson.

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How about 5 bucks for each pitch you don't swing at?

Bottom of the 5th, 10-0 Orioles over Yankees. Suzyn Waldman notes Yankees making it easy on Daniel Cabrera by swinging at the 1st or 2nd pitch. Jose Molina comes to the plate, 2 outs. Ground ball out, first pitch swinging. Best: Bottom of the 9th, 2 men on. Morgan Ensberg in his first AB of the night. Swings at the first pitch, GIDP. Game over.

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Certified Al Gore presenter installed solar panels for Red Sox

(5/20/08): "The type of solar hot water panels being installed (in Fenway Park) are the GOBI line of solar flat-plate collectors.

• The panels were installed by groSolar,

a leader in solar energy systems"... located in Vermont. (From Facility Blog)

• groSolar CEO Jeffery Wolfe "is one of only 1,000 people in the U.S. trained in presenting Al Gore's climate change presentation."...

• "Jeff (Wolfe) for instance, happens to be a certified presenter of An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore’s Oscar-winning documentary about climate change.

• "The Red Sox were advised on the solar thermal panel project by the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF)." (Facility Blog, 5/20/08)

"For the first time this year, the Academy Awards were carbon neutral - renewable energy credits were purchased from

• Bonneville Environmental Foundation to offset carbon emissions from

• the pre-show,

• the red-carpet event,

• the Oscar telecast, and

• the Governors' Ball." (2/26/07) ens-newswire.com

Facility Blog item via BTF

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Overheard on Braves' radio today

Braves play by play guy saying (Mets') "Brian Schneider is a

• cerebral catcher."

Mets beat reporter said so earlier this year:

• (3/19/08, Asbury Park Press): "Both Maine and Santana said they enjoyed working with Schneider and liked how he called a game....When the Mets opted not to re-sign Paul Lo Duca, their thinking was to go after a

• cerebral and defensive-oriented catcher."...

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The rest of the story

In 2004 the Yankees paid $85 million in revenue sharing on $315 million in revenues per AP report on ESPN.com.

• Sports Business Daily's front page Monday (5/19/08) notes a report 2007 Yankee Stadium income passed $319 million. It does not mention the amount the team will pay to MLB in revenue sharing, but using the 27% figure from 2004 it would be about $86 million. SBD and other articles may go into this elsewhere, but it's not on the front page.

The Biz of Baseball 5/19/08 notes Forbes says the Yankees lost $47.3 million in 2007 due to high revenue sharing payout and high payroll. The payroll of course triggers another large sum paid back to MLB in the form of luxury tax.

• The Hardball Times, 3/5/08, estimates the Marlins take in revenue sharing will be $200 million by the end of this year.

It costs a lot to go to Yankee Stadium--that's why many fans can't afford to go. Many articles highlight how "rich" the Yankees are. It remains to be seen how long this "richness" will continue--attendance languished for many years and much of the recent "riches" make the game inaccessible to fans.

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