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Bryan Hoch reports -
For weeks, the Yankees have insisted that they weren’t waiting for Roger Clemens to prop the team on his 44-year-old shoulders, like some pinstriped savior riding in from the outposts of Tampa, Trenton or Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
All the Yankees desired, as Clemens journeyed to the big leagues and clicked the meter on a lucrative contract, was for him to slot as a productive member of their rotation, promising them a stable effort every fifth day.
Mission accomplished. Clemens’ Bronx relaunch was a success, as The Rocket notched a win in his first start of the season, pitching six innings in the Yankees’ 9-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.
“It felt like old times,” Clemens said. “I’ve got to take a little deep breath now. I understand the excitement that’s there and the expectations that are there. There’s a lot of both.”
Clemens threw 108 pitches in the start, limiting the Pirates to three runs and five hits in helping the Yankees extend their winning streak to a season-high five games. New York is now two games under .500 at 29-31 and had been showing signs of renewal even before Clemens jazzed things up.
Five and counting…
There are some new firemen in town. That’s right, there are some teams that have shook things up with the benching and promotion of relievers and a trade that has allowed a veteran his first shot at closing.
Matt Capps , PIT – The Pittsburgh Pirates have demoted incumbent closer Solomon Torres and have inserted 23 year old fireballer Matt Capps. This move, in my opinion, should’ve been made in spring traing but the Pirates wanted to see Capps in a setup role a little longer. Now that Capps has the job, don’t look for him to lose it. He had impressive numbers too: 3.03 ERA, a team high 30 appearances, .239 opponents average, 24/6 SO/BB ratio (only 4 were intentional) in 29 1/3 innings. “I’m excited, anxious and ready for this opportunity. I’ve been waiting for it,” said Capps. And you should jump on him if he’s still available in your league.
Armando Benitez, FLA – Benitez, if you haven’t heard, got traded to the Marlins for nothing and the Giants are paying $4.7M of his $5M salary. What does this mean for the Marlins? They got themselves a cheap veteran that can be a very good setup man. That’s right, he’s nothing more than a setup man, for now. Kevin Gregg will still get the saves. What does this mean for the Giants?
Brad Hennessey, SF – Hennessey is your new Giants closer. Don’t get all bothered about worrying if Tim Lincecum will get moved to the closer’s role because he won’t. Hennessey has done well in the pen with a 2.82 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. He closed out a game in Shea the other night with no problems. Don’t worry about others taking the job from him, it’s his to lose.
Troy Percival, Free Agent – This is a long shot but he could get opportunities in as little as a week. The Philles, Tigers (did you see Todd Jones give up 5 runs in the 9th to lose last night?), Cardinals, and a few others have shown interest. Monitor him because he very well could be a dud.
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- Josh Hamilton is returning to the Reds lineup on Tuesday. He hit 3 homers off of 3 lefties in his rehab assignment in AAA.
- Rickie Weeks hit the DL 2 days ago (big surprise!).
- Nick Johnson took on-the-field batting practice yesterday and there is no timetable for his return. He will need 30 at-bats or so in the minors for his rehab assignment.
- The Rays designated pitcher Jae Seo for assignment and optioned pitcher Jae Kuk Ryu. To take their places they recalled pitcher J.P Howell from Durham and purchased the contract of pitcher Andy Sonnanstine from Durham. Howell will probably start Sunday and Sonnanstine Tuesday. Look for Sonnanstine to stay for a long time.
- The Royals have benched CF David DeJesus. He is in an 0-13 funk and hit only .211 in May. “He needs a break,†said manager Buddy Bell. He isn’t the only Royal slumping entering the TB series: Mike Sweeney 0-15, Emil Brown 0-14, Esteban German 0-11, John Buck 1-18, and Alex Gordon 2-21.
- Cardinals 3B Scott Rolen left Friday’s game before the third inning with a right hamstring strain and is believed to be day-to-day. Rolen grounded out in the second inning before heading to the trainer’s room before the home third.
- Tigers DH Gary Sheffield and Padres catcher Josh Bard were each suspended 3 games for confrontations with umpires.
- White Sox CF Darin Erstad was placed on the DL. The White Sox called up OF Jerry Owens in his place.
- Twins right-hander Kevin Slowey made his Major League debut yesterday throwing 99 pitches in 6 innings while allowing only one run on 5 hits and 2 walks and striking out 3. Some liken Slowey to former Twin Brad Radke but I think he’s more of a James Shields type. Look into acquiring him in your free agent market.
- The A’s activated CF Mark Kotsay from the 60-day DL.
- Joe Mauer wil be sent out for rehab to make sure his injury is fine.
- The Rangers activated Kevin Millwood from the DL.
- Rockies OF Matt Holliday (head contusion) and Mets CF Carlos Beltran (knee) are listed as day-to-day.
- It has been 11 at-bats (13 plate appearances, if you include two walks) since J.D. Drew last hit a ball out of the infield, and that does not include a single infield hit. Just ground outs and popouts. To make it worse, Drew left the game after the fifth inning with a strained right hamstring last night. To make matters even worse 3B Mike Lowell also left the game with a left hand contusion after being hit in the back of the hand by a pitch from Chien-Ming Wang in the third. Lowell’s injury looks to be day-to-day but Drew’s could be worse. Keep your ears open.
- On a side note: The Rays met MLB’s deadline Thursday to request a name and uniform change. The changes will be unveiled after the season, perhaps coinciding with the Bucs’ bye week (Nov. 11).
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That sums up former MLB Pitcher Dan Plesac.
Dan Plesac has turned his lifelong dream into reality. The one-time major league All-Star relief pitcher has made harness racing his new passion after retiring from 18 seasons of playing professional baseball.
“Harness racing has been a love of mine since I was old enough to walk,” Plesac said. “This is what I’ve really wanted to do my entire life.”
Retired in 2004, Plesac, a youthful 45, has turned his hobby into a full-time profession. His Three Up Three Down farm, located in Crown Point, has produced 12 winners who have earned $37,408 under Plesac’s watchful eye. Plesac’s Major League Baseball career started in 1986 with the Milwaukee Brewers. He was a three-time all-star and finished his career ranked fourth for the most pitching appearances in baseball history with 1,064 games.
“I always hoped to have a career that would lead me to be secure enough to train and have my own horses,” Plesac said. “Training horses is a very difficult job. I just want to start at the bottom and get a feel for what I need to do.”
Plesac’s 40-acre, Hoosier State facility includes a six-stall barn and a half-mile training track.
Plesac’s family — mainly his father Joseph Sr., and his brother, Joseph Jr. — have been involved with harness horses for four decades. The family’s first horse, Baby Hoey, was born in 1968 and earned nearly $100,000 during his career.
In April of 2004, Plesac scored his first training victory when his filly Holistic Hanover won. Plesac also had owned the filly’s sire, Ball And Chain.
“To win a race with a horse that I bought, who was sired by a horse that I owned, was just the greatest thrill imaginable,” Plesac said. “That was very special for me and I was more nervous before the race than I ever was when I was pitching.”
In 1972, I remember watching for the first time one of my father’s horses winning a race. In July of that year I watched Charlie Zam win at Brandywine Raceway in Deleware and Fast Clip at Sportsman’s Park in Chicago. After the race, the winner and its owners have their photos taken. I still have one of those photos somewhere around the house. It’s fun to watch your own horse win.
When I attended the races, I saw or met quite a few people from other sports.(Gordie Howe, Richie Allen, Ron Swaboda to name three) Mostly gamblers, but a few owned race horses too. Good luck to Dan with his new career.
Clem was a key part of the 1950′s pennant winning Dodger teams. He passed away today in Florida. RIP.
VERO BEACH, Fla. – Clem Labine, a relief pitcher who threw two of baseball’s most significant shutouts in his role as a part-time starter and pitched for two Dodgers World Series championship teams in the 1950s, died Friday. He was 80.
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Labine spent 13 seasons in the major leagues, mostly as a bullpen specialist with the Dodgers, first in Brooklyn and then in Los Angeles. He also pitched with Detroit and Pittsburgh, and briefly for the New York Mets.
“I always thought Clem would’ve had a great career as a starting pitcher,” former teammate Carl Erskine said. “But he told me, `I didn’t want to start. I liked the pressure of coming into the game with everything on the line.’”
In 1951, his first full major league season, Labine was thrust in the middle of the three-game National League pennant playoff between the Dodgers and New York Giants. After the Giants won the opener, Brooklyn had no regular starter available for Game 2. Labine got the assignment by default and threw a six-hit shutout to keep the Dodgers alive in the best-of-three series. Bobby Thomson’s ninth-inning home run won the pennant for the Giants the next day.
The playoff shutout came in just Labine’s sixth major league start and 15th game. He would throw another one, allowing just seven hits in Game 6 of the 1956 World Series and beating the New York Yankees 1-0 in 10 innings to force a seventh game, which the Yankees won. That shutout came a day after Don Larsen’s perfect game, the only no-hitter in World Series history.
“He had the heart of a lion and the intelligence of a wily fox, and he was a nice guy, too,” Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully said. “He will be truly missed by all who knew him.”
Labine played football, hockey and baseball growing up in Woonsocket, R.I., and volunteered for the paratroopers during World War II. He was signed by the Dodgers in 1946 almost by accident when a scheduled tryout with the Boston Braves fell through.
Labine came to Brooklyn in 1950, appearing in just one game. He was the handyman of the Dodgers staff in 1951, posting a 5-1 record with a 2.20 earned run average and was comfortable as both a reliever and occasional starter. He won eight games the next season and by 1953, he had become Brooklyn’s main man out of the bullpen, with 10 of his 11 victories that year coming in relief.
That season had a disappointing ending when he appeared in three World Series games against the Yankees and was tagged with two losses, including the decisive sixth game when he gave up the winning hit to Billy Martin in the ninth inning.
Two years later, in 1955, Labine enjoyed his best season, leading the league with 60 appearances and going 13-5, with 10 victories and 11 saves out of the bullpen. The Dodgers captured their first World Series that year with Labine winning Game 4 with 4 1-3 innings of relief and coming back the next day to pitch three more innings and save Game 5. That season, Labine went 3-for-31 at bat and all three hits were home runs.
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Labine accompanied the Dodgers on the move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958 and was with the team when it won the World Series in 1959. He was dealt to Detroit and then on to Pittsburgh in 1960 and went 3-0 with a 1.48 ERA for the world champion Pirates.
After one more season with the Pirates, Labine was drafted by the expansion Mets in 1962. He appeared in just three games before retiring and returning to Rhode Island as a partner in a company that manufactured golf clothes and other sports wear.
On Valentine’s Day, the love comes out for the greatest game in the world -
Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter: “I think because everybody can relate. You don’t have to be seven feet tall; you don’t have to be a certain size to play. Baseball is up and down. I think life’s like that sometimes, you know. Back and forth, up and down, you’re going through this grind. I think people like watching it. Baseball’s like a soap opera every day.”
Ernie Banks, Cubs legend and Hall of Famer: “It’s just life. When I think about baseball, it’s just life. It’s really the way life is. It requires a lot of mental capacity to be involved in it. It creates a lot of joy for people and memories for people who follow it. It’s a family. You like it because it’s a family. You started with it and know all these people — it’s family, it’s friends, it’s fun, it’s a beautiful game. All in all, baseball is amazing.
Joel Kweskin, 56, White Sox fan based in Charlotte, N.C.: “It’s unique unto itself. Football, basketball and hockey are variations of the same concept — back and forth in a linear progression to score a goal. Baseball, however, is mapped out on the field unlike any other sport. A running back or return specialist can run 100 yards, tops; a baserunner legging out an inside-the-park homer runs 20 yards farther. Baseball is the most democratic of sports — any size can play, and because the ball is not controlled by the offense but rather the defense, every player at any given time is involved in a play. Along with the anecdotally accepted premise that hitting a pitched baseball is the single most difficult thing to do in sports, so might be fielding a 175-mph line drive or grounder down the line. I love baseball because it is the greatest game ever invented.”
Former Royals star Willie Wilson: “The first thing is, I don’t think there’s any criteria for size, so anybody can play. I think people can relate. A lot of people never played football; basketball, you’ve gotta be tall and be able to jump. But baseball is a game where you pick up a bat and a ball, and you catch it, you swing the bat and you hit the ball. Most people have played softball or some kind of baseball, so they can relate to the sport. For me, that’s why I think America just embraces baseball, man.”
Baseball Blogger Travis G.: Where to start? I think better when I make a list.
1. Players. The requirements to be a good baseball player are very undefined. You can be short, tall, thin, chunky, anything really. You name the greats and you get tall and chunky (Ruth, Ortiz), short and chunky (Yogi, Gwynn), tall and thin (Sizemore, Jeter), short and thin (Reyes, Ichiro). They may not be the best athletes (e.g. David Wells), but when they’re playing the best game in the world, who cares?
2. The Mentality. Baseball requires more intelligence than any other sport (save for NFL QB). Simply put, every hitter that steps to the plate is trying to out-think the pitcher, and vice versa. 4-5 times a game, focus has to be completely on the man in front of him. Will he throw a fastball, curve, change? If you take an at-bat (or even a pitch) off, you’re toast. Same thing with the pitcher. The only other sport that comes close is football, but mainly just for the QB. Baseball requires every single player to have good mental capacity.
3. The Field. Football, hockey, basketball and soccer all use essentially the same type of field/playing surface: a rectangle. Baseball uses a diamond. It’s not only unique in that aspect, but every single ballpark is unique amongst the sport. Each park has its own quirks and intricacies that make it special. Not a single other sport can say that. Yankee Stadium has Death Valley, the short RF porch, and the facade. Fenway has the Monster. Shea has the apple. Wrigley has the ivy-covered brick. Pac Bell (or whatever it’s called now) has the bay in RF. Houston has the hill in center. Imagine if the RCA Dome’s field was only 95 yards; that’s the equivalent of Death Valley or the Green Monster.
4. One on One. Basically the speech DeNiro makes in The Untouchables. Baseball is a team game: 25 men. But each of them takes one turn – by themself – to help the whole team. Then the next batter gets a chance. Because of the batting order, a team can’t simply send its best hitter up every at-bat. You can’t just give the ball to Jordan or Shaq (Pujols or Ortiz) every time. A team’s best hitter will get 4-5 chances a game to help his team. That’s it. You need a complete team to win.
5. Substitutions. Once a player is removed, he’s done. You can’t just sub in the best defenders when you have a lead. You can’t take out Santana for an inning because he’s tired, then re-insert him. Could you imagine the way baseball would be played if there were no substitution restrictions? It would be bedlam. Players don’t get any breaks (outside of the DH) during the game. Even late inning defensive replacements are a gamble if the trailing team comes back. And substitutions play an ever bigger role in the NL.
6. No Clock. No running out the clock. It doesn’t matter what inning and what score it is, you still need 27 outs to complete the game. There’s no easy way to ‘seal’ a win. You still have to face every batter, and record every out.
7. History. When Japanese kamikaze pilots flew their planes into American ships, they would often yell ‘Fuck Babe Ruth!’ No other American sport has the history baseball does. Some of the most iconic figures in our culture are Ruth, Gehrig, Dimaggio, Mantle, Ripken, McGwire, Bonds, Aaron, Clemens, Jeter. It’s goes all the way back to the 1830′s. The ‘Junior Circuit’ (AL) had been going strong for over 45 years before the NBA ever started. The Yankees had already won 20 World Series before the first Super Bowl was ever played. I just love that feeling of history when I watch a game.
8. Summer. What better sport to exemplify the feeling of summer than baseball. The only summer sport we have. Warm weather, kids are out of school; remember the day games with your dad, drinking a soda, eating a hot dog? No other sport lets you enjoy the weather. Hockey and basketball are indoors. And the football season lasts from September to February, nuff said.
9. Connection. This ain’t football where the most ardent fans get to see a maximum of just 24 games (including the pre and post-season). Baseball is 3 hours a day, 6 days a week for 6 months. You get a minimum of 162 games. That’s double basketball and hockey, and 10 times that of football. Not only do you get to see your ‘guys’ 162 times a season, but you actually feel close to them. They’re not wearing masks to cover their faces (football, hockey), so you see (and often share) their reactions and emotions. You don’t get that feeling of ‘closeness’ from other sports. And then when you add the fact that baseball plays 162 games, it’s easy to understand where the connection comes from. When the season is over, it’s like you not seeing your family for 5 months.
10. Home-field Advantage. Having the home team hit in the bottom of each inning assures that every team, every season (even Kansas City) will have its share of thrilling, bottom of the whatever, walk-off wins. It’s nothing like football where you squib kick it or have the QB kneel down, or in basketball where you dribble out the clock or foul the opponent 10 times.
Your thoughts?
By Jerry Crasnick
ESPN.com
The Pittsburgh Pirates, filling their need for a left-handed power bat, acquired first baseman Adam LaRoche from the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday for lefty reliever Mike Gonzalez, two sources confirmed to ESPN.com.
ESPN.com could not immediately confirm if other players were involved in the deal. Neither team would comment and an announcement is not yet scheduled.
The Pirates and Braves had been discussing a LaRoche-Gonzalez swap for weeks. Pittsburgh general manager Dave Littlefield was looking to upgrade an offense that ranked last in the National League with a 141 home runs and a .397 slugging percentage.
Gonzalez should help upgrade an Atlanta bullpen that went 25-23 with a 4.39 ERA last season and blew a league-high 29 saves. Bob Wickman saved 18 games after coming over in a July trade with Cleveland, and the Braves picked up reliever Rafael Soriano from Seattle last month in a deal for starter Horacio Ramirez.
The Braves will go into 2007 with a new right side of the infield. Kelly Johnson and Martin Prado are the leading candidates to replace second baseman Marcus Giles, who signed with San Diego when the Braves declined to tender him a contract in December. Scott Thorman, who hit five homers in 128 at-bats with Atlanta last season, could replace LaRoche at first base.
The Pirates also talked to Arizona about a possible deal for Chad Tracy, and had considered Trot Nixon and several other free agents.
LaRoche hit 32 homers and drove in 90 runs last season and finished in a tie for seventh in the National League with a .561 slugging percentage.
Gonzalez went 3-4 with 24 saves and a 2.17 ERA for the Pirates in 2006.
Jerry Crasnick covers Major League Baseball for ESPN Insider.
This deal works out great for both teams. The Braves get a top notched closer in Gonzalez and the Pirates get the power hitting lefty they’ve been looking for.
I think the Pirates got the best end of this deal even though both teams got what they needed. LaRoche is due to make less than Gonzalez and the Pirates have Solomon Torres ready to step in as the closer. LaRoche is also an incredible defensive firstbaseman.
Gonzalez is an incredibly reliable reliever. The only problem with him is that he is limited to one inning at a time and righties can hit him fairly well. But Gonzalez fits perfectly in the NL East to get Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Carlos Delgado, and other lefties out in the eighth.
Good move on both ends but I believe the Braves got the short end by just a little.
ESPN.com news services
The Orioles have reached agreement with free-agent utilityman Aubrey Huff, the Baltimore Sun reported Saturday, citing several industry sources.
The offer is believed to be for three years and $20 million, the newspaper reported.
Huff, a 30-year-old left-handed slugger, is expected to take a physical next week in Baltimore.
“All that is left is a physical and dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s,” one source familiar with the negotiations told the Sun.
The Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers and Pittsburgh Pirates also were believed to be pursuing Huff, the newspaper reported.
One factor the Orioles had to appreciate: Huff has a .285 career average at Camden Yards and has batted .297 against the Orioles over his seven seasons in the majors. He has more home runs (20) and RBI (63) against Baltimore than against any other team.
Huff hit a combined .267 in 2006 for Tampa Bay and Houston, with 21 home runs and 66 RBI. He was dealt to Houston on July 13 and hit .250 in 68 games for the Astros. He posted career highs in 2003 with a .311 average, 34 home runs and 107 RBI.
This is a great deal for the O’s. Huff brings a stable, power bat to the O’s lineup. Huff can play 3B, 1B, RF, LF, and DH. Although not know for his glove, he is adequate in the field. Huff also brings a great eye and improving patience to the plate, averaging almost a walk for every strikeout. He should slot nicely into the #5 spot, a spot where he flourished last year (41-G 145-AB 21-R 49-H 8-2B 1-3B 7-HR 26-RBI 18-BB 18-K .338 .417 .552).
Huff also knows the AL East very well and is in a left handed hitters haven. I expect him to hit between .280-.295 with 25-30 HR and 90+ RBI. The Orioles got a bargain for those numbers this offseason.
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| Wednesday, December 20, 2006 |
Their rise from the ashes achieved the penultimate goal of runner up. Dave Dombrowski is gunning for the whole enchilada in 2007, and like a dozen or so Major League GM’s, he thinks he has a legitimate shot at getting that ring. Let’s take a look at the transactions made by the Motor City Kitties.
Detroit’s 2006 success came on the young arms of Jeremy Bonderman, Nate Robertson and Justin Verlander. The offseason acquisitions that drew guffaws last winter (Kenny Rogers and Todd Jones) paid off big time, and the Tigers find themselves with a surplus of pitching entering 2007. Unlike their Central Division rivals in the Windy City, the Tigers appear destined to hold onto all their starters. Zach Miner can be sent down to Toledo while the club sees if Mike Maroth is capable of returning to full time duty. The only uncertainty surrounded staff ace Jeremy Bonderman. Bonderman had been mentioned in connection with the Yankees and a possible Alex Rodriguez deal. Would the Tigers really trade their 24 year old ace? Bonderman’s new contract, finalized this week, should put to rest any possible trade rumors. Bonderman’s deal calls for the young righty to earn $38 million over the next four seasons. Bonderman will hit free agency after his age 27 season, and he will be set for a huge payday, if he builds on last year’s excellent season.
A reasonably priced pitcher is a valuable trading chip, but the Tigers seem content to build with their homegrown talent and competent role players. And whether you believe this or not, Gary Sheffield is a role player to this team. Sheffield’s role will be simple, stay healthy and mash. And mash he still can. The much travelled outfielder/designated hitter posted a .806 OPS last year, the lowest since his last season in Milwaukee, a lost year by any measure, and one that occurred fifteen years ago. It was also the least time he played since his first major league season in 1988. If his injury has healed, Sheffield is a dangerous presence int he heart of a solid batting order.
Another role player acquired for the coming campaign is the ageless Jose Mesa. With Mesa, the Tigers are adding more to a righty dominated bullpen. Mesa allows too many baserunners, but with power throwing Joel Zumaya in the pen, that won’t be as serious a problem. Also taking on a role will be young lefty Edward Campusano. Campusano, originally with the Cubs, was selected in the rule V draft by the Brewers and then dealt to Detroit for cash. If Campusano doesn’t make the Tigers roster, he’ll be offered back to the Cubs. Such is the confusing rule V draft. Campusano is a one year bridge to some of the power arms in the pipeline for Detroit. Most of those arms are righties, so the LOOGY job belongs to Campusano.
The move I am least excited about is reupping Brandon Inge for another four years. Inge doesn’t get on base as much as I would like to see from a corner infielder and strikes out a bit too often. His defense is okay, about league average, but his OPS last year was an unimpressive .776. That was good for 16th of the 21 major league third basemen with 502 plate appearances. His OBP was 20 out of those same 21. They did not overpay for Inge’s production, so the deal is reasonable, even if I wouldn’t make it.
The Tigers have hitting and pitching to spare. By securing their younger talent and adding the spare parts, Detroit is poised to make a repeat post season appearance. They only had to pay a lot for Gary Sheffield. Surrendering Humberto Snachez and Jordan Tata is a big price, but pitching prospects are known to falter. And unlike many teams, Detroit has an abundance of young arms in the pipeline. They also have a few attractive trading chips. Andrew Miller is waiting in the wings and may make Mike Maroth redundant. If Sean Casey continues to get the job done at first base young slugger Chris Shelton would be very attractive to a team looking for a long term solution at first base. With this flurry of moves, the Tigers are ready for pitchers and catchers to report so they can begin the defense of their AL Pennant.
Cross posted at Ennuipundit.
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| Tuesday, November 28, 2006 |
The Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports:
The Pirates are among a dozen teams pursuing free agent Jeff Suppan, the St. Louis Cardinals’ best pitcher during their run to the World Series.
“There are a lot of teams reaching out, a tremendous amount of interest in Jeff,” Suppan’s agent, Scott Leventhal, said yesterday. “And Pittsburgh is one of those teams.”
That might surprise some, given that Suppan should command an annual salary in the range of $8 million-$9 million over a span of three or four years. But the Pirates have roughly $14 million to spend this off season, a figure that would rise to $17 million if they sever ties with Shawn Chacon, another right-handed starter.
Yes, that DOES surprise me. This is the first good free agent I’ve heard the Pirates name associated with in YEARS. Pittsburgh just hasn’t gone after any big names at all: the only money they have spent has been on some of their home grown talent (i.e. Jason Bay). However, this may signal a good change in the front office – the willingness to spend money to make the team better. A good farm system is vital, but that needs to be augmented with a good free agent on occasion – you just aren’t going to develop everything you will need.
Is this a sign that the Pirates are finally developing a team to be competitive? I sure hope so.
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| Thursday, November 16, 2006 |
Barry Bonds may not sign with the Giants for next year if they continue to pursue other options.
As the agent for Barry Bonds sizes up the market for the No. 2 home-run hitter in history, the prospect of Bonds leaving San Francisco for another city is growing less unthinkable by the day. Agent Jeff Borris, sounding resolute, said Wednesday that teams in both the National and American leagues are actively pursuing Bonds, and that some are interested in pushing the process forward at a quicker rate.
“There’s a realistic possibility that Barry could wind up playing for another club,” Borris said. “I know the general consensus out there is that Barry’s going back to San Francisco, but there are clubs out there that have demonstrated sincere interest. They want answers as soon as possible, and they’re entitled to them.” Borris said the Giants would be making a “gross miscalculation” if they assume Bonds has no other opportunities and is set on returning to San Francisco for a 15th season. “The Giants have cornered the market on the best player in the game over the last 14 years,” Borris said. “Now, other teams have a chance to get in on him.”
While Borris said some suitors are content to fly “under the radar,” there’s a bit more Bonds-related buzz making the rounds as the general managers meetings progress.
With Oakland slugger Frank Thomas on the verge of signing a deal with the Blue Jays, the Athletics could have an opening for a designated hitter. But serious doubts exist over whether general manager Billy Beane will pay anything close to the $18 million that Bonds made in 2006.
Meanwhile, the Giants are negotiating with the representatives for free agent left fielder Carlos Lee and center fielder Juan Pierre. Lee hit 37 homers and drove in 116 runs last year between Milwaukee and Texas. If the Giants’ interest in him is genuine, that would all but preclude a return to San Francisco for Bonds.
When ESPN.com surveyed 20 front-office people over the past week on assorted hot stove topics, 15 predicted Bonds would re-sign with San Francisco. Several executives wonder if other clubs are prepared for the inevitable media frenzy as Bonds — who has been dogged by steroid-related controversy — approaches Hank Aaron’s career mark of 755 homers. Bonds finished this season with 734 homers.
The Tigers were mentioned in early speculation because of Bonds’ previous relationship with manager Jim Leyland, but they filled their designated hitter void last week by acquiring Gary Sheffield in a trade with the New York Yankees.
It would be nice to see Bonds finish his career with the Giants, the team with whom he has spent most of his Major League career. Still, given his recent history of injuries, it makes far more sense for him to move on to the American League as a DH, possibly adding two or three years to his longevity.
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