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2012 Off-Season Baseball Thread

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daydreamer41

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The 2011 Season is over and the St. Louis Cardinals made an amazing finish to clinch the NL Wild Card playoff spot on the last day of the season and went all the way to win the World Series, denying the Texas Rangers their first World Series Championship, which were 1 strike or 1 out away twice.

What a season. Anyhow, this thread is dedicated to the off-season trades, free agent signings, Spring training, etc. up until just before the first pitch of the 2012 Regular Season in end of March.

Like always, reminder of the rules of this thread:

Like Mod 8 says, you can insult a particular team, but not the poster. Keep your comments focused on the players and teams. You can disagree with another member about their opinion, but keep it to that.

This thread will be closed on Opening Day in March 2012.

There should be some interesting off-season trades and free agent signings. Some new Rookies will be brought up.

Feel free to talk about your favorite teams and other teams. The major leagues have 30 teams. Theoretically, any team can win the World Series. All players in the Major Leagues are professional ball players and would not be in the major leagues if they were not good.
 

Mod 8

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As the baseball season is now over, I will allow this thread to remain open as long as all discussion remains 100% on-topic with no discussion of the past season or attacks on any team, or fans of any team, in particular. I expect this thread to remain insult free. The first post that violates that rule will result in the immediate and permanent closure of this thread as well as a suspension, length to be determined, of the poster.

Mod 8
 

daydreamer41

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Yanks pick up options on 2 players

By Andrew Marchand
ESPNNewYork.com

NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees have picked up the option of Nick Swisher, which means, barring a trade, he will be the team's right fielder for at least one more season.

Swisher, who turns 31 in November, will make $10.25 million next season and then will be eligible to become a free agent. With the Yankees set in the infield, with Russell Martin expected to return behind the plate and with Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner in the two other outfield spots, the every day position spot the Yankees could possibly change seems like right field.

At this point, Swisher will remain the man, but the Yankees could look to trade him and then try to find another right fielder. Last season, Swisher continued his struggles in the playoffs, while his regular season numbers of a .260 batting average, 23 homers, 85 RBIs and .374 on-base percentage were above average for major league outfielders.

The Yankees are expected to have a new DH next season. Jorge Posada is likely not to be back, leaving Jesus Montero to pick up at-bats in that spot.

The Yankees also picked up second baseman Robinson Cano's option for next season. This was a formality as Cano is considered the team's best offensive player. Cano, who just turned 29, will make $14 million this year and $15 million next year. He can become a free agent after the 2013 season.

A three-time All-Star, Cano signed a four-year, $30 million contract before the 2008 season that includes a pair of club options. The 29-year-old slugger hit .302 with 28 homers and a career-high 118 RBIs this year.

This weekend, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was scheduled to meet with the agent for CC Sabathia, Brian Peters. If the two sides can't come to a new agreement by midnight Monday, then Sabathia is expected to become a free agent.

In Sabathia's seven-year, $161 million contract, the Yankees included an opt-out clause following the third season. If Sabathia opts out, he will leave behind four years and $92 million on his contract. Sabathia wants to return to the Bronx, but the two sides were trying to formulate a new deal that both sides found fair.
Andrew Marchand covers the Yankees for ESPNNewYork.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
 

lgna69xxx

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Thanks for the thread DD, it should be a very interesting off season. As far as the Yanks are concerned, they will re sign CC Sabathia without a doubt, as he has stated many times he loves playing in NYC and for the best orginization in the game. Will it cost the Yanks, also Yes, without a doubt, but $ well spent. Swish is back, thats good news and Cano of course. With a strong season by the Cap'n, Derek Jeter, i see no needs at SS for at least another season. One top starting pitcher should be on the shopping list for Brain, I mean BRIAN Cashman and this team is ready to get back to the World Series. We may have that pitcher in the minors, maybe not, but i expect Cash to go after someone, lets just hope he doesnt do it via trade and part with the young guns down on the farm. GO YANKEES! Pride, Guts, and Determination lives on.
 

Merlot

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Hey BOYS,


He could have opted out of the remaining four years and $92MM of his original seven-year, $161MM contract with New York by midnight tonight. Instead, he gets a deal that guarantees him $122MM and could be worth as much as $142MM. Sabathia will earn $24.4MM per season over the course of the five guaranteed seasons -- slightly more than his former teammate, Cliff Lee, obtained last offseason and more than any other pitcher has obtained on a multiyear deal. Sabathia's original contract is still the largest guaranteed total for any pitcher in history.

The sides agreed to add a $25MM salary for 2016 and a vesting option worth the same amount for 2017 ($5MM buyout), according to ESPN's Buster Olney (via Twitter) and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The option automatically vests unless Sabathia finishes the 2016 season on the DL with a left shoulder injury, spends 45 days on the DL with a left shoulder injury, or makes at least six relief appearances in 2016 due to shoulder problems, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (all Twitter links).


No surprise to see the Yankees cave in to the specter of Sabathia opting out. They probably would not risk losing him, but there was some risk of that, as well as other teams pumping up the price an average $2-3 million per year than what he will now be paid. As expected, the reported average cost of $24.4 million with an extra year or two was about the minimum increase projected.

The Yankees had no choice since only Nova could be considered any kind of reasonably solid starter. But though Sabathia is very very good he isn't the kind of lock down starter like a Halladay or Verlander. The Yankees are risking a lot betting he will maintain his value for another 5-6 years, and that at a price that is already grossly inflated no matter what his record. Since this is probably his final big contract everyone should wonder if he will continue to be as motivated or be able to control his size and fitness for that long...and that's if he doesn't lose his "stuff".

As everyone knew, the Yankees alleged new stated fiscal conservatism :lol: stood no chance of holding in this case.

That's a good incentive to stay healthy although less incentive if one hasn't already gotten paid $150 million...

If those elements stay within his control with his body type through an extra 6 years. In just two years he'll be over $200 million and he may one day sit back and ask...how much do I really need and is it worthwhile to work hard to stay in top form...if anyone could call it that now. :rolleyes:

CHEERS,

Merlot
 

lgna69xxx

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Well said Chercher.... I think many were expecting CC to hold the Yanks out for A LOT more money/years and i am totally fine with the extension he got. CC is definately a #1 on most teams in MLB and he should be good for 3-4 more great years and very good for a cpl more after that. CC, Nova, and Hughes (who was pitching a lot better down the stretch and should have very good arm strength by april) are a strong starting 3. Good stuff :thumb:



How'd that 'lock-down' stuff work for Halladay and Verlander this season? I didn't notice either of them drinking champagne on Friday night or in 2010 for that matter.


Here is Fangraphs top 10 pitching leaders by fWAR for 2010 and 2011 combined:
14.7 Halladay
13.9 Lee
13.4 Verlander
12.4 Sabathia
11.7 Hernandez
11.5 Kershaw
11.5 Weaver
10.8 Haran
10.5 Wilson
9.9 Jiminez
 

Merlot

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How'd that 'lock-down' stuff work for Halladay and Verlander this season? I didn't notice either of them drinking champagne on Friday night or in 2010 for that matter.

The truth is that good starters and great hitting can win championships too. CC is one of the best starters in all of baseball, just behind the Halladay's, Lee's and Verlander's of the world.

Here is Fangraphs top 10 pitching leaders by fWAR for 2010 and 2011 combined:
14.7 Halladay
13.9 Lee
13.4 Verlander
12.4 Sabathia

If you want to look at a longer period, say 3 years (2009-11), here are the top 20 in fWAR:

22.2 Halladay
21.7 Verlander
20.5 Lee
18.8 Sabathia

Great to see you and the stats agree with me. :thumb: :D

"Lock-down" only denotes a level of reliability and efficiency...NOT a guarantee. In fact, Sabathia gave up 6 runs in 8.2 innings for a 6.23 ERA, Verlander went 2-1 with an ERA just around 5.30 ERA in 20.1 innings, Halladay was 1-1 in 16 innings for a 2.25 ERA.

Certainly, Halladay's ERA shows he did his job despite the rest of the team.

Game 1 of the ALDS was suspended, so the match was inconclusive. Verlander may have had a high ERA but he beat Sabathia and the Yankees in game 3 and his team moved on. Had Sabathia done his job better the Yankees would have advanced. Case closed for 2011.

A reminder from Fangraphs for those who think all Japanese pitchers are the same.

Darvish is bigger, throws harder, strikes out more batters and has had more success than other Japanese pitchers who have come to MLB. He's not a soft tossing lefty like Igawa, and he's not a charter member of the Popeyes & Bud club like Dice-K.

I expect that Darvish will command a larger posting fee and a bigger contract than Dice K. Rumors are that the Yankees will bid for him, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Red Sox do as well to shore up their thin rotation. However I think that the largest bids could come from places like Toronto and Texas.

False. Dice-K was never involved in the eating and drinking abuses element. He always acted according to his own habits and beliefs, as evidenced by his resistance and ultimate refusal to follow the advice of American pitching coaches, such as sticking to his agonizing nibbling at the corners ways and independent actions in contrast to his obligations to the Red Sox .

Don't Overpay For Darvish


http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/dont-overpay-for-darvish/

Earlier this afternoon, Patrick Newman presented you with some Yu Darvish Facts, while Eno Sarris broke down the differences between Darvish and Daisuke Matsuzaka. I’m finishing off Yu Darvish Day here at FanGraphs, but I’m actually not going to write all that much about Darvish specifically.

Instead, I want to talk about Darvish’s price. Over the last few weeks, there’s been a lot of speculation about what kind of money it might take to obtain his services. Last week, Tim Dierkes of MLBTradeRumors.com polled five agents and a team executive on their expectations of Darvish’s cost, and they came in with an average of a $45 million posting fee followed by a “five or six year contract in the $72-$75 million range.”

I’m not here to say that those sources are incorrect, but I will say this – any team willing to pay that much money to acquire Yu Darvish is kind of crazy.

Using the lowest projected figures from that poll ($30 million posting fee, $72 million for a six year contract), the most conservative estimate puts the total price to acquire Darvish at $102 million, or $17 million per season. If you take the average instead, that pushes the total up to $120 million, or right around $20 million per season. Essentially, that price not only treats him as a player with the track record of a Major League front-line starter, but one who has the leverage of a free agent. In reality, he doesn’t have either of those things.


Remember, the prospectus on Dice-K was also full of the same basic glorious revelations of his talent, yet not based on even one inning of MLB experience. Going straight to paying a totally inexperienced player $20 million a year to pitch in a foreign environment under different conditions is nuts...as already proven.

If Darvish carries with him an open attitude of willingness to adapt and take instruction for American style baseball to compliment his talent that could be decisive. Otherwise........:noidea:

Cheers,

Merlot
 

EagerBeaver

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Signing a Darvish or even a Wilson would only add about $15 million to the payroll. If it comes down to these two, I would prefer Darvish due to Wilson's lack of command which I don't think would play well in the AL East.

I instinctively at first blush agree with you, because I do not like CJ Wilson and feel he is a #3 starter, but I am also reminded of the old saying, "the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know." Wilson is a #3 starter, and we don't know what Darvish is, but he appears to be bigger and stronger and throws harder than some other Japanese imports, plus he is also younger than Wilson. I figure there are around 4-6 teams interested in Darvish that will likely throw around the kind of money that is being discussed, the Red Sox and Yankees among them. Whether he deserves such money is something we will not know for quite some time. I recall the hysteria that accompanied Dice K Matsuzaka's arrival including a Sports Illustrated cover and claims that he could throw about 10 different pitches including a "gyro ball", or something like that, and claims that his workout regimen was the envy of baseball. We are seeing the beginnings of similar type hysteria with Darvish. He is an accomplished pitcher in Japan but so was Dice K. All of these guys are huge risks at the kind of money we are talking about.

Another guy who was tremendously hyped was Aroldis Chapman who the Reds took a chance on and he is a relief pitcher for them, not exactly what they had bargained for so far.

There are guys like Mark Buehrle available who will be had much more cheaply and may end up producing more, we just do not know. With Buehrle you will get 13 wins and 200 innings, that you know. I think the Yankees should possibly sign Buehrle cheaply and take a chance on Darvish, although it could end up being a Dice K type disaster. The bottom line is a lot of teams need pitching and they are willing to take the risk.
 
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rumpleforeskiin

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1. Brackman is no longer in the system.

2. Darvish still follows a Japanese training regimen and is used to pitching once a week. No Japanese starter has ever enjoyed sustained success in MLB.
 

Jman47

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As the baseball season is now over, I will allow this thread to remain open as long as all discussion remains 100% on-topic with no discussion of the past season or attacks on any team, or fans of any team, in particular. I expect this thread to remain insult free. The first post that violates that rule will result in the immediate and permanent closure of this thread as well as a suspension, length to be determined, of the poster.

Mod 8

Can't wait to see who goes first...humor belongs in the other thread...:lol:
 

Merlot

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3 Dodgers, 3 Red Sox earn Gold Glove honors

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-20129055/3-dodgers-3-red-sox-earn-gold-glove-honors/

(AP)

NEW YORK - Clayton Kershaw, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier became the first trio of Los Angeles Dodgers to win NL Gold Gloves in the same year, and Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury became the first three Red Sox in 32 seasons to win the AL honor together.

Kershaw became a first-time winner at pitcher when the awards were announced Tuesday. Ethier earned his first Gold Glove in the outfield and Kemp regained the NL award he also earned in 2009.

Gonzalez earned his first AL Gold Glove to go along with two he won in the NL while with San Diego, Pedroia won at second base for the first time since 2008 and Ellsbury picked up his first Gold Glove.

"I try to be a complete player. You can always go into offense slumps," Gonzalez said during the awards show on ESPN2.

The previous three Red Sox to win in the same year were shortstop Rick Burleson along with outfielders Dwight Evans and Fred Lynn in 1979.

Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle was the lone AL holdover, winning for the third straight year. Baltimore's Matt Wieters won at catcher, the Angels' Erick Aybar at shortstop, Texas' Adrian Beltre at third, and Kansas City's Alex Gordon and Baltimore's Nick Markakis in the outfield.

Beltre won for the third time, after gaining the award in 2007 and 2008.

The St. Louis Cardinals' Yadier Molina became the first NL catcher to win in four straight years since Charles Johnson from 1995-98.

Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto and second baseman Brandon Phillips also won along with Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, Philadelphia third baseman Placido Polanco and Arizona outfielder Gerardo Parra. Phillips and Tulowitzki joined Molina as the NL holdovers, with Phillips winning for the third time in four years.

"It just shows my hard work really played off," Phillips said on the show.

Polanco also won AL Gold Gloves in 2007 and 2009.

This year's AL group displaced Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer; Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira, second baseman Robinson Cano and shortstop Derek Jeter; Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria; former Rays outfielder Carl Crawford; and Seattle outfielders Ichiro Suzuki and Franklin Gutierrez.

Suzuki's streak of Gold Gloves ended at 10. The right fielder, who had won in every one of his big league seasons, had tied the AL record for Gold Gloves by an outfielder shared by Ken Griffey Jr. and Al Kaline.

Last year's NL winners included Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, Reds third baseman Scott Rolen and Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez and Philadelphia's Shane Victorino joined in the outfield by Michael Bourn, then of Houston.

Rawlings announced the winners Tuesday. Managers and coaches vote for players in their leagues and can't pick players on their own teams.

Breaking with the recent format, outfielders were picked for specific spots. The AL had Gordon in left, Ellsbury in center and Markakis in right, and the NL had Parra in left, Kemp in center and Ethier in right.

Beltre and Gonzalez each earned $100,000 bonuses, while Aybar and Markakis get $75,000 apiece. Molina, Pedroia, Polanco and Votto each receive $50,000, and Tulowitzki and Buehrle both get $25,000.

Phillips gets an automatic $250,000 raise next season to $12.25 million under the option the Reds exercised Monday.


What...no automatic legacy gold glove award to Jeter...AGAIN! ;)

Congratulations to Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, and Adrian Gonzalez.

I'll beat you good boys :rolleyes: to the punch and note how strange it is the two years this happened were both tough disappointments.

Cheers,

Merlot
 

Doc Holliday

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Blue Jays' Tony LeCava turns down Orioles' GM job

The Orioles' search for a general manager will continue after Blue Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava declined an offer to take over the Orioles.

“I'm working in a great place, a job that I love. It’s just as simple as that," LaCava told the Baltimore Sun by way of explanation."I really, really treasure my relationship with [Toronto] general manager, Alex Anthopoulos, and I really want to see this through with him."

This is a surprise, as Toronto was readying for LaCava's departure. The 50-year-old was meeting Orioles owner Peter Angelos for the first time on Monday, likely discussing the terms of his employment, the Baltimore Sun wrote. The Orioles were not doing a second round of interviews, so the fact LaCava was back in town and meeting with Angelos spoke volumes. He must not have liked what he heard.

Baltimore's GM job is not exactly seen as a plum job in baseball. The O's play in a very difficult division and arguably are the worst team in the division as far as resources are concerned, whether financial, organizationally, or major- and minor-league talent. In addition, Angelos is a meddling owner who still hasn't learned that the O's have struggled since the mid-1990s because of his over-involvement.

LaCava, for his part, tried to deflect that aspect of turning down the job by telling the Sun, “This was about the Toronto Blue Jays more than it is anything about the Orioles. ... They were classy in everything they did."

But this is a man that has waited about a decade for a GM job. There are only 30 GM jobs in the league and the fact LaCava turned down what would be his first GM job speaks volumes.

The O's have only interviewed three other candidates. One was Jerry DiPoto, who was hired as the Angels GM last week. The other two are Baltimore director of player development John Stockstill and Dodgers assistant GM De Jon Watson. The Orioles may re-open the field to interview candidates, especially now that the World Series is over. Stockstill isn't a well-known name and while Watson's name has surfaced in recent seasons as a potential GM candidate, he hasn't been a popular name. LaCava, of the three remaining candidates, was the clear top dog. MASN says Baltimore could interview Rangers' senior director of player personnel, A.J. Preller. Hometown candidate Thad Levine, who is Texas' assistant GM, could also receive consideration.

Unfortunately, it appears things are only backsliding in Baltimore. Ex-GM Andy MacPhail was able to wrest more control from Angelos than any other GM had, and for a while there, it looked like it was paying off. However, the last two years saw the organization stall, if not regress, in its progress and MacPhail chose to leave the organization despite Angelos' attempts for him to stay. The way the process has gone to interview a new GM, it appears as if what power MacPhail had was a one-time thing only and Baltimore is back to looking for someone to do Angelos' bidding.

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22297882/33074876
 

Doc Holliday

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Hazel Mae returns to Sportsnet



TORONTO -- A familiar face is coming home to Sportsnet with the return of sportscaster Hazel Mae, who will anchor the 6 p.m. ET weeknight edition of Sportsnet Connected on Sportsnet East, Ontario and West, beginning Monday, Nov. 14.

The announcement was made earlier this evening on the early edition of Sportsnet Connected.

“Hazel is a tremendous addition to our news team,” said Scott Woodgate, Vice-President of News and Information Programming, Sportsnet. “She’s a talented storyteller and outstanding live broadcaster whose sports knowledge will drive our content on Connected.”

In addition to her role on Sportsnet television, Mae will work across all Sportsnet platforms, including as a guest host on Sportsnet 590 The FAN and Sportsnet 960 The FAN, a regular contributor on Sportsnet magazine and sportsnet.ca.

Mae, a Toronto native, made her broadcasting debut in 2001 at Sportsnet, where she anchored the morning edition of Sportsnetnews for three years, while simultaneously hosting the weekly Toronto Blue Jays magazine show JZone. Since then, Mae has taken her talents south of the border, helping launch MLB Network in 2009. She was part of the ensemble on the Emmy Award-winning signature studio show MLB Tonight, host of the fast-paced highlight program Quick Pitch, and most recently hosted the two-hour preview show The Rundown. Prior to joining MLB Network, Mae worked at the New England Sports Network (NESN), home of the Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins, as lead anchor of the nightly news show Sportsdesk and host of the week-in-review program, The Ultimate Red Sox Show, and the Bruins’ magazine show The Buzz.

“I have truly come full circle by returning to the network that launched my broadcasting career,” said Mae. “My career got off to a great start at Sportsnet and I’m excited to be coming back home. It’s an exciting time at Sportsnet with the recent re-brand and their accessible content on multiple platforms.”

Mae ranks amongst the latest of the industry’s biggest personalities to sign with the Sportsnet brand on multiple platforms, including: Sportsnet magazine columnist and Sportsnet Connected contributor Stephen Brunt, Hockeycentral's Jeff Marek, Hockeycentral Insider Scott Morrison, Hockeycentral features reporter Christine Simpson, Prime Time Sports co-host and Sportsnet Connected contributor Damien Cox, MLB analyst Gregg Zaun, Prime Time Sports co-host and sportsnet.ca columnist Michael Grange, and sportsnet.ca Baseball Insider Shi Davidi.

A quick Q&A with Hazel about where she has been and, of course, what she thinks about the Red Sox collapse:

SN: Now that you are returning, what have you missed most about Sportsnet?

HM: What I miss most about Sportsnet besides the talented people I worked with earlier in my career, was the comprehensive coverage the network gave to its regional teams.

SN: While hockey is pretty popular in some pockets of the United States, are you looking forward to being back in a coast-to-coast hockey crazy country?

HM: Yes! It was a little more challenging to follow hockey, particularly any of the Canadian teams, on a regular basis.

SN: Working in the sports media industry, do you fill up on sports while you’re away from work or are you more likely to do something else and get away from it all?

HM: I try and fill up on sports while I'm away, not because I've been fortunate enough to be in this industry, but because its something I would do any way. I'm a fan just like anyone else who picks up the paper, goes online or tunes in for game highlights. I enjoy it!

SN: During your time away from Sportsnet, you were lucky enough to cover two World Series titles for the Boston Red Sox. Are you surprised with how things went downhill so quickly in September and that Terry Francona and Theo Epstein won’t be back?

HM: I think a lot of people who followed baseball were surprised at the meltdown of the Red Sox in the final month of the season.This team was built to not only get into the post season, but to win it all. Their pitching, which was suppose to be a strong suitfor the club in 2011, let them down, and their offence was inconsistent in the final weeks of the season.

SN: Now that you’re back in Canada, how do you take your coffee at Tim Hortons?

HM: I'm a tea drinker, but I am excited to be able to order an Iced Cap from Timmy's again!

http://www.sportsnet.ca/more/2011/11/03/hazel_mae_returns_sportsnet/
 

Doc Holliday

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Blue Jays acquire pitcher Trystan Magnuson; sign former GM Chuck LeMar as special assistant to scouting

The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired right-handed pitcher Trystan Magnuson from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for cash considerations.

The 26-year-old returns to the Blue Jays after spending the 2011 season with the Athletics organization where he split the season between Sacramento (AAA) and Oakland, posting an ERA of 6.14 in nine relief appearances.

In 30 relief appearances with the River Cats of the Pacific Coast League, he posted a 4-2 record with five saves and a 2.98 ERA.

The Vancouver native spent three seasons in Toronto’s minor league system from 2008-2010 before being traded to Oakland along with pitcher Danny Farquhar in exchange for outfielder Rajai Davis in November of 2010.

The 6-foot-7 pitcher was originally selected by Toronto in the first round (56th overall) of the 2007 First Year Player Draft.

The Blue Jays also announced Friday they have hired Chuck LaMar as a special assistant to amateur scouting.

“With over 25 years of experience we welcome Chuck’s insight and expertise,” said Andrew Tinnish, the Blue Jays director of amateur scouting. “I look forward to the contributions he will make to our scouting team as we continue to prepare for the 2012 first year player draft.”

LaMar joins the Blue Jays after most recently serving as the assistant general manager, player development and scouting, for the Philadelphia Phillies, a position he held for three seasons.

He spent 10 seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, 1995 though 2005, as the general manager.
 

Doc Holliday

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Dave Page: the Red Sox weren't prepared

When Dave Page was told Tuesday that he was fired as the strength and conditioning for the Boston Red Sox, he said it felt as if he was being made a scapegoat for the players' fitness woes.

"The bottom line is we weren't ready to play physically, fundamentally or mentally the way we should have been, like a championship team should have been," Page said during a nearly 20-minute interview on Boston sports radio station WEEI on Friday afternoon.

Page said that the perception there were players on this Red Sox team that weren't focused on maintaining their conditioning, particularly in September, was a correct one. The Red Sox went 7-20 in September to slide out of the playoff race.

Page said there were four players in particular -- one position player, one starting pitcher and two relievers -- whose fitness was deemed unsatisfactory at the end of the season.

"We got to the end of the year and we had four guys that we thought didn't make it to that part of the season where we hoped they would be," said Page, who declined to identify the players. "For the most part, most of all of everybody else stayed within range of where we wanted them to be."

In fact, Page explained, he had approached one player during the final series of the season in Baltimore to discuss why that player had seemingly given up on staying in shape. The player didn't have an answer, he said.

"I did have a good conversation with one player at the end of the year in Baltimore that kind of opened my eyes," Page said. "I said, 'Hey, what's going on here, bro? It seems like you've pulled the plug a little bit, and why?' He kind of looked down at the ground, looked back at me and said: 'I don't know why. I can't answer that question.' Which was kind of a shock."

Page would not identify the player, though he did tell WEEI it was not Josh Beckett, who has taken the most heat in the aftermath of the team's collapse and reports of lethargy, beer-drinking and fried-chicken eating in the clubhouse. He did reveal, however, that Beckett was concerned with his weight. By the end of the season, even fans had noticed the pitcher had put on pounds.

"He did express some concerns himself," Page said. "In fact, he brought it up to me and the other members of our training staff, that he felt he was getting a little sideways, so to speak, with his weight. I don't think it was something that was just noticed by us. I certainly think he felt the same way."

The veteran right-hander finished the season with a 13-7 record and a 2.89 ERA in 30 starts, but he had a 5.40 ERA in his last five starts and gave up 12 runs in his last two.

Page told the Boston Herald the primary reason Beckett cut back on workouts was because it was producing results. According to Page, during Beckett's dominant stretch in May and June, the pitcher had reduced his fitness regimen. Because he had pitched great during that span -- a 4-2 record and a 1.97 ERA in 10 starts -- he decided to stick with that routine hoping that the success would carry throughout the summer and into the fall.

"He did things that were away from his normal program," Page told the Herald. "A lot of it, Josh is a routine-oriented guy. If he pitches well doing one thing for those four days leading up to that start, he's probably going to do it again. It's funny to say, but he's got some superstitious tendencies that way. That's not an abnormal thing in baseball.

"But what happened was he had a string of really good starts where he wasn't doing the things we used to do in '07, '08 and '09, and he was having success with it. And he's like, 'I'm feeling good doing these things, so I'm going to stick with it.' For the short term, it probably worked. For the long term, it probably wasn't the best plan."

Page explained that each player's workout routine is tapered toward the end of the season, but he said he was still surprised by how much certain players cut back.

"There were some guys who peeled it back more than I thought, more than I would have liked them to," Page said. "For the most part this team worked hard."

The things Page was noticing about his players' conditioning were passed along to the front office and manager Terry Francona, he explained. Page said part of his job entailed sending a weekly report on players' fitness routines.

"If somebody wasn't represented on that sheet, everybody would know about it every week," Page said.

He also said he went to Red Sox staff members to express concerns.

"There were a couple of times when someone from the front office or the uniformed coaches would come to me and say something, but for the most part, it was me going to them saying, 'Hey, I'm having trouble reaching this guy,' " Page said. " 'Can you give me some backup here? Let's try to use my words and your voice and see what happens.' "

Did he feel as if he was being supported by management in trying to get some players in line?

"I would say it's been a lot better in the past," Page said.

Page, like many players and executives before him, downplayed the presence of beer and fried chicken in the clubhouse.

"There was a lot of grumblings but I think that whole chicken-and-beer thing has gotten a lot of unnecessary play, to be honest with you," he said. "I really didn't see chicken in the clubhouse all that often.

"If they were drinking beer it was probably upstairs and I wasn't up there. You'll see the starting pitcher drink a beer when he comes out of the game, that's pretty common. In my opinion it wasn't as rampant as it's gotten to be made out to be."

Along with Page, who had been the team's strength and conditioning coach since 2006, the Red Sox fired assistant trainer Greg Barajas, who had been a trainer with the Sox since 2009 after spending 12 seasons as a minor league trainer.

Page said that since his firing, he's estimated he has heard from about 90 percent of the Red Sox's current roster expressing support. One of the players, Page said, texted him saying he felt guilty.

"He texted me and said, 'I feel this is all my fault,' " Page said. "I don't want to say who it was, because that's between him and me. But he did say that."

The Red Sox did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Joe McDonald covers the Red Sox and Bruins for ESPNBoston.com.

http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/7189941/ex-boston-red-sox-strength-coach-dave-page-team-ready
 

Merlot

Banned
Nov 13, 2008
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Hey BOYS,

Curt Schilling on Big Show: ‘Personal accountability … unbelievably lacking’ on Red Sox


http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/bo...countability-unbelievably-lacking-on-red-sox/

Former Red Sox pitcher and current ESPN analyst Curt Schilling called into The Big Show to discuss the conditioning issues that impacted the 2011 Red Sox and that ultimately contributed to the firing of strength and conditioning coach Dave Page this week. Schilling suggested that the issue had little to do with Page.

“He is as honorable and as hard-working a man as I have ever been around in sports,” Schilling said of Page. “He’s absolutely a casualty of what these players did.

“This was a guy who would lose sleep at night when we lost games,” Schilling, whose working relationship with Page dates to when both were with the Diamondbacks. “Dave Page has absolutely zero responsibility for this.”

Instead, the former All-Star said, the issue was one that reflected directly upon Red Sox players.

“You can’t instill pride and integrity in people. It’s something you’re born with. You have to have it,” said Schilling. “The thing that sickens me is we’re talking about grown men. They have a responsibility and an accountability first of all to their families, to the team, to the organization and to the fans. It clearly didn’t motivate these guys when they were going through the worst collapse in the history of the game last year to change anything. … There’s a personal accountability piece that is unbelievably lacking.”

Schilling suggested that it is critical for the Sox to bring in another player who will force his teammates to remain accountable. He cited the influence of Orlando Cabrera, who was able to get through to teammate Manny Ramirez in 2004 after the Sox acquired Cabrera at the trade deadline.

Asked if the Sox could address the conditioning issues without getting rid of the players who were responsible for them, Schilling said, “Only if you bring in a game-changing presence in that clubhouse. It’s a player.

“It’s the Oralndo Cabrera guy who walks in and says, ‘Manny, you’re not taking yourself out of the lineup. I don’t care. You’re playing.’ Physically, you’ll get into a physical confrontation if another player is not giving everything that they can give,” he added. “It’s the player that makes other players uncomfortable not doing their parts. It’s got to be the verbal guy who says, ‘Are you not doing drills with the pitchers? You hurt? Well then, OK, get better and do them.’ That guy who makes other players uncomfortable if they’re not working off the field. That guy does not exist in that clubhouse.”

Schilling said that members of the Sox are virtually certain to arrive in spring training in “the best shape in the world.” However, he also suggested that without something to change the clubhouse culture, the Sox run the risk of a repeat of the same conditioning issues that afflicted them down the stretch.

“If the team falls out of contention or players aren’t having great seasons, they’ll quit,” said Schilling. “They will quit. There’s nothing the strength coach can do about it.”


I heard all of this interview while driving today. I have to agree with Schilling completely. I'm very sorry to see Page be blamed for what the players did and for what the men at the top failed to deal with. WEEI commentators wrongly blamed Page, resulting in Schilling's angry call.

Cardinals, Cubs, Red Sox Sorting Manager Candidates

http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/04/cardinals-cubs-red-sox-sorting-manager-candidates/

The market is heating up for managers with the Cubs, Red Sox and Cardinals searching for the right candidates. And they all seem to be combing over the same group of names.

The Cardinals are expected to interview former Cubs star Ryne Sandburg, while the Red Sox and Cubs are looking to talk to Pete Mackanin and Mike Maddux, according to the Chicago Tribune. Dale Sveum also is on the Cubs interview list, as is former Red Sox manager Terry Francona is , who is also turning up on the Cardinals radar.

The teams got into the same state in different fashions. Longtime manager Tony LaRussa retired Oct. 31, just days after he guided the Cardinals to the World Series crown. The Red Sox parted ways with Francona after a season allegedly fraught with bad behavior by the players according to the Boston Globe.


No doubt Boston's task of finding the best manager possible will be significantly tougher considering the hornet's nest that is the Boston media and fan hyper criticism and the current team turmoil.

PEEEUUUU!!!

Merlot
 

rumpleforeskiin

It's a whole new ballgame
Jan 20, 2007
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Where I belong.
Sadly, that's how it always is in the USA. The big guy goes scot free, the little guy takes the hit. The Wall Street banker gets caught stealing millions and gets 30 months; the punk kids steals a purse and gets 20 years.
 

Doc Holliday

Hopelessly horny
Sep 27, 2003
19,290
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No doubt Boston's task of finding the best manager possible will be significantly tougher considering the hornet's nest that is the Boston media and fan hyper criticism and the current team turmoil.

PEEEUUUU!!!

I totally agree.
 
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