December 3, 2003
A Pathetic Bully. Jeff Jacobs wrote one of the most petty, vindictive pieces of "journalism" I've read in quite a long time. His Hartford Courant column actually manages to set a new low for Boston sports media (though Shaugnessy won't surrender his crown without a fight, I'm sure). I refuse to provide a link, but it's posted in its entirety at a couple of Red Sox blogs: Portland Sox Fan and Dwights House, so you can read it without registering a hit at the Courtant. Dirt Dog has a fantastic parody up, along with an email from Jacobs stating this crap was a collaborative work with his editors. Besides the huge embarassment this should be for the Courant and Jacobs, this incident shows again how pivotal these past few days have been regarding athletes and their relationship with fans. Thanks to the Internet, an athlete can now communicate directly to the fans on his own time without the media as a bothersome middleman. And thanks to Curt Schilling's widely-reported example, I believe more and more of them are going to do so. Writers who can't do their jobs are scared shitless. They are quickly becoming as irrelevant as the horse and buggy, they know it, and they are lashing out at anything and anyone they can.
December 2, 2003
The Winter Classic. Boston likely made the move of the winter by trading for Curt Schilling. However, the Yankees are making their own, albeit less flashy, countermoves. They resigned Aaron Boone and Enrique Wilson for 2004 and have agreed to terms with reliever Tom Gordon and RF Gary Sheffield. In the rumor mill, they are eyeing Kenny Lofton and proposing a Jeff-Weaver-for-Kevin Brown trade with LA. Boston lost out on possible 2B Luis Castillo, who resigned with Florida. In San Diego, Kevin Towers downplayed any Nomar talk.
Pedro: "For me, it would be a pleasure to negotiate with Boston. In baseball there are no guarantees, but obviously we are a better team with Schilling. Boston has the option of negotiating with me. It's something that I will leave up to them, but if it doesn't happen, I will go into my last season and I'll do my job." Back on November 7, Martinez said: "I have to understand that if I don't put up the same numbers that I did in '99 and 2000, and from '97 on, I'll probably get a little bit of decrease in salary. But it's still pretty good money in the market. I'll just settle for whatever the market has to offer and enjoy the game."
Tom Boswell says the Red Sox and Yankees are battling it out in the Winter Classic. But a few hundred words after he writes "In the [Schilling] trade, the Red Sox barely lost anything" he asks: "Have the Red Sox mortgaged their future to grab a power pitcher just as he goes over the hill?" ... So which is it? Boswell doesn't answer the question; he merely notes that getting Schilling as he begins his decline "would fit Red Sox history." Pfft. A disappointing piece.
BlogWatch: Ed Cossette agrees with me re players sidestepping the media and using the internet to communicate directly with fans. ... Similarly, Tim Daloisio namechecks the Cluetrain Manifesto ... Dirt Dog has a transcript of Monday's lengthy WEEI Schilling interview. ... John Henry doesn't like the adult language sometimes used at SoSH, but he admits fans "cannot get a better, more informed or timely discussion of important Red Sox issues anywhere."
In the coverage of Bush's Thanksgiving Day Photo-Op, there was a story about a British Airways pilot who spotted what he believed was Air Force One. He radioed, "Did I just see Air Force One?" Col. Mark Tillman, AF1's pilot, responded, "Gulf Stream Five" (a much smaller plane). After a long silence, the British pilot replied, "Oh." ... Since the secret trip likely would have been called off if any news leaked out, this added a bit of suspense. But now the story is falling apart. ... A British Airways spokeswoman said yesterday that two BA aircraft were in the area at the time, but neither pilot made radio contact with AF1. So who is lying here, and why? How could the White House benefit from this fabrication? Does it make Bush look more daring? It's baffling. You wouldn't need much tinfoil to think Bush didn't even go to Iraq, but based on comments I have read on other internet boards, I believe he did go to Baghdad (though if the "liberation" is going so swimmingly, why did Mr. Bring 'Em On have to sneak in the back door?). ... Wouldn't an aircraft have to be fairly close to AF1 to see its markings and be able to distinguish it from a commercial 747? (And if it had no markings, why would he suspect it was AF1? If true, he must have seen something specific.) And doesn't AF1 have strict rules about distance between it and other planes, making a physical ID impossible? And why would the AF1 pilot make a laughable claim that it was actually a Gulfstream 5? Any experienced commercial pilot would never confuse the two; in fact, post-9/11, wouldn't that only add to his suspicion?
Pedro: "For me, it would be a pleasure to negotiate with Boston. In baseball there are no guarantees, but obviously we are a better team with Schilling. Boston has the option of negotiating with me. It's something that I will leave up to them, but if it doesn't happen, I will go into my last season and I'll do my job." Back on November 7, Martinez said: "I have to understand that if I don't put up the same numbers that I did in '99 and 2000, and from '97 on, I'll probably get a little bit of decrease in salary. But it's still pretty good money in the market. I'll just settle for whatever the market has to offer and enjoy the game."
Tom Boswell says the Red Sox and Yankees are battling it out in the Winter Classic. But a few hundred words after he writes "In the [Schilling] trade, the Red Sox barely lost anything" he asks: "Have the Red Sox mortgaged their future to grab a power pitcher just as he goes over the hill?" ... So which is it? Boswell doesn't answer the question; he merely notes that getting Schilling as he begins his decline "would fit Red Sox history." Pfft. A disappointing piece.
BlogWatch: Ed Cossette agrees with me re players sidestepping the media and using the internet to communicate directly with fans. ... Similarly, Tim Daloisio namechecks the Cluetrain Manifesto ... Dirt Dog has a transcript of Monday's lengthy WEEI Schilling interview. ... John Henry doesn't like the adult language sometimes used at SoSH, but he admits fans "cannot get a better, more informed or timely discussion of important Red Sox issues anywhere."
In the coverage of Bush's Thanksgiving Day Photo-Op, there was a story about a British Airways pilot who spotted what he believed was Air Force One. He radioed, "Did I just see Air Force One?" Col. Mark Tillman, AF1's pilot, responded, "Gulf Stream Five" (a much smaller plane). After a long silence, the British pilot replied, "Oh." ... Since the secret trip likely would have been called off if any news leaked out, this added a bit of suspense. But now the story is falling apart. ... A British Airways spokeswoman said yesterday that two BA aircraft were in the area at the time, but neither pilot made radio contact with AF1. So who is lying here, and why? How could the White House benefit from this fabrication? Does it make Bush look more daring? It's baffling. You wouldn't need much tinfoil to think Bush didn't even go to Iraq, but based on comments I have read on other internet boards, I believe he did go to Baghdad (though if the "liberation" is going so swimmingly, why did Mr. Bring 'Em On have to sneak in the back door?). ... Wouldn't an aircraft have to be fairly close to AF1 to see its markings and be able to distinguish it from a commercial 747? (And if it had no markings, why would he suspect it was AF1? If true, he must have seen something specific.) And doesn't AF1 have strict rules about distance between it and other planes, making a physical ID impossible? And why would the AF1 pilot make a laughable claim that it was actually a Gulfstream 5? Any experienced commercial pilot would never confuse the two; in fact, post-9/11, wouldn't that only add to his suspicion?
November 30, 2003
Ha Ha Ha! Some wishful thinking from New York:
Bill Madden: "Francona will be officially named the new Boston manager on Tuesday and all you can say to that is: Will the Red Sox ever get it? Red Sox brass is clearly going for it all next year with a bust-the-budget roster that is banking on two aging and delicate starting pitchers ... After 2004, their core players - Martinez, Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Varitek, Martinez [Pedro's leaving twice!], and Trot Nixon - are all free agents and likely to be gone. In the meantime, though, the pamper-the-superstars, country-club environment goes on in Boston as now the newest Red Sox supertstar [sic] has brought in his own manager with him."
Shaun Powell: "Believe this: It will be very, very tense in Boston next season. By signing Schilling ... the Red Sox made a decision. They're going for broke. They're staking their city's fragile mental health, their enormous payroll and their entire philosophy on next season. It's all or nothing for a team trying to end 85 years of frustrating finishes."
(Have you ever heard Schilling described as "delicate" before? "Aging"? Please. Pedro is 32; Mussina turns 35 next month and Contreras is 57.)
The Schilling negotiations will undoubtedly effect any talks with Pedro Martinez about a possible extension past 2004. Martinez will earn $17.5 next season and Schilling's deal averages out to $12.75 per year. In a press conference last month, Pedro said he understood he might have to take less money in the future. $14 for 3 years sounds about as high as Boston should go. Pedro should take it and stand alongside Schilling for the 2005-06-07 seasons.
Both John Henry and Theo Epstein made it clear that flexibility is key. Henry: "It was Curt's goal that his deal not adversely impact the competitiveness of the franchise. We had the same goal. We knew the realities of the current market, but we were not about to wait around to determine exactly what they were. There almost certainly is another franchise that would have paid him more money, but this was about his career and as he said at the outset, dollars were not the most important aspect here." Theo: "There was a bit of a disparity between what Curt deserved for what he brings to the table and what we needed to be able to remain competitive in building the rest of the team. Through a lot of extra effort on both sides, we were able to come to a position that satisfied both criteria." And: "Curt wasn't out for every last dollar. Very far from it. He wanted to structure his deal so the Red Sox would be competitive for every year of his contract."
Some random notes from the Globe: From a guest at Nomar's wedding: "The buzz around the place was that Nomar really wants to stay in Boston. They're trying to work it out right now. Nomar certainly doesn't like the media attention, but he loves playing baseball in Boston." ... Jose Canseco hopes to become the next Bruce Lee. ... According to a source close to Andy Pettitte, the best offers he has received are from the Astros and Red Sox. ... The oddsmakers at The Palms in Las Vegas now list the Red Sox at 4-1 to win the 2004 World Series (down from 7-1); the Yankees remain at 3-1. ... If the Sox do get another closer, Scott Williamson would like to start. ... Mike Lupica: "Epstein 1, Yankees 0" ... Bill Moyers on Jim Bouton. ... A Schilling chat transcript from Saturday night.
Bill Madden: "Francona will be officially named the new Boston manager on Tuesday and all you can say to that is: Will the Red Sox ever get it? Red Sox brass is clearly going for it all next year with a bust-the-budget roster that is banking on two aging and delicate starting pitchers ... After 2004, their core players - Martinez, Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Varitek, Martinez [Pedro's leaving twice!], and Trot Nixon - are all free agents and likely to be gone. In the meantime, though, the pamper-the-superstars, country-club environment goes on in Boston as now the newest Red Sox supertstar [sic] has brought in his own manager with him."
Shaun Powell: "Believe this: It will be very, very tense in Boston next season. By signing Schilling ... the Red Sox made a decision. They're going for broke. They're staking their city's fragile mental health, their enormous payroll and their entire philosophy on next season. It's all or nothing for a team trying to end 85 years of frustrating finishes."
(Have you ever heard Schilling described as "delicate" before? "Aging"? Please. Pedro is 32; Mussina turns 35 next month and Contreras is 57.)
The Schilling negotiations will undoubtedly effect any talks with Pedro Martinez about a possible extension past 2004. Martinez will earn $17.5 next season and Schilling's deal averages out to $12.75 per year. In a press conference last month, Pedro said he understood he might have to take less money in the future. $14 for 3 years sounds about as high as Boston should go. Pedro should take it and stand alongside Schilling for the 2005-06-07 seasons.
Both John Henry and Theo Epstein made it clear that flexibility is key. Henry: "It was Curt's goal that his deal not adversely impact the competitiveness of the franchise. We had the same goal. We knew the realities of the current market, but we were not about to wait around to determine exactly what they were. There almost certainly is another franchise that would have paid him more money, but this was about his career and as he said at the outset, dollars were not the most important aspect here." Theo: "There was a bit of a disparity between what Curt deserved for what he brings to the table and what we needed to be able to remain competitive in building the rest of the team. Through a lot of extra effort on both sides, we were able to come to a position that satisfied both criteria." And: "Curt wasn't out for every last dollar. Very far from it. He wanted to structure his deal so the Red Sox would be competitive for every year of his contract."
Some random notes from the Globe: From a guest at Nomar's wedding: "The buzz around the place was that Nomar really wants to stay in Boston. They're trying to work it out right now. Nomar certainly doesn't like the media attention, but he loves playing baseball in Boston." ... Jose Canseco hopes to become the next Bruce Lee. ... According to a source close to Andy Pettitte, the best offers he has received are from the Astros and Red Sox. ... The oddsmakers at The Palms in Las Vegas now list the Red Sox at 4-1 to win the 2004 World Series (down from 7-1); the Yankees remain at 3-1. ... If the Sox do get another closer, Scott Williamson would like to start. ... Mike Lupica: "Epstein 1, Yankees 0" ... Bill Moyers on Jim Bouton. ... A Schilling chat transcript from Saturday night.
November 29, 2003
Happy Thankschilling!
Friday was historic day in Red Sox Nation for many reasons, including the fact that it was a day in which the Boston media became totally irrelevant. If you wanted Red Sox news as the Schilling Deadline clicked down, you had to be online. And not at ESPN or MLB. No, the place to be was at Sons of Sam Horn. Schilling himself was at the site chatting with fans until 4:30 am Friday morning (Boston time) and when discussions broke for awhile that afternoon, he was back chatting with a couple of dozen fortunate fans in the cramped chat room. Speculation was rampant, little bits of news leaked out, and it all was being dissected in real time.
When the team's owner and a prized pitching ace both sign up and post on a message board (John Henry has contributed to a thread about the club's finances and 2004 payroll, Theo Epstein had held a chat), it eliminates the media as middle man. How did we find out the deal was done? John Henry logged on and broke the news!
The print media can offer analysis and opinion, but for the most part, their analysis is weak. You can find more common sense analysis online if you know where to look. And because most writers and announcers are ignorant of so many aspects of the sport (and are often afraid of new ideas like sabremetrics), most of their opinions are worthless. Why should a fan bother with an ignorant mediot when she can discuss the Sox with more than 1,400 fans who are obsessive about knowing everything about their team. Art Martone talks about this and the Big Day.
Theo: "[I]f we didn't sign Curt, it would have turned out to be probably the worst holiday of my life. We were blown away on Wednesday night when they ... invited us over for Thanksgiving. We tried to refuse and Curt said it would be a deal breaker. He said he'd be insulted if we didn't go."
Schilling: "After our negotiations Thanksgiving Day, I really believed the trade was not going to happen. But the Red Sox showed flexibility, and so did we. I think what really sealed it was their intense desire to make the trade. They really made me see that they wanted me to be a Red Sox player for the rest of my career."
Schilling: "The one thing you'll never lay on an East Coast fan is a lack of knowledge. In some cases, they know way too much. Or they think they do. ... [At SOSH] We were talking baseball. It was like talking hot-stove baseball. They didn't believe it was me, for an extended period of time, which made it even funnier."
Schilling: "I can't wait to take the ball against the Yankees."
Schilling: "I want to be in a parade going down whatever the Main Street is there, as World Champions. I just want to be part of bringing the first World Championship in modern times to Boston -- hopefully more than one. I'm ecstatic."
Theo: "As an organization, we're aspiring to be the most prepared organization in baseball. We want to help our players be better prepared than the opposition. I think Curt has set the standard for Major League pitchers with the preparation. He created his own video system in 1994 to know opposing hitters better than anyone else in baseball. I think there's a great synergy between what Curt is trying to do to prepare himself to pitch as what we're trying to do as an organization."
Schilling: "Theo and I competed for 72 hours, with a quick break for Thanksgiving. I was impressed because I've been in the room with general managers during negotiations and have never been so bowled over by the preparation."
Tim Wakefield: Schilling "could be the missing piece we need."
There is a $13-million option for 2007 that will kick in "if the Red Sox win the World Series in any of the next three seasons."
Dan Bickley, Arizona Republic: "I think I saw the Red Sox just win a World Series."
Gerry Callahan, Boston Herald: "That plate full of scraps that sits in Steinbrenner's freezer might look like leftovers from the holiday dinner. It is, in fact, what's left of Brian Cashman ... [Schilling] was perfect for the Pinstripes: experienced, clutch, colorful, big and loud like New York City itself. All Cashman had to do was knock on his door, bring his wife some roses, write a big check, and ... hey, what the hell is Theo Epstein doing here? ... Grady Little gave the Yankees the AL pennant six weeks ago. Theo and the trio have been trying to get it back ever since."
During his news conference last night, Schilling mentioned the online chats and how impressed he was with the fans' passion. Epstein then interjected: "If anyone from the Sons of Sam Horn is watching, we put a clause in Curt's contract saying he couldn't stay up past midnight chatting on the internet."
Friday was historic day in Red Sox Nation for many reasons, including the fact that it was a day in which the Boston media became totally irrelevant. If you wanted Red Sox news as the Schilling Deadline clicked down, you had to be online. And not at ESPN or MLB. No, the place to be was at Sons of Sam Horn. Schilling himself was at the site chatting with fans until 4:30 am Friday morning (Boston time) and when discussions broke for awhile that afternoon, he was back chatting with a couple of dozen fortunate fans in the cramped chat room. Speculation was rampant, little bits of news leaked out, and it all was being dissected in real time.
When the team's owner and a prized pitching ace both sign up and post on a message board (John Henry has contributed to a thread about the club's finances and 2004 payroll, Theo Epstein had held a chat), it eliminates the media as middle man. How did we find out the deal was done? John Henry logged on and broke the news!
The print media can offer analysis and opinion, but for the most part, their analysis is weak. You can find more common sense analysis online if you know where to look. And because most writers and announcers are ignorant of so many aspects of the sport (and are often afraid of new ideas like sabremetrics), most of their opinions are worthless. Why should a fan bother with an ignorant mediot when she can discuss the Sox with more than 1,400 fans who are obsessive about knowing everything about their team. Art Martone talks about this and the Big Day.
Theo: "[I]f we didn't sign Curt, it would have turned out to be probably the worst holiday of my life. We were blown away on Wednesday night when they ... invited us over for Thanksgiving. We tried to refuse and Curt said it would be a deal breaker. He said he'd be insulted if we didn't go."
Schilling: "After our negotiations Thanksgiving Day, I really believed the trade was not going to happen. But the Red Sox showed flexibility, and so did we. I think what really sealed it was their intense desire to make the trade. They really made me see that they wanted me to be a Red Sox player for the rest of my career."
Schilling: "The one thing you'll never lay on an East Coast fan is a lack of knowledge. In some cases, they know way too much. Or they think they do. ... [At SOSH] We were talking baseball. It was like talking hot-stove baseball. They didn't believe it was me, for an extended period of time, which made it even funnier."
Schilling: "I can't wait to take the ball against the Yankees."
Schilling: "I want to be in a parade going down whatever the Main Street is there, as World Champions. I just want to be part of bringing the first World Championship in modern times to Boston -- hopefully more than one. I'm ecstatic."
Theo: "As an organization, we're aspiring to be the most prepared organization in baseball. We want to help our players be better prepared than the opposition. I think Curt has set the standard for Major League pitchers with the preparation. He created his own video system in 1994 to know opposing hitters better than anyone else in baseball. I think there's a great synergy between what Curt is trying to do to prepare himself to pitch as what we're trying to do as an organization."
Schilling: "Theo and I competed for 72 hours, with a quick break for Thanksgiving. I was impressed because I've been in the room with general managers during negotiations and have never been so bowled over by the preparation."
Tim Wakefield: Schilling "could be the missing piece we need."
There is a $13-million option for 2007 that will kick in "if the Red Sox win the World Series in any of the next three seasons."
Dan Bickley, Arizona Republic: "I think I saw the Red Sox just win a World Series."
Gerry Callahan, Boston Herald: "That plate full of scraps that sits in Steinbrenner's freezer might look like leftovers from the holiday dinner. It is, in fact, what's left of Brian Cashman ... [Schilling] was perfect for the Pinstripes: experienced, clutch, colorful, big and loud like New York City itself. All Cashman had to do was knock on his door, bring his wife some roses, write a big check, and ... hey, what the hell is Theo Epstein doing here? ... Grady Little gave the Yankees the AL pennant six weeks ago. Theo and the trio have been trying to get it back ever since."
During his news conference last night, Schilling mentioned the online chats and how impressed he was with the fans' passion. Epstein then interjected: "If anyone from the Sons of Sam Horn is watching, we put a clause in Curt's contract saying he couldn't stay up past midnight chatting on the internet."
November 28, 2003
Three-Year Stats (2001-03)
Ranking by 2001-03 Opponents' OPS
An excellent blog from a woman in Baghdad. ... Another Arnold Quote: "I am only going to make cuts to a certain point. I'm not going to cut dog food for blind people." Well, thank goodness.
G IP H ER BB K W L ERA AVG OBP SLG
Pedro 77 502.2 375 127 112 608 41 11 2.27 .204 .260 .303
Schilling 95 684.0 599 233 104 803 53 22 3.07 .233 .262 .376
Lowe 132 514.2 485 200 149 319 43 25 3.50 .249 .309 .358
Wakefield 125 534.1 470 216 195 451 31 17 3.64 .235 .311 .368
Mussina 659.0 602 130 591 3.52 .243 .281 .381I included Pettitte because I think that New York will resign him, especially now that Schilling is in Boston.
Pettitte 543.2 595 123 441 3.82 .275 .314 .391
Weaver 588.1 639 163 377 4.41 .276 .328 .421
Leiber 373.1 379 53 235 3.76 .263 .286 .405
Contreras 71.0 52 30 72 3.30 .202 .297 .300
Ranking by 2001-03 Opponents' OPS
Pedro .563Contreras's big-league career is only 71 innings so far, so I left him off this list (if you're wondering, his OPS against last year was .597). Everyone else has pitched more than 370 innings over the last 3 seasons. Boston pitchers claim 4 of the top 5 spots.
Schilling .638
Mussina .662
Lowe .667
Wakefield .679
Leiber .693
Pettitte .705
Weaver .749
An excellent blog from a woman in Baghdad. ... Another Arnold Quote: "I am only going to make cuts to a certain point. I'm not going to cut dog food for blind people." Well, thank goodness.
Welcome to Boston, Mr. Schilling! The deal is done! According to ESPN: "It's expected that his extension will be for two more guaranteed years -- $12.5M in 2005 and $13M in 2006 -- with a vesting option for $13 million that will guarantee a third season in 2007 if he stays healthy." Jayson Stark adds 30 wonderful words: "The Red Sox sent a message to the Yankees in particular and to all of baseball that they are willing to do whatever it takes to win a world championship."
It has been a whirlwind day in the Nation. From last night to this evening, Schilling has spent perhaps four hours chatting with Red Sox fans on the internet, mostly in the Chat Room at Sons of Sam Horn (link at left). The Chat Room holds only 25 people and unfortunately, I wasn't one of them during his two visits. But I can say that team owner John Henry (also a SoSH poster!) logged on to give fans the good news at 5:48 pm: "[Curt] was just telling me about all of the e-mails, about the passion of our fans, about posting on the Sons of Sam Horn. So congratulations, SoSH, on helping to bring Curt Schilling to Boston!" ... I think I wore out my Refresh key this afternoon on the many SoSH threads.
So how long until Truck Day?
It has been a whirlwind day in the Nation. From last night to this evening, Schilling has spent perhaps four hours chatting with Red Sox fans on the internet, mostly in the Chat Room at Sons of Sam Horn (link at left). The Chat Room holds only 25 people and unfortunately, I wasn't one of them during his two visits. But I can say that team owner John Henry (also a SoSH poster!) logged on to give fans the good news at 5:48 pm: "[Curt] was just telling me about all of the e-mails, about the passion of our fans, about posting on the Sons of Sam Horn. So congratulations, SoSH, on helping to bring Curt Schilling to Boston!" ... I think I wore out my Refresh key this afternoon on the many SoSH threads.
So how long until Truck Day?
Deadline Extended. The Red Sox received a 24-hour extension and the Schilling deadline is now 5:00 pm Saturday.
Schilling's redsox.com post begins: "First off to any and all members of the media I would ask that if you are here, that this information remain here. ... it would be greatly appreciated if this post and its content remained on this site alone." So what does ESPN do? Copy it into a news story and post it on their site. Classy. And mediots still wonder why various players refuse to talk with them. ...
Schilling's redsox.com post begins: "First off to any and all members of the media I would ask that if you are here, that this information remain here. ... it would be greatly appreciated if this post and its content remained on this site alone." So what does ESPN do? Copy it into a news story and post it on their site. Classy. And mediots still wonder why various players refuse to talk with them. ...
2:30 pm? There were rumors of a Red Sox press conference for 2:30 this afternoon, but now people aren't so sure. Dirt Dog, however, is quite sure of Schilling's acceptance of a 3-year deal, with DONE DEAL in like 100-pt type on his website. ... Also, did Schilling really post on the redsox.com message board and in the SoSH Chat Room last night? GodSamGod says: "Someone brought up Bruce Hurst, and like literally three seconds later, he said, "I pitched my first game against Bruce Hurst." His next comment, which was a few seconds later, was, "My first four games went Hurst, Guidry, Hurst and Key. I went 0-3." A quick check on Retrosheet shows he's right." ... Hmmmm ...
November 27, 2003
Me, I'm Waiting So Patiently ... Red Sox GM Theo Epstein and CEO Larry Lucchino held "two sessions at Schilling's house. We made a proposal and meetings and/or conversations will continue through the holiday." Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, there will likely be no more meetings until Friday. Arizona GM Joe Garagiola Jr. thinks Schilling will wait until the end of the negotiating window (Friday at 5:00 pm) before announcing his decision. And while Terry Francona is expected to be named as manager early next week, one club source told the Herald there is a remote possibility that if Schilling turns the Sox down, Francona may not be the top choice anymore. Also, Lucchino spoke with Joe Maddon on Tuesday. Maddon: "He just wanted to talk to me. We had a lot of conversations about the theory and philosophy of baseball - he's a very interesting man." ... Wired reports on MLB's fight to retain "exclusive rights to transmit real-time information about its games online. ... The battle is being waged over what are commonly called gamecasts: real-time descriptions of baseball games, including who's batting, what pitches are thrown, the game situation and the outcome of each pitch." MLB claims these presentations are actually exhibitions of the game and thus is entitled to a license fee.
One day after the Taliban launched a rocket attack on Kabul's most prominent hotel and Mullah Omar (the Taliban's still at-large leader) "urged Afghans to unite against US-led foreign forces on their soil," George W. Bush said the US had "put the Taliban out of business forever." ... From an article co-written by Colleen Kelly, founder of September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows: "We live in a county where crime scene investigation TV shows are all the rage. Yet, in one of the most serious crimes in this century, there has been no official rush to get all the facts. If a person was shot in front of the World Trade Center, there would be more of an urgent inquiry into that killing than was accorded the murder of thousands of people in broad daylight. ... Virtually all mainstream outlets have downplayed the issue, across the spectrum from right to left. We are not sure why."
One day after the Taliban launched a rocket attack on Kabul's most prominent hotel and Mullah Omar (the Taliban's still at-large leader) "urged Afghans to unite against US-led foreign forces on their soil," George W. Bush said the US had "put the Taliban out of business forever." ... From an article co-written by Colleen Kelly, founder of September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows: "We live in a county where crime scene investigation TV shows are all the rage. Yet, in one of the most serious crimes in this century, there has been no official rush to get all the facts. If a person was shot in front of the World Trade Center, there would be more of an urgent inquiry into that killing than was accorded the murder of thousands of people in broad daylight. ... Virtually all mainstream outlets have downplayed the issue, across the spectrum from right to left. We are not sure why."
November 26, 2003
While Waiting For Curt's Decision. Only days after Max Cleland denounced the Bush Administration of having "deliberately compromised" the 9/11 Commission, George W. Bush appointed Cleland to serve on the board of the Import-Export Bank. Because he accepted the position, Cleland must now resign from the Commission. This is incredibly disturbing. Why would Cleland forfeit his place in an investigation whose integrity he has fought hard to protect? Did he want to get out because he believed the Commission had become a farce? It's impossible to say, but his previous comments sounded like someone who was, while understandably frustrated, willing to stay and fight. Frankly, everyone on the Commission should know that they are involved in a sham and a whitewash. At this point, it's simply a matter of whether that fact bothers them. ... And following up on the "agreement" that only two members of the Commission will actually see redacted copies of the President's Daily Briefings, one of those members will be Dr. Phillip Zelikow, the Commission's Executive Director, who has a huge conflict of interest, having recently served as a member of the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board and co-authored a book last year with National Security Advisor Condaleeza Rice.
"Before the press was herded into the giant hangar in advance of George W. Bush's pep rally/photo op with the Fort Carson troops, we were given the rules. No talking to the troops before the rally. No talking to the troops during the rally. No talking to the troops after the rally." ... "Ground Rule 9 for the media covering President Bush's presidential visit Monday sounded more like an edict from Beijing or a banana republic. "Write positive stories about Ft. Carson and the U.S. Army," [it] commanded."
The Guardian reports that more than 10,000 Iraq families have filed wrongful death suits against US soldiers who "shot dead or seriously wounded unarmed Iraqi civilians with no apparent cause." The military has paid out $1.5 million in claims so far, but "no American soldier has been prosecuted for illegally killing an Iraqi civilian and commanders refuse even to count the number of civilians killed or injured by their soldiers."
Bait & Switch. Arnold in August: "Now, does this mean we're going to make cuts? Yes. Does this mean education is on the table? No." Arnold on November 24: "The governor's cuts to the higher education system total $159 million." ... On October 3, 2003, George W. Bush said: "Free countries don't develop weapons of mass destruction". On November 24, 2003, he signed a $401,000,000,000 defense bill "that includes millions of dollars for a small nuclear bomb designed to destroy deep, hardened underground bunkers [and] repeals a decade-old ban on research into low-yield nuclear weapons."
"Before the press was herded into the giant hangar in advance of George W. Bush's pep rally/photo op with the Fort Carson troops, we were given the rules. No talking to the troops before the rally. No talking to the troops during the rally. No talking to the troops after the rally." ... "Ground Rule 9 for the media covering President Bush's presidential visit Monday sounded more like an edict from Beijing or a banana republic. "Write positive stories about Ft. Carson and the U.S. Army," [it] commanded."
The Guardian reports that more than 10,000 Iraq families have filed wrongful death suits against US soldiers who "shot dead or seriously wounded unarmed Iraqi civilians with no apparent cause." The military has paid out $1.5 million in claims so far, but "no American soldier has been prosecuted for illegally killing an Iraqi civilian and commanders refuse even to count the number of civilians killed or injured by their soldiers."
Bait & Switch. Arnold in August: "Now, does this mean we're going to make cuts? Yes. Does this mean education is on the table? No." Arnold on November 24: "The governor's cuts to the higher education system total $159 million." ... On October 3, 2003, George W. Bush said: "Free countries don't develop weapons of mass destruction". On November 24, 2003, he signed a $401,000,000,000 defense bill "that includes millions of dollars for a small nuclear bomb designed to destroy deep, hardened underground bunkers [and] repeals a decade-old ban on research into low-yield nuclear weapons."
November 25, 2003
"It was like somebody threw a firecracker on the table." Plenty of buzz around the hot stove today. The big log that will burn for the rest of the week is Curtis Montague Schilling (Stats). Discussion: SoSH (& here), Royal Rooters and Your Turn.
Schilling pitched only 168 innings last season: he missed two weeks after an April appendectomy, six more weeks with broken bones in his right hand in late May, and starts in August and September because of a sore left knee and a stiff neck. He still posted his lowest ERA in 11 years (2.95) and had a nice K/BB ratio of 194 to 32. ... The Red Sox's window for talking with Schilling expires Friday at 5:00 p.m. Terry Francona is back in the Hub today and I assume he'll be named manager before the Schilling deadline. And it sounds like Theo and Keith Foulke enjoyed the Celtics game.
One interesting note is a follow-up to Schilling's comments a couple of weeks ago. He told a Philadelphia writer that because he is a right-handed fly-ball pitcher, Fenway Park wouldn't be a good place for him to pitch. I disagreed at the time and it looks like Curt checked out the stats because he is admitting he was mistaken. "I found out that Fenway Park is a worse home run park than the BOB is." ... "It was a lot harder to homer there than Bank One." (Fenway surrendered the 12th fewest homers in 2003). ... "I looked at the numbers. It's harder to hit a home run there than I thought. Pedro ran a 2.30 (ERA) up there. So I know it can be done."
Two stories from the Arizona Republic; the first link contains this doozy of a sentence: "Schilling, 37, a devout student of baseball history, might also relish the possibility of helping Boston win its first World Series since 1903." ... And in New York, there is the Post, Daily News, Times, Newsday and Newark Star-Ledger. The Post notes: "This deal also points out how nice it would be if the Yankees still had lefty Brandon Claussen around to deal, instead of having shipped him off to the Reds for third baseman Aaron Boone." One official at the Yankees organizational meetings in Tampa said that when the news came in, "It was like somebody threw a firecracker on the table." Bill Madden of the Daily News raises something that had crossed my mind yesterday: "Colangelo certainly hasn't forgotten how the Boss lured David Wells from a verbal agreement with Arizona before the 2002 season, and this recent sequence of events - asking for the moon and stars from the Yankees and then likely trading Schilling for four unproven players to their biggest rival - could be seen as tasty revenge." Madden also quotes one source claiming Schilling and his wife are apparently "thrilled" about the possibility of moving to Boston. However, the quotes from Schilling himself do not hint at this at all.
Elsewhere: Ed Cossette likes the disorienting effect of having Wakefield between Schilling and Pedro in the rotation. ... Aaron Gleeman debuts a new stat that improves on OPS: "((OBP*1.8) + SLG) / 4"; he also has a great piece on Nolan Ryan's 1987 season which should be required reading for Joe Morgan. ... Bob Hohler on baseball's information age.
When I think of the possible Red Sox pitching staff
SP: Pedro, Schilling, Lowe, Wakefield, Kim
RP: Foulke, Williamson, Timlin, Embree, Sauerbeck, Arroyo
I get weak in the knees. Let's get this winter over with and head to Ft. Myers!
Schilling pitched only 168 innings last season: he missed two weeks after an April appendectomy, six more weeks with broken bones in his right hand in late May, and starts in August and September because of a sore left knee and a stiff neck. He still posted his lowest ERA in 11 years (2.95) and had a nice K/BB ratio of 194 to 32. ... The Red Sox's window for talking with Schilling expires Friday at 5:00 p.m. Terry Francona is back in the Hub today and I assume he'll be named manager before the Schilling deadline. And it sounds like Theo and Keith Foulke enjoyed the Celtics game.
One interesting note is a follow-up to Schilling's comments a couple of weeks ago. He told a Philadelphia writer that because he is a right-handed fly-ball pitcher, Fenway Park wouldn't be a good place for him to pitch. I disagreed at the time and it looks like Curt checked out the stats because he is admitting he was mistaken. "I found out that Fenway Park is a worse home run park than the BOB is." ... "It was a lot harder to homer there than Bank One." (Fenway surrendered the 12th fewest homers in 2003). ... "I looked at the numbers. It's harder to hit a home run there than I thought. Pedro ran a 2.30 (ERA) up there. So I know it can be done."
Two stories from the Arizona Republic; the first link contains this doozy of a sentence: "Schilling, 37, a devout student of baseball history, might also relish the possibility of helping Boston win its first World Series since 1903." ... And in New York, there is the Post, Daily News, Times, Newsday and Newark Star-Ledger. The Post notes: "This deal also points out how nice it would be if the Yankees still had lefty Brandon Claussen around to deal, instead of having shipped him off to the Reds for third baseman Aaron Boone." One official at the Yankees organizational meetings in Tampa said that when the news came in, "It was like somebody threw a firecracker on the table." Bill Madden of the Daily News raises something that had crossed my mind yesterday: "Colangelo certainly hasn't forgotten how the Boss lured David Wells from a verbal agreement with Arizona before the 2002 season, and this recent sequence of events - asking for the moon and stars from the Yankees and then likely trading Schilling for four unproven players to their biggest rival - could be seen as tasty revenge." Madden also quotes one source claiming Schilling and his wife are apparently "thrilled" about the possibility of moving to Boston. However, the quotes from Schilling himself do not hint at this at all.
Elsewhere: Ed Cossette likes the disorienting effect of having Wakefield between Schilling and Pedro in the rotation. ... Aaron Gleeman debuts a new stat that improves on OPS: "((OBP*1.8) + SLG) / 4"; he also has a great piece on Nolan Ryan's 1987 season which should be required reading for Joe Morgan. ... Bob Hohler on baseball's information age.
When I think of the possible Red Sox pitching staff
SP: Pedro, Schilling, Lowe, Wakefield, Kim
RP: Foulke, Williamson, Timlin, Embree, Sauerbeck, Arroyo
I get weak in the knees. Let's get this winter over with and head to Ft. Myers!
November 24, 2003
Will Schilling Accept Trade To Red Sox? If Curt Schilling says Yes, he will be a member of the 2004 Red Sox. Boston has agreed to a deal that would send LHP Casey Fossum, RHP Brandon Lyon, LHP Jorge De La Rosa and OF Michael Goss to the Diamondbacks. A three-way deal was initially discussed -- Fossum and two prospects to the Brewers, first baseman Richie Sexson to Arizona, and Schilling to Boston -- but that was nixed. Two of the names of Red Sox prospects initially named -- C Kelly Shoppach and SS Hanley Ramirez -- will remain in the Boston system and because of that, this deal is a steal (SoSH thread).
Schilling has a no-trade clause, so Boston has a 72-hour window to talk with Schilling about the deal and a possible contract extension. Theo Epstein and John Henry are flying to Arizona tomorrow night (after they take Keith Foulke to the Celtics game tonight, sez Gammons, who believes the Sox can get both pitchers!). Schilling reportedly wants a three-year extension at about $15 million per year and will accept the trade if (1) he and the Red Sox agree on an extension and (2) Terry Francona is named the new manager. When asked to compare the three cities he was rumored to be going [New York, Philadelphia, Boston], Schilling said, "All three of these clubs have some kind of challenge with them. With Philadelphia winning a championship, one of two in the last century. With the Red Sox it would be winning the first one in the last century... and beating the Yankees. With the Yankees it would be joining a long line and the tremendous heritage and the prestige of being a Yankee, so there is bait to all three of them that looks good ... there's challenges to all three of them that I look forward to if that's what it ends up being, but the Boston situation presents a challenge that ... none of the other ones do." Quote from Dirt Dog.
With half of his 2004 salary is deferred, Schilling would cost the Red Sox only $6 million next year. Arizona was asking the Yankees for Soriano and Johnson, so if Boston convinced the Snakes to take Fossum, Lyon and two minor leaguers, man, did Theo clean Cashman's clock! Plus Epstein kept this deal under the radar (the story broke today in Arizona and New York, not Boston) so well that it prevented the Yankees from possibly running up the price. Mt. Steinbrenner is about to erupt.
Fossum has not pitched up to expectations on any consistent basis, Lyon is a spare part at best (though still quite young) and the prospects were not going to help Boston for at least the next two seasons. With a team that should have been playing in the World Series last month, a Big Three of Pedro, Schilling and Lowe (followed by Wakefield and Kim/Arroyo) would be a extremely beautiful thing. An official confirmation in the next two days will alleviate a lot of my Gump Hangover. ... 87 days until pitchers and catchers.
Schilling has a no-trade clause, so Boston has a 72-hour window to talk with Schilling about the deal and a possible contract extension. Theo Epstein and John Henry are flying to Arizona tomorrow night (after they take Keith Foulke to the Celtics game tonight, sez Gammons, who believes the Sox can get both pitchers!). Schilling reportedly wants a three-year extension at about $15 million per year and will accept the trade if (1) he and the Red Sox agree on an extension and (2) Terry Francona is named the new manager. When asked to compare the three cities he was rumored to be going [New York, Philadelphia, Boston], Schilling said, "All three of these clubs have some kind of challenge with them. With Philadelphia winning a championship, one of two in the last century. With the Red Sox it would be winning the first one in the last century... and beating the Yankees. With the Yankees it would be joining a long line and the tremendous heritage and the prestige of being a Yankee, so there is bait to all three of them that looks good ... there's challenges to all three of them that I look forward to if that's what it ends up being, but the Boston situation presents a challenge that ... none of the other ones do." Quote from Dirt Dog.
With half of his 2004 salary is deferred, Schilling would cost the Red Sox only $6 million next year. Arizona was asking the Yankees for Soriano and Johnson, so if Boston convinced the Snakes to take Fossum, Lyon and two minor leaguers, man, did Theo clean Cashman's clock! Plus Epstein kept this deal under the radar (the story broke today in Arizona and New York, not Boston) so well that it prevented the Yankees from possibly running up the price. Mt. Steinbrenner is about to erupt.
Fossum has not pitched up to expectations on any consistent basis, Lyon is a spare part at best (though still quite young) and the prospects were not going to help Boston for at least the next two seasons. With a team that should have been playing in the World Series last month, a Big Three of Pedro, Schilling and Lowe (followed by Wakefield and Kim/Arroyo) would be a extremely beautiful thing. An official confirmation in the next two days will alleviate a lot of my Gump Hangover. ... 87 days until pitchers and catchers.
November 23, 2003
Mr. Hamm. Arn Tellem, Nomar's agent, on #5's desire to stay with the Red Sox: "People are overanalyzing this. It's not a complicated issue. He wants to stay (in Boston) until the end - meaning to the end of his career and winning a World Series there. ... If they feel the same way Nomar feels, there should be no reason we can't make a deal at some point."
Jayson Stark on the madness of MLB running the Expos amid Vladimir Guerrero's free agency. ... Nick Cafardo reports that Gump Little has received more than 25 inquiries from teams looking to hire him in some way, possibly as a "special assistant to a general manager." ... Quote of the Day: A scout on Kaz Matsui: "I think he has [Derek] Jeter's intangibles."
Also: An assassination attempt on president-elect JFK on December 11, 1960 and a few Jacko thoughts from Tom Mangan.
Jayson Stark on the madness of MLB running the Expos amid Vladimir Guerrero's free agency. ... Nick Cafardo reports that Gump Little has received more than 25 inquiries from teams looking to hire him in some way, possibly as a "special assistant to a general manager." ... Quote of the Day: A scout on Kaz Matsui: "I think he has [Derek] Jeter's intangibles."
Also: An assassination attempt on president-elect JFK on December 11, 1960 and a few Jacko thoughts from Tom Mangan.
November 22, 2003
Saturday Sox Stuff. The Red Sox will meet with Keith Foulke next week (and were turned down when they asked to interview Seattle manager Bob Melvin). Dirt Dog says the Red Sox have let Maddon know he's out of the running and will name Francona as manager once the apparent charade of talking to Hale is over. ... Ian Browne looks at 15 free agents and how they'd mesh with Boston, including Greg Maddux. ... Joel Sherman of the New York Post thinks Boston will make a play (and square off with the Yankees) for Schilling if/when Francona is hired (Curt pitched for him in Philly). ... Baseball Primer looks at the possibility of collusion. ... A snip from an interview with David Pinto of the Baseball Musings blog: I was "surprised at how much more my head is in the game when I'm scoring. If I just sit as a fan, I can't remember what happened two innings ago." I don't know if it's poor memory/old(er) age or whether it is a dependency borne out of years of faithfully scoring games, but it's nice hear someone else has the same problem.
On A Box Of Soap. Max Cleland, 9/11 Commission member, explains in a must-read Q&A how the agreement re the presidential daily briefings works: "A minority of the commissioners will be able to see a minority of the documents that the White House has already said is pertinent. And then a minority of the commissioners themselves will have to brief the rest of the commissioners on what the White House thinks is appropriate. [T]hey have to report to the White House what they're going to tell the other commissioners. ... [T]he president of the United States is cherry-picking what information is shown ... We're coming down to the final [months] of the commission and we're still messing around with access issues. ... I don't know if they're hiding something. But the public will never know and the 9/11 commission will never know ... [T]he White House has made it darn near impossible to get full access to the documents by May, much less get a full report out analyzing those docs by May. ... [Bob Woodward, author of "Bush at War" is] a private citizen. He got access to documents we don't have yet! Just think about that." ... The 9/11 Commission has also issued a subpoena to the City of New York for its tapes and transcripts of emergency 911 calls. Mayor Bloomberg says the city will fight the subpoena.
Gen. Tommy Franks told Cigar Aficionado that if the US is hit with a WMD that inflicts large casualties, the Constitution will likely be discarded in favor of a military form of government. ... General Peter Pace, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Osama bin Laden had "taken himself out of the picture" and that his capture was not essential. Since when does the criminal get to call off the investigation? A quote from Bush on September 13, 2001: "The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him." Did W change his mind? ... In a front-page story last Monday, the Cleveland Plain Dealer attributed a Saddam Hussein quote - "The evil ones now find themselves in crisis, and this is God's will for them" - to Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle. Oh, that liberal media!
Gen. Tommy Franks told Cigar Aficionado that if the US is hit with a WMD that inflicts large casualties, the Constitution will likely be discarded in favor of a military form of government. ... General Peter Pace, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Osama bin Laden had "taken himself out of the picture" and that his capture was not essential. Since when does the criminal get to call off the investigation? A quote from Bush on September 13, 2001: "The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him." Did W change his mind? ... In a front-page story last Monday, the Cleveland Plain Dealer attributed a Saddam Hussein quote - "The evil ones now find themselves in crisis, and this is God's will for them" - to Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle. Oh, that liberal media!
November 21, 2003
Press Release. The following was announced November 16 by Jim Prime, Bill Lee's co-author:
Bill Lee, former pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and Montreal Expos, announces today that he is applying for the position of Manager of the Boston Red Sox. "I was up at 4:30 am today, working on my acceptance speech," said the confident candidate.
Lee, a USC-educated southpaw turned author, boasts an impressive major league career record of 119-90 with a 3.62 ERA, but suggests that his real strength lies in his "human touch" and his uncanny ability to relate well with players at all levels of competence. "My first job as manager will be to remove the door of my office so there will be no barrier between me and the players. Next I will demand 3 days off on Memorial Day so that I can play at Doubleday field. I know the players and I will be sick of each other by then because familiarity breeds contempt."
Aware that the current ownership puts great stock in "statistically-based management," the Spaceman also claims to have a "keen understanding of the value of quantitative analysis" in game preparation. "I'll bring in Zimmer to help with team preparation from A-Z. He's already an authority on Preparation H."
"I'll manage by the book," insists Lee. "Specifically, by the credo set out in The Little Red Sox Book which will be mandatory reading for all Red Sox players coaches, groundskeepers, and fans wishing to purchase season tickets. Baseball is already much too tarnished by greed and avarice; therefore 90% of all monies received on the sale of this book will go to my publisher, Triumph Books. The remaining 10% will be shared between me and my co-author, Jim Prime, although undoubtedly some will be donated to the Don Zimmer Home for Hemorrhoid Sufferers, located in Flushing, NY, in hopes that future pain-fueled attacks on superstar pitchers will be averted.
"I have direct managerial lineage from Dadeaux to Stengel to McGraw. I will manage with the humanity of Mother Teresa and the scientific precision of Stephen Hawking. Theo (Epstein) and I should get along fine. We both like music and nightclubs."
Lee promises that major decisions, such as the removal of Pedro Martinez in late innings of crucial games, will be decided by a show of hands by fans at Fenway Park (during home games) and a roundtable discussion involving all Red Sox players, coaches, and Boston media during road games.
Citing his numerous qualifications for consideration by Red Sox management, Lee pointed to his stellar record as a Yankee killer and vowed to end the curse that has frustrated the Bosox since the sale of Babe Ruth to the Yanks.
If chosen to manage the Red Sox, Lee has also vowed to:
-Tear down the Green Monster and build a 62-foot rubber wall in right field
-Hire Richard Simmons as fitness coach
-Insist that Nomar stop fidgeting
-Install Salem witch Laurie Cabot as pitching coach
-Make Luis Tiant the third base coach
-Hire Dan Shaughnessy and Gordon Edes as co-Press Secretary
In a city where the media can make or break a manager, Lee offers an olive branch - of sorts - to the sports journalists of Boston. "I will have a local sportswriter in the dugout for each game, so the players would have something to spit tobacco juice on."
An interview with Lee has not yet been announced by Red Sox ownership. "All I want is a chance, just one chance to prove myself. Oh yeah, and $2 million in Canadian money in case I have to make a run for the border."
Jim Prime, Official agent for the Committee to Appoint Bill Lee Manager of the Boston Red Sox
Bill Lee, former pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and Montreal Expos, announces today that he is applying for the position of Manager of the Boston Red Sox. "I was up at 4:30 am today, working on my acceptance speech," said the confident candidate.
Lee, a USC-educated southpaw turned author, boasts an impressive major league career record of 119-90 with a 3.62 ERA, but suggests that his real strength lies in his "human touch" and his uncanny ability to relate well with players at all levels of competence. "My first job as manager will be to remove the door of my office so there will be no barrier between me and the players. Next I will demand 3 days off on Memorial Day so that I can play at Doubleday field. I know the players and I will be sick of each other by then because familiarity breeds contempt."
Aware that the current ownership puts great stock in "statistically-based management," the Spaceman also claims to have a "keen understanding of the value of quantitative analysis" in game preparation. "I'll bring in Zimmer to help with team preparation from A-Z. He's already an authority on Preparation H."
"I'll manage by the book," insists Lee. "Specifically, by the credo set out in The Little Red Sox Book which will be mandatory reading for all Red Sox players coaches, groundskeepers, and fans wishing to purchase season tickets. Baseball is already much too tarnished by greed and avarice; therefore 90% of all monies received on the sale of this book will go to my publisher, Triumph Books. The remaining 10% will be shared between me and my co-author, Jim Prime, although undoubtedly some will be donated to the Don Zimmer Home for Hemorrhoid Sufferers, located in Flushing, NY, in hopes that future pain-fueled attacks on superstar pitchers will be averted.
"I have direct managerial lineage from Dadeaux to Stengel to McGraw. I will manage with the humanity of Mother Teresa and the scientific precision of Stephen Hawking. Theo (Epstein) and I should get along fine. We both like music and nightclubs."
Lee promises that major decisions, such as the removal of Pedro Martinez in late innings of crucial games, will be decided by a show of hands by fans at Fenway Park (during home games) and a roundtable discussion involving all Red Sox players, coaches, and Boston media during road games.
Citing his numerous qualifications for consideration by Red Sox management, Lee pointed to his stellar record as a Yankee killer and vowed to end the curse that has frustrated the Bosox since the sale of Babe Ruth to the Yanks.
If chosen to manage the Red Sox, Lee has also vowed to:
-Tear down the Green Monster and build a 62-foot rubber wall in right field
-Hire Richard Simmons as fitness coach
-Insist that Nomar stop fidgeting
-Install Salem witch Laurie Cabot as pitching coach
-Make Luis Tiant the third base coach
-Hire Dan Shaughnessy and Gordon Edes as co-Press Secretary
In a city where the media can make or break a manager, Lee offers an olive branch - of sorts - to the sports journalists of Boston. "I will have a local sportswriter in the dugout for each game, so the players would have something to spit tobacco juice on."
An interview with Lee has not yet been announced by Red Sox ownership. "All I want is a chance, just one chance to prove myself. Oh yeah, and $2 million in Canadian money in case I have to make a run for the border."
Jim Prime, Official agent for the Committee to Appoint Bill Lee Manager of the Boston Red Sox
This And That. The Red Sox will interview Rangers first base coach DeMarlo Hale for the manager's job on Monday. Hale has managed in Boston's farm system and was named Minor League Manager of the Year in 1999 by Baseball America, The Sporting News, and USA Today's Baseball Weekly. Larry Dierker's name is being mentioned also (Bill James likes him), but Jeff Horrigan says the odds of Dierker getting called in is about 50-50 because the Sox are so impressed with Francona. That makes no sense. If the club is in no hurry to announce a skipper, why not talk with one more candidate, who might impress them as much as Francona?
The Red Sox added six players to their 40-man roster: 3B Kevin Youkilis, C Andy Dominque, RHP Jerome Gamble, RHP Edwin Almonte, LHP Phil Seibel and LHP Tim Hamulack. ... A Report Card on David Ortiz. ... Kelvim Escobar (who the Sox had an interest in) is apparently signing a three-year deal with the Angels. There is talk of Boston trading for Minnesota's Eric Milton, which for reasons outlined here might not be a good idea.
The A-Rod to Boston rumors are not dying. There is talk of a straight Manny-for-Alex deal, a swap Rodriguez likes and one Sean McAdam says the Red Sox would do like that (snaps fingers). ... Allen Barra on the insanity of trading A-Rod. ... Dan Shaughnessy tells us that last year Alex asked for a tour of Harvard, something you know dumb ol' Manny never did (walking around Harvard being one of those "intangibles" that win oodles of ball games.) The CHB's tune (and typing) would quickly change if Alex donned red socks, since he makes a ton of dough, will make outs with guys on base now and again and has an ongoing "simmering feud" with his manager. ... Speaking of intangibles, Steven Goldman ("The Pinstripped Bible") says it's time for Derek Jeter to "demonstrate that pride of winning comes before pride of self [and move off shortstop]. ... The Yankees are apparently not considering these possibilities because no one wants to offend Jeter and point out that the emperor has no clothes."
Soapbox, Etc.: Pentagon hawk Richard Perle concedes that the invasion of Iraq was illegal. ... Man, is this a bad review or what? ... This website of Forgotten New York, including subway oddities, lampposts and streets to nowhere is great. I love seeing old advertising on the sides of buildings (more here).
The Red Sox added six players to their 40-man roster: 3B Kevin Youkilis, C Andy Dominque, RHP Jerome Gamble, RHP Edwin Almonte, LHP Phil Seibel and LHP Tim Hamulack. ... A Report Card on David Ortiz. ... Kelvim Escobar (who the Sox had an interest in) is apparently signing a three-year deal with the Angels. There is talk of Boston trading for Minnesota's Eric Milton, which for reasons outlined here might not be a good idea.
The A-Rod to Boston rumors are not dying. There is talk of a straight Manny-for-Alex deal, a swap Rodriguez likes and one Sean McAdam says the Red Sox would do like that (snaps fingers). ... Allen Barra on the insanity of trading A-Rod. ... Dan Shaughnessy tells us that last year Alex asked for a tour of Harvard, something you know dumb ol' Manny never did (walking around Harvard being one of those "intangibles" that win oodles of ball games.) The CHB's tune (and typing) would quickly change if Alex donned red socks, since he makes a ton of dough, will make outs with guys on base now and again and has an ongoing "simmering feud" with his manager. ... Speaking of intangibles, Steven Goldman ("The Pinstripped Bible") says it's time for Derek Jeter to "demonstrate that pride of winning comes before pride of self [and move off shortstop]. ... The Yankees are apparently not considering these possibilities because no one wants to offend Jeter and point out that the emperor has no clothes."
Soapbox, Etc.: Pentagon hawk Richard Perle concedes that the invasion of Iraq was illegal. ... Man, is this a bad review or what? ... This website of Forgotten New York, including subway oddities, lampposts and streets to nowhere is great. I love seeing old advertising on the sides of buildings (more here).
November 19, 2003
Manager's Decision? Terry Francona met with Red Sox principal owner John Henry last night in Florida, making him the front-runner for the manager's job. Boston Dirt Dogs is saying the hiring is a done deal. Sox management says they hope to fill the position before the winter meetings begin on December 12. ... Mike Timlin took the high road, defending Gump's moronic Game 7 debacle: "I'm not going to second-guess what Grady did there. He was between a rock and a hard place. I guarantee there's no person in this country who would want to sit in that seat and make that decision." Actually, Mike, there were millions and millions of people who would have killed to make that decision. And then they wanted to kill after the decision, too. (a few more Timlin quotes here) ... Roger Angell on the post-season. ... Boston will meet with Andy Pettitte and his agents, which has caused a stir in New York.
Complete National League MVP Voting (and Aaron Gleeman's Bonds facts):
Operation Smashed Nuts. Major-General Charles Swannack, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division: "This is war. We're going to use a sledgehammer to crush a walnut. We're not going to prosecute this war holding one hand behind our back, we're going to use enough in our arsenal to win this fight." So liberation off the table for good now? ... BBC reporters on Bush in Britain. ... The US says destroying the homes of family members of guerrilla suspects is "within the rules of war," although some officers acknowledged that the "unprecedented" tactic might inflame opposition. People see their homes being destroyed because their son is suspected of defending his country against an invading army and there's actually a debate going on as to whether this might piss those people off? ... The US military's latest code name -- "Operation Iron Hammer" -- was also used by the Nazis during World War II. In addition, several US stamps show an eagle in a very close approximation of the symbol of the Waffen SS (which actually has its origins in ancient Rome). Here and here:
Complete National League MVP Voting (and Aaron Gleeman's Bonds facts):
Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total Bal
Barry Bonds, San Francisco 28 2 2 - - - - - - - 426 32
Albert Pujols, St. Louis 3 29 - - - - - - - - 303 32
Gary Sheffield, Atlanta 1 1 18 9 2 1 - - - - 247 32
Jim Thome, Philadelphia - - 5 12 9 5 - - - - 203 31
Javy Lopez, Atlanta - - 4 3 5 8 8 1 - 1 159 30
Eric Gagne, Los Angeles - - 3 6 5 4 4 2 2 1 143 26
Todd Helton, Colorado - - - 2 3 2 2 6 2 3 75 20
Sammy Sosa, Chicago - - - - 1 4 2 2 6 1 53 16
Mark Prior, Chicago - - - - 2 3 1 1 4 2 44 13
Juan Pierre, Florida - - - - 1 - 5 3 1 2 39 12
Mike Lowell, Florida - - - - - 2 2 3 1 1 30 9
Richie Sexson, Milwaukee - - - - 1 1 - 1 1 5 21 9
Andruw Jones, Atlanta - - - - - 1 1 1 1 1 15 5
Jeff Bagwell, Houston - - - - - 1 - 2 1 1 14 5
Edgar Renteria, St. Louis - - - - 1 - - - 1 5 13 7
Preston Wilson, Colorado - - - - - - 1 1 2 1 12 5
Vladimir Guerrero, Montreal - - - - - - 2 - 1 - 10 3
John Smoltz, Atlanta - - - - 1 - - 1 - - 9 2
Marcus Giles, Atlanta - - - - 1 - - - 1 1 9 3
Richard Hidalgo, Houston - - - - - - - 1 2 2 9 5
Luis Castillo, Florida - - - - - - 2 - - - 8 2
Jason Schmidt, San Francisco - - - - - - - 1 1 2 7 4
Ivan Rodriguez, Florida - - - - - - 1 - - 1 5 2
Billy Wagner, Houston - - - - - - - - 2 1 5 3
Luis Gonzalez, Arizona - - - - - - - - 2 - 4 2
Chipper Jones, Atlanta - - - - - - 1 - - - 4 1
Bobby Abreu, Philadelphia - - - - - - - 1 - - 3 1
Miguel Cabrera, Florida - - - - - - - 1 - - 3 1
Jim Edmonds, St. Louis - - - - - - - 1 - - 3 1
Mark Grudzielanek, Chicago - - - - - - - 1 - - 3 1
Derrek Lee, Florida - - - - - - - 1 - - 3 1
Russ Ortiz, Atlanta - - - - - - - 1 - - 3 1
Rafael Furcal, Atlanta - - - - - - - - 1 - 2 1
Dontrelle Willis, Florida - - - - - - - - - 1 1 1
Operation Smashed Nuts. Major-General Charles Swannack, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division: "This is war. We're going to use a sledgehammer to crush a walnut. We're not going to prosecute this war holding one hand behind our back, we're going to use enough in our arsenal to win this fight." So liberation off the table for good now? ... BBC reporters on Bush in Britain. ... The US says destroying the homes of family members of guerrilla suspects is "within the rules of war," although some officers acknowledged that the "unprecedented" tactic might inflame opposition. People see their homes being destroyed because their son is suspected of defending his country against an invading army and there's actually a debate going on as to whether this might piss those people off? ... The US military's latest code name -- "Operation Iron Hammer" -- was also used by the Nazis during World War II. In addition, several US stamps show an eagle in a very close approximation of the symbol of the Waffen SS (which actually has its origins in ancient Rome). Here and here:
November 17, 2003
ARod Wins MVP. Despite his worst offensive season since 1999, Alex Rodriguez won the American League MVP:
Ken Daley, Dallas Morning News
1. David Ortiz
2. Jorge Posada
3. Carlos Delgado
4. Alex Rodriguez
5. Shannon Stewart
6. Pedro Martinez
7. Vernon Wells
8. Manny Ramirez
9. Miguel Tejada
10. Bret Boone
Shanon Stewart's showing amazes me most of all. Did Jayson Stark cast three ballots?
Stewart: 3 1st place votes, 140 pts: 136 gms, .823 OPS
Ramirez: 1 1st place vote, 103 pts: 154 gms, 1.014 OPS
Player A: .280/.356/.466, .283 EqA (the average MLB LF)
Player B: .307/.364/.459, .283 EqA (Stewart)
I Love Baseball Reference. A very cool race chart for the NL in 1951 and the results of every game the Red Sox and Yankees have ever played. ... "Ashley Lacroix, a 12-year-old Woonsocket girl representing 72-year-old Yankee coach Don Zimmer in an assault and battery case against the Boston ace, fixed her best prosecutorial gaze on Martinez and bluntly posed the question at the heart of the dispute: 'Did you or did you not throw Mr. Zimmer to the ground?'"
Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Tot Bal
1 Rodriguez, TEX 6 5 6 6 2 1 1 - 1 - 242 28
2 Delgado, TOR 5 8 3 1 1 2 4 1 1 - 210 26
3 Posada, NYY 5 4 4 3 4 1 1 - 1 - 194 23
4 Stewart, MIN 3 2 2 3 2 3 2 1 2 1 140 21
5 Ortiz, BOS 4 3 2 2 - 3 - - 1 - 130 15
6 Ramirez, BOS 1 3 3 1 1 1 2 3 1 1 103 17
7 Garciaparra, BOS 1 2 1 - 6 2 2 1 - 2 99 17
8 Wells, TOR 1 - 1 3 1 1 4 3 2 1 84 17
9 Beltran, KC - - 1 4 2 2 1 2 3 3 77 18
10 Boone, SEA - - 1 1 3 2 - 4 4 2 65 17
11 Tejada, OAK 1 - 1 1 1 - 2 - 2 2 49 10
12 Mueller, BOS - - 2 - 1 2 3 - - 1 45 9
13 Giambi, NYY 1 - - 1 - 1 1 1 - 3 36 8
14 Anderson, ANA - - 1 2 1 - 3 1 - - 35 8
15 Foulke, OAK - - 1 - - - - 1 3 3 20 8
16 Thomas, CWS - - - 1 - - 1 2 1 1 20 6
17 Chavez, OAK - - - - 1 1 - 2 - 1 18 5
18 Lee, CWS - - - - - - 1 1 1 2 16 5
19 Ordonez, CWS - - - - - 1 1 1 1 2 16 6
20 Soriano, NYY - - - - 1 1 - 1 - 1 15 4
21 Jeter, NYY - 1 - - - - - - - 1 10 2
22 Martinez, BOS - - - - - 1 - - 1 - 7 2
23 Ichiro, SEA - - - - - 1 - - - 1 6 2
24 Loaiza, CWS - - - - - - 1 - - - 4 1
25 Varitek, BOS - - - - - - 1 - - - 4 1
26 Huff, TB - - - - - - - - 1 2 4 3
27 Rivera, NYY - - - - - - - - 1 - 3 1Rodriguez was the only player named on every ballot. MLB on the Red Sox who received votes. ... I cannot believe that someone really thought Jason Giambi was the most valuable player in the AL. And which idiot slotted Derek Jeter #2? I'd love to have the individual ballot from various writers. Right now, this is the only one I have:Ken Daley, Dallas Morning News
1. David Ortiz
2. Jorge Posada
3. Carlos Delgado
4. Alex Rodriguez
5. Shannon Stewart
6. Pedro Martinez
7. Vernon Wells
8. Manny Ramirez
9. Miguel Tejada
10. Bret Boone
Shanon Stewart's showing amazes me most of all. Did Jayson Stark cast three ballots?
Stewart: 3 1st place votes, 140 pts: 136 gms, .823 OPS
Ramirez: 1 1st place vote, 103 pts: 154 gms, 1.014 OPS
Player A: .280/.356/.466, .283 EqA (the average MLB LF)
Player B: .307/.364/.459, .283 EqA (Stewart)
I Love Baseball Reference. A very cool race chart for the NL in 1951 and the results of every game the Red Sox and Yankees have ever played. ... "Ashley Lacroix, a 12-year-old Woonsocket girl representing 72-year-old Yankee coach Don Zimmer in an assault and battery case against the Boston ace, fixed her best prosecutorial gaze on Martinez and bluntly posed the question at the heart of the dispute: 'Did you or did you not throw Mr. Zimmer to the ground?'"
November 16, 2003
Steriods, Gagne, Etc. Dr. Charles Yesalis, a Penn State professor and expert in the field of steroid abuse for 25 years: "I'm not trying to be a wise guy, but I didn't think there were that many dumb ballplayers who could flunk that many drug tests. ... The results shouldn't have been that high, when you consider how easy it is to circumvent the tests and knew that they were coming. ... [B]ecause they're testing only part of the year, all players have to do is go to their scientific advisers -- and they're paid enough to have one -- or go to night school to learn how to [beat] these tests. ... When you do all the testing behind closed doors, and no organization is an arm's length away from the organization you're testing, you run into the old 'fox guarding the henhouse' thing. I think there is legitimate speculation whether they would call out as guilty one of their superstars. I wouldn't bet my house they would."
2003 Organizational Report Card on Bill Mueller.
Eric Gagne won the NL Cy Young Award.
May 12: Gange enters a 4-4 tie, gives up 4 runs, LA loses 11-4
June 23: Gange enters a 2-2 tie, gives up 1 run, LA loses 3-2
July 1: Gagne enters a 2-2 tie, gives up 2 runs, LA loses 4-3
August 20: Gagne enters a 0-0 tie, gives up 1 run, LA wins 4-1
Here's a breakdown of the leads he had coming into a save situation:
3-run lead: 20
2-run lead: 11
1-run lead: 22
Numbers of saves should not be a strong factor in determining who deserves the Cy Young. Pitching with a 3-run lead in the 9th inning is not a high leverage situation, so if Gagne gets credit for "saving" those games, his performance in tie games must be considered as well. ... Originally, I thought Gagne had pitched fewer innings than he actually did. I looked at the workload of the top 10 leaders in saves in 2003:
The new "Bill James Handbook" breaks saves up into three categories: easy - when the first batter faced does not represent the tying run; regular - when the first batter faced does represent the tying run; tough - when the pitcher enters a game with the tying run on base. Rivera led the majors with 5 tough saves, probably because he often entered games with an out or two in the 8th. Guardado and Foulke led the AL in easy saves with 28. Gagne also had 28 easy saves and only 2 tough ones.
Gagne was clearly the best reliever in the majors in 2003, but for my money, Jason Schmidt and Mark Prior were better candidates. Applying my MVP definition to the Cy Young -- which pitcher would I take for my team if I was guaranteed his 2003 performance? -- Schmidt and Prior were more valuable. Schmidt led the NL with a 2.34 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP in 207.2 innings. Prior had a 2.34 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 211.1 innings. I mentioned Schmidt as my pick in an earlier entry, but taking the quality of his opponents into account, perhaps Prior was more deserving.
Jayson Stark reports that White Sox lefty Kelly Wunsch became the fourth reliever in history to make at least 40 appearances in a no-win, no-loss, no-save season:
Slim Sallee, 1919: 21 wins, 20 BB, 24 K.
Cherokee Fisher, 1875: 22 wins, 9 BB, 8 K.
Nolan Ryan, 1987: Led NL in K (270), ERA (2.76) and ERA+ (178), but went 8-16.
Anthony Young, 1993: His 3.77 ERA was slightly better than league average, but he was 1-16.
Frank Bates, 1899: Went 1-18 for Cleveland Spiders (who made the 1962 Mets and 2003 Tigers both look like the 1927 Yankees). In his only win, Cleveland began the 9th trailing Boston 7-0, scored 7 to tie and won the game 10-9 in 11 innings.
Colby Lewis, 2003: 7.30 ERA, 68 ERA+, 10-9 record.
2003 Organizational Report Card on Bill Mueller.
Eric Gagne won the NL Cy Young Award.
Player 1 2 3 PtsGagne had an amazing season, but I wasn't sure he deserved the award (or he didn't deserve to win so decisively). I looked at Gagne's numbers:
Gagne 28 2 - 146
Schmidt 2 17 12 73
Prior 2 11 17 60
Ortiz - 2 3 9
GM IP H R ER BB K AVG OBP ALG OPS W L SV ERAMany people gushed over Gagne's perfect save conversion percentage (55 of 55) (including, surprisingly, Rob Neyer), but Gagne did have some bad outings, and most of them came during tie games.
77 82.1 37 12 11 20 137 .133 .196 .176 .372 2 3 55 1.20
May 12: Gange enters a 4-4 tie, gives up 4 runs, LA loses 11-4
June 23: Gange enters a 2-2 tie, gives up 1 run, LA loses 3-2
July 1: Gagne enters a 2-2 tie, gives up 2 runs, LA loses 4-3
August 20: Gagne enters a 0-0 tie, gives up 1 run, LA wins 4-1
Here's a breakdown of the leads he had coming into a save situation:
3-run lead: 20
2-run lead: 11
1-run lead: 22
Numbers of saves should not be a strong factor in determining who deserves the Cy Young. Pitching with a 3-run lead in the 9th inning is not a high leverage situation, so if Gagne gets credit for "saving" those games, his performance in tie games must be considered as well. ... Originally, I thought Gagne had pitched fewer innings than he actually did. I looked at the workload of the top 10 leaders in saves in 2003:
Pitcher G IP BFGagne pitched in more games, totaled more innings and faced more batters than most of his peers. He also allowed the fewest hits of any of them (except Percival, but Percival pitched 33 fewer innings!). Gagne also had an eye-popping WHIP (walks+hits per 9 innings) of 0.69.
Gagne 77 82.1 306
Smoltz 62 64.1 244
Wagner 78 86.0 335
Foulke 72 86.2 338
Guardado 66 65.1 260
Rivera 64 70.2 277
Worrell 76 78.1 335
Julio 64 61.2 273
Biddle 73 71.2 330
Percival 52 49.1 206
The new "Bill James Handbook" breaks saves up into three categories: easy - when the first batter faced does not represent the tying run; regular - when the first batter faced does represent the tying run; tough - when the pitcher enters a game with the tying run on base. Rivera led the majors with 5 tough saves, probably because he often entered games with an out or two in the 8th. Guardado and Foulke led the AL in easy saves with 28. Gagne also had 28 easy saves and only 2 tough ones.
Gagne was clearly the best reliever in the majors in 2003, but for my money, Jason Schmidt and Mark Prior were better candidates. Applying my MVP definition to the Cy Young -- which pitcher would I take for my team if I was guaranteed his 2003 performance? -- Schmidt and Prior were more valuable. Schmidt led the NL with a 2.34 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP in 207.2 innings. Prior had a 2.34 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 211.1 innings. I mentioned Schmidt as my pick in an earlier entry, but taking the quality of his opponents into account, perhaps Prior was more deserving.
Jayson Stark reports that White Sox lefty Kelly Wunsch became the fourth reliever in history to make at least 40 appearances in a no-win, no-loss, no-save season:
Pitcher GM W L SAt Baseball Primer, a discussion of crazy pitching lines. A few examples:
Scott Aldred 1998 48 0 0 0
Kelly Wunsch 2003 43 0 0 0
Mike Flanagan 1992 42 0 0 0
J. Christiansen 2003 40 0 0 0
Slim Sallee, 1919: 21 wins, 20 BB, 24 K.
Cherokee Fisher, 1875: 22 wins, 9 BB, 8 K.
Nolan Ryan, 1987: Led NL in K (270), ERA (2.76) and ERA+ (178), but went 8-16.
Anthony Young, 1993: His 3.77 ERA was slightly better than league average, but he was 1-16.
Frank Bates, 1899: Went 1-18 for Cleveland Spiders (who made the 1962 Mets and 2003 Tigers both look like the 1927 Yankees). In his only win, Cleveland began the 9th trailing Boston 7-0, scored 7 to tie and won the game 10-9 in 11 innings.
Colby Lewis, 2003: 7.30 ERA, 68 ERA+, 10-9 record.
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