The Joy of Sox

E-Cafardo (5)

2009-12-09T11:15:00.003-05:00

Nick Cafardo, Globe, December 9, 2009:

So Granderson is on the verge (pending a physical) of going to the Yankees, who will give up prized center field prospect Austin Jackson, righthanded starter Ian Kennedy, and lefty reliever Phil Coke in a three-way deal that includes the Diamondbacks. Arizona gets righthander Edwin Jackson from Detroit and Kennedy, while the Tigers get Austin Jackson and Coke from New York, plus Arizona righty Max Scherzer and lefty Daniel Schlereth.

That is not what Cafardo originally wrote and what the Globe originally posted. As SoSH points out, the original version of that paragraph contained no fewer than five errors:

1. "lefthanded starter Ian Kennedy"
2. "Erwin Jackson"
3. "lefty Matt Scherzer"
4. "lefty Matt Scherzer"
5. "righty Daniel Schlereth"

Dick Pole Upside, the SoSHer who posted about the article: "thank goodness we weren't willing to give up Cliff Buckholtz and Jeremy Ellsbury in that deal".

Remember, kids: Avoid unprofessional, careless bloggers who do not hire fact-checkers; get all your information from the mainstream sports media.

Casey Kelly Will Pitch

2009-12-08T09:17:00.001-05:00

Twenty-year-old pitcher-shortstop Casey Kelly, one of the Red Sox's top prospects, has decided to work exclusively on the mound (as the team had hoped). Theo Epstein:

He could, if everything breaks his way, force his way on to the major league radar screen sometime in the next year or two.

Terry Francona met with the media and talked about Jonathan Papelbon, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Marco Scutaro, Manny Delcarmen, and the search for a left fielder:

I'm sure when we head down to Fort Myers we'll have a left fielder. We always do. They're really good about that.

The Red Sox signed RHP Scott Atchison to a one-year deal ($420,000), with club options for 2011 ($440,000) and 2012 ($600,000). Boston also inked LHP Fabio Castro.

Good news for NESN viewers everywhere! Dave Roberts has been hired by the Padres as a special assistant in baseball operations.

Red Sox Playing In Australia?

2009-12-05T10:06:00.006-05:00

UPDATE: The team has denied this report, stating "the Boston Red Sox aren't in negotiations to play nor plan to play a game in Australia in the 2010 season".

The Daily Telegraph (my emphasis):

THE Boston Red Sox, one of the world's most famous baseball teams, are coming to Australia for a Major League game at our own field of dreams - the Sydney Cricket Ground - next year.

Red Sox officials watched the Danny Green-Roy Jones Jr fight at Acer Arena on Wednesday night as guest of Events NSW chief executive Geoff Parmenter. We understand negotiations have been taking place with Red Sox management for several months about coming to Sydney to play a yet to be announced Major League rival around late March.

The game would be beamed live back into the US and would be an official Major League game and not a trial. The Red Sox are considered the Manchester United of American baseball and would prove a huge hit Down Under.

Man U? Really? Did this marriage end in divorce?

Sydney is 16 hours ahead of Boston. So, for example, a 7 PM game in Sydney would begin at 3 AM in Boston.

The Red Sox opened the 2008 season in Tokyo, which is 14 hours ahead. The reported date of late March would indicate a similar beginning to the 2010 season.

Yankees Claim "Unfair Competition" From A Blog

2009-12-04T21:28:00.002-05:00

We know what Yankees management did in the 2008-09 off-season -- comitted nearly a half-billion dollars to three players while demanding a few more dump trucks of taxpayer money. What are they going to do for kicks in 2009-10?

For starters, they threatened to file suit against five of the team's fans -- hardcore fans who have willingly spent their free time maintaining a blog. The Yankee Universe recently received a cease and desist letter, claiming, among other things, possible confusion (or even deception!) that the Yankees are sponsoring or have approved their blog. And the Yankees actually had the gall to claim these five bloggers might be guilty of "unfair competition" and "dilution" of the Yankees' trademark.

From TYU's reply to its readers:

We started this site a year ago because we love to write and argue about baseball. We've amassed a modest following – roughly 1,500 unique visitors per day – but by no means are we any more than a normal baseball fan blog. MLBAM knows this. There is nothing on our site that even appears to be detrimental to the Yankee brand.

The truth is, we're good for Major League Baseball and the Yankees. Bloggers like us help the league. We create interest, discussion, and new niches for the game. I know that reading blogs has made me a much bigger fan of the game, and I am sure that many of you had the same experience. Baseball has experienced an unprecedented period of growth that has coincided with the new predominance of baseball blogging on the internet.

What would MLBAM be without the hundreds of baseball blogs out there? And how many of those blogs use the names and images of teams? MLBAM is making a serious mistake by alienating its most important followers. ...

We do not think that any reasonable person can mistake our site for an official representation of the New York Yankees or MLBAM ...

We do not mean to pick a fight. We simply want all of our hard work over the past year to remain where it is.

Re TYU's line about "alienating its most important followers": Time and time (and time) again, the Lords of Baseball have, when faced with a decision regarding the future of the game, nearly always picked the option that pisses off the greatest number of fans. This is one more example to that long list. (Also, MLB has gone after bloggers before.)

[I know the Yankees have a charity known as Yankees Universe (with one hell of a homepage!), but they are still needlessly acting like bullies here. No one with an IQ above Jeter's Range Factor would confuse the targeted blog with either the team's official website or the charity. As the disclaimer to RLYW states: "If you think this is the official website of the New York Yankees, you're an idiot. Go away." The Yankees brand has not been, and will not be, tarnished by the existence of TYU. The club's legal department should find better ways to waste its time.]

I'm late to this story, as it looks now like TYU will shortly be abandoning their URL. And with the ominous threat of "dilution" now gone, the Yankees stockholders can breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Scutaro Contract

2009-12-04T13:13:00.005-05:00

Maybe not quite a "steal", but considering Lugo was getting $9 million, this is a very acceptable contract (it's not my money either way, but I'm liking this deal more and more):

2010 - $5
2011 - $5
2012 - Options: $6 club
                $3 player
                $1.5 club buyout

Gammons:

Baird put Scutaro through a series of hard workouts in Miami and told Epstein that he thought Scutaro is ready to play. In fact, Scutaro thought so as well, and was planning to go play in Venezuela. ...

In mid-July, Scutaro's defensive metrics -- according to three teams' valuations -- were the best in the American League. Then the foot began bothering him ...

"He's one of the best shortstops, period," Ricciardi said. "He's a guy that's going to be able to play at this level until he's 37 or 38. He works at it. Look, this is a great signing. He's a really smart player. He's a great base runner. He keeps improving (his on base percentage has risen from .332 to .341 to .379 the last three seasons). He grinds at-bats (he led all shortstops in pitches per at-bat). He could bat leadoff and they could let Dustin Pedoria bat third. He can do a lot of things." ..

"We still have a lot to do," Epstein said.

Fangraphs on Scutaro

2009-12-04T10:06:00.001-05:00

In mid-November, Fangraphs' Dave Allen had an interesting write-up on our new shortstop's tendencies at the plate:

The increase in offensive value [in 2009] came, largely, from an increased walk rate, 13.6%, a career high for him and in the top 25 of all of baseball. He coupled that with a low strikeout rate; he was one of the few players in the game to have more walks than strikeouts. This led to a jump in his OBP, and thus offensive value. ...

Scutaro is due for some serious regression to his offensive level, as is anyone who posts 2400 PAs at wOBA of .311 and then 680 at .354. But I think that, because the change is supported by the per-pitch level data, which is not immune from regression itself, we can temper that regression somewhat.

Scutaro can play average defense at second or slightly below average at short, is 34 coming off far and away a career year at the plate, and is a type A free agent. It will be interesting to see what kind of deal he gets.

SoSHer Worst Trade Evah:

Guys with big walk spikes in their mid 30s are pretty worrying to me. There are lots of examples where that walk spike is a sign the hitter is laying off things he used to be able to hit but can't anymore. Pretty soon the pitchers figure it out and bust after him, and then it's down hill.

Trlicek's Whip:

Scutaro's only really played two full, full-time seasons, and those have just come to pass in 2008 and 2009 - two seasons where skills that he's demonstrated in part-time status have sustained out over a longer stretch. ...

Scutoro's contact rate is consistent, and his walk rate has climbed in a way that suggests he's learned or earned it. Scutaro isn't an aging power hitter masking his decline by swinging away or taking vast doses of walks (Giambi etc). He's also not a speed merchant who's overcompensating for creaking legs with a better eye at the plate. He's not a black hole with the bat, he's got range and skills in the field, his position flexibility is a Lowrie-hedge ... Even if 2010 is a regression across the board, merely returning to replacement level at the SS position would be an improvement ...

It's hard to get excited over this signing, but considering (a) what we've recently had at short and (b) what is available this winter, we could have been stuck with far worse. Scutaro can also play second and third and seems more than adequate in the field. And even with a regression from last season, his bat should be a massive improvement; the last regular Sox SS to have an OPS+ even a stone's throw from league-average was Nomar -- in 2003.

Ian Browne has two good articles: a good recap of our shortstop woes (20 (!) different players since 2004 (anyone remember Alejandro Machado?)) and a piece on Cuban defector Jose Iglesias, with tons of encouraging quotes from former shortstop and current Sox minor league infield instructor Gary DiSarcina.

Red Sox Sign Marco Scutaro For Two Years

2009-12-04T00:27:00.003-05:00

Gordon Edes, ESPN:

The Red Sox are on the verge of a making a deal for free-agent shortstop Marco Scutaro, who apparently has satisfied Boston's concerns about his health after he worked out for the club Tuesday and the team examined his medical records.

It looks like it's been confirmed as a two-year deal, with maybe an option for a third year.

A 34-year-old guy who just had his career year at a 111 OPS+? I know there's not a lot out there to choose from, but jesus. What the fuck kind of $ did Theo agree to shovel at this guy? Scutaro's next best OPS+ was 96 in 2006 -- and he's never broken 90 in any of his other six seasons. He's a utility infielder; two of his top three B-Ref comps are Tony Graffanino and Pokey Reese.

SoSHer Sprowl:

I watched Scutaro fairly often on the Toronto channels last summer. He has some gap power, really works his at-bats well, and can drive some pitchers to distraction. He fielded very well on the turf, but I still want to see him manage the Fenway grass before I'll feel entirely comfortable with the 2 Year Bridge to Iglesias.

Atlanta Signs Saito, Wagner

2009-12-03T19:46:00.002-05:00

CBS Sports reports that Atlanta has signed two members of the Red Sox 2009 bullpen.

Takashi Saito (who turns 40 in February) agreed to a one-year deal for $3.2 million. Billy Wagner signed a one-year contact worth $7 million on Wednesday.

Aw Jeez

2009-12-03T16:49:00.004-05:00

So I totally missed the nomination phase for the 2009 Canadian Blog Awards -- plus no one nominated me -- so I am not on the Sports ballot.

It turns out that all the while I was thinking of posting a short note telling people that while the season is over and you will probably not visit the site as often, don't forget to check in for the CBAs, the actual nomination process was slowly ticking away.

L says these awards are nothing to get emotional in any way about and she's right, but still.

Bah.

Bits

2009-12-02T10:33:00.003-05:00

It should come as no surprise that the Red Sox are contacting (or will contact) just about every available player out there. And so there will be, at some point before Truck Day, a news bit saying that Boston is "interested" in X, where X = any free agent or any player that another team might possibly trade.

SoSH debates the merits of Adam Everett, Rich Harden and Kelvim Escobar. In the on-going shortstop search, the FO has also kicked the tires on Marco Scutaro, Adam Kennedy and Bobby Crosby. And Mark DeRosa. Plus the Dodgers are not offering Orlando Hudson arbitration.

Red Sox Considering Pedroia At SS

2009-12-01T12:12:00.001-05:00

Old Hickory has the poop:

"They've asked me if I think I could play shortstop," Pedroia says. "They've put it out there and I've told them I'm all for it. I can do it. I can't wait for Tito to call me and ask, 'Can you do it?' I can do it. I really want to do it."

Pedroia was an all-American shortstop at Arizona State, and takes ground balls at the position during the season. The staff has thrown it out to him, realizing that it might be easier to sign or acquire an everyday, defensive second baseman ...

FY was signed in 2004 as a shortstop, but was (primarily) moved to second base the following season. Gammons points out that the Red Sox have 19-year-old Jose Iglesias penciled in at shortstop for no later than 2012. If Iglesias could be ready for 2011, it would make the FY/SS idea a one-year experiment.

Pedroia:

Tell Derek to enjoy the gold glove and silver slugger awards while he can.

Whether this is a serious possibility or the front office putting the word out that its shortstop situation might not be quite so dire, it's interesting.

Back In The Basement

2009-11-30T11:25:00.001-05:00

On the afternoon of August 4, the basement in our rented house -- where I have my office -- flooded.

I was at my desk at the time and, considering the amount of crap I had down there, I was able to move stuff upstairs fast enough so that pretty much nothing of value was destroyed. And now -- almost four months later -- I am moving back downstairs!

Our landlord made extensive improvements -- a wood floor to replace the carpet, a new ceiling with pot lights, a completely new bathroom. My office is now the nicest room in the house!

By the end of the week, everything should be back to normal.

Canadian Seabass

2009-11-26T12:33:00.003-05:00

Alex Gonzalez has signed a $2.75 million contract for 2010 with the Blue Jays.

The Red Sox grabbed infielder Tug Hulett, who was DFAd by the Royals last week.

Hard Push For Halladay?

2009-11-25T19:08:00.002-05:00

Daily News:

The Red Sox are "putting on a full-court press" to acquire Roy Halladay, according to a source, and are hoping to add the former Cy Young winner to the top of their rotation to go with Josh Beckett and Jon Lester.

"They would love to get it wrapped up before the winter meetings (beginning Dec. 7)," the source said of the Red Sox, who made a big push to deal for Halladay last summer.

Like the Daily News, the Globe also mentions Clay Buchholz and Casey Kelly as likely players in any deal ... SoSH TaLK.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-24T10:00:00.006-05:00

On November 25, 1976, the five members of The Band -- Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, and Robbie Robertson - played their last concert together. It was billed as The Last Waltz.

The Thanksgiving Day show (all 5,000 tickleholders were given a full sit-down turkey dinner before the show) was held at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom and was filmed by Martin Scorsese. Besides the official releases, a black and white video of the entire show, filmed from the mixing desk, circulates as a bootleg ("The Lost Waltz") -- and the complete concert is also available. That's what we have here -- from the Mouth of the Beast label. (There does not seem to be any art for the MotB set; there is some here, but it's a different release.) Enjoy the show, Mike!

Disc 1
01 - Up On Cripple Creek
02 - The Shape I'm In
03 - It Makes No Difference
04 - Life Is A Carnival
05 - This Wheel's On Fire
06 - W.S. Walcott Medicine Show
07 - Georgia On My Mind
08 - Ophelia
09 - King Harvest
10 - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
11 - Stage Fright
12 - Rag Mama Rag
13 - Who Do You Love (Ronnie Hawkins)
14 - Such A Night (Dr. John)
 
Disc 2
01 - Down South In New Orleans (Bobby Charles)
02 - Mystery Train (Paul Butterfield)
03 - Caledonia (Muddy Waters)
04 - Mannish Boy (Waters)
05 - All Our Past Times (Eric Clapton)
06 - Further On Up The Road (Clapton)
07 - Helpless (Neil Young)
08 - Four Strong Winds (Young)
09 - Coyote (Joni Mitchell)
10 - Shadows & Light (Mitchell)
11 - Furry Sings The Blues (Mitchell/Young)
 
Disc 3
01 - Dry Your Eyes (Neil Diamond)
02 - Tura Lura Lura (Van Morrison)
03 - Caravan (Morrison)
04 - Acadian Driftwood
05 - Genetic Method
06 - Chest Fever
07 - The Last Waltz
08 - Evangeline
09 - The Weight
10 - Baby Let Me Follow You Down (Bob Dylan)
11 - Hazel (Dylan)
12 - I Don't Believe You (Dylan)
13 - Forever Young (Dylan)
14 - Baby Let Me Follow You Down (Dylan)
 
Disc 4
01 - I Shall Be Released
02 - Jam #1
03 - Jam #2
04 - Don't Do It

So what makes The Last Waltz the best rock and roll film of all time? There are the songs and the musicians, of course, but the key is Scorsese. He decided beforehand how he wanted to shoot every single song -- he storyboarded the entire show. I don't think I have ever seen video footage of a live band that has been shot like The Last Waltz (though it can't be unique). What you usually are given is seemingly random quick cuts between the various cameras, hectic and not timed in any way to the flow of music; any sense of the musicians playing as a group is lost (or maybe wasn't even considered as important). Scorsese framed several of the musicians in many shots, often stayed on one person for quite awhile, and captured subtle gestures and interactions between the musicians.

One great example of the camera work is towards the end of "It Makes No Difference" (why does this have subtitles?). A camera at stage right has a spotlighted Hudson and his sax in the foreground, then he steps back but we stay with that shot, with Robertson, Danko, and Helm further away, towards the middle of the stage, as Robertson solos a little bit. Then the camera pulls slightly back and Hudson steps forward again with his sax. It's one continuous camera angle. Brilliant.

There are so many highlights -- from the interviews (the beginning of the beginning of the end of the beginning ... Marshmallow Overcoat ... an adult dose ... and what's it called?) and the concert (Manuel's jacket, Hawkins fanning Robbie's guitar with his hat, Morrison's jump-suited kicks, a cool Clapton playing rings around Robertson while Robbie sweats and thrashes about) -- but I'll single out my favourite.

I first saw The Last Waltz in 1986, back Laura and I were still long distance. During one of my weekends in Brooklyn, we rented the movie. I was doing college radio at the time and was a big fan of the American roots rock/cow punk movement, but I was fairly ignorant about Dylan's rootsier rock.Near the end of the film, Dylan and the Band slid into "Baby Let Me Follow You Down" -- and I was floored. It was a revelation. And anytime I have seen it in the nearly 25 years (!) since that night -- including the maybe 10-15 times I either watched the clip or listened to the song while writing this post -- I have never been unfloored. Familiarity has not dulled any of its vitality.

Dylan recorded the traditional folk song way back in 1962 and it was part of his electric set on his infamous 1966 tour with the Band (known then as the Hawks). The song is played at a faster clip in The Last Waltz than it was 10 years earlier -- call it a funky gallop. For all the barbed-wire guitar and Dylan's stupendous vocals (his voice peaked in the mid-70s), the star of the song is Helm. He's doing a ton of shit on the drums -- the fantastic two-beat bump-bump after the main riff that acts like a little kick in the ass, the way he rides his cymbal during the riff, the "god almighty world" lines, and even some of Robbie's bits of solo. He makes the song dance, and never comes anywhere close to cluttering things up.

Watch and listen to this two-song clip. First up is "Forever Young", off Planet Waves, the 1973 album Dylan made with The Band; it did not break any new ground as far as Dylan's canon is concerned, but it's easily one of my Top 5 (maybe Top 3) Bob albums. And then it's into a reprise of BLMFYD, which Dylan had begun his short set with.

Check out Dylan noodling between the two songs at about 4:10. It's one of the best moments in the entire film. Helm is back behind the drums, head cocked, waiting, Robertson's eyes are darting from Dylan's hands to Dylan's face, down to his own hands, Danko is simply staring at Dylan with a fantastic look of anticipation. The final stray notes dissolve into the air, and everyone is watching Dylan -- except us! We have no idea what he is doing. Then Danko starts to slowly smile -- a split-second before the familiar chords start up again. YEAH!

More:
Hazel -- from The Lost Waltz bootleg
Cripple Creek, Rockin' Chair, King Harvest and Long Black Veil -- probably from 1970
Time to Kill -- Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, November 1970
Just Another Whistle Stop -- Wembley Stadium, 1974
Highway 61 Revisited -- Dylan/The Band, Isle of Wight, 1969

Life [sic] Of A Blog Spammer

2009-11-23T08:16:00.004-05:00

Jere has done some great research on someone named "Tom Palomino", who has been spamming Red Sox and Yankee blogs (and many, many others) with advertising clumsily wrapped in a seemingly on-topic comment. It's a must-read.

I can understand leaving bare links, but to actually write a relevant comment at every blog you visit -- that must take an extraordinary amount of time. (Maybe there are several "Tom"s who use the same account.) Is this his regular job at the memorabilia company or is he working free-lance? If the later, what does he get paid?

This is one more another reason why this blog will never have advertising on it. This type of spam pollutes and degrades a blog in the same way ticket broker widgets do.

We are driving to New Jersey today for a Thanksgiving week with Laura's family, with a couple of days in Manhattan thrown in. Special Turkey Day post coming, probably Tuesday.

Sox Willing To Eat Half Of Lowell's Contract

2009-11-23T01:24:00.002-05:00

Ken Rosenthal, MSN/Fox:

The Red Sox not only are shopping third baseman Mike Lowell but also are willing to pay $6 million of his $12 million salary for next season, according to major-league sources.

One rival executive, however, says he would be surprised if a team was willing to pay Lowell even $6 million. ...

His right-hip issues have limited his range and he ranks as one of the worst defensive third basemen in the majors, advanced metrics say. ... [Lowell] benefited greatly from playing at Fenway Park last season, posting a .932 OPS at home and .713 OPS on the road.

Drew Has Left Shoulder Surgery

2009-11-22T16:22:00.000-05:00

Nick Cafardo reports that J.D. Drew

had surgery on his left shoulder last week to help alleviate the inflammation he was experiencing in the second half of the season. He should be able to take part in spring training without missing any time.

Another tidbit is that the idea of playing Mike Lowell at first base has been "discussed internally" by the front office.

Twenty-one-year-old fireballing lefty Aroldis Chapman, who pitched for Cuba in the 2009 WBC and defected in last July, is now represented by Hendricks Sports Management. Chapman visited Fenway Park last month.

Blogging In 1974

2009-11-20T09:28:00.000-05:00

Daniel Shoptaw, the man behind the Baseball Bloggers Alliance, is posting short Q&As of BBA members. Here's mine.

One thought: this blog is a clear descendant of the sports pages I created on my parents' electric typewriter roughly 35 years ago. Also, I love hearing about other writers who did similar things when they were kids.

Bay Rejects Boston's 4/60 Offer

2009-11-19T16:08:00.000-05:00

Not a surprise, as Theo Epstein said.

He may end up back in Fenway, but at age 31, Bay wants to see what is out there in the free agent waters.

Terry Francona held court on a number of matters, including Bay:

He has earned the right to be a free agent. This is his first time, and he wants to see it through. You know we're going to be a major player. We always are. Do I hope it gets done? Yeah.

The Red Sox's exclusive rights to negotiate with Bay end at midnight tonight.

While Tito would like the Sox to go after some pitching (like John Lackey), David Ortiz says the team needs a power bat:

I said that like a year ago and everybody was looking at me like I was a (expletive) clown. You know? I said we needed another 30-home run hitter. Everybody was talking trash. There you go. Now what? ... You want to compete with those guys across the street? You better bring it. Period.

The Sox have asked Atlanta for the medical records of free agent relievers Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano.

Sox Release Kottaras

2009-11-18T07:50:00.003-05:00

Zachary Nicholson, Sox Prospects:

With the deadline to add players to the 40-man roster and protect them from the Rule 5 Draft rapidly approaching, the Red Sox [Tuesday] made another move to clear space, releasing catcher George Kottaras. ...

Links: 40-man roster deadline and Rule 5 draft (to be held on December 10).

Greinke Wins AL Cy Young

2009-11-17T14:37:00.004-05:00

It's a rout.

                      1st  2nd  3rd   Pts
Zack Greinke, KC       25    3        134
Felix Hernandez, SEA    2   23    1    80
Justin Verlander, DET   1         9    14
CC Sabathia, NYY             2    7    13
Roy Halladay, TOR                11    11

NL Cy on Thursday.

Rookies of the Year: Andrew Bailey (A's) and Chris Coghlan (Marlins).

Dock Ellis And The LSD No-No

2009-11-14T10:18:00.002-05:00

On June 12, 1970, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis took the mound in San Diego while high on LSD.

A video from No Mas and James Blagden.

Ellis:

I started having a crazy idea in the fourth inning that Richard Nixon was the home plate umpire, and once I thought I was pitching a baseball to Jimi Hendrix, who to me was holding a guitar and swinging it over the plate.

The audio in the video comes from an interview Ellis did with NPR shortly before his death last December.

Secret Source Of Yankees Cash Flow Revealed

2009-11-13T19:59:00.005-05:00

Now we know how the Yankees have been able to spend so much money:

New York Yankees team ownership revealed Tuesday that the phrase "Yankees suck," one of the most popular chants in sports, was trademarked by the 27-time World Series champions prior to the 1996 season, a business strategy that has earned the team close to $100 billion over the past 13 years.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office records show that every time an individual chants, shouts, or writes the words "Yankees suck," the New York Yankees organization earns at least $2.15 ...

Furthermore, financial records indicate that by also owning the rights to the common anti-Yankee epithet "Jeter blows," the team earned much of the money needed to sign Alex Rodriguez in 2004. ...

General Manager Brian Cashman told reporters that baseball fans who muttered "Yankees suck" to themselves while on the grounds of major-league ballparks during the second half of the 2007 season alone essentially funded the team's new $1.2 billion stadium.

The organization also has reason to be optimistic about the future of "Yankees suck" revenue: Accountants project that, as the Internet and cable television bring the team into millions more homes across the globe, there could soon come a time when the Yankees are told they suck three times a second on every continent.

Trivia

2009-11-13T17:18:00.002-05:00

From Baseball Reference's blog:

Name the only two players in the last 56 years to have at least 16 total bases in a game without hitting four home runs in the contest.