working

ADVERTISERS

Sports Outside the Beltway

Former MLB Dock Ellis dead at 63

I remember Ellis from his days pitching with the Pirates. He was a good pitcher, an excellent one in 1971. The story of his pitching a no-hitter while on LSD just doesn’t sound credible. The effect of that drug on people can make even simple activities impossible. RIP.

 

NY Mets sign Francisco Rodriguez to 3-year deal

I hope this works out better for the Mets than their signing of Pedro Martinez back in 2004. From AP-

Francisco Rodriguez and the New York Mets completed their $37 million, three-year contract Wednesday.

Rodriguez saved 62 games for the Los Angeles Angels this year, five more than the previous big league mark set by Bobby Thigpen of the Chicago White Sox in 1990, and then filed for free agency.

*****

Rodriguez’s agent, Paul Kinzer, had hoped to get a five-year contract, possibly equaling the $15 million average salary Mariano Rivera is earning from the New York Yankees.

But with baseball executives worried about the national recession, Kinzer accepted a more modest deal. The Mets were a natural fit because they were one of the few big-market teams looking for an elite closer this offseason.

Because Johan Santana wears No. 57, Rodriguez will switch to No. 75.

Baseball history has shown few relievers(Mariano Rivera is an obvious exception. On the other hand how many of you remember Mark Davis?) able to stay at the top more than 2-3 years, so I deem this a risky move.

 

Former MLB Coach Tom Burgess dead at 82

He also played professional hockey and had two brief stints a major league baseball player. RIP.

Tom Burgess, who played briefly in the major leagues before serving as a coach under Joe Torre and Bobby Cox, has died. He was 81.

A member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, Burgess died Monday at his Lambeth home after a battle with cancer, Baseball Canada said.

Burgess spent most of his professional playing career in the minors but had two short stints in the big leagues as an outfielder and first baseman. He went 1-for-21 (.048) at the plate with the 1954 St. Louis Cardinals and didn’t get back to the majors until eight years later, when he batted .196 with two homers and 13 RBIs for the 1962 Los Angeles Angels.

After his playing career ended, Burgess managed at many levels for St. Louis, Atlanta, the New York Mets, Texas and Detroit. He was third base coach for the Mets under Joe Frazier and Torre in 1977 and for Atlanta under Cox in 1978.

Burgess also coached and managed for Baseball Canada and Baseball Ontario.

“Tom could not give enough back to baseball,” Tom Valcke, president of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, said in a phone interview Thursday. “He would teach anyone, anytime, everything he knew, as long as they wanted to learn and to work.”

As well as the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, Burgess also is a member of the London, Ontario, sports Hall of Fame and the Rochester Red Wings Hall of Fame.

 

Toronto Blue Jays fire Manager John Gibbons, bring back Cito Gaston

Another day, another MLB manager fired. This time a pink slip was issued north of the border.

PITTSBURGH — John Gibbons was fired Friday by the last-place Toronto Blue Jays and replaced by Cito Gaston, who led the team to World Series titles in 1992 and 1993.

The Blue Jays began the day 35-39, having lost five straight and 13 of their last 17 games to fall 10½ games behind the first-place Boston Red Sox in the AL East.

He is the third major league manager to be fired this week, following Willie Randolph of the New York Mets and John McLaren of the Seattle Mariners.

“The team just wasn’t doing what was expected of it, and maybe changes were needed,” Gibbons said in a conference call. “There was a lot expected this year, we came in riding high and speaking high. And that’s not the results we’re getting now.”

Gibbons, who became manager midway through the 2004 season, had a record of 305-305 with the Blue Jays. His best season was in 2006, when the Blue Jays went 87-75 to finish second in the AL East.

But that 2006 season was also when Gibbons challenged Shea Hillenbrand to a fight after the infielder wrote on a clubhouse bulletin board “play for yourselves” and the “ship is sinking,” and a month later had a physical altercation with pitcher Ted Lilly in a dugout tunnel following an argument on the mound.

The Jays, who were in Pittsburgh to open a weekend series against the Pirates, also fired three of Gibbons’ coaches — Marty Pevey, Ernie Whitt and Gary Denbo.

The 64-year-old Gaston becomes the Blue Jays’ first two-time manager. He previously managed the team from 1989 to 1997.

As Soccer Dad reminded me this morning, Gaston was very successful as Blue Jay manager after taking over the team in May 1989. Gaston taking Toronto to 4 division titles and two world series appearances. The Blue Jays were World Champs in both 1992 and 1993.

After 1993, the Blue Jays have been generally mediocre. Cito Gaston worked magic in his first takeover of the Blue Jays, I doubt it will happen this time.

 

New York Mets fire Manager Willie Randolph

Bench coach Jerry Manuel has taken over on a interim basis. From AP-

ANAHEIM, Calif. – After weeks of speculation that his job was in jeopardy, Willie Randolph finally got fired by the New York Mets while most fans were sleeping.

Randolph was let go in the middle of the night Tuesday, 2 1/2 months into a disappointing season that has followed the team’s colossal collapse last September.

Bench coach Jerry Manuel takes over on an interim basis for Randolph, who led the Mets to within one win of the 2006 World Series. They got off to a strong start again last year but plummeted down the stretch and have been unable to rebound.

A preseason favorite to win the NL pennant, the $138 million Mets (34-35) had won two in a row when Randolph was dismissed early Tuesday morning — making him the first big league manager to get fired this season.

Pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Nieto also were cut loose in an enormous overhaul that was revealed in a fact-of-the-matter news release at a stunning time — about 12:15 a.m. PDT, nearly two hours after New York’s 9-6 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

Did Randolph get a bum deal? He hadn’t been without controversy of late. Randolph made some comments on television a month ago that caused him trouble. A team full of overpaid stars that is struggling to play .500 ball plus the general impatience of New York sports fans and management were more likely to be the reasons for Randolph’s dismissal. I think the odds are 50-50 or better that Randolph lands another managing job in the majors.

 

Former MLB pitcher Geremi Gonzalez killed by lightning strike

He won 11 of his career 30 wins as a rookie with the 1997 Chicago Cubs. After that arm injuries hampered Gonzalez’ career. RIP.

*****

CARACAS, Venezuela — Former major league pitcher Geremi Gonzalez, who won 11 games for the Chicago Cubs in 1997, was killed by a lightning strike in his native Venezuela on Sunday. He was 33.

Geremi Gonzalez pitched for five major league teams and compiled a 30-35 career record.

Emergency management official Herman Bracho said Monday that Gonzalez was struck by lightning at a beach.

Gonzalez pitched for five major league teams from 1997-2006. The right-hander appeared in 131 games with 83 starts, compiling a 30-35 record.

Gonzalez also played for the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers. He made a combined 24 appearances for the Mets and Brewers in his final major league season in 2006.

The Toronto Blue Jays released him during spring training last year. Gonzalez then moved to Japan and pitched in five games for the Yomiuri Giants.

 

Catcher Mike Piazza announces his retirement

He was one of the best hitting catchers of all-time. From AP-

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Mike Piazza is retiring from baseball following a 16-season career in which he became one of the top-hitting catchers in history.

“After discussing my options with my wife, family and agent, I felt it was time to start a new chapter in my life,” he said in a statement released Tuesday by his agent, Dan Lozano. “It has been an amazing journey … So today, I walk away with no regrets.

“I knew this day was coming and over the last two years. I started to make my peace with it. I gave it my all and left everything on the field.”

The 39-year-old Piazza batted .275 with eight homers and 44 RBIs as a designated hitter for Oakland last season, became a free agent and did not re-sign. He was not available to discuss his decision, according to Josh Goldberg, a spokesman for Lozano.

Taken by the Los Angeles Dodgers on the 62nd round of the 1988 amateur draft, Piazza became a 12-time All-Star, making the NL team 10 consecutive times starting in 1993.

“He was one of those hitters who could change the game with one swing. He was certainly the greatest-hitting catcher of our time, and arguably of all time,” said Atlanta pitcher Tom Glavine, Piazza’s former teammate on the New York Mets.

Piazza finished with a .308 career average, 427 home runs and 1,335 RBIs for the Dodgers (1992-98), Florida (1998), Mets (1998-05), San Diego (2006) and Oakland (2007).

Mike Piazza was one of the all-time steals in the amateur draft. In a time when the Dodgers kept wasting first round picks on pitchers who kept not making the ML roster(Anyone remember Bill Bene, Dennis Livingston, or Dan Opperman? Didn’t think so?), the Dodgers made up with it partially with their selection of Piazza.

Piazza is a certain Hall of Famer. If his glove work had been better, he’d be one of the top five catchers all-time. Still he makes the top ten. Good luck in retirement Mike.

 

Former MLB Catcher John Marzano dead at 45

He died Saturday after a fall down the stairs at his home. John was strictly a bullpen catcher, but he managed to stay employed at the Major league level for 12 years. Afterwards he went into broadcasting. RIP.

 

Pedro Martinez to miss 4-6 weeks with hamstring pull

The three-time Cy Young winner started Tuesday’s game against the Florida Marlins. From AP-

MIAMI — Pedro Martinez will be sidelined four to six weeks with what the New York Mets said was a mild strain of his left hamstring.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner was placed on the 15-day disabled list before the Mets’ game against the Florida Marlins on Wednesday night.

Martinez was injured Tuesday night, returned to New York on Wednesday and was examined by Dr. David Altchek at the Hospital for Special Surgery.

“We just have to play and get after it,” Mets manager Willie Randolph said after Wednesday night’s 13-0 win over the Marlins. “We’re going to miss him. I’m not trying to downplay losing Pedro. It’s unfortunate. He worked real hard to get back to this point. I know he was looking forward to being in the clubhouse around this team to help us win.”

The Mets will need Oliver Perez, who threw six shutout innings Wednesday’s night, and John Maine to pitch well until Martinez returns, and find another starter.

“We’re looking forward to those guys stepping up,” Randolph said.

That’s manager speak for- “Shit, this team needs a miracle now.” For Martinez, who is trying to comeback from injuries suffered in 06, this injury early in 2008 can’t be considered a good omen.

 

NY Mets won’t charge fans to watch practice

The money was supposedly going to charity. From TC Palm-

PORT ST. LUCIE — The New York Mets have turned their mandatory charge to attend spring training practice into a donation.

To raise money for local charities, the team on Thursday began charging fans age 15 and older $2 to watch team workouts.

But after fielding angry calls from fans Friday morning, the team reversed its policy. Team officials said they no longer will charge fans, beginning immediately, although donations still can be made with all money going to local charities.

“We got some negative feedback,” St. Lucie Mets general manager Paul Taglieri said. “I think it’s still a good opportunity for us to be able to do something like this.”

Admissions from Thursday’s workout totaled $1,800, which will go to the Boys and Girls Club of St. Lucie County. Friday’s donations were set for the American Cancer Society, and today’s will go to the Exchange Club Castle program.

Being a cynic, I wonder how much of the money pre-protest would have gone to any charities. Fans get shaken down enough by sports franchises, the outrageous sums asked for food and drink, to parking, to almost anything. I give money to charity, volutarily. Given a choice of attending a practice or donating $2 I’d stay home. It is the principle, no one can require me to give to their chairty.

Update- I just remembered another S. Florida sports facility that wanted to collect money from fans supposedly to give to charity. The home to the Florida Panthers, the Bank Atlantic Center. The BAC wanted to charge fans $5 if they parked anywhere but on the grounds of the arena. It was bullshit then and it is bullshit now.

 
 


Visitors Since Feb. 4, 2003

All original content copyright 2003-2008 by OTB Media. All rights reserved.