Are You Kidding Me? And Other Thoughts
Are you kidding me? The Twins just signed Carl Pavano (the player that Yankee fans have recently voted as the most popular Yankee of all time) to a one year deal worth $7 million. Although he did pitch almost 200 innings last year, his era was over 5.
Justin Verlander is looking to increase his payday this year by filing for $9.5 million. The Tigers are countering with an offer of $6.9 million. Once again, are you kidding me? Verlander has received serious consideration in three of the last four years for the Cy Young award and the Tigers want to pay him less than what Carl Pavano will be making. Nothing against Pavano but he is nowhere near the pitcher that Verlander is. How can an always cash strapped franchise like Minnesota pay more for a guy like Pavano than the Tigers want to pay for a guy like Verlander? It’s beyond me.
Detroit should just get a deal done with Verlander and sign him for the next seven years. The Tigers need Verlander. Verlander is the man. Now that Granderson has joined the forces of evil, Verlander is the face of the Detroit Tigers. All I can think is that Dave Dombrowski wants to save some cash so that he can re-sign the D-Train.
Two other pitchers who debuted in the same year as Verlander also made headlines today with their signings. Francisco Liriano signed with the Twins for $1.6 million. Oh how the mighty have fallen. This guy was supposed to be the franchise pitcher after Santana left for New York and now he is making a quarter of Carl Pavano’s salary. The other signing is a biggie. King Felix will sit on his throne in Seattle for another five years as the Mariners re-signed him for $78 million plus incentives.
This is a really nice deal for both parties. Seattle is making a statement that they plan on contending for a while. I love it. I don’t know how well this team is going to do but they say pitching and defense wins championships and this team has both pitching and defense. They just don’t have much power. Maybe they can scratch out 95 2-1 wins this year. I hope so. We need to get some fresh faces into October this year.
Today In Completely Fictional News
It seems as though the Mark McGwire’s admission to using steroids has had an impact on more than just the game of baseball. The confession is also starting to bring about change in the arts. Both the literary and music industries were rocked by accusations and denials but in the end both of their histories will have to be rewritten.
Just as McGwire, Bonds, and Clemens will take the fall in the major leagues, William S. Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, and Ken Kesey will be taking the same fall in the world of literature. Although all three are now deceased, authors and writing associations all over the world are trying to distance themselves from what many consider to be a complete debaucle. Apparently, the three “Beat Generation” writers used Performance Enhancing Drugs such as alcohol, opiates, and LSD. These drugs are thought to have enhanced each author’s style of writing to an extent that brought them both fame and fortune.
The ramifications of these accusations will indeed change the way these men are thought of for generations to come. William S. Burroughs’ Harvard Degree has been revoked as a punishment for what the University feels was, “unfair to other authors who did not use mind altering drugs (MAD) to enhance their written works.” Similarily, Jack Kerouac will face consequences. He will no longer be allowed to be referred to as the “King of the Beats.” Despite his influential work in the literary world, Kerouac has been demoted to “Baron of the Beats.” Ken Kesey, best known for his novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, is suffering the consequences of his own MAD usage. All five of the Acadamy awards that the movie based on the aforementioned book will be taken away. Members of the Academy could not be reached for comment.
Unfortunately, the world of music has also been found to have been overrun with MADs. Several musicians are under the scrutinizing thumb of anti-PED and anti-MAD executives. Toby Keith has admitted that he, “smoked weed with Willie Nelson once but that he will never do it again.” We don’t know if charges will be pressed in his ongoing investigation.
Former lead singer for the Doors, Jim Morrison, was posthumously given the 2007 Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement. It is now being taken away because news has broken that Mr. Morrison was using MADs such as LSD, cocaine, and marijuana. Doors keyboardist, Ray Manzarek, has denied any knowledge of Morrison’s MAD use. “Sure, Jim acted strange sometimes but nobody really knew what was going on. It’s not like he was using MADs backstage or anything,” Manzarek was quoted as saying.
The only other musical entity to take a hit in this matter so far is Cypress Hill. The #19 that they achieved on the Billboard Charts will be taken away and erased from the record. According to inustry officials, it was found that, “their lyrics were laden with references to cannabis.” Executives from their record label, Ruffhouse Records, are denying any knowledge of wrongdoing on the part of the band.
It seems as though the use of PEDs and MADs is prevalent in all of the entertainment industries. We can only hope that more people come forward with their admissions and come clean.
BIG MAC
Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun…OR…maybe just one of the greatest players to ever play the game.
Yeah…ok…I was just faking you all out. I could care less about McDonalds’ famous and delicious burger. It has not made headlines since that Supersize Me movie. Mark McGwire, on the other hand, is making headlines. Today, McGwire ‘fessed up to taking hgh and steroids. I know, I know…huge suprise. I wasn’t suprised either.
What I do find a little suprising and reprehensible is the reaction that this gets from baseball nation. How dare people call Mark McGwire a liar? I do not understand this. McGwire merely stated that he did not want to talk about the past. And I am sure he didn’t. I would not have wanted to talk about the past either. However, he is not a liar. He never stated that he did not take steroids. At the time it was not even against the rules of major league baseball. In fact, they turned a blind eye to the whole epidemic of PEDs in baseball because players were producing well on the field.
What McGwire did do was to help bring excitement back to the game after many disillusioned fans swore off the game because of the strike. A nation (actually, being Canadian, I have to say at least two nations) came back to baseball and re-embraced it during the race between Mark “Big Mac” McGwire and “Slammin’” Sammy Sosa for the Homerun Title in 1998. Recently, we have decided to turn our backs on these two desrving HOFers.
Who is to blame for this. Is it Mark McGwire? Is it the MLB? Is it Jose Canseco? Yes, all of these entities share some blame. McGwire did take steroids (as he finally admitted). The MLB did turn a blind eye to the situation. Jose Canseco was the whistle blower in this whole steroids scandal.
I believe that there is another entity that needs to take some share of the blame in the shame of the game. (Who liked that poetic rhyming thingy I just did?) I believe that the media needs to take some responsibility in this mess too. Who are they to point their fingers at individuals? I find it difficult to believe that everyone in the press was ignorant to the fact that steroids was a growing problem in baseball. If they were, indeed, ignorant then they really weren’t very good at their jobs. They probably ignored it the same way that the mlb and the individual teams ignored it.
Now, who points the finger? The media. Who took advantage of the power display that McGwire and Sosa showcased for the world? The media. One minute these guys are the toast of the town…the next they are being thrown under the bus by the same people that rode the bus. THIS IS BUNK.
It’s time to let bygones be bygones. It’s time for us to drop the blame game. It’s time for the media to drop it’s superiority complex. Baseball players are human. They make mistakes. There is already an era labelled as the steroid era. We all know what went down. There are now measures in place to prevent history from repeating itself. Let’s all take a deep, cleansing breath…and….release.
I know…a whole bunch of guys did steroids. Did that make the ballgame less entertaining? Did that make the ballplayers horrible monsters? Did that turn me away from the game? My answer to all of those questions is NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let’s move on people. There are worse problems in the world than what happened in the ’90s. The MLB is trying to ensure that all of it’s players are clean. The 2010 season is right around the corner. Let’s get it on.
The BBWAA Is Making Our Hall of Fame a Joke
The Baseball Writer’s Association of America are responsible for voting in the members of the Hall of Fame. I know that being a writer is probably a very difficult job and that they probably receive a lot more criticism than they deserve. Sometimes you have to write things that just get a reaction out of people. However, when voting for the HOF, these writers should not be looking to get a reaction, to make a point, or to be pushing some sort of personal agenda. The BBWAA needs to be looking at a ball player’s body of work and judging whether or not that player is deseving of enshrinement.
I find it incredibly odd that Alomar is judged to be unworthy of enshrinement at this time due to his unfortunate spitting incident. Being, quite possibly, the greatest player to man second base EVER should guarantee being a shoe in for first ballot success. Apparently not.
I find it distressing that the man who sits in 8th place on the all time homerun list can’t find his way to the podium to make his acceptance speech for his enshrinement because the BBWAA has decided to become judge and jury on whether or not McGwire broke any of the (at the time) non-existent rules of baseball and the use of hgh.
Most of all I find it frustrating that Bert Blyleven, a man who didn’t have any issues with spitting on umpires or using banned substances, is entering into his 14th year of HOF eligibility. For whatever reason the writers figure that being 5th all time in strikeouts, 27th all time in wins, and 9th all time in shutouts just makes him a good ball player.
The BBWAA is wrong on all accounts. 5th all time in Ks, 27th all time in victories, and 9th all time in shutouts makes you a HOFer. 583 dongs makes you a HOFer. Being the best (or at least being in the conversation as one of the best) at your position makes you a HOFer.
It’s funny because in order to get into the Hall you have to overcome all obstacles and make the big leagues. Then you have to crack the starting lineup or rotation. After that you need excel at your position to the point where people actually think that you are one of the best that has ever played the game. In order to vote someone into the Hall all you have to do is be a member of the BBWAA for ten years. I am sure that there is a process to becoming a member and you probably have to be a respected member of the press but I hardly think that gives the right to keep obvious choices out of the HOF, especially if the reasons revolve around personal biases.
On a complete side note. I understand that there has never been a unanimous Hall of Famer. That got me to thinking…who would be most likely to be the first unanimous HOFer? It wouldn’t be Bonds…he is linked to the ‘roids like no one else. It won’t be A-Rod…he had to come clean for his PED usage. Who could it be? It would have to be someone who is one of the greatest of all time. It would need to be a person who is universally well liked. This player would have to be loved by his teammates and those who played against him.
The first unanimous HOFer will be none other than Junior (five years after he retires, of course.) Unless the BBWAA completely drops the ball….AGAIN.
Hopefully, this will be my last blog about this year’s Hall of Fame vote. There are only 88 more days until the season begins. I am more than ready.
Hall of Shame
It is absolutely shameful that the BBWAA have left the three most deserving ball players off of their ballots. Andre Dawson deserves all of the congratulations in the world but to leave Blyleven, Larkin, and Alomar out in the cold is ridiculous.
Robbie Alomar is recognized by his contemporaries as the best secondbaseman that most of them had ever seen play the game. He was the best defensive secondbaseman of his era and maybe all time. On top of that, his offensive stats alone make him a hall of famer. He had one unfortunate incident that marred his career. I don’t think that the sports writers have forgiven him. John Hirschbeck, the umpire who Alomar spit on, has forgiven him and the two have become great friends. How is it okay to leave Alomar unchecked on your ballot based on one event in one game that he played in his career? Many other hall of famers were known to be racists, philanderers, and generally not nice people but they were still voted in. I know that Alomar will make it in next year or another year after but it seems a complete travesty that he is not a first ballot hall of famer.
Barry Larkin is another player that I can not understand being left off of people’s ballots. As far as I have heard, every one of his contemporaries has the utmost respect for all that Larkin brought to the table. He was a gold glove shortstop and an offensive threat in every way. I believe that this former mvp will make the hall eventually but I am suprised that he did not garner more votes.
The biggest mistake is not putting Blyleven in. This man is fifth all time for strikeouts…FIFTH…ALL TIME. Are you kidding me? He is 27th all time in wins. How is this guy not in already? I have to believe that this is the biggest slight. He was five votes short this year. Oddly enough, there were five blank ballots sent in. This is wrong and the BBWAA should fell ashamed of themselves.
It’s a Good Day
Let me first say that I really like Mike Lowell. I like what he has done for the Red Sox. He is a really good ball player and a really good team player. I hope that, for his own sake, he gets traded somewhere that he can play everyday. Maybe the Angels would be interested since they are going with that Wood kid at third. 
That being said, I also really like Adrian Beltre.
He is going to be able to replace Lowell’s defense and I think that he will have a monster year at Fenway. His production was down last year due to injuries but if he is healthy I think that he will do really well in a hitters’ ballpark like Fenway.
I don’t know if that is it for signings this off-season for the Red Sox but if it is I am satisfied with what we are going to be able to put on the field. They say that pitching and defense wins championships. I am hoping that these moves put the Sox in a position where we will be able to play for one this year.
In other Sox news, it looks like Ellsbury is moving over for Mike Cameron. I like this move too. I like Ellsbury’s range but his arm does leave a bit to be desired. I think that the trio of Ellsbury, Cameron, and Drew could be one of the best outfields in baseball. As usual I have optimistic hopes for the upcoming season. I can’t wait to see how this off-season plays out on the field.
The Worst of the Worst
Having just written about the Pittsburgh Pirates and the dire straights that they are in, I thought to myself, who are the worst franchises in the mlb in recent memory. Of course a discussion like this has to have some rules so I have decided to limit my findings to the last 12 years. It seems only fair since two of the teams in the majors have only been in existence that long. That way everyone starts on an even playing field.
There are, of course, thirty teams in the major leagues. Of those thirty teams there are only five who have not made a playoff appearance within the last dozen years. These are the teams that I deem to be the WORST OF THE WORST. We will do this David Letterman style and start with number five.
5. The Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays are not actually that bad all things considered. They just play in an incredibly competitive division in baseball where third place is nothing and third place is tough to come in. Over the last twelve years the Blue Jays have actually had seven winning seasons. That is pretty good considering that they have to play 18 or 19 games against the Yankees and then again against the Red Sox. Unfortunately, the Jays could not translate those winning seasons into playoff baseball. They had zero years in October and that leaves them as the fifth worst team in baseball.
4. The Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos.
You will have to excuse the old school logo but I am a crazy Canadian after all. This franchise has only seen three winning seasons in the last twelve. This has translated into zero playoff success and things do not look to be getting any better. Only one of the winning seasons (and I use the term “winning” loosely as they were 81 and 81) was in Washington. It was really sad to watch the Expos play out those last few years in the “Big O” in Montreal. They must have averaged about 5,000 or 6,000 a night. That ugly old dome looked even uglier when it was almost empty.
3. The Kansas City Royals. How did this
all-powerful team of the eighties turned into the dismal franchise that it is today? The Royals have only managed one winning year out of the last twelve in question. They have had the good fortune of playing in baseball’s weakest division but have not been able to take advantage of it. Every year I look to Kansas City to break out and every year they have the same season…a losing season. Maybe next year will be the year that they can break loose of the weak teams in the AL Central.
2. The Baltimore Orioles. Yet another once proud organization falls upon hard times. Of course, they also reside in the extremely tough AL East where pennants and playoff berths are tough to come by. However, the Orioles shouldn’t even concern themselves with the playoffs. (Insert Jim Mora “PLAYOFFS speech here.) They have not had one winning season in the last dozen. At least they seem to be on the right track. They have a lot of good young talent that is ready to lead this team back to it’s winning ways.
1. The Pittsburgh Pirates. Ahh yes, the Pirates.
Here is a team that has not had a glimpse of the playoffs or even a winning season in 17 years. They are terrible. And the worst thing is that their ownership seems to be content with the status quo. They trade away anyone of value in order to stay afloat. This franchise was also a very proud one not too long ago. When are the powers-that-be in Pittsburgh going to correct this situation? I am not a Pirates fan but I will be rooting for them to break the .500 barrier this season.
There you have it…my Bottom Five list. Hopefully, 2010 will hold some surprises for us all and a few of these teams will break losse of the bottom feeder status and make the playoffs or at least finish .500.
Pittsburgh Piracy?
I took the liberty of looking up the word Pirate in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and one of the meanings listed was, “to lure away from another employer by offers of betterment.” Wow…that could not be further from the truth in Pittsburgh. I have thought about the Pirates a bit this off-season and it just makes me sad. This once proud organization was the toast of the National League for years and now it has been reduced to a complete joke.
They have not had a winning season since 1992. That is 17 years in a row of losing. That is horrific. This is a team that made the playoffs six times in the 1970s (before the wild card.) In the early 90s they made the playoffs three years in a row and since then…nothing.
“The Pirates have not ramped up their player payroll, the most obvious expenditure in the eyes of most fans. Instead, they spent more for facilities, scouting and player development the past two years.” Rob Biertempfel, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
This is a paragraph from today’s Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. My question is why would the Pirates organization start by spending more on these items as opposed to bumping up their $52 million budget (28th in the league?) I know that scouting and development is important but so is winning ballgames on a major league level. It also seems to me that their player development has been half decent. They just trade away all of their good players as soon as they can.
I guess Pittsburgh fans can look forward to more exciting prospects being traded to other teams over the next few years. The Pirates will scout and develop them and then send them to other teams where they can excel.
Now I Remember That Dude
We all know that Tim Lincecum is a really good pitcher. We all know about his Cy Young Awards. We all know that he is one of the best young (if not the best young) pitchers in baseball.
But what I can’t figure out is where do I know this guy from. He is too young and from the wrong part of North America to have been one of my buddies from back in the day. Yet, he has that certain familiarity about him that screams that I have been to some huge bush party with him.
All of a sudden I had an epiphany. I could totally put my finger on it. He had been a part of my life (not really…but I know how I remember him.)
He is a childhood movie star who played Mitch Kramer in the movie
Dazed and Confused. It all makes so much sense now because Tim Lincecum is a pitcher and Mitch Kramer was a little league pitcher. I don’t know how I didn’t put my finger on it before.
Well I, for one, would like to congratulate Mr. Lincecum. Although he is the target of the occasional weed bust, he certainly hasn’t wound up like a lot of child film stars. He must have taken heed to the cautionary tales of child legends like Todd Bridges and Danny Bonaduce because he has avoided any real trouble and it seems as though he has made something of himself.
Keep up the good work and the good pitching, Tim. I will always be rooting for you.
Now if you will excuse me, I have a certain movie to watch.
Happy New Hall of Fame Voting
Happy New Year…blah blah blah. Let’s get into some baseball. I am done thinking about last year and the title bought by the Yankees. I am ready to move on to what is currently happening. Okay…not much is going on but next Wednesday they will be announcing the Hall of Fame balloting results.
I know…I know. It’s a flawed system. It is up to members of the BBWAA to vote for who they deem worthy of making it into the Hall. These members of the media vote based on their own biases and (sometimes) on whether or not they care for the players personally or not. I am not going to get into all of that kind of junk.
I am going to pick who I would vote for, and the reasons why, if I was a member of the BBWAA. Each member gets up to a maximum of ten votes. This year there are 26 names on the ballot. There are eight players who I feel are no-brainers to make it in but I will cast ten votes just because it is so much fun.
1. My top HOF pick goes to one of my all time favorites,
Barry Larkin. He was a complete ballplayer at one of the more difficult positions in baseball. He had enough power to not be taken for granted and enough speed that he was always a threat on the basepaths. His defense was overshadowed by Ozzie Smith but he won three gold gloves. To go along with his gold gloves in his trophy case he also has an MVP award and was in the discussion five other times. Barry was also a 12 time all star. He definitely gets into the Hall of Fame.
2. My second selection is none other than Roberto Alomar. Unfortunately, his career is marred by his spitting incident but this another complete player who did it all. He could go yard at any time and he was feared on the basepaths as well. On top of his offensive accomplishments he was also known as one of the best defensive secondbasemen to ever play the game. He never won an MVP award (he received votes in seven years) but he did garner ten gold glove awards and was chosen for 12 all-star games. He was probably the most dominant secondbaseman of his era and most certainly deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.
3. The third guy selected on my ballot is Mark
“Big Mac” McGwire. How is this guy not already in? It is beyond me. 583…that is all I have to say…583. This man has hit more homeruns than Reggie Jackson or Harmon Killebrew who are both in the HOF based on their power numbers. McGwire is currently in 8th place on the all time homerun list. I know what people say…steroids…yadayadayada. He did not break any baseball rules that existed while he was playing. I also think that baseball owes players like McGwire and Slammin’ Sammy thanks for what they did for the game. These guys put baseball back on the map and they did it with smiles on their faces. McGwire needs to be in the Hall. Come on people: let’s make it happen.
4. My next player is The Crime Dog, Fred McGriff. There was a period of eight years where McGriff was one of the most feared hitters in the game. From the period of 1988 to 1995 he received votes for MVP. Although he never received the award, he was in the top ten for SLG, OPS, and Homeruns in each year from ’88 to ’94. He also was in the top ten for OBP four times within that period. He has 493 career homers and 1550 career RBI. On top of his HOF type statistics and period of league dominance he is also recognized by former teammates and coaches as being one of the great team players that they had ever played with. McGriff was known for doing what it takes to win and helping all of those who played with him to perform at their best as well. The Crime Dog gets my vote.
5. This was a tough one but my number pick is Edgar Martinez. This was difficult for me and, at first, he did not make my list. The fact that he was a DH for most of his career hurt his chances in my eyes. However, after listening to some discussion on mlb radio, I have decided that he makes it. The DH is a part of the game (whether or not I like it) and Edgar Martinez was one of the best hitters in the game. I think that he also changed the way that people used the DH. Most of the time when I think of the designated hitter I think of the power hitter who strikes out a lot. Although Martinez could hit the long ball and he generally flirted with 80 or 90 Ks per year, he was a pure hitter. His career BA is .312 and his career OBP is .418. It’s hard to keep a guy like that out of the Hall.
6. Bert Blyleven has the honor of being the first pitcher to make my ballot for this year.
He has to be one of the most underappreciated pitchers of all time. He was only selected to two all-star games but is 5th all time with 3701 strikeouts. He is 9th all time with 60 shutouts. He is 27th all time with 287 wins. There are only two players with more wins that have been eligible to make the HOF who are not in the Hall. Of the top 20 shutout leaders Blyleven is the only pitcher not to be in the Hall of Fame. Of all the strikeout leaders who have made it to HOF eligibility, no one comes close to Blyleven. What does this guy have to do to earn the writers’ respect. He needs to be in the Hall of Fame and there is no reasonable excuse as to why he is not already there.
7. How is the Hawk not in? Andre Dawson
is my next maker-of-the-ballot. Eight gold gloves, an MVP, and a ROY award highlight Andre’s career. He also came second in MVP voting twice and received votes in six other seasons. He has over 400 dongs and over 300 swiped bags. Andre Dawson was the complete package. He was a great defensive player who played with power and speed. I think that his compilation of awards and his eight selections to the all-star team cement him as one of the most dominant players of his era. The Hall of Fame is supposed to celebrate players like Dawson. He not only put up the numbers but was a class act. He receives my vote.
8. My next name played along side of Andre Dawson for many years and was one of the most feared men on the basepaths of all time. His name, of course, is Tim Raines. He ended his career 5th overall with 808 stolen bases. Next to Rickey “I am the Greatest” Henderson, Raines was the premier on base threat of the Eighties. He also scored 1571 runs in his career…good for 50th overall and if you look at the all time runs scored list you will see that he is in excellent Hall of Fame company. Raines made seven all-star games in a row for his ability to get on base and his ability to take the next base on his own. He also received MVP votes in seven different seasons. I base my vote on the fact that he was a game changer in every way. Tim Raines deserves induction.
9. My next pitcher is one of the baddest 
relievers of all time. Lee Smith gets my
vote for his ability to close out games. His 478 saves are good for third all time. I know that the writers don’t like voting for closers because it is a relatively new invention in baseball but, just like the designated hitter, closers are a part of the game. When he retired he went out on top of the saves leader board. He was dominant and, although he was a closer, he received MVP votes four times and Cy Young votes four times as well. He should not be punished just because he is a closer. Lee Smith gets my vote.
And last but not least.
10. My number ten pick is purely sentimental and I really don’t know how much of a chance he has but he was my favorite player when I was a kid. He was and is an excellent role model who never touched steroids. He had a phenomenal career which included back-to-back MVP awards. He compiled almost 400 homeruns and is just a stand up guy and my childhood hero. His name is Dale Murphy.
That’s it. These are the guys that I would be going with if I was part of the BBWAA. So let’s hope that the writers get it right and get some of these guys in the Hall of Fame.
mlblogsezmac71
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