Mysterious Walker

R.I.P. Kid

2012-02-16T14:24:00.000-08:00

Very sad that Gary Carter passed away from brain cancer at the way too young age of 57.
He was diagnosed last May when four tumors were discovered. He fought the brave.
Of all the 1986 Mets, Carter was one of the few likeable ones. He'll always be remembered for keeping the Mets alive in Game 6 of the World Series when they were down 5-3 with two outs in the 10th only to rally and win 6-5 then take Game 7 two night's later. Carter's single sparked the rally.
People will also remember his Opening Day walk off homer in his first game as a Met in 1985 against the Cardinals at Shea Stadium.
The Expos and Mets catcher was one of the most enthusiastic players I've ever seen and I surmise that every day he was in a baseball uniform was the greatest day of his life other than being with his family.
The Kid was a Hall of Famer both on and off the field and baseball will miss him.

Nutritional System Update

2012-02-15T15:50:00.000-08:00

Last week I wrote about a nutritional system I was going to try out. It was supposed to make me lose weight, gain strength and rid my body of fat cells and toxins and all sorts of bad stuff.
I began the program on Saturday. I've followed the plan to a T. When I weighed myself before I started the program, I was 203 pounds. Not good but not hideous either. I want to get to 180-185 pounds, my baseball playing weight in college.
After three days, I lost 9 pounds by just following the system and working out. I didn't work out yesterday and this morning I weighed myself and lost 2 more pounds for a total of 11 pounds lost in 4 days.
I'll be on the program for another week and then a maintenance program thereafter. Why eat and be healthy for a week or two and then go back to being a toxic, bloated slug? I want to get to my best weight and stay that way.
I was skeptical at first when Peter Greenlaw and his son Drew introduced me to this. But I like to keep an open mind. Well, with 11 pounds of toxic fat gone, I feel great and it is only the beginning.
Looking forward to this weekend. I plan on hitting for the first time this spring and doing more baseball specific training. Being in great shape will certainly help.

The Baseball Equivalent?

2012-02-15T14:27:00.000-08:00

Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow energized and thrilled Denver fans and fans of football everywhere with his 2011 season. He proved a lot of people wrong and still there are questions about him.
Jeremy Lin of the Knicks is fast becoming the basketball version of Tebow with his dramatic performances and lifting a boring, dull and dysfunctional franchise.
Lin even says that he is inspired by Tebow.
So who will be the next guy in baseball that will set the sport on it's ears and dominated the headlines.
Almost impossible to say. These things seem to just happen with little, if any, planning.
When I think of baseball players in the past to grab the sport by storm in my lifetime, immediately Mark Fidrych comes to mind in 1976. Vida Blue in 1971. Fernando Valenzuela in 1981. Hideo Nomo for a while too. Notice they were all pitchers.
It would be nice if baseball has a Tebow/Lin type breakthrough player this season. Especially if he's with the Rockies so I can see him play in person all the time!

Rays Extend The Skip

2012-02-15T14:19:00.000-08:00

Even though I'm a Yankees fan, I really like and admire Rays Manager Joe Maddon. I love his unconventional approach and his offbeat personality.
The Rays extended his contract for three more years and the greatest manager in Tampa Bay history deserves it. I must note that there are really no other candidates for the greatest manager in Tampa Bay history tag.
Anyway, for some reason my radio co-host, Casey Bloyer, hates Joe Maddon. I don't know why and neither does Casey. He just can't stand him.
Put it this way. If the Yankees fired Joe Girardi and hired Maddon I wouldn't be upset at all. The job he did last year was incredible. He kept the team motivated and focused even when it looked like they had no shot to get into the post-season. Well, thanks to a late season surge and the Red Sox epic collapse, the Rays made it to October. Maddon totally deserved his AL Manager of the Year Award and with him at the helm, locked in for three more years, the Rays will be in the mix each season. This despite a paltry payroll and playing in a crappy stadium with few fans and free agents nowhere to be found.

Mr. 8 Batting Titles

2012-02-15T14:07:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite players ever, Tony Gwynn, had a lifetime average of .338 and collected 8 batting titles. Most people know that.
Did you know that in his 20 year career, he never hit below .309? Not once. That to me is insane. An off year for Gwynn was .309? Crazy.
Gwynn was on my mind since he had surgery yesterday to remove a malignant tumor inside his right cheek, probably caused by years of using chewing tobacco. They had to take a nerve from his shoulder and transplant it into his cheek after they had to cut through a nerve to get to the tumor. Very complex surgery and who knows what is next for the former Padre and now San Diego State baseball coach.
Gwynn's wife reports that the doctors said they removed all of the cancer and that Tony was in a good mood after the surgery.
I pray that he comes out of this healthy and that anyone who even considers using tobacco think of Tony Gwynn.
I miss watching him hit.

The Captain

2012-02-12T06:16:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered why Derek Jeter is so great? Here's a clue. He's already at spring training in Florida, well ahead of February 25th when position players are required to report. And he's been the first Yankee in camp his entire career. Mystery solved.

Crazy

2012-02-11T10:42:00.000-08:00

The Rangers signed outfielder Nelson Cruz to a 2-year, 16-million dollar contract. For you mathematics wizards out there, that works out to 8-million per season.
Here is how crazy baseball salaries have become.
My first thought upon hearing the Cruz news? That's it?

Harden Hurting

2012-02-11T10:30:00.000-08:00

If Rich Harden wasn't the victim of arm trouble throughout his career, we would be talking about him as one of the better pitchers this past decade. Even with many arm ailments he has more strikeouts to innings pitched and in his career (949 K's, 928 IP). He's also served up just 781 hits while compiling a 59-38 record with a 3.76 ERA. Imagine if he didn't have arm trouble.
Some guys are simply durable and some aren't. Harden falls into the latter category.
I could never understand why the Athletics, Cubs and Rangers didn't move him into the bullpen to limit his innings. Could Harden have stayed healthier as a reliever? I don't know but it might have been something that should have been explored. Maybe Harden was against such a move. I don't know.
But what is known is that to beat Harden, just get his pitch count up and get him out of the game in the fifth or sixth inning. He hasn't thrown a complete game in six years.
Right now that's all a moot point. Harden will undergo season ending surgery in his right shoulder. And the season hasn't even started yet. Good move though. He's been pitching with a bum shoulder for the past four years and he might as well get it taken care of now in hopes of resuming his career next year. He's only 30 years old. If all goes well he could have several more good years left. Hopefully that's the case.

Nutritional System

2012-02-11T10:23:00.001-08:00

I started a new nutrition program today. The plan for me is too be healthier, stronger and faster for old guy's baseball. The season starts in 7-weeks and I've been working out and getting back in shape. This cleansing stuff is supposed to help me lose toxins, weight and make me stronger and more flexible. Sign me up.
Two guys, Peter Greenlaw and his son Drew, met me at the radio station the other day, to explain how this all works. The meeting lasted an hour and a half so I won't go into too many details here. But if it works for me, they want me to endorse it on the air. They also said if I follow the program it will work and I will be astounded at the results.
I'm anxious to see how it goes. I'm very optimistic and I'll post updates on my progress on this blog.

Mustain

2012-02-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

When I last thought much about Mitch Mustain was in late November of 2010. He was quarterbacking Southern Cal against Notre Dame. He was backing up the injured Matt Barkley and was at the end of his eligibility rope.
One of the most sought after quarterbacking recruits in the country, Mustain began his career, in 2006 at Arkansas. He led the Razorbacks to an 8-0 record in his starts as a freshman. However, because he had a trio of future NFL running backs, Darren McFadden, Felix Jones and Peyton Hillis, the offense didn't revolve around the freshman QB. This apparently annoyed Mustain's mom and he eventually had a falling out with Arkansas Head Coach Houston Nutt and transferred to Southern Cal. I'm sure they had visions of Heisman Trophies and personal glory dancing in their heads. However, the Trojans had Mark Sanchez and then Barkley and Mustain rotted on the bench the rest of his career, except for the previously mentioned Notre Dame game, which he lost.
His pro football career went nowhere.
So why do I mention Mustain here?
The Chicago White Sox have signed the 23-year old to a minor league contract after he threw 90-mph in a tryout. He hasn't played baseball in eight years.
This is a no-lose situation for the White Sox. If he flames out, so what. They didn't lose much. If he increases his velocity, which is likely since his future workouts will be baseball specific, they might have a sleeper on his hands. And it isn't as if he was idle for eight years. He was playing college football. Or at least he was on a team.
For some reason I really hope it works out for Mustain and I think it very well could. He's got another shot and I hope he makes the best of it since football didn't pan out as was expected.

Fraud Can

2012-02-11T09:41:00.000-08:00

Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd is peddling a new book in which he claims he used cocaine 2/3rds of the time he pitched for the Red Sox in the mid-80s.
Okay, he wasn't the only one using cocaine back then.
While it probably was a main reason for his career ending prematurely, he blames another reason. His race. In the book he says because he is black and outspoken he didn't get the empathy and sympathy that others who had cocaine issues did.
Nobody forced him to use cocaine. And while he was usually a pretty good quote, outspoken if you will, he was also, by many indications, a crappy teammate. When you tick people off all the time and you are unreliable, as soon as you can't pitch anymore then you will be shown the door. It happens in baseball and all walks of life.
John is a great salesman but he's a jerk. Well, he'll be employed until the day his sales slack off. Then he gets cut loose.
Oil Can can pitch even though he's a pain in the ass. Well, he can't pitch anymore? Goodbye Oil Can and don't let the door hit you on the way out. That's the way it works.
Also, by pitching all those games under the influence of cocaine, he ripped off everyone who bought a ticket to see him play.
I have no interest in reading a book on Oil Can Boyd.

Russell Branyan

2012-02-11T09:31:00.000-08:00

When I saw the Yankees signed veteran third baseman/first baseman Russell Branyan to a minor league contract I thought two things.
Good. He's killed the Yankees in the past. Looking up his stats I saw that he's hit 8 home runs in the new Yankee Stadium in just 47 at-bats.
The second thing I thought of was Opening Day 2005. I was at Miller Park in Milwaukee for the Brewers home opener and Branyan hit not one but two of the longest home runs I've ever seen. Both were off Pirates righthander Kip Wells and both hit high off the centerfield video board. Had they not been impeded in flight it would have been more than 1,000 feet worth of homers.
Branyan has unreal power and although he's 36, he can't be as bad as he was last year when he hit just 5 homers with 14 RBI's with the Diamondbacks and Angels. Perhaps that was just a bad year. Maybe it was age catching up with him. But the previous two seasons, in 2009 and 2010 he belted 31 and 25 homers so I don't think he's lost it that quickly. We'll see but I think a pretty good pickup for the Yankees.

Black History Month

2012-02-08T18:36:00.000-08:00

February is Black History Month. I tease my friend Justin Adams that the reason Black History Month is in February is because it is the shortest month. He laughs since he knows that it is intended as a joke. But couldn't Black History Month been in May? Or September? Or any month that has 30 or 31 days? Why shortchange Black History Month?
Anyway, I digress.
I was wondering, since there have been so many great black baseball players over the years, if I had to pick one to sit down and have dinner with, just one player, whom would it be?
I saw Willie Mays play towards the end of his career. I saw Hank Aaron. I've seen all the greats who played from 1970 on. So I wouldn't want to sit down with any of those players. Well I would but again, I can only pick one.
The guy I would pick? The great Satchel Paige without question, just edging out Jackie Robinson.
I would just love to hear Satchel tell stories, or tall tales, and I would pick his brain. The reason I would choose Paige as a dinner companion is because he may very well be the greatest pitcher who ever lived. There are estimates that he may have won as many as 500 games. Or 600. He barnstormed all across the country. He played in the Negro Leagues, the Mexican League, the Major Leagues towards the end. If there was a game to be played, he was there.
The stories, such as Paige walking the bases loaded, then calling in his fielders followed by striking out the side are plentiful and wonderful. Did that actually happen?
There is so much mystery surrounding Paige and I find him to be perhaps the most fascinating player in baseball history. I'm totally intrigued by his career, both on the field and off.
He is the oldest player in Major League history having pitched three innings for the Kansas City Athletics in 1965 when he was 58. Or 59. Who knows. He didn't care. He said, "Age is mind over matter. If you don't mind, it don't matter."
Of course I would also talk to him about his famous rules for staying young. Here they are:
1."Avoid fried meats which angry up the blood."
2."If your stomach disputes you, lie down and pacify it with cool thoughts."
3."Keep the juices flowing by jangling around gently as you move."
4."Go very light on the vices, such as carrying on in society—the social ramble ain't restful."
5."Avoid running at all times."
6."And don't look back—something might be gaining on you."
How classic was Satchel Paige? To me Black History Month starts with him.

Jose's Dreads

2012-02-08T18:19:00.000-08:00

New Marlins shortstop Jose Reyes had his dreadlocks cut off on live TV. This to comply with the Marlins dress code. Good for the Marlins. They apparently want their players to look like ballplayers.
Someone actually bought the cut dreadlocks for $10,200. My initial thought was, "Eww, that's disgusting."
After learning that the money will benefit the Make-A-Wish foundation of Southern Florida, I thought, "Eww, that's disgusting...but great!"
Everyone wins. Make-A-Wish gets some money and Reyes now will look like a ballplayer. Well almost everyone wins. Someone actually has possession of Reyes' dreadlocks.

A Very Enjoyable Lunch

2012-02-08T17:45:00.001-08:00

Had a really nice lunch in downtown Denver yesterday with Twins scout and good friend Ed "Hendu" Henderson and Bruce Hellerstein, the owner/proprietor of B's Ballpark Museum.
We are going to broadcast our morning show, Kelley & Company, at Bruce's museum on Opening Day, April 9th. The museum is located on Blake Street and you can see the front of Coors Field from the establishment.
Bruce has one of the greatest individual collections of baseball and ballpark memorabilia in the world. The museum is something I would urge any baseball fan to visit. Unfortunately, and somewhat surprisingly, no Rockies have ever been there. It's only about 50-yards from the entrance of the stadium. Just another example of the modern day player not having much of an interest in the great history of the sport that had made them wealthy beyond belief.
In 2007, the Negro League museum had a gigantic trailer parked outside of Coors Field for a week. It was a mobile version of the museum. I went twice and it was a terrific look at the Negro Leagues, which holds an important place in baseball history and American history. Bruce told us that not one Rockies player stopped by to take a look. To Bruce, Ed and myself, that was shameful.
At lunch, Bruce was saying that while he enjoyed the Super Bowl, it doesn't give him the same thrill that baseball does. Ed and I are in total agreement.
Baseball is still the greatest game ever and some of the things we discussed backed that up.
We talked about football and basketball versus baseball. If you were to look at a football or basketball game from 60 years ago, it's a totally different game. If you were to go back in time and watch a baseball game from 1912...same game.
In baseball, you don't have to be a genetic freak to play. You can be the size of Freddie Patek, Frank Howard or anywhere in between. Size doesn't preclude anyone from playing. If you are 5'7 and want to play football or basketball, well, good luck. You won't get many opportunities, if any.
The statistics are rich and meaningful in baseball. Babe Ruth, 714 home runs. Joe DiMaggio 56-game hitting streak. Cy Young, 511 wins. Ted Williams .406 in 1941. Rogers Hornsby .424 in 1924. Roger Maris 61 in 61. Hank Aaron, 755. Numbers in baseball mean so much. How many yards did Johnny Unitas throw for? How many yards does the NFL's all-time rushing leader have? Who is the all-time rushing leader? How many points did Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have? Numbers in baseball are memorable and meaningful, not as much in other sports. That is why the steroid era in baseball and the skewered stats has upset so many baseball fans.
We were lamenting the fact that young people today don't have the same passion and love of the game that people of their age generations ago did. That's incredibly sad.
Too bad my football loving, baseball loathing radio co-host Andy Cornell wasn't there. Sitting with us would have been torture for him but it might have put a little sense in his head. Well, probably not.
Yes, three baseball loving guys, talking about the National Pastime on a cold, blustery winter day in Colorado. And to top it off, Bruce paid the tab. Thanks Bruce! Oh yeah, Hendu will get the check next time!

Hammel for Guthrie

2012-02-08T17:37:00.001-08:00

I really like the trade the Rockies and Orioles consummated that sent righthanded pitcher Jason Hammel to the Baltimores for righty Jeremy Guthrie. Colorado also threw in serviceable reliever Matt Lindstrom.
This is the classic "change of scenery" trade that could benefit both teams.
I've always liked Guthrie and felt that playing in a terrible pitcher's park for a crummy team in a division with the Yankees, Rays, Red Sox and Blue Jays, four excellent offensive ball clubs, made his stats look a lot worse than they should be.
He always took the ball for the Orioles and gave them a chance to win. But, it has been a tough road for the O's the last 15-years or so.
In the National League West, Guthrie won't have to deal with offenses like he saw in the American League plus he doesn't have to worry about a DH anymore.
Hammel could benefit from going to Baltimore. He's familiar with the division having played for the Rays. He has shown flashes in the past but could never be a consistent winner. He would have two good starts, two bad ones, a good one, a bad one and so on. He was eventually sent to the bullpen the last six weeks of the season last year. Frustrating is probably a word the Rockies would use to describe Hammel. A good teammate and solid guy, he might be able to finally get that consistency in Baltimore.
I think this could be a good trade for both teams, especially Guthrie. One problem though. If Guthrie has a good season, the Rocks will have to pony up. He's a free-agent after the season. We'll see if Colorado will sign him to an extension now or gamble and play the waiting game.

Jonathan Schwartz

2012-02-05T11:59:00.001-08:00

My dad used to listen to a radio host, on WNEW in New York, named Jonathan Schwartz. My dad liked Frank Sinatra and so did Schwartz who played his music all the time.
What I remember about Schwartz, and it just came back to me on this Super Bowl Sunday, was that he would always have a show on this day titled, "A Salute to Baseball on Super Bowl Sunday." Or something like that.
He would play baseball songs, talk about baseball and it was on this program that I first heard the song that would turn out to be my favorite baseball song, "Van Lingle Mungo."
Even though Schwartz is a New Yorker, he is a Red Sox fan and would always interview former Red Sox players. Never could understand how someone could grow up in New York but love the Red Sox. My uncle Bobby was the same way. Born and bred in the Bronx yet loved the Bostons. Weird.
I remember listening to those shows Schwartz did and getting excited for the upcoming baseball season although, in the dead of winter, to a kid, it seemed like it was months and months away.
By the way, WNEW was, at the time, the radio home of the New York Football Giants. Too bad the G-Men aren't going to be heard on WNEW-AM today. The station no longer exists. But Schwartz is still alive and kicking and probably waiting for spring training. Like the rest of us.

Ninety Feet of Perfection

2012-02-05T11:47:00.000-08:00

I recently stumbled upon a great baseball blog called 90 Feet of Perfection (http://90feetofperfection.com)
Some tremendous pictures and quotes on there and you will spend a lot of time perusing the site.
Of course, the name of the blog comes from the amazingly accurate quote from Red Smith, one of the greatest sports writers ever. Smith wrote, "Ninety feet between home plate and first base may be the closest man has ever come to perfection."
I concur completely.
I would urge you to check out the blog. It's written by a baseball loving fellow named Duane Harris.

What's The Deal?

2012-02-05T11:33:00.000-08:00

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was the victim of a shakedown artist named Louise Neathway. The 36-year old woman, whom Cashman had an extra-marital affair with, was extorting money from him and threatening to go to the media. Which she did. Apparently it's not the first time this not very attractive woman has stalked and threatened someone.
Three years ago Cashman had an affair with another woman as well.
Cashman's wife has had it and filed for divorce. She'll make out well financially in the deal.
A few years ago then Mets general manager Steve Phillips had an affair with a bloated Mets front office worker. She wasn't much to look at. The next affair Phillips had was when he was with ESPN and hooked up with a hideous looking monster named Brooke Hundley. After giving him a second chance, Marni Phillips divorced her philandering husband who was then fired by ESPN.
What is with these New York baseball general managers? Is the job so demanding that they need comfort from these skanks?
At least if you are going to cheat on your wife, make it with someone who looks like Marissa Miller or Kate Upton. At least then you can say to your wife, "Look at her. I couldn't help myself." Even the wife might silently say, "Yeah, she is pretty hot." But if I were the wife of Cashman or Phillips, I would say regarding their taste in mistresses, "With her? Really? That is what you threw your marriage away for?"
I guess these guys may have an eye for baseball talent but that's about it.

Off The Wagon

2012-02-05T11:13:00.000-08:00

The big baseball story this week was Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton having a few drinks at a Dallas restaurant.
A friend of mine said it was "no big deal."
For most people, yes, it isn't a big deal to have a few drinks, so long they aren't driving. But for Hamilton it is a huge deal.
He is a recovering drug addict and alcoholic. While some may think that drinking isn't as bad as cocaine or heroin, it could cloud his judgement enough that he goes back to those drugs. Hamilton simply has to steer clear of any and all alcohol. Period. He had an alcohol relapse in 2009 and with the one this past week, it shows that he hasn't beaten his addiction.
Hamilton is drug tested three times a week and the Rangers have someone with him just about all the time. He is a valuable commodity and he's already thrown away three years of his career due to drug suspensions.
This latest episode will likely cost him a lot of money. Yet he still fell off the wagon and flirted with the possibility of using harder drugs. It must be frustrating to him, his family and the Rangers.
Hamilton is in the final year of a contract that will pay him more than 13-million dollars this season. He's already made more than 17-million in his career although early on he blew his 4-million dollar bonus from Tampa Bay on drugs.
Can the Rangers give him a multi-year deal worth in the 100-million dollar range if he can have a sudden relapse? Can they trust him? Do they have to always baby him?
By all accounts, Hamilton is a good guy. I feel for him in some ways because I'm sure he doesn't want to keep screwing up. But he can't help himself it seems.
I hope there is a nice ending to this story and I believe there will be.
What also would be a nice story would be if Hamilton became a free agent and signed with Tampa Bay, the team that drafted him number one overall in 1999, and he rewarded their faith with a happy conclusion to his career.
I don't know what kind of demons Hamilton has floating around in his head. I just hope he can conquer them one day at a time for the rest of his life.

Super Bowl Sunday

2012-02-05T11:06:00.000-08:00

What does Super Bowl Sunday mean to you?
For me, it means once the game is over, baseball is on the horizon. Yes, pitchers and catchers will report in a couple of weeks to spring training camps in Florida and Arizona.
I'm looking forward to the Super Bowl, as I always do, but more so this year since the Giants are in it. When the Giants aren't in it, the two weeks of hype gets tedious after a day or two. At least I've been interested in the hype, kind of, the past two weeks since my team is in the spotlight.
Sudden thought. My least liked football team, by far, is the Eagles. I hate the Cowboys and Redskins too but the Eagles really get under my skin. Hate is a good thing in sports. If you hate an individual like I hate the Eagles then that probably is not a good thing. Too much wasted energy and the person you hate likely doesn't care that you hate them. Anyway, hate in sports is good for rivalries and such.
So, if the Giants win the Super Bowl today, then they will have 4 Super Bowl titles to the Eagles none. That makes me feel real good. Also, the Eagles last NFL title was in 1960. So in my lifetime, the Eagles have never won a championship. That makes me feel very good. I hope it stays that way.
Oh yeah, once the game is over it's baseball, with the NCAA tournament and Stanley Cup playoffs on my sports radar. I'm looking forward to it.

Don't Be Stupid Oakland

2012-01-31T12:53:00.000-08:00

The Oakland Athletics are thinking about signing Manny Ramirez? Really?
With all the young, impressionable players the A's have, signing steroid cheat and first class moron Manny Ramirez would be the dumbest move in the history of baseball. Well, one of them. The Mets sending Nolan Ryan to the Angels for a washed up Jim Fregosi was pretty bad.
How stupid would the signing of Ramirez be? More idiotic than Ramirez getting busted for steroids...not once but twice!
I cannot understand why any team would sign Ramirez never mind the A's.
Oakland isn't going anywhere this season. They will be lucky not to lose 100 games this season. Why not let a younger player develop and get valuable at-bats than to give playing time to a washed up has-been and clubhouse cancer like Ramirez. If Billy Beane signs Ramirez then every copy of the book and movie "Moneyball" should be seized and dumped into an active volcano.
It is my hope that no team signs him and he just goes away for good.
And for the Hall of Fame for Manny? No. No. And no.

AL Is A Beast

2012-01-31T12:47:00.000-08:00

Quick, the best team in the American League heading into spring training?
There is not one team that stands out as the favorite or best team. There are six teams in the mix.
The Angels and Rangers should be an awesome battle for West supremacy all season.
In the East, the Yankees, Rays and Red Sox will be in the hunt. I would give a slight edge to the Yanks but with those teams, who knows.
In the Central, the Tigers seem to be the class of that division.
I wouldn't be surprised if any of the six above teams won the AL pennant. I would be very surprised if a different team does.
Which team, other than the ones listed above has the best shot to advance to the World Series?
I don't know. Indians? White Sox? Blue Jays?
Should be a fun summer in the American League.

Tony Plush

2012-01-31T12:42:00.000-08:00

A sudden thought came to me a few moments ago. That was, which Major Leaguer would I most like to punch in the face?
It took all of 10-second to come to my conclusion. Nyger Morgan of the Brewers, who's alter ego is Tony Plush.
Morgan just bothers me and gets under my skin as he does with many other people. I'm not alone in that.
Would I punch him in the face? Sure...if there was no way he would retaliate and if I was immune from punishment.
Actually, if Morgan/Plush reads this he'll probably come find me when the Brewers visit Coors Field this upcoming season. If he throws the first punch I'll gladly fire back. Although, with his hockey playing background, I'd likely be on a liquid diet for six weeks. Seriously, this guy bugs me to no end and it's kind of unhealthy to be thinking about punching him in the mug. Don't you think? What is wrong with me?

V-Mart Smarting

2012-01-31T12:07:00.000-08:00

The Tigers are glad that they have Prince Fielder in their lineup now that it looks as if DH, sometimes catcher, Victor Martinez will be done for the year and who knows how long after that.
He tore his ACL doing off-season conditioning. He had microfracture surgery on the left knee last week and he'll need another operation on the knee in 6 to 8 weeks. His catching days could be over.
Detroit will miss his bat terribly. He knocked in 103 runs while hitting a robust .330. Tough deal for Martinez and the Tigers.

Kim Gone

2012-01-31T12:05:00.000-08:00

Yankees field reporter Kim Jones has left the YES network.
My only comment...YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!
I know, that was mean.

Thanks To The Caseman

2012-01-28T09:52:00.001-08:00

Last Sunday night, while preparing for our radio show, I was sitting in my back studio when co-host Casey Bloyer showed up with a white paper bag.
He handed me the bad and said, "This is for you."
I reached into the bag and pulled out a baseball in a fancy display case. The ball had been autographed by my childhood hero, the late Bobby Murcer.
"I know he was your guy so I thought you'd want it," Casey said.
Casey used to work in the sports memorabilia business and he had the letter of authenticity to back it. Plus, the company he worked for at the time held private signings to insure the signatures were legit.
We have a segment on the show called "Chum and Bum" and I meant to give Casey a "Chum" for his generosity and thoughtfulness. But I forgot. He gets a "Chum" here and he'll get another one on the next show.
I have pictures and baseball cards of Bobby Murcer. Of course I have the memories of him playing that can never be taken away. I also have the memory of meeting Murcer on a few occasions. But I never had his autograph. I was too shy to ask for one. Now, I have that autograph and it is proudly displayed in my studio for all visitors to see.
Thanks Caseman.

One Of My Faves

2012-01-28T09:42:00.000-08:00

I haven't written about the retirement of Craig Counsell who recently moved into the Brewers front office after a 16-year career.
He wasn't the greatest player ever or the most impressive. But he was a guy who was a grinder and the kind of serviceable player every team could use.
Counsell will always be remembered for scoring the winning run in the last two World Series that ended with a hit. In 1997 he scored on the series clinching hit by Edgar Renteria that won it for the Marlins and then in 2001, Luis Gonzalez' bloop hit scored Counsell and lifted the Diamondbacks to the title.
Of course most people will remember Counsell for his awkward and painful looking lefty batting stance. Bat held high as could be, back arched, peeking around his right arm, I have no idea how he could hit that way.
I've always admired scrappy, winning ballplayers and Counsell was that type. He got every bit of potential out of his ability. One day he'll make a really good manager.

BR's Current Power Rankings

2012-01-28T09:26:00.003-08:00

My mind is drifting to October and the World Series. Who knows who will be in the Fall Classic? A lot of things will happen in the next 10 months.
Anyway, with nothing better to do right now, I'll rank the teams, from 1-30, I think have the best chance to win the World Series. I guess you would call these my current power rankings.
1-Rangers
2-Phillies
3-Angels
4-Yankees
5-Tigers
6-Giants
7-Rays
8-Braves
9-Cardinals
10-Red Sox
11-Brewers
12-Marlins
13-Diamondbacks
14-Blue Jays
15-Reds
16-Indians
17-Nationals
18-Dodgers
19-White Sox
20-Rockies
21-Cubs
22-Mariners
23-Royals
24-Orioles
25-Padres
26-Pirates
27-Twins
28-Athletics
29-Mets
30-Astros

Cuban 0-3

2012-01-28T09:07:00.000-08:00

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was shot down again in his bid to buy a Major League franchise.
This time his effort to purchase the Dodgers was denied. Previously, he tried to buy the Rangers and Cubs.
Baseball simply doesn't want an outspoken owner like Cuban in their club. He'll be vocal, visable and innovative. That doesn't jive with the staid world of baseball owners.
No doubt, Cuban would be a great owner. He's proven that by taking a Mavericks franchise that was an NBA laughing stock and turned them into perennial contenders, including the NBA championship last season. He's also very fan friendly and seems to enjoy being a fan himself.
Would you rather have Mark Cuban own your baseball team or the idiots who run the Mets?
Commissioner for life Bud Selig should be ashamed that they have blackballed Mark Cuban from becoming a Major League Baseball owner.

Mr. Drab

2012-01-28T08:49:00.000-08:00

The Twins will retire the number 10, worn by two time World Series winning manager Tom Kelly.
What do I remember most about Kelly?
He never smiled. He never showed any emotion. He just sat there like a frog on a lilly pad. Even when they won the World Series and his players celebrated like little kids on the field, Kelly just sat stoicly on the bench.
His interviews were basically mumble sessions. I'll be honest, I don't know how he could lead a team to one World Series title, nevermind two.
Well, good for Tom Kelly and I hope he enjoys his number retirement ceremony. I just hope he can crack a smile and maybe even utter an interesting sound bite. Or two. But that might be asking a lot.

Kyle Williams

2012-01-28T08:41:00.000-08:00

I didn't realize it at the time but Kyle Williams, the guy whose two turnovers in the NFC championship game helped the Giants beat the 49ers, is the son of White Sox General Manager Ken Williams.
Following the game last Sunday, Williams received numerous death threats. Really? How sick and disturbing is that? If you send a death threat to an athlete for simply losing a game, how crappy must your life be? Maybe you should turn that death threat around and take yourself out instead.
While sports is great and is supposed to be fun, it certainly has its share of ups and downs from a fans point of view. Williams fumbles against the Giants were a down moment for 49ers fans, no question. But to send a guy death threats? That's beyond crossing the line.
Hopefully, Kyle Williams will come out of this stronger. At least he'll be able to get free tickets to see the White Sox this season to take his mind off football.
I wonder if he should have played baseball instead. He might be thinking the same thing too.

Prince in Motown

2012-01-28T08:27:00.000-08:00

Finally, Prince Fielder has a home and that home is Detroit where he spent much time as a youth when his dad Cecil was banging out home runs. Same city, different ballpark.
All it took for the Tigers to land Fielder was a 9-year, 214-million dollar deal, which works out to a little more than 23-million per season.
Funny, we hardly bat an eye anymore when a guy signs a contract to that magnitude these days. It's just business as usual.
One might look at Fielder's portly physique and wonder if 9-years was too long. I wouldn't want to give any player that long a contract. Too much can go wrong. But with Fielder, it is important to note that in his six full seasons with the Brewers, the fewest amount of games he played in was 157. In the last three seasons he's missed just one game. He's durable despite his 5'11, 275 pound (listed) frame. Plus, he's only 27. He'll turn 28 in may so he is just entering his prime. As the contract enters the final years, he can always DH. Again, 9-years is a lot but Fielder might be one of the few guys who warrants a deal that length.
The question is what to do with Miguel Cabrera. Right now the plan for the Tigers is to put him at third base. He'll probably have to lose a little weight and shape up somewhat to be effective there.
Not every player likes being moved. Just ask Hanley Ramirez who squawked about playing third when the Marlins signed Jose Reyes.
If Cabrera makes the move smoothly, you might as well give the AL Central to the Tigers right now. Right? Well, not so fast. It's baseball. You never know. But right now you have to make the Tigers the favorites in that less than daunting division.

Yu Makes Grand Entrance

2012-01-28T08:15:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. A lot has been happening in baseball of late but I've been swamped with work and other stuff.
Was in Dallas last week for the book launch of "Sports Talk: The Personality Behind The Personalities." The event was great, sold some books with co-author David Brody and a splendid time was had by all. Also had a book signing in Castle Rock, Colorado this week so I haven't had much time to update this blog.
While in Dallas, I was hoping to take a trip to the Rangers ballpark in Arlington but didn't have time.
However, we did have time to go see the "Grassy Knoll" in Dealey Plaza where President Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963. Very surreal to be there. It gives one a different perspective from what you see in pictures. Thanks to Courtney Lynch for taking us there and sharing some conspiracy theories with David and me.
Also while in Dallas, the Rangers had a press conference to announce the signing of Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish. While getting off the plane in Texas, Darvish, 25, was wearing a T-shirt with what appeared to be a marijuana leaf on it. Not the smartest thing in the world I would think.
Darvish doesn't look like most Japanese players. He's 6'5 and in his time in Japan compiled a 93-38 record with a 1.99 ERA. That's impressive in any league.
Time will tell if he's the real deal but my suspicions are he is. Nolan Ryan and the Rangers aren't going to throw money around for someone who 'might' be good. The Rangers paid a 52-million dollar posting fee to Yu's Japanese team, the Nippon Ham Fighters and are forking 60-million over 6-years to Darvish. That's a big investment for any team. If he pans out, Darvish will make Rangers fans forget C.J. Wilson pretty quickly.

Reading Material

2012-01-14T21:48:00.000-08:00

It is the time of year when every time I go to the supermarket I have to stop at the magazine section to look for the baseball preview magazines.
I'm getting the itch.
Every year I get the Sporting News Baseball Yearbook and the Athlons preview issue.
So far, nothing. Which is fine I suppose since most teams rosters aren't even compiled yet and there are still free agents out there, like Prince Fielder, still waiting to land on a team.
The longer the wait the more accurate the magazines should be. But I still get impatient, probably out of habit.
I'm ready for pitchers and catchers to report.

Stick to Softball?

2012-01-14T21:25:00.000-08:00

I thought immediately of Kansas City Royals first base coach Doug Sisson today when I read that George Steinbrenner's daughter Jennifer hurt herself at Yankees fantasy camp in Tampa, Florida.
She apparently hurt her leg running out a ground ball at a camp for women.
Now back to Sisson.
Doug, who I nicknamed "The Sizzler" back in 1994 when I was announcing minor league baseball, had one of the all-time great quotes that year.
Rick Schultz, my broadcast partner, was annoyed that he couldn't go on a road trip with me because he had to stay behind to broadcast a women's baseball game at Dutchess Stadium in New York. Rick was worried about how he would fill the time if the game was boring. I suggested he get a comment from Sisson on women's baseball before he left on the road trip.
Doug said, "I think it's nice that they want to attempt it. Obviously it's going to be well below the standards that anybody is used to seeing because physically they can't play baseball like the men do. And they're limited in certain areas, but again, more power to them for giving it a shot. But that's why there's softball so women can compete at something."
So maybe Steinbrenner's daughter should just stick to softball.
As for that long ago women's game in 1994 that Rick broadcast? He said it was, "Terrible. Just awful. You wouldn't believe how bad it was. They couldn't play and it took four and a half hours to finish. I ran out of things to say in the second inning. It was bad."

Fielder On The Loose

2012-01-14T21:10:00.000-08:00

The Cubs say that free agent first baseman Prince Fielder won't be suiting up for them this season. Cubs fans have to be disappointed to hear that since he would do some serious damage at Wrigley Field. But I'll reserved judgement on that since team President Theo Epstein has a plan and a track record.
Where will Fielder end up?
He met with the Texas Rangers and the thought of him in that lineup is frightening. Not only would he be surrounded by great hitters, he would be slugging in a very hitter friendly ballpark. Speaking on behalf of the rest of the American League, I hope he doesn't sign with Texas.
The Nationals remain in the hunt to land the portly, yet durable first baseman. He would certainly propel Washington into contender status. They are a team that is getting better and with a healthy Stephen Stasburg and the arrival soon of Bryce Harper the Nats will be a handful, especially if they get Fielder.

Jack Denied Again

2012-01-14T20:51:00.000-08:00

For the 13th consecutive year, pitcher Jack Morris didn't garner the 75-percent of the votes needed to be elected to the Hall of Fame.
Does Morris belong in the Hall? Hell yes he belongs.
Unlike my previous post when I said that I didn't view Barry Larkin as a future Hall of Famer when he was playing, the opposite is true of Jack Morris. His complete game, 10-inning shutout in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series cememted my belief that he was a future Hall of Famer.
If you read the "New Hall Members?" post I made last Saturday you'll understand my conspiracy theory on what is keeping Morris out of the Hall.
By the way, I think the voting for the Hall of Fame should be revamped. The fact that only writers vote for the Hall of Fame bothers me. Broadcasters should also get to vote. Vin Scully doesn't have a Hall of Fame vote? Marty Brennaman doesn't have a vote? Same with Bob Costas, Jerry Coleman and all the other great announcers don't have a say in who gets into the Hall of Fame of the sport they covered? I don't get it.
By the way, Eric Young, Javy Lopez and Brad Radke got Hall of Fame votes. Nice job writers, nice job.

Larkin Gets The Call

2012-01-14T20:41:00.000-08:00

The newest member of the baseball Hall of Fame is former Reds shortstop Barry Larkin. When you saw Larkin play did you think "future Hall of Famer?"
I didn't.
But he did get 86-percent of the vote in his third year of eligibility but I will say that he's not the kind of Hall of Famer that gets me excited. He was very good, don't get me wrong but I don't think he was an all-time great.

No More Calzones

2012-01-14T20:31:00.000-08:00

My old guy's baseball team had a big meeting today at Johnny's New York Pizza in Lakewood, Colorado, located on Wadsworth Avenue, just north of Mississippi. Even though John, the proprietor is a Mets fan, I don't mind giving him a plug for a couple of reasons. He isn't like most obnoxious Mets fans so I actually like him. Plus, his food is outstanding.
Well, last year our team, the Orioles made the playoffs but fizzled out shortly after. Our player/manager Steve Brouwer has made a few key off-season acquisitions and I think we'll be a contending club. However, we are no longer the Orioles. Our new name is the Rattlers. Personally, I wish we stayed the Orioles since I don't feel like shelling out more money to buy a new uniform.
I've started my off-season workouts and I find that as I get older I need to work harder. But the harder I work the more I need time to recover.
Today at our meeting I had a meatball calzone which is what I normally get at Johnny's. But since I'm in training I think this will be the last calzone I eat for a while. To say they are filling would be an understatement. It's like eating a football. So for now, it is with great sadness that I say goodbye to Johnny's meatball calzones. But I'll be back.

New Excuse

2012-01-14T20:22:00.000-08:00

Apparently six teams are interested in Cuban baseball prospect and defector Yoenis Cespedes. Those teams being both Chicago teams, the Orioles, Marlins, Tigers and Indians. Surprisingly the Yankees and Red Sox have not been mentioned by Cespedes' agent. Usually they get mentioned to drive up the price.
Anyway, Cespedes, who defected to the Dominican Republic played his first game in the Dominican Winter League Thursday and struck out three times. After the game he said, "It's been 10 months since I last played a night game and I need time to adapt."
I'm probably being a little harsh on him but come on, don't drop the I haven't played in a night game in 10-months excuse. That's weak.
There is speculation that the 26-year old could command a contract from a Major League team in the vicinity of 30-million dollars.

Quality For Quality

2012-01-14T20:06:00.000-08:00

Hated to see the Yankees trade catcher Jesus Montero to the Mariners. The guy can mash and will be one of the best hitters in baseball in short order for both power and average.
However, to get something good you have to give up something good and getting young righthander Michael Pineda, a guy who has top end of the rotation ability.
Pineda, a rookie last season, was 9-10 for the punchless Mariners with an ERA of 3.74. He faded a bit down the stretch but a lot of rookie pitchers do. His hits to innings pitched ration was outstanding (133 hits/171 innings) and he struck out 173. Plus, he has good control, walking only 55. CC Sabathia and Pineda will be a nice 1-2 combination for the Yanks, something they thought they would have when they signed the disappointing A.J. Burnett. Disappointing would be a nice way to put it. Pineda can also wear Sabathia's hand me down pants. The soon to be 23-year old is 6'7, 260 pounds.
The Mariners need Montero's bat. Not a great defensive catcher, he'll likely DH. But he'll provide some desperately needed offense. In a brief showing with the Yanks last season, the 21-year old hit .328 with 4 homers and 12 RBI's in just 61 AB's.
This looks like a deal that will help both teams.

Ben Petrick

2012-01-07T15:55:00.000-08:00

Just read a riveting article on former Rockies catcher Ben Petrick, written by Steve Wolf on espn.com.
The article details Petrick's battle with Parkinson's disease which robbed him of his career but not his attitude or the way he lives his life.
I remember Petrick as a very polite and quiet young player when I spoke to him a few times in the Rockies Coors Field clubhouse. I never would have or could have suspected that he had the onset of Parkinson's and the article shows he he tried to hide it from people.
I would recommend you read the article. It will educate you on this hideous disease and will also let you into the world of a very strong, courageous guy.
Petrick also has written a book about his life. The book is titled "Forty Thousand To One." You can get the book at www.BenPetrick.com.

New Hall Members?

2012-01-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

Will Barry Larkin or Jack Morris get the call on Monday alerting them that they are the newest members of the baseball Hall of Fame?
Larkin and Morris should have already been elected to the Hall of Fame. This will be Larkin's 3rd year on the ballot and Morris' 13th.
Let's suppose Morris gets elected. Why wasn't he Hall of Fame material on his first, fourth, eighth or eleventh time on the ballot but suddenly in year 13 he is? Why?
Same with Ron Santo who was elected last month by the Veteran's committee. Why wasn't he elected years earlier. It almost seems like there was a conspiracy to keep him out until he died.
Jim Rice made it on his 15th and final year on the writers ballot. His stats didn't get better after he retired. Did the writers decide not to elect him until his final opportunity because he was salty to the media?
Morris wasn't a pal of the media either. He had his prickly side. Do the writers make him wait and sweat it out until his 15th and final year too? Do they bypass him altogether and let the veterans committee deal with him?
Morris was a Hall of Fame pitcher. No doubt about that. He belongs in the Hall of Fame and if he doesnt' get in on Monday then the writers should be ashamed of themselves...again. Larkin should get in as well.

Big Z

2012-01-07T14:59:00.000-08:00

Baseball history is littered with head cases. After all, you could say that the people who play the game are simply a microcosm of society and if you read the papers, watch the news on TV or just walk around the shopping mall you will see a multitude of headcases and wack jobs.
With that in mind, the Cubs finally rid themselves of their biggest head case in recent memory with the trading of Carlos Zambrano to the Marlins for righthander Chris Volstad, a guy who was 5-13 last season with an ERA close to five.
Obviously, new GM Theo Epstein is cleaning house and Zambrano had to go. Despite 9 consecutive winning seasons and a 125-81 record with the Cubs, Big Z was also a Big D...distraction. With Zambrano making 18-million dollars per season, it was too much of a risk for the Cubs to take, wondering the next time he would freak out. Whether arguing with managers and umpires or fighting with teammates or making stupid comments to the media, Zambrano wore out his welcome.
I do like Zambrano. He's a colorful character and if he was on his best behavior or not, he was always interesting and entertaining. Now that he is 30-years old, maybe he'll mature a bit in Miami. Mmm. Yeah, you're right. Probably not. Although the combination of Zambrano and Marlins Manager Ozzie Guillen will be very intriguing. I wonder which one of those head cases will explode first! It's certainly worth keeping an eye on, beginning with day one of spring training.

Hip Hip Jorge

2012-01-07T14:35:00.000-08:00

After a career spent entirely in pinstripes, Yankees catcher Jorge Posada is going to retire at the age of 40.
When you look at the Yankees catching lineage you cannot help but be impressed. Bill Dickey, Yogi Berra, Elston Howard, Thurman Munson and Jorge Posada.
Is Posada a Hall of Famer?
Most people, myself included, feel his numbers come up a little short. However, 275 career homers, 1,065 RBI's, a lifetime .273 average, five All-Star games and four World Series rings is a pretty damn good career. Not to mention the more than 117-million dollars the Steinbrenners shelled out to him.
As for the Hall of Fame, his lifetime average is higher than Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk and Gary Carter. He has more home runs and RBI's than Roy Campanella, Ernie Lombardi and Mickey Cochrane. So to dismiss him as a Hall of Famer is premature.
While I don't think he'll get in, if he did I wouldn't have a beef with it.
One thing I always liked about Posada was the fact that he never wore batting gloves. I liked that old-school approach he always took.
I'm sure Posada wanted to keep playing but there was no longer any room on the Yankees roster for him. In an era when it has become rare for a player to spend such a long career with just one team, it's nice that Posada won't be wearing another team's uniform just to try to pump his stats for Hall of Fame reasons.
I'm sure there will be a spot in the Yankees organization for Posada. No question he is managerial material. Maybe one day he'll manage in the big leagues. Hopefully with the Yankees.

Mandrake Passes

2012-01-01T14:35:00.000-08:00

One of the key players for the Giants in the 50's, Don Mueller, passed away last Wednesday at the age of 84. He got a key hit in the 9th inning of the 1951 "Bobby Thomson" game in which "The Giants Win The Pennant, The Giants Win The Pennant..." Mueller would have been on base but hurt his ankle sliding into third on a double by Whitey Lockman.
In 1954 he led the big leagues in hits with 212 and he hit .389 in the Giants four game sweep of the Indians in the World Series.
A career .296 hitter, Mueller had one of the great baseball nicknames, "Mandrake The Magician," named after a comic strip and his ability to knock baseballs through the infield.
I feel sad when a former Brooklyn Dodger or New York Giant passes away. There aren't that many left anymore.

Hall of Fame Ballot

2012-01-01T13:20:00.000-08:00

My friend, Mike Vaccaro, the lead sports columnist at the New York Post, wrote today that he received his Hall of Fame ballot.
He shared with his readers whom he voted for this year.
Mike voted for seven former players:
Barry Larkin
Edgar Martinez
Tim Raines
Jack Morris
Don Mattingly
Jeff Bagwell
Bernie Williams
I agree with Larkin, Martinez and Morris. While I love Mattingly and Williams and I hope they get in someday, I think their numbers are a little short. Although, Mattingly and Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett have very similar numbers and Bernie has four World Series rings.
Tim Raines, in my opinion, falls a little short as well.
I think Jeff Bagwell is a Hall of Fame player. However, since he played in the steroid era, his numbers could be seen as curious to some. I would hold off on him in case something comes up in the next few years. I would rather put him in later if no evidence turns up than put him in now and then some type of proof links him to steroids.
As for my personal opinion of whether or not Bagwell used steroids, I don't know. I have no idea. The unfortunate thing is that every player who played in the "steroid era" is under the umbrella of suspicion. That is where former players union leader Donald Fehr and Commissioner Bud Selig really dropped the ball and let the sport down. And, in essence, let down every single person who played the game the right way...clean.

I Feel Good

2012-01-01T13:11:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everybody...and that means YOU!
I feel pretty good. I am settling in for an afternoon and evening of football as the Broncos host the Chiefs and the Cowboys visit the Giants. If the Broncos and Giants win they are in the playoffs. I love football. It's a nice diversion until baseball season.
Another reason I feel good is that I had a really nice workout today as I prepare for my fourth season of "old guy's" baseball.
When I stopped playing competitive baseball at the age of 31, I didn't think I'd ever play again. Then I discovered NABA, the National Adult Baseball Association. It is a well run, highly organized operation that has chapters in all age groups around the country. I play in the Over 35 division and the past three years have been a blast. I still love playing and I'll play as long as I can. We play every Sunday begining in late March/early April and run through August with the playoffs in September.
So that is why my off-season workouts will intensify from here on out. As I get older I have to work harder. The harder I work, the more it hurts. But a good kind of hurt.
Anyway, Opening Day is exactly three months away, April 1st. Which happens to be my 50th birthday. Holy crap I'm getting old. But when I play, I feel young again. And what better way to celebrate my birthday than playing baseball?

The NY Rangers and Roberto

2011-12-31T13:53:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year's Eve everybody!
This will be my last post of the year.
Last year at this time I was in El Paso, Texas at the Sun Bowl as Notre Dame whipped up on Miami. This year's bowl game for the Irish was...not good.
Anyway, every December 31st I am reminded of my very first hockey game on this date in 1972.
My dad took me to Madison Square Garden to watch the St. Louis Blues against the Rangers. The Rangers, with Eddie Giacomin in goal, beat the Blues 6-1. I remember things so vividly in my memory. I was just 10.
The reason the date is seared into my memory bank is because the following day we learned of the plane crash that killed the great Roberto Clemente. The Pirates Hall of Famer, who had just collected his 3,000th and final hit a few month's earlier at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, was on a relief mission to help earthquake victims in Nicaragua. The plane was overloaded with supplies and crashed in the ocean shortly after take off in Puerto Rico. His body was never recovered.
That was 39 years ago today. My first hockey game and the last day of Roberto Clemente's life. It doesn't seem like it was that long ago yet it does. Strange.
Anyway, Happy New Year to all. Please be safe and I look forward to another year of writing about baseball on this blog.
Thank you!!!

Rockies Hitting 20

2011-12-26T17:44:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? 2012 will mark the Colorado Rockies 20th season. With that in mind, I think it is time that the Rockies held an Old-Timers Day.
The Rockies have a history. Certainly not the history of teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs or those tradition-laden teams but they can be proud of the history they have. They've only made the playoffs three times but do have a World Series appearance to their credit.
Some great players have donned Rockies uniforms. Larry Walker and Andres Galarraga jump immediately to mind. Of course Todd Helton is the greatest Rockie player of all so far but since he's still active you can't label him an Old-Timer yet.
In addition to Walker and Galarraga, I'm sure fans would love to see an Old Timers Day at Coors Field with guys like Walt Weiss, Vinny Castilla, Dante Bichette, Ellis Burks, Darren Holmes, David Nied, Kevin Ritz, Don Baylor, Pedro Astacio and many others suiting up and taking a bow.
Many former Rockies players are still active or preoccupied like Yankees Manager Joe Girardi. So they couldn't make it. But a lot of former Rockies would be available to celebrate the franchise's 20th season.
I would love to see a Rockies Old Timers Day. How about you?

Torrealba Update

2011-12-26T17:38:00.001-08:00

Catcher Yorvit Torrealba has been handed a 66-game suspension by the Venezuelan League for shoving an umpire in the face mask after striking out. The suspension insures that Torrealba can't play in the Venezuelan League next season.
Torrealba was contrite following the incident and he apologized to the umpire after the game. That's good but too late. You cannot be striking umpires. Period.
Fortunately for Torrealba, the suspension in Venezuela carries no weight in the Major Leagues. But it should. I would like to see Major League Baseball suspend Torrealba for his actions. It would send a message that if you play organized baseball anywhere on the planet your despicable actions could have repercussions.

Shrinking Citi

2011-12-26T17:10:00.000-08:00

The Mets Citi Field staff is busy this off-season bringing in the fences at Citi Field to make it more "home run" friendly. This after complaints by hitters claiming it was too tough to hit round trippers in the Mets three year old ballyard.
I can't recall pitchers complaining thought.
As an example, Mets third baseman David Wright has been hampered by the distant dimensions of the new park.
The last three seasons he played at Shea Stadium, Wright hit 13, 16 and 21 homers for a total of 50 from 2006-2009.
In his three seasons playing at Citi Field, Wright has hit 5, 12 and 5 home runs for a total of 22. Hence the bringing in of the fences.
Personally, I much prefer to see games played where it is tough to hit home runs. I would rather see a game at Petco Park or Citi Field (pre-fence shortening) than to see a game in a bandbox like Citizens Bank Ball Park or Camden Yards.
If you build your team around pitching and defense then a big ballpark can be a tremendous home field advantage. Since you can't win without pitching, no matter how many sluggers you have, a big ballyard would entice pitchers to sign and stay with a team that has a pitcher-friendly ballpark.
Since I'm talking about the Mets and Citi Field, let me say this for the record. I actually miss Shea Stadium. When I see the Mets playing in Citi Field it doesn't look right. I think, "Why are the Mets playing in someone else's ballpark?" To me the Mets and Shea were perfect for each other. Crappy team in a crappy stadium. They just fit each other and I can't get used to the Mets not playing at Shea anymore.

The Umpire Was A Thief!

2011-12-25T17:29:00.000-08:00

I just saw, on MLB Network, the final out of the 1967 World Series. Bob Gibson of the Cardinals struck out George Scott of the Red Sox to end Game 7 to give St. Louis the championship.
It is said that if you see a movie 10 times you'll see something new each time. I've seen this clip many times. Scott strikes out, cue the celebration. But tonight I saw something new in the highlight and I don't know how it escaped me in the past. Not only did I see it but I couldn't believe it.
While the Cardinals celebrated their World Series championship in typical jump up and down fashion between the mound and third base line, someone in a dark suit ran to the group, jumped up and stole the hat off the head of one of the Cardinals and kept running.
Who was that? I figured it could have only been a fan or the third base umpire. I looked up the box score on www.baseballreference.com and found that the third base ump that day was Augie Donatelli. I then looked him up on wikipedia and here is what it said at the bottom of his bio...
Following Game 7 of the 1967 World Series, Donatelli was seen running off the field from his position at third base with the hats of two members of the victorious St. Louis Cardinals in his hands. The picture was picked up by the Associated Press and ran in newspapers from coast to coast the next day.
I only saw him grab one hat. Still, it was very bizarre to see and I can't imagine something like that happening today. The umpire would be fired I would think in a heartbeat, not to mention losing his credibility.
Augie Donatelli died in Florida at the age of 75 or 76 depending on which obituary you read. By all accounts a great umpire...and a cap thief!

Beltran Signs

2011-12-25T16:44:00.000-08:00

Carlos Beltran is a Cardinal, signing a 2-year deal worth 26-million dollars. He should be the Cards Opening Day rightfielder, if he doesn't get hurt in spring training.
I would predict that Carlos meanders through this season. Then next year, in hopes of landing a new deal, he displays the talent that allowed him to hit .300 with 22-homers with 84 RBI's.
Do I sound cynical?

Conlin

2011-12-25T16:27:00.000-08:00

For much of my life I've read Bill Conlin, the Hall of Fame baseball writer from Philadelphia.
I used to get my hands on the Philadelphia Daily News and would eagerly read Conlin. I got a chance to meet him a few times in press boxes. He seemed a tad cranky to me and somewhat pompous, but I always admired his talent. He was also a panelist for a while on ESPN's sports reporters show.
Anyway, I would never suspect that he was a child molester.
Several people have come out and said that Conlin sexually abused them when they were kids in the 60's and 70's.
Conlin, now 77, retired from the paper this past Tuesday and has hired a lawyer to defend these heinous accusations.
If true, then he should be yanked out of the Hall of Fame and suffer the full consequences of the law. With seven people accusing Conlin, it seems as if the accusations have merit. I would find it hard to believe that so many people would go after a 77-year old man for something that didn't happen 35 or 40 years ago. If one person came forth, maybe they just hold a grudge or are looking for a payout. But seven people? It doesn't look good for Conlin does it?
With the Jerry Sandusky case at Penn State and talk of a cover up and the Bernie Fine case at Syracuse, it seems as if people are not as afraid to come forward as they may have been.
I don't care how old someone is or how long ago something sinister happened. I have no sympathy or good feelings towards anyone who harms a child and most right thinking people agree with me.
Awful story this Conlin thing, awful.

Torreabla Snaps

2011-12-25T16:19:00.000-08:00

Very upsetting video has come out this week showing Rangers catcher Yorvit Torrealba shoving an umpire in the face in a Venezuelan League game.
The former Giants, Mariners, Rockies and Padres backstop struck out and slapped his bat in anger. He was apparently still fuming over a called strike earlier in the at-bat. The ump threw him out when he smacked his bat and maybe that was a little premature on the umpires part. But when Torrealba argued he shoved the ump in the mask and that was absolutely wrong and inexcusable.
I would like to see Torrealba punished by Major League baseball. A nice suspension would be well deserved.
I don't know what kind of agreements MLB and the Venezuelan league have but all leagues should be universal in disciplining players who abuse umpires in the fashion that Torrealba did. If MLB doesn't punish Torrealba, saying that they have no jurisdiction over the Venezuelan League, then that would be weak and inexcusable.
I think a 30-game suspension would be adequate.

The Worst Cards Ever

2011-12-25T15:51:00.000-08:00

For some strange, ridiculous reason, I thought of Luis Alvarado's 1973 Topps baseball card the other day.
I always thought it was the worst baseball card ever. To refresh my memory, I googled "Luis Alvarado baseball cards" and it took me to a website called www.checkoutmycards.com.
Sure enough, there were 5 Luis Alvarado cards including the disastrous 1973 card. In it, Alvarado, an infielder for the White Sox, is taking a throw from someone wearing a uniform with the number 38 on it.
It looks like they are playing a sandlot game. You can't see any grass. There is no stadium to look at in the background. Do you know what is in the background? I'll tell you. Parked cars. And power lines. It truly looks like a high school game on a really bad field.
Alvarado's 1974 card though looks like a card befitting of a Major Leaguer. He's posing in his righthanded batting stance at the original Yankee Stadium with the beautiful field and giant scoreboard in the distance. Much better than a card with a parking lot in the background.
Looking at the Alvarado card, I remembered a card of Dick Green that was pretty bad. I wasn't sure what year it was but I recalled a card where Green is flubbling a ball at second base. Sure enough, thanks to www.checkoutmycards.com, there is the 1973 card of Oakland second baseman Dick Green screwing up a play at second base. His glove is closed, the ball on the ground between his legs and he's exhaling. At first glance it looks as if a giant stream of saliva is shooting out of his mouth. But closer inspection shows that it was scratches on the outfield wall.
The question remains, why would Topps post such an unflattering picture of Green on his card? Did he have enemies at the Topps company? I'm just guessing some joker said, "Hey, how about this picture of Green?" The other guy then said, "That's funny. Go with it."
Finally, what was Green's reaction to seeing his 1973 baseball card? I would surmise he wasn't pleased but I bet his teammates found it rather comical.
Luis Alvarado hit just .214 over the course of his 9 seasons with 248 hits, 5 homers and 84 RBI's. He died on March 20, 2001 in Puerto Rico at the too young age of 52.
Dick Green is 70 years old and he spent his entire career with the Athletics, first in Kansas City then Oakland. Green hit .240 with 80 homers and 422 RBI's. He played on three World Series winners with the A's, the last being in 1974 against the Dodgers. The Athletics won that series in 5 games, with the deciding game being the last game Green ever played in.
My final thought is this. Did Alvarado and Green cross paths during that 1973 season and compare cards and wonder who's card was worse? I would say Alvarado's was worse. At least Green, wearing the hideous looking A's uniform, was playing in a Major League park.

Not A Tough Choice

2011-12-25T15:44:00.000-08:00

Let's see, watch the opening games of the lockout delayed NBA season or watch Ken Burns "Baseball" series on MLB Network?
I think I'll watch baseball all day. And night. And not a minute of that waste of time called the NBA.
Funny, I used to love the NBA. Not anymore. I don't like the players (after covering them for several seasons. I refuse to step foot in another NBA locker room), I don't like the way the game is played and I don't like how the game is marketed as a star driven league as opposed to a team oriented game.
So, with no hockey games to watch, it's MLB Network, the best channel of them all.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T15:39:00.001-08:00

Today is Christmas.
It isn't the same to me as it was when I was a kid. I do miss my mom and dad. I'm in Colorado and my sister lives in New York. My wife's parents are in Connecticut. Her brother is in New York and her sisters live in Illinois. Today should be a family day but the phone calls will have to do.
But something is still the same. I'm thinking about baseball. This is when I start to think of the upcoming season and looking forward to pitchers and catchers in less than two months. Two months. Sounds like a short period of time yet is seems like a long, long time. Especially when thinking of baseball and even more so when there is snow on the ground and freezing temperatures as it is now in Denver.
Winter is officially four days old and I'm officially done with it.
Hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas. To me it's a nice day, a day to remember the birth of Christ and another day closer to spring training.

John Feinstein

2011-12-19T09:51:00.001-08:00

One of the benefits of being sick is having the chance to catch up on my reading.
Right now I'm reading, "One on One...Behind the Scenes with the Greats in the Game," by John Feinstein.
Feinstein is my favorite sports author and this book is riveting as are most of his books. I'm not a golf fan but even his many golf books I've really enjoyed.
Disclaimer time. I'm a friend of John's and he comes on our Sunday night show frequently. But I would love his books even if I didn't know him.
I met Feinstein at West Point, New York in March of 1996. I introduced myself to him and asked him to be a guest of mine at halftime of an Army basketball game. He said, "Sure," we did the interview and that was that.
That fall, I was in the Army football press box at Michie Stadium and I heard someone call out my name. It was John. I couldn't believe he remembered my name. We chatted a bit and I realized what an incredible memory he has and it certainly serves him well in his latest book.
One of my favorite sports memories is being at Cameron Indoor Stadium a few hours before an Army-Duke game. Feinstein was there, said hello and then said, "Let's go see the Captain," which is what he called Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. We went to Coach K's office. For the next hour John, Coach K and myself just shot the breeze. Who didn't belong in that conversation? I also did a pregame interview with Coach K. What I remembered most about that interview was Krzyzewski saying that he was startled when he left for the game. As was the routine, his family would say, "Good luck. Beat Carolina" or whatever team Duke was playing that day. However, on this particular Saturday they said, "Beat Army," and it shook the former Army player and coach for a moment. Duke did beat Army that day...100-38.
Back to Feinstein. One of the books he's written was called "Living on the Black," chronicling the 2007 baseball season through the eyes of two veteran pitchers, Mike Mussina and Tom Glavine. If you haven't read it you should. When you do read it you'll wish that Feinstein had written more books on baseball.
The point of this post? Check out "One on One." It's terrific so far...and I haven't even gotten to the baseball parts yet.

Player-Managers

2011-12-19T09:33:00.000-08:00

Previously I wrote about the Phillies resigning shortstop Jimmy Rollins. It got me to thinking that he might make a good manager someday.
After all, he plays a thinking man's position. He's got great leadership skills. He's glib with the media. He's an independent thinker. I do believe he has what it takes to be a manager in time. But what about now?
It has been a long time since we've had a player manager in baseball. The last, to my recollection, was Pete Rose in 1986. Before that Don Kessinger was a shortstop/manager with the White Sox. As a kid I thought it was pretty cool when Frank Robinson was a player/manager with the Indians and played himself as a DH, hitting a home run on Opening Day 1975 in those hideous all-red Cleveland uniforms. I remember watching it on TV against the Yankees. That was pretty historic. Robinson was the first black manager ever and he hits a home run too? Impressive.
Player/managers used to be commonplace many decades ago. Ty Cobb was a player/manager for 6 seasons, of which he had 5 winning teams but no pennants from 1921-26. Cobb, an outfielder, would infuriate people when he would visit the mound. He would slowly walk in from the outfield and then slowly walk back. One thing we know about Cobb is he didn't really mind pissing people off.
So if a player became a player/manager today, hopefully he wouldn't be an outfielder.
Which players would make good player/manager today? I would think in addition to Rollins, Derek Jeter would be able to handle the role. Jason Varitek would be a good candidate and he probably will manage soon since his playing days are just about over.
Will we ever see another player/manager? Probably not. It is tough enough just playing the game. But I would like to see it. Maybe a team not in contention that fires their manager in late August and just gives the reigns to a player for the hell of it. It would certainly bring about some attention.

Braun Clear?

2011-12-19T09:18:00.000-08:00

A report from TMZ claims that the failed drug test taken by Brewers slugger was a result of medication for a private medical issue. I certainly hope that is the case.
Still, isn't it the player's duty to make sure what goes in his body has been checked and cleared?
If I were a professional athlete, I'd even check to make sure Flintstone Vitamins were alright to take.
Some questions need to be addressed before we let Braun off the hook for "bad medication."
What specific medication did he take? Also, while medical issues are certainly private, if he wants to be vindicated he probably should make public what condition it was that he was taking medication for.
I would also like to hear from an independent expert that this particular medication elevates testosterone levels to the high amount found in Braun's body.
If he answers these questions and if independent experts confirm his story, I'm willing to believe that Braun didn't use performance-enhancing drugs. If not, I'll have a tough time believing he isn't a cheat.
Hopefully, we will find out that Braun was clean, it was a mistake and that other athletes take note. They need to know exactly what goes in their bodies and that people are tired of the old "I didn't intentionally take performance enhancing drugs," excuse. That is as lame excuse as there is.

Rocks Make a Move...A Good One!

2011-12-19T08:48:00.001-08:00

Michael Cuddyer is now a much needed member of the Rockies. The former Minnesota Twin signed a 3-year, 31.5-million dollar deal with the Rockies.
He'll help in a number of areas. He's versatile and can play either corner outfield spot as well as first, second and third.
He's also got some pop in his bat. You just hope that at 33 come Opening Day that he still has a few good years left.
Cuddyer won't carry a team on his back, he won't be the guy who will make Rockies fans run and get playoff tickets just yet, he won't make the spectacular play in the field, but he is a solid contributor who will simply do his job. From what I've heard, he's a great teammate and good team chemistry guy. Still, he'll have to adjust to the National League and it's pitchers but that isn't as difficult as it used to be in the days before Interleague play.
While I'm looking forward to chatting with Cuddyer about baseball, I'm really looking forward to talking about his photography hobby.
If you go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/fivebball/ (copy and paste into address bar. It won't link on here), you will see some great photos from Cuddyer. His nature scenes and city shots are great but I absolutely love his ballpark photos. Being a player, he has his run of ballparks and takes great shots of behind the scenes places that fans don't normally get a chance to see. I would urge any baseball fan and especially fans of ballparks to check out his site.
By the way, if you notice on the address to his site, it says "fiveball" which was Cuddyer's number with the Twins. Since Carlos Gonzalez is number five, I wonder which number Cuddyer will end up with and if he'll change name of his flicker page.

J-Roll Still a Phil

2011-12-19T08:31:00.000-08:00

The Phillies and Jimmy Rollins have agreed to a 3-year, 33-million dollar deal. At the age of 33. That's a lot of threes for number six.
While I wouldn't say that Rollins is on a sharp decline, he is certainly on a slight decline. But he is the Phillies catalyst and stats don't always convey the meaning he has to his ballclub. When Rollins is clicking, the Phillies offense is scary good. When he's not, the team isn't nearly as dynamic.
This is probably his last big contract and the numbers are probably just about right for both sides.
One interesting thing I noticed while looking at Rollins' stats. He has never hit .300 for a full-season. When he first came up, he hit .321 in 53 at-bats in 2000. But for the course of his career the highest he has hit was .296 in his MVP year of 2007. He banged out 20 triples, 30 homers and 94 RBI's that season and hasn't come close to any of those numbers since. Again, he's in a slight decline but the Phillies needed to sign him. Plus, not sure which team would give him that kind of money other than the Philles. Nice to see a guy stick with the team he's been with his entire career.

Rough Weekend

2011-12-19T08:25:00.000-08:00

Being sick stinks. Figuratively and literally. I've been ill the past few days with fever, runny nose, stuffy head, sore throat, the splats and muscle fatigue. All that stuff.
I missed doing the show last night and missed today's morning show. But I'm feeling better. You don't realize how good feeling good is until you feel bad.
It was a crummy weekend for me. Besides being sick, the Giants got their heads beat in by the rancid Redskins, the Broncos lost, which for this Tim Tebow fan was not fun, Notre Dame hoops lost to Indiana and I had my wife tell me, "I've done enough pampering of you."
Also watched the dreary New Mexico Bowl where Wyoming got throttled by Temple. I like Wyoming football. I try to catch a game in Laramie every season although I didn't make it up to the windiest place on the planet this season.
Finally, I had to abandon my off-season workouts for the upcoming Old Guy's baseball season due to being bedridden the past few days. Ugh.
Oh yeah, watched MLB Network too. That was the best part of my miserable weekend.

Prime Time

2011-12-12T18:09:00.001-08:00

While watching Deion Sanders on the NFL Network yesterday, I thought back to when he played Major League Baseball. Sometimes it's hard to remember that he played for the Yankees, Braves, Reds and Giants.
I was looking up his lifetime stats and they were better than I remembered.
He hit .263 lifetime with 558 hits and 186 stolen bases. Not bad for a guy who was never totally commited to baseball. If he wasn't a football player and dedicated himself to baseball he could have been one of the greats. I have no doubt about that.
Here's something I found interesting. Of his 39 career homers, 3 were inside-the-park jobs. He hit two homers off of Jeff Brantley. Not that impressive. A lot of guys hit home runs off Jeff Brantley. But this is impressive...two of Deion's home runs came off Orel Hershiser.

Mr. Responsibility

2011-12-12T18:03:00.000-08:00

Manny Ramirez is basically begging for a job again. It can't be because he needs the money, can it?
Anyway, the steroid cheat wants to play again and says he's in the best shape he's been in for the past three years. Sure. I guess he got his workouts in when he was assaulting his wife.
Manny also says he when he quit the game last year after getting popped for steroids, again, he said he shouldn't have retired and said he got bad advice. That's taking responsibility. So steroids, wife beating and quitting wasn't Manny's fault. It was bad advice.
Go away Manny and never come back.
And shame on any team that signs this bum.

Pipe Down Woman

2011-12-12T17:59:00.001-08:00

Albert Pujols wife tried to explain to St. Louis why her husband signed with the Angels.
Diedre Pujols said, "When you have somebody say 'We want you to be a Cardinal for life' and only offer you a five-year deal, it kind of confused us. Well, we got over that insult and felt like Albert had given so much of himself to baseball and into the community ... we didn't want to go through this again."
They were insulted by a 5-year, 130-million dollar offer? Really? Please, PLEASE, someone insult me like that.
If I were Albert I would simply tell my wife, "STFU."
Both of them should never speak again. Just go to California and zip it.

Braun Tainted

2011-12-11T09:07:00.000-08:00

The National League MVP was on the juice? Really? Ryan Braun of the Brewers taking performance enhancing drugs?
Of all the guys in the league who I would suspect were clean, Braun would definitely be one of them. He seems like the All-American boy but apparently his story is too good to be true.
Braun is facing a 50-game suspension after testing positive for performance enhancing drugs during the playoffs last October. The suspension has not been handed down yet since Braun is appealing the test.
No player has ever won an appeal in baseball but suppose Braun does? His name will still be tainted. Bad news for Braun, the Brewers and baseball. If Braun is indeed guilty then he will deserve every game of his suspension and will forever be linked with other steroid users.
So while Bud Selig likes to trumpet how clean the game has become, and if falling home run numbers are any indication, the game is cleaner than it was. Absolutely cleaner. But there are still some guys who think they can get away with cheating.
If Braun doesn't win his appeal, then what?
Should his MVP Award be taken away? I would say so. It would be a trophy won through ill-gotten gains.
How about this? If a player is caught using performance enhancing drugs then the team he plays for has the option to null and void his contract if they so choose. Or they can enforce the contract at a lower percentage. If a guy tests positive, how about his contract automatically decreasing by 25%? 50%? There has to be some monetary punishment, don't you think?
The sad thing is, Braun is one of those players that really doesn't need to take performance enhancing drugs. With the money so great, you can understand a fringe player getting desperate and trying to beat the system. What do they have to lose? But a star player like Braun? He has everything to lose beginning with his good name and reputation.

Army-Navy

2011-12-10T13:42:00.000-08:00

While dabbling on this blog and watching the Army-Navy game, my thoughts drifted back to former Army baseball pitcher Steve Reich.
For 11-years, I announced Army hockey and basketball but I never, unfortunately, announced Army baseball. But I took in many games at Doubleday Field at West Point.
A lefthander, Reich wasn't only the best Army pitcher I ever saw but one of the best college pitchers I ever saw. He's still Army's all-time leader in wins.
Reich pitched in the early 90's for Army and for Team USA in 1993. After serving two years of his military commitment, he pitched briefly in the Baltimore Orioles minor league system. But he chose the military over pro baseball and was sent to serve overseas.
On June 28, 2005, Major Stephen Reich was killed on a rescue mission in Afghanistan. He was 34.
So as I watch the Army-Navy football game today and reflect back on all the wonderful people I met at West Point, I can only marvel at their dedication, commitment and love of this country. And to every single person at the United State Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy and the United States Air Force Academy, past and present, I can only say "Thank you, with the deepest admiration and gratitude."
Man, that Steve Reich could throw a baseball.

McCarver

2011-12-10T13:23:00.000-08:00

For some reason a lot of people aren't big Tim McCarver fans. I don't count myself among them.
I've always liked McCarver in the broadcast booth. He calls it fair, the way he sees it and he has a pleasant manner and voice. I also am a fan of his great sense of humor. Sure he can beat a point to death at times but I usually learn something from McCarver every time I hear him announce a game.
That said, congrats to Tim McCarver for winning the Hall of Fame's Ford Frick award for broadcasting excellence. While he was a solid player for a long time and was on a couple of World Series winning teams and made a couple of All Star games, he wasn't close to being considered Hall of Fame worthy as a catcher. But he certainly is worthy of being in the Hall of Fame as an announcer. At 70-years of age, McCarver still brings it in the booth and I'm glad he'll take his place in Cooperstown. Although his induction speech might be a little long.

Stacked

2011-12-10T13:08:00.000-08:00

Like Denise Milani, the first base position in the American League is stacked. With Albert Pujols now with the Angels, it is likely the best collection of talent at one position in baseball.
You have Pujols in Anaheim, Adrian Gonzalez in Boston, Mark Teixeira in New York, Miguel Cabrera in Detroit and the vastly underrated Paul Konerko in Chicago. Plus, if Justin Morneau can return from injury problems that he's had the past two years and the up and coming Eric Hosmer in Kansas City it will be quite interesting to see who ends up in the All Star game, which will be in KC. All these guys will likely be worthy All Stars but you can't take them all.

Just Say No!

2011-12-10T12:51:00.000-08:00

Disgraced steroid user and alleged wife beater Manny Ramirez wants to get back into baseball. If you recall, he retired last April after failing a drug test and being slapped with a 100-game suspension as a second time drug policy offender.
So that was the end of Manny. Or so we thought.
He has been reinstated by baseball from the voluntary retirement list and his 100-game suspension has been reduced to 50-games. If a team signs him, then his 50-game ban goes into effect.
First of all, why in the world did baseball cut his 100-game suspension to 50? He should serve all 100-games.
Secondly, why doesn't baseball wait to see how the criminal case goes against Ramirez for allegedly beating his wife?
Finally, from a baseball point of view, why would you sign Ramirez? By the time his 50-game suspension is up he'll be 40. Last year, in 17 at-bats with Tampa Bay he collected just one hit. He's a failed drug test away from another suspension.
Manny Ramirez has worn out his welcome in baseball. It is my hope and desire that no team signs him and he can just go away and think of how he pissed away his name and his shot at the Hall of Fame.

The Slammer

2011-12-10T11:53:00.000-08:00

Barry Bonds will be sentenced on December 16th for obstruction of justice in his steroid case.
Federal prosecutors want the judge to give him jail time, 15-months worth while a federal probation officer is recommending probation.
If it were up to me, I'd go with a nice stay in prison for Bonds. It has nothing to do with steroids either. Steroids tainted his baseball legacy and I don't think anyone with a sane mind would consider him the home run champ. He's a bum and a baseball pariah from my viewpoint.
I would sentence him to prison for simply being a bad guy and a jerk. I saw firsthand, how he treated people. I saw him bark at an elderly writer in the visiting clubhouse at Coors Field, claiming the guy was standing in his locker when he was in actuality standing several feet away. He went out of his way to try to intimated a man just trying to do his job. I don't like people like Bonds and a stint in the pokey might humble this most arrogant ass clown. Screw Barry Bonds.

No Statue For You

2011-12-10T11:35:00.000-08:00

54-million dollars is a lot of money. Would you change jobs if someone else offered you 54-million more? Sure you would.
That is what Albert Pujols did. The Angels offer of 254-million dollars over 10-years exceeded the Cardinals offer of 9-years around 200-million. So Albert took the money and ran and I don't blame him.
He's 31, or so he says. This was probably his last chance at a big money grab and grab it he did to Southern California. I hope he likes earthquakes.
By signing with the Angels, there are some things though that Albert forfeits. Since he will be taking up a big chunk of the Angels payroll, he loses the right to complain if the Angels don't make a move at the trade deadline to add a pricey player. He can't squawk if the Angels don't make a big free agent move or if they decide to trim payroll. He also can't say, regarding his contract, "It wasn't about the money," because it clearly was.
I do feel bad for Cardinals fans. To root and cheer for a future Hall of Fame player like Pujols for 11-seasons and then to see him uproot and take the money deal has to hurt. Similar to the 57-year old rich guy who dumps his wife of 33-years for a 24-year blonde, busty, bimbo.
But in the long run I think the Cardinals will win out. They won't be saddled with an aging slugger who is taking up payroll space in the final years of career. Plus, with no DH in the National League, Pujols would have been manning first base, something he doesn't do all that well now. I don't think his fielding will improve over time.
Oh, I forgot. Since people have said that Albert Pujols is the modern day Stan "The Man" Musial, one could assume that, had he finished his career in St. Louis he would have been the beloved face of the franchise till the day he died. He would have been treated like royalty, showing up and taking bows at Opening Day, post-season games, anytime and anywhere his travels would take him. And he would have had a beautiful statue of himself, probably in the vicinity of Musial. But there will be no statue for Albert "The Money Man" Pujols.

Miami Suckers

2011-12-06T12:34:00.000-08:00

Player A has a few sub par, injury filled seasons. Then in his free-agent year, Player A plays great, makes the all-star team and, as they say these days, "puts up numbers."
Then a desperate team, looking to make a splash, signs Player A to a huge contract.
Well, that's what happened to now former Mets shortstop Jose Reyes.
An exciting player for certain when healthy and motivated, Reyes only played in 36 games in 2009 and 133 games in 2010 when he hit .282. Leg injuries have been an issue which is a problem when his game is predicated on speed.
Last year, Reyes, motivated by the carrot of a new, multi-year, million dollar contract won the batting title with the Mets at .337, although the way he won the title was cowardly. He got a hit in his final game and then took himself out of the lineup to protect the average, gambling that Ryan Braun of the Brewers wouldn't go 3-4. He didn't and Reyes won the crown. Read my thoughts on that escapade on this blog in the September 29, 2011 post titled "Tainted Crown?"
Anyhow, the Marlins bought in and signed Reyes to a 6-year, 106-million dollar contract with an option for a 7th year at 22-million, 4-mil of that guaranteed.
Florida...um, excuse me, Miami, here's what you get! A selfish, injury prone player that will likely have you saying three years from now, "Why did we sign this guy?"
Bad move Marlins. They should have changed their name to the Miami Suckers.
Don't get me started on their interest in Albert Pujols. That would be a big time sucker deal.

Bittersweet

2011-12-06T12:22:00.000-08:00

I'm happy and sad at the same time.
Ron Santo yesterday was, rightfully and deservedly, elected to the baseball Hall of Fame by the veteran's committee.
My initial reaction was, "Finally, Santo goes in the hall." My second reaction was, "What the (bleep) took so long?"
The Cubs third baseman was a 9-time All Star and belted 342 home runs while collecting 5 gold gloves. Ask just about anybody who saw Santo play or who knows of his accomplishments and they will tell you the same thing...he was a Hall of Fame player.
So why did it take him 32-years after he was eligible for the hall to get elected?
Did his stats get better this past year? Why wasn't he considered to be a Hall of Famer, say 12 years ago but now suddenly he's worthy? I don't get it. Did people hold a grudge against him? I would find that hard to believe since everyone who ever encountered Ron Santo loved the guy. By all accounts he was a first class individual.
I'll cite an example I read about by a fan who commented on an article on Santo yesterday.
He said that he met Santo before a game when he was announcing Cubs games. Santo asked the man's kids who their favorite players were. The kids told him. Around the 6th inning of that game, an usher went up the the dad and asked if he talked to Santo prior to the game. The man said yes. The usher then handed over autographed baseballs of the players that the kids said were their favorites. How's that for classy?
The thing that infuriates me most about Santo getting his due is that he passed away last December at the age of 70. He had diabetes and other health ailments. It would have been nice if he was given this honor years earlier when he was alive. Did the committee just wait until he died to put him in. I doubt that's the case but if it was how cruel would that be.
I'm glad for Santo's family that he will finally take his rightful place in the Hall of Fame. But it's long overdue and it is a shame Santo isn't around to enjoy it.

Direct TV

2011-12-03T13:57:00.000-08:00

When I turned on the television this morning, I turned to the MLB Network, Direct TV Channel 213. One problem. There was no MLB Network on the screen. It said to order this channel call customer service and ask for extension 721.
When talking to a representative, I wanted to know where my MLB Network was. I was told that once the season ended so did my MLB package which includes the MLB Network.
He didn't have an answer to why I had MLB Network this week and suddenly it was shut off.
He tried to sell me an upgraded package. I don't want to pay more money than I'm already paying. He was nice and pleasant but I wasn't going down without a fight.
"Well, if I can't get MLB Network or if I have to pay additional money, then there is no use for me to even have Direct TV. I'm going to have to call Dish Network and see what they can do for me."
Immediately he sent me to the "retention services."
Alright, I had them on the run! They are not in the business of losing customers, especially "loyal" customers such as me which the second person I spoke to called me.
So, without giving me an explanation for the loss of MLB Network, he offered me two discounts that will go into effect immediately and will be in place for the next year.
He told me that in a year I should call and get the same discounts again.
Sign me up.
So in a matter of less than 5-minutes, my MLB Network was restored plus I got several more channels.
So the moral of the story is, when dealing with Direct TV, let them know that you are not married to them and that there are other options that you could and will look into. Like a car salesman, they don't want you leaving the dealership. In the competitive world of satellite TV, you tell them what you want and you can probably get it with a little tact and a veiled threat of taking your business elsewhere.
Meanwhile, the sales reps for Direct TV didn't realize that I can't survive the winter anymore without MLB Network. If they said, "Hey look schmuck, you can have MLB Network back and it's gonna be an extra $50 a month, take it or leave it," I would have likely responded, "Um, OK."

33 Hits

2011-12-03T13:48:00.000-08:00

When a player has accumulated more than 2-thousand big league hits, that's a heck of a career.
Felipe Alou and his son, Moises, both surpassed the 2-thousand hit plateau in their careers.
What is interesting is that Moises Alou collected 2,134 hits compared to Felipe's 2,101. That's a measley 33 hits separating father and son.
Are there any other father/son combinations that have as close a hit differential? I'm sure Elias Sports Bureau could come up with the answer immediately. I don't have the time or the inclination to look it up.
I do know the biggest disparity of hits between a father and son in the Major Leagues. That would be the Rose combo. Pete Rose, the all-time hit leader, has 4,256 hits which is 4,254 more than his son Petey who had 2 hits in 14 career at-bats in the big leagues.

Los Angeles...Hello.

2011-11-30T15:16:00.001-08:00

Larry King is reportedly part of a group interested in buying the Dodgers.
I hope he gets a shot to become a part-owner of the team he loved while growing up in Brooklyn.
I've always been a fan of Larry and while he would own a very small portion of the team, it would be good for him, for baseball and his 37-ex wives.
Better yet, how about his last major act would be bringing the Dodgers back to Brooklyn! Now that would be a great story.
Of course it would never happen but fun to think about, no?

Valentine's Day

2011-11-30T15:03:00.001-08:00

The Bostons have a new manager and it's the always interesting and outspoken Bobby Valentine.
Already some Red Sox players have been chirping that they don't like the move. Too freaking bad. The way the Sox folded down the stretch they have no say. And since when do the employees decide who the boss will be?
I truly believe one of two things will happen.
Valentine will be a huge success in Boston (maybe, possibly). Or, he could be a disaster of the highest degree (maybe, hopefully!).
But whatever the outcome will be, Bobby V will certainly make things interesting in Beantown.
My personal feeling is...good hire by the Red Sox. They may have to clean house first though before they consider themselves contenders next year.
If I was in charge, Youkilis, Varitek and Papi would be gone. And I don't mean Stan Papi. He's gone already and has been for many years. By the way, Stan Papi hit 7 home runs in the big leagues. All were off lefthanders. Bet you didn't know that. Bet even Stan Papi didn't know that.
I'm not making sense now. Later.

42 is 42

2011-11-30T14:58:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe but Mariano Rivera is 42 years old. He looks the same as he did when he exploded onto the scene in 1996 as John Wetteland's set up man. The next season he was the closer and, well he's still there, as good as ever.
I did hear that Rivera's throat has been bothering him and he might need a surgical procedure. Hopefully, if that is the case it is nothing too serious and that it goes well.
I've seen some great closers in my lifetime...Rollie Fingers, Bruce Sutter, Goose Gossage, Sparky Lyle, Trevor Hoffman and Armando Benitez but Mariano is better than them all. Hopefully he has, oh, 10 more seasons left in him. Seriously, I get ill when I think of the Yankees bullpen without him. He can't pitch forever. Can he?
Anyway, Happy Birthday to Mariano. He turned his uniform number yesterday.
Oh, I was only kidding about Armando Benitez. Give me some credit will ya!

Incredible Picture

2011-11-21T18:12:00.000-08:00

I stumbled upon an awesome picture recently and every time I look at it I see something different. Take a look for yourself before I continue. If the link thing doesn't work, copy and paste and take a look at it in a new window.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5060/5455215608_23f1bf840f_o.jpg

It's a shot of Exposition Park in Pittsburgh, circa 1905. It was where the Pirates played before heading to Forbes Field for the 1909 season.
There are many reasons why this picture is most fascinating to me. First of all, the clarity of the shot. You rarely see pictures this crisp from that time.
Secondly, there are two games being played simultaneously. One in Exposition Park and the other a sandlot game outside the big league park.
In the sandlot game several things strike me. Notice how close the third base stands are. How many people got drilled by foul balls? How many runners rounding third and heading for home took a detour and ended up in the grandstand?
Look how deep the third baseman and shortstop are playing. They better have cannons for arms. I can't even spot the leftfielder. Was the guy at bat a feared slugger, the Harmon Killebrew of his time?
How would you like to be an outfielder on this field? There appears to be not one but two telephone poles in short center field, a short pole and a long one.
There doesn't seem to be a home plate umpire either as I magnify the photo.
Look at the cars parked behind the first base grandstand of Exposition Park. Why didn't cars park in the vacant lot next to the sandlot field? Can you spot the horse drawn carriage?
Three Rivers Stadium, former home of the Pirates and Steelers was built to the left of where Exposition Park stood. More the the left is where PNC Park sits today. Heinz Field, new home of the Steelers is to the right of where Exposition Park was.
The river in the picture is the Allegheny River. Everything on the near side of the river in this picture is gone. On the far side of the river there are buildings that still stand, including the large building with an arch that is a prominently seen today from PNC Park.
Just so much to see in this picture and so many questions. I'd love to go back in time to this exact moment. If I knew the date of the photo, I could figure out who the Pirates are playing. Honus Wagner one of the all-time greats is likely playing in the big field. I can't see much of what is going on inside Exposition park but I can see first base through the stands.
I'd really love to know who the photographer was and find out what is currently at the spot this shot was taken.
That picture was taken 105 or so years ago. Every single person in that photo is dead. When the picture was taken I'm willing to bet that not a soul in that shot could have expected some guy in Denver in 2011 to be pouring over every detail of the picture, completely and totally enthralled by it. But that's the case.
To give credit where credit is due, I found this picture in the ballparks section of www.baseball-fever.com. Awesome website, awesome picture. Just beautiful.

Verlander

2011-11-21T18:02:00.001-08:00

I hate when pitchers win the MVP Award as Tigers hurler Justin Verlander did today. I'm of the school that a pitcher has his own award and shouldn't be eligible for the MVP.
As I anticipated on this blog over the weekend, Jacoby Ellsbury finished ahead of Curtis Granderson in the voting.
Here's the breakdown...
1) Verlander (24-5, 2.40)
2) Ellsbury (32 HR, 105 RBI's, 39 steals, .321 ave, 119 runs)
3) Jose Bautista (43 HR, 103 RBI's, .302)
4) Curtis Granderson (41 HR, 119 RBI's, .262 ave, 136 runs, 25 sb's)
5) Miguel Cabrera (30 HR, 105 RBI's, .344 ave)

The Honey Man

2011-11-19T10:48:00.001-08:00

While tooling around baseballreference.com as I kill time before the Boston College-Notre Dame football game (the bad Catholics, BC, versus the good Catholics, ND!) I happened upon a guy with a sweet nickname.
Honey Barnes, real name John Francis Barnes, played with the Yankees in 1926. Well, he kind of played for the Yankees.
His career consisted of just one game, on April 20th, an 18-5 Yankees win at Washington.
In that game, Honey Barnes made one plate appearance and he walked. He caught a couple of innings with no putouts or assists. And that was that, the extent of his major league career. His walk though made his career on-base percentage 1.000, tied with a few others for the highest OBP in big league history! Chew on that Billy Beane.
Speaking of that game, there were 9 future Hall of Famers involved. Earle Combs, Tony Lazzeri, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth and Miller Huggins (manager) for the Yankees while Sam Rice, Goose Goslin, Walter Johnson and Bucky Harris (player-manager) played for the Senators. Ruth went 5 for 6 with 6 RBI's including a homer off of Johnson. It wasn't one of Johnson's better games. He left after 3 innings allowing 7 runs.
Barnes was born on January 31, 1900 in Fulton, New York. He went to Colgate University. He died on June 18, 1981. So thanks to his one game career in 1926, Honey Barnes was able to tell people for the next 55-years that he was teammates with Ruth, Gehrig, Lazzeri and Combs and was managed by Huggins. But I wonder if he resentful of Huggins for not playing him more or if he appreciated his one tiny appearance in the majors.
While Honey Barnes didn't make much of an impact in Major League baseball, he did play in one game. That is one game more than the millions of kids, me included, that wishes they could have played in one game in The Show.

Uniform Changes

2011-11-19T10:25:00.001-08:00

Props to the Blue Jays for changing their uniforms back to the way they used to be, specifically returning to the color blue and for re-incorporating the red maple leaf on the logo.
For the past 15 years or so the Jays looked more like the Toronto Black Birds. Why they abandoned blue for black makes no sense other than they thought they could sell more merchandise to gang members. I'm sure the team will enjoy wearing white jerseys at home and gray on the road instead of all-black tops, especially on hot sunny days.
Plus, they won two World Series in those original style unis.
Moving on, the Marlins are now the Miami Marlins and with that a uniform change. The change looks crappy. The "M" logo featured on the hat is dull, boring and ugly. It looks like an 8-year old kid designed it, no offense to 8-year old kids. Very unimaginative uniform for Flori...Miami. I'm glad they are switching their name to Miami by the way. The minor league teams that played there were always called Miami. Miami Tarpons comes to mind. Miami Miracle too which was another minor league team.
The Orioles changed their caps and will go back to the cartoon bird on the large white panel on the front. While it seems to be well received in Baltimore and beyond, personally I hate that hat. I like the ones they've used the past decade plus. To me, the ornithologically correct bird logo was awesome, which they've used since 1989 with a couple of tweaks along the way. I really like that hat. The cartoon bird to me looks silly. If I want to watch cartoon characters, I'll just watch the Orioles play.
As for the Padres, they've made minor changes to their uniform. Who cares. Since their inception in 1969, the Padres have had numerous uniforms, several disastrous but not once in my estimation have they ever had a uniform that I would say was "nice." The finest uniforms of the Padres have always been mediocre at best. They are simply a franchise that has never had a sweet looking uni and I don't know if they ever will.

No Beefs

2011-11-19T10:05:00.000-08:00

Justin Verlander won the American League Cy Young award and Clayton Kershaw took National League Cy Young honors this week.
They both are deserving, should have won and did.
No beefs here.
It's incredible how close their stats were.
Verlander was 24-5 with an ERA of 2.40 with 250 strikeouts in 251 innings pitched.
Kershaw finished at 21-5, 2.28 with 248 K's in 233 innings of work.
They both allowed 174 hits and had two shutouts apiece. One of those shutouts for Verlander was a no-hitter. Walks? Verlander 57, Kershaw 54.
As for the Manager's of the Year, Joe Madden of the Rays was most deserving in the American League. That team was dead and they kept on keeping on and ended up in the playoffs thanks to perseverance and the Red Sox historic collapse.
Kirk Gibson won the NL skipper of the year and there really wasn't anyone else who could have been considered. Maybe Clint Hurdle of the Pirates midway through the season but they fell apart in the second half as usual.
So no beefs again.
Rookies of the Year? Jeremy Hellickson of the Rays in the AL and Craig Kimbrel of the Braves in the NL. I would have probably voted for Mark Trumbo of the Angels for American rookie honors and Kimbrel would have gotten my NL Vote. Hellickson is certainly deserving though.
So once again, no beefs with the post-season awards so far. The MVP's will be announced next week.
I'll go with Curtis Granderson of the Yankees in the American League and the Brewers Ryan Braun in the National League to edge out Matt Kemp of the Dodgers.
While I think Granderson is very deserving I would bet that Jacoby Ellsbury of the Red Sox wins the award. The voters (media) are in love with all things Boston.

Pen Changes

2011-11-13T11:00:00.000-08:00

The Red Sox are in need of not only a manager but a closer too.
Jonathan Papelbon, who always has reminded me of Stanley Ipkiss in the movie "The Mask", is now a Philadelphia Phillie, signing a 4-year, 50-million dollar deal as a free-agent. From a Phils perspective, they needed a reliable closer. But, at 31 next season, will Papelbon and his contract become a burden in the future? For Philadelphia, the future is now so it looks like a good deal in the short term. But remember, relievers tend to lose it quickly. At least those closers not named Rivera or Hoffman.
Are the Red Sox comfortable with Daniel Bard taking over as closer? Maybe. He averages a strikeout per inning. But the Red Sox will certainly look much different than they did a year ago.
Oh, one other thing. If you are wondering about Papelbon's loyalty to the team that he played seven seasons for that included a World Series title in 2007 and a franchise that paid him over 29-million dollars over that period, don't. There is no loyalty in professional sports on either side. Once a player has slipped or is finished, teams will look for a replacement. If a player can get more money elsewhere he'll take it. Loyalty in professional sports is a nice concept. It is also a thing of the past if it ever existed in the first place.

Move

2011-11-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

The kidnapping this week of Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos in his native Venezuela was frightening.
Just a rookie last year, Ramos made just $415,000. Not much in Major League salary terms but a fortune in Venezuela.
Thank goodness Ramos was rescued shaken but unharmed just two days after his abduction.
This isn't the first time a person of note was kidnapped. Just a few years ago then Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealba's son was kidnapped for ransom. Fortunately he also was rescued physically unharmed.
If you have money in Venezuela then you are a target for these ruthless kidnappers. If you are a Major League baseball player you have some money. My suggestion to every Venezuelan baseball player would be to move out of the country. It is only a matter of time until this happens again and maybe the outcome won't be as fortuitous. And as a side note to that idiot President (dictator) Hugo Chavez...fix your country.

Worse Than The Black Sox

2011-11-13T10:40:00.000-08:00

Prior to this past week, I would have immediately said that the 1919 Black Sox scandal, where the White Sox threw the World Series against the Reds, was the worst scandal in American sports history.
Well, with all the disgraceful events coming out of Penn State this week I would say we have a new "Worst Scandal in American Sports History."
With the Black Sox, it was a crime that shook the sports confidence of America. Certainly a horrible event and a terrible black eye. But who got hurt? Sports fans of all ages, the entire sport of baseball, the players who threw the games and the gamblers who didn't turn a profit.
Who got hurt in the Penn State child sexual abuse scandal perpetrated by former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky? Kids. Kids getting hurt trumps gamblers and sports fans. Then the collateral damage of everyone involved with Penn State. I feel for the innocent people who work at Penn State, who graduated from PSU and the players. Still, young boys were hurt in this case beyond my comprehension thereby making it the worst sports scandal ever.
Penn State played yesterday, losing to Nebraska 17-14. The announced attendance was 107, 903. Wouldn't it have been nice if Penn State's trustees said, "Thanks for coming and for your support. All the gate proceeds from this game will go towards victims of child abuse and child abuse prevention programs."
Finally, there was a moment of silence for the victims of Jerry Sandusky, also known as one of the biggest pieces of shit ever. Did anyone else feel uncomfortable watching that? Wasn't silence the problem and why Sandusky was able to sodomize young boys for such a long period of time?

Beat Writer Opening in Denver

2011-11-06T12:45:00.001-08:00

One of the Rockies beat writers, Jim Armstrong, left Denver Post on Friday. Saturday a story appeared in the same paper about a gambling ring that was busted and Armstrong was identified in court documents as being one of the people that wagered on sports.
Is it coincidental that Armstrong left the paper on Friday and then the story of the gambling issues happened to come out the next day? Probably not.
Gregory L. Moore, editor of The Post, had the following comment in the newspaper yesterday.
"Readers have to believe and trust that all of us at The Denver Post cover events impartially and without a stake in the outcome. We take this very seriously."
The betting operation was apparently big with some heavy hitters involved. It evidently wasn't a 20-dollars a bet type deal.
Should he have been let go? Probably. It just doesn't look good to have someone who is wagering on games covering them. Could he actually influence a game? Probably not.
It's funny, in this country we have lotteries, fantasy football, Las Vegas, office pools, side bets and all sorts of things to gamble on. Yet when a guy places a bet with a bookmaker all of a sudden people get all hot and bothered.
I don't know Armstrong well. I've seen him in press boxes and have said hello to him on plenty of occasions. He's given me a "hello" back and sometimes a smile or smirk but that's about it. A beat writer is a pretty intense job so I understand if he didn't want to make small talk. But after 27 years at the Post, it is a pretty sad way for him to exit. Hopefully he'll get over this and continue his career in some capacity.

Can You Spare A Few Million?

2011-11-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

The Mets, still reeling with financial issues, recently laid off 10-percent of their front office staff. So Harriet the secretary pulling in 24 thousand or Ethan in media relations pulling in 20-grand or so are out of work.
Meanwhile, the Mets are paying players a lot of money to under perform. Money they don't have. They are looking for minority investors, trying to raise 30-million or so. It's a bad situation and I feel for the "little" people who the team found expendable yet they have no issues paying Jason Bay 18-million this past year to hit 12 homers with a .245 average.
They also have a dilemma at third base. Do you keep David Wright, who will make 15-million next season, or do you trade him to save on the payroll and get prospects and cheaper players in return?
The Mets are even bringing in the fences at Citi Field to help Wright, the face of the franchise and the rest of the team hit more home runs. On a side note, I would advise the contractors in charge of erecting the new fences to get paid up front.
It is no secret the Rockies need a third baseman. As I've written before, I would ante up and sign free agent Aramis Ramirez to man the Colorado hot corner. However, I would also make a bid to get Wright. He's younger than Ramirez (Wright will be 29 next season, Ramirez 34) and he's a guy who has marketability. From all indications Wright is a good egg and will fit in nicely in the Rockies clubhouse.
Despite some injury issues the past few seasons, when healthy Wright is one of the best third basemen in baseball. Pricey yes. Risky? A little. Anytime you pay a guy 15-million there is a risk. But worth it? If he plays up to his potential, yes. I'm not sure the Rockies though want to take on a salary the size of Wright's.

Rough News

2011-11-06T12:08:00.000-08:00

Very sad week in baseball as Matty Alou and Bob Forsch both passed away, Alou on Thursday, Forsch on Friday.
Alou passed away from complications from diabetes at the age of 72 while Forsch, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 7 of the World Series, died suddenly from a chest aneurysm. He was just 61.
I remember Alou playing with the Yankees for a season. His brother Felipe was on the team as well. I liked Alou since he was a left handed hitter like me and he was a tough out (unlike me!). I looked up his stats and was a little surprised to see he had a career average of .307. Not many guys can say they played in 15-big league seasons and ended up with an average that high. I would have guessed mid .280's.
Forsch was always a solid pitcher, finishing with 168 wins . He and his brother Ken are the only brothers in Major League history to throw no-hitters. Bob had two no-no's. Looking at a picture of him from last week, he looked in great shape and very healthy. It shows you how fragile life can really be.
One of the greatest pitchers in Cardinals history, Bob Forsch's last pitch was a strike before the Cards Game 7 win. His family should get a World Series ring.

Gardner Hosed

2011-11-02T17:49:00.000-07:00

The Gold Glove awards don't make sense. It is probably the only award where defensive stats don't mean much. If a guy is a great hitter (Albert Pujols) his chances of winning the gold glove, even if he is an average fielder (Albert Pujols), are increased.
The American League outfielders who won gold gloves last night were: Jacoby Ellsbury, Nick Markakis and Alex Gordon.
Ellsbury, no problem. Markakis, ehh. Gordon? Really?
Brett Gardner got hosed. Big time. He had the best defensive season of any outfielder in the American League. Curtis Granderson also has a beef not getting a gold glove.
And while I'm at it, Dustin Pedroia is a great defensive player but he shouldn't have won the gold glove at second base over Robinson Cano. No way, no how. Cano makes plays that the 29 other starting second basemen in baseball can't make. But Pedroia is the loveable, scrappy keystoner for the Bostons while Cano plays for the evil Yankees.
I'll take Gardner defensively over any outfielder in the AL and Cano over any second baseman in the game today. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Cano has the best arm of any second baseman I've ever seen. Period. I challenge you to find a better arm for a second baseman.

Bad Move Theo

2011-11-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

Theo Epstein, new Cubs president, fired Mike Quade as manager just as I recommended. I also recommended that he hire Ryne Sandberg. Apparently that isn't going to happen as reports indicate he called the Hall of Famer and told him that he wasn't on the Cubs list of potential managers?
Espstein is looking for someone with coaching or managing experience on the Major League level. OK. I can understand that. But what about someone with 15-seasons of playing on the Major Freaking League level? How about someone who was a perennial All-Star and who was inducted into Cooperstown? Oh, that doesn't count for anything? He won't have the respect of the players because he hasn't been a coach or manager in the big leagues?
Theo, listen to me. No one you bring in, other than perhaps Terry Francona, will have as much respect in that clubhouse than Ryan Sandberg. Mike Quade had coaching experience in the big leagues when he got the Cubs managerial spot. He never played in the Major Leagues. How did that work out?
Sandberg, unlike many former players, didn't find it beneath him to go to the minors to manage. He did it well. He's paid his dues in the minors and is ready for a big league shot.
How will Cubs fans feel if Sandberg ends up managing the Cardinals?
Unless Theo gets Francona, anyone other than Sandberg will be a mistake. Give Ryno a shot.

Listen Up Rockies

2011-11-02T17:35:00.000-07:00

I'm not on the Rockies payroll but I'm going to offer some advice. Sound advice.
Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez is a free agent and Chicago doesn't want him back.
He's a little long in the tooth but at 34 next year he should still put up numbers similar to what he did with the Cubs this past season, .306/26/93. Plus, he still plays a solid third base.
Or would the Rockies rather go into spring training with Ian Stewart (.156/0/6) or the statuesque Ty Wigginton (.242/15/42) manning the hot corner.
Sign Ramirez. It's as close to a no-brainer as possible.
Your welcome Rockies for the free advice.

Thank You MLB Network..

2011-11-02T12:29:00.001-07:00

In years past, once the World Series was done, the next baseball we would see would be spring training games in early March where the lineup is filled with guys wearing numbers 76, 82 and 91.
Not no mo!
Last night I was watching a team of Major League players face the Taiwanese National Team in Taiwan. Curtis Granderson of the Yankees belted a grand slam in the American's 7-0 victory over Taiwan.
Couple of quick notes...The Taiwan fans have to be saluted. They filled the ballpark (not a bad little double-deck stadium with outfield bleachers) and stayed in their seats despite the rain. They also cheered the MLB stars and even gave a loud ovation to Robinson Cano who crushed a ball...foul. It was a festive atmosphere despite the rain. Great fans indeed.
The MLB'ers play 4 more games in Taiwan and I'll watch as much as I can thanks to MLB Network.
Here's a slogan for the MLB Network: MLB Network...Making Winters Almost Bearable!
(Yes I came up with that one all on my own!)

Theo Axes Quade...Figuratively

2011-11-02T12:24:00.000-07:00

The Cubs are looking for a new manager after Mike Quade got fired today by new team president Theo Epstein.
Epstein wanted a fresh slate and I don't blame him.
I wonder how the firing went down. Did Theo soften the blow or did he follow the conversation I outlined in Monday's "Bring Back Ryno" post.
Perhaps Theo reads this blog and was just following my advice. You are probably saying, "No way Theo Epstein reads BR's blog, no way!"
Well, I prefer to think differently. Plus, I think it is fair to say I can be delusional. So, yeah, Theo does read this blog and follows my advice!
Seriously though, do the Cubs go after Sandberg? Terry Francona is available.
Would it be too much to ask for the duo of Epstein and Francona to end another team's curse?

Earlier Than Ever

2011-11-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

Since I'm getting older I need to start working out earlier for the upcoming baseball season.
If you don't know, I play in an Over 35-year old baseball league. Yes, baseball, not softball. The our league is based in Denver but there are league's all over the country in something called the NABA, which stands for National Adult Baseball Association. I affectionately call the Over 35-division the Old Guy's League.
I still get great joy in playing the game I have played ever since I can remember. But as I get older I realize I need to work out harder than ever before.
Therefore today I started my workouts for Old Guy's baseball.
Opening Day is 5 months away. But I plan on playing in a kickoff tournament in Las Vegas, February 18-20. That will be a good way to get some games and at-bats in before out season starts in Denver.
Today I stretched, lifted weights, did core work, swung a bat and took an hour bike ride. I feel good. I won't start throwing though until probably late December or January. Need to get my elbow in real good shape before I do that.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting into peak shape for next season.