Did the NHL Fix the All-Star Ballot?

According to Daniel Engber of Slate.com, they just might of to keep Rory Fitzpatrick out of the All-Star Game.

I believe the evidence suggests the NHL cooked the books. Since the league counted only ballots that were entirely filled in, there should have been an equal number of votes cast for hockey’s two conferences. But for the week after Christmas, players in the Eastern Conference received 6 percent more votes than those in Fitzpatrick’s Western Conference. Among defensemen, the results were even more skewed: The guys in the West—Rory among them—got 16 percent fewer votes overall. (These discrepancies were about three times bigger than any that had come before.) As bloggers were quick to point out, the numbers were exactly what you’d expect to see if the league had manually dumped 100,000 Rory votes. Nothing has been proved, but I’m hard-pressed to come up with another reasonable explanation.

If the league did toss out votes, it could have done so with a lot more subtlety. For example, it might have eliminated the votes of every player who was listed on each of the Rory ballots. That would have reduced the totals by equal numbers in both conferences, making the subterfuge undetectable. But the vote count released by the NHL suggests a more ham-fisted approach.

Its the problem in letting the fans vote, they tend to stuff the ballot box for their guys. I remember as a kid grabbing as many MLB All-Star ballots that I could and voting for every Angel on the ballot, not because they were the best because they were my team. Of course I wasn’t the first or the last baseball fan to do such a thing….

In 1957, the commissioner of baseball had to step in when Cincinnati Reds fans managed to elect most of the team’s starting lineup at the expense of players like Willie Mays and Hank Aaron. The introduction of online voting made cheating even easier: A Boston computer programmer famously hacked Major League Baseball’s on-line system* to push Nomar Garciaparra ahead of Derek Jeter in 1999.

But as Engber points out, its an issue of trust, if you want it to be a fans game underhanded tricks to fix what the league sees as a more acceptable outcome is unacceptable.

t’s been almost two years since a lockout almost ruined the sport. Now the league has baited, misled, and rejected its fans. The NHL has hit a new low. It’s turned the All-Star Game—an event that’s supposed to be about giving people what they want—into a repudiation of the game’s most loyal supporters.

Griffey to Right

Cincinnati’s favorite son may see some time in rightfield in 2007.

The expected news is that Ken Griffey Jr. remains on schedule to be ready for spring training. The unexpected news is that right field may be in his future for the Cincinnati Reds.

Griffey and manager Jerry Narron have talked about the possibility of Griffey switching to right field and Griffey is open-minded about the possibility.

“Griffey is very open to doing what he can do to be on the field more,” Narron said. “He realizes that Kirby Puckett moved (to right field) and that Cal Ripken, Jr. moved to third base.

“He wants to do what is best for the Cincinnati Reds,” Narron added. “He realizes that to be on the field more he has to change positions.”

Before moving, Griffey wants to be certain somebody better can play center field, the position Griffey has played since signing his first major-league contract in 1987.

Griffey’s defense in center had been slipping from above average to average to adequate to yecch in recent years. The move makes good sense. Thirty-one year old Ryan Freel and twenty-seven year old Chris Denorfia can fill the position with slightly above average defense and offense. In a defense first position, like centerfield that is an acceptable tradeoff.

Take a look at a prossible Reds starting lineup.
CF-Rayn Freel
1B-Scott Hatteberg
3B-Edwin Encarnacion
RF-Ken Griffey Jr.
LF-Adam Dunn
2B-Brandon Philips
C-Dave Ross
SS-Alex Gonzalez

Gonzalez is a hole in the eight spot. But the top of the order has good table setters and the heart of the order can mash the ball. That’s a recipe for scoring runs. The Reds didn’t do enough of that last year. Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo anchor a mediocre staff and the bullpen is relying on the aging Mike Stanton to nail down games. They have holes in Cincy, but they’ll plate runs. With as many pitching poor teams, especially in the NL Central, they’ll be in plenty of games and may even surprise folks by getting off to a hot start. But unless they add a solid starter and no, Kyle Lohse is not that guy, they are gonna be watching the postseason from their sofas. Homer Bailey might be that guy. Maybe the Reds will get lucky bringing up a 21 year old kid. Or they might get Mark Prior, flashes of brilliance and arm trouble galore.

Royals Make Off-Season’s Most Insignificant Trade

The Royals have traded Jeff Keppinger, an infielder that most people have never heard of, to the Cincinnati Reds for a pitcher nobody has ever heard of.

With Mark Grudzielanek locked in as the starting second basemen and Esteban German seemingly able to field grounders without using his face, Keppinger had become a superfluous asset for the team.

Russell Haltiwanger is the prize for GM Dayton Moore. Yet another pitcher added to the stockpile, Rusty will probably be hanging out in Wilmington to start the season, maybe Wichita if he really impresses.

Aside from having a last name with the word “wanger” in it, here’s a quick run down on what else Haltiwanger brings to the organization.

Here are his rate stats since college:

Year Team     Level Age  IP    ERA   H9    HR9   BB9    K9    WHIP
2004 Newberry NCAA  20   62.1  6.06  9.71  0.14  4.20   8.41  1.55
2005 Newberry NCAA  21   52    3.29  8.83  0.00  4.33  10.21  1.46
2006 Dayton   A     22   82.1  4.15  7.87  1.09  4.92   8.53  1.42
2006 Sarasota A+    22    4    2.25  2.25  2.25  9.00   4.50  1.25

For the uninitiated, the “9” stats are hits, home runs, walks and strikeouts per nine innings pitched.

The two best things about Haltiwanger are his age and his ability to strike out almost a batter an inning. He was able to keep his ERA respectable when moving from college to the pros last year and according to this profile from May, his goal is to some day pitch for the Cincinnati Reds.

I guess he’ll have to give up on that dream now.

One final tidbit. Check out this interesting split from his time pitching for Single-A Dayton in ought-six:

        IP    OPS   WHIP  W/9   K/9   HR/9
None on 39.7  .729  1.71  7.03  8.39  1.36
Men on  42.7  .650  1.08  2.53  8.44  0.84

With men on base, he walked fewer batters, gave up fewer home runs and clamped down on the overall offensive output of his competition.

It looks like Rusty might be a little clutch.

Mets and Reliever Schoeneweis are Close to 3yr Deal

ESPN.com news services

The New York Mets are on the verge of signing free-agent pitcher Scott Schoeneweis to a three-year deal, major league sources told ESPN The Magazine’s Buster Olney.

Schoeneweis has experience as a starter and a reliever, but the Mets plan to use the 33-year-old left-hander out of the bullpen. In 71 appearances last season for the Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays, Schoeneweis went 4-2 with four saves and a 4.88 ERA. He held left-handed batters to a .236 average and a .292 slugging percentage.

Not so sure this is the best deal, atleast not until the dollar amounts are released. 3 years to a 33 year old lefty isn’t that big of a problem either, as long as he is coming out of the bullpen and not starting.

It will help that Schoeneweis is in the National League full time and not in American League East which is totally brutal. The Mets needed a lefty to get Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. The Phillies appear to be the toughest competition for the Mets in the NL East.

Schoeneweis should also benefit from having pitching coach Rick Peterson at his disposal now. This is a deal that needed to be made to get a lefty but they could’ve spent their dollars more wisely.

Reitsma and Seattle Agree on Deal

Associated Press

SEATTLE — Former Atlanta Braves closer Chris Reitsma agreed Friday to a $2.05 million, one-year contract with Seattle to become the Mariners’ setup reliever.

Reitsma gets $1.35 million this year and can earn additional bonuses based on appearances and games finished. Seattle has a $2.7 million option for 2008 with a $700,000 buyout.

He became a free agent last month when the Braves failed to offer a 2007 contract. He made $2.75 million in 2006. The right-hander began last season as the Braves’ closer but lost his job after blowing four of 12 chances. He was 1-2 with an 8.68 ERA in 27 starts before season-ending surgery on his pitching elbow on July 18.

Reitsma, who made $2.75 million last year, will assume the Mariners’ setup role for closer J.J. Putz. Seattle traded 2006 setup man Rafael Soriano to the Braves for starting pitcher Horacio Ramirez earlier this offseason.

Mark Lowe, a rookie surprise in 2006 who was on track to be Putz’s setup man in ’07, had arm surgery in the fall. The Mariners don’t know when Lowe will return.

“Chris is a proven, quality major league pitcher and his ability and track record show that he can pitch at the end of games,” Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi said. “When we made our trades earlier this winter, we were confident that setup-quality relief would be available to restock our bullpen.”

Reitsma, who turned 29 last week, has a career record of 32-44 with 37 saves and a 4.58 ERA in 312 appearances, including 53 starts. He pitched for Cincinnati in 2001-03 before joining Atlanta in ’04.

“Chris is a kid who wants to pitch every day,” Seattle manager Mike Hargrove said. “In the bullpen, one of the most valuable qualities a pitcher can have is consistency, both in terms of being available and in the results he provides. Chris gives us the consistency we need as we bridge the gap from our starters to J.J.”

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

Nothing Earth-shattering about this deal. Nothing to get excited about.

Reitsma has good upside, especially now that he won’t have the pressure of closing, or the pressure of closing on a winning team at that.

Cheap, almost risk-free signing by Seattle.

Loretta to sign with Astros

By Amy K. Nelson
ESPN The Magazine

Mark Loretta will sign with the Houston Astros on Thursday, his agent said. Financial terms were not immediately available.

The free-agent second baseman had multiple offers, including ones from the Texas Rangers and Cincinnati Reds. But he will sign with the Astros, his agent Bob Garber said.

Loretta, a 12-year veteran, played for the Boston Red Sox last season, hitting .285 in 155 games. He has previously played for the Brewers, Astros and Padres and has a career .299 average and .987 career fielding percentage.

I personally don’t understand this. The Astros already have future Hall of Famer Craig Biggio and Chris Burke, who should be playing 2B but Biggio has blocked him for what seems like 10 years. Burke is going to play CF.

The only way this move makes sense is if Loretta splits time at 2B, 3B, and 1B, and if Biggio is given 2 days off a week. The team still has Morgan Ensberg, although he is being used as trade bait, at 3B and the OF is full and that rules out Biggio or Berkman moving back there.

Loretta is a fantastic player, a clubhouse leader and a player who plays like every play could be the last one in the 7th game of the World Series. I still don’t understand Houston’s plan with this signing but all-in-all Loretta is a good fit for just about any club, even if he doesn’t have a position to call his own.

Griffey Breaks Hand in Mysterious Accident

Ken Griffey, Jr. is hurt again. Only this time no one is saying why:

The Cincinnati Reds’ center fielder broke his left hand in an accident at home, the latest in a series of setbacks since he joined was traded to his hometown team for the 2000 season.

Griffey will have the hand in a hard cast for three weeks, then be re-examined, the team announced on Friday. The club wasn’t authorized by Griffey to give any details of how he was hurt.

What was he doing? Did he slam it in a door? Fell down some step? Play to hard with his Nintendo Wii? Inquiring minds want to know.

Pete Rose Endorses Mark McGwire for Hall of Fame

Pete Rose endorses Mark McGwire for the Baseball Hall of Fame. The kiss of death?

CINCINNATI – Pete Rose thinks Mark McGwire should be in baseball’s Hall of Fame, and hasn’t given up hope that he’ll get there someday, too.

Baseball’s banished hits king said Tuesday that McGwire, who is on the ballot for the first time, ought to be voted in despite his refusal to discuss steroids. Rose isn’t eligible for the ballot because of his lifetime ban for gambling.

Rose made the case for McGwire by noting that baseball didn’t crack down on steroids until after the 2002 season, by which time McGwire had retired.

McGwire hit a then-record 70 homers in 1998, when his race with Sammy Sosa to top Roger Maris’ record drew huge crowds and helped the game reshape its image after labor strife.

“Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, I think they kind of saved the game in (1998) with the home run contest,” Rose said. “That home run derby kind of brought baseball back.”

True but if McGwire used drugs to assist him to get that record, why should the Hall of Fame award him for his cheating? Does integrity and playing by the rales mean anything to Rose or McGwire?

As for the HOF and Pete Rose.

Rose said he hasn’t lost hope.

“Sure I’d like to go into the Hall of Fame,” he said. “More important to me, I’d like to be back in the game. I’m a teacher of the game.”

Rose thinks that if baseball ever reinstated him, some owner would hire him as manager.

“I’m sure there are always going to be things about what I did in the past, but I’m not concerned about that,” Rose said.

What drugs is Rose taking? No one will ever hire him to hire in the Majors again. Besides the gambling baggage Rose posesses, there is the fact that few ML teams hire managers who are in their sixties. Pete will turn 66 next April.

Keep dreaming Pete.

Reds Retooling in Question

Cincinnati Reds General Manager came out of the Minnesota Twins’ system, and has made noises about remaking the powerful, plodding Reds into the image of the pitching-and-defense oriented Twins. Trading Wily Mo Pena to get Bronson Arroyo was the opening salvo of that movement, and it was long overdue. The five-outfielders-for-four-spots event had become tiresome to everyone, and a starting pitcher was sorely needed.

The midseason deal of Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez to Washington for relievers Bill Bray and Gary Majewski (with a few other players included) was apparently another dip in the same pool. Concerns about Lopez’ defense at shortstop abounded, and were certainly not without merit. Lopez had shown limited range and below average hands in the infield. Yet, Kearns was the best outfielder the Reds possessed, so the trade overall was not a big boost for the defense, and with Majewski soon going down due to arm trouble, and veteran shortstop Royce Clayton predictably struggling, the critics had a field day at Krivsky’s expense. Then, the Reds’ offense tanked in September, scuttling a playoff run made possible by the Cardinals’ slump.

Cincinnati fans have waited to see what the ever-active Krivsky would do in the offseason, given his alacrity of movement during the 2006 championship battle. The man was never shy about making a move. The deal many fans feared, although others welcomed, was the envisioned trade of slugger Adam Dunn, which would presumably complete the remaking of the team in Krivsky’s image. Thus far Krivsky has only signed third-tier free agents, picking up shortstop Alex Gonzalez and re-signing reliever David Weathers. He shipped off out-of-favor catcher Jason LaRue, but then signed hitting noncombatant Chad Moeller, apparently to be the third catcher.

We will know more about the destiny of this team if Krivsky does trade Dunn over the offseason. That would signal a complete reworking of the franchise. In the absence of a big bat coming back in the deal, it would also signal an era of light-hitting defense-oriented play in the Queen City. Only time will tell.