The 2008 Hotstove Baseball Discussion Thread

[korbel]

When you say, Rumple, that A-Rod did not pitch a single inning, you are exactly making my point. Despite his disappointing stats in the post-season, no one can blame him for his team's poor pitching.

No one here seems to question the demands of Mike Lowell for a salary of 15 M per year. If Lowell is worth that much, what is the value of A-Rod then? Probably not the double of that amount, but perhaps in the neighborhood of 25 M? After all, and especially when the Yankees play on the road, A-Rod is a far better attraction than Lowell, no?

Hello Phil,

I question strongly whether Mike Lowell is worth that much. So let's put your formula on this perspective and then ask how much the World Series MVP, who hit 18 for 51 at .353 in all the playoffs this year, is worth compared to A-Slob and his playoff stats? Considering the playoff picture if Lowell isn't worth anything near $15,000,000 then Choker Boy is worth far less and his asking price is totally absurd.

Cheers,

Korbel

 

[phill]

Hi Korbel:

Yes Lowell had tremendous stats during the world series. But there at least two reasons that explain why A-Rod is worth more than Lowell:

1. he has far better stats during the season, and this is what the owners will look for.

2. he is a lot more attractive to the average baseball fan than Lowell. In fact, I believe that the last player who could attract as many fans (in NY and abroad) is probably Reggie Jackson himself. Perhaps Sosa, Bonds et al. during the home run derbies of a few years ago were a big draw, but on the long run, Reggie was the last real big attraction in baseball.

And after all, looking at the stats of A-Rod in the post-season, he hasn't really, really done THAT bad.

And try to imagine last year's Yankees with a decent (only decent) pitching staff. Maybe A-Rod could have become hot during the final series and clinch the S.U.V. What do you think?

(It's fun to talk baseball with people that know about it - here it is only hockey, 24 hrs. a day, 399 days a year.)

 

[korbel]

OOOPS! Barry Bonds INDICTED!!!

Hello all,

Hold on to your butts. Here comes another Pete Rose/Michael Vick type of blast that could slice straight through all of sports as the Bonds situation just got white hot.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7452044?MSNHPHCP&GT1=10637

Federal grand jury indicts Bonds

Barry Bonds, baseball's home run king, was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice Thursday and could face prison instead of the Hall of Fame for telling a federal grand jury he did not knowingly use performance-enhancing drugs.

The indictment, culminating a four-year investigation into steroid use by elite athletes, charged Bonds with four counts of perjury and one of obstruction of justice. If convicted, he could be sentenced to a maximum of 30 years in prison.

Shortly after the indictment was handed up, Bonds' personal trainer, Greg Anderson, was ordered released after spending most of the past year in prison for refusing to testify against his longtime friend.

"During the criminal investigation, evidence was obtained including positive tests for the presence of anabolic steroids and other performance enhancing substances for Bonds and other athletes," the indictment said.

In August, when the 43-year-old Bonds passed Hank Aaron to become baseball's career home run leader, he flatly rejected any suggestion that this milestone was stained by steroids.

"This record is not tainted at all. At all. Period," Bonds said.
Bonds finished the year with 762 homers, seven more than Aaron, and is currently a free agent. In 2001, he set the season record with 73 home runs.

Late in the season, the San Francisco Giants told the seven-time National League MVP they didn't want him back next year.

Bonds could not immediately be reached for comment. One of his attorneys, John Burris, didn't know of the indictment before being alerted by The Associated Press and said he would call Bonds to notify him.

"I'm surprised," Burris said, "but there's been an effort to get Barry for a long time. I'm curious what evidence they have now they didn't have before."

Bonds' defense attorney, Mike Rains, declined comment because he hadn't seen a copy of the indictment.

"However, it goes without saying that we look forward to rebutting these unsupported charges in court," Rains said. "We will no doubt have more specific comments in the very near future once we have had the opportunity to actually see this indictment that took so long to generate."

Bonds is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in San Francisco on Dec. 7.

Bonds has never been identified by Major League Baseball as testing positive for steroids.

"I have yet to see the details of this indictment and while everyone in America is considered innocent until proven guilty, I take this indictment very seriously and will follow its progress closely," commissioner Bud Selig said.

Union head Donald Fehr said he was "saddened" to learn of Bonds' indictment.

"However, we must remember, as the U.S. Attorney stated in his press release today, that an indictment contains only allegations, and in this country every defendant, including Barry Bonds, is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until such time as he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt."
The White House weighed in, too.

"The president is very disappointed to hear this," Bush spokesman Tony Fratto said. "As this case is now in the criminal justice system, we will refrain from any further specific comments about it. But clearly this is a sad day for baseball."

Bush, who once owned the Texas Rangers, called Bonds to congratulate him in August when the Giants' outfielder broke the home run mark. "You've always been a great hitter and you broke a great record," Bush said at the time.

Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, who is investigating drug use in baseball, declined comment. So did Hall of Fame vice president Jeff Idelson.

Bonds was charged in the indictment with lying when he said he didn't knowingly take steroids given to him by Anderson. Bonds is also charged with lying that Anderson never injected him with steroids.

"Greg wouldn't do that," Bonds testified in December 2003 when asked if Anderson ever gave him any drugs that needed to be injected. "He knows I'm against that stuff."

Anderson's attorney, Mark Geragos, said the trainer didn't cooperate with the grand jury that indicted Bonds.

"This indictment came out of left field," Geragos said. "Frankly I'm aghast. It looks like the government misled me and Greg as well, saying this case couldn't go forward without him."

Prosecutors promised Bonds they wouldn't charge him with any drug-related counts if he testified truthfully. But according to the indictment, Bonds repeatedly denied taking any steroids or performance-enhancing drugs despite evidence to the contrary.

For instance, investigators seized a so-called "doping calendar" labeled "BB" during a raid of Anderson's house.

"He could know other BBs," Bonds replied when shown the calendar during his testimony.

Asked directly if Anderson supplied him with steroids, Bonds answered: "Not that I know of." Bonds even denied taking steroids when he was shown documents revealing a positive steroids test for a player named Barry B.

Bonds said at the end of the 2003 season, Anderson rubbed some cream on his arm that the trainer said would help him recover.
Anderson also gave him something he called "flax seed oil," Bonds said.

Bonds then testified that prior to the 2003 season, he never took anything supplied by Anderson — which the indictment alleges was a lie because the doping calendars seized from Anderson's house were dated 2001.

Bonds became the highest-profile figure caught up in the government investigation, launched in 2002, with the raid of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) — the Burlingame-based supplements lab that was the center of a steroids distribution ring.

Bonds has long been shadowed by allegations that he used performance-enhancing drugs. The son of former big league star Bobby Bonds, Barry broke into the majors with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986 as a lithe, base-stealing outfielder.

Speculation of his impending indictment had mounted for more than a year.

Enjoy,

Korbel

 

[Special K]

And after all, looking at the stats of A-Rod in the post-season, he hasn't really, really done THAT bad.

You're not serious are you? Really...please tell me you're not serious.

And try to imagine last year's Yankees with a decent (only decent) pitching staff. Maybe A-Rod could have become hot during the final series and clinch the S.U.V. What do you think?

Maybe if Rumples Aunt Beatrice had balls she'd be his uncle!

 

[eastender]

Hi Korbel:


2. he is a lot more attractive to the average baseball fan than Lowell. In fact, I believe that the last player who could attract as many fans (in NY and abroad) is probably Reggie Jackson himself. Perhaps Sosa, Bonds et al. during the home run derbies of a few years ago were a big draw, but on the long run, Reggie was the last real big attraction in baseball.

(It's fun to talk baseball with people that know about it - here it is only hockey, 24 hrs. a day, 399 days a year.)

Cal Ripken, Nolan Ryan, Dwight Gooden in his pre coke days, were draws.

 

[korbel]

The best free-agent signing ever was David "Big Papi" Ortiz

Hello all,

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7421420

Baseball's best free-agent signings
http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/Story/author_arrow.gif Jeff Gordon

FOXSports.com

Bargains will be difficult to come by in baseball's current free-agent marketplace. Once again, the demand for high-end talent outstrips the supply.

But that won't stop general managers from shopping until they drop. There have been plenty of free-agent success stories, ranging from the relatively minor signings (David Eckstein to the Cardinals) to the top-dollar moves (Barry Bonds to the Giants.)

Arguably the best free-agent signing ever was David "Big Papi" Ortiz in Boston. Back in 2002, the Twins kicked him to the curb. The team didn't tender him a contract offer after his 20-homer, 75-RBI season.

Ortiz signed a one-year, $1.25 million deal for 2003 with the Red Sox amid little fanfare. Sports fans shrugged. Who knew he was about to become one of the most feared clutch hitters in the game?

During the next five seasons, he drove in 101, 139, 148, 137 and 117 runs. He hit 31, 41, 47, 54 and 35 homers. In 2007, he posted career bests in batting average (.332), on-base percentage (.445) and OPS (1.066).

Playing in Boston's highly charged atmosphere can wear on a player, but Big Papi has relished the opportunity. Ortiz became the spiritual leader of a Red Sox squad that has won two World Championships.

"I can't think of a player who contributes in so many ways," Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said after giving Oritz a four-year, $52 million extension last year. "He's a guy with a smile on his face. He sets the right mood for the team in our clubhouse."

Here is the rest of baseball's 10 best free-agent signings:

Andre Dawson, Cubs

Back in the good old days of collusion, free agents couldn't get a whiff on the open market. The Andre Dawson case underscored the solidarity among owners at the time.

When he shopped for a new team after the 1986 season, no general manager wanted him. He remained unemployed into spring training. Finally Dawson goaded the Cubs into signing him for whatever amount the team deemed appropriate.

He got just $500,000 for the 1986 season, plus some incentive bonuses. That was an insult, of course, and The Hawk responded by hitting 49 homers, driving in 137 runs and earning the National League MVP Award.

The Cubs upped his pay to $1.8 million in 1988 and Dawson later collected additional money in the collusion settlement.

"It turned out even better than I thought it would," Dawson said of his move to Chicago. "The fans there really respect you if you play the game hard. They support the ball club; they like the team. And they really take a special liking to you if you're going good."

Reggie Jackson, Yankees

For nearly three decades, all Yankees stars have been measured against Reginald Martinez Jackson.

He signed a five-year, $2.93 million deal after the 1976 season and quickly took over the team and the city. He became a giant personality, a relentless newsmaker and a spectacular clutch performer.

"I am the straw that stirs the drink," Jackson announced. This came as news to team leader Thurman Munson, but baseball fans quickly figured out what the fuss was all about. Jackson put up huge numbers, skirmished with manager Billy Martin at every turn and dominated postseason play.

Jackson's three-homer performance during Game 6 of the 1977 World Series became the defining moment of his career. He continued his assault in the '78 World Series as the Yankees once again dismissed the Dodgers. He was a noisy ballplayer, but he backed it up.

Greg Maddux, Braves

After winning the Cy Young Award in 1992, he jumped to the Braves for a five-year, $28 million contract. The Yankees offered more money, but Maddux opted to stay in the National League and work in a pitching friendly environment.

"This one hurts," Yankees general manager Gene Michael said at the time. "He's the best one out there. I never thought I could say this. But he's a steal at $28 million. He's a steal."

Indeed he was. Maddux joined a staff already featuring Tom Glavine and John Smoltz. He enjoyed unparalleled success for manager Bobby Cox and pitching coach Leo Mazzone, winning the next three Cy Young Awards.

Twice he posted earned-run averages below 2.00 in Atlanta. He was a seven-time All-Star. He helped the team win three more pennants and a world championship.

Roberto Alomar, Indians

After the 1998 season, he signed a four-year, $30 million deal with the Indians — with an option for a fifth year at $8 million. This deal was a godsend for a team that used 18 different second basemen the previous two seasons.

Alomar hit .323 with 24 home runs and 120 RBIs and a league-leading 138 runs. As usual, he also won the Gold Glove at second base. The next year he batted .310 with 19 homers, 89 RBI and 39 stolen bases.

The rebuilding Indians traded him to the Mets after the 2001 season —when Alomar hit .336 with 20 homers, 100 RBI and 30 stolen bases. "I think I'm going to need a flak jacket when I get off the plane," Indians general manager Mark Shapiro quipped after making that deal.

Barry Bonds, Giants

The Giants franchise broke new ground with its six-year, $43.75 million free-agent deal with Bonds before the 1993 season. This contract featured the highest annual base salary at the time.

That was money well spent. Bonds piled up Gold Glove and MVP hardware. He became a 40-40 man in homers and stolen bases. When baseball slid into its unfortunate steroid era, Bonds muscled up to the extreme. He shattered the major league records for home runs in one season and in a career.

He enjoyed an epic run for the Giants, a team that employed both his father Bobby and his godfather Willie Mays. This era came to an unhappy end when the team elected not to offer him a contract for 2008.

"It's always difficult to say goodbye," Giants owner Peter Magowan said when giving Bonds the news. "It's an emotional time for me. We've been through a lot together these 15 years. A lot of good things have happened. Unfortunately a lot of bad things have happened. But there comes a time when you have to go in a different direction."

Roger Clemens, Blue Jays

After the 1996 season, the Red Sox management decided that Clemens was on the decline. During a the four-season span leading to that point, he struggled to a 39-40 mark.

So Boston allowed him to leave for Toronto for a three-year, $24.75 million contract (with an option for a fourth year).

Oops! The Rocket won the next two Cy Young Awards for the Blue Jays, winning 41 games in two years.

Then he invoked a side agreement that allowed him to demand a trade -- and Toronto sent him to Boston's arch-rival, the hated Yankees. These were painful days in Red Sox Nation.

Kevin Brown, Marlins

Once upon a time, Brown was one of the biggest free-agent bargains our National Pastime had ever seen. After a so-so 10-9 season in Baltimore in 1995, he signed a three-year, $12.9 million contract with the Marlins.

The payoff was enormous for Florida: During the next two seasons, Brown was 33-19 with earned-run averages of 1.89 and 2.69. He starred in the 1997 National League Championship Series — shaking off a nasty stomach virus — as the Marlins rolled to an unlikely World Series title.

Alas, that team was immediately disassembled for economic reasons. The Marlins dealt Brown to San Diego, where he helped the Padres win the pennant.

Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners

In a landmark move, Japan's Orix Blue Wave put him up for bidding after the 2000 season. Seattle posted $13.1 million to win negotiating rights to him, then signed him to a three-year, $14 million deal.

That is a modest price to pay for a hitting machine. Ichiro batted .350 as a "rookie" in 2001 and became the American League MVP. He has been an AL All-Star since then, scoring at least 100 runs, getting at least 200 hits and batting better than .300 each season.

"He's an artist with the bat," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa observed at the most recent All-Star Game. "He's a wonderful base runner and fielder. This guy is a complete player, and (pitchers have) no place to go to get him out. You just try to get him to hit the ball at somebody.'

David Eckstein, Cardinals

When he signed his three-year, $10.25 million free-agent deal after the 2004 season, some experts ripped the Cardinals for giving him too much money and too many years.

After all, Eckstein was really a second baseman playing shortstop. He didn't possess great fielding range and his arm strength was famously poor. He was a decent hitter, but he had no power and little speed on the basepaths.

But Eckstein was the perfect fit in St. Louis, where he moved into the lead-off spot. He earned two trips to the All-Star Game and became the MVP of the 2006 World Series, on the strength of his three doubles in Game 4 against Detroit.

In many ways, he is the anti-A-Rod —a low-budget, low-glamour signing that produced maximum results.

Cheerio,

Korbel

 

[korbel]

Hello all,

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7465910

Lowell, Red Sox near 3-year deal
The Red Sox are close to signing Lowell to a three-year, $37.5 million contract, according to a source with knowledge of the negotiations, ensuring that they will keep the 2007 World Series Most Valuable Player, FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal reports.

Team spokesman John Blake declined comment.

In the three weeks since winning their second championship in four seasons, the Red Sox have re-signed their two biggest free agents, Lowell and pitcher Curt Schilling, and picked up options on Tim Wakefield and Julian Tavarez.

Lowell, a 33-year-old third baseman who made $9 million this season, was seeking four guaranteed years and might have gotten it elsewhere.

"How cool is that? Leaving years and dollars on the table to come back here for three more years, good stuff," Schilling wrote on his blog, 38pitches.com. "Congrats to Mike and I've already spoken with a few guys on the team and suffice to say we're all" ecstatic.

Boston's remaining free agents are backups, middle relievers and injured starting pitcher Matt Clement.

he move will take the Red Sox out of the running for Marlins third baseman Miguel Cabrera, leaving three teams — the Angels, Dodgers and White Sox — in the best position to make a trade. The Dodgers were among the teams that had been interested in Lowell.

The Angels sent shortstop Orlando Cabrera to the White Sox for right-hander Jon Garland on Monday, subtracting offense at a time when they are seeking more production. The White Sox, lacking as deep a farm system as the Angels' and Dodgers', are the underdog for Miguel Cabrera, whom they would play in left field.

A high-priced castoff of the Florida Marlins who was dumped on the Red Sox in the Josh Beckett trade, Lowell moved into the fifth spot in Boston's powerful lineup behind David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. Lowell hit 21 homers this season while reaching career highs with a .324 average and 120 RBIs.

Lowell batted .400 (6-for-15) during Boston's four-game Series sweep of the Colorado Rockies, with four RBIs, three walks and a team-high six runs to earn MVP honors. Red Sox fans were still celebrating at Coors Field when they began chanting for management to re-sign Lowell and ignore the temptations offered by AL MVP Alex Rodriguez, alternating chants of "Re-sign Lowell!" with chants of "Don't sign A-Rod!"

During the team's victory parade, Ramirez also cast a vote for the incumbent: "Forget about A-Rod," he yelled, "we've got Mike Lowell in the house!"

A four-time All-Star, Lowell was the honorary grand marshal at a Disney World parade last week.

"Mike is a heck of a teammate. I just saw him down in Disney World," teammate David Ortiz told redsox.com on Sunday at an event to raise money for victims of Hurricane Noel. "Mike helped us out so much, and hopefully they can get everything done with him and have him back for years."

The other remaining Red Sox free agents are backup outfielders Bobby Kielty and Eric Hinske, shortstop Royce Clayton, relievers Eric Gagne and Mike Timlin and backup catcher Doug Mirabelli.

FOXSports.com senior baseball writer Ken Rosenthal and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

So how much did the Yankers pay for Me-Rod for 10 YEARS... a guy who can't hit in October...BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Cheers,

Korbel

 

[Joe.t]

I will be dancing to the Queen hit song "We are the champions" if this trade happens.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7493250?MSNHPHMA

Santana is universally recognized as the best pitcher in baseball.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Review: Moneyball

I just got through reading the book "Moneyball." It's a truly fascinating book. It's much deeper and more intelligent than I imagined it would be. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in statistical theory applied to baseball. I think Eastender in particular would like it.

My edition is the paperback which contains an afterword by the author, Michael Lewis, in which he takes some bitter shots at critics of the book, listing each criticism the book received and then offering bitter rebuttal. His greatest shots are reserved for ESPN analyst Joe Morgan, who is portrayed as a buffoon in a hopeless marriage to traditional baseball theory.

Frankly I did not think Lewis offered a compelling rebuttal to the most legitimate criticism of his book, which is that the "Moneyball" philosophy does not work in the playoffs where the teams have better pitching and runs need to be manufactured. This is essentially the Morgan critique, although there is much more to it than that, and there is a lot more to Lewis' counterarguments as well.

There is also an interesting discussion by Lewis of a band of writers in Toronto who criticized Blue Jays GM JP Ricciardi as racist for his adherence to the principals of Moneyball. In his Afterword, Lewis identifies and tears new assholes for each of Ricciardi's critics.

The truth is that a lot of the AL teams now use the Moneyball approach to winning, including the Yankees (albeit with greater resources). It's the teams in the NL, or at least a few of them, that still adhere to the more traditional approach.

What Lewis should have done in his Afterword is compare the statistical frequency of sacrifice bunts, stolen bases and hit and runs in 2007 vs. any year in the 1990s, by team. That would have been a more interesting way to prove, or disprove, his point.

 

[korbel]

I will be dancing to the Queen hit song "We are the champions" if this trade happens.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7493250?MSNHPHMA

Santana is universally recognized as the best pitcher in baseball.

Hello Joe t,

Sanatana is the best...BULLCRAP! In any case you will more likely be doing this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DONbY9wd6vU

LOL,

Korbel

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Santana is universally recognized as the best pitcher in baseball.

He sure is, Joe, you fucking moron. And according to Shooter Charley Walters, the dean of Minnesota sports writers, Santana might be about to become a member of the World Champion Boston Red Sox.

"A little birdie says the Boston Red Sox have become the favorite in the Johan Santana trade sweepstakes.

The Twins would receive four players for the Twins' two-time Cy Young Award winner, including center fielder Coco Crisp, 28.

Others would be shortstop prospect Jed Lowry, 23; left-handed pitcher Jon Lester, 23; and right-handed pitcher Justin Masterson, 22."

A starting rotation with Josh Beckett as the number 2 starter would be positively scary.

Buster Olney, on Mike and Mike, recently spoke about the strong possibility of the Red Sox developing into a dynasty in the upcoming years. Should they acquire Santana without sacrificing either Buchholz or Ellsbury, I would change "possibility" to "probability."

 

[Doc Holliday]

Yankees throw a fortune at aging Posada

The Yankees agreed to a contract with the aging Jorge Posada (he'll be 37 in August) for the unbelievable amount (considering his age & the position he plays) of $52.4 million for 4 years. Unbelievable!!!!

Posada and the Yankees completed their $52.4 million, four-year contract Thursday, more than two weeks after reaching a preliminary agreement on the deal.

He gets $13.1 million in each of the four seasons, the highest average salary for a catcher. Mike Piazza averaged $13 million under his contract with the New York Mets from 1999-2005 and Detroit's Ivan Rodriguez will make $13 million next season, the option year of his deal.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3133409

 

[Joe.t]

He sure is, Joe, you fucking moron. And according to Shooter Charley Walters, the dean of Minnesota sports writers, Santana might be about to become a member of the World Champion Boston Red Sox.

"A little birdie says the Boston Red Sox have become the favorite in the Johan Santana trade sweepstakes.

The Twins would receive four players for the Twins' two-time Cy Young Award winner, including center fielder Coco Crisp, 28.

Others would be shortstop prospect Jed Lowry, 23; left-handed pitcher Jon Lester, 23; and right-handed pitcher Justin Masterson, 22."

A starting rotation with Josh Beckett as the number 2 starter would be positively scary.

Buster Olney, on Mike and Mike, recently spoke about the strong possibility of the Red Sox developing into a dynasty in the upcoming years. Should they acquire Santana without sacrificing either Buchholz or Ellsbury, I would change "possibility" to "probability."

Care to wager on this one shit for brains?, Hank has stated that he wants the Yankees to win every year starting in 2008 and also the Yankees always make a huge aquisition just about every year, I wonder who will it be this year.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7503888?MSNHPHMA

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Care to wager on this one shit for brains?, Hank has stated that he wants the Yankees to win every year starting in 2008 and also the Yankees always make a huge aquisition just about every year, I wonder who will it be this year.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7503888?MSNHPHMA

Yeah, he'll be right there with Dontrelle Willis, whose been a Yankee for two years now on the planet, Moronia.

From reports this morning, the Yankees, unless they up their offer considerably, appear to be out of the hunt for Santana. The Yanks offer of mid-level pitching prospect Kennedy, mediocre center-fielder Cabrera, and either Tabata or Jackson isn't going to get it done.

At this point, the Sox offer of Lester, Lowrie, Crisp, and Masterson or Bowden blows the Yankee offer away. It could get done as early as today, then giving the dynasty-bound Sox three days to negotiate a long term deal with Santana.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Care to wager on this one shit for brains?, Hank has stated that he wants the Yankees to win every year starting in 2008 and also the Yankees always make a huge aquisition just about every year, I wonder who will it be this year.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7503888?MSNHPHMA

Yup, true, Joe. Last year it was a washed up 45 year old pitcher who only cost the Yankees $18 million.

Year before that it was a $52 M 4 year deal for an aging center-fielder with one good year left in him.

Year before that it was Carl Pavano. Do I need to remind you who he is/was?

Hey, Barry Bonds is available.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Interesting piece by Joel Sherman in today's NY Post, edited:

So to definitively say that if Johan Santana ends up calling Fenway home that the Red Sox will be dynastic feels like more knee-jerk overstatement. Yet, that sentiment just won't leave me. Because Santana is not Gagne. He is not iffy physically, he is not being asked to change job descriptions, he is not a good player.

“He is the best," an AL executive said. It could easily be argued that Santana and Josh Beckett are the top two pitchers in the world. Now add twentysomethings Daisuke Matsuzaka and Clay Buchholz, who both might be aces, as well, and almost certainly will be at least legitimate No. 3 starters. Now add the best closer in the game, 27-year-old Jonathan Papelbon. Now add one of the majors' three best offenses. Now add the October confidence forged over the past four seasons. Now add the resources to address any problem.

It all adds up to the Red Sox being an incredible force without Santana, and the best bet in the sport to win multiple World Series over the next five years with him.

So the growing sense yesterday that the Red Sox were nudging ahead of the Yankees in the battle to land Santana is as cheerful in The Bronx as memories of Kevin Brown. Perhaps this is a plant, propaganda in this game of trading poker designed to unsettle the Yankees. One NL GM said, “I wouldn't be surprised if Boston is just trying to drive up the price on New York because (the Red Sox's) pitching is so good already."

But the Yanks sure have to think about blinking, which probably means including Phil Hughes in conjunction with Melky Cabrera and others. It is not an easy decision. Hughes will probably make as much over the next six years (about $22 million) as Santana will for one season, and projects as a top-of-the-rotation starter. The loss of Cabrera would force the Yanks to find a center field replacement who is not Johnny Damon. The cost in players and dollars (around $150 million for seven years) is extravagant. But here is the thing: Think about Santana as a Red Sox.

Boston essentially has, which is why it is willing to front a multi-player package with Jon Lester, who one scout likens to a young Andy Pettitte. The Red Sox don't want to give up young, inexpensive standouts either, but they see a path to an AL East stranglehold, which is a long way from 86 years of misery. And the Red Sox understand the value of a Santana since they essentially ended The Curse by beating the Yankees to just these kinds of starters.

After the 1997 season, the offer the Yanks would eventually use to land Chuck Knoblauch (Eric Milton and Cristian Guzman) was deemed inadequate, and Pedro Martinez went from Montreal to Boston for Tony Armas and Carl Pavano. After the 2003 season, the Yanks decided they would rather use Nick Johnson for a young pitcher they believed had upside, and worked with then Montreal GM Omar Minaya to land Javier Vazquez while Curt Schilling went from Arizona to Boston. After the 2005 season, the Yanks were too worried about the state of Beckett's shoulder and let the righty go from Florida to Boston.

Martinez turned the Red Sox into a force, Schilling teamed with Martinez to kill The Curse, and Beckett was the dominant force behind the latest title.

The Yanks could have changed history by winning for any of those pitches. Instead, you know whom the Yanks outbid Boston for in free agency? Jose Contreras and Pavano. Red Sox GM Theo Epstein famously destroyed a chair in a Nicaraguan hotel room in frustration over losing Contreras and Red Sox president Larry Lucchino dubbed the Yankees the Evil Empire.

Santana obviously is more of the Martinez/Schilling/Beckett family than Contreras/Pavano.

He is the kind of guy who can swing the balance of power in the AL East in 2008 and for years afterward.

That is why The Rivalry is as intense as ever, although spring training is still months away.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

And one more thing. According to Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte is leaning toward retirement. How do you spell "40 years in the desert?"

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Oh My God!!

What are we ever going to do??? Joe.T has just been traded to perb for two banner ads and a condom to be named later.

 

[korbel]

Care to wager on this one shit for brains?, Hank has stated that he wants the Yankees to win every year starting in 2008 and also the Yankees always make a huge aquisition just about every year, I wonder who will it be this year.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7503888?MSNHPHMA

Hello Joe.t,

So what was this "huge acquisition" (correct spelling) last year? Clemens??? Bwahahahahahahahahaha...awesome...bwahahahahahaha.

Still laughing,

Korbel

 

[korbel]

What are we ever going to do??? Joe.T has just been traded to perb for two banner ads and a condom to be named later.

Hello Rumples,

Bwahahahahahaha...love it.

Chuckles,

Korbel