Bookworm

Finally! Opening Day for the Yankees

It's tempting to put too much stock in yesterday's game -- a well-pitched, low scoring game where the Chien Ming Wang handed the ball to Joba in the eighth who handed it to Mo in the ninth for the win. It reminds me of 1996, when (my faulty memory says) our starters routinely went seven innings and Mariano was setting up John Wetteland.  Our digital cable was wonky, enough so to make the game unwatchable -- everything was majorly pixelated and the audio went out for great swaths of time -- but we did watch the top of the ninth.  I'll have to make sure to find some highlights somewhere -- sounds like the Melkman was in the thick of things. 

Positive News

"Bobby Murcer’s brain biopsy found no recurrence of cancer on Tuesday" [Link: A Parallel Path Connects Murcer With New Friends - New York Times]

Paul O'Neill's number now being used by Morgan Ensberg

"Paul O’Neill did not sound perturbed about the Yankees taking his No. 21 out of storage and giving it to Morgan Ensberg this spring, but he did sound perplexed. . . It turns out I was the first one to tell O’Neill that someone else will be wearing 21 in 2008.

“How did you hear that?,” O’Neill said. “Did they make an announcement or something?”

I told O’Neill that the Yankees did not issue a news release, but anyone who saw the spring roster noticed that Ensberg was wearing 21. Since the Yankees have retired 15 numbers (including No. 8 for both Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra) and are running out of available numbers, they resuscitated 21.

Since O’Neill’s 21 had not been worn in seven years, he thought there was a chance that it would eventually be retired. O’Neill, who won four World Series rings and a batting title in nine years in New York, was one of the main reasons the Yankees blossomed from a wayward team into a dynastic team.

“A lot of people told me they might do it,” O’Neill said, referring to his number being retired. “But you don’t ever take anything like that for granted.”  [Bats - Baseball - New York Times Blog]

I think the excuse is a little flimsy -- somehow I don't think all the two digit numbers (even with 15 retired) are close to being in use -- it's a either a 25 or 40 man roster at any given time.  Give me a break.  I will be a bit hard seeing O'Neill's number assigned to someone else.  I even do a double take sometimes seeing Tino Martinez's #24 or #31, which was Dave Winfield's number years ago. 

Goose!

Rich "Goose" Gossage will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on July 27, 2008. 

The bigger picture

"In a world where Botox, Viagra and anti-depressants have become as commonplace as air and water, it's no surprise that the possibility of finding off-the-charts success via a pill, cream or syringe might appeal to some baseball players. The players don't live in a vacuum. Like any number of other people in society, some players are looking for their own magic potion. They too want to drink from the fountain of youth.

Many people have fallen in love with baseball's mythical "pure" past. But baseball never was, nor will it ever be, "pure." From actions as simple as pitchers throwing spitballs and hitters using corked bats, to more profound social issues like racial segregation, the reserve clause and owner collusion against free agents, Major League Baseball has enjoyed its fair share of less than "pure" behavior over the years." [ESPN Page 2]

Iconic-Performance-Network Player

". . . in the phrasing of an agent, Scott Boras, [h]is client Alex Rodriguez was no longer a mere superstar. He was now, Boras said, an I.P.N., or Iconic-Performance-Network, player. . . It was Boras’s way of saying that A-Rod produced more than runs and victories; he was an all-star revenue producer for the New York Yankees. Boras had a case. Since Rodriguez was traded to the Yankees in 2004, the team’s total attendance has risen every year, surpassing 4 million for the first time in 2005 (Rodriguez’s second M.V.P. season) on the way to 4,271,867 in 2007 (his third). An even greater increase marks the growth of the team’s regional TV business, the YES Network, which last season had its highest ratings ever. Boras also argued that six years from now, as Rodriguez approaches the all-time home-run record, even more viewers and revenue will accrue to A-Rod’s team." [New York Times]

Yankees trade Clippard to Nationals

"The Yankees made their first trade of the winter meetings yesterday, but not the whopper fans were awaiting. Instead, they dealt righthander Tyler Clippard to the Nationals for righthanded reliever Jonathan Albaladejo.

Albaladejo, 25, who is listed at 6-5 and 250 pounds, made his major-league debut this season, and was 1-1 with a 1.88 ERA in 14 games and 14 1/3 innings. In the minor leagues this season, he was a combined 7-3 with a 2.97 ERA at Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Columbus with 56 strikeouts and just 22 walks in 60 2/3 innings. Albaladejo is currently pitching in the Venezuelan Winter League, with a 2.53 ERA in 21 1/3 innings.

Clippard, 22, was 3-1 with a 6.33 ERA in six games for the Yankees after making his major-league debut. At Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he was a combined 6-5 with a 4.50 ERA in 20 games and 96 innings.

One telling statistic comparing the two is that minor-league hitters batted .280 off Clippard and major-league hitters hit .271 against him. Albaladejo held major-league hitters to a .149 batting average and minor league hitters to a .200 average. [From: Newsday.com]

Another Take on A-Rod's Intentions

". . . here is the crucial piece of evidence that shows how much Rodriguez wants to wear pinstripes: the opt-out announcement during the final World Series game. We can assume that Rodriguez learned late last Sunday that Joe Girardi would be named the manager of the Yankees the next morning. If Rodriguez opts out after that announcement, his decision would be taken as a negative response to Girardi’s hiring. . . How does he credibly signal that he is fine with the choice of Girardi and wants a pathway back to the Yankees in free agency?

That is where the World Series announcement comes in. In bargaining lingo, it is a credible signal of his desire to remain a Yankee because it is costly. In other words, to show his Yankees preference, Rodriguez was forced to appear classless by disturbing the sanctity of the Series and by stepping on Boston’s triumph. That’s a cost.

He put it in terms of uncertainty about the return of much-admired teammates, which sweetens, not sours, relationships. But his behavior makes absolutely no sense unless it was timed to precede the Girardi announcement, and that in turn makes no sense unless Rodriguez wants to be on his lineup card. . . Does this sound too sophisticated for a fellow who makes his living hitting home runs? Remember that his agent, Scott Boras, is the black-belt negotiator. Why would Boras gratuitously expose Rodriguez to ridicule and scorn?

In short, unless the Yankees behave spitefully, there is a very good chance that Alex Rodriguez will be back at Yankee Stadium next spring." [By Opting Out, Rodriguez Really Wants In - New York Times]

Classless Timing

I can't believe A-Rod's agent announced his client's plans (to opt out of his contract) in the middle of (what turned out to be) the last game of the World Series.  According to an online report I read, Boras called the AP reporter in the press box at the game and of course the news got spread to all the press members.  Meanwhile, he let the Yankees know Alex's plans by leaving a voice mail for GM Brian Cashman.  I respect Rodriguez's talents as a ballplayer, but I am nauseated by Scott Boras's tactics.  If Alex didn't know when the announcement was being made, he should have insisted that he know.  And if he did and went along with it, I can't believe he'd be so selfish. 

Yankees Offseason: Girardi In, A-Rod out?

"The Yankees have settled on a choice for Joe Torre’s successor as the manager, and it is Joe Girardi, the former manager of the Florida Marlins who won three titles as a catcher for the Yankees in the 1990s.  Girardi was selected over Don Mattingly and Tony Pena, who were members of Torre’s last coaching staff with the Yankees." [NY Times]

"Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who had one of the best statistical seasons in the storied history of the Yankees, opted out of the final three years on his 10-year, $252 million contract Sunday, according to his agent. The move makes him a free agent and potentially ends his career with the team.  “We have put it in writing and sent it to the Yankees,” Rodriguez’s agent, Scott Boras, said in a telephone interview.  The Yankees had said they would not negotiate with Rodriguez if he opted out, so he might have played his final game with them. There is a chance that the Yankees could change their minds and negotiate with Boras toward a contract, but Rodriguez will be a free agent and will be able to negotiate with all 30 teams." [NY Times]

I congratulated a work acquaintance (and Red Sox fan) on his team's victory and he thanked me and said, "Say goodbye to A-Rod for me."