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Wednesday, October 31, 2007 |
Offseason Target Idea #2: Kerry Wood
Joe Girardi's old battery mate in Chicago is a free agent, and likely looking for a one-year deal to prove he's still healthy. Towards the end of 2007, he was throwing in the hig 90's again and seemed to be getting the old effectiveness back. I didn't see him drop that old killer cuirveball that he had in his prime as much, but maybe that will come back with time.
Either way, Wood is a low-risk, high-reward type of guy, the same type of player Cashman loves to draft every year. Is a one year deal for $4M with a club option for a second too much to pay for a guy who just might be a flamethrower out of the bullpen?Labels: kerry wood, offseason ideas
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 11:08 AM
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Is There Any Room on Team Jeter?
I'm cold, I'm confused, and I have no place else to go.Labels: derek jeter
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 9:47 AM
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Tuesday, October 30, 2007 |
Rivera Close to a Deal?
Per Peter Abraham:
Mo Rivera was in Tampa with his agent, Fern Cuza, to sit down with Brian Cashman and the Steinbrenners. Hey, a player willing to sit down with his team and hear what they have to say, what a concept.
When a player meets a team with his agent, it is usually a sign that a deal is close at hand.
Gee, too bad A-Rod opted out, huh? What was his reasoning again?
“Alex’s decision was one based on not knowing what his closer, his catcher and one of his statured pitchers was going to do,” Boras said. “He really didn’t want to make any decisions until he knew what they were going.”
That's why you give the team the 10 days to sign Mo, Posada and Pettitte. If the Yankees settle all three contracts this week, Rodriguez is going to look like an even bigger jerk.Labels: a-rod, mariano rivera
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 1:02 PM
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A-Rod to Play Smartball?
Oh please let what Gordon Edes is reporting on NESN be true.. that the White Sox are the front runners for A-Rod.
I really can't wait to see him have to lay down sac bunt after sac bunt to move Paul Konerko station to station for Ozzie.Labels: a-rod, ozzie guillen, smallball, white sox
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 12:58 PM
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Mr. Class
With the announcement of Torre to the Dodgers imminent, reports say that LA may have been in contact with the Torre camp prior to his infamous Tampa refusal:
According to several people, the Dodgers inquired about Torre's interest before he rejected a one-year deal for $5 million with a chance to earn $3 million in incentives and stay with the Yankees.
Was Joe "insulted" by the contract offer from New York because he knew the Dodgers offered more years? Did he just want to go out with the city and reporters all kissing his rings and throwing the team under the bus?
Torre knew the terms of the Yankee offer prior to requesting a trip to Tampa. Now it seems he also had the framework for a Dodger offer as well.
If you ask Torre about it, of course he'll deny it, as he did on last night's Late Show with David Letterman:
"I know it's been rumored, and you pick up the local paper and there's something in there about going to L.A.," Torre said. "There has been a time or two when there's something in the paper that hasn't been true."
Is that an outright lie or is it just a case of careful speech "sometimes things aren't true" hints at this also being one of them, but doesn't come right out and state it.
Also, this Freudian slip was the giveaway:
Letterman: "If you want to manage again in 2008, where are the three places you might go?"
Torre: "I don't know. What's available? The Dodgers have a contract, a manager. And the angels have a very good manager."
The Dodgers have a contract? Of course they do, Joe, but feel free to continue lying to everyone, making the Yankees out to be the bad guys, and skipping town. Letterman, like everyone else seemingly in the media, keeps getting confused by the fact that Joe Torre was not fired because he kept mentioning how the team should have "wanted (Torre) back."
Does anyone recall when reporters asked Lou Pinella if he was interested in the Yankees job that Joe Torre was still under contract, and that to speak to that or to the Yankees would be a show of disrespect?
Too bad Joe doesn't seem to hold that same regard for Grady Little.
A tale of two stories:
Man is highest paid person in his job, is offered new contract that will keep him highest paid person at his job, opts not to sign contract, rumors persist that there was a standing backdoor offer with another club, has roses thrown at feet and is given key to city.
Man is highest paid person in his job, is offered a contract extension that will keep him highest paid person at his job, opts out of contract, rumors persist that there was a standing backdoor offer with another club, is thrown to wolves and called greedy and doesn't care about winning and is all about himself.
I'm not asking anyone to let up on A-Rod (not anymore, mind you) but is what Torre did really all that different?
Classy, Joe. Really classy.Labels: dodgers, joe torre
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 10:51 AM
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Transition Year
While the Yankees should be competitive in 2008, it really is a transition year in a lot of ways. Many of the long-term contracts that have been hanging around beyond their welcome will expire.
Let's take a look at who comes off the books after 2008 (Player, 2008 salary):
Giambi, $21M
Farnsworth, $5.5M
Pavano, $11M
Mussina, $11M
Abreu, $16M (2008 team option)
Pettitte, $16M (2008 player option)
Not counting major-league minimum players or arbitration eligible ones, these is your current 2009 contracts:
Jeter, $21M
Damon, $13M
Matsui, $13M
Cano and Wang will be in arbitration periods by then, but arbitration amounts won't break the club financially. Assuming Rivera and Posada resign for approximately $13M each per season, you're looking at a guaranteed contract situation after next season of approximately $73M, albeit between five players.
Brian Cashman's reluctance to sign long-term deals crippling with free agents (no thanks, Carlos Beltran) is about to pay off. This sort of payroll flexibility hasn't been seen in the Bronx in years.
2008 looks to be one last hurrah for the old guys, with the 2009 season being a mix of the kids and a few select missing pieces (Johan Santana, $22M/yr?) filling out the roster.
Flexibility. Cashman's talked about it for a couple of years now. Well, it's here, and there's nothing to stand in his way of making the right kind of acquisition right now and for the future (did I mention Johan Santana?).Labels: johan santana, payroll, roster moves
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 10:24 AM
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Offseason Target Idea #1: Kevin Kouzmanoff
The Padres are quite high on their top prospect, Chase Headley, who is also a 3B. There is a chance he could compete for the opening day spot in 2008, but speculation has him as a midseason replacement, leaving Kouzmanoff as a man without a position (which makes the Josh Barfield trade all the more curious, as Kouzmanoff's other position, 1B is taken.
Kouz had a tough start this season but caught fire towards the end. San Diego had expressed interest in Kei Igawa in the past, and it's possible may still be willing to discuss a deal.
Kouzmanoff could act as a bridge to Brad Suttle and then slide over to first base for New York (which most scouts predict he will have to do eventually).
Young, cheap talent, and it's possible the Yankees could work a reliever out of them too.
It's worth exploring, at the very least.Labels: brad suttle, chase headley, kouz, offseason ideas, roster moves
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 5:36 PM
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Yankees Cancel New Stadium Plans; YES Revenue down 92% in 24 Hours
Per Scott Boras. More to come on this.Labels: a-rod, scott boras
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 4:31 PM
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It's Still About Pitching
While everyone bemoans the loss of the cleanup hitter, please keep in mind that the Yankees outscored every team in baseball in 2007, and are losing from a position of strength. They have a stellar lineup most teams would love to have. To wit, as of now:
LF Damon
SS Jeter
RF Abreu
1B Giambi
C Posada (assuming he resigns)
DH Matsui
2B Cano
CF Cabrera
3B Betemit
Cashman would probably like another big right-handed bat in that group, but as-is, that's still a potent lineup.
The bullpen is a mess. As currently constructed (assuming Rivera returns):
Rivera
Farnsworth
Ohlendorf
Veras
Ramirez
Henn
Igawa
Bruney
Britton
w/ Sanchez and Cox on the horizon.
Since the rotation shapes up as one of two options:
Wang
Hughes
Chamberlain
Kennedy
Mussina
or
Pettitte
Wang
Hughes
Chamberlain
Kennedy/Mussina
there may be a spot in the 'pen for Kennedy or Mussina, and although everyone says it won't happen, Chamberlain.
Still, it would greatly behoove Cashman to make a move and improve that bullpen. There are far too many question marks.
Is San Diego still interested in Igawa? Thatcher or Meredith might be available, as it now seems that Bell is their closer of the future. Speaking of San Diego, they also have a logjam at third base, and Kevin Kouzmanoff is most likely trade bait.
There are a lot of options out there. Before anyone jumps off the bridge that the loss of Rodriguez is the end of the world, consider that the team's real need is pitching, and that would have been a fact with or without Alex.Labels: bullpen, pitching woes, roster moves
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 2:01 PM
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Torre, Favorite Toy to Reunite?
Torre could be LA bound.
Torre will take Dodgers job if, when, it opens
Monday, Oct 29, 2007 7:21 am EDT
If divorce proceedings between Grady Little and the Dodgers go the distance, as many expect, The New York Post has learned Joe Torre has been targeted as the manager to heal a fractured Los Angeles clubhouse.
According to two people with knowledge of the Dodgers' universe, the club and Little are talking about a buyout that would leave the manager's office in Chavez Ravine vacant for Torre to inherit. Since none of Little's coaches is signed for next year and he is ($1 million and an undisclosed option for 2009), there has been speculation Little is out.
Torre, who wants to manage again, is interested in talking to the Dodgers if the job becomes available.
So the Dodgers want to replace a manager who doesn't understand in-game tactics or how to manage a bullpen with a manager who doesn't understand in-game tactic or how to manage a bullpen and is also actively trying to embarrass his former employers in the press and tonight on Letterman.
Why would Joe take the job? Well he gets to abuse the right arm of Scott Proctor again. Who could resist that?Labels: dodgers, joe torre, scott proctor
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 11:45 AM
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Even Boras Can't Possibly Believe His Own Crap
"Alex made the decision today," Boras told Sports Illustrated's Web site. "I thought we should notify the club."
Boras claimed that Rodriguez made his decision based on the uncertain status of teammates Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte. Posada and Rivera are free agents, and Pettitte has a player option for next season.
"Alex's decision was one based on not knowing what his closer, his catcher and one of his statured pitchers was going to do," Boras said. "He really didn't want to make any decisions until he knew what they were doing." (Source)
A-Rod had 10 days after the World Series in order to "not make a decision." Opting out of the contract? That's a fucking decision.
At least just admit you didn't want to be a Yankee any longer.. but really, after all he'd said previously, are we to expect an honest answer from Rodriguez on this?
At first I was thinking this must have beeen a ploy by Boras to threaten the opt-out but never file it, but it doesn't appear to be so.
Why would Boras remove the one team that would have the best financial offer on the table before the bidding begins? Who can afford Rodriguez now? The Mets could, but are set at SS and 3B for years. The Red Sox? Could anyone see Red Sox fans embracing him, or Alex being comfortable with the media pressure there, ESPECIALLY if he starts a year after a World Series win and they don't win during his tenure? Los Angeles is a possibility. So is Los Angeles of Anaheim.
My guess is Boras made a backroom illegal deal for Rodriguez long before the World Series, and essentially gave him the option of the secret handshake deal or the Yankee extension, and they chose the new team.
This tactic wouldn't be anything new with Boras (see Drew, JD).
If the Yankees were smart they'd stop negotiating with Boras clients all together, and stop being used as fools who drive up market value.
It's a brave new world in the Bronx. By all reports, Joe Girardi is the new manager. No more Donnie Baseball in pinstripes. Torre is gone. A-Rod is gone. Pettitte, Posada and Rivera might be gone (although I would expect the catcher and pitcher to return). The youth movement is officially on.
It's 1996 all over again.Labels: a-rod, roster moves, scott boras
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 9:44 AM
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Wednesday, October 24, 2007 |
There's Only ONE November!
... and scheduling Game 7 of the World Series to be played during that month is asinine.
Boston will be cold enough, but imagine if the NL won the All Star Game?
November baseball in Denver.
Maybe one day Selig will wise up and not allow the TV networks to make his post-season schedules for him (but this scenerio highly unlikely).
Here's a few ideas, Bud, take them to whatever you have that functions as a heart:
- Start the season a week earlier, and schedule mainly domed or warm weather cities for the first 2-3 weeks. Not only will this mean more games are played before October, but you'd avoid such situations as Seattle and Cleveland experienced this year.
- More doubleheaders. Yes, the owners see them as "something for nothing" and a loss of revenue, so schedule day-night doubleheaders if you have to. Are the owners really raking it in on Thursday 1pm games in Arizona, anyway?
- Increase revenue by adding more games to the ALDS. Best of seven. It should be seven games for a myriad of reasons anyway.
- No "off days" during a home series in the playoffs. Boston at Cleveland, for example, had played Games 3 and 4 on consecutive nights, and then *bam* offday before Game 5 in the same stadium. Pointless.
- Less off-days between series. Yes, the Networks and media need a chance to travel to a city that was just determined, but there should never be more than at MOST two days (and preferably, one).
Of course all Selig really seems to be concerned with is money. Remember, adding the wildcard was to offer "competitiveness" and not "another round of playoff dollars." Labels: bud selig, playoffs
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 11:47 AM
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Peter and Joseph, Sitting in a Tree
Bear in mind, this was posted on Peter Abraham's blog five hours after the Torre decision came down. I mean, just start with the headline:
Move starting to backfire on Yanks already Well I assume we'll see how the move "backfires" in the article, right? Posada signed with Houston? A-Rod opted out and went to Boston? Rivera is going to be setting up for Trevor Hoffman in 2008?
Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci is right on the mark with this column.
As he points out, Joe Maddon and Ozzie Guillen got multi-year extensions. Joe Torre was offered one year? Nobody is buying what the Yankees are trying to sell.
The Yankees better hope whoever gets the job gets off to a good start. There can be no honeymoon for the next manager based on the comments of Randy Levine. If 94 wins and a playoff berth aren’t good enough, the next guy better win 95 games and get in the ALCS. Because Kenny Williams made an idiotic move to extend Ozzie Guillen, who is perhaps the worst manager in the game (well, Dusty Baker is back now, so there will be some competition) the Yankees should feel compelled to follow suit?
Oh. So.. no backfiring except for sportswriters and the media, whom Joe "managed" his entire career, are upset that he's gone. Because he was their friend.
Seriously if you think I'm kidding, just look at Abraham's entire blog for the day:
Shocking day marks end of an era
An offer he had to refuse
So who’s in charge here?
Hendricks: Joe special to Pettitte
Please Peter, find more breaking news like Andy Pettitte's agent saying that Andy Pettitte liked Joe Torre.
The entire blog is full of blaming every playoff loss on the players and crediting every postseason berth to the manager.
Sorry Pete. Can't have it both ways.
Jim Leyritz had a good take on it on ESPN. He said that he didn't think the offer was unfair, and that one year made sense because if Torre didn't at least make the World Series in 2008 he would have been fired anyway.Labels: douchebag, joe torre, peteabe
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 12:25 AM
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Thursday, October 18, 2007 |
Steinbrenner Never Should Have Fired Johnny Keane
John Kruk on tonight's SportsCenter in refards to the Joe Torre departure:
"Look at the history of the Yankees under Steinbrenner. Every Yankee manager had to deal with controversy, from Jim Bouton writing his book...."
Bouton's book was written about the 1969 season (and focused mainly on the Seattle Pilots, for whom he played during their only season).
Steinbrenner bought the Yankees in 1973.
Why does ESPN keep these complete idiots employed? This was a planned studio piece where he was reading a prepared monologue. It's not like this was an off-the-cuff remark.Labels: douchebag, espn, john kruk
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 11:10 AM
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Tuesday, October 16, 2007 |
Comprehensive One Game Report of Why Chip Caray Sucks
Not by me this time. Richard Sandomir was all over it.
An Error-Plagued Game, but From the Broadcast Booth
By RICHARD SANDOMIR
Published: October 9, 2007
No announcer is perfect. A mistake now and then is expected. The best ones realize that they’ve made errors and often do their best to fix them quickly.
Skip to next paragraph
Then there is Chip Caray, TBS’s lead baseball announcer, who has been calling the Yankees-Indians division series and will work deeper into the postseason on the National League Championship Series. His play-by-play of the Yankees’ 8-4 win in Game 3 on Sunday night was packed with errors and silly strategy, enough to give me agita.
Caray’s skein of faux pas in Game 3, as well as during Game 2, befogged his announcing like the insects that swarmed Joba Chamberlain on Friday night.
He stated that Derek Jeter was playing in his 49th postseason game — “No. 1 of all time.” Truth: it was his 49th division series game, out of 122 postseason games.
He likened the “dynamic duo” of Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera to the Rivera-John Wetteland bullpen pairing in “those great early years of Joe Torre,” when they were dominating the World Series. Truth: Rivera and Wetteland were Yankee teammates for two seasons, and Torre managed them only in 1996.
He said the “Yankees led the world” in home runs this season with 201. He liked saying it so much he said it again. Truth: The Brewers led the majors with 231, followed by the Phillies with 213 and the Reds at 204. The Yankees and Marlins were tied at 201.
He extolled Alex Rodriguez’s “offensive heroics in the first two months of the season” for keeping the Yankees in the race. Truth: A-Rod had a sensational April, but he slumped in May to a .235 batting average with 5 home runs and 11 runs batted in.
He introduced Indians reliever Joe Borowski in Game 3 as having played for the Brewers and the Reds. Truth: He never played for Milwaukee, and while he once signed with the Reds, he never made it out of spring training. Caray also noted his hometown, Bayonne, N.J., but pronounced it as if it were part of the Louisiana bayou.
The error bug also hit the reporter Craig Sager, who reflected on the absence of Bob Sheppard, the Yankee Stadium public address announcer, and said that his first game in 1951 was between the Giants and the Yankees. Truth: The Red Sox were in town.
Caray does not distinguish a go-ahead run from a winning run. In Cleveland on Friday, he said the Indians had the winning run on second base in the bottom of the eighth, and he put the Yankees in the same position in the top of the ninth. Wrong. He also believes that a runner on second will automatically score on a single. Not always.
He also has an annoying air of certitude. With the bases loaded Sunday, and the Yankees leading, 5-3, thanks to Johnny Damon’s three-run homer, Caray said, “This is a spot where they have to score another run to win the game.” Does he also read palms?
That attitude led him on Sunday, after Rodriguez’s first hit of the series, to say, “And here come the Yankees!” A-Rod went back to the bench on Jorge Posada’s double play.
After Damon’s run-scoring single in the third, he said, “And here they come!”
No, they didn’t: Jeter promptly grounded into a double play.
I’m sure that Caray believed his own words when he said, about the Andy Pettitte-Fausto Carmona Game 2 matchup, that “you can’t get better postseason pitching than we’ve seen tonight.” But there had been better, like that perfect game at Yankee Stadium in 1956 when the 42-year-old Chip’s legendary grandfather, Harry, was only 42.
Had the frequently (and ridiculously) loud Caray stayed on mute throughout the series, the analysis of his partners, Tony Gwynn and, to a greater degree, Bob Brenly, would have been worth three or four hours of my time. But a stronger play-by-play voice, like TBS’s other division series announcers, Don Orsillo, Ted Robinson or Dick Stockton, would have made Brenly and Gwynn better. TBS knows how to fix what’s wrong. Yesterday it added SNY’s Ron Darling to its studio program, providing experience that neophytes like Frank Thomas and Cal Ripken lack.
Here are some questions to ponder through the rest of Caray’s work this postseason. Why isn’t he better prepared? If his producer, Jeff Gowen, is listening to what he is saying, why isn’t Caray improving? And why should I have to keep rushing to MLB.com to fact-check his facts?
Why do teams/national media outlets continue to employ these guys? There are better options, you know.
He's pretty much a disgrace to his family legacy.Labels: alds, chip caray, douchebag, richard sandomir
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 11:07 AM
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Thursday, October 11, 2007 |
Can't Wait for Chip Caray to Opine About the AMAZING Fans in Phoenix
Whoops.
D-Backs say 8K tickets available for NLCS
PHOENIX (AP) - Buying a ticket should be no problem for anyone who wants to attend the first two games of the NL championship series.
About 8,000 seats remain available for Thursday night and Friday night, Arizona Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall said Tuesday.
Hall said he expected a crowd in the mid-40,000 range for the opener against Colorado and perhaps a sellout at 48,000-seat Chase Field for Game 2.
"I think we'll get there," he said. "Fans were waiting to see what the start times were."
The opener starts at 5:37 p.m. local time, with the second game beginning at 7:18.
Arizona drew a sellout in one game and a near-sellout in the other in their division series against Chicago. Attendance was boosted by the many Cubs fans who live in the Phoenix area.
It's not like the Snakes are making the playoffs every year and this is some ho-hum event. Denver isn't that far either ... two teams, geographically conveniently located, and no sellouts?
Shameful.Labels: nlcs, rockies, snakes
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 4:03 PM
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Wednesday, October 10, 2007 |
Point/Counterpoint
This is a post in which Gerry Fraley will make an asinine point, and I will offer a counterpoint rebuttal.
POINT:
Manager Joe Torre should go.
Torre has had a superb 12-season run with the Yankees, but as another coach (Bill Parcells) in another sport has pointed out, any leader who stays in the same spot for more than a decade runs the risk of turning stale. The Yankees of recent seasons did not play with the same verve as the clubs early in his tenure. That says as much about the players as it does about the manager.
The Yankees are edging toward a youth movement, particularly on the pitching staff. That is not a good fit for Torre at age 67.
COUNTERPOINT:
Manager Joe Torre should go. But not for any of the reasons listed above. Joe Torre should not be re-signed because he has no killer instinct (won't bunt on a wounded Schilling when he's allowing his team to collapse in historic fashion because that's not "how they play"), has no ability to manage a bullpen, plays favorites constantly and alienates certain players, gets a free pass by the media who then in turn must find a new scapegoat in the newest acquisition (Giambi, Rodriguez), refuses to play talent over "guts and experience" and also blows out relievers' arms.
POINT:
Third baseman Alex Rodriguez should go, exercising the escape clause in his contract.
If agent Scott Boras could use a similar vehicle to get lethargic outfielder J.D. Drew a better deal in Boston for this season, he can break the bank with Rodriguez.
What his new employer will get is the player whom peers refer to as "The Cooler." Rodriguez will put up big numbers and vanish when most needed.
He did it again in the division series, going 4-for-15 with a meaningless homer late in the final game. When the Yankees needed Rodriguez to do something in the first inning, when they had two on against canny Paul Byrd, he struck out.
Starting with the 2004 implosion against Boston in the AL Championship Series, the Yankees have lost 13 of their last 17 postseason games. In that span, Rodriguez has hit .138 with two homers and three RBIs in 61 at-bats. He is 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position in that span and is hitless for his last 27 postseason at-bats with runners on base.
COUNTERPOINT:
Rodriguez should be extended if that's what it takes to keep the best player of his generation in his prime.
Where are the calls to trade Jeter, who had probably the worst post-season of any hitter? Non-existant. The announcers constantly refered to Matsui as the "red-hot Hideki Matsui" because of his two hits in the series. Rodriguez goes 0 for 2 with 2 walks in game one and is deemed a failure.
You know, a guy is about to win his second MVP award in 3 years and in both of those years your team doesn't make the playoffs if not for him. But seriously, dump the bum, because he only hit a meaningless homer. He should only hit meaningful homers when his team is down by 4 runs and there's nobody on base. Or maybe he should just say "fuck it," whip out his willie and piss all over home plate. What exactly should one do, Gerry Fraley? Isn't hitting a homer and trying to get your team back into a game important? No, it's meaningless, that's right.
POINT:
Catcher Jorge Posada should go.
Posada heads into free agency off a career year. Torre helped turn him into an All-Star catcher. Without Torre in the dugout, it would not be the same for Posada. Better that he move across town and bring a sense of accountability to a clubhouse sorely in need of that trait.
COUNTERPOINT:
Catcher Jorge Posada should be re-signed.
Torre didn't "turn Posada" into an all-star catcher. How does Torre get the credit here? Torre is lucky Posada's knees haven't fallen apart because he refuses to give him a day off. Any why suggest Posada move to the Mets because their clubhouse sucks? Wouldn't that be a negative?
Offer Posada a 2 year contract with an incentive option for a third. Yes, he'll be 40. So was Carlton Fisk at the end, and he was still a pretty good catcher.
POINT:
Commercial star Roger Clemens should go.
No more mid-season drama about where "Rocket" will land. Clemens, the seven-time Cy Young winner, made the mistake of coming back for one too many paydays. He averaged less than six innings per start and finished at 6-6.
In truth, Clemens has hurt his team in each of the last two seasons. Houston went 9-10 in his well-paid starts last season, and the Yankees were 8-10.
COUNTERPOINT:
Yes, Clemens should retire. But he didn't "hurt" his team in 2006. He "hurt" the Astros because his team was under .500 in his starts? How much futher under .500 would they have been without him? For what it's worth, Roger Clemens, 2006: ERA 2.30, ERA+ 197 WHIP 1.041. ERA+ 197! What a piece of garbage! Gerry Fraley doesn't understand statistics or team sports.
POINT:
Closer Mariano Rivera should go.
Given the hunger for relievers, Rivera will have appeal on the free-agent market. He may want to sign on with another contender rather than hang around for the razing and rebuilding that lies ahead for the Yankees.
COUNTERPOINT:
Rivera should stay.
He's beloved by the fans, and is on his way to a plaque in Mo-nument Park (did you see that? I used his name as a pun!).
Rivera had a down year (for him) but let's face it, it was a good year for most closers. He was money in the Indians series. Sign him to a 2 year deal and maybe have a club option for a third that can be guaranteed with incentives.
There will be no "razing and rebuilding" in the Bronx. It will not happen.
Rivera's legacy is in New York, where he has his home and restaurant. Retain Rivera.
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I hope you've enjoyed today's Point/Counterpoint. Be sure to check back soon, when I'll debate another douchebag by picking apart his article bit by bit and showing how stupid people paid to write about sports can be.
Until then, goodnight.Labels: douchebag, gerry fraley
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 11:29 AM
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Tuesday, October 09, 2007 |
Blind Torre Defense, Part 1
Jay Greenberg:
TORRE DOESN'T DESERVE BOSS' BONEHEAD THREATS
October 9, 2007 -- JOE TORRE receives one last second-guess for the road, for starting a pitcher on three days' rest who didn't last the second inning. Even if the alternative, Mike Mussina, who pitched a scary tuneup to end a largely terrible season, gave up the two insurance runs in relief of Chien-Ming Wang that cost the Yankees the game. Don't second guess Torre, folks, it was Mussina that cost the Yankees the game.
Wang: 1.0 IP, 5 H. 4 R
Mussina: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R
Yep, definitely. Problem was Mussina, Torre's a genius, Boss is a bonehead.
I would be glad to continue to post the rest of the article, but you can check it out yourself if you wish. It's all praising Torre for every win the Yankees ever got under him, and slamming the players for not pulling through when they lost.
I like that he also rips the Danny Tartabull signing as one instance where the Boss is a bonehead, but you'd think Genius Joe could manage Tartabull to many rings, right?Labels: big stein, jay greenberg, joe torre, torre is dumb
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 1:53 PM
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Stick to Your Guns, George
Fire Joe Torre. Do it quickly, do it before the dust settles. Sure, call him and give him a chance to go out on a "retirement" as a gentleman, but do it now.
It's high time the media stopped attributing every Yankee triumph to the manager and every Yankee misstep to its best player.
It's time the media stop overlooking the failures of the manager in starting players who are ill-equiped to be starters (Hi, Eyechart!) in postseason games and starting the "red-hot" (postseason average: under .200) Hideki Matsui in every game over the Yankees' second best hitter in Jason Giambi.
It's time the Yankees stopped having a manager who only trusts certain players based on ridiculous standards like "guts" and "hearts of lions" and "veteraness" and time for a guy who will play the BEST players available to win games.
It's time for a manager who will try to win games, and not eshew tactics such as bunting on a pitcher with a bum ankle because he doesn't want to "play the game that way."
It's time for the highest paid manager in the history of baseball to look back and wonder why he's been a complete failure for the past four years, and wonder what happened to the free ride he's been given.
It's time for the media to finally place blame where it's deserved, and lay it in the lap of the man they'd praise if the Yankees had won.
Most importantly, it's time for the man to step down. It's time for him to move on and realize he can't motivate a team anymore, and that the old axiom about a team taking on the personality of its manager is true. An even keel and calmness is good in the face of adversity, but it's been time for the Yankees to show some fire for many years, and instead they've acted like they sit on the bench, sipping green tea, waiting for someone else to win it for them.Labels: alcs, joe torre, torre is dumb
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 12:03 AM
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Joe Torre Needs to Be Fired Immediately
Before Game 3.
I don't care if the Yankees storm back and win the World Series, he needs to go.
- He's benching the second best hitter on the team in order to play one of "his guys" in Matsui, who is injured and looks terrible.
- He wasted Phil Hughes in garbage time when the game was already out of hand yesterday, so he wasn't available to come in today when the game was tied and winnable.
- He never protested for a suspension of the game when Joba was clearly being bothered by external forces (insects on his eyeballs).
- He stacked a lineup full of lefties against Sabathia, who is death on lefties, and then must have realized his mistake in the 4th inning because he hit Duncan for Mientkiewicz, which effectively left them a man short on the roster.
- He stuck with Wang way too long yesterday and then inexplicably replaced him with Ohlendorf and not Hughes, then must have realized his mistake and corrected himself later, blowing another roster spot.
- The team looks flat and like they're going through the motions.
I know there's no way Cash lets Donnie take the reigns in the postseason, so that's wishful thinking. But this is the sixth consecutive year that Torre is pissing away the postseason. Let him go. Now. Labels: alds, joe torre, torre is dumb
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 6:39 PM
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Thursday, October 04, 2007 |
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Wednesday, October 03, 2007 |
Dane Cook is Not Amusing
I am fairly certain a few years ago, this actually happened:
 So, you're telling me I'll be a top selling, wildly popular comedian?
 Yes.
And I'll get to do whatever I want in the entertainment industry?
If that's what you want.
Ok, so let's say I want to make a comedy CD or a DVD. Would it be popular with the college kids?
Immensely.
See, but that doesn't make sense because I'm not funny. I mean, not even a little bit.
It doesn't matter. Just sign the contract and it will be done.
So, I'm a big Red Sox fan.. could I maybe do, like Red Sox commercials?
You could do commercials for all of Major League Baseball if you want.
No way. Really? I mentioned I'm not really funny, didn't I?
Yes and I told you don't worry about it, I'll take care of that. Anything else?
Oh... yeah. I want to make out with beautful women.
Ok.
Like, women waaaay out of my league. Like.. Jessica Alba! And... Jessica Simpson! And... Jessica... Fletcher!
I can make that happen. I'll even make it so not only will you make out with Jessica Alba and Jessica Simpson, but it will be filmed and the whole world will see that you, Dane Jeffrey Cook, performed such a feat with your costars. That third one is a fictional character and I'm fairly certain you were most likely thinking of someone else anyway. Now, sign.
And it only costs me my soul? Ok man, you got a deal! *signs contract*
Very well. I'll be back for you in a few years. Enjoy your life in the meantime. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to check up on another client who wanted to be a prop comedian and a body builder even though he also was not funny. *vanishes in a puff of smoke and fire*
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*appears in a puff of smoke and fire*
 Dude, you're here! Ok, so now what I want is for you to make my skin all blotchy and make it look like I'm wearing eyeliner at all times.
Anything for you, champ.Labels: carrot top, dane cook, hypothetical conversations, satan
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 6:33 PM
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Welcome to Hell, Cleveland
The only thing scarier than a Yankees juggernaut coming into your town is a pissed-off Yankees juggernaut with a chip on its collective shoulder who all have the back of their once beleagered MVP and are healthy and focused on a championship.
The 27th World Championship train is rolling, and the tracks are laid smack dab across Jacobs Field.Labels: alds, indians, playoffs
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 10:02 AM
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Tuesday, October 02, 2007 |
Maddon 2007
Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon on Carlos Pena:
The 28-year-old slugger batted a career-best .282 with a club-record 46 home runs and 121 RBIs after joining the Devil Rays in spring training as a non-roster invitee.
"Winning the comeback player of the year award is wonderful, but I really do hope that he gets some MVP votes also," Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "He puts those numbers up with the Red Sox, the Yankees or whoever this year, they'd be clamoring for him to win the award right now. I definitely believes he deserves some kind of respect there also."
The Yankees would be "clamoring" for Pena to win the MVP award? In 2007? The Yankees? At this time of year? At this time of day? In this part of the country? Localized entirely within their kitchen?
I seriously doubt the Yankees would choose their 1B who hits .282 / 46 / 121 over their 3B who hits .314 / 54 / 156 (yes, before you flip out I'm using BA and RBI because that's what voters look at).Labels: a-rod, awards, carlos pena, drays, joe maddon
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 6:12 PM
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Quality of the Umpiring Down, Quality of Broadcasting Up in Postseason
Instead of two outs and one on in a tied game, a blown call causes San Diego to get eliminated from the playoffs.
Usually, McClelland is one of the umpires I can stand, but he totally botched that call and it cost a team their playoff spot.
Of course, Trevor Hoffman did that as well, twice. So did Bud Black for having the managerial blinders on that most do when they put in their closer, and didn't pull Hoffman when he was struggling.
I kind of worry that if Torre sticks around, some year that will happen with Mo. When he's no longer the best option to be closing games, will he still be used in that capacity? Will our last memories of Mo be as a closer trying to hang on to something that has clearly passed him by? I'd rather see him be a setup guy than to see that.
On a side note, I have to say I was fairly impressed with TBS's coverage last night. I'm not sure if it was because the game was a last minute scheduling change and they didn't secure enough advertising, but in between innings going to a studio desk for a live discussion of the game is a fantastic idea. Cal Ripken isn't exactly the most interesting fella on the planet, but still it's the idea itself that has merit. Also I thought in general the booth announcers were generally far less annoying than what we've been subjected to in recent postseasons (Miller and Morgan, Buck and McCarver, Sutcliffe and O'Brien, etc). I wanted to name them, but to be honest I'm not 100% sure who they all were so I'll just neglect to mention any of them.
Of course being better than ESPN and FOX isn't hard, but it's nice to see someone trying.Labels: announcers, padres, tbs, umpires
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 5:58 PM
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Gear Here! Postseason Gear Here! Get it While It's Crappy!
MLB has released these stunning items to celebrate the Yankees Wild Card win. I'm sure this gear will just sweep the entire Tri-State area.
Note: if you see any fans wearing any of this stuff, please immediately punch them in the face:
Sorry, but unlike other teams, the Yankees do not hang "Wild Card" banners.Labels: gear, playoffs, standings, wildcard
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 3:37 PM
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