A-P "So You Think You're A Sportswriter" Thread

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

That one's still going, rottie.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Surely there's a trophy somewhere with Rottie's name on it.

[Guest Mark Healey]

I don't EVER want to see another complaint about anything I write on this site again...unless, of course you join me in ridiculing this mish-mosh...

]Some trades that make sense to me November 8, 2005 In the spirit of this week's general managers' meetings in California, I think I'll lay the groundwork for trade scenarios that in my mind make sense. But remember, it's MY mind, so something might be screwy. Let me know. 1. LF Manny Ramirez to the Angels for CF Steve Finley, 1B Casey Kotchman, 2B Howie Kendrick and LHP Joe Saunders. With lots of holes to fill this offseason, the Sox might want to quickly move ManRam while he's still disgruntled, eliminate any middle men (i.e., the Diamondbacks) and gain more payroll flexibility for big-name free agents and trades -- such as ... ... 2. 2B Alfonso Soriano and RHP Jonathan Broxton to the Red Sox; CF Torii Hunter to the Dodgers; Kendrick, 1B Adrian Gonzalez and 3B Kevin Youkilis to the Twins and RHPs Bronson Arroyo and Cla Meredith and LHP Derek Thompson to the Rangers. Soriano would replace Ramirez as the righthanded thunder in the Sox's lineup and bring 30-30 speed. Broxton could provide bullpen help. Publicly, Hunter is staying put, but Minnesota ought to be trying right now to receive some value for its $10 million man; the Twins would get a new infield here. The Rangers would add needed pitching. The Dodgers would get a premier (albeit expensive) center fielder to replace Milton Bradley. 3. 1B Jim Thome to the Yankees for RHP Carl Pavano (if healthy), IF/OF Tony Womack and 3B Eric Duncan. Figures the Yanks would be a fit for an aging first base/DH type with a bad back and tons of money left on his contract. But if Thome can stand up, he can assault the right field porch at the Stadium and hit a few long ones out of Death Valley. Pavano could flourish back in the NL if his shoulder is OK, and Duncan -- if he starts hitting -- could eventually take over for David Bell at third base. Womack is a bench player who has been unhappy in New York; he's in here to help even out the money. 4. 1B Lyle Overbay to the Blue Jays, 1B Shea Hillenbrand to the Mets and RHP Steve Trachsel to the Brewers. Toronto probably doesn't want to part with Hillenbrand, but Overbay would be a nice consolation prize. With his gap power in SkyDome, 60 doubles would seem to be within reach. Trachsel could provide the veteran rotation arm the Brewers lack. And Hillenbrand would be an offensive upgrade (Who wouldn't?) at first base for the Mets. 5. 3B Mike Lowell to the Pirates for RHP Kip Wells and OF Nate McLouth: The Pirates need a third baseman and the Marlins need a mid-rotation starter. McLouth could take over in left field, with Miguel Cabrera moving to third permanently. The change of scenery could be very helpful to Lowell and Wells.

[Theoldmole]

I don't ever want to see any complaints about anything I write on this site, either. Or anywhere else.

[MFS62]

Detroit apparently has their own version of John Heyman and Joel Sherman when it comes to talkin' trades.

http://www.detnews.com/2005/tigers/0511/09/D01-376808.htm

Pudge for Kaz?
I can just see Kaz approving a trade to the Motor City. and Pudge has a no-trade clause in his contract. Then why bother writing it?

Later

[Guest Mark Healey]

MFS62 wrote: Detroit apparently has their own version of John Heyman and Joel Sherman when it comes to talkin' trades. http://www.detnews.com/2005/tigers/0511/09/D01-376808.htm Pudge for Kaz? I can just see Kaz approving a trade to the Motor City. and Pudge has a no-trade clause in his contract. Then why bother writing it? Later

Actually, while Kaz would likely veto a deal to Detroit, Pudge would welcome a deal to play for Omar, as I've written that on more than one occasion.

All reports out of Motown say that Pudge isn't asking for a deal, though...

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well, you writing it doesn't necessarily make it true, with respect.

And playing for the Mets isn't exactly playing for Omar.

So, Kaz can veto deals?

[MFS62]

Edgy DC wrote: So, Kaz can veto deals?

I believe I've read that his contract contains a list of three cities to which he would accept a trade. Two were Seattle and SF. Don't recall the third, but from the first two I'd guess LA, another city with a large Japanese-American population.

But I'd guess clauses like that can be overcome if some additional money were offered. No examples immediately come to mind.

Later

[Guest Mark Healey]

Edgy DC wrote: Well, you writing it doesn't necessarily make it true, with respect. And playing for the Mets isn't exactly playing for Omar. So, Kaz can veto deals?

LOL..

To be specific, my information, dating back from last year, was that Pudge was one of the Latino players that called Omar to say that he was ineterested in playing for the Mets...

As for Kaz, he has a no-trade to all but the Dodgers, Yankees and (I believe) the Red Sox (which is weird).

[metirish]

My people are telling me that Kaz would accept a trade to the Angels, a scout I spoke to recently on the condition of anonymity said Kaz has bulked up and had lazik surgery last week and can't wait to prove he belongs with the Mets.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Your people and my people should get together. They really should.

[MFS62]

metirish wrote: My people are telling me .

Gee, that's impressive.
Do you have a team of scouts, like Joel Sherman (or was it Jon Heyman?), too?

:)

Later

[metirish]

Mu people will be in touch - OK here is another take on what Omar might do...

]Mets� arms for sale Benson and Trachsel may go to make room for other improvements BY KEN DAVIDOFF STAFF CORRESPONDENT November 9, 2005 INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- On paper, the Mets have many holes to fill, none in the starting rotation. But general manager Omar Minaya doesn't love his group of starters, and he's open to shaking it up. According to a person familiar with the situation, the Mets would like to use Kris Benson and Steve Trachsel to both create room in their rotation - which could then be filled by outside free agents - and to plug their more obvious holes like first base and second base. The Mets also continued to work on their bullpen needs yesterday, as executive Tony Bernazard met with agents Jeff Borris and Rick Thurman, who represent Yankees free agent Tom Gordon and longtime Padres closer Trevor Hoffman. Both represent backup plans in case the Mets can't land their top target, Billy Wagner; Gordon ranks above Hoffman, whom nearly everyone in the industry anticipates will return to San Diego despite recent, acrimonious negotiations. While the free-agent market offers solid options at closer, that's not the case for first base and second base. The best first basemen, in particular, are available on the trade market. Milwaukee, with young Prince Fielder near ready, could deal Lyle Overbay, while the financially strapped Florida Marlins have yet to declare Carlos Delgado untouchable. With the crop of free-agent starting pitchers just as overwhelming, the Mets could try using some starting pitchers to land an infielder. Trachsel is especially affordable, as the Mets recently exercised his $2.5 million option for next year. The 35-year-old missed the bulk of last season, recovering from March surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back. When he returned in late August, he posted a 1-4 record and 4.14 ERA in six starts. Benson, 31, is owed more than $7 million each of the next two seasons. In his first full season with the Mets, he went 10-8 with a 4.13 ERA in 28 starts. Neither Trachsel nor Benson came to the Mets under Minaya's reign. Trachsel signed while Steve Phillips ran the Mets, back in the 2000-01 offseason, while Jim Duquette traded for Benson in July 2004, although Minaya did re-sign him last winter. The same could be said for Victor Zambrano, whom Duquette received from Tampa Bay for Scott Kazmir in the infamous July 2004 deal, but the Mets seem inclined to keep Zambrano. Should they find suitable trade partners for Trachsel and Benson, the Mets could fill the holes by pursuing free agents like A.J. Burnett, Esteban Loaiza and Kevin Millwood. Mets officials met Monday with Scott Boras, Millwood's agent, at the GMs' meetings; Boras also represents Kenny Rogers and Jeff Weaver (both of whom endured rough times in New York, as did Loaiza) and Jarrod Washburn. The Giants' Jason Schmidt is a remote trade possibility. In the bullpen, the Mets want Wagner most of all, as evidenced by their personal visit with him last week, and are unlikely to be outbid by the Phillies or any other team. But if Wagner decides to stay with the Phillies or sign with a dark horse, Gordon represents a decent Plan B. The 38-year-old excelled as Mariano Rivera's setup man the past two seasons in the Bronx, at least before the postseason, and he has announced his intention to return to the closer's role he held sporadically from 1997 through 2003. Given his age, Gordon would cost far less than Wagner in years and dollars.

[Guest Rotblatt]

I'm glad we're open to trading Benson & Trachs. I'd much rather lose them than Seo or Heilman. I guess it goes without saying that I'd trade both of them for Overbay or Delgado straight up in a heartbeat, despite the $16M per year we'd be on the hook for with Delgado.

Millwood or Burnett would both be pretty clear upgrades, IMO. I think Loaiza would probably be a capable replacement--I'd expect him to put up similar numbers to both Benson & Trachs.

A rotation of Petey, Glavine, Millwood, Seo, Zambrano looks awfully good to me.

Overbay, by the way, is the kind of guy we should be targeting. His OPS+ was only 113 last year (down from 127 in 04) but check out his trends:

2003
.126 IsoP, .52 BB/K, 3.71 #P/PA (.767 OPS)

2004
.178 IsoP, .63 BB/K, 3.82 #P/PA (.863 OPS)

2005
.173 IsoP, .80 BB/K , 3.96 #P/PA (.816 OPS)

Overbay's BA dropped last year, but he struck out less & walked more while hitting for roughly the same amount of power he had in 2004. The difference seems to be that fewer of the balls he hit into play fell in for hits.

Sounds flukely to me. I'll take him.

Of course, it'd be better if he were right-handed, since we've already got Jake, but getting Overbay would give us even more reason for putting Operation Catch Jake into action.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Now THIS is more like it. Thank you, New York Times!

]In Boston, Epstein's Gone and Ramirez Wants to Go By MURRAY CHASS Published: November 9, 2005 WHEN word circulated last week that one of the reasons Theo Epstein opted to leave the Red Sox was the lack of privacy in Boston - he couldn't go out for dinner without being deluged with attention from fans - I immediately thought of how Manny Ramirez had registered the same complaint last season when he asked the Red Sox to trade him. I wonder if Manny and Theo ever went out for dinner together in their four years in Boston. That would have been some scene as fans dropped their forks and knives and besieged them for autographs and pictures. Come to think of it, they probably didn't go out together because pictures from cellphones would be all over the Internet if they had been spotted. Anyway, Theo is gone, and Manny could be next. "He has made it clear that he would like us to consider a trade," Larry Lucchino, the Red Sox' president and chief executive, said yesterday. Lucchino was speaking in an interview for the first time since the Epstein affair exploded in Boston, and it was believed to be the first time a Red Sox executive acknowledged that Ramirez had asked to be traded. Manny has asked before, most recently before the July 31 trading deadline last season, but the Red Sox seem more prepared to grant him his wish than they had before. "Are we open for business? Are we listening to proposals and possibilities?" Lucchino said. "We are. This is the time of year when you do that. Our guys at the general managers meetings are certainly approaching this subject with an open mind and are willing to sit and talk to people who have an interest in discussing a transaction for Manny or any of our other players." Why would the Red Sox trade Ramirez, one half of their dynamic duo with David Ortiz? "He has asked us before, and it's only reasonable that we explore possibilities, particularly at this time of year when all types of trades are considered and kicked around," Lucchino said. "So it seems respectful of him, and it seems our job is to consider these kinds of possibilities." The Red Sox' job will not be easy. As a 10-year major leaguer with the last five years with the Red Sox, Ramirez, a 33-year-old outfielder, has to approve any trade. He also has $57 million in salary left in the last three years of his contract, and he gets an additional $1 million if he is traded. Last summer, the Mets explored the possibility of acquiring Ramirez but ran out of time to work out something in a two-team or a three-team deal. Ramirez more recently has been quoted as saying he doesn't want to play for the Mets or in New York. Anaheim is said to be his destination of choice, although Lucchino said that Ramirez had not expressed a preference. On the other hand, some baseball people have suggested, Ramirez might have spread the negative word about New York as a way of inducing the Mets to give him a contract extension. Omar Minaya, the Mets' general manager, has been portrayed in some circles as being prepared to do whatever it would take to get Manny, whether it be an extension or a bevy of players, including Lastings Milledge, their best prospect. But the only people Minaya truly feels that strongly about are his wife, Rachel, and their children, Teddy and Justin. Nevertheless, Minaya will do the smart thing and explore the possibility of acquiring Ramirez. Ramirez is, after all, the type of productive power hitter the Mets desperately need. One club, Lucchino said, had inquired about Ramirez at the general managers meetings. "I don't think it's appropriate to discuss individual clubs," Lucchino said, "but one club has made preliminary suggestions about discussions." Minaya did not return a telephone call to say whether the Mets were that club. Should they pursue Ramirez? Absolutely, even with the baggage he might take with him. Last season was the fifth in which he has hit more than 40 home runs - he matched his career high of 45 - and his 144 runs batted in were his third-highest total. If it's offense the Mets want, Ramirez is more of a sure thing than Alfonso Soriano, the Texas second baseman they have considered trying to get. On the other hand, Ramirez would cost the Mets more in players and money, and they would have to hold their breath that Manny didn't decide to be Manny. If he were back home - he grew up in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan - the Mets might also have to be concerned about his hanging around with old friends, often a potentially dangerous lifestyle for players. The Red Sox may trade Ramirez because they are weary of Manny being Manny. But asked how they would replace his offensive production, Lucchino said: "There's no doubt he's a sensational hitter and an incredibly consistent performer. We value him enormously." It remains to be seen how highly the Mets, or any other team, value Manny.

Few facts, just rampant speculation. Ah, bliss!

Speaking of speculation, I think it's dangerous that Minaya's being portrayed as being willing to do "whatever it takes" to land Manny. It's okay when a fan does it, but when a GM does, he becomes the proverbial white city boy canoing through the Ozarks.

Okay, so maybe that's not exactly a proverbial situation, but y'all know what I mean (cue banjo twang here).

[Guest Mark Healey]

Edgy DC wrote: Your people and my people should get together. They really should.

People...People who need people..are the lonliest people...

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

You'd think if this arrogant knucklehead read as much about about his topic as he purports to, he might have come across the proper spelling of his subject's name. An error of ignorance none of the alledged food-stained racsist wretches he trashes for their ignorance manages to make. Super.

As to the point, I'd agree the the "communication issue" is probably too broadly applied, but solving the problem isn't a matter of educating rascist sportswriters (!) but examining the apparent communication failures between the Mets and Matsui, for example, which I'd suspect are as based on culture as language. If anything, the assumptions of performance we often hear (such as the guy in my office who based on casual observation of Shinjo and Matsui concludes "Japanese guys can't hit the cureveball") is where the real ignorance lies.

Hold your ears:

]I've been reading with interest some of the media speculation about Japanese catcher Kenji Jujima. Obviously, in the wake of Kaz Mutsui, it's reasonable to ask whether Jujima can play in the majors after putting up big numbers in Japan. Obviously. But time after time, I keep seeing writers harp on the issue of communication between a catcher, pitcher and the coaching staff and manager. You'd think in a cosmopolitan city such, uh, backwards opinions might be obsolete. But then again, there are still people who defend the internment of Japanese-Americans during the second World War, while German-Americans, including my grandfather who was born in Dresden, and Italian-Americans were left unmolested. This is the same kind of thinking is at work here, whether it be from the media room food-stained wretches of the sportswriting corps, or team officials. And it's just as wrong. I can't say for sure whether Jujima can play in the majors. I can say that the communication issue is, well, pretty damn racist. Right now, Jujima probably speaks better English than any number of Latino catchers, not to mention at least one ex-Met pitcher from Bensonhurst, based on his work on the radio. In Japan, unlike many Latin American countries, English is taught starting in elementary school and is mandatory for all students. Plus, in anticipation of coming to the U.S., he's been brushing up on his English. And the funny thing: despite iffy English skills in a some cases, there have been a lot of damn good Latino catchers and I'm pretty sure that one finger down means the same thing, whatever the language. Sure, once upon a time, the idea of a Latino catcher was questioned the same way and for a lot of the same xenophobic reasons. But like the myth of the black quarterback, virtually all of the Latino myths have been exploded, including one suggesting that they could never hold management positions. Maybe it's time for Asian myths to be exploded once and for all, too. Speaking as someone with an extensive knowledge of working with and speaking with Japanese people, not to mention having spent time in Japan � at one time my Japanese vocabulary was about 150 words, but I've lost most of it by disuse � communication should be the least of anyone's worries about Jujima. Whether he can hit for the kind of power and average he did in Japan � well, that's another issue. If the language issue was such a problem, how did a manager from Connecticut lead his team to the Japan Series title? Is Bobby Valentine such a genius that he can learn enough Japanese to get by and be able to communicate with all of his players? And what about the various American players, including pitchers and catchers, who been successful in Japan? Not to mention Japanese ownership of a Major League team (and don't talk to me about how Howard Lincoln really runs the Mariners � he's an empty suit. He was went I dealt with him at Nintendo � and the fact that Nintendo is a such a mess is a tribute to his management ability). Baseball likes to talk about how it is evolved and modern. But the truth remains far from that. This kind of thinking, which still pervades around baseball, is what led to Bill Singer's infamous encounter with the highly respected Kim Ng, assistant GM of the Dodgers. One would think, almost 60 years after integration, baseball could get past its racist past. One would think.

He goes on to get more facts wrong here while, again, trashing others.

] I'm not buying the tears over Mariano Rivera losing the American League Cy Young Award to Bartolo Colon. Only five relievers have ever won the Cy Young, and it's been almost 20 years since one won it without at least 50 saves. Rivera had a great year � but not one of his best ever � but only slightly above that of the top 10 closers in the American League. Heck, both Bob Wickman and Francisco Rodriguez had more saves � although that certainly isn't the sole metric to measure a closer. Colon led the American League in wins � and when he was on, which was most of the time, especially down the stretch, he could be completely unhittable. Now, I do think there's a good argument that Johan Santana was more deserving � as his numbers were stronger across the board, other than for wins. But not for Mo'. He had a nice year, certainly another building block on his road to the Hall of Fame, but not the kind of special season people will be talking about in 20 years, such as either of his 50-plus save seasons. I think talk claiming a vivid bias against Yankee pitchers in national votes might be a bit misstated. Wasn't it just a few years ago a Yankee beat writer, coughGeorgeKingcough, left Pedro Martinez totally off his Cy Young ballot � didn't list him in the top 10 pitchers � to cost him the award? So please, enough tears for Mariano.

Uh, no it wasn't. King left Pedro off his MVP ballot in 1999, dumbass.

]Full Disclosure: King was the first (of many) people foolish enough to hire me to write. Without him, I'd never have known the simple joy of writing about DePaul (Wayne, N.J.) High School girls' field hockey or moved on to any of the other things I've been lucky enough to write about. So, I'm either an amazingly fair journalist willing to trash even people I'm fond of, or just an ungrateful, mean sonvabitch who does even worse things to people who cross me.

How about we just agree you're the World's Worst Journalist?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Lucky for the DePaul (Wayne, N.J.) High School girls' field hockey team that he or she has moved on. What is the source of this crap?

[seawolf17]

It reads too stupidly to even be Jon Heyman.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

That would be the editor in chief of a new magazine targeted at New York baseball fans like me.

[Guest Edgy DC]

So kicking the sociological angle --- even with a desperate lack of accuracy --- is going to be part of their cutting-edge reason for being?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Too Dumb for Heyman sounds like a Fountains of Wayne album title.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

]So kicking the sociological angle --- even with a desperate lack of accuracy --- is going to be part of their cutting-edge reason for being?

Well, not entirely, I don't think.

I've seen the issue and think they're trying to zero in on this idea that New York is a baseball town, and from that perspective discuss what happened here and is happening here. I suppose that encompasses a certain degree of sociology.

My issue is that the stuff is just so goddamned sloppy it deprives any authority they might have on the subject.

[MFS62]

JD, Who wrote that last article? I didn't see any byline.

Later

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

[url]http://www.gothambaseball.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1434[/url]

[Guest Mark Healey]

Johnny Dickshot wrote: ]So kicking the sociological angle --- even with a desperate lack of accuracy --- is going to be part of their cutting-edge reason for being? Well, not entirely, I don't think. I've seen the issue and think they're trying to zero in on this idea that New York is a baseball town, and from that perspective discuss what happened here and is happening here. I suppose that encompasses a certain degree of sociology. My issue is that the stuff is just so goddamned sloppy it deprives any authority they might have on the subject.

I'm starting to think more and more that you have an agenda, sir.

Now Mike's a big boy and he can defend himself, but when you say "they".when discussing the magazine and the rest of the site, you're insulting my staff.

You're attacking a staff that works for free, a site that's free, and a magazine whose first issue was printed with people's life savings.

Yes, it's a work in progress, and the difference between Issue 1 and 2 are dramatic. I'm sorry you've chosen to attack it, rather than try to understand it and support what we're trying to do.

I've tried very hard to try to become a productive member of this community, and your bitterness and nastiness is making it very hard to do so.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Don't misunderstand me -- I admire what you're tying to do with the magazine and its POV: I think it's a good idea. I was only answering edgy's question.

That said we don't live in a consequence free world: You know as well as anyone who the real victims of the Jason Blair fiasco are (I know, extreme example). The point is, nothing insults good work like bad work.

Understand also that this thread is 9 pages of "attacks" on various sketchy pieces -- for which I think we can agree the linked column obviously qualifies. If the Daily News published it I figure you'd be hammering away along with us.

FWIW, I enjoyed the Chesbro piece, the minors/Sickels stuff, the 80s Mets thing and the olde-timey baseball thing. Strictly my opinion -- I'd appreciate more of that, and less of the annonymous-front-office-blabbermouth scoops (I understand the powerful attraction these offer but your record here is dreadful), and first-person stuff (hard to do well, easy to blow holes in, rarely interesting). And read the stuff first!

[Guest Edgy DC]

I understand you being miffed that Dickshot speaks broadly about "they" when he speaks about sloppiness. But why is it OK for to disparage the press corps and Mets management so indiscriminately?

[Guest Mark Healey]

Edgy DC wrote: I understand you being miffed that Dickshot speaks broadly about "they" when he speaks about sloppiness. But why is it OK for to disparage the press corps and Mets management so indiscriminately?

It's his opinion, which he's entitled to. As I said before, Mike can defend himself.

My objection was to his consistent disparaging commentary, which goes far beyond constructive criticism at times.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Nobody's said he's not entitled.

But, you know, Dickshot's a big boy also. I'll drop out.