Why Kei Igawa? Why the bid? Why him? Why NOW?

From ESPN.com:

The Yankees won the bidding for Japanese pitcher Kei Igawa, ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney is reporting.

The winning bid is expected to be about $25 million. An announcement is expected Tuesday night.

After the bidding closed Monday, the Tigers were informed of the amount of the high bid, but not which team made it, The Associated Press reported. The New York Mets bid about $15 million for Igawa, another baseball official told The AP, on condition of anonymity.

The Yankees will have until midnight at the end of Dec. 28 to work out a contract with the 27-year-old left-hander. Igawa is represented by Arn Tellem, also the agent for Yankees left fielder Hideki Matsui.

The Yankees pay Hanshin only if they reach an agreement for Igawa.

Igawa went 14-9 last season with a 2.97 ERA in Japan. He struck out 194 to tie for the Central League lead, adding to the strikeout titles he won in 2002 and 2004.

Igawa has an 86-60 record with a 3.15 ERA. He would have to play in Japan for three more seasons before he could become a free agent.

*tries to breathe*

We just made a ridiculous bid for a pitcher who may not be a decent 4th starter...

*breathes*

I mean, I can understand why we made the bid... we need a lefty, no doubt about it... and depending on the contract we give him, he may be just about 36-40 mil for 4 years, the same deal we would offer Lilly...

Most Japanese pitchers have a ERA of 1 point or higher on their first years in the MLB... for example, a Japanese pitcher pitches a 2.00 ERA in the Japanese league can possibly see his ERA go up to 3.00 or higher...

2.97 ERA from last year would be up to 3.97 or higher... Lilly's career ERA is 4.60... looking at it objectively, it may seem that it's a decent deal... he can pitch more innings than Wright (but then again, I can)... he is a lefty... and silly to say, but look at him!



^ He's called "Iron Nerves" on his website (linked on the photo)... and he looks like he can beat some people up if a brawl is needed... personally, I think he looks like a less-skilled Japanese version of Randy Johnson...

This deal may be a decent deal, it just hinges on a few things...

1. The contract the Yankees offer...

2. If the Yankees really want to keep him...

and 3. If Igawa really wants to pitch for the Yankees...

If the Yankees offer a contract of... well... let's say, a 5 mil per year for 4 years... we would spend 40-45 mil... oh, what am I saying? This is still ridiculous...

Just like Matsuzaka, the deal may pay dividends in the future, and heck, Igawa already has a friend in Matsui to look to... but still... this appears and is a ridiculous bid...

It may work, but right now, it seems absolutely ridiculous... *sighs*

Imagine that: the first big splash the Yankees make in this off-season is a pitcher who has been projected to be a 4th/5th starter... I do hope the Yankees get him on a short 2-year deal, especially with Hughes, Sanchez, and Clippard due to come up in the next few years... but we'll see...

*head spins* I can't believe it, but I guess I can smile and say: "At least, it's not 51.1 million"... the Yankees finally decided to spend some money this year... however, many other teams are trying to catch up to the Yankees in outspending...

I have some faith that this will all work out in the end... but I wouldn't be surprised if Kei Igawa turns out to be the next "Fat Toad"... let's all just hope for the best, shall we?

Happy reading!

B(rent)

Wow... Jeter, Giambi, AND A-Rod sitting in the same club?

Apparently, according to Glitter and Gossip (thanks to Steve) and the Las Vegas Review Journal, it happened during the weekend at the Wynn Las Vegas's Tryst...

As it is written in the Review Journal:

New York Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez, at Scores till the wee hours after spending much of the day at Fix (Bellagio) to watch the Southern Cal-Notre Dame game and returning for dinner. He also joined teammates Derek Jeter and Jason Giambi at Tryst (Wynn).

Too good to believe? Thanks to Napkin Nights, we got pictures!



^ Giambi with some random guy...



^ Look to your far right in the middle in the light blue shirt... that's A-Rod!



^ You can see A-Rod there drinking up a beer, but do you see the guy behind him? With the Jeter-like fade? I believe that the fade guy has to be Jeter...

So! What does this mean? A friendly engagement to get rid of old grudges and to start anew? We can only hope... but then again, crazier things have happened in Las Vegas...

Happy reading!

B(rent)

How much money should Lilly and Wilson get?

An debate started in the Yankees Empire has sparked into an idea I have here... how much money should Ted Lilly get?

According to the New York Post, Lilly is looking for 4 years/36 million... 9 mil per year on a 30-year-old cat?

Looking at Ted Lilly's splits of the past 3 years... it's ironic: he does well against Boston and Baltimore (3.27 in 14 games, and 3.28 in 8 games, respectfully), but he does terrible against the Yankees and... the Devil Rays with a 3-3, 5.86 ERA in 7 games...

He's also had difficulty against the Royals (7.45 in 4 games), White Sox (7.71 in 4 games), the A's (6.03 in 6 games), and the Angels (5.33 in 4 games)... I'd sign Lilly but not at 9 million per year...

Using Baseball-Reference.com, this is the similarity scores with Lilly:

# Odalis Perez (964)
# Joel Pineiro (963)
# Jason Jennings (962)
# Jason Marquis (959)
# Doug Davis (959)

Perez's salary: $8.75 mil and definitely going down with his next contract...
Pineiro's salary: $6,800,000
Jennings' salary: $4,500,000
Marquis's salary: $5,150,000
Davis's salary: $3,200,000

Using my deduction, I'd sign Lilly at a maximum 4 year/30 mil contract (or $7.5 mil per year), it would be extremely fair and it'll be at the accurate range for him and his skills... but as many bloggers have mentioned, that probably won't happen because of the free agent poll and the Matsuzaka bid... but meh... *shrugs*

K has mentioned to me that a 3 year/24 mil would be the best deal, and I would agree, less years, 8 mil per year, and yes, a million dollar difference does make a difference, just talk to Johnny Damon...

According to the Toronto Star, the Yankees are about to offer Lilly an offer in the next couple of days, and the Jays and Yankees are interested in a player I'd like to see the Yankees get: Gil Meche: young (28), experienced in the AL, and would come cheaper than many of the other pitchers on the free agent market...

That's kinda how I like my Wii: young, experienced on the market, and very cheap... however, that's exactly how I don't like my women... but let's continue...


The good guys at NoMaas.org have started to list their off-season ideas, and their 5th idea is quite fitting:

NoMaas offseason idea #5

According to reports, the Yankees are looking for a right-handed 1B so Giambi can become the permanent DH. We have read about interest in players like Wes Helms and Eduardo Perez. But, a better option exists, and he was on the team last season: Craig Wilson.

Wilson was acquired from Pittsburgh for Shawn Chacon in a Ca$hMoney carjack. NoMaas was very excited about the deal, but unfortunately, Wilson performed poorly in his audition with the Yankees, sporting a .613 OPS in 109 plate appearances. That sample size, however, is not reflective of Wilson's true ability. For his career, he has a 115 OPS+ and has destroyed left-handed pitching with a .395 OBP / .543 SLG / .938 OPS. He basically turns into Gary Sheffield when he faces LHP.

He's also decent against RHP with a .793 OPS.

Are you really going to find a better option? The only reason why Wilson won't be re-signed is because he might be in Torre's doghouse. Yet, we would rather judge a player on his career trends than just 109 plate appearances.

Craig Wilson was one of the trophies on which we, as Yankee fans, can look at and say "wow, Cashman is a genius"... Abreu and the late Lidle were the other two...

Wilson was also one of my favorite players this year, I still recall the game that I was at where he couldn't play a Jeter low-throw at 1st, and picked himself, Jeter, and the Yankees up in the next inning to hit a HR to help the Yankees win a 2-0 game for Wang against the Tigers...

I have heard talks about getting another 1st baseman, and hearing Shea Hillenbrand put in the mix... well... let's put Shea's splits against LHP up anyway (same as NoMaas): .338 .464 .802

No comparison... but of course, the Yankees aren't even thinking about Wilson... but with that said, how much should the Yankees pay for Wilson, if they choose to turn from their sinful ways?


The similarity scores for Wilson (good looking out NoMaas, sponsoring his page) are as follows:

1. Craig Monroe (962)
2. Austin Kearns (955)
3. Kevin Mench (953)
4. Bubba Trammell (950)
5. Butch Huskey (946)

Monroe: $2,800,000
Kearns: $1,850,000
Mench: $2,800,000
Trammell: well... 3 years have passed...
Huskey: Bye bye...

And Wilson earned $3,300,000...

So would it be excessive for me to say that the Yankees should sign Wilson to a one or two year deal of about 3 million a year? I think it would be totally fair...

And just to throw this out there... Shea makes $5,800,000 and is looking for a little bit more in the market... according to the Post, the Yankees are very interested in him... I don't care much for Shea, and clearly, the better and cheaper choice, by far, is Wilson... but eh, that's how Torre and the Yankees roll...

The Yankees would save 3 million per year signing Wilson over Shea... but will the Yankees do it? Probably not... but a man can dream intelligently, can't he? :-)

Happy reading!

B(rent)

So... THIS is who they get to write in my school's newspaper?

Forgive me for going off the cuff here, but I have to say: not getting responded/written back to write in the school's newspaper, and having this guy write on my subject of expertise (Yankees, Giants, Knicks, Rangers, etc.) and putting this ridiculous article out really unnerves me...

But instead of complaining about it, why not destroy his argument? :-)

From the Fordham Observer:

The key to the formation of any dynasty is the development of young players from within the organization. The Yankees' dynasty of the 1990s, was largely centered on the development and success of young players like Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, Andy Pettite and Mariano Rivera. The cycle of baseball has now come nearly full circle as these players prepare for the twilights of their careers.

Alright, we can agree there, but of course you got Bernie = Melky, Jeter = Cano, Pettite = Wang, and Mariano = we'll see... nicely written, but that's where all the nice and good stuff end...

This is an encouraging trend, but the Yankees need to further capitalize on their talent and build from within. Phillip Hughes is being touted as the best minor leaguer in baseball but needs to perform at the next level. Hopefully the Yankees can have him firmly established as a spot starter or the fifth man in the rotation by the end of next season. Brent Cox is one of the best relievers in the minor leagues and is said to be Mariano Rivera's heir. With relievers Tanyon Sturtze and Ron Villone expected to re-sign, this season should showcase a promising young bullpen of Sturtze and Villone, with Cox in a set-up role as he prepares for his inevitable usurpation of Rivera's closer role. Octavio Dotel has also filed for free agency and should be allowed to leave without a fight. In addition, the Yankees have an array of young, fast players in the minor leagues that are probably not ready to be starters in the majors, but can add energy and flexibility to the bench.

This is where the article goes terribly wrong...

1. J. Brent Cox is not Roger Clemens here, you want to throw in the fire-baller from AA straight to the MLB? Yes, Cox has great statistics, (6 - 2 with 1.75 ERA in AA), but if you wanna develop him the right way, don't bring him straight from AA to the MLB, it can destroy a pitcher's development, and hinder his growth as a pitcher...

You heard of Sean Henn? After getting destroyed by the Mets two years ago, I haven't heard much about him either... just because he was a lefty, he was brought up from AA to the MLB, and well... let's look at his numbers now: 3 - 1, 4.01 ERA, 18 games, 6 starts in AAA... the Yankees are experimenting with using him as a reliever, but instead of him moving up to AAA last year, and possibly hearing him in the same breath as Karstens and Rasner for the 5th starter spot, he's stuck in AAA, not knowing whether he has the stuff/skill to be a starter or a reliever... that indecision 2 years ago has resulted in his average AAA stats, and destruction in the proper development of him... his psyche works as well as his skills, and to destroy a young pitcher's psyche like that can destroy his career...

Who was the last great young pitcher that has come directly from the Royals or Devil Rays organization? Exactly my point...

Lastly, is Mariano slowing down that much for you to worry significantly about fast-tracking Cox from AA to the MLB? And did you completely give up and forget about Kyle Farnsworth? Gee, do your research...

2. "A promising young bullpen of Sturtze and Villone?" That has got to be the most idiotic thing I have read in The Observer...

First off, Strutze and Villone are both 36! If 36 is young in baseball terms, Julio Franco would just be considered a veteran, instead of an old man who can still hack it...

Second, let's look at Tanyon Sturtze, shall we? ERAs since 2003 (when he was converted to a reliever role): 5.94, 5.47, 4.73, 7.59... not exactly great for an average pitcher, eh? For a writer to seemingly give up on Farnsworth (who's 30, and has better stats than Sturtze), but advocate the resigning of Sturtze has got to be a joke... right?

With Villone, I love the guy, and I loved his signing, but let me quote from one of my favorite blogs, EJ from the Fire Joe Torre Blog on Villone:

Things started to unravel one month ago today. Villone was among the best relievers in baseball, pitching over 60 innings with a 2.23 ERA. Villone came in and gave up two runs in two innings, throwing 42 pitches against Baltimore. Including that appearance, Villone would then throw a total of 114 over the next three days. He would never be the same.

Since that 42 pitch outing, Villone has pitched just 12 innings, giving up 19 earned runs. His ERA has risen to 4.50. He had given up just 16 earned runs prior to that outing all year.

It's official. Ron Villone's arm is now completely useless. Good job Torre. We have lost an effective lefty weapon in the playoffs.

Torre destroyed Villone's arm, as he has done with Quantrill and Karsey in the past, and add to the fact that Villone's 36... yea... uh... no way would signing "young" Villone back would be the part thing to do...

3. If you say those things about our bench and our young, fast guys in the minors, why not mention some of them? This is a college newspaper, not the silly high school newspaper stuff where details aren't needed...

Talk about Kevin Thompson, Kevin Reese (though not young nor really fast), Brett Gardner (fastest guy in our minor league system)... talk about them, or at least, mention them... if you're going to name-drop Cox, name-drop the other guys that you talk about... consistency is important, and this guy doesn't have it... do your research...

***************

*whew* Alright, that was the first page of the 3-page article, here comes the 2nd one...

Alex Rodriguez has been one of the biggest disappointments in Yankees' recent history. His statistics reflect a seemingly solid player with a respectable, but not stellar average. But every Yankees fan knows how deeply his inconsistent play has set back the team. The unfortunate aspect of this situation is if Rodriguez was not the highest paid player in baseball history and was simply a young, unproven player trying to make his way in the harsh New York environment, he would have been forgiven. However, Rodriguez's salary and arrogance have magnified his inability to play consistently. The best thing for both sides in this situation would be a trade for A-Rod out of New York to a less pressurized venue. Rumors have been swirling that A-Rod's long-time friend and new manager of the Chicago Cubs, Lou Pinella, will attempt to acquire A-Rod for his new team. If this trade goes through and the Yankees are willing to pay a good portion of his inflated salary, the Yankees may be in a position to acquire Carlos Zambrano, a pitcher who could bolster the pitching staff for years to come.

This got me laughing quite a bit...

1. Let's work backwards... if you really think the Cubs would trade their #1 best pitcher for A-Rod, especially in a game where pitching is a huge need for many teams, you must be smoking something strong, and remember, kids, smoking is bad for you... even if it's weed...

Plus Zambrano will be a free agent in 2008, so why get him now if we're gonna probably get him later?

2. "His statistics reflect a seemingly solid player with a respectable, but not stellar average."

Nice to know that someone doesn't do their research... A-Rod has the 13th highest career batting average for active players, with every player above him possible to probable Hall of Famers... he has consistently hit 99 or more RBIs since 1996, he's the youngest player to hit 450 HRs, his OBP% this year ranked 19th (.392), and I fail to believe that this kid knows or even cares to know what OBP% really means and the importance of actually getting on base...

3. "However, Rodriguez's salary and arrogance have magnified his inability to play consistently."

I may be blind, I may be deaf, but how is A-Rod arrogant? What has A-Rod done to show himself "having or displaying a sense of overbearing self-worth or self-importance"? Was moving to 3rd base arrogant? Is having a Family Organization arrogant? Please, explain this to someone who's deaf, dumb, and blind like me...

4. "But every Yankees fan knows how deeply his inconsistent play has set back the team."

Uh... dum, dawgone it... ah doesn't knows how his inconsissency has hurt th' Yankees... especially when Giambi has been mo'e inconsissent... (thanks Dialectizer)... but seriously, when other players have been more inconsistent (i.e. Giambi among others), why put the inconsistent stamp on A-Rod?

I don't know if this kid knows baseball, but if you get a hit 3 out of 10 times up, you are a "good" player... is 3 out of 10 a term of consistency? Is being "clutch" a consistent term? Aaron Boone hit one of the most "clutch" HRs in all of playoff history... where is he now? Is he going into the Hall of Fame for such a "clutch" performance?

To consistently be one of the best players in the game today is what I like to call "consistent"... and A-Rod has done that ever since 1996... so I don't understand where that "inconsistent play" comes from... this kid's seeing A-Rod through "ESPN glasses"... it's sad to see...

There are few free agents on the market who could have a real impact on the Yankees for more than a single season. Obviously a player like Alfonso Soriano would be a tremendous asset if he returned to his former New York home, but the Yankees have too much money invested in hitting as it is. They should pursue a player like Soriano only if a trade situation arises through which they can unload some of their age and salary for a younger, premier player.

They shouldn't pursue a player like Soriano at all... our outfield is bloated with 4 All-Stars (Melky will be one, trust me)... Cano is a better defender at 2nd plus he has more upside at 2nd because he's younger (24 for Cano > 30 for Soriano)... plus Soriano will be warranting quite a bit of money...

There has been no talk of Soriano rejoining the Yankees, so why start up ridiculous talks about him?

***************

Last page of garbage to deal with...

A few of the pitchers who may be in pinstripes next season in less-publicized signings could be Tony Armas, Bruce Chen, Gil Meche or former Yankee Ted Lilly. Jason Marquis, Jeff Suppan and Jeff Weaver should look to cash in on their team's World Series win by raising their profiles on the free agent market. Although Suppan is older than Marquis, his ability to remain healthy and his winning attitude might make him a candidate to join the 2007 Yankees.

Two words, kid: National League... Suppan's 12-7 with an ERA over 4 last year with the Cardinals... the Cardinals play in the National League... the National League is weak in hitting compared to the American League... put Suppan in the American League, and he'll get rocked...

In fact, in his last 2 years in the American League, Jeff Suppan's ERA blew up to 5.32 in 2002 and 5.57 in 2003 before he was traded to the National League... and *gasps* his ERA improved greatly...

Plus, because of his playoff performances, the money he will be asking will be significantly more than he is worth... Gil Meche compares to Suppan, is younger, and will ask for less money...

Also, unlike Suppan, Gil Meche is already adjusted to the American League, and through the guidance of Ron Guidry, improvement can be made... Meche is 28, and pitchers have made improvements... Suppan's 32, and he has seemed to adjust to the National League well...

Mark my words: if Suppan goes to the American League, he will not be the same pitcher you saw in the playoffs, no question about it...

A pitcher like Zito, Schmidt or Suppan would be much more valuable to the Yankees. And with the Boston Red Sox having already won the Daisuke Matsuzaka bidding war, Zito looks to be the focus of the Yankees' offseason pursuits. Still, the Yankees should ensure that if they do decide to heavily court Zito, they should not neglect the other less high-profile free agents on the market.

Schmidt = never pitched in the American League, same age as Suppan, and seems to negate this kid's idea of going younger... Schmidt's a great pitcher, no doubt, but why would you invest money on a pitcher who has never pitched in the American League, a league that significantly hits better and harder than the National League? My advice: if the Yankees want Schmidt, get him, but beware the National League pitcher...

If Josh Beckett hasn't taught us anything about the plight of the National League pitcher, here's a picture that illustrates the plight...


















And now, last but not least...

Though only one of them has major league experience, all of them are under 25 years old, which is exactly what the Yankees should be looking for in the future. Hopefully this early trend of dumping salary and age for youth and potential will continue and transfer itself to the bigger deals as well.

Dude, if you're going to say that, mention the names of the pitchers! Oh wait, let me do that for you...

Chris Britton (from Baltimore), Humberto Sanchez, Kevin Whelan and Anthony Claggett... Sanchez and Whelan were regarded as 2 of the Top 10 Tigers' prospects in 2005, we got great prospects for Sheffield and Wright... mention them... talk about their stats, and what they bring to the Yankees...

This article could be spaced out for a couple of weeks... but of course, put all your eggs in one basket, why don't you?

This was the weakest Yankees article I have read in any newspaper... using many ESPN points as well as lack of research hurt the legitimacy of this article and of this writer...

If this is the best that the sports section of the Observer can do, maybe I am happy I wasn't contacted back to write...

Rob, all I can really say about your article is this: do your research!

Happy reading! :-)

B(rent)

Why I won't directly comment on the Red Sox's $51.1 million bid for Matsuzaka...

Two reasons...

1. My buddy K did it already in his blog post: Move over A-Rod, you're now a bargain...

2. NoMaas.org already did it as well:


























Really though, what is there to say? The Red Sox made a ridiculous bid on a pitcher who hasn't proven himself in the MLB... and Theo misjudged the market for Matsuzaka by a long shot...

The Yankees have had to pay for their sins on their ridiculous spending: Brown, Pavano, and not winning a World Series for the past 6 years, among other things... it's time for the Red Sox to do the same... :-)

Happy reading!

B(rent)

The Yankees were foiled?

From NYTimes.com (Murray Chass):

What the Red Sox have done is forfeit their right to complain ever again about economic moves the Yankees make. The Red Sox could argue that even if their bid were added to their payroll, it wouldn’t match the Yankees’ payroll. The Yankees’ payroll this year was $214 million, the Red Sox $130 million.

But the Boston bid is an expenditure the Yankees have never made. When the Yankees have signed Japanese players, they have been free agents.

The posting process, though, gave the Red Sox a chance to trump the Yankees. And they most likely had the specter of the Yankees clearly in mind when Henry; the co-owner, Tom Werner; Lucchino and General Manager Theo Epstein sat down to figure out what to bid for negotiating rights to Matsuzaka. They were determined not to let the Yankees beat them out again, damn the cost, full speed ahead.

With the bid, the Red Sox are officially on the same level as the Yankees in the terms of free-spending, especially when you compare the Red Sox's bid to the Yankees' last two trades, which cut out more than $20 million in payroll...

At this point, it seems that the Yankees and Red Sox are switching positions this off-season (so far)... the Yankees are the ones cutting payroll, hesitant to make the big excessive off-season pick-up, while the Red Sox are making a splash, throwing 42 million dollars with their bid and another 10-15 mil a year (rumors have it) at an unproven pitcher...

The off-season free spending of the past did help the Yankees, but not significantly enough to win the World Series... will the Red Sox learn the same lesson?

Oh, how history repeats itself...

Happy reading!

B(rent)

Jaret Wright and cash for Chris Britton...

From ESPN.com:

NEW YORK -- Jaret Wright was traded by the New York Yankees to the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday for right-handed reliever Chris Britton.

Britton

Wright

As part of the deal, the Yankees will pay $4 million of Wright's $7 million salary next year. New York had until Sunday to opt out of Wright's contract, a move that also would have cost the Yankees a $4 million buyout...

Britton, who turns 24 on Dec. 16, was taken by Baltimore on the eighth round of the 2001 amateur draft. He made his major league debut last season, going 0-1 with one save and a 3.35 ERA in 52 relief appearances with the Orioles. He also was 1-0 with a 2.81 ERA and two saves in 13 games for Bowie of the Double-A Eastern League.

Alright, well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to say that this is a great trade on a Yankee standpoint... but why would the Orioles make a deal like this?

My friend and fellow Empire Elite K responded to my question this way:

K: its all to do with Leo Mazzone

K: he had to have been asked about him

K: he probably gave the deal his blessing

K: told everyone he could make Wright a good starter again

I agree with him, but I don't know whether I would judge Jaret Wright as a "lost cause" in that realm... he's a decent pitcher who couldn't rack up innings... if Mazzone can make Wright a great pitcher again, I'll bow at his feet, but this isn't the Jaret Wright who pitched in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series here...

Now, Britton... a fire-baller with a lot of weight on him... I do believe he'll lose some weight before the start of Spring Training (or during the course of it), but let's look at his minor league numbers for a bit...

From Baseball Cube:

Pitching Statistics

Org	Level		W	L	ERA	G	GS					IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO							WHIP
Bal	Rk		2	3	2.76	12	3					32.2	35	20	10	3	12	20							1.44
Bal	Rk		3	0	4.54	9	8					35.2	30	21	18	5	10	27							1.12
Bal	A		9	4	3.75	27	8					84.0	76	38	35	11	31	80							1.27
Bal	A+		6	0	1.60	46	0					78.2	47	15	14	5	23	110							0.89
Bal	AA		1	0	2.81	13	0					16.0	14	5	5	0	6	24							1.25
Bal	MLB		0	2	3.35	52	0					53.2	46	22	20	4	17	41							1.17
			21	7	2.99	107	19					247.0	202	99	82	24	82	261							1.15

What jumps out at you? For me, it's his strikeouts, numbers, and ERA in class A+ and his ERA straight through his career... anytime you can get more than a K an inning, you're throwing gas and hitting your spots... reminds me of Bruney's season this year (25 Ks in 20.2 innings)...

The Yankees are building their pitching prospects incredibly... 8 out of 10 prospects that made the Yankees' Top 10 prospect list by Baseball America are pitchers, Sanchez and Whelan were both on the Tigers' Top 10 prospect list from last year, and Britton got Baseball America's designation as having the Best Control in the Orioles' prospect list of last year...

The future's bright... but what about the present? We'll see as the off-season goes on...

Happy reading!

B(rent)

Citifield and the cancer of corporate naming...

It was announced yesterday that the name of the new Mets ballpark will be called CitiField, because Citigroup (the same people who take care to my student loans for Fordham) brought out the naming rights for the stadium, reportedly spending as much as 20 million a year for the name...

From Bloomberg.com:

Nov. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Citigroup Inc., the biggest U.S. bank, will put its name on the New York Mets' new ballpark in what might be the most expensive stadium rights agreement in history, people familiar with the negotiations said.

The ballpark, adjacent to the baseball team's Shea Stadium in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens, will be called "CitiField'' and will open for the 2009 season. The team plans to unveil the name at a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, said the people, who declined to be identified before the announcement.

The push to raise Citigroup's profile is part of Chief Executive Officer Charles Prince's plan to boost flagging revenue growth at the U.S. consumer business.

"From Citigroup's perspective it makes tremendous sense,'' said Marc Ganis, president of SportsCorp Ltd., a Chicago-based consulting firm. "Financial services companies are among the best positioned to benefit from naming rights of sports facilities.''

Call me an old fart, which would be ridiculous because I'm only 19, but if I go to a Mets game, I will honestly feel a bit of a sell-out... going to a game at CitiField will show me where the money I'm borrowing and paying back to them is going... my attachment to the Stadium itself will seem superficial and bought out... as baseball fans, ask yourself this question, "Which of these two sounds and feels better to say: "Welcome to Shea Stadium" or "Welcome to CitiField"?

Long gone are the days where stadiums were named after the name of the team or a significant person in the franchise...

• The story of the name of Shea Stadium is a beautiful one: the name was to commemorate William Shea, the man who brought New York baseball back into the National League...
  
  
• Yankee Stadium was to dedicate a franchise that would end up being the most successful franchise in all of sports (championship-wise)...
  
  
• Fenway Park was named after a seemingly insignificant comment by the owner at the time John I. Taylor, he stated: "It's in the Fenway section of Boston, isn't it? Then name it Fenway Park."

What will the history write for the origin of CitiField? "CitiField was named as such to glorify what you can do with lots of money"? Is the name of the new Stadium meant to glorify the corporate mindset of NYC (though its hub is focused in Manhattan, not in Queens)? Is the name of the new stadium supposed to satisfy Mets fans, who have been lobbying to have the new stadium named after Jackie Robinson?

What will become of one of the most well-known fight songs of baseball?

"Meet the Mets, meet the Mets,
Head for the park and greet the Mets.
Hot dogs, green grass all out at Shea,
Guaranteed to have a heck of a day."

I don't think Citifield or even Citi has the same ring as Shea in this 1984 version of "Meet the Mets", don't you?

I'm not a Met fan by any means, I will admit that I loved to see Carlos Beltran strike out looking to end the NLCS, but I always had a small connection to the Mets for a few reasons: my uncles tried to raise me to be a Met fan, I love "Meet the Mets", and the Mets is a New York team...

I have met extremely passionate Met fans who bleed orange and blue as much as I bleed pinstripes... the history of the Mets has its highs, its low, but most of all, its drama, the drama that I love to read and write about... and to be honest, even though I hate the sight, I hate the planes flying over it, and my knees hurt after seating in their Tier seats, I actually enjoy the games I have seen at the purple "was-better-made-to-be-a-parking-lot" stadium...

I assumed that the Mets, being in the biggest market for baseball, would have enough money to be able to name the new stadium anything they want... I assumed that the Mets would know how to go about the naming of the stadium to please their fans... I assumed that the Mets were better than to sell the name to a soulless bank... but I guess I assumed wrong...

As a kid, and as a baseball fan, I have a connection with some stadiums, and with that connection comes the name... if Fenway Park's name was bought out by, let's say, CVS, I could never imagine remembering a park called "CVS Park" being connected to a prestige baseball franchise like the Red Sox... same with the Dodgers... and of course, the same with the Yankees...

The Mets have done their best to cement themselves into the New York baseball atmosphere the past 40 years, and the connection many people have to the Mets fall short, but can rival the connection many people have to the Yankees... when people hear "Shea Stadium", they think "the Mets"... however, when I hear "CitiField", my mind goes to thoughts of new football stadiums, Petco Park, PNC Park, Reliant Stadium in Houston, and others like it... and those stadiums don't exactly inspire great feelings of nostalgia and love towards the team and the stadium...

As a Yankee fan in the middle of a stadium transition as well, it does pain me to see talks about the demolition plans for the old Yankee Stadium, and hearing that it's not a national landmark (which would save the Stadium)... it pains me even more to read this quote from the Wikipedia article on the new Stadium:

"While the stadium will have Yankee Stadium in its name, naming rights will be sold. Possibilities include Yankee Stadium at (sponsor) Plaza or (sponsor) Yankee Stadium."

However, the one thing that is attached to it is the name "Yankee Stadium", that name will always carry with the Yankees and in Yankee fans' hearts, and to me, the name brings chills, nostalgia, and the legacy of the old Stadium, and the bright future of the new... no matter what Stadium is made for the Yankees, it will always carry the name "Yankee Stadium"...

The Boss isn't dumb enough to lose the historical name of the stadium, the Cardinals didn't lose the name "Busch Stadium" when they started play in their new stadium this year, the Red Sox, Dodgers and Cubs would keep the name of their stadiums and carry the name wherever they play next...

Met fans, however, will need to suck it up and know that any sweet plans they had of naming the new stadium "Jackie Robinson Stadium" or the like is vanished because of CitiGroup and the cancer of corporate naming... any identity to Shea will be gone as soon as the wreaking ball collides with the concrete walls of the Purple Monster... the five teams I mentioned will always carry that identity with them, no matter where they play... but the Mets? Total corporate whores for as long as the stadium is leased...

Yes, baseball is a business, but some things are still sacred in the game, and the namesakes of historical stadiums are one of those things... sometimes, all you have to remember a moment in your life is a name, a name that carries so much history and love behind it... whether it's a name of a high school sweetheart, a band, a relative, or, yes, a stadium, that name will always carry some memories...

When it comes to Yankee Stadium, no matter where they call home, it makes sense to keep the name "Yankee Stadium" with it so more memories can be built with the name... with Shea, those memories are one and done when Shea gets torn down... if I was a Met fan, I would be pissed, not only because the new stadium's name got bought out, but because the owners did not listen to you and your suggestions... Yankee fans wanted the name "Yankee Stadium" to stay with the new Stadium, and we got what we wanted... Met fans on the other hand... eh...

This is one of those days where I'm glad to be a Yankee fan... to know that the name will always be there, and more importantly, that name will have a physical representation...

Yankee Stadium (old and new):

Thank you for the memories you have made and will make until 2009, old Yankee Stadium, and to the new Yankee Stadium, let's win some more World Series in there... yes, it's the House that the Boss Built, but damn it, if that fact will slow us down... :-)

Happy reading!

B(rent)

Wow, three big happenings in the baseball world today...

Let's talk about them, shall we?

I'll start with the Silver Slugger awards...

Cano and Jeter won this year, the other winners are as followed: C Joe Mauer, 1B Justin Morneau, 3B Joe Crede, OF Manny Ramirez, OF Vladimir Guerrero, OF Jermaine Dye and DH David Ortiz...

First thing you can see is the absurdity of Crede getting picked over A-Rod...

Let's do this comparsion as simple as possible (split: AVG/OBP/SLG):

A-Rod: .290 .392 .523 with 35 HRs and 121 RBIs...
Crede: .283 .323 .506 with 30 HRs and 94 RBIs...

However, the Silver Slugger (like every other award that's not the batting title or the like) are quite subjective... from Wikipedia:

In Major League Baseball, the Louisville Silver Slugger award is given annually to the best offensive player at each position in each league. Winners are picked by major league managers and coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own players.

Selections are based on a combination of offensive statistics, such as batting average, on base percentage and slugging percentage, as well as general impressions of a player's offensive value.

I highlighted the bold to ask a ridiculous question: do managers and coaches really think that Joe Crede hit better than Alex Rodriguez this year? I guess the New York media did more than brain-wash much of Yankee fans...

I'm also very excited about Cano winning this year... he turned it on late in the season, and being 3rd in the AL batting title doesn't hurt either... Jeter was, more or less, a lock... congrats to Cano and Jeter for winning the Silver Sluggers... you guys definitely deserved them...

Second piece, from Buster Olney:

The Boston Red Sox may have posted the top bid for the right to negotiate with Japanese right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka, according to Major League Baseball sources.

There has been no official announcement, and the Seibu Lions, Matsuzaka's team in Japan, have until Tuesday to accept or reject the high bid.

But, according to officials monitoring the bidding, the Red Sox bid may be between $38 million and $45 million.

Matsuzaka, who pitched for Japan's World Baseball Classic champions, is considered among the top prospects available this offseason.

If the Lions accept the top bid, the winning bidder has 30 days to reach an agreement with Matsuzaka. If a deal cannot be reached, he would return to the Lions for the 2007 Japanese baseball season.

Ok... 15 mil is decent (Ichiro got 13 mil when he was posteD), 25 is excessive, but ok... but 38 to 45?!?!?!

Of course, Olney can be wrong, but if he isn't, the Red Sox have to be prepared to pay 38 to 45 million plus a rumored 15 mil per year for 5 years... the Red Sox can also go low, offer him a small contract that he would have to reject, Matsuzaka goes back to the Lions, and the Yankees won't get a crack at him until next year...

Whatever happened will happen, but what can be said is this: the Red Sox bid more than 10 million dollars more than the rumored Yankee bid of 27 million, and they are spending this money on a guy who has won against "powerhouses" like Mexico and China, and did well against Cuba...

To me, it's a ridiculous deal... Ichiro's bid was only 13 mil, and the hype was there... however, the more hype there is, the bigger the price tag... and that's where Matsuzaka and Boras come in... if it wasn't for Ichiro, the bids wouldn't be this high, plain and simple... I think the bid's SO excessive for an unproven pitcher in the MLB level, but that's the name of the game... Matsuzaka and Boras are playing the hype incredibly well... because of that, more money will be in both their pockets as well as the Lions...

I was also thinking about the consquences of a failed signing... and what will it do to the MLB and the like...

One of the reasons why the Red Sox bid 10 million more than the Yankees' rumored bid of 27 mil was to keep him away from the Yankees... part of that reason was of Theo's failure to improve his team before the trade deadline, and believe me, if you had to hear about the Abreu trade and the Yankees' winning and about the Massacre and your failure to do anything significant before the trade deadline over and over again, it can get to you, and apparently, it got to Theo to make this ridiculous deal...

However, let's say this: if the Red Sox don't sign Matsuzaka, it can be even more disasterous than most people would think...

Think about it: look at us bloggers! Many of us have written on the guy (positively or negatively), many of us are drooling over his YouTube clips of his games, we want to see this guy pitch in the MLB to see how he will do... Matsuzaka wants to pitch in the MLB... the Japanese are going crazy about him coming over... if they threw a parade for Hideki Matsui when he became a Yankee, imagine the celebration they will throw for Matsuzaka...

It would be absolutely terrible if Matsuzaka isn't signed... most of us want to see this guy pitch... and if the Red Sox don't sign him, he will be stuck on the Lions for another year... it would be terrible for Theo's image and rep... it would be disasterous for the MLB and the relations between the MLB and Japanese ball players (if they don't sign arguably their best pitcher, what does that show?)... most of all, it would be a bitch-slap to anyone and everyone who desperately wants to see him pitch, including me...

The Red Sox's playing keep-away may backfire miserably if they don't sign Matsuzaka... that's why, most likely, he will definitely get signed, and he won't get disrespected with a low contract deal... Boras isn't stupid, he wants the money for the guy, and my belief is, he'll get it...

Only two questions remain: If the Red Sox do win the bid and make the huge deal, where was this spending with Johnny Damon? Where was this adventurous spending when Abreu was available last year?

The deal screams of a panic move against the Yankees... and I hope, for the Sox's sake, it won't backfire terribly for them...

Lastly, the Sheffield trade...

From ESPN:

Detroit has acquired Gary Sheffield from the New York Yankees for three right-handed pitching prospects, the Tigers announced Friday.

In return for Sheffield, the Tigers sent Humberto Sanchez, Kevin Whelan and Anthony Claggett to New York. Detroit agreed to a two-year contract extension with Sheffield through the 2009 season...

Sanchez, 23, was a combined 10-6 with a 2.53 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 123 innings with Triple-A Toledo and Double-A Erie this year. Whelan, 22, was 4-1 with a 2.67 ERA and 27 saves for Class A Lakeland. Claggett, 22, was 7-2 with an 0.91 ERA and 14 saves for Class A West Michigan.

I like the trade, we get three more pitching prospects, and in my mind, you can never have too many good prospects...

According to Baseball America, we got two of the Tigers' Top 10 prospects: Sanchez at #6 and Whelen at #10. This is also with Verlander and Zumaya in the majors. Claggett doesn't look like a scrub as well, with a 0.91 ERA in Class A.

The only thing I would have wanted in the trade was a left-hander, but I can't really complain much, good job Cashman!

And one last final note... Bubba Crosby is now a Red:

The Reds made their first acquisition of the offseason on Friday, signing outfielder Bubba Crosby to a one-year contract worth $400,000.

By signing him to a Major League deal, Cincinnati protected Crosby on its 40-man roster. But he's not assured a 25-man roster spot for Opening Day 2007. The 30-year-old will go to Spring Training and compete for a job as a reserve outfielder.

Crosby, a left-handed hitter, has split the past three seasons shuttling between the Yankees and Triple-A Columbus. He batted .207 with one home run and six RBIs in 2006 for New York and .238 in 22 games for Columbus.

I'm not shedding any tears for a guy who barely hit above replacement-level this year, and I supported Melky over Bubba earlier in the year, but I do wish him the best...

Thanks Bubba for giving all of us a chance to say "Bubba" and "Yankees" in the same sentence!

Happy reading!

B(rent)

A picture says it all...

From SI.com:

"Sheffield also said that dropping Rodriguez to sixth and then to eighth in the batting order messed with his head.

"Knowing him, yes it did, " Sheffield said.

If Sheffield is dealt, he thinks A-Rod will lose the only teammate in the Yankees' clubhouse that he could bounce ideas off.

"He might as well get ready, " Sheffield said. "There's nobody."

^ I think the pic says it all... :-P

All I can really say is... Sheffield is trying his best to decrease his trade value, in order to screw the Yankees back...

Whether the tactic will work or not remains to be seen... I just hope for the Yankees that it doesn't...

Happy reading!

B(rent)

Oh, to come back to the blog at this time...

So here it comes, the bids for Matsuzaka are coming and will be bid by 5 pm today...

From Bob Klapisch:

The baseball world will have its answer on Wednesday, when, by 5 p.m. ET, clubs have to submit their blind bids for the negotiating rights to Matsuzaka and the gyroball, which is said to rotate like a football and move like a slider in slow motion.

The Yankees are believed to be ready to go as high as $20 million for the mere right to speak to Matsuzaka about a contract. It's an enormous posting fee, even by the Yankees' standards, but they're being driven by an unsubstantiated belief that the Rangers will be the dark horses in the blind bidding.

Most of us saw this coming, but with that said, this can be either a lofty success or a terrible mistake... for every Ichiro and Hideki Matsui, you have your Kaz Matsuis and Hideki Irabus... it's a gamble, but I have been following the works of Matsuzaka Watch, an incredible blog about Matsuzaka...

My opinion on him can't be set until I see what he does in the spotlight... I have heard great things about him, and I have seen great Japanese players flop here as well... I'd place him 2nd or 3rd in the rotation, but at the same time, to put a player who has never pitched in the MLB in the 2nd spot at the rotation as well as give him so much money (20 mil for bid, up to 75 mil for 5 years) shows two things:

1. It shows the absurdity of this entire situation and...

2. It shows how weak the Yankees' rotation really is...

At this point without Matsuzaka, Zito, Schmidt, Pettitte, or any other person the Yankees could get through free agency and assuming the Yankees sign Mussina for a 20 mil/2 yr contract soon, this is our rotation:

1. Wang
2. Mussina
3. Johnson
4. Pavano
5. Karstens/Rasner

If you put in either Matsuzaka or Pettitte (who I advocate the signing of) or even Zito, Karstens and Rasner gets bumped off... Karstens would challenge for a long reliever role (which I think would be perfect for him), and Rasner (according to Rotoworld) will try to make it as a middle reliever next year (which I also love)...

The future will let Hughes slip into the rotation in 2008 when Johnson is finally gone, Clippard or any of the other Yankee prospects slip in 2009 when Mussina is gone (or bought out), and you have a nice mix of young and old in the rotation, without the major free agent signing, of course...

Things will get interesting in these next few weeks, and because of that, I'll be back to writing in a more consistent fashion... I won't update as much as Steve does, but I'll do my best!

Happy reading... and watching!

B(rent)