I am sure you’re all burned out reading commentary and post mortems on the Mitchell Report. I did read the whole thing from Genesis to Revelation and while it had some useful recommendations, it struck me as more geared toward satisfying the public and Congress rather than anything meaningful. Selig’s comments in the aftermath confirmed this feeling; I get the sense he is still trying to re-write history in his favour.
He wants to be known as the commissioner who ended the steroid era and not the one who allowed it to happen. Most of my brain dump was done on MSN Canada and should be up soon. I did have one epiphany that I didn’t have before that I touched on my yet to be published article that I hadn’t really thought much about before--the black market.
One of the things about obtaining anabolic steroids is that they have to be purchased in that manner. There are no quality controls with black market drugs and all too often, this is how players received these substances. These chemicals are produced in unsanitary and unhygienic conditions and God only knows what else is in them. This is why places like BALCO and Kirk Radomski were so appealing--at least the players knew that the drugs wouldn’t be contaminated.
To me, this is where the MLBPA failed miserably. They never perceived that ownership was O.K. with the players using these substances because it helped them recover from injury faster and it improved performance among superstar talent. It was making them large amounts of money. The union allowed a multi-tiered uneven playing field between users and non-users and those who could afford substances that were more sophisticated and those that were not. Those on the cusp of the big leagues who didn’t have multi-million dollar guaranteed contracts to fund high-grade anabolics were forced to turn to dangerous black market steroids to win or retain a big league job.
Think about it; these young players needed to be protected from the MLBPA as much as ownership. It was the MLBPA that fought tooth-and-nail to keep an environment where young people had to decide between black market drugs and their dreams. The union hasn’t been reticent about their disdain about the Mitchell Report but guess what? They could have commissioned their own study and implement changes themselves to keep the playing field even and safe.
The union is an organization that fights hard against a business that tries to maximize profits at all costs--even if it is done in an unethical fashion. Sadly, the MLBPA is an association that attempts to maximize salaries at all costs--even if it means obligating young men to take hazardous black market anabolic steroids if they wish to join.
Don Fehr and Gene Orza’s single-minded devotion to the salary bar created a hazardous working environment for its constituents. I am skeptical about the Mitchell Report myself, but they have lost the moral high ground because they showed a slavish devotion to lucre. They have to accept equal blame with ownership for this mess. They cannot complain about the Mitchell Report for the simple reason that they could have done something themselves but neglected to do so. They were quite content to continue with a situation where young men had to take dangerous health risks since it helped the quest to push up the salary bar.
How is that any less exploitive than ownership that had pitchers throw both ends of a doubleheader or had stadiums without padding on outfield walls because it improved the bottom line? Before Messersmith/McNally, the superstars were protected by ownership while lesser players were deemed expendable and replaceable. Now superstar salaries are protected by the MLBPA while lesser players are no less expendable and replaceable. Repeatedly, the union tried to allow elite talent to whatever was needed to secure contracts that pushed up the salary bar even if it meant that the rank-and-file had to subject themselves to terrible health risks.
The bottom line is this: George Mitchell’s report is a self-serving exercise designed to pressure the union and burnish Bud Selig’s image. However, regardless of motives behind it, it was an attempt to do something about MLB’s steroid problem. It was one more thing than the MLBPA did--the union chose to do nothing about improving the working conditions of their constituents.
Right now, Bud Selig, Bob Dupuy, Don Fehr and Gene Orza have one thing in common. Their eyes are so blinded by dollar signs that nobody is truly looking out for the players’ best interests.
Cleaning fish…
For those of you that missed it, my latest gutting and filleting of Jeffrey Loria and David ‘he could be taller if took Viagra’ Samson is up at The Hardball Times. If Bud Selig is interested in acting in the ‘best interests of baseball’ why hasn’t he awarded these two a franchise in Atlantis?
Best Regards
John
Friday, December 14, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
The Mike Gill Show: The day before the bomb drops edition…
I received the docket for today’s segment on ESPN 1450’s Mike Gill Show. Today’s topics include :
The Mitchell Report: What do you expect, 60-80 names? Do you expect major names or more or less second and third tier players?
I have heard numbers ranging from 60 to over 100 could be mentioned. If you look at the names already linked to steroids in one form or another, it’s a pretty good cross-section of the sport. I think the report will be likewise. According to the Steroid Era site the number is already at 64 players. Obviously the Mitchell Report will have others we have not heard about as of yet. While some on the site are still somewhat speculative, I think that there will be things in the report confirming those suspicions.
There have been a few leaks regarding the investigation itself. Some state that it’s too harsh, others claim it will be vague, and still others question the methodology used by George Mitchell. If some reports are to be believed, it appears than Mitchell did little more than request various interviewees to make their best guess on who they thought may be juicing. We’re going to have to wait and see how credible will be the report. Will it be weighty and well-sourced or will it be little more than the Blue-Ribbon economic report of a few years ago that was little more than ownership propaganda and public relations than anything truly substantive.
Does baseball really want this report out?
I think most team owners do since it could throw a wrench into the remainder of the offseason marketplace and depress salaries somewhat. In addition, the marketplace has spoken and it appears that steroid usage hasn’t hurt baseball’s revenues (quite the opposite in fact) so there will be little or no economic fallout from the report. If it slows the market down it could even be a plus for the bottom line.
I think G.M.s are the most nervous since they’re expected to have their thumb on the pulse of the roster. They’re the ones entrusted to put the team together and could potentially look bad if they gave a large contract to a juicer over the last 2-3 seasons. We see guys like Torii Hunter, Carlos Lee, Barry Zito, Vernon Wells etc. receive long-term deals in excess of $16 million per year; if their names crop up in the report, then the G.M.s signing them may be dealing with very large albatross contracts.
Eric Gagne to the Brewers--is this a good or bad move?
It’s a good move. The Brewers lost their closer Francisco Cordero to the Reds and Scott Linebrink to the White Sox so they needed to plug those holes. They’ve picked up Salomon Torres who may or may not retire as well as the always-reliable David Riske. There’s little risk to the Brewers since it’s a one-year deal at the going rate. I’m fairly certain Gagne’s pratfall in Boston was an aberration. He wasn’t as good as he performed in Texas nor as bad as he pitched in Boston--he’s somewhere in between. The NL Central is the perfect place for Gagne to build up his value for free agency after 2008.
The question is this: How will Ned Yost manage his new bullpen in 2008? Did he learn anything from his missteps of last season? I co-authored (ghost wrote may be more accurate) a post-mortem of the Brewers 2007 collapse with a fellow who prefers to be called ‘Harvey’s Wallbangers’ that analyzed Yost’s bullpen management (or lack of same).
Aaron Rowand put his house up for sale--does that really mean he is moving?
I wouldn’t think so; if Rowand was set on leaving Philadelphia, he would have placed his house on the market long before now. It doesn’t mean he’s not moving either--the question is where his new house is located. If it’s a ways away from ‘The City of Brotherly Love’ then there’s some cause for concern. It could be a simple matter of realizing he’s about to get a very healthy raise from $4,350,000 to somewhere between $14-18 million per year. Now he’s getting ready to find accommodations that reflect his (soon-to-be) new income bracket.
Of course, I also said Andruw Jones wouldn’t sign until February so be mindful of the source. I’m not called “Nostradumbass” for nothing you know.
Edit: Geez, can I miss them or what? Aaron Rowand signs a five-year deal with the San Francisco Giants. No dollar amounts are known at this time. I'm guessing they paid a premium since they are still a ways from contention.
Then again ... I have been wrong before. Nostradumbass indeed.
When will the free agent signings pick up?
Very soon, midnight (Eastern Time) tonight is the deadline for non-tendering unsigned players. That will put a lot of players into the marketplace enabling clubs know what is available for upgrading the roster. To use one example: If the Blue Jays don’t offer Reed Johnson a contract he would be a tempting (and cheaper) alternative than signing Rowand for six years at (a minimum of) $14 million per year. If healthy, Johnson would fare very well in the NL. He’s a solid defensive outfielder with good on base skills, a touch of power and a smart base runner. Johnson could hit 20 HR with an OBP north of .360 in Philadelphia.
Best Regards
John
- The Mitchell Report: What do you expect, 60-80 names? Do you expect major names or more or less second and third tier players?
- Does baseball really want this report out?
- Gagne to the Brewers ... smart move or bad move?
- Rowand put his house up for sale--does that really mean he is moving?
- When will the FA signings pick up?
The Mitchell Report: What do you expect, 60-80 names? Do you expect major names or more or less second and third tier players?
I have heard numbers ranging from 60 to over 100 could be mentioned. If you look at the names already linked to steroids in one form or another, it’s a pretty good cross-section of the sport. I think the report will be likewise. According to the Steroid Era site the number is already at 64 players. Obviously the Mitchell Report will have others we have not heard about as of yet. While some on the site are still somewhat speculative, I think that there will be things in the report confirming those suspicions.
There have been a few leaks regarding the investigation itself. Some state that it’s too harsh, others claim it will be vague, and still others question the methodology used by George Mitchell. If some reports are to be believed, it appears than Mitchell did little more than request various interviewees to make their best guess on who they thought may be juicing. We’re going to have to wait and see how credible will be the report. Will it be weighty and well-sourced or will it be little more than the Blue-Ribbon economic report of a few years ago that was little more than ownership propaganda and public relations than anything truly substantive.
Does baseball really want this report out?
I think most team owners do since it could throw a wrench into the remainder of the offseason marketplace and depress salaries somewhat. In addition, the marketplace has spoken and it appears that steroid usage hasn’t hurt baseball’s revenues (quite the opposite in fact) so there will be little or no economic fallout from the report. If it slows the market down it could even be a plus for the bottom line.
I think G.M.s are the most nervous since they’re expected to have their thumb on the pulse of the roster. They’re the ones entrusted to put the team together and could potentially look bad if they gave a large contract to a juicer over the last 2-3 seasons. We see guys like Torii Hunter, Carlos Lee, Barry Zito, Vernon Wells etc. receive long-term deals in excess of $16 million per year; if their names crop up in the report, then the G.M.s signing them may be dealing with very large albatross contracts.
Eric Gagne to the Brewers--is this a good or bad move?
It’s a good move. The Brewers lost their closer Francisco Cordero to the Reds and Scott Linebrink to the White Sox so they needed to plug those holes. They’ve picked up Salomon Torres who may or may not retire as well as the always-reliable David Riske. There’s little risk to the Brewers since it’s a one-year deal at the going rate. I’m fairly certain Gagne’s pratfall in Boston was an aberration. He wasn’t as good as he performed in Texas nor as bad as he pitched in Boston--he’s somewhere in between. The NL Central is the perfect place for Gagne to build up his value for free agency after 2008.
The question is this: How will Ned Yost manage his new bullpen in 2008? Did he learn anything from his missteps of last season? I co-authored (ghost wrote may be more accurate) a post-mortem of the Brewers 2007 collapse with a fellow who prefers to be called ‘Harvey’s Wallbangers’ that analyzed Yost’s bullpen management (or lack of same).
Aaron Rowand put his house up for sale--does that really mean he is moving?
I wouldn’t think so; if Rowand was set on leaving Philadelphia, he would have placed his house on the market long before now. It doesn’t mean he’s not moving either--the question is where his new house is located. If it’s a ways away from ‘The City of Brotherly Love’ then there’s some cause for concern. It could be a simple matter of realizing he’s about to get a very healthy raise from $4,350,000 to somewhere between $14-18 million per year. Now he’s getting ready to find accommodations that reflect his (soon-to-be) new income bracket.
Of course, I also said Andruw Jones wouldn’t sign until February so be mindful of the source. I’m not called “Nostradumbass” for nothing you know.
Edit: Geez, can I miss them or what? Aaron Rowand signs a five-year deal with the San Francisco Giants. No dollar amounts are known at this time. I'm guessing they paid a premium since they are still a ways from contention.
Then again ... I have been wrong before. Nostradumbass indeed.
When will the free agent signings pick up?
Very soon, midnight (Eastern Time) tonight is the deadline for non-tendering unsigned players. That will put a lot of players into the marketplace enabling clubs know what is available for upgrading the roster. To use one example: If the Blue Jays don’t offer Reed Johnson a contract he would be a tempting (and cheaper) alternative than signing Rowand for six years at (a minimum of) $14 million per year. If healthy, Johnson would fare very well in the NL. He’s a solid defensive outfielder with good on base skills, a touch of power and a smart base runner. Johnson could hit 20 HR with an OBP north of .360 in Philadelphia.
Best Regards
John
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Suspended animation causes stream-of-consciousness …
It feels like the calm before the storm.
I’m speaking of the upcoming Mitchell Report; it makes writing columns a bit more complicated in that it will overshadow pretty much everything else in the news for a time. I already stated that my THT column this week would be on the Marlins and I do not want to go back on that. Besides, I’m sure somebody on staff will do a bang up job on dissecting it.
It will be the topic of my weekly column on MSN Canada though. I asked my boss to move my deadline so I can put in an article shortly after the entire (feces + kinetic energy x impact + oscillating fan) equation becomes reality. Unlike THT, I’m the only baseball columnist at the moment there so I guess I should be the one to cover it. Speaking of which, my column on J.P. Ricciardi at the winter meetings is now live. You could say I was whining in the article and I am not sure you’d be wrong.
By the way, I was in a cranky mood when I wrote the Marlins column so be prepared for some serious stomping-into-a-gooey-icky mess approach to it. I mentioned in a post a few days back that this isn’t about the Marlins per se but rather the living proof that ‘two heads are better than one isn’t always the case’ truism at the top of the chain of command. I have never been reticent in my admiration of Larry Beinfest and I will reiterate that on Friday AM.
I am extremely ticked that the art dealer and the embodiment of the hazards of nepotism had Beinfest be the front man for explaining how the Cabrera/Willis trade was related to stadium issues. For Orioles fans sick and tired of the Peter Angelos and sons approach to baseball mediocrity just remember, it could’ve been far worse. It was Jeffrey Loria who was bidding against Angelos for ownership of the Birds.
Considering my lifelong hatred for the Orioles, imagine if David Samson was part of that front office.
By the way O’s fans, don’t be offended by my dislike of your team. Quite frankly, I have no idea how it developed, it has been there for as long as I can remember. My only guess is that my dad is a Yankees fan and the Orioles were a dominant team in the late 1960’s when I started watching baseball on our old black and white television. When you consider this occurred during the fall of the Yankees empire, it might have played a part.
In addition, of course the little matter of Ken Singleton was hardly endearing--1973 (Singleton’s entry into “The 300 Club” AKA ‘The Triple-Triple’) helped make me feel slightly less bad about the trade that cost the Expos Rusty Staub and a lot worse about losing both he Mike Torrez in the trade that netted les Expos a lame Dave McNally plus Rich Coggins and Bil Kirkpatrick.
For what it’s worth, I don’t hate all things Orioles. Memorial Stadium was a nice ballpark and I love what Camden Yards did for stadium architecture (although private financing would be nicer in these cases). Boog Powell was a guy I enjoyed watching and I had a lot of his baseball cards. I could never hate Brooks Robinson either--the man was all class and then some.
There are other pro-Birdy things besides--the McNally half of Messersmith/McNally; you’ve gotta love Rube Waddell and El Presidente Dennis Martinez not to mention Frank Robinson, Singleton, Harold Baines and at one time--Rafael Palmeiro (I leave a candle burning in the window hoping that somehow he did accidentally receive steroids--I’m not holding my breath however). Of course the pugnacious and ribald Earl Weaver will always be memorable--especially his mano a manos with umpire Ron Luciano.
Speaking of Raffy, I can’t help but wonder if any other favourite might be linked in the Mitchell Report.
What was this post supposed to be about again? Oh right … like the time I caught the ferry over to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for my shoe, so, I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. 'Give me five bees for a quarter,' you’d say.
Now where were we? Oh yeah -- the important thing was that I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn’t have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones. Therefore consult a physician before beginning any exercise program. Some side effect may include vomiting, diarrhea, swelling of the tongue, dizziness, blindness, impotence, prostate acne, loss of cognitive function, bladder control, Paris Hilton joining the Spice Girls as "Promiscuous Spice" volcanic activity, seismic tremors, plagues of locusts, the opening the fifth through seventh seals of Revelation and a matter/antimatter reactions which will cause the universe to implode in a cataclysmic 'big crunch.'
If you experience any of these symptoms be sure to contact your health care provider. Take on an empty stomach and do not attempt to operate heavy machinery. If you catch fire, stop drop and roll, if you choose to run, look both ways before you cross the street. If you ignore the warnings and you end up with two broken legs, don't come running to me.
My name is Indigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die. Luke, I'm your father. Remember who you are, you are my son and the one true king. Life is like a box of chocolates. Offer not valid in all states, check with your dealer for details. Refund where applicable. Remember, only you can prevent forest fires. Any retransmission or rebroadcast of this game is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of Major League Baseball, the commissioner’s office and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Well, it makes about as much sense as anything else I’ve written in this post thus far.
Well, to comment on something relevant, I would like to say that I thought the BBWAA’s exclusion of Rob Neyer and Keith Law says more about the organization than Neyer and Law. Both are superior baseball writers who are far more competent than many within the association. They are poorer for their decision. I have no aspirations or expectations of being asked to join so I have no real dog in this fight. I think a body of work deserves far more weight than number of times one is at the ballpark. As national baseball writers they have different beats and responsibilities than those who cover one team.
If the BBWAA wishes to remain relevant, then they must strive to be current and the world wide web is the present and the future and far kinder to the environment. If the BBWAA wishes to be relevant in the new millennium then they should starting living there.
Best Regards
John
I’m speaking of the upcoming Mitchell Report; it makes writing columns a bit more complicated in that it will overshadow pretty much everything else in the news for a time. I already stated that my THT column this week would be on the Marlins and I do not want to go back on that. Besides, I’m sure somebody on staff will do a bang up job on dissecting it.
It will be the topic of my weekly column on MSN Canada though. I asked my boss to move my deadline so I can put in an article shortly after the entire (feces + kinetic energy x impact + oscillating fan) equation becomes reality. Unlike THT, I’m the only baseball columnist at the moment there so I guess I should be the one to cover it. Speaking of which, my column on J.P. Ricciardi at the winter meetings is now live. You could say I was whining in the article and I am not sure you’d be wrong.
By the way, I was in a cranky mood when I wrote the Marlins column so be prepared for some serious stomping-into-a-gooey-icky mess approach to it. I mentioned in a post a few days back that this isn’t about the Marlins per se but rather the living proof that ‘two heads are better than one isn’t always the case’ truism at the top of the chain of command. I have never been reticent in my admiration of Larry Beinfest and I will reiterate that on Friday AM.
I am extremely ticked that the art dealer and the embodiment of the hazards of nepotism had Beinfest be the front man for explaining how the Cabrera/Willis trade was related to stadium issues. For Orioles fans sick and tired of the Peter Angelos and sons approach to baseball mediocrity just remember, it could’ve been far worse. It was Jeffrey Loria who was bidding against Angelos for ownership of the Birds.
Considering my lifelong hatred for the Orioles, imagine if David Samson was part of that front office.
By the way O’s fans, don’t be offended by my dislike of your team. Quite frankly, I have no idea how it developed, it has been there for as long as I can remember. My only guess is that my dad is a Yankees fan and the Orioles were a dominant team in the late 1960’s when I started watching baseball on our old black and white television. When you consider this occurred during the fall of the Yankees empire, it might have played a part.
In addition, of course the little matter of Ken Singleton was hardly endearing--1973 (Singleton’s entry into “The 300 Club” AKA ‘The Triple-Triple’) helped make me feel slightly less bad about the trade that cost the Expos Rusty Staub and a lot worse about losing both he Mike Torrez in the trade that netted les Expos a lame Dave McNally plus Rich Coggins and Bil Kirkpatrick.
For what it’s worth, I don’t hate all things Orioles. Memorial Stadium was a nice ballpark and I love what Camden Yards did for stadium architecture (although private financing would be nicer in these cases). Boog Powell was a guy I enjoyed watching and I had a lot of his baseball cards. I could never hate Brooks Robinson either--the man was all class and then some.
There are other pro-Birdy things besides--the McNally half of Messersmith/McNally; you’ve gotta love Rube Waddell and El Presidente Dennis Martinez not to mention Frank Robinson, Singleton, Harold Baines and at one time--Rafael Palmeiro (I leave a candle burning in the window hoping that somehow he did accidentally receive steroids--I’m not holding my breath however). Of course the pugnacious and ribald Earl Weaver will always be memorable--especially his mano a manos with umpire Ron Luciano.
Speaking of Raffy, I can’t help but wonder if any other favourite might be linked in the Mitchell Report.
What was this post supposed to be about again? Oh right … like the time I caught the ferry over to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for my shoe, so, I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. 'Give me five bees for a quarter,' you’d say.
Now where were we? Oh yeah -- the important thing was that I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn’t have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones. Therefore consult a physician before beginning any exercise program. Some side effect may include vomiting, diarrhea, swelling of the tongue, dizziness, blindness, impotence, prostate acne, loss of cognitive function, bladder control, Paris Hilton joining the Spice Girls as "Promiscuous Spice" volcanic activity, seismic tremors, plagues of locusts, the opening the fifth through seventh seals of Revelation and a matter/antimatter reactions which will cause the universe to implode in a cataclysmic 'big crunch.'
If you experience any of these symptoms be sure to contact your health care provider. Take on an empty stomach and do not attempt to operate heavy machinery. If you catch fire, stop drop and roll, if you choose to run, look both ways before you cross the street. If you ignore the warnings and you end up with two broken legs, don't come running to me.
My name is Indigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die. Luke, I'm your father. Remember who you are, you are my son and the one true king. Life is like a box of chocolates. Offer not valid in all states, check with your dealer for details. Refund where applicable. Remember, only you can prevent forest fires. Any retransmission or rebroadcast of this game is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of Major League Baseball, the commissioner’s office and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Well, it makes about as much sense as anything else I’ve written in this post thus far.
Well, to comment on something relevant, I would like to say that I thought the BBWAA’s exclusion of Rob Neyer and Keith Law says more about the organization than Neyer and Law. Both are superior baseball writers who are far more competent than many within the association. They are poorer for their decision. I have no aspirations or expectations of being asked to join so I have no real dog in this fight. I think a body of work deserves far more weight than number of times one is at the ballpark. As national baseball writers they have different beats and responsibilities than those who cover one team.
If the BBWAA wishes to remain relevant, then they must strive to be current and the world wide web is the present and the future and far kinder to the environment. If the BBWAA wishes to be relevant in the new millennium then they should starting living there.
Best Regards
John
Monday, December 10, 2007
Raines of Terror...
One of my favourite memories of Tim Raines are when he was completely locked in his zone. He would go on month long tears where it was easy to feel sorry for the opposing battery. Before I headed to Baseball-Reference, I first tried to remember some clues that would help me locate them. My instincts told me that Raines tended to start and finish the season on fire.
Sure enough, when I went through the game logs it was generally the case. At any rate, using BB-Ref and my own memory I cobbled together ten of his hottest runs. This isn’t a comprehensive list but most of these line up pretty well with what I remember--not so much the exact stats but more how he would totally dominate the opposition. While Raines was at his best with the Expos, he did have four terrific hot streaks … well, two hot streaks and a couple of spurts, most notably in early 1993 and late 1996.
While endpoints have little usage as an analytical tool, they do have the utility of examining hot and cold streaks. Anyway, I did keep myself to a couple of basic ground rules: one, only one streak per season would be counted and two, the streaks had to be at least 25 games in length. I bent the rules a bit to document Raines’ final two spurts since they have a couple of memories included with them.
First, the 10 ‘Raines of Terror’…
April 21, Phillies vs. Expos … Raines led off the game with an infield hit and promptly stole second, then third. In the sixth, he singles driving in a pair and again swipes second and third. He successfully did it off two different pitchers; Dick Ruthven in the first and this time Sparky Lyle was the victim. While he was stranded in the first, he came around to score that time. Raines went 4-for-5 with two doubles, runs scored and RBI and was 4-for-4 in swiping bases including third base twice. The Phillies were PWN3D by the “Rock.”
April 6, the Expos are in Atlanta and Raines is in CF and batting third. Who was in left and batting leadoff then? None other than Pete Rose; Raines is more than up to the task this day slugging a double and home run scoring a run and driving in three others. He is 4-for-5 this day as well.
The Expos are in Busch Stadium for their final series of the year in St. Louis from September 20-22. The Cardinals are leading the division by a couple of games over the Mets. The Expos are out of it but are in an excellent position to play spoiler. It was not to be as the Cardinals swept. Regardless, don’t blame Raines who reached in 10 of his 15 plate appearances and was a perfect 5-for-5 in stealing bases.
Tim Raines had a 17 game hitting streak with seven doubles, two triples a HR, drew 13 walks and wasn’t caught stealing in nine tries. His batting line was a tidy .414/.506/.614 and not surprisingly, the Expos won 13 of those 17 contests.
There really wasn’t one thing about this stretch that stood out. He opened the season on fire and the only thing I really remember was feeling that Raines was enjoying an MVP season and it was a shame it would not happen. I do recall being happy that when all was said and done Raines returned to the Expos. When he declined arbitration, I was certain he was a goner.
Raines had an uncharacteristically slow start in ‘89; he hadn’t hit a home run, he wasn’t running but he was still getting on base frequently. I eyeballed BB-Ref and noticed that he walked 15 times over his first 18 games and had an OBP of .382. I thought it was lower before I checked. Anyway, game 19 is when he really started to heat up going 3-for-6 against the Cardinals. I didn’t see that particular game but remember reading the box score and noticed that had he went yard, he would’ve hit for the cycle. It was the start of a ten-game hitting streak and while Raines was tearing the cover off the ball, he was still drawing his walks.
One inning of one game stands out: The Expos were 20-17 in mid-May, the Padres 18-21 and San Diego came into Stade Olympique for a three game set. I was hoping for an Expos sweep since the Jays were staggering and finally had canned Jimy Williams and Cito Gaston had taken his place. The Expos dropped the first two and I was hoping they could salvage a game and not fall back to .500 … unfortunately, they were facing Bruce Hurst. Les Expos scored in the first and were up 1-0; Raines lead off the third with a walk and Otis Nixon comes up. “Rock” promptly swipes second and Hurst wild pitches him to third--this is the start of a rally. Hurst whiffs Nixon, but no problem the “Big Cat” Andres Galarraga is up next. They battle but Hurst ends up with another ‘K.’ Next up: Hubie Brooks, next down: Hubie Brooks, Hurst struck out the side. Raines would walk three times and never scored and the Padres would erase a 3-0 lead and swept the Expos back to .500.
Grrrr.
Tim Raines, American Leaguer?
It was pretty unnerving to see Raines wearing White Sox let me tell you. What I recall most about this is the game before he started his tear. David Wells was on the hill and threw his knee-buckling hook at will. Raines led off the game with a fly out. Boomer struck him out swinging the next two times up and Duane Ward did likewise in the ninth. Welcome to Toronto “Rock.” I was thrilled with Wells’ awesome start and was surprised Gaston didn’t let him pitch the ninth. The big lefty had given up three hits and a walk and struck out the side in the eighth around a Frank Thomas walk and an infield hit by Ozzie Guillen.
I remember feeling relieved. I thought Raines was about done. From mid-June 1991 through late August 1992, he looked like a speed merchant and not much else. I checked the numbers and they were gruesome: .268/.358/.344 with 68 steals. The OBP while O.K. wasn’t Raines’ quality however, his knack for pilfering bases was still there. He wasn’t quite as prolific as he was in Montreal but picked his spots well and succeeded almost 90% of the time. As you can see from the numbers, he finished strong. The Jays were making their run to their first World Series title and wasn’t paying much attention to the White Sox. Toronto and Chicago played six games in late August and early September. Raines hit well at New Comiskey but not so well in Toronto--they split the six games.
Raines tore a thumb ligament and was out six weeks. You’d never know it since the 22 game hot streak was before and right after the injury. While I was paying more attention to the Jays that year I remember a series in early June, (I can’t remember which one I attended which is odd, but I suspect it was the opener). It was like watching the Rock of old (except he didn‘t attempt any steals). He scored seven runs, homered twice, doubled and walked four times over the three games. It made for a tidy batting line of .600/.714/.1.300. Thanks for the flashback Tim.
Of course, he wasn’t done … not by a long shot. He was a beast in the LCS versus Toronto, batting .444/.483/.556. Had the White Sox won he may have copped MVP honours (Wilson Alvarez and Frank Thomas also had terrific series although the Jays kept away from Thomas walking him 10 times).
This time a hamstring injury brought “The Rock” down. However, by September Raines was letting the Yankees know he was ready to contribute in October with a torrid September that included seven HR. Of course, I remember in mid-September Jimmy Key shutting down his old mates with two hits and no walks over 8 IP and Tim Raines pair of three runs jacks off Paul Quantrill. It was a final …
PWN3D!
… against Toronto. Ah well.
Thanks for the memories Rock--I hope to have yet one more in Cooperstown!
Regarding Raines...
TIM RAINES - HALL OF FAME, 2008 (The "Dweeb Team's" Flagship)
Tim Raines: Worthy Hall-of-Famer (MSN Canada)
Cooperstown Needs a Piece of "The Rock" (Hardball Times)
Is 'The Hawk' or 'The Rock' the lock?... (TPoSGD)
Rock Solid Doing the Tango ... (TPoSGD)
Best Regards
John
Sure enough, when I went through the game logs it was generally the case. At any rate, using BB-Ref and my own memory I cobbled together ten of his hottest runs. This isn’t a comprehensive list but most of these line up pretty well with what I remember--not so much the exact stats but more how he would totally dominate the opposition. While Raines was at his best with the Expos, he did have four terrific hot streaks … well, two hot streaks and a couple of spurts, most notably in early 1993 and late 1996.
While endpoints have little usage as an analytical tool, they do have the utility of examining hot and cold streaks. Anyway, I did keep myself to a couple of basic ground rules: one, only one streak per season would be counted and two, the streaks had to be at least 25 games in length. I bent the rules a bit to document Raines’ final two spurts since they have a couple of memories included with them.
First, the 10 ‘Raines of Terror’…
Date GP BA OBP SLG R HR RBI SB CS
Apr 15, 1981-May 17, 1981 30 .366 .470 .500 22 2 10 32 3
Apr 3, 1984-May 7, 1984 28 .336 .432 .477 22 3 16 8 0
Aug 17, 1985-Oct 5, 1985 42 .383 .484 .617 34 5 18 24 3
Apr 24, 1986-May 24, 1986 27 .389 .484 .593 28 2 6 13 1
May 24, 1987-Jun 27, 1987 30 .407 .478 .602 32 4 22 13 0
Apr 23, 1989-May 31, 1989 32 .328 .438 .586 28 4 22 11 3
May 10, 1991-Jun 14, 1991 34 .364 .461 .504 24 1 16 17 2
Aug 24, 1992-Oct 1, 1992 31 .336 .403 .540 23 5 17 7 0
Apr 6, 1993-Jun 12, 1993 22 .338 .453 .649 19 7 14 2 3
Sep 4, 1996-Sep 29, 1996 22 .316 .433 .633 22 7 16 3 1
What I remember … (with BB-Ref to jog my memory of course)
Date GP BA OBP SLG R HR RBI SB CS
Apr 15, 1981-May 17, 1981 30 .366 .470 .500 22 2 10 32 3
April 21, Phillies vs. Expos … Raines led off the game with an infield hit and promptly stole second, then third. In the sixth, he singles driving in a pair and again swipes second and third. He successfully did it off two different pitchers; Dick Ruthven in the first and this time Sparky Lyle was the victim. While he was stranded in the first, he came around to score that time. Raines went 4-for-5 with two doubles, runs scored and RBI and was 4-for-4 in swiping bases including third base twice. The Phillies were PWN3D by the “Rock.”
Date GP BA OBP SLG R HR RBI SB CS
Apr 3, 1984-May 7, 1984 28 .336 .432 .477 22 3 16 8 0
April 6, the Expos are in Atlanta and Raines is in CF and batting third. Who was in left and batting leadoff then? None other than Pete Rose; Raines is more than up to the task this day slugging a double and home run scoring a run and driving in three others. He is 4-for-5 this day as well.
Date GP BA OBP SLG R HR RBI SB CS
Aug 17, 1985-Oct 5, 1985 42 .383 .484 .617 34 5 18 24 3
The Expos are in Busch Stadium for their final series of the year in St. Louis from September 20-22. The Cardinals are leading the division by a couple of games over the Mets. The Expos are out of it but are in an excellent position to play spoiler. It was not to be as the Cardinals swept. Regardless, don’t blame Raines who reached in 10 of his 15 plate appearances and was a perfect 5-for-5 in stealing bases.
Date GP BA OBP SLG R HR RBI SB CS
Apr 24, 1986-May 24, 1986 27 .389 .484 .593 28 2 6 13 1
Tim Raines had a 17 game hitting streak with seven doubles, two triples a HR, drew 13 walks and wasn’t caught stealing in nine tries. His batting line was a tidy .414/.506/.614 and not surprisingly, the Expos won 13 of those 17 contests.
Date GP BA OBP SLG R HR RBI SB CS
May 24, 1987-Jun 27, 1987 30 .407 .478 .602 32 4 22 13 0
There really wasn’t one thing about this stretch that stood out. He opened the season on fire and the only thing I really remember was feeling that Raines was enjoying an MVP season and it was a shame it would not happen. I do recall being happy that when all was said and done Raines returned to the Expos. When he declined arbitration, I was certain he was a goner.
Date GP BA OBP SLG R HR RBI SB CS
Apr 23, 1989-May 31, 1989 32 .328 .438 .586 28 4 22 11 3
Raines had an uncharacteristically slow start in ‘89; he hadn’t hit a home run, he wasn’t running but he was still getting on base frequently. I eyeballed BB-Ref and noticed that he walked 15 times over his first 18 games and had an OBP of .382. I thought it was lower before I checked. Anyway, game 19 is when he really started to heat up going 3-for-6 against the Cardinals. I didn’t see that particular game but remember reading the box score and noticed that had he went yard, he would’ve hit for the cycle. It was the start of a ten-game hitting streak and while Raines was tearing the cover off the ball, he was still drawing his walks.
One inning of one game stands out: The Expos were 20-17 in mid-May, the Padres 18-21 and San Diego came into Stade Olympique for a three game set. I was hoping for an Expos sweep since the Jays were staggering and finally had canned Jimy Williams and Cito Gaston had taken his place. The Expos dropped the first two and I was hoping they could salvage a game and not fall back to .500 … unfortunately, they were facing Bruce Hurst. Les Expos scored in the first and were up 1-0; Raines lead off the third with a walk and Otis Nixon comes up. “Rock” promptly swipes second and Hurst wild pitches him to third--this is the start of a rally. Hurst whiffs Nixon, but no problem the “Big Cat” Andres Galarraga is up next. They battle but Hurst ends up with another ‘K.’ Next up: Hubie Brooks, next down: Hubie Brooks, Hurst struck out the side. Raines would walk three times and never scored and the Padres would erase a 3-0 lead and swept the Expos back to .500.
Grrrr.
Date GP BA OBP SLG R HR RBI SB CS
May 10, 1991-Jun 14, 1991 34 .364 .461 .504 24 1 16 17 2
Tim Raines, American Leaguer?
It was pretty unnerving to see Raines wearing White Sox let me tell you. What I recall most about this is the game before he started his tear. David Wells was on the hill and threw his knee-buckling hook at will. Raines led off the game with a fly out. Boomer struck him out swinging the next two times up and Duane Ward did likewise in the ninth. Welcome to Toronto “Rock.” I was thrilled with Wells’ awesome start and was surprised Gaston didn’t let him pitch the ninth. The big lefty had given up three hits and a walk and struck out the side in the eighth around a Frank Thomas walk and an infield hit by Ozzie Guillen.
Date GP BA OBP SLG R HR RBI SB CS
Aug 24, 1992-Oct 1, 1992 31 .336 .403 .540 23 5 17 7 0
I remember feeling relieved. I thought Raines was about done. From mid-June 1991 through late August 1992, he looked like a speed merchant and not much else. I checked the numbers and they were gruesome: .268/.358/.344 with 68 steals. The OBP while O.K. wasn’t Raines’ quality however, his knack for pilfering bases was still there. He wasn’t quite as prolific as he was in Montreal but picked his spots well and succeeded almost 90% of the time. As you can see from the numbers, he finished strong. The Jays were making their run to their first World Series title and wasn’t paying much attention to the White Sox. Toronto and Chicago played six games in late August and early September. Raines hit well at New Comiskey but not so well in Toronto--they split the six games.
Date GP BA OBP SLG R HR RBI SB CS
Apr 6, 1993-Jun 12, 1993 22 .338 .453 .649 19 7 14 2 3
Raines tore a thumb ligament and was out six weeks. You’d never know it since the 22 game hot streak was before and right after the injury. While I was paying more attention to the Jays that year I remember a series in early June, (I can’t remember which one I attended which is odd, but I suspect it was the opener). It was like watching the Rock of old (except he didn‘t attempt any steals). He scored seven runs, homered twice, doubled and walked four times over the three games. It made for a tidy batting line of .600/.714/.1.300. Thanks for the flashback Tim.
Of course, he wasn’t done … not by a long shot. He was a beast in the LCS versus Toronto, batting .444/.483/.556. Had the White Sox won he may have copped MVP honours (Wilson Alvarez and Frank Thomas also had terrific series although the Jays kept away from Thomas walking him 10 times).
Date GP BA OBP SLG R HR RBI SB CS
Sep 4, 1996-Sep 29, 1996 22 .316 .433 .633 22 7 16 3 1
This time a hamstring injury brought “The Rock” down. However, by September Raines was letting the Yankees know he was ready to contribute in October with a torrid September that included seven HR. Of course, I remember in mid-September Jimmy Key shutting down his old mates with two hits and no walks over 8 IP and Tim Raines pair of three runs jacks off Paul Quantrill. It was a final …
PWN3D!
… against Toronto. Ah well.
Thanks for the memories Rock--I hope to have yet one more in Cooperstown!
Regarding Raines...
TIM RAINES - HALL OF FAME, 2008 (The "Dweeb Team's" Flagship)
Tim Raines: Worthy Hall-of-Famer (MSN Canada)
Cooperstown Needs a Piece of "The Rock" (Hardball Times)
Is 'The Hawk' or 'The Rock' the lock?... (TPoSGD)
Rock Solid Doing the Tango ... (TPoSGD)
Best Regards
John
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Even Charles Darwin hates Barry Bonds …
I have a question: How is wine, women and song any different from sex drugs and rock and roll?
Without getting into a theological debate, I am going to use a few Bible verses solely to prove a single point … human nature remains wonderfully constant throughout the passage of time. Here is a favourite--find women tough to understand? Join the club--first a little background:
Well, ol’ Jacob was coming home after a hard days work, the account continues: So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him …
... and she drops the following line on her hubby:
Huh? Whaa … hired who? WHAT MANDRAKES??? would undoubtedly pop into Jacob’s head at this point. Of course, did he really want to know the details behind that statement? Dare he even ask? Nope, all he had to do was shut his mouth and perform his husbandly duties--which he did …
Wise man ol’ Jacob.
Of course, we guys are wonderfully consistent when it comes to sex. In fact, when Jacob was a young man, he agreed to work seven years for his future father-in-law as a bride price for Rachel. Seven years are finally up and Jacob goes in to see her daddy:
Hey, the poor guy waited seven long years--can you blame him for being so direct?
Heh.
Speaking of connubial relations, think your wife is guilty of making dramatic statements? Hey, it has been like that since forever. Check these lines out from stressed out spouses:
Sound familiar guys? Here’s another age-old classic human foible: listening to your posse rather older, wiser folk’s advice …
Dude triggered a revolt--nice going dum-dum.
Things are no different today, every generation of teenagers feel they can make the same mistakes of the previous generation yet avoid the consequences (“It won‘t happen to me!”) . Folks are on their deathbed regretting they spent their life in the pursuit of wealth only to discover it didn’t bring them happiness. They wish to pass along this wisdom to their children and grandchildren who are too busy figuring out what they’ll do with their share of the inheritance thinking the dough will make them happy.
And I hated life, because the work that has been done under the sun was calamitous from my standpoint, for everything was vanity and a striving after wind. And I, even I, hated all my hard work at which I was working hard under the sun, that I would leave behind for the man who would come to be after me. And who is there knowing whether he will prove to be wise or foolish? Yet he will take control over all my hard work at which I worked hard and at which I showed wisdom under the sun.--Ecclesiastes 2
Ah well.
Which brings us to Barry Bonds’ current situation; I like to say about such things ‘that muffled, thudding noise you hear is Darwin turning over in his grave.’ Bonds’ story is a familiar one--a man brought down by hubris. It never fails, no matter how many celebrities crash and burn due to their own arrogance or stupidity, nobody seems to learn from other’s mistakes. Bonds felt he was bullet-proof, invincible since so many interests were protecting him.
What he failed to realize it that invincibility is temporary, it lasts only as long as the person has value to those protecting him. Once the value is gone, so is the protection. Time and again, the next person down the pipe thinks that inevitability will escape them, that they are somehow immune to what happens to everyone in a position of prominence. They burn bridges on the way up never imagining that one day they’ll have to return the same way they came. When that day arrives, they discover that those people are still there, they have long memories and now it’s time for some payback.
This whole saga isn’t about anabolic steroids, or perjury, or baseball’s integrity. It is about a prominent man who behaved like a total butthole towards those he considered beneath him. Due to his stratospheric athletic ability, folks looked the other way, ate his feces and called it pralines and cream because he made people money. Now Barry Bonds holds the all-time home record and if he plays again it will be as a DH. His ability to make others coin is largely diminished. He’ll be too old to play soon and he has zero value as a celebrity pitchman due to his cantankerous personality.
Since he can’t make folks money--why protect the guy? The media is out using keyboards and modems in place of torches and pitchforks, ink and paper instead of tar and feathers eager to see the guy burn and suddenly Bonds discovers just how vulnerable he has become.
However, in time, the lessons learned from the saga of Barry Bonds will be forgotten. There will be other stars on the scene who will behave as Bonds did never thinking the ride will end and we’ll be doing this all over again. Will we ever learn?
Do you hear that muffled, thudding noise now?
Best Regards
John
Without getting into a theological debate, I am going to use a few Bible verses solely to prove a single point … human nature remains wonderfully constant throughout the passage of time. Here is a favourite--find women tough to understand? Join the club--first a little background:
During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes." But she said to her, "Wasn't it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son's mandrakes too?"
"Very well," Rachel said, "he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son's mandrakes."
Well, ol’ Jacob was coming home after a hard days work, the account continues: So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him …
... and she drops the following line on her hubby:
"You must sleep with me … I have hired you with my son's mandrakes."
Huh? Whaa … hired who? WHAT MANDRAKES??? would undoubtedly pop into Jacob’s head at this point. Of course, did he really want to know the details behind that statement? Dare he even ask? Nope, all he had to do was shut his mouth and perform his husbandly duties--which he did …
"So he slept with her that night."--Genesis 30
Wise man ol’ Jacob.
Of course, we guys are wonderfully consistent when it comes to sex. In fact, when Jacob was a young man, he agreed to work seven years for his future father-in-law as a bride price for Rachel. Seven years are finally up and Jacob goes in to see her daddy:
"Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to lie with her."--Genesis 29:21
Hey, the poor guy waited seven long years--can you blame him for being so direct?
Heh.
Speaking of connubial relations, think your wife is guilty of making dramatic statements? Hey, it has been like that since forever. Check these lines out from stressed out spouses:
"Give me children, or I'll die!"--Genesis 30:1
“If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.”--Genesis 27:46
"You hate me! You don't really love me.”--Judges 14:16
“How can you say, 'I love you,' when you won't confide in me?”--Judges 16:15
Sound familiar guys? Here’s another age-old classic human foible: listening to your posse rather older, wiser folk’s advice …
Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all the Israelites had gone there to make him king. When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt. So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him: "Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you."
Rehoboam answered, "Go away for three days and then come back to me." So the people went away. Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. "How would you advise me to answer these people?" he asked.
They replied, "If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants." But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. He asked them, "What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, 'Lighten the yoke your father put on us'?"
The young men who had grown up with him replied, "Tell these people who have said to you, 'Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter'-tell them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist. My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.' "--1 Kings 12
Dude triggered a revolt--nice going dum-dum.
Things are no different today, every generation of teenagers feel they can make the same mistakes of the previous generation yet avoid the consequences (“It won‘t happen to me!”) . Folks are on their deathbed regretting they spent their life in the pursuit of wealth only to discover it didn’t bring them happiness. They wish to pass along this wisdom to their children and grandchildren who are too busy figuring out what they’ll do with their share of the inheritance thinking the dough will make them happy.
And I hated life, because the work that has been done under the sun was calamitous from my standpoint, for everything was vanity and a striving after wind. And I, even I, hated all my hard work at which I was working hard under the sun, that I would leave behind for the man who would come to be after me. And who is there knowing whether he will prove to be wise or foolish? Yet he will take control over all my hard work at which I worked hard and at which I showed wisdom under the sun.--Ecclesiastes 2
Ah well.
Which brings us to Barry Bonds’ current situation; I like to say about such things ‘that muffled, thudding noise you hear is Darwin turning over in his grave.’ Bonds’ story is a familiar one--a man brought down by hubris. It never fails, no matter how many celebrities crash and burn due to their own arrogance or stupidity, nobody seems to learn from other’s mistakes. Bonds felt he was bullet-proof, invincible since so many interests were protecting him.
What he failed to realize it that invincibility is temporary, it lasts only as long as the person has value to those protecting him. Once the value is gone, so is the protection. Time and again, the next person down the pipe thinks that inevitability will escape them, that they are somehow immune to what happens to everyone in a position of prominence. They burn bridges on the way up never imagining that one day they’ll have to return the same way they came. When that day arrives, they discover that those people are still there, they have long memories and now it’s time for some payback.
This whole saga isn’t about anabolic steroids, or perjury, or baseball’s integrity. It is about a prominent man who behaved like a total butthole towards those he considered beneath him. Due to his stratospheric athletic ability, folks looked the other way, ate his feces and called it pralines and cream because he made people money. Now Barry Bonds holds the all-time home record and if he plays again it will be as a DH. His ability to make others coin is largely diminished. He’ll be too old to play soon and he has zero value as a celebrity pitchman due to his cantankerous personality.
Since he can’t make folks money--why protect the guy? The media is out using keyboards and modems in place of torches and pitchforks, ink and paper instead of tar and feathers eager to see the guy burn and suddenly Bonds discovers just how vulnerable he has become.
However, in time, the lessons learned from the saga of Barry Bonds will be forgotten. There will be other stars on the scene who will behave as Bonds did never thinking the ride will end and we’ll be doing this all over again. Will we ever learn?
Do you hear that muffled, thudding noise now?
Best Regards
John
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Nostradumbass strikes again! …
Nice guess on Andruw Jones yesterday eh?
Ah well, I’ve told Mike Gill on numerous occasions that he ask me to prognosticate at his own risk. There’s not much to say about the Jones’ signing; the Dodgers made a good deal--if he reverts to form, they have a bargain, if not, they’re not tied into a long obligation.
I guess Johan Santana ain’t a member of the Red Sox either--two for two!
Trust me, call me up, ask for stock tips, do the exact opposite, and cut me a five percent commission--we’ll both be rich.
Moving on …
I really should update my personal archives; my MSN column dealing with Raines’ Hall of Fame candidacy is up. My boss Scott entitled it Tim Raines: Worthy Hall-of-Famer--he gets full marks for directness. I shouldn’t tease him like that; the guy is unbelievably overworked and his family has been dealing with some serious medical issues. Do me a favour, put in a good word to your deity of choice for him. I’m often amazed how good people just can’t catch a break.
Once again--hang in there guy; 2008 is almost here. I appreciate your hard work in keeping me presentable. If you like, I can put you in touch with the editing staff at THT or Dave Studeman and you can compare notes. My next MSN column will consist of me whining about J.P. Ricciardi’s absence at the winter meetings.
Oh, he was there? My bad.
Speaking of previews, tomorrow I’ll be ranting further about the Veterans Committee’s failure to elect Marvin Miller. Typical cronyism, kiss up to the folks who were so busy making the game worse for money than the guy who actually accomplished something worthwhile. If Willie Sutton knocked over a bank using a baseball bat as a weapon, you could expect to see him on the ballot in 2009.
I was going to write a nasty, vitriolic piece about Marlins: Stadium woes led to trade. Adding to the hilarity was this tidbit: Marlins trade Rule 5 Draft pick for cash. I’ll save the major broadsides for next week’s THT column--it’s probably what I’m best known for; well, that and suggesting replacement-level hitters should bunt occasionally with men and nobody out to stay out of the double play. I would like to go on the record about this one point: I’ve read in cyberspace that I hate the Florida Marlins.
Not true, not by a longshot. I’ve enjoyed watch the talent that the Marlins have produced. The 2003 team was a joy to watch. Larry Beinfest may well be near the top among major league G.M.s. I have never been shy in expressing my admiration for his fine work. What I hate is Marlins ownership … I saw them actively destroy any last hope for Montreal Expos fans. I know how they operate, they are worse than Bud Selig and Scott Boras combined and compounded. They should never, ever be allowed to own another major league franchise. They are right down there with William Cox, Charles Comiskey, and Arnold Johnson as being among the worst owners the game has had the misfortune of foisting upon a city.
A phrase I like to toss around here applies well to both: “fiscal succubi.” They wait until they think you are oblivious and they swoop in and screw you out of every last penny. Then they will return and try it again and again since they can never be satiated. You cannot be in contact with them and not feel defiled somehow.
If you don’t believe I’m sympathetic to the Marlins plight, surf over to Fish Chunks where I occasionally commiserate with them over their ownership situation. Here is a team that has won two World Series seven years apart but has dealt with the fans and region in such incredible bad faith that they still stay away. Their next decent owner will be their first. They have had one long collection of welfare queens who demand to have their pockets filled with ill-gotten gold. Don’t forget, while John Henry is well liked in Boston he said he couldn’t afford to find private financing to make good on his promise to build a stadium himself in South Florida. A few years later, he miraculously was able to cobble together $700 million to buy the Red Sox.
Rest assured Marlins fans--I would love to see a responsible owner come in and build up the market. You are not bad fans--you are people who have too much self-respect to remain in an abusive relationship. I hope one day you get treated with the respect you deserve. I never took the ripping you gave me a few years back personally after I wrote Blackmail Black Knights and Black Humor and Dumb And Dumber in the spring of 2005. I felt the same way you did back then during Jeffrey Loria’s early tenure with the Expos when we dreamt of Labatt Park and a new era of Montreal baseball.
I’ve rambled enough for tonight. I may or may not deal with the steroid suspensions handed out to Jose Guillen and Jay Gibbons tomorrow, but one wag at Baseball Think Factory was livid over the Gibbons decision. He felt it wasn’t long enough--he was an Orioles fan of course, I guess it’s pretty easy to develop a sense of gallows humour after dealing with Angelos and Sons who may soon be rubbing shoulders with Loria and Samsonuvabeeyatch in baseball ignominy.
Best Regards
John
Ah well, I’ve told Mike Gill on numerous occasions that he ask me to prognosticate at his own risk. There’s not much to say about the Jones’ signing; the Dodgers made a good deal--if he reverts to form, they have a bargain, if not, they’re not tied into a long obligation.
I guess Johan Santana ain’t a member of the Red Sox either--two for two!
Trust me, call me up, ask for stock tips, do the exact opposite, and cut me a five percent commission--we’ll both be rich.
Moving on …
I really should update my personal archives; my MSN column dealing with Raines’ Hall of Fame candidacy is up. My boss Scott entitled it Tim Raines: Worthy Hall-of-Famer--he gets full marks for directness. I shouldn’t tease him like that; the guy is unbelievably overworked and his family has been dealing with some serious medical issues. Do me a favour, put in a good word to your deity of choice for him. I’m often amazed how good people just can’t catch a break.
Once again--hang in there guy; 2008 is almost here. I appreciate your hard work in keeping me presentable. If you like, I can put you in touch with the editing staff at THT or Dave Studeman and you can compare notes. My next MSN column will consist of me whining about J.P. Ricciardi’s absence at the winter meetings.
Oh, he was there? My bad.
Speaking of previews, tomorrow I’ll be ranting further about the Veterans Committee’s failure to elect Marvin Miller. Typical cronyism, kiss up to the folks who were so busy making the game worse for money than the guy who actually accomplished something worthwhile. If Willie Sutton knocked over a bank using a baseball bat as a weapon, you could expect to see him on the ballot in 2009.
I was going to write a nasty, vitriolic piece about Marlins: Stadium woes led to trade. Adding to the hilarity was this tidbit: Marlins trade Rule 5 Draft pick for cash. I’ll save the major broadsides for next week’s THT column--it’s probably what I’m best known for; well, that and suggesting replacement-level hitters should bunt occasionally with men and nobody out to stay out of the double play. I would like to go on the record about this one point: I’ve read in cyberspace that I hate the Florida Marlins.
Not true, not by a longshot. I’ve enjoyed watch the talent that the Marlins have produced. The 2003 team was a joy to watch. Larry Beinfest may well be near the top among major league G.M.s. I have never been shy in expressing my admiration for his fine work. What I hate is Marlins ownership … I saw them actively destroy any last hope for Montreal Expos fans. I know how they operate, they are worse than Bud Selig and Scott Boras combined and compounded. They should never, ever be allowed to own another major league franchise. They are right down there with William Cox, Charles Comiskey, and Arnold Johnson as being among the worst owners the game has had the misfortune of foisting upon a city.
A phrase I like to toss around here applies well to both: “fiscal succubi.” They wait until they think you are oblivious and they swoop in and screw you out of every last penny. Then they will return and try it again and again since they can never be satiated. You cannot be in contact with them and not feel defiled somehow.
If you don’t believe I’m sympathetic to the Marlins plight, surf over to Fish Chunks where I occasionally commiserate with them over their ownership situation. Here is a team that has won two World Series seven years apart but has dealt with the fans and region in such incredible bad faith that they still stay away. Their next decent owner will be their first. They have had one long collection of welfare queens who demand to have their pockets filled with ill-gotten gold. Don’t forget, while John Henry is well liked in Boston he said he couldn’t afford to find private financing to make good on his promise to build a stadium himself in South Florida. A few years later, he miraculously was able to cobble together $700 million to buy the Red Sox.
Rest assured Marlins fans--I would love to see a responsible owner come in and build up the market. You are not bad fans--you are people who have too much self-respect to remain in an abusive relationship. I hope one day you get treated with the respect you deserve. I never took the ripping you gave me a few years back personally after I wrote Blackmail Black Knights and Black Humor and Dumb And Dumber in the spring of 2005. I felt the same way you did back then during Jeffrey Loria’s early tenure with the Expos when we dreamt of Labatt Park and a new era of Montreal baseball.
I’ve rambled enough for tonight. I may or may not deal with the steroid suspensions handed out to Jose Guillen and Jay Gibbons tomorrow, but one wag at Baseball Think Factory was livid over the Gibbons decision. He felt it wasn’t long enough--he was an Orioles fan of course, I guess it’s pretty easy to develop a sense of gallows humour after dealing with Angelos and Sons who may soon be rubbing shoulders with Loria and Samsonuvabeeyatch in baseball ignominy.
Best Regards
John
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Educated gas...
Well, I guess we all know about the latest broadside to the blogosphere. This time it’s Stephen A. Smith:
..."And when you look at the internet business, what’s dangerous about it is that people who are clearly unqualified get to disseminate their piece to the masses. I respect the journalism industry, and the fact of the matter is ...someone with no training should not be allowed to have any kind of format whatsoever to disseminate to the masses to the level which they can. They are not trained. Not experts. More important are the level of ethics and integrity that comes along with the quote-unqoute profession hasn’t been firmly established and entrenched in the minds of those who’ve been given that license...”
Personally, I think we are being played a bit here. Smith saw all the publicity Bill Conlin’s remarks generated and now Smith wants to use his platform to puff out his chest and look down at the ‛amha·’a′rets’ of the blogosphere. Here’s the thing, major league baseball is more than box scores and gathering vapid clichés from those within the game.
One thing that has been said time and again about the media is how little they understand about the issues facing the sport. Does Smith understand the game’s economics more than Doug Pappas (R.I.P.) or Maury Brown? Does he comprehend stadium financing and its effects on the game better than Neil deMause? Can he claim to be better at statistical analysis than Bill James or Pete Palmer? Is his knowledge of the history of the game deeper than Steve Treder’s? How would he stack up against Lee Sinins in a discussion of baseball and the law?
These are important issues within the sport--what credentials does Smith have that qualifies him to have a platform to disseminate his opinions on these subjects? Being a journalist doesn’t mean you know a common rodent’s sphincter about economics, law, statistical analysis, collective bargaining, or history. One thing we have learned about professional journalists over the years is that they’re utterly clueless about many of these things.
Just ask Marvin Miller.
Yet they’re still entitled to a platform to expound on their opinions on these subjects? Based on what? As we discussed during the Conlin episode journalists used their platform to inform us that:
This is a small sampling; here is a personal favourite, it’s a line from the strike of 1972: “The fan goes from steak to hamburger while the ballplayer rides a golden gravy train.”
Um, I’m pretty sure the players weren’t taking food out of anybody’s mouth. The average salary (not the aggregate, but the average) was a little over $22,000 a year. However, this was an insight from a journalist.
I can’t get overly upset over Smith’s remarks. He fails to distinguish the difference between knowledge and having an education. Even though his education probably didn’t touch on the issues within the game, he feels that his diploma entitles him to a platform to inform the public about things of which he knows little.
Meanwhile, people who do understand these things should be denied a voice because they haven’t received an education regarding a subject that has nothing to do with issues affecting MLB. Smith's stance is like a architect pushing aside an experienced mid-wife to deliver a baby pointing to his degree as proof that he should be the one assisting in the birth.
Stephen A. Smith truly embodies the idiom that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
Best Regards
John
Post Script:
Two posts below this one you will see “Goin’ all Grandpa Simpson …” dealing with the fight to save Fenway Park. One of our biggest hurdles was dealing with journalists who refused to do the necessary legwork and simply parroted what the Red Sox front office said regarding the necessity a new park.
I received tons of hate-mail from Red Sox fans who were using various columns that stated that a new Fenway would be, not only a boon to the economy, but it wouldn’t divert a single penny from necessary services. I can’t help but wonder when they learned ‘pimping millionaire interests’ while studying to be a journalist.
Personally, I would put integrity over education as the criteria of who should disseminate information to the masses. Too many journalists have sold out to retain their access. I can understand their justification for doing so, but it puts them in a poor position to lecture others about who deserves a platform and who does not.
..."And when you look at the internet business, what’s dangerous about it is that people who are clearly unqualified get to disseminate their piece to the masses. I respect the journalism industry, and the fact of the matter is ...someone with no training should not be allowed to have any kind of format whatsoever to disseminate to the masses to the level which they can. They are not trained. Not experts. More important are the level of ethics and integrity that comes along with the quote-unqoute profession hasn’t been firmly established and entrenched in the minds of those who’ve been given that license...”
Personally, I think we are being played a bit here. Smith saw all the publicity Bill Conlin’s remarks generated and now Smith wants to use his platform to puff out his chest and look down at the ‛amha·’a′rets’ of the blogosphere. Here’s the thing, major league baseball is more than box scores and gathering vapid clichés from those within the game.
One thing that has been said time and again about the media is how little they understand about the issues facing the sport. Does Smith understand the game’s economics more than Doug Pappas (R.I.P.) or Maury Brown? Does he comprehend stadium financing and its effects on the game better than Neil deMause? Can he claim to be better at statistical analysis than Bill James or Pete Palmer? Is his knowledge of the history of the game deeper than Steve Treder’s? How would he stack up against Lee Sinins in a discussion of baseball and the law?
These are important issues within the sport--what credentials does Smith have that qualifies him to have a platform to disseminate his opinions on these subjects? Being a journalist doesn’t mean you know a common rodent’s sphincter about economics, law, statistical analysis, collective bargaining, or history. One thing we have learned about professional journalists over the years is that they’re utterly clueless about many of these things.
Just ask Marvin Miller.
Yet they’re still entitled to a platform to expound on their opinions on these subjects? Based on what? As we discussed during the Conlin episode journalists used their platform to inform us that:
- Free agency would end the game of baseball.
- That indentured servants making anywhere from $6000-$10,000 a year were pampered, spoiled, ungrateful malcontents that should be willing to play for free for the privilege of playing in the major leagues.
- Publicly financed stadiums are a huge boon to a local economy.
- That baseball doesn’t suffer with a problem regarding performance-enhancing drugs.
- Many teams were on the verge of bankruptcy.
- The commissioner of baseball is neutral respecting the labour management issues of the game.
- People of African-American descent couldn’t succeed in the big leagues.
- The Florida Marlins, Minnesota Twins, Oakland A’s can’t assemble competitive teams without a publicly financed revenue-generating ballpark.
- Eight credentialed, educated journalists covering baseball thought the career of a player who was (at the time) first all time in home runs, RBI, total bases and extra-base hits, second all-time in hits, third in runs and intentional walks, with two batting titles, three Gold Gloves, league MVP, batted .305 in just under 3,300 games, was a 20-time All Star and hit .362/.405/.710 in the post season (.364/.417/.600 in World Series) didn’t have a Hall of Fame career.
This is a small sampling; here is a personal favourite, it’s a line from the strike of 1972: “The fan goes from steak to hamburger while the ballplayer rides a golden gravy train.”
Um, I’m pretty sure the players weren’t taking food out of anybody’s mouth. The average salary (not the aggregate, but the average) was a little over $22,000 a year. However, this was an insight from a journalist.
I can’t get overly upset over Smith’s remarks. He fails to distinguish the difference between knowledge and having an education. Even though his education probably didn’t touch on the issues within the game, he feels that his diploma entitles him to a platform to inform the public about things of which he knows little.
Meanwhile, people who do understand these things should be denied a voice because they haven’t received an education regarding a subject that has nothing to do with issues affecting MLB. Smith's stance is like a architect pushing aside an experienced mid-wife to deliver a baby pointing to his degree as proof that he should be the one assisting in the birth.
Stephen A. Smith truly embodies the idiom that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
Best Regards
John
Post Script:
Two posts below this one you will see “Goin’ all Grandpa Simpson …” dealing with the fight to save Fenway Park. One of our biggest hurdles was dealing with journalists who refused to do the necessary legwork and simply parroted what the Red Sox front office said regarding the necessity a new park.
I received tons of hate-mail from Red Sox fans who were using various columns that stated that a new Fenway would be, not only a boon to the economy, but it wouldn’t divert a single penny from necessary services. I can’t help but wonder when they learned ‘pimping millionaire interests’ while studying to be a journalist.
Personally, I would put integrity over education as the criteria of who should disseminate information to the masses. Too many journalists have sold out to retain their access. I can understand their justification for doing so, but it puts them in a poor position to lecture others about who deserves a platform and who does not.
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