Category: Dailies

Trucking along

Rites of Spring? It begins with the Rides of Pre-Spring.
As new-wave as baseball has become — start with sports’ state-of-the-art website, ballpark organ music replaced by metal rock, facial hair and tattoos a must — it can still roll out quaint traditions.
None of them is as retro as the fuss made everywhere about the departure of equipment trucks to Spring Training camps. It’s trumpeted as a sure sign to the snow-bound and chilled-to-the bone that spring is on the way, never mind what Punxsutawney Phil has to say.
Some teams take the custom to bizarre heights.
For instance, the Red Sox actually preceded the trucks’ pullout with a parade, with Johnny Pesky serving as “Grand Marshal of the Red Sox Spring Training Equipment Truck Departure Parade.” 
The Texas Rangers generously announced that, “all media outlets are welcome to cover the truck’s departure.” Coverage? “Frank turned the ignition key, slowly accelerated, and made a nifty left turn out of the parking lot.”

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The Phillies touted their truck getaway as a great “photo opportunity.” Bet Philadelphia paparazzi were all over that one.
BTW, ever wonder what’s in those trucks, besides the basics of balls and uniforms?
Among other contents, the Phillies’ truck included:
  • 15 cases of gum (regular and sugarless)
  • 2 cases of sunflower seeds
  • 10,000 12 oz. cups (the drinking kind)
A-ROID? A-FRAUD? How about A-Freud. With all his insecurities, Derek Jeter fixation, self-admitted thing for muscular women and obsession with how he is perceived by others, Alex Rodriguez could keep a room full of Sigmund Freuds busy for weeks. … 
IRONIC aside by Gerry Fraley at Foxsports.com, alluding to the widespread steroids culture in the Texas clubhouse which Rodriguez had just joined: “If the Johnny Appleseed of steroids in baseball is ever identified, it is likely that he will have played for the Texas Rangers.”
Well, connecting some dots … Brian Downing ended his career with the Rangers in 1991-1992, the perceived dawn of the steroids era. Downing, whom I covered with the Angels in the ’80s, was absolutely one of my favorite people, a genuinely nice guy and passionate player.
But he was also known as the Incredible Hulk for bulking up following his 1978 trade from the White Sox to the Angels. Downing had totaled 26 homers in five seasons in Chicago, then had six seasons of 20-plus with the Angels. Incredible, or Inflatable, Hulk? … 
WITH THE RYAN Howard settlement, the Phillies dodged arbitration hearings with all 10 of their eligible players. But peace between the clubhouse and the front office came at a steep price. The 10 resulting contracts represent a total commitment of $151,520,000, with $53,020,000 of that on the ’09 payroll. … 
THE NY MEDIA has been in full Rodriguez-bashing mode, but what about the NY fans? They’re being remarkably tolerant, at least as reflected in a N.Y. Daily News poll of whether Rodriguez remains Hall of Fame worthy, in which votes are running virtually even under the three possible sentiments: (a) Yes, he’s still a dominant force; (b) No, this is the last straw; (c) Maybe, but he needs to come clean. … 
Keep on … well, you know what.


Enough!

You get the full nickel’s worth this morning …

At some point, reaction to the steady, endless flow of steroids revelations goes from disillusionment, dismay and disappointment to downright anger.
We’re at that point.
How dare these punks mess with our game? And I’m including the spineless GMs who keep signing suspected cheats, those Pavlovian ESPN directors who keep feeding endless reels of home runs, even the chicks who love the long ball.
Mess with the game? Darn right. We’re deep enough into the steroids era for the ‘Roid Rats to have set their own legacy — and it’s dark.
Here’s a couple of ways they have taken a crayon to baseball’s masterpiece of significant accomplishments:
  •  More than half (14 of 26) of the MVP winners since 1996 either tested positive for steroids (Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, etc.), were self-confessed users (Ken Caminiti) or have been strongly implicated by a variety of sources (Miguel Tejada, Sammy Sosa, etc.).
  • Of the 12 top career home-run hitters, five have links to performance enhancers.
Asterisk? How about erasers? Out with them.

Grin and ‘bear’ it

We all know it’s been a bearish free-agent market. If you talked to Chuck (as the Charles Schwab ads urge you to) he’d tell you to stay away.

The most sobering aspect isn’t even the number of truly high-profile free agents who remain unsigned a week before Spring Training camps pitch their tents.
It is the number of players who have signed for significant pay cuts, a rarity during better times.
The Top Ten hits (and, really, this is just the tip of the iceberg):
  • Jason Giambi: $15.75 million ($21 million with Yankees to $5.25 million with A’s).
  • Mike Hampton: $13 M ($15 M with Braves to $2 M with Astros).
  • Andy Pettitte: $10.5 M ($16 M to $5.5 M with Yankees).
  • Carl Pavano: $9.5 M ($11 M with Yankees to $1.5 M with Indians).
  • Pat Burrell: $7 M ($14 M with Phillies to $7 M with Rays).
  • Omar Vizquel: $4.9 M ($5.3 M with Giants to Minor deal with Rangers).
  • Jason Varitek: $4 M ($9 M to $5 M with Red Sox).
  • Angel Berroa: $3.95 M ($4.75 M with Dodgers to Minor deal with Yankees, valued at $800,000 if on big-league roster.
  • Juan Uribe: $3.5 M ($4.5 M with White Sox to Minor deal with Giants, valued at $1 M if on big-league roster).
  • Brad Penny: $3.5 M ($8.5 M with Dodgers to $5 M with Red Sox).
Given this climate, incidentally, you have to wonder about the mental states of Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett for getting those fat deals from the Yankees. It takes a mighty strong personality to shrug off feelings of guilt often spawned by such discrepancy.
Only one of those three appears to have it. We’ll see how they hold up to the scrutiny. … 
COMMISSIONER Bud Selig, former president Bill Clinton, Hall of Famer Dave Winfield and media magnate Ted Turner highlighted the guest list for Thursday night’s gala celebration of Hank Aaron’s 75th birthday. You wonder who will show up for Barry Bonds’ 75th birthday party in 2039. Aaron’s fete was held in a downtown Atlanta hotel; Bonds will probably be able to hold his in a tool shed. … 
MATT BUSH: Well, Peoria will be a safer place this spring without the Padres’ troubled former No. 1 draft pick. Borrowing from the official police report of the recent incident that led to the club designating him from assignment, it didn’t take long for him to go from shouting that he is “Matt (bleeping) Bush” to becoming Matt (bleeped) Bush. …

Return of the Holdout

Here’s what I love about the Manny Ramirez situation: It’s a good old-fashioned holdout, that long-lost tradition which used to spice Spring Trainings.

With the Dodgers his lone overt suitor, this isn’t about maximizing free agency, but about holding out until El Lay sweetens the deal.
This bit of flashback couldn’t be better placed. The Dodgers have a rich lore of holdout episodes, most starring that late agitator of a GM, Buzzie Bavasi.
Two of his favorites:
Don Drysdale-Sandy Koufax, 1966 — The mound’s dynamic duo became a demonic duo for Bavasi, negotiating in tandem for a shared $1 million across three years (or $167,000 annually apiece at a time Willie Mays’ $125,000 topped baseball’s books). Don and Sandy did the Ed Sullivan Show in New York while the Dodgers were training in Vero Beach. The 32-day stalemate ended on March 31, with Koufax ($125,000) and Drysdale ($110,000) each signing one-year deals.
Maury Wills, 1963 — The year after he stole 104 bases and the NL’s MVP Trophy, Wills held out for a $5,000 raise and finally took a meeting with Bavasi. It did not go well, Wills recalls. “I thought I was going to get a big raise, but after 10 minutes in Buzzie’s office, I was still happy I was on the team.”

SPEAKING OF flashbacks: So many free agents signing Minor League contracts that come with Spring Training invitations (a remarkable 38 at last count) means camp competition for jobs —  virtually killed off in the modern era by guaranteed contracts — will again be fierce. …

JAKE PEAVY: Good as gone. When the Padres screened a video retrospective of highlights of their first 40 seasons at their awards banquet last week, two significant contributors to that history were omitted. Trevor Hoffman, who has already left. And, yes, Peavy, who must be packing his long johns for those cold April nights in Wrigley Field. … 

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: Even though he remains unsigned, he already is one of the best-paid free agents coming out of this winter. Reason: The deferred portion of the contract he signed with the Reds kicks in this year at $5 million, continuing until 2025. … 

GOING DEEP: But you won’t go far. The ultimate condemnation of this home-run era, and the undeserved fascination with the long ball, is that now half of the top dozen on the all-time list have never played on a World Series winner. They include Barry Bonds, Griffey, Sammy Sosa, Harmon Killebrew, Rafael Palmeiro and Alex Rodriguez. … 

JOE TORRE: Fans don’t share the frothing New York media’s verdict that “The Yankee Years” soiled his Bronx heritage. In an ongoing New York Daily News poll, their sentiment is 69-to-31 for retiring his No. 6 over dismissing him for having tarnished his legacy.

Super Sunday, then Manic Monday

Let’s dispense with the Super Bowl — Steelers 31-10, book it — and look forward to the instant change of seasons.

There goes football, and here comes baseball. Monday kicks off the Caribbean Series and, not coincidentally, the MLB Network’s first crack at live game coverage.
I look forward to the cameras capturing the passion and zeal of Latin American fans — while hoping not to see any undue fire out of Jose Offerman, who will be managing the favored Licey Tigres from the Dominican Republic.
Offerman is  still on probation for his bat-attack of pitcher Matt Beech during a 2007 Atlantic League game. …
ONE GOOD thing about last week’s controversial previews of Joe Torre’s forthcoming book: totally obscured was the release of another book that deserved being ignored. Kirk Radomski, the former Mets clubhouse guy at center of the game’s steroids mess, authored “Bases Loaded: The Inside Story of the Steroid Era in Baseball by the Central Figure in the Mitchell Report.” …

THIS JUST in: ”There is really reason to believe that baseball is gradually dying out in this country,” reported the New York Times — in 1881! … 

HATED TO learn that Mike Mussina calls out Mariano Rivera in “The Yankee Years,” which will be released on Tuesday atop the New York Times’ bestseller list. Moose tells co-author Tom Verducci that since he joined the Yankees in 2001, Rivera “has accomplished nothing in comparison to what he accomplished the four years before,” and holds him accountable for losing the 2001 World Series to Arizona and the 2004 ALCS to Boston. … 

STILL LAUGHING over Albert Pujols’ suggestion that his buddy Manny Ramirez may be affordable to the Cardinals because “he could give them a discount because St. Louis is a great city that supports its players.” Yeah, just the other day Scott Boras tried to say “discount” and needed the Heimlich maneuver to resume breathing. … 

BORAS, incidentally, totally misfired in his original approach to trying to land a four-year deal for Jason Varitek. The agent dismissed Varitek’s offensive shrinkage last season by saying, “It must be a 36-year-old thing for catchers,” a reference to similar declines by Carlton Fisk and Bob Boone.

Only one problem with those analogies: Fisk hit .231 as a 36-year-old, then .238 and .221 the ensuing two seasons; Boone, a .202 hitter at 36, didn’t raise his average  above .248 until he was 40.

It sounded like a negotiating ploy for exactly what Tek had to accept to return to the Red Sox — a “discounted” contract. This one is still stuck in Boras’ throat.

And here’s a suggestion for Varitek that could again make him a force at bat: Simplify. In the case of the switch-hitter, that would mean sticking to the right side. Varitek has always had more pop from the left side, but last season’s splits (.284 right-handed versus .201 lefty) have been typical for the last six years.

Since 2002, Varitek has been a .294 hitter from the right side, and .249 from the left. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bill James, on the Red Sox’s payroll, hasn’t already repeatedly made the same suggestion to Tek.

Faultless Joe

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Thirty years after Sparky Lyle and collaborator Peter Golenbock gave us the incisive “Bronx Zoo,” New York seems to be of the opinion that Joe Torre’s forthcoming book should be titled “Bronx Pooh,” given how it reportedly spoils his Yankee Years.

Please. The flash point of sneak peaks into the 477-page book (it will be released on Tuesday) has been Torre’s portrayal of Alex Rodriguez as an attention freak, someone who “needs people to make a fuss over him.”

You mean, someone prone to letting his agent announce that he is opting out of his contract during the final game of a World Series?

Gee, never saw that one coming.

The same media which mocked A-Rod’s duplicity and respected Torre’s candor now sure seems quick to label The Skip as a pariah.

That seems to happen a lot to people who leave The City. A suggestion for high-profile folks moving out: Leave backwards, without exposing your back. … 

Oh, by the way — the Yankees have to start from scratch, but Torre’s postseason streak is alive at 13 (one more, and he ties Bobby Cox’s record). … 

In retrospect,  given the clubhouse contempt for Rodriguez of which GM Brian Cashman had to be aware, how amazing is it that the Yankees gave him a new 10-year contract after he had voided the old one? …  

Scott Boras, on Nov. 12, two days before open-bidding commenced for Manny Ramirez:  “Beginning Friday, I will begin, for the first time, taking serious offers.” That was a nice dig at the Dodgers’ opening bid of two years for $45 million but, 10 weeks later, Boras is still waiting. 

So, naturally, he tells us yesterday that “the process has begun.” I’d love to give Dr. Cal Lightman, the Tim Roth character in Fox’s new “Lie to Me”  series, five minutes in a closed room with all agents, one by one. … 

Why Lou Piniella has to bat Alfonso Soriano leadoff: He’d be a rally-killer in the middle of the lineup; he’s always been allergic to runners on base. Soriano is a career .255 hitter with men in scoring position and last season hit .160 with men on third and two outs.

Such stats help explain his 270 career homers but only 705 RBIs, an amazing split. He is one of 28 historical players who have hit between 260 and 280 home runs; among the other 27, only Adam Dunn has a lower RBI total (a shameful 672 on 278 blasts) — which might help explain why he’s also still looking for a uni. … 

And in case you were wondering of the current whereabouts of George Mitchell, the former Senate majority leader whose name is on the report that brought baseball’s PED culture into the open — he’s visiting Cairo.

No, not Miguel — as Pres. Obama’s special Middle East envoy, Mitchell is on the first leg of an eight-day tour of Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, France and Britain. Dude’s pretty important, and tells you why his report has so much credibility with the big boys of government. …


Take a year, take a chance

The free-agency bottleneck, in many cases, comes down to this: Most free agents are being offered one-year deals, but they (or their agents) continue to hold out for multi-year contracts.

Given a prevailing I-want-it-and-I-want-it-now attitude, that’s not surprising. But maybe these guys should start playing the baseball market as well as they play the game.
We’re in an economic downturn. Why would you want to accept a multi-year deal at depressed terms? Take one year, go out and produce — then get that multi-year contract in next winter’s hopefully-improved financial climate.
It’s a risk: Injury, diminishing skills (ears burning, Andruw?), increased competition can impact next year’s bargaining power. But the times say that it’s the players’ turn to take the bigger risk.
The risk an unprecedented number of them will take is “holding out” until the season is well under way. That’s fine with general managers who can get a 60-game read on their teams before deciding whether it’s prudent to sign a finishing piece.
Like Toronto’s J.P. Ricciardi, who feels that many of the players still on the market ”have made enough money in the game where they can sit it out until the season begins and then get signed if a team has a need.”
Pet peeve (despite the business tone of the above item): References to the baseball “industry.” It’s not a steel mill, it’s a ballpark. Maybe we’re past the point of calling it just a “game,” but it’s still more amusement than work. … 
Just wondering: Why is Tuesday the release day for all media? DVDs, CDs, books? Like Joe Torre’s now-much-anticipated tell-some, due to be released on Feb. 3, a Tuesday. … 
Want to know why the Manny Ramirez camp is so adamant against accepting that two-year, $45 million deal from the Dodgers? Because Scott Boras promised the player much more in convincing him to get out of those two option years with the Red Sox — which were worth $40 million. …
Speaking of the Red Sox … there is a lot of speculation about the bleak economy’s affect on baseball, but the telltale sign will be whether Boston is able to continue  its record sellout streak, at 469 games. And will there be a 4 million gate (both New York teams got there in 2008) for a fifth consecutive season? … 

We remember A.J. Burnett dreaming out loud in June: ”If I’d have the opportunity to go to a place where baseball is breakfast, lunch and dinner, that would be awesome.” Well, he’s gone to a place where baseball is also brunch, midnight snack and religion. …

How did Tampa Bay become the Fatima of baseball — as in a site for miracles? First, the Rays. And now the Arizona Cardinals play a Super Bowl there. And isn’t it a case of the pot calling the kettle black for Rays manager Joe Maddon  to say of the Cards, “For them to get to the Super Bowl, I don’t think that was really on anyone’s radar.”

Joe, a year ago, not even Doppler could pick up your Rays.

Insomniac’s Ball

As a kid, I’d often leap out of bed in the morning, excited by the dawning day’s possibilities. Now that same anticipation at times keeps me from even sleeping.

In any case, the sheep have left the barn. So … 
SAY it ain’t so, Jack: Addressing the other day the likelihood of bringing back Ken Griffey Jr. so he could close the circle and end his career in Seattle, Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik said, “I don’t want to make any move based on sentiment.”

Wow. Sentiment has always been as big a part of baseball as red stitching. It brought Hank Aaron back to Milwaukee, Don Sutton to the Dodgers, Pete Rose to the Reds,  Eddie Murray to the O’s and on and on.

Without sentiment, it’s just tiddlywinks on the lawn. … 

NEVER mind Jose Canseco vs. Danny Bonaduce (Freak Show vs. Game Show; Bonaduce briefly was a host on GSN ). Give me Jeff Kent vs. Barry Bonds in the ring. There’s a pay-per-view I’d spring for. …

ROGER Clemens: Such a poignant, precipitous fall from grace. I’d love to be a fly on his wall to get the real read on how he feels about the whole spiral. Then again, maybe not — I’d hate to be taken out by such a ridiculous weapon as a flyswatter. … 

THE NATS will be really catching some ZZs if, as GM Jim Bowden suggested the other day, 22-year-old righty Jordan Zimmermann is ready for The Show. Zimmerman (Ryan) and Zimmermann? Maybe they could also hire Don Zimmer.

Bowden could be right:  In two seasons as a pro, Zimmermann has gradually climbed the ladder with a record of 15-5 and the icing of a 1.14 ERA.

GENERAL manager: Got to be the easiest job in the world, with so many people offering their help. How did GMs get along before blogs, anyway?

BILL JAMES: The “Nutrition Facts” requirement on the box of baseball. I just want to enjoy my cereal, don’t need to know the atomic composition of those Cheerios. … 

GIVE me an outfield of Garret Anderson, Bobby  Abreu and Manny Ramirez — all still hawking on the free-agent market — and I’d take my chances in any division. … 

AND NOW for something completely different, check out this page, Tracy Ringolsby’s favorite. Just don’t hold it against me. I was young and living in Hollywood, where I thought you couldn’t even get a driver’s license without making at least one movie.

Hey, maybe that’s what keeps me awake?!…

IN TRUTH, I did try for two. Wrote a baseball screenplay which went nowhere, perhaps because the best thing about it was the title: Diamonds — A Love Affair with Balls. …

Hard of Hearing: The Long Good-bye

FEBRUARY 1 will be a big day in Phoenix. The Super Bowl? Nah. Baseball’s arbitration hearings will kick off that day and, though small in number relative to the long list of players eligible for arbitration, the process profoundly impacts the game.

Ever wonder why it’s called a “hearing”? I think it’s because the player sitting in that room can’t believe what he’s hearing. His game is ripped apart by club reps out to convince the three arbitrators that he only deserves the team offer, not his request. It’s not a place for the thin-skinned and insecure.
After a few hours on that rack, most players can’t wait to flee to another place where they can feel more appreciated. Nothing like free agency to turn on the love, as suitors talk their ears off. Of the 14 players who have had to go through a hearing the last four years and eventually reached free agency, 13 abandoned the team that had to testify against him — win or lose.The ony exception, Oliver Perez, seems to be fighting against re-signing with the Mets, over whom he actually scored a hearing decision a year ago.
ryanhoward.jpgClubs do realize the stakes, a lesson that took a while to learn. Nowadays, hearings run about 5-7 a year. Through the first two decades of a process that began in 1974, there were typically dozens of hearings every year, peaking with 35 in 1986.
RYAN HOWARD is the Donald Trump of the current arbitration group, with his $18 million request. For the reasons cited above, I expect the Phillies to be very eager to avoid another hearing with him. For one thing, the club’s $14 million offer sets up a perfect midpoint for a compromise agreement. For another, the Phils learned in losing their 2008 hearing to Howard that their one argument — his record strikeout numbers — has no weight in this era. Not with nine of the top 14 all-time single-season strikeout totals having come since 2000.
KANSAS STATE: I hereby nominate the Wildcats as the official college basketball team of MLB. Most of the time, the guys on the floor are Colon (Luis), Sutton (Dominique), Kent (Darren), Samuel (Jamar) and Clemente (Denis). … 
JEFF KENT: I’ll miss seeing him, both on the field and in the clubhouse. He was a genuine throwback. He’ll now have the time to perfect those wheelies on his motorcycle.
JAY MCGWIRE: Gee, I guess we now get why he’s estranged from brother Mark.