Among the early reports out of Clearwater was an item regarding David Bell’s fragile back. The 32-year old third baseman said it was nothing, but similar woes cost him most of the 2003 season and several games last year. Just one more reason the unexpected presence of Placido Polanco may provide needed insurance. Polanco has previously filled in for the oft-injured Bell at third. Bell told reporters he has spasms about once a year and they pass. Speaking as someone who has had spasms and disc surgery, one can lean over in the shower to pick up the soap and suddenly. . . .
* * * * * * * *
Let me be among the first to pronounce the Ryan Howard outfield experiment a failure, not for lack of determination or effort on his part, but because the 6-foot-4, 230 pound left handed slugger is just not outfielder material. The move smacks of desperation on the Phillies ‘part, to get his bat into the lineup somehow and to keep the kid happy. But Howard doesn’t appear to be unhappy and I believe he still has options. The best thing for Howard would be to start the season at AAA, where he can play every day at first base and get his at-bats. And it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to keep in mind item number one above (see Bell-Polanco) just in case Jim Thome, who played hurt all of last season, goes down for a stretch.
* * * * * * * *
I saw an item where Rafael Palmeiro is considering suing Jose Canseco over allegations the former used steroids. The interesting aspect of the story is that were Palmeiro to pursue the suit, it is rumored he would hire the law firm of O’s owner Peter Angelos to represent him. Angelos made his fortune litigating asbestos cases, not defamation of character suits. Indeed, Angelos has arguably made a baseball career of destroying if not defaming the character of entire franchises, namely his own. Nevertheless, payment plans in such an arrangement would be easy, I guess; Palmeiro could simply have the fees deducted from his salary checks. On the other hand, were Angelos to lose the case, it might be awkward for Palmeiro to do any public relations for the team.
* * * * * * * *
Just a minor digression here. The 76ers made two trades Wednesday just before the deadline and in the process left themselves shorthanded with a league-mandated minimum of eight players for a game they eventually lost to the Knicks last night. For a team that is struggling to play .500 ball to “give away” a game seems inexcusable. I’ve heard the expression to “have a game in hand”, but that usually refers to teams who have the luxury of losing a game and still maintaining their advantage. The 76ers hardly qualify.
Friday, February 25, 2005
Friday, February 18, 2005
Be Optimistic
Every time I resolve to be optimistic about the Phillies’ playoff chances they pull me back in.
Granted, I am a major league worrier by nature and thus prone to looking for trouble, but the Phils always oblige by presenting me with ample opportunities to act in character.
Even before he was officially scheduled to arrive in camp, there was Pat Burrell, already weary of unconfirmed and, according to him, completely unfounded reports that his wrist was still sore. Moreover, Pat made it clear he is sick and tired of all of the advice he’s been offered the last few seasons on how to cure his now chronic hitting woes, pointing out that new batting coach Milt Thompson will be his fifth such instructor since reaching the majors.
Walk softly, Milt.
Pitching remains the name of the game and on that front the key starter may be Randy Wolf. Randy would like to put last season behind him. Who can blame him? The line on Wolf has always been that he possesses four or five major league pitches and mixes them up well, keeping batters off balance. In addition, Wolf has one of the best pick-off moves in the league and fields his position extremely well. I like Randy and want him to succeed, but his assortment of junk and off-speed pitches don’t impress me that much since he doesn’t really possess all that great a fastball to offset them. It seems to me batters lay off the 70 mph lobs and sit on that fastball. More troubling, he is prone to giving up fly balls in a ballpark that is, well, you know where I’m going with this one. What concerns me the most, however, is Randy’s health. He has made a few trips to the DL over the last two or three seasons and has been shut down at other times. His left arm just might not be built to take the strain. On the other hand, did we mention this guy can hit? Three home runs and eight RBI’s last season in a mere 45 at-bats. Randy may be a candidate for retrofitting.
What would the Spring be without a little controversy? Having dumped Larry Bowa, I would have guessed that whatever controversy there was to be had in Clearwater would not emanate from the manager’s office, but lo and behold, on the first official day Charlie Manuel opined that he would expect Placido Polanco not only to get his ab’s this season, but who knows, he could even start come April. Ed Wade, no stranger to the misstep himself, quickly countered the next day that he never even expected Polanco to re-sign with the Phils in the first place and that as far as he was concerned, Chase Utley was penned in to start at second.
Dare I say I am optimistic Utley will indeed be given every chance to prove he can handle the job?
Granted, I am a major league worrier by nature and thus prone to looking for trouble, but the Phils always oblige by presenting me with ample opportunities to act in character.
Even before he was officially scheduled to arrive in camp, there was Pat Burrell, already weary of unconfirmed and, according to him, completely unfounded reports that his wrist was still sore. Moreover, Pat made it clear he is sick and tired of all of the advice he’s been offered the last few seasons on how to cure his now chronic hitting woes, pointing out that new batting coach Milt Thompson will be his fifth such instructor since reaching the majors.
Walk softly, Milt.
Pitching remains the name of the game and on that front the key starter may be Randy Wolf. Randy would like to put last season behind him. Who can blame him? The line on Wolf has always been that he possesses four or five major league pitches and mixes them up well, keeping batters off balance. In addition, Wolf has one of the best pick-off moves in the league and fields his position extremely well. I like Randy and want him to succeed, but his assortment of junk and off-speed pitches don’t impress me that much since he doesn’t really possess all that great a fastball to offset them. It seems to me batters lay off the 70 mph lobs and sit on that fastball. More troubling, he is prone to giving up fly balls in a ballpark that is, well, you know where I’m going with this one. What concerns me the most, however, is Randy’s health. He has made a few trips to the DL over the last two or three seasons and has been shut down at other times. His left arm just might not be built to take the strain. On the other hand, did we mention this guy can hit? Three home runs and eight RBI’s last season in a mere 45 at-bats. Randy may be a candidate for retrofitting.
What would the Spring be without a little controversy? Having dumped Larry Bowa, I would have guessed that whatever controversy there was to be had in Clearwater would not emanate from the manager’s office, but lo and behold, on the first official day Charlie Manuel opined that he would expect Placido Polanco not only to get his ab’s this season, but who knows, he could even start come April. Ed Wade, no stranger to the misstep himself, quickly countered the next day that he never even expected Polanco to re-sign with the Phils in the first place and that as far as he was concerned, Chase Utley was penned in to start at second.
Dare I say I am optimistic Utley will indeed be given every chance to prove he can handle the job?
Thursday, February 17, 2005
The Eleventh Hour
(Editor’s Note: This is the second digression from our principal topic, baseball, in the last few weeks. With catchers and pitchers reporting today, we expect to be more focused going forward.)
We baby-boomers have been accused of lacking perspective in most matters historical; our progeny are deemed even less conversant with the past. So when the NHL cancelled its entire season yesterday, a first for major league sports in North America, baby-boomers and their offspring everywhere, whether hockey fans or not, surely shook their heads and concluded that current labor relations in hockey must represent a new low in professional sport.
We may be right this time.
Recent history gave us the 1994-95 baseball seasons during which a strike lasting 232 days finally forced cancellation of the ’94 World Series, the first such cancellation in 92 years. (The strike began in August, 1994, and lasted through the end of the regular and post-seasons and all of Spring training in 1995. A few regular-season games were also lost at the start of the 1995 season before both sides put a halt to further self-inflicted wounds.) The NBA strike of 1998-99 lasted 191 days and cost 928 games. The NHL lockout of 1994-95 ran for 103 days and resulted in the cancellation of 468 games. And, of course, there was the infamous 1987 NFL strike during which the owners hired replacement players two weeks into the walkout before a settlement was reached.
Eventually the antagonists in these sports reached enough of an accommodation to salvage a portion of each season, though the cancellation of the ’94 playoffs and World Series after two months of a walkout certainly ended that season unceremoniously (pun intended).
A few things seem axiomatic about most labor negotiations, inside and outside the world of sport. For one thing, preliminary exchanges of positions seem largely a waste of time; most serious negotiations seem to take place at the eleventh hour. Second, final offers are rarely that. And third, both parties might say a lot of nasty things about each other but such behavior is considered posturing with at least one eye on the public.
At this stage, no one is sure what will happen with the NHL next season. Having allegedly come close to a settlement at their eleventh hour, both sides stiffened and refused to go further. Now, everyone associated with hockey is understandably reluctant to predict when, let alone if, the two sides will start negotiations regarding next year. The degree of bitterness is palpable, especially on the players’ side. And despite some “defections”, especially by European-born players who could and did sign with European clubs and played during the negotiations, the Union appears determined not to make more concessions.
For their part, management is expressing the customary sadness and disappointment, but in the final analysis they held the power to cancel an entire season and they exercised that authority. Their next collective decision is to determine whether or not they can afford to lose the lucrative sponsorships, media revenue and, yes, season-ticket revenues anticipated for next year. The guess here is they cannot.
Stay tuned . . . for developments at the eleventh hour.
We baby-boomers have been accused of lacking perspective in most matters historical; our progeny are deemed even less conversant with the past. So when the NHL cancelled its entire season yesterday, a first for major league sports in North America, baby-boomers and their offspring everywhere, whether hockey fans or not, surely shook their heads and concluded that current labor relations in hockey must represent a new low in professional sport.
We may be right this time.
Recent history gave us the 1994-95 baseball seasons during which a strike lasting 232 days finally forced cancellation of the ’94 World Series, the first such cancellation in 92 years. (The strike began in August, 1994, and lasted through the end of the regular and post-seasons and all of Spring training in 1995. A few regular-season games were also lost at the start of the 1995 season before both sides put a halt to further self-inflicted wounds.) The NBA strike of 1998-99 lasted 191 days and cost 928 games. The NHL lockout of 1994-95 ran for 103 days and resulted in the cancellation of 468 games. And, of course, there was the infamous 1987 NFL strike during which the owners hired replacement players two weeks into the walkout before a settlement was reached.
Eventually the antagonists in these sports reached enough of an accommodation to salvage a portion of each season, though the cancellation of the ’94 playoffs and World Series after two months of a walkout certainly ended that season unceremoniously (pun intended).
A few things seem axiomatic about most labor negotiations, inside and outside the world of sport. For one thing, preliminary exchanges of positions seem largely a waste of time; most serious negotiations seem to take place at the eleventh hour. Second, final offers are rarely that. And third, both parties might say a lot of nasty things about each other but such behavior is considered posturing with at least one eye on the public.
At this stage, no one is sure what will happen with the NHL next season. Having allegedly come close to a settlement at their eleventh hour, both sides stiffened and refused to go further. Now, everyone associated with hockey is understandably reluctant to predict when, let alone if, the two sides will start negotiations regarding next year. The degree of bitterness is palpable, especially on the players’ side. And despite some “defections”, especially by European-born players who could and did sign with European clubs and played during the negotiations, the Union appears determined not to make more concessions.
For their part, management is expressing the customary sadness and disappointment, but in the final analysis they held the power to cancel an entire season and they exercised that authority. Their next collective decision is to determine whether or not they can afford to lose the lucrative sponsorships, media revenue and, yes, season-ticket revenues anticipated for next year. The guess here is they cannot.
Stay tuned . . . for developments at the eleventh hour.
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Access
Access.
Most people want it at one time or another. Some of them need it. Few ever achieve it.
The baseball blogger lives on the periphery, part of a community but far removed from its inner circles. His greatest advantage? Independence. His greatest disadvantage? Independence.
Years ago, as a young investor, I read an article on stock analysts and the difficulties they faced balancing responsibility to their employers (largely brokerages and mutual fund companies), the industries they followed, and the investing public. Needless to say their employers were interested in ratings that generated order flows. The industries they followed, and who provided them with some of their data and much of their guidance, were available as long as the resultant reports were not too negative. And the public? Well, let’s just say there are generally few “sell” ratings issued, at least not by analysts who want to remain employed or wish to maintain access to the companies they follow.
Bloggers, analysts of a sort, are not beholden to the teams they follow nor to any individuals – players, management, media or fans – associated with them. They are free to express their opinions, outrage and adoration. By the same token, as far as I know bloggers rarely if ever have access to most of these people either. The day may come when bloggers are poised by a player’s locker, PDA or electronic tablet in hand, taking down what he or she says and posting it nearly simultaneously, but for now that kind of access is unavailable. So, we tend to react to secondary sources, a newspaper column here, a radio or television commentary there, an internet post. What we lack is an opportunity to go directly to a source and ask our own questions. We are, perforce, observers and commentators not interlocutors.
Many bloggers might prefer to maintain their independence, but there are already precedents for others seeking and gaining access, the most notable being those bloggers who were accredited at the Democratic Party national convention last summer.
A few weeks ago I sought “press” credentials from MLB and the Philadelphia Phillies and was turned down ostensibly because, as the PR department of the Phillies told me, they have an exclusive online relationship with MLB that precludes “credentialing any online sources other than ESPN such as bloggers.” So for now, at least, I remain independent, without access, free and willing to express myself.
Most people want it at one time or another. Some of them need it. Few ever achieve it.
The baseball blogger lives on the periphery, part of a community but far removed from its inner circles. His greatest advantage? Independence. His greatest disadvantage? Independence.
Years ago, as a young investor, I read an article on stock analysts and the difficulties they faced balancing responsibility to their employers (largely brokerages and mutual fund companies), the industries they followed, and the investing public. Needless to say their employers were interested in ratings that generated order flows. The industries they followed, and who provided them with some of their data and much of their guidance, were available as long as the resultant reports were not too negative. And the public? Well, let’s just say there are generally few “sell” ratings issued, at least not by analysts who want to remain employed or wish to maintain access to the companies they follow.
Bloggers, analysts of a sort, are not beholden to the teams they follow nor to any individuals – players, management, media or fans – associated with them. They are free to express their opinions, outrage and adoration. By the same token, as far as I know bloggers rarely if ever have access to most of these people either. The day may come when bloggers are poised by a player’s locker, PDA or electronic tablet in hand, taking down what he or she says and posting it nearly simultaneously, but for now that kind of access is unavailable. So, we tend to react to secondary sources, a newspaper column here, a radio or television commentary there, an internet post. What we lack is an opportunity to go directly to a source and ask our own questions. We are, perforce, observers and commentators not interlocutors.
Many bloggers might prefer to maintain their independence, but there are already precedents for others seeking and gaining access, the most notable being those bloggers who were accredited at the Democratic Party national convention last summer.
A few weeks ago I sought “press” credentials from MLB and the Philadelphia Phillies and was turned down ostensibly because, as the PR department of the Phillies told me, they have an exclusive online relationship with MLB that precludes “credentialing any online sources other than ESPN such as bloggers.” So for now, at least, I remain independent, without access, free and willing to express myself.
Monday, February 14, 2005
Mere Mortals
I’m sorry but Kyle Lohse just isn’t worth it. Last week, the Twins’ 26-year old starter, who earned $395,00 in 2004, won his arbitration case with the club and will receive $2.4 million in 2005. That's a raise of slightly more than a $2 million for those who are counting. This after going 9-13 with a 5.34 ERA last season. In four big league campaigns the right-hander is 40-39 with 4.86 ERA. I’d love to see a transcript of the arbitration panel’s deliberations if for no other reason than I haven’t read any good fiction in a while.
* * * * * * * *
Larry Bowa turned down the opportunity to despoil the Florida Marlins’ clubhouse for, what else, the bigger bucks and audience he will reach by appearing regularly on XM radio’s baseball channel and on ESPN. Don’t look for him to last more than a season at either venue. Four years of listening to the occasional post-game press conference convinced this observer Bowa has little insight to offer about the game and even less about those who play it.
* * * * * * * *
Curt Schilling, ever gracious, has donated his bloody sock to the baseball Hall of Fame thus sparing us a potentially awkward replay of the debate that gripped the entire Route 128 corridor concerning ownership of that other relic to enter Red Sox lore, “the ball” Doug Mientkiewicz gripped at the end of the World Series. Schilling, keenly aware of baseball history and his place in it, must have peeled off the sock immediately following his appearance on prime time television and forbidden the clubhouse laundry service from including it among the uniforms of his teammates, mere mortals that they are.
* * * * * * * *
Larry Bowa turned down the opportunity to despoil the Florida Marlins’ clubhouse for, what else, the bigger bucks and audience he will reach by appearing regularly on XM radio’s baseball channel and on ESPN. Don’t look for him to last more than a season at either venue. Four years of listening to the occasional post-game press conference convinced this observer Bowa has little insight to offer about the game and even less about those who play it.
* * * * * * * *
Curt Schilling, ever gracious, has donated his bloody sock to the baseball Hall of Fame thus sparing us a potentially awkward replay of the debate that gripped the entire Route 128 corridor concerning ownership of that other relic to enter Red Sox lore, “the ball” Doug Mientkiewicz gripped at the end of the World Series. Schilling, keenly aware of baseball history and his place in it, must have peeled off the sock immediately following his appearance on prime time television and forbidden the clubhouse laundry service from including it among the uniforms of his teammates, mere mortals that they are.
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Rush to Judgment
It’s too easy to sit back and take pot shots at Jose Conseco. I am as guilty of the next party in assuming his allegations are unfounded and unscrupulous at best and his motives vengeful and base.
As I wrote yesterday, at this juncture it may be prudent if not fair to await comments by the main targets of those allegations before reaching any conclusions. My greater willingness to take a more even-handed approach to Conseco, whom I do not admire in the slightest, is prompted by comments made by Ron Rappaport, the sports commentator, on NPR’s Weekend Edition. Rappaport argued persuasively that the public was more than willing to accept the story by BALCO founder Victor Conte that Barry Bonds used steroids he supplied but has been equally quick to dismiss Conseco’s allegations as those of desperate man seeking to make a buck. Conte, Rappaport points out, may be motivated by a far greater need than that of Conseco, namely, staying out of prison.
Bonds is not well liked by much of the public and most of the media. Conseco’s reputation is even worse. But Victor Conte’s behavior hardly rises above that of either man. In the end the entire steroid matter is far too complicated and its implications too great to rush to any judgments.
As I wrote yesterday, at this juncture it may be prudent if not fair to await comments by the main targets of those allegations before reaching any conclusions. My greater willingness to take a more even-handed approach to Conseco, whom I do not admire in the slightest, is prompted by comments made by Ron Rappaport, the sports commentator, on NPR’s Weekend Edition. Rappaport argued persuasively that the public was more than willing to accept the story by BALCO founder Victor Conte that Barry Bonds used steroids he supplied but has been equally quick to dismiss Conseco’s allegations as those of desperate man seeking to make a buck. Conte, Rappaport points out, may be motivated by a far greater need than that of Conseco, namely, staying out of prison.
Bonds is not well liked by much of the public and most of the media. Conseco’s reputation is even worse. But Victor Conte’s behavior hardly rises above that of either man. In the end the entire steroid matter is far too complicated and its implications too great to rush to any judgments.
Friday, February 11, 2005
Coming Clean or Not
Jason Giambi apologized. . . sort of.
The public rehabilitation of the Yankee first baseman got off to a rocky start with the media because he failed to specifically mention what he was sorry about. Giambi and his handlers attributed his omission to a court order forbidding him to mention specifics. The press are all over him largely because they see Giambi’s mea culpa as less an honest attempt to seek redemption and more a consequence of being outed and thus forced to seek the public’s forgiveness. Of course if Giambi had hit 73 home runs in a season while leading the Yankees to a World Series victory, a single “sorry” would have been sufficient for many people.
Giambi strikes me as being a decent guy who isn’t particularly overburdened. Whether or not his apology was thorough enough or prompted by the best intentions, he is the only high-profile figure willing to speak publicly at all. That is more than can be said for Bonds, McGwire, Sosa et al.
* * * * * * * *
Speaking of the above sluggers, one of those dreaded instant internet polls on ESPN yesterday was revealing if utterly unscientific. Asked whom the voters considered the single season home run champ (the choices were Roger Maris, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds), 45.9 % of 99,269 voters chose Maris. The results reflect several attitudes: disgust in general with the steroids allegations surrounding three of the choices and the ongoing antipathy towards Bonds, the undisputed single-season record holder until another asterisk says differently
* * * * * * * *
Nearly every Law and Order junkie knows it is very difficult if not impossible to make a case based on hearsay. Don’t tell Jose Canseco, who is doing just that with his new book. I’m hardly in a position to assess the allegations Canseco makes, but I would hazard a guess his last desperate effort to make a buck from baseball will have one result: some of the people he names are going to have to step up and face the court of public opinion more squarely. At this juncture, their teammates and former managers and coaches are doing most of the talking.
The public rehabilitation of the Yankee first baseman got off to a rocky start with the media because he failed to specifically mention what he was sorry about. Giambi and his handlers attributed his omission to a court order forbidding him to mention specifics. The press are all over him largely because they see Giambi’s mea culpa as less an honest attempt to seek redemption and more a consequence of being outed and thus forced to seek the public’s forgiveness. Of course if Giambi had hit 73 home runs in a season while leading the Yankees to a World Series victory, a single “sorry” would have been sufficient for many people.
Giambi strikes me as being a decent guy who isn’t particularly overburdened. Whether or not his apology was thorough enough or prompted by the best intentions, he is the only high-profile figure willing to speak publicly at all. That is more than can be said for Bonds, McGwire, Sosa et al.
* * * * * * * *
Speaking of the above sluggers, one of those dreaded instant internet polls on ESPN yesterday was revealing if utterly unscientific. Asked whom the voters considered the single season home run champ (the choices were Roger Maris, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds), 45.9 % of 99,269 voters chose Maris. The results reflect several attitudes: disgust in general with the steroids allegations surrounding three of the choices and the ongoing antipathy towards Bonds, the undisputed single-season record holder until another asterisk says differently
* * * * * * * *
Nearly every Law and Order junkie knows it is very difficult if not impossible to make a case based on hearsay. Don’t tell Jose Canseco, who is doing just that with his new book. I’m hardly in a position to assess the allegations Canseco makes, but I would hazard a guess his last desperate effort to make a buck from baseball will have one result: some of the people he names are going to have to step up and face the court of public opinion more squarely. At this juncture, their teammates and former managers and coaches are doing most of the talking.
Monday, February 07, 2005
Commercial Coda
As the Hot Stove League winds down and Spring Training looms on the horizon it seemed an appropriate time to stand back from all the off-season commerce we witnessed and revisit Baseball’s Greatest Quotes (compiled by Kevin Nelson) for some perspective on the business of baseball. (Though long out of print, this book occasionally shows up at www.alibris.com. )
Starting off is this now legendary quote from Philip Wrigley, no stranger to hard bargaining:
Baseball is too much of a sport to be called a business, and too much of a business to be called a sport.
The last people who went broke in baseball were Roy and Earle Mack, Connie’s sons. And I claim they did it on merit. – Red Smith (columnist)
I'm going to write a book, How to Make a Small Fortune in Baseball. First, you start with a large fortune. -- Ruly Carpenter (former owner of Phillies)
I’m the most loyal player money can buy. -- Don Sutton (pitcher)
This loyalty stuff is a bunch of bull. Anybody should have a chance to make it while they can. --Wayne Garland (pitcher)
It isn’t the price of stars that’s expensive. It’s the high price of mediocrity. -- Bill Veeck (former owner of White Sox among others)
We live by the Golden Rule. Those who have the gold make the rules. -- Buzzie Bavasi (GM with Dodgers among others)
Barring the discovery of oil wells under second base, financial losses in the next five year will be nearly ten times greater than in the last five. -- Bowie Kuhn, Commissioner, 1981 (“citing skyrocketing players’ salaries in the free agent era.”)
Baseball as at present conducted is a gigantic monopoly, intolerant of opposition and run on a grab-all-there-is-in-sight policy that is alienating its friends and disgusting the very public that has so long and cheerfully given. . .support. -- Cap Anson (Hall of Fame player speaking near the turn of the 20th century)
All football has to do is play its games, and the baseball owners will chase their public to them with their ignorant greed. – Jimmy Cannon (sportswriter)
Starting off is this now legendary quote from Philip Wrigley, no stranger to hard bargaining:
Baseball is too much of a sport to be called a business, and too much of a business to be called a sport.
The last people who went broke in baseball were Roy and Earle Mack, Connie’s sons. And I claim they did it on merit. – Red Smith (columnist)
I'm going to write a book, How to Make a Small Fortune in Baseball. First, you start with a large fortune. -- Ruly Carpenter (former owner of Phillies)
I’m the most loyal player money can buy. -- Don Sutton (pitcher)
This loyalty stuff is a bunch of bull. Anybody should have a chance to make it while they can. --Wayne Garland (pitcher)
It isn’t the price of stars that’s expensive. It’s the high price of mediocrity. -- Bill Veeck (former owner of White Sox among others)
We live by the Golden Rule. Those who have the gold make the rules. -- Buzzie Bavasi (GM with Dodgers among others)
Barring the discovery of oil wells under second base, financial losses in the next five year will be nearly ten times greater than in the last five. -- Bowie Kuhn, Commissioner, 1981 (“citing skyrocketing players’ salaries in the free agent era.”)
Baseball as at present conducted is a gigantic monopoly, intolerant of opposition and run on a grab-all-there-is-in-sight policy that is alienating its friends and disgusting the very public that has so long and cheerfully given. . .support. -- Cap Anson (Hall of Fame player speaking near the turn of the 20th century)
All football has to do is play its games, and the baseball owners will chase their public to them with their ignorant greed. – Jimmy Cannon (sportswriter)
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Take a Good Look in the Mirror
Boys will be boys, but Cole Hamels had better grow up fast.
After breaking his pitching hand the other morning in a fight outside a bar, Hamels, one of the Phillies’ top pitching prospects, is expected to be out of action for about three months. With pitchers and catchers scheduled to report to camp in a few weeks, that means Hamels would miss all of Spring training.
To make matters worse, Hamels lost most of last year to injury, so it is safe to say he is far behind whatever schedule the parent club envisioned for him. To make matters even worse, this may be he second injury he has suffered that is fight-related. The Inquirer’s Jim Salisbury reports there were rumors Hamels suffered a broken arm in high school because of a fight. Hamels denied it.
Hamels is one in a series of hot-heads the Phils seem to attract. Brett Myers and Vicente Padilla often lose their cool to the detriment of the club, but they at least have completed their minor league apprenticeships and pitched well at times in the majors. In Hamels case, management has made him one of the cornerstone of their future plans, refusing to include him in any trade discussions. Having let the side down, he is in real danger of upsetting the Phils best laid plans and in the process never making it to the big leagues. He needs to take a good look in the mirror.
After breaking his pitching hand the other morning in a fight outside a bar, Hamels, one of the Phillies’ top pitching prospects, is expected to be out of action for about three months. With pitchers and catchers scheduled to report to camp in a few weeks, that means Hamels would miss all of Spring training.
To make matters worse, Hamels lost most of last year to injury, so it is safe to say he is far behind whatever schedule the parent club envisioned for him. To make matters even worse, this may be he second injury he has suffered that is fight-related. The Inquirer’s Jim Salisbury reports there were rumors Hamels suffered a broken arm in high school because of a fight. Hamels denied it.
Hamels is one in a series of hot-heads the Phils seem to attract. Brett Myers and Vicente Padilla often lose their cool to the detriment of the club, but they at least have completed their minor league apprenticeships and pitched well at times in the majors. In Hamels case, management has made him one of the cornerstone of their future plans, refusing to include him in any trade discussions. Having let the side down, he is in real danger of upsetting the Phils best laid plans and in the process never making it to the big leagues. He needs to take a good look in the mirror.
Monday, January 31, 2005
Santa Redux
Here we go again.
With the Philadelphia Eagles in this year’s Super Bowl, the national press corps has seized the occasion to trot out the usual stories about how unruly and downright boorish local fans are supposed to be. Heading the list of sordid tales being dredged up is an anonymous AP piece in the New York Times the other day purporting once and for all to set the record straight regarding the 1968 incident in which Eagles fans booed Santa Claus.
A close reading of the article begins and ends with the unnamed author insisting, Those famously churlish Philadelphia fans cannot hide behind the urban legends. The truth is out there: they simply booed Santa Claus. Case closed. Quoting no greater authority than Santa himself, nee Frank Olivo, the author goes on to “dispel” the “legends” that Frank, I mean Santa, was drunk and dressed in tattered red rags.
Later in the article the author invokes another high authority to support his version of the story, Eagles’ super fan and current Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell, who, as it turns out, was at the game in question and opined that the fans were not venting their frustration at the “sad-sack Santa” (the author’s words, not the governor’s) but at the admittedly sad-sack team.
From that point on in this retelling, things get muddy. As legend purportedly has it, Frank, I mean Santa, was indeed a fill-in for the hired Jolly One, who was stranded by bad weather. The Eagles, already committed to a half-time entertainment show that included some sort of Santa, approached Olivo and asked him to stand in for the missing one. Frank was more than willing. The author picks up the story there: By 1968, Olivo, then a skinny 20-year old, had been wearing a Santa suit and fake white beard to the last Eagles’ home game for several years.
So, this was no urban legend; Frank was indeed a well-known impostor, and a skinny one at that, complete with a fake beard. Whether or not Olivo was inebriated will never be known though one suspects some sort of additive might have steeled his nerve. What is known, however, is that Frank, I mean Santa, did exhibit some distinctly un-Santa-like behavior during his moment in the spotlight. Again, let the AP writer describe the events that followed:
As instructed, Olivo ran downfield past a row of elf-costumed Eaglettes as the team’s 50-person brass band played ‘Here Comes Santa Claus.’
Thunderous boos erupted from a crowd of 54,535.
"When I hit the end zone, and the snowballs started, I was waving my finger at the crowd, saying ‘You’re not getting anything for Christmas,’"Olivo recalled.
So, there you have it. You be the judge. Who was being “churlish” here? Frank, I mean Santa, who didn’t exactly look the part and most definitely didn't act it, by his own account, or the Philadelphia faithful, who knew an impostor when they saw one and, whatever other shortcomings they may have had, were not easily nor willingly duped?
One more issue needs to be addressed before you reach your verdict. The entire affair received little notice anywhere, as the AP author correctly points out, including the City of Brotherly Love, until Howard Cossel, a man not known to let the facts get in the way of a story, picked it up and gave it his usual understated treatment, that is to say, likened it to a public stoning.
With the Philadelphia Eagles in this year’s Super Bowl, the national press corps has seized the occasion to trot out the usual stories about how unruly and downright boorish local fans are supposed to be. Heading the list of sordid tales being dredged up is an anonymous AP piece in the New York Times the other day purporting once and for all to set the record straight regarding the 1968 incident in which Eagles fans booed Santa Claus.
A close reading of the article begins and ends with the unnamed author insisting, Those famously churlish Philadelphia fans cannot hide behind the urban legends. The truth is out there: they simply booed Santa Claus. Case closed. Quoting no greater authority than Santa himself, nee Frank Olivo, the author goes on to “dispel” the “legends” that Frank, I mean Santa, was drunk and dressed in tattered red rags.
Later in the article the author invokes another high authority to support his version of the story, Eagles’ super fan and current Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell, who, as it turns out, was at the game in question and opined that the fans were not venting their frustration at the “sad-sack Santa” (the author’s words, not the governor’s) but at the admittedly sad-sack team.
From that point on in this retelling, things get muddy. As legend purportedly has it, Frank, I mean Santa, was indeed a fill-in for the hired Jolly One, who was stranded by bad weather. The Eagles, already committed to a half-time entertainment show that included some sort of Santa, approached Olivo and asked him to stand in for the missing one. Frank was more than willing. The author picks up the story there: By 1968, Olivo, then a skinny 20-year old, had been wearing a Santa suit and fake white beard to the last Eagles’ home game for several years.
So, this was no urban legend; Frank was indeed a well-known impostor, and a skinny one at that, complete with a fake beard. Whether or not Olivo was inebriated will never be known though one suspects some sort of additive might have steeled his nerve. What is known, however, is that Frank, I mean Santa, did exhibit some distinctly un-Santa-like behavior during his moment in the spotlight. Again, let the AP writer describe the events that followed:
As instructed, Olivo ran downfield past a row of elf-costumed Eaglettes as the team’s 50-person brass band played ‘Here Comes Santa Claus.’
Thunderous boos erupted from a crowd of 54,535.
"When I hit the end zone, and the snowballs started, I was waving my finger at the crowd, saying ‘You’re not getting anything for Christmas,’"Olivo recalled.
So, there you have it. You be the judge. Who was being “churlish” here? Frank, I mean Santa, who didn’t exactly look the part and most definitely didn't act it, by his own account, or the Philadelphia faithful, who knew an impostor when they saw one and, whatever other shortcomings they may have had, were not easily nor willingly duped?
One more issue needs to be addressed before you reach your verdict. The entire affair received little notice anywhere, as the AP author correctly points out, including the City of Brotherly Love, until Howard Cossel, a man not known to let the facts get in the way of a story, picked it up and gave it his usual understated treatment, that is to say, likened it to a public stoning.
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Damned if you do. . . .
Damned if you do, really damned if you do out of desperation.
A few days after Orioles' owner Peter Angelos described the Miami Marlins’ 4-year $52 million signing of Carlos Delgado as “fiscal insanity” the O’s traded infielder Jerry Hairston and two prospects to the Chicago Cubs for 36-year old Sammy Sosa. To underscore just how fiscally responsible Angelo's believes his deal is, he can look himself in the mirror and say the Cubs will be stuck with 10-12 million dollars of Sammy’s $17 million contract for the coming year. What a steal! The O’s will only be paying a mere seven million dollars for a guy who batted .253 in 2004 with 35 home runs and 80 rbi’s in 126 games. Sosa's current contract also guarantees him $18 million for 2006 with a Cubs' option to buy out the contract for $4.5 million. Presumably, the Orioles would be assuming that portion of the contract and could decide based on Sammy's performance to exercise the buyout option and lose him to free agency in 2006. If they do cut Sosa loose, their deal works out to yet another one-year rental. One man's fiscal insanity is another man's loss leader.
The Orioles were expected to be very active in the free agent market this year but have thus far failed to land any player of stature or impact. After several years of losing, the natives are understandably restless, especially with no one of Cal Ripken's stature to ease the pain. Not to worry. In stepped Angelos who has a history of acquiring marquee players past their prime for ridiculous sums. Albert Belle, please stand up, if you can. Even more ominous, Sosa missed 36 games last season with back and hip injuries. Albert, are you still there?
Sammy, once considered the only guy not named Jordan who could unseat anyone named Daley for the top job in Chicago, has worn out his welcome in the Windy City after a series of incidents from a corked bat to an early departure from the friendly confines while a game was still in progress. Of course, it didn’t help matters that his batting average and home run production had dropped off considerably the last two seasons or that he didn't get along with manager Dusty Baker. Not to worry. When in decline, you can always count on Peter Angelos to open his heart and his wallet.
A few days after Orioles' owner Peter Angelos described the Miami Marlins’ 4-year $52 million signing of Carlos Delgado as “fiscal insanity” the O’s traded infielder Jerry Hairston and two prospects to the Chicago Cubs for 36-year old Sammy Sosa. To underscore just how fiscally responsible Angelo's believes his deal is, he can look himself in the mirror and say the Cubs will be stuck with 10-12 million dollars of Sammy’s $17 million contract for the coming year. What a steal! The O’s will only be paying a mere seven million dollars for a guy who batted .253 in 2004 with 35 home runs and 80 rbi’s in 126 games. Sosa's current contract also guarantees him $18 million for 2006 with a Cubs' option to buy out the contract for $4.5 million. Presumably, the Orioles would be assuming that portion of the contract and could decide based on Sammy's performance to exercise the buyout option and lose him to free agency in 2006. If they do cut Sosa loose, their deal works out to yet another one-year rental. One man's fiscal insanity is another man's loss leader.
The Orioles were expected to be very active in the free agent market this year but have thus far failed to land any player of stature or impact. After several years of losing, the natives are understandably restless, especially with no one of Cal Ripken's stature to ease the pain. Not to worry. In stepped Angelos who has a history of acquiring marquee players past their prime for ridiculous sums. Albert Belle, please stand up, if you can. Even more ominous, Sosa missed 36 games last season with back and hip injuries. Albert, are you still there?
Sammy, once considered the only guy not named Jordan who could unseat anyone named Daley for the top job in Chicago, has worn out his welcome in the Windy City after a series of incidents from a corked bat to an early departure from the friendly confines while a game was still in progress. Of course, it didn’t help matters that his batting average and home run production had dropped off considerably the last two seasons or that he didn't get along with manager Dusty Baker. Not to worry. When in decline, you can always count on Peter Angelos to open his heart and his wallet.
Friday, January 28, 2005
Pivotal Point
Brett Myers is already unhappy. Well, fella, that makes a lot of us.
In a piece by Jim Salisbury in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer, Myers places most of the blame for last season’s mediocre record and sky-high ERA on nearly everyone but himself, citing a lack of focus due to conflicting advice and too much of it.
To be sure, micromanagers like the departed Larry Bowa and Joe Kerrigan bent too many players’ ears in opposite directions too often, but the always-simmering Myers didn’t help his own cause by imploding on the mound more than once when things didn’t go his way and by playing overweight and out-of-shape.
Claiming he “knows what is being said up here [Philadelphia],” Myers already appears to have placed a good-sized chip on his broad shoulders. What else should people “up here” be thinking when a pitcher for whom so much was expected obviously loses his cool on the mound frequently and fails to deliver time and again?
The Phillies are counting on Myers; indeed, they were counting on him last year, his second full season in the majors following an excellent 2003. At some point people stop regarding a player as full of potential and begin to regard him as someone who failed to reach his potential. For Myers this may be that pivotal point.
In a piece by Jim Salisbury in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer, Myers places most of the blame for last season’s mediocre record and sky-high ERA on nearly everyone but himself, citing a lack of focus due to conflicting advice and too much of it.
To be sure, micromanagers like the departed Larry Bowa and Joe Kerrigan bent too many players’ ears in opposite directions too often, but the always-simmering Myers didn’t help his own cause by imploding on the mound more than once when things didn’t go his way and by playing overweight and out-of-shape.
Claiming he “knows what is being said up here [Philadelphia],” Myers already appears to have placed a good-sized chip on his broad shoulders. What else should people “up here” be thinking when a pitcher for whom so much was expected obviously loses his cool on the mound frequently and fails to deliver time and again?
The Phillies are counting on Myers; indeed, they were counting on him last year, his second full season in the majors following an excellent 2003. At some point people stop regarding a player as full of potential and begin to regard him as someone who failed to reach his potential. For Myers this may be that pivotal point.
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Florida Improvements
The Florida Marlins have signed free agent first baseman Carlos Delgado to a four-year $52 million contract. The 32-year old Delgado has hit 336 home runs in his career, including eight straight seasons with 30 or more.
The deal clearly strengthens the Marlins’ lineup and establishes them as one of the favorites in the NL East. Their only weakness, and it is a glaring one, is the bullpen. The big Delgado contract also marks a departure for a club known for leasing veteran players for short periods rather than signing them for longer terms, but that approach will have to change in the next few seasons if the Marlins expect to hold onto some of their young stars as they mature.
For those keeping track, Delgado’s last known address was Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
There is a growing consensus that the Phillies chief division rivals have all improved themselves significantly in the off-season while the locals have made only relatively minor adjustments except in the manager’s office. There will be ample opportunity to explore this topic as spring training unfolds.
The deal clearly strengthens the Marlins’ lineup and establishes them as one of the favorites in the NL East. Their only weakness, and it is a glaring one, is the bullpen. The big Delgado contract also marks a departure for a club known for leasing veteran players for short periods rather than signing them for longer terms, but that approach will have to change in the next few seasons if the Marlins expect to hold onto some of their young stars as they mature.
For those keeping track, Delgado’s last known address was Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
There is a growing consensus that the Phillies chief division rivals have all improved themselves significantly in the off-season while the locals have made only relatively minor adjustments except in the manager’s office. There will be ample opportunity to explore this topic as spring training unfolds.
Monday, January 24, 2005
Unconditional Love
I digress. The Eagles are the toast of this frosted town.
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Bill Lyons, as is his wont, put it best: If you were just coming of legal age when the Birds last won a championship, you are now collecting Social Security.
Philadelphians love their Iggles unconditionally. No matter what the disappointments, and there have been many more of those than triumphs over the years, when it comes to their gridiron heroes, all is always forgiven and forgotten in one huge collective embrace. The locals may have allegedly booed Santa Claus, but they never hold grudges against their football idols.
Something about this town’s makeup binds them closely to the sort of players who grind it out and get their uniforms dirty. And even though Philadelphia has become more of a service industry town like so many other former manufacturing centers, that lunch pail tradition persists and explains, in large measure, why teams like the Eagles and the Flyers engender much deeper loyalties than, say, the Phillies or Sixers.
This year’s installment of the Eagles has finally made it to the grandest stage after three straight near-misses. Naturally, their adoring public is besides itself. The Super Bowl will feature a Philly-Boston match-up befitting a long tradition whose archives include the legendary Sixers/Warriors vs. Celtics battles of the Chamberlain-Russell and Irving-Bird eras and the Flyers-Bruins Cup series of the early ‘70’s.
So, it’s Quaker Philadelphia vs. Puritan Boston once again. Don’t expect pacifism from those fellows in green.
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Bill Lyons, as is his wont, put it best: If you were just coming of legal age when the Birds last won a championship, you are now collecting Social Security.
Philadelphians love their Iggles unconditionally. No matter what the disappointments, and there have been many more of those than triumphs over the years, when it comes to their gridiron heroes, all is always forgiven and forgotten in one huge collective embrace. The locals may have allegedly booed Santa Claus, but they never hold grudges against their football idols.
Something about this town’s makeup binds them closely to the sort of players who grind it out and get their uniforms dirty. And even though Philadelphia has become more of a service industry town like so many other former manufacturing centers, that lunch pail tradition persists and explains, in large measure, why teams like the Eagles and the Flyers engender much deeper loyalties than, say, the Phillies or Sixers.
This year’s installment of the Eagles has finally made it to the grandest stage after three straight near-misses. Naturally, their adoring public is besides itself. The Super Bowl will feature a Philly-Boston match-up befitting a long tradition whose archives include the legendary Sixers/Warriors vs. Celtics battles of the Chamberlain-Russell and Irving-Bird eras and the Flyers-Bruins Cup series of the early ‘70’s.
So, it’s Quaker Philadelphia vs. Puritan Boston once again. Don’t expect pacifism from those fellows in green.
Friday, January 21, 2005
Bargains Galore
Phillies fans, take heart, you could be living in Houston. After coming so close to their first NL pennant ever, the Astros have fallen on hard times. No Jeff Kent. No Carlos Beltran. No Lance Berkman for the foreseeable future. But the Astros will have Roger Clemens for another season and for $4.5 million less than his original asking price. Clemens has signed a one year deal for $18.5 million, a record figure for a pitcher. What a steal. I wonder if that amount puts Roger over the limit retired folks can earn without affecting their social security stipend?
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Aging Wonders
Nothing personal, Jose, but why exactly do the Phillies need you? The signing of 36-year old Jose Offerman to a minor league contract gives the Phillies three utility infielders, Tomas Perez, Placido Polanco and Offerman. What, if anything, does GM Ed Wade have up his sleeve? Surely he doesn’t intend to carry three utility infielders next season. Offerman can play outfield, too, but the Phils already have Jason Michaels and Marlon Byrd backing up out there. I can hear the press conference now: Offerman brings a veteran bat, versatility and experience to the clubhouse.
No matter what his mysterious plan may be, Ed has been pulling out all the stops lately in his inimitable way. Lofton, Lidle, Lieber, Adams (yes, fans, Terry is back), Pratt, Perez and Offerman. The Phillies aren’t getting better just older.
Among the youngsters, the signing of Jimmy Rollins to a one-year deal is not encouraging in one respect: for some reason the Phillies don’t appear able to work out a longer-term deal with their star shortstop. The problem might not lie with management., however. This makes at least two straight years Rollins has resisted signing here for more than one season at a time. He may simply be determined to test free agency when his turn comes up. His loss would be tremendous.
No matter what his mysterious plan may be, Ed has been pulling out all the stops lately in his inimitable way. Lofton, Lidle, Lieber, Adams (yes, fans, Terry is back), Pratt, Perez and Offerman. The Phillies aren’t getting better just older.
Among the youngsters, the signing of Jimmy Rollins to a one-year deal is not encouraging in one respect: for some reason the Phillies don’t appear able to work out a longer-term deal with their star shortstop. The problem might not lie with management., however. This makes at least two straight years Rollins has resisted signing here for more than one season at a time. He may simply be determined to test free agency when his turn comes up. His loss would be tremendous.
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Go Figure
What are the Phillies doing with Placido Polanco?
First, the free agent second baseman surprised everyone by accepting arbitration. Yesterday the Phillies avoided an arbitration hearing by signing him to a one-year deal worth $4.6 million. Given the Phillies have already handed the starting second base job to Chase Utley, the Polanco signing makes him one very expensive utility infielder, all the more so since the Phils also signed super sub Tomas Perez in late October to a two-year deal.
The guess here is one of several scenarios will unfold next season: either Polanco will be traded, Chase Utley will have to prove himself right out of the box or lose his job, or the Phillies are taking a wait-and-see approach to David Bell’s always-precarious health. Whatever the outcome, keeping Polanco, an excellent hitter and even better fielder, on the bench most of the season is a waste of his talent and value.
* * * * * * *
Roger Clemens had made his bid for another sort of immortality. The ageless wonder is asking for a record $22 million one-year deal from the Astros, a mere $8.5 million more than the club has offered. Had they re-signed Jeff Kent and Carlos Beltran there might have been more incentive though hardly enough cash to keep Roger. Without those two, and despite the savings, the Astros will be harder-pressed to contend this coming season and would be crazy to waste the money on Clemens. Clemens has averaged 31.4 starts over the last five seasons. If the Astros capitulate, Clemens will earn just north of $700,000 per start in 2005.
First, the free agent second baseman surprised everyone by accepting arbitration. Yesterday the Phillies avoided an arbitration hearing by signing him to a one-year deal worth $4.6 million. Given the Phillies have already handed the starting second base job to Chase Utley, the Polanco signing makes him one very expensive utility infielder, all the more so since the Phils also signed super sub Tomas Perez in late October to a two-year deal.
The guess here is one of several scenarios will unfold next season: either Polanco will be traded, Chase Utley will have to prove himself right out of the box or lose his job, or the Phillies are taking a wait-and-see approach to David Bell’s always-precarious health. Whatever the outcome, keeping Polanco, an excellent hitter and even better fielder, on the bench most of the season is a waste of his talent and value.
* * * * * * *
Roger Clemens had made his bid for another sort of immortality. The ageless wonder is asking for a record $22 million one-year deal from the Astros, a mere $8.5 million more than the club has offered. Had they re-signed Jeff Kent and Carlos Beltran there might have been more incentive though hardly enough cash to keep Roger. Without those two, and despite the savings, the Astros will be harder-pressed to contend this coming season and would be crazy to waste the money on Clemens. Clemens has averaged 31.4 starts over the last five seasons. If the Astros capitulate, Clemens will earn just north of $700,000 per start in 2005.
Friday, January 14, 2005
Strike Four!
And all along we thought it was three strikes and you’re out.
MLB and the Players’ Union today announced a new steroid policy that imposes a suspension of up to ten days for a first positive test, a 30-day suspension for a second, a 60-day suspension for a third, and a one-year banishment for a fourth positive test. Under the old drug policy, a player got five chances before being suspended for a year.
The new agreement also calls for random tests throughout the year.
Commissioner Bug Selig remarked, ``I've been saying for some time my goal for this industry is zero tolerance toward steroids.''
Bud, zero doesn’t equal four no matter how you spin it.
Faced with a major scandal when Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield and Barry Bonds admitted using steroids (Bonds only admitted to unknowingly using them) and when former NL MVP Ken Caminitti, a known steroid abuser, died from a drug overdose, MLB has taken small steps toward so-called zero tolerance.
In the strictest sense, zero tolerance would mean some sort of lengthy banishment on the first offense to say nothing of a second one. But labor and management don’t have the guts to make a serious commitment despite Selig’s claim that ``We're acting today to help restore the confidence of our fans.'' Donald Fehr, the players’ union executive director, added, "The object is to stop [steroid abuse]. The object is not to penalize for the sake of penalizing."
Has anyone ever proposed penalizing players for the sake of penalizing them? What was Fehr thinking when he made that comment?
The commissioner and the executive director also insisted the new policies are as tough as any in major league sport. They aren’t. The NFL imposes much stricter penalties, including suspension for a minimum of 6 games (that is more than 1/3 the season) for a second offense and a minimum of one year for subsequent ones. But here’s even bigger news: minor league baseball players are subject to stiffer penalties and have been all along, including when compared to the major league’s previous plans, which this new one allegedly stiffens. And the big boys still refuse to include amphetamines among banned substances to be screened while the boys down on the farm have been tested for them for a few years now.
In the final analysis the new policy is tepid, a bone thrown to the fans who legitimately question the power figures put up over the last several seasons by Maguire, Bonds et al. Allowing four offenses before being banned for good hardly qualifies as a tough new policy. Anyone caught four times is an habitual user, plain and simple; someone who needs professional help and lots of it.
So, for now it’s one, two, three, four strikes you’re out of the old ball game. . . for a while, anyway.
MLB and the Players’ Union today announced a new steroid policy that imposes a suspension of up to ten days for a first positive test, a 30-day suspension for a second, a 60-day suspension for a third, and a one-year banishment for a fourth positive test. Under the old drug policy, a player got five chances before being suspended for a year.
The new agreement also calls for random tests throughout the year.
Commissioner Bug Selig remarked, ``I've been saying for some time my goal for this industry is zero tolerance toward steroids.''
Bud, zero doesn’t equal four no matter how you spin it.
Faced with a major scandal when Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield and Barry Bonds admitted using steroids (Bonds only admitted to unknowingly using them) and when former NL MVP Ken Caminitti, a known steroid abuser, died from a drug overdose, MLB has taken small steps toward so-called zero tolerance.
In the strictest sense, zero tolerance would mean some sort of lengthy banishment on the first offense to say nothing of a second one. But labor and management don’t have the guts to make a serious commitment despite Selig’s claim that ``We're acting today to help restore the confidence of our fans.'' Donald Fehr, the players’ union executive director, added, "The object is to stop [steroid abuse]. The object is not to penalize for the sake of penalizing."
Has anyone ever proposed penalizing players for the sake of penalizing them? What was Fehr thinking when he made that comment?
The commissioner and the executive director also insisted the new policies are as tough as any in major league sport. They aren’t. The NFL imposes much stricter penalties, including suspension for a minimum of 6 games (that is more than 1/3 the season) for a second offense and a minimum of one year for subsequent ones. But here’s even bigger news: minor league baseball players are subject to stiffer penalties and have been all along, including when compared to the major league’s previous plans, which this new one allegedly stiffens. And the big boys still refuse to include amphetamines among banned substances to be screened while the boys down on the farm have been tested for them for a few years now.
In the final analysis the new policy is tepid, a bone thrown to the fans who legitimately question the power figures put up over the last several seasons by Maguire, Bonds et al. Allowing four offenses before being banned for good hardly qualifies as a tough new policy. Anyone caught four times is an habitual user, plain and simple; someone who needs professional help and lots of it.
So, for now it’s one, two, three, four strikes you’re out of the old ball game. . . for a while, anyway.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Still Hope
Here are a few numbers to contemplate: $119 million and .267. In fairness to Carlos Beltran, baseball’s happiest camper, his lifetime average is a more decent .285. A few more figures to consider: 7 and 162. Carlos Beltran will receive his $119 for seven years of service, though undoubtedly his contract is structured to be paid out over a much longer period of time. Nevertheless, that works out to $104, 938.27 per game or roughly $26,234.57 per at-bat (based on four a game). Let’s hope he doesn’t swing at the first pitch too often; management might feel cheated.
Beltran was already being touted as this off-season’s free agent supreme well in advance of his astonishing post-season performance, but one cannot help feeling yet again his super agent, Steve Boras, succeeded in manipulating the market and in the process not only made Mr. and Mrs. Beltran wealthy beyond their imaginations, but also made baseball’s wealthiest owners look like the fools they are.
To repeat a mantra well-known to readers of this blog, Beltran is now with his third team in two years. Unlike many other free agents, his contract probably precludes his jumping to another one any time soon. But Carlos is only 27 years old, so the possibility remains that the other team in NY might sign him some day.
Beltran was already being touted as this off-season’s free agent supreme well in advance of his astonishing post-season performance, but one cannot help feeling yet again his super agent, Steve Boras, succeeded in manipulating the market and in the process not only made Mr. and Mrs. Beltran wealthy beyond their imaginations, but also made baseball’s wealthiest owners look like the fools they are.
To repeat a mantra well-known to readers of this blog, Beltran is now with his third team in two years. Unlike many other free agents, his contract probably precludes his jumping to another one any time soon. But Carlos is only 27 years old, so the possibility remains that the other team in NY might sign him some day.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Not Your Usual Horse Trader
Now we know the answer to the question, “What does $500,000 buy in MLB anymore?” Terry Adams. Let us hope this move -- re-signing a guy the Phils didn’t want a year earlier -- isn’t their final one of the off-season. By the way, the Phillies are Adams’ sixth team in ten years and fourth (including the two stints here) in a single year. Very inspiring.
Ed Wade is trying to put the best face on the Phillies modest off-season acquisitions in light of the high-profile signings in New York and Atlanta, but he doesn’t sound very convincing. The guess here, though, is he is finished. The most likely candidate to be traded remains Placido Polanco, who clearly should be a starter by any standard but won’t be in Philadelphia, and one possible destination would be Arizona, which needs a second baseman and currently has a pitcher, Javier Vazquez, whom the Phillies covet. Vazquez, who prior to his trade from the Yankees in the Randy Johnson deal publicly stated he wanted to pitch on the East Coast, would be a welcome addition to the Phillies staff, but if the Phils acquired the young right-hander, who goes? Randy Wolf or Brett Myers would seem to be the likely candidates if such a trade were made, but where would they go and for whom? The Phils appear “set” in centerfield, their most glaring off-season need among position players until they signed stop-gap veteran Kenny Lofton. The only other position about which there has been speculation is catcher and Mike Lieberthal’s big contract remains a major obstacle to moving him.
So, Ed Wade has maneuvered himself into a corner again. When Polanco accepted arbitration, that was the first major surprise for the Phillies. It seems doubtful in hindsight the Phils would have made offers to Cory Lidle and John Lieber had they known Polanco would be available to trade. The equally quick move to sign Lofton smacked of Wade’s usual panicked approach and, again, he is stuck with the 37-year old center fielder for now.
The Phils still have needs and the means to fill them. But they lack the savvy to do so.
Ed Wade is trying to put the best face on the Phillies modest off-season acquisitions in light of the high-profile signings in New York and Atlanta, but he doesn’t sound very convincing. The guess here, though, is he is finished. The most likely candidate to be traded remains Placido Polanco, who clearly should be a starter by any standard but won’t be in Philadelphia, and one possible destination would be Arizona, which needs a second baseman and currently has a pitcher, Javier Vazquez, whom the Phillies covet. Vazquez, who prior to his trade from the Yankees in the Randy Johnson deal publicly stated he wanted to pitch on the East Coast, would be a welcome addition to the Phillies staff, but if the Phils acquired the young right-hander, who goes? Randy Wolf or Brett Myers would seem to be the likely candidates if such a trade were made, but where would they go and for whom? The Phils appear “set” in centerfield, their most glaring off-season need among position players until they signed stop-gap veteran Kenny Lofton. The only other position about which there has been speculation is catcher and Mike Lieberthal’s big contract remains a major obstacle to moving him.
So, Ed Wade has maneuvered himself into a corner again. When Polanco accepted arbitration, that was the first major surprise for the Phillies. It seems doubtful in hindsight the Phils would have made offers to Cory Lidle and John Lieber had they known Polanco would be available to trade. The equally quick move to sign Lofton smacked of Wade’s usual panicked approach and, again, he is stuck with the 37-year old center fielder for now.
The Phils still have needs and the means to fill them. But they lack the savvy to do so.
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