metirish

Gwreck wrote: Schilling might be an insufferable blowhard but if he truly only wants a 1 year deal I'm intrigued. He's that and more. ] Schilling says Red Sox favored, but dozen others possible ESPN.com news services A day after saying he'd written goodbye letters to some of his Boston Red Sox teammates, Curt Schilling has posted a list of 13 teams he'd be willing to play for next season as he enters free agency for the first time. The right-hander, who turns 41 on Nov. 16, made a list that includes the Red Sox but not the New York Yankees. Schilling filed for free agency Tuesday. Schilling wrote on his Web site that his first choice remains re-signing with Boston. "There are a million little things that go into this from stadiums to school districts to travel to spring training to etc. etc. etc.," Schilling wrote, "but the list represents the teams after Boston that have some of the off the field things that are big to us, plus the potential to go into October next year." He listed 2007 playoff teams Cleveland, the Los Angeles Angels, Philadelphia, Arizona and the Chicago Cubs, plus 2006 World Series teams Detroit and St. Louis, the New York Mets, Atlanta, the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego and Milwaukee. On Tuesday, Schilling said he was looking for a one-year deal. "If truly, physically, I was at the end of my rope, this would be the ultimate way to walk away," Schilling said in his weekly radio appearance in Boston. "I don't think I'm there." Catchers Jason Varitek and Doug Mirabelli stopped by the Red Sox clubhouse to box up their belongings on Wednesday morning after being honored at the Massachusetts Statehouse. Varitek took care to label and preserve the bats he used during the World Series. The two lockers next to the catcher, which had been used by Schilling, were cleared of any personal items and name tags. Varitek repeated his hope that Schilling is able to finish up his career in Boston, but said he wouldn't be running to his teammate's blog to keep up on his status. "I haven't checked a blog, so I'm probably not going to start now," he said. "I may call him now and then to see what's going on." Schilling said he wrote goodbye letters to selected teammates and Red Sox officials. "I actually broke out a pen and paper the last couple days and wrote letters to some people here, just to say goodbye," Schilling said on the radio, apparently before he filed for free agency. "There's a very realistic chance I won't ever play with them again." Varitek said he was one of the players who received a note from Schilling. "It's something I'll keep," the catcher said. Schilling promised fans that he'd keep them updated on his free agency journey through his blog. "If October 28, 2007, was the last time I ever wear this uniform, thank you," Schilling wrote on Monday. "It was an honor and a privelage [sic] to be allowed to play here."

As someone who posts on yankee shit I will stop doing it, I agree it's a bit much lately.

You mean he's not going to be the starting second baseman?

Click IMG when you open thread, right click on picture and click properties and copy URL, paste URL after IMG then click IMG again, submit.

] Mets pick up Alou's option, re-sign Easley BY DAVID LENNON | david.lennon@newsday.com 4:09 PM EDT, October 31, 2007 The Mets announced today that they have picked up the $7.5-million option on Moises Alou and also re-signed Damion Easley, whose season was cut short on Aug. 18 because of a severe ankle sprain. Alou, 41, played only 87 games last year because of a left quadriceps strain that cost him roughly 10 weeks on the disabled list. But when Alou was in the lineup, he was productive, batting .341 with 13 home runs and 49 RBI. Easley, who turns 38 later this month, took over as the starting second baseman after the injury to Jose Valentin and hit .280 with 10 home runs in only 193 at-bats.

Lots of talk about Rodriguez going to the Dodgers because him and Torre have this wonderful relationship.

Am i missing something here , when did it become OK to negotiate a contract when the current manager was still in place? Seems like Little got treated very poorly here, insulting even.

Grady Little resigns and Torre and Dodgers agree on terms and are finalizing the coaching staff which will include Mattingly. From the LA Times.

3-Years , $7.5M is the deal for Girardi.

Oh I think the Mets could be players, how many teams can go for him really, can the Cubs current ownership continue to spend huge money when they are selling the team, are the Dodgers still pissed with Boras and would they want to deal with him.

I guess my problem here with Wally is that he somehow thinks the Mets should pursue Rodriguez to fix a wrong when the Mets didn't sign him seven years ago. That and now with a club house that already has several diva type players the 24 + 1 rule shouldn't be a problem. His constant digs at the Mets are just silly, this is a different organization that it was seven years ago.

Yancy Street Gang wrote: Source? Val from D.C. or Joey from Ozone Park. LA Times reporting that the Dodgers are in negotiations with Torre, yet they have not fired Little......disgraceful treatment.

Not a bad take on things from the phillie blogger. Wally turns a yankee mess into a Mets mess in Wally's world. Wally Matthews

] "Nobody has talked to me about any free agents," Wright wrote in a text message. "I would want to speak with Jeff [Wilpon] and Omar [Minaya] first." I wonder if David 'Golly Gee-Wiilickers' Wright typed all that out or if he uses text speak like Edgy.

] Klapisch: Mets may go for A-Rod Tuesday, October 30, 2007 By BOB KLAPISCH RECORD COLUMNIST While the Yankee hierarchy and Major League Baseball reacted with outrage at Alex Rodriguez's decision to opt out of his contract on the night of Game 4 of the World Series, the Mets didn't seem to have a problem with it. In fact, early indicators suggest the Mets are leaning toward a full metal jacket courtship of the slugger, pending David Wright's blessing. This is no small obstacle, since ownership is wary of offending Flushing's most marketable and loyal star. "We already have a third baseman," is what one high-ranking official said on Monday. That's the party line -- for now. But the Mets are well aware that Wright volunteered in spring training to switch positions if it meant luring A-Rod to Flushing. The story was first reported in The Record on March 4. Club officials plan to ask Wright if he still feels that way. As of Monday night, the Mets' third baseman was noncommittal, waiting to hear from ownership. "Nobody has talked to me about any free agents," Wright wrote in a text message. "I would want to speak with Jeff [Wilpon] and Omar [Minaya] first." Of course, there's no guarantee A-Rod would sign with the Mets, even if Wright moved to, say, second base. Could the Wilpon family write a big enough check? Apparently so. With free agents Tom Glavine ($10.5 million), Shawn Green ($3.7 million), Paul Lo Duca ($6.25 million) and Jose Valentin ($3.8 million) all likely to come off the books, Rodriguez's asking price of $30-something million isn't quite so prohibitive. "We can afford him," one Met insider said confidently. "It's going to be a baseball question more than a money question. Do we want him? Is he a good fit for one team? That's what we have to talk about." Wright seemed to feel Rodriguez was a perfect match -- and that was before A-Rod blasted through the greatest regular season of the last 50 years. Putting aside his insatiable appetite for money and ruthless negotiating tactics, the Mets ultimately will have to decide if A-Rod's 50-plus homers and 150 RBI are worth the tidal wave of controversy that would follow him into the clubhouse. Last March, this is what Wright had to say to reporters: "If Omar [Minaya] or someone from the front office approaches me and says, 'Hey, we're looking, Alex has an interest in coming to Queens,' I'd be the first one to offer to play anywhere they want me to because like I said, a guy like that just makes a team completely better from the get-go." What remains to be seen is whether the Mets' interest would tempt the Yankees to reenter negotiations. It's hard to know who's bluffing and who's not. Friends of Rodriguez believe he would have a sincere interest in playing for the Mets � at the right price, of course � regardless of how it would damage his Yankee legacy. It's worth noting that Rodriguez was house-hunting in Greenwich, Conn., in the last few months, and the idea of staying in New York was seconded by his wife, Cynthia. The other issue is where Wright actually would play. Second base is the obvious choice, but there's nothing that says he could learn the position quickly, if at all. And the wear and tear of turning double plays also might factor into the Mets' thinking. And then there's the dark cloud that seems to dog Rodriguez wherever he goes. You can now count the Yankees as part of the anti-A-Rod army. Despite general manager Brian Cashman's graciously worded statement that bid farewell to the third baseman, the organization's truer feelings were reflected in the comments of one high-ranking official, who was disgusted at the timing of Rodriguez's opt-out on Sunday. Not only did the announcement upstage the World Series, but, as the official said: "He had [agent Scott] Boras tell the media before he told us. That's not right." Asked if the Yankees would use the 15-day window during which they can negotiate exclusively with Rodriguez, the executive said: "No chance. Absolutely none. We're done with him. He'll never play here again" A-Rod and Boras didn't make any friends in the commissioner's office, either. Protocol says that no news is generated during the Series; the industry-wide blackout is observed in deference to the sport's premier event. But Rodriguez was the prime topic of discussion during Fox's broadcast Sunday night, trumping the Red Sox' sweep of the Rockies and their second world championship in four years. "There was no reason to make an announcement [sunday] night other than to try to put his selfish interests and that of one individual player above the overall good of the game," Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "[sunday] night and [Monday] belong to the Boston Red Sox, who should be celebrated for their achievement, and to the Colorado Rockies, who made such an unbelievable run to the World Series." One baseball official suggested A-Rod opted out on Sunday because he knew the Yankees were about to hire Joe Girardi, whom he didn't want to play for. So instead of bolting after Girardi's coronation and making it appear he was rejecting the new manager, A-Rod left hours before, under the guise of not having enough time to assess the direction of a team in transition. That ploy may have saved Girardi some embarrassment, but it didn't buy A-Rod good will anywhere else. Except, maybe, in Queens, where the fantasy lingers: just how would those 150 RBI look in the Met lineup, anyway? 7215004

For that money he'd better fucking pitch too.

Headline in Atlanta. Gorkys Park(s) ones Gorkys taken to the Park ...

Found this online. ] Lost in the shuffle of Alex Rodriguez's opt-out media frenzy - the Yankees should be able to snag some nice draft picks for him. They'll undoubtedly offer him arbitration, and he'll decline that offer. If that does happen and he's signed by the Cubs, Tigers, Mets, Angels, or Red Sox, the Yankees will get that team's first-round pick. The Giants and Dodgers' first round picks are protected however.

I went with Yes, I'll pay the $30 million, but not for ten years. tough choices there.

When can the two or three teams line up to bid on him?

Centerfield wrote: Wasn't he too high-strung for the Marlins? This could be fun. The problem IIRC was that Loria hired Girardi against the wishes of his GM Larry Beinfest, they never got along apparently and that was doomed for the git go. Cashman and Girardi have a relationship of course.

Mattingly must feel like the anointed son getting looked over , maybe Steinbrenner will over rule Cashman anc cause real chaos.

Denzel Washington, Clive Owen and Jodie Foster, have you seen this, watched it Saturday night and it's either pure genius or the most annoying movie I have seen in a while. Half way through I wanted to turn it off but couldn't.

I'd give him anything he wants , even Shea Stadium.