Frayed Knot

Well sure, we'd all like to see less commercial time, but that's not going to happen in baseball anymore than it's going to happen in football, or on the nightly news, or during a hit sitcom.

Starting at 2PM today, MLBN is running retrospectives on the 1969 season, and then separate ones on the 1986 LCSs and World Series. So if the Jets & Giants just ain't cutting it for you this year ...

MFS62 wrote: How many deals do you think the Mets will announce by the end of the meetings? That includes the Rule V Draft. Later 75

Thank you FK. MLB doesn't want to shorten the games--shorter games means fewer commercials (remember that commercials happen during a game, not just between innings). Someone is likely looking at that and thinking "its only 8 minutes." I want those 8 minutes! The words "bad news" and "Joe Torre" seem to go together. But the biggest problem isn't commercial time, it's the slow pace that occurs during supposedly live action. The amount of allotted time for commercial breaks [2:05 for most games, 2:25 for GotW (FOX Saturday and ESPN Sunday night), and 2:55 for post-season] hasn't changed in years, and yet the time-creep continues upward.

That proposal, and several others out there, substantially alter the game which I don't support especially since the crime of this whole trend is that nothing really needs to altered except the pace at which it's played. No one realistically is asking to return to the days where there was no TV and so games with about 45 seconds between half-innings were routinely being played in under 2 hours. Rather it's the half-hour that's been tacked on, not on top of the game in the days of grainy black and white film but just in the last two or three decades, games that were well within the memory of most current fans. And, yeah, increased use of relievers is part of that, but quicken each pitch thrown by just one second and you shorten the game about four minutes without doing anything else. Make that three seconds per pitch plus some minor adjustments such as being ready to go as soon as the assigned between-innings break is done and maybe reducing on-field strategy meetings and you can easily lop 15-20 minutes off the game without losing a single piece of strategy or action. On the other hand if you want to do away with the tradition of having incoming relievers throw warm-ups on the mound after they've already warmed-up in the pen then I'm with you. The original purpose of allowing it, because bullpen mounds were often inferior and not the same on the real mound, went away decades ago. Warm-ups at the beginning of innings - sure, but within an inning - nope, get your throwing done in the pen. This would save at least a minute per in-inning change.

So pre-Terry hires include: Clint Hurlde - one week Ron Roenicke - two weeks Fredi Gonzlez - one month Don Mattingly - two months Buck Showalter - four months Ned Yost - six months Joe Girardi - three years Bruce Bochy & Bud Black - four years and Mike Scioscia - eleven years TEAMMANAGERSIGNED THRUSTATUSHiredMETSTerry Collins2015 + option for '1611/23/2010BRAVESFredi Gonzalez201510/13/2010PHILLIESRyne Sandberg2016 + option for '178/16/2013NATIONALSMatt Williams2015 + options for �16 + �1710/13/2013MARLINSMike Redmond2015=#FF0000]Extended through 201711/1/2012CARDINALSMike Matheny201711/20/2013PIRATESClint Hurdle2017 + option for �1811/15/2010CUBS[crossout]Rick Renteria[/crossout]=#FF0000]Fired Oct 31=#FF0000]Hired Joe Maddon for 2015 - 201910/31/2014REDSBryan Price201610/22/2013BREWERSRon Roenicke2015 + option for �1611/4/2010DODGERSDon Mattingly20169/17/2010GIANTSBruce Bochy2016Oct 2006PADRESBud Black2015Nov 2006DBACKS[crossout]Kirk Gibson[/crossout]2014 -- =#FF0000]Fired, Sept 2014=#FF0000]Chip Hale hired for 2015-1610/13/2014ROCKIESWalt Weiss201611/7/2012RED SOXJohn Farrell201610/20/2012YANKEESJoe Girardi201710/30/2007ORIOLESBuck Showalter20187/28/2010BLUE JAYSJohn Gibbons2015 + option for �1611/20/2012RAYS[crossout]Joe Maddon[/crossout]=#FF0000]Mgr Opted out of contract's final year=#FF0000]Dec 2014 - Hired Kevin Cash12/04/2014TIGERSBrad Ausmus2016 + option for �1711/4/2013INDIANSTerry Francona2016=#FF0000]Extended thru 2018 w/options for '19 + �2010/8/2012ROYALSNed Yost20155/13/2010TWINS[crossout]Ron Gardenhire[/crossout]=#FF0000]Fired - Sept '14=#FF0000]Hired Paul Molitor - 2015-201711/4/2014WHITE SOXRobin Ventura201410/6/2011ANGELSMike Scioscia201811/17/1999RANGERS[crossout]Ron Washington[/crossout]=#FF0000]Resigned Sept 2014=#FF0000]Hired Jeff Banister - 2015-17 + '18 option10/17/2014MARINERSLloyd McClendon201?11/7/2013ASTROS[crossout]Bo Porter[/crossout]=#FF0000]Fired Sept 2014=#FF0000]AJ Hinch - Hired Sept 20149/29/2014ATHLETICSBob Melvin20166/9/2011

TEAMMANAGERSIGNED THRUSTATUSHiredMETSTerry Collins2015 + option for '1611/23/2010BRAVESFredi Gonzalez201510/13/2010PHILLIESRyne Sandberg2016 + option for '178/16/2013NATIONALSMatt Williams2015 + options for �16 + �1710/13/2013MARLINSMike Redmond2015Extended through 201711/1/2012CARDINALSMike Matheny2017PIRATESClint Hurdle2017 + option for �18CUBS[crossout]Rick Renteria[/crossout]Fired Oct 31Hired Joe Maddon for 2015 - 2019REDSBryan Price2016BREWERSRon Roenicke2015 + option for �16DODGERSDon Mattingly2016GIANTSBruce Bochy2016PADRESBud Black2015DBACKS[crossout]Kirk Gibson[/crossout]2014 -- Fired, Sept 2014Chip Hale hired for 2015-16ROCKIESWalt Weiss2016RED SOXJohn Farrell2016YANKEESJoe Girardi2017ORIOLESBuck Showalter2018BLUE JAYSJohn Gibbons2015 + option for �16RAYS[crossout]Joe Maddon[/crossout]Mgr Opted out of contract's final yearDec 2014 - Hired Kevin CashTIGERSBrad Ausmus2016 + option for �17INDIANSTerry Francona2016Extended thru 2018 w/options for '19 + '20ROYALSNed Yost2015TWINS[crossout]Ron Gardenhire[/crossout]Fired - Sept '14Hired Paul Molitor - 2015-2017WHITE SOXRobin Ventura2014ANGELSMike Scioscia2018Nov 1999RANGERS[crossout]Ron Washington[/crossout]Resigned Sept 2014Hired Jeff Banister - 2015-17 + '18 option10/17/2014MARINERSLloyd McClendon201?11/7/2013ASTROS[crossout]Bo Porter[/crossout]Fired Sept 2014AJ Hinch - Hired Sept 20149/29/2014ATHLETICSBob Melvin20166/9/2011

Yeah, they essentially have to spend money, if for no other reason than just the fear of looking passive and having to answer for it. But ... - they can't do much on position players, both from being already locked into contracts they either can't or don't want to move [Teixeira, McCann, ARod, Ellsbury, Beltran, Gardner] and from there being fewer of those on the open market this winter. And trading for big chips [Kemp, etc.] is a problem because they don't have much to trade. If they spend anywhere on the lineup this winter it was probably going to be re-signing Chase Headley but there are stories out there of him already having a $50 million offer on the table from someone (maybe the Yanx, maybe someone else). So they probably reason that a big contract for a reliever is safer/saner/shorter/cheaper than bidding on a six or seven year deal for one of the big starters out there [Lester, Scherzer, Shields] and that, even though their rotation needs as much help as anything, they're hoping that a Royals-like approach to the pen can compensate for a mediocre rotation. And, really, if you can't copy the business plan of the team who just made the post-season for the first time in three decades, what's the point of even playing?

Matching this FA to that team was the easiest lay-up of the winter this year. Miller was once a top prospect who seems to have found his niche in the pen and is more than just a LOOGY (lower BAA vs RHBs over the last two seasons). But, yeah, four year deals to 30 y/o relievers (turns 30 in May) are dicier even than other long-term pitching contracts. Be interesting to see how hard the Yanx ride him as, even with the lack of splits, he's still been averaging less than 1.0 inning per/appearance when, given his size (6' 7") and background as a starter, you'd think he was capable of more batters/game a la the way they used Mariano early in his career and then Betances last year. Also, if the size of this deal signals that they're going to walk away from Robertson and his FA demands, they'll likely move Betances to closer and have Miller set-up at which point they couldn't keep him to just a one or two out guy.

And now with Tampa's hiring of former big league catcher and, more recently, Cleveland bullpen coach Kevin Cash, MLB has a complete set of managers heading into the 2015 season TEAMMANAGERSIGNED THRUSTATUSMETSTerry Collins2015 + option for '16BRAVESFredi Gonzalez2015PHILLIESRyne Sandberg2016 + option for '17NATIONALSMatt Williams2015 + options for �16 + �17MARLINSMike Redmond2015Extended through 2017CARDINALSMike Matheny2017PIRATESClint Hurdle2017 + option for �18CUBS[crossout]Rick Renteria[/crossout]Fired Oct 31Hired Joe Maddon for 2015 - 2019REDSBryan Price2016BREWERSRon Roenicke2015 + option for �16DODGERSDon Mattingly2016GIANTSBruce Bochy2016PADRESBud Black2015DBACKS[crossout]Kirk Gibson[/crossout]2014 -- Fired, Sept 2014Chip Hale hired for 2015-16ROCKIESWalt Weiss2016RED SOXJohn Farrell2016YANKEESJoe Girardi2017ORIOLESBuck Showalter2018BLUE JAYSJohn Gibbons2015 + option for �16RAYS[crossout]Joe Maddon[/crossout]Mgr Opted out of contract's final yearDec 2014 - Hired Kevin CashTIGERSBrad Ausmus2016 + option for �17INDIANSTerry Francona2016Extended thru 2018 w/options for '19 + '20ROYALSNed Yost2015TWINS[crossout]Ron Gardenhire[/crossout]Fired - Sept '14Hired Paul Molitor - 2015-2017WHITE SOXRobin Ventura2014ANGELSMike Scioscia2018RANGERS[crossout]Ron Washington[/crossout]Resigned Sept 2014Hired Jeff Banister - 2015-17 + '18 optionMARINERSLloyd McClendon201?ASTROS[crossout]Bo Porter[/crossout]Fired Sept 2014AJ Hinch - Hired Sept 2014ATHLETICSBob Melvin2016

Gregorius's biggest flaw: his 490 career OPS vs LHP [.184/.257/.233] over 180 PAs] He split 2014 between Arizona and AAA Reno. He regressed at the big league level [704 OPS in 2013 to 653 in '14] but did hit well in Reno [.301/.389/.447 in 226 ABs] with the caveat that: it's Reno. Don't know what his minor league splits were. I'd be surprised if he didn't put up the numbers Jeter did last year. That's some pretty low hanging fruit right there. It occurs to me that this is at least the second NYY/DET/ARZ three-way trade in recent years. The deal that sent Granderson to the Bronx involved the same clubs.

MFS62 wrote: ... formalizing a rest period is just a way to wussify the game. More like another step in increasing specialization. Got a road trip against teams with a bunch of LHPs slated to go - 'Hey Duda you look like you could use a rest, and if anyone asks this was your idea, OK?' And the stuff you could pull with starting pitchers is even more open-ended. Yanx pitchers might not even have their yearly sprains of their upper-left cytomendicular joints right before the all star break if they can suddenly take week-long cat-naps at other times.

Documentary about a years-long quest (obsession?) by a non-artistic inventor to research and then re-create a Johannes Vermeer painting � specifically �The Music Lesson� � with the help of a lens and mirror contraption similar to one some believe the 17th century Dutch painter may have used. [fimg=400:1b6ktqag]http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue_xxl/xxl_images/xxl_music.jpg[/fimg:1b6ktqag]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: [braves] also signed erstwhile closer Jim Johnson to a 1 year deal. It took me half a day to realize that this was the ex-Baltimore closer rather than former Marlin starter Josh Johnson.

He would have been a fixture anywhere if he could have played against the Mets all the time. This is one of those times where my (our) memories are born out by the facts as he has more career ABs vs the Mets than any other team and racked up a .321/.389/.571 stat line over 212 PAs. That compares to his overall .254/.332/.413

Well for the moment anyway he merely replaces Heyward in RF so they've got the same number of OFs they had last year. The logjam comes if/when they try to shoe-horn Evan Gattis into LF at which point they'll have to deal away an Upton or two.

OF Michael Saunders dealt from Seattle to Toronto for former Philly hurler JA Happ

Long Island boy by birth actually (Glen Cove) but, yeah, Georgia for both HS and college. Went to HS in the next county outside the future Braves home of Cobb County. There was long the feeling in Baltimore that O's owner Peter Angelos was determined to always hang onto Markakis on account of them both being Greek, but I guess even those kinds of connections have their breaking point.

Ashie62 wrote: What a rogues gallery. You were expecting, what, a group of in-their-prime stars and hot prospects to be released without a contract offering?

This appears to be the complete list of arb-eligible players who were non-tendered by the Tuesday night deadline. Brandon Beachy, rhp -- Atlanta Braves Kris Medlen, rhp -- Atlanta Braves Gus Schlosser, rhp -- Atlanta Braves Juan Francisco, 3b -- Boston Red Sox Logan Ondrusek, rhp -- Cincinnati Reds Curtis Partch, rhp -- Cincinnati Reds John Baker, c -- Chicago Cubs Wesley Wright, lhp -- Chicago Cubs Scott Carroll, rhp -- Chicago White Sox Scott Snodgress, lhp -- Chicago White Sox Kraig Sitton, lhp -- Colorado Rockies Francisley Bueno, lhp -- Kansas City Royals Gordon Beckham, 2b -- Los Angeles Angels Yoslan Herrera, rhp -- Los Angeles Angels Wade LeBlanc, lhp -- Los Angeles Angels Eric Young, if/of -- New York Mets Jose Campos, rhp -- New York Yankees Slade Heathcott, of -- New York Yankees David Huff, lhp -- New York Yankees Kyle Blanks, of/1b -- Oakland Athletics Andrew Brown, of -- Oakland Athletics Chaz Roe, rhp -- Pittsburgh Pirates Gaby Sanchez, 1b -- Pittsburgh Pirates Daniel Descalso, if -- St. Louis Cardinals Everth Cabrera, ss/2b -- San Diego Padres Carlos Rivero, 3b -- Seattle Mariners Michael Kirkman, lhp -- Texas Rangers Adam Rosales, if/of -- Texas Rangers Alexi Ogando, rhp -- Texas Rangers Andy Dirks, of -- Toronto Blue Jays John Mayberry, 1b/of -- Toronto Blue Jays Justin Smoak, 1b -- Toronto Blue Jays A couple of LHRs on that list who could be the second man to Josh Edgin. Kyle Blanks was already mentioned as a RH 1B/OF possibility, but also Gaby Sanchez or the switch hitting Justin Smoak. Justin Smoak's name on the very end of that list just about completes the group of 1B-men from the 2008 draft who have failed to live up to the hope. 1st basemen are usually not taken all that high in the draft since they generally don't have the secondary skills to fall back on if the bats don't shine, but that year's draft was unusually heavy in them with seven chosen in the first 23 picks. Only KC's Eric Hosmer is still with his original team from that draft and even he hasn't always been all they hoped from a #3 overall pick [716 OPS this season and averaging <15 HRs/yr] -- also: [u:uucw96rq]7th pick - Yonder Alonso[/u:uucw96rq], Reds: Now with SD, has a 729 lifetime OPS and played full time in only one season (2012) [u:uucw96rq]11th - Smoak, Mariners[/u:uucw96rq] [u:uucw96rq]13th - Brett Wallace, Cards[/u:uucw96rq]: Been with five orgs in six years including one of them twice. Has never been a full-timer, was released by Houston last month, spent all of 2014 in the minors [u:uucw96rq]17th - David Cooper, Blue Jays[/u:uucw96rq]: 211 lifetime ML ABs and none since 2012. Spent 2014 w/AAA Columbus [u:uucw96rq]18th - Ike Davis[/u:uucw96rq] [u:uucw96rq]23rd - Allan Dykstra, Padres[/u:uucw96rq]: Has yet to reach the majors

What's Mr. Peabody's stance?

Toriiii Hunter returns to Minnesota on a 1-year deal. He'll turn 40 on July 18th which will be six days after the 22nd anniversary of him first signing with the Twins as their 1st round (20th overall) draft pick.

Good also on MLB as, according to the story, at least some folks in the Park Ave offices have known about this for some time. Yet those who did know were both comfortable enough to allow him to continue unhindered in his job and also managed to be leak-free the entire time until Scott was able to release the info on his own terms. Not that either non-action deserves a prize or anything but it does run counter to the stereotype of how many assume a corporate entity involved in sports would act given those circumstances. In the meantime, this 'announcement' predictably seems like it's being greeted with a collective yawn, which in itself is a good thing.

Well, except to out-bid anyone else who might be interested and/or might be willing to make more promises about playing time than the Mets are willing to do. On Gordon Beckham -- a former #8 overall draft pick, he was a SS as an amateur but not as a pro (2 starts over 6 seasons). At best he could fill the Justin Turner all-purpose utility IF type of role.

They were to both be in Atlanta's starting rotation last season, but a second Tommy John surgery for each knocked Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy out for the year and now out of a contract as both were non-tendered by the Braves today. They can still re-sign with Atlanta (or with anyone else) but this gets the Braves out of the arbitration process and any guarantees that come with it. Medlen had been one of only two pitchers -- Clayton Kershaw was the other -- to compile a sub-2.50 ERA over a 40 start stretch from mid-2012 through the end of 2013