Frayed Knot

Yeah nobody plays in those leagues for the money (if there's even money to be had there). They play mostly for the competition and the enjoyment, or possibly to keep in shape for any last-chance opportunity that might pop up. A friend of mine was playing in an over-35 (or similar) league on Long Island a bunch of years ago and found himself facing a recently retired MLB pitcher. I forget the guy's name now, he was never a high-profile guy in the first place although was only a year or two removed from his career and had actually pitched in a WS some 18 months prior. on edit: I believe this was the guy I was talking about above. Turns out he was only in the A's AAA system in 1988 so did not pitch in that year's WS and was out of baseball a year later. And it was probably a year or two after that where my friend was in a league with him in what must have been an over-30 BB league on L.I.

Ceetar wrote: I'm looking forward to the frequent Brett Favreian updates about whether or not Pettitte is playing or retiring. Maybe Suzyn Waldman can play the role of ESPN's Rachael Nichols and camp out with a YES camera crew on Andy's front lawn waiting for a decision. "There's white smoke coming from Andy's chimney! Of all the dramatic .... "

That would be paying a lot for managers by a team rarely willing to pay for players. Not that Loria can't afford it (revenue sharing, publicly financed new stadium) but he sure doesn't seem like he wants to be on the hook for for that much cash and, when he does commit, he doesn't stay that way for very long.

Not to obsess on this team too much, but we track them during the season and this winter looks to be a fascinating, or at least an active and interesting, off-season for them. First the stalwarts: ARod - 38 in mid-2013 Yeah they�d love to deal him but that�s not going to happen no matter how many rumors get floated. Jeter - 39 in mid-2013 One year remaining on his deal plus a player option for 2014 at a reduced rate [$8mil down from $17]. If Jetes has another good season does he dare take the buyout $3mil and try to strike a new deal, or will Cashman�s tough stance in the last negotiation win out in the long run for a then 39 y/o coming off an injury? These are all questions for next off-season but I thought I�d throw it in there anyway. Teixeira - 33 opening week of 2013 Under contract thru 2016 and full N-T protection. IOW, like ARod, he's not going anywhere Sabathia - 33 in mid-2013 Under contract rhru 2016 plus an option for �17 and full N-T protection. This one has the added drama of a visit to Dr. James Andrews pending. Supposedly it�s just bone chips/spurs but it�s always that right up to the point where it�s something else (read: worse) The Free Agents (or potential ones) Cano - 30 y/o as of this week. Has a $15mil option for 2013 which I�m sure the club will invoke. The main question surrounding him is whether to L-T deal him or not and, if so, how much/long as the seemingly standard 10-year super-star deal will take him to age (doing the math ....) 40 !! And was the club spooked by his horrid playoff performance(s)? Ichiro - Just turned 39 Hit 60 and slugged 100 points higher in his half-season with NYY compared with what he was doing in Seattle. Yanx fans are going to want him back because they think their team needs to get more slappy/bunty/runny. But does mgmt get suckered into believing the short-term and possibly stadium/re-birth inspired improvement over the longer-term downward trend? Cashman et al may be arrogant & annoying at times but I don�t think they�re stupid. They like to try and get guys like this to sign for a role-players low-ball deal but Ichiro may feel like he�s above that and has earned better. Mariano - 43 during the off-season Ah yes, his latest contract ran out while he was rehabbing. He said, virtually as they were carrying him off the field, that any thoughts of retirement went out the window with the injury because he didn�t want to go out on that note. But will also be 43 and is coming off both major surgery and a season in which he threw just 8 innings. which brings us to Raphael Soriano - 33 this winter The guy Cashman didn�t want in the first place sucked at setting-up in 2011 and then thrived at closing in 2012. Got paid closer�s money in both cases, but now has a player�s opt-out where he can take one million bucks and run away to strike his own deal or take $14mil to stay and almost certainly sit behind Rivera in a role he neither liked nor was good at (whether you believe it was cause/effect or not). He probably won�t get $14/per anywhere else, but he will almost certainly get more than one year and the role he wants by playing the market. Nick Swisher - 32 in a few weeks Fan favorite turned fan target. Had not just a lousy post-season but has had lousy stretches in every October recently and if anyone sees that as cause-and-effect it�s Yanqui fans. Made $10.5mil in 2012, the thought is that they�ll let him walk, but the interesting part comes in whether or not they offer him arbitration. The rules for that stuff changed with the last CBA to where, in order to get a draft pick for losing a FA, a player must be offered a contract that would get him into the top 125 in baseball, a figure thought to be around $13.5mil this winter. If they offer and he accepts they could probably live with it for one year unless they have some replacement in mind. If he doesn�t they at least get something in return (although the compensation isn�t as good as it used to be so that incentive is lessened as well). Curtis Granderson - Turns 32 during ST Has a $13mil option for �13 which would represent about a 30% increase over what he got in 2012 salary for striking out 180+ times. Of course he also hit 43 HRs but seems to be becoming a much more feast/famine type of player whose speed game suddenly disappeared as well. Still can play CF well enough and those players are tough to replace despite Yanx fans hopes that Brett Gardner can simply step right in. Hiroki Kuroda - 38 during ST Signed just a one-year deal ($10 mil) to come to NY in his first go-round of FAgency American Style but might want more this time coming off a good year and really all good years since coming to the US. Russell Martin - Turns 30 in ST His BA has been falling for five straight seasons but he walks a lot, has re-found his power at YSIII, and is a good-enough defensive catcher. I suspect the Yanx will want to re-sign him but the question becomes how long and for how much and if there�ll be other suitors to bump that price up. Seems to me that he takes a beating back there even more than most other backstops so maybe that enters into the thinking. Andy Pettitte - 41 in mid-2013 Retired once, sat out a year, came back and had a good run with almost no lead-in time, then broke his leg, then was pretty good again upon his return. But are they going to bet on that holding up over a longer haul at his age? Seems both tempting and tempting fate. As part of the 'Core Four' he's MFY royalty but that didn't stop them from waving goodbye once already. Raul Ibanez - 41 in mid-2013 Another 40+ y/o albeit one with a perfect swing for that stadium. Had a better first half than second but then became a playoff hero three seperate times. So how high do they bet on that repeating? He signed a low-base contract but one heavily laden with PA incentives which made it good both both sides. Should be strictly a DH these days (can�t throw at all) but he can�t be one full time when Jeter & ARod filled that role a combined 61 times this past year and now both are a year older and/or coming off broken ankles. Minor Cogs Derrick Lowe Turns 40 in mid-2013 I could see them re-upping him for a bullpen role and I don�t think he�ll have a lot of other options. Pedro Feliciano - Turns 37 towards the end of next season So you think they�ll want to pick up his $4.5mil option after paying him $4mil over each of the last two seasons to do nothing? Yeah, me either. Freddie Garcia - 36 The kicker with a guy like him is not just that they had him but that they had to depend on him for large chunks of the season. I would have guessed he was 56 Andruw Jones - 36 as next season starts Decent (meaning: high-power/low-BA) first half then ran out of steam. Doubt he�ll be back or matter much if he is. Eric Chavez - 35 this off-season Similar to Andruw but swings from the left side and serves as ARod insurance. Or maybe gets replaced by Nunez.

Even those off-seasons that look going in that they're going to be quiet aren't always so quiet. TEAMMANAGERSTATUSUPDATESBRAVESFredi GonzalezSigned thru 2013 + 2014 optionMARLINSOzzie GuillenSigned thru 2015 - Fired 10/23 METSTerry CollinsSigned thru 2012 + 2013 optionOption picked up for 2013PHILLIESCharlie ManuelSigned thru 2013NATIONALSDavey JohnsonSigned thru 2013CUBSDale SveumSigned thru 2014REDSDusty BakerSigned thru 2012Extended thru 2014BREWERSRon RoenickeSigned thru 2014 + 2015 optionPIRATESClint HurdleSigned thru 2013CARDINALSMike MathenySigned thru 2013 + 2014 optionDIAMONDBACKSKirk GibsonSigned thru 2014 + �15 & �16 optionsROCKIESJim TracySigned thru 2013 - Resigned 10/7DODGERSDon MattinglySigned thru 2013PADRESBud BlackSigned thru 2013 + options for �14 + �15GIANTSBruce BochySigned thru 2013 + option for �14ORIOLESBuck ShowalterSigned thru 2013RED SOXBobby ValentineSigned thru 2013 - Fired Oct 2012Hired John Farrell away from Toronto - given multi-year dealYANKEESJoe GirardiSigned thru 2013RAYSJoe MaddonSigned thru 2015BLUE JAYSJohn FarrellSigned thru 2013 - Had his rights traded to BostonWHITE SOXRobin VenturaSigned thru 2014INDIANSManny Acta=#FF0000]Fired Sept 2012Hired Terry Francona - reportedly for 4 yearsTIGERSJim LeylandSigned thru 2012ROYALSNed YostClub option for 2013TWINSRon GardernhireSigned thru 2013ANGELSMike SciosciaSigned thru 2018ATHLETICSBob MelvinSigned thru 2014MARINERSEric WedgeSigned thru 2013RANGERSRon WashingtonSigned thru 2014ASTROSBrad Mills=#FF0000]Fired in AugustBo Porter hired for 2013 - ??

Kyle Lohse, also a free agent to be. Less happy.

So I guess those stories of Leyland getting the ax after the season are out the window at this point. And it turns out that it's not Adam Lind and his large contract who is going from Toronto to Boston as a completion of the John Farrell & Mike Aviles deal (as first rumored) but rather RH reliever David Carpenter. Sounds like a guy who should be on the Cardinals.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Look how happy Angel Pagan is. I think he was dancing Gangham Style

Problem is, he risks delaying the end of this game for maybe an hour or more if he stalls too long. ... although the good part is that at least they don't have to go anywhere afterward. They're the home team for games 1 & 2

Bochy's got to be kidding me with these pitching changes!! Are the Cards really coming up with 9 runs before the next out because the Giants had the wrong pitching match-up out there?

Would it be wrong for FOX to put her inside a keyhole-shaped border superimposed around her each time they put her on screen? It would, wouldn't it?

The only ugly part of that stadium out in SF is those goofy cartoon cars out on the left field wall. That they even become part of a varying height of the wall itself makes it even worse.

I'm with Cain here, I wouldn't have taken Cain out either.

Not yet! This is, after all, the team that came back from 6 runs down on elimination day in the last round - although by inning 5 they had already closed it down to a 3-run deficit.

There's been a lot of stuff going on in this series ... but close games haven't been among them. Cards can't do anything right right now.

Yeah, gratitude is part of it. Also just as a change of pace; Tigers haven't won in a while and the city of Detroit could use a win itself. But it's not a strong feeling one way or the other and sometimes in series like this (assuming it comes off) I just start watching and almost unconsciously find myself pulling for one side, so I still could wind up going for the Giants on this one. Definitely Tigers over Cards though if that turns out to be the match-up.

Pulling hard for the Giants to take this one tonight (assuming the rain holds off) even though I suspect I'll be going against my NL roots and backing the Tigers in the WS. Preferences among the remaining: Tigers Giants ********* Cardinals

Pitcher/managers (off the top of my head) Dallas Green Roger Craig Bob Lemon Tommy Lasorda

But, unlike HoF voters who, if they choose, have essentially a lifetime pass to vote once they've earned it via their ten years on the beat, the MVP/RoY/CY voters at least all come from active baseball writers (two per city). So the guy who stopped covering the sport in 1991, thinks no one is as good now as the ones he knew, when asked to name Chicago Cubs can only come up with Ryne Sandberg, and believes that Bill James and his followers are all communist agents, has no influence in post-season awards unless for some reason the current writers opt to listen to him.

So this is great! We/MLB get every series going to the maximum ... except of course for the one (heh, heh) that went the minimum.

The Mets traded some minor cog to get Gil Hodges out from behind Washington's bench and onto ours - and I think few would argue against the ultimate outcome for the New York side. In all, trading for managers is such a rare thing that it would tough to draw much of a conclusion as to whether it's a good move or not except on an individual basis. In this case Farrell had been in the Boston organization so they at least think they know what they're getting here and have judged the swap of players worthwhile. They had liked him for a future manager a few years back but I think timing and their front office shuffling got in the way then.

A Boy Named Seo wrote: Head-scratcher. I wouldn't want the 2 yrs + $13 mils left on Bell's contract without giving up Young. Score A's (and Marlins). The Marlins are paying a chunk of Bell's remaining deal. Still a bit odd I suppose, although Young hasn't been what some thought he would by now either [.231/.321/.434 in 2012 which is about his career stats also] plus he's already 29 y/o and is due to make $8.5 in 2013, then comes an option for $13

We haven't seen a manager traded for in a while, probably going back to Lou Piniella I think. But now we have one and it's of the intra-division sort with the Blue Jays agreeing to let their guy John Farrell go to Boston in return for the teams exchanging players. Reportedly the Jays will get infielder Mike Aviles from Boston while the heavy contract of Toronto's Adam Lind gets duct-taped to Farrell for the trip to New England. TEAMMANAGERSTATUSUPDATESBRAVESFredi GonzalezSigned thru 2013 + 2014 optionMARLINSOzzie GuillenSigned thru 2015 METSTerry CollinsSigned thru 2012 + 2013 optionOption picked up for 2013PHILLIESCharlie ManuelSigned thru 2013NATIONALSDavey JohnsonSigned thru 2013CUBSDale SveumSigned thru 2014REDSDusty BakerSigned thru 2012Extended thru 2014BREWERSRon RoenickeSigned thru 2014 + 2015 optionPIRATESClint HurdleSigned thru 2013CARDINALSMike MathenySigned thru 2013 + 2014 optionDIAMONDBACKSKirk GibsonSigned thru 2014 + �15 & �16 optionsROCKIESJim TracySigned thru 2013 - Resigned 10/7DODGERSDon MattinglySigned thru 2013PADRESBud BlackSigned thru 2013 + options for �14 + �15GIANTSBruce BochySigned thru 2013 + option for �14ORIOLESBuck ShowalterSigned thru 2013RED SOXBobby ValentineSigned thru 2013 - Fired Oct 2012Hired John Farrell away from Toronto - given multi-year dealYANKEESJoe GirardiSigned thru 2013RAYSJoe MaddonSigned thru 2015BLUE JAYSJohn FarrellSigned thru 2013 - Had his rights traded to BostonWHITE SOXRobin VenturaSigned thru 2014INDIANSManny Acta=#FF0000]Fired Sept 2012Hired Terry Francona - reportedly for 4 yearsTIGERSJim LeylandSigned thru 2012ROYALSNed YostClub option for 2013TWINSRon GardernhireSigned thru 2013ANGELSMike SciosciaSigned thru 2018ATHLETICSBob MelvinSigned thru 2014MARINERSEric WedgeSigned thru 2013RANGERSRon WashingtonSigned thru 2014ASTROSBrad Mills=#FF0000]Fired in AugustBo Porter hired for 2013 - ??

Hefner - 3.1 Hairston - 1.8 Davis - 2.0 Tejada - 1.2 Torres - 1.2 Acosta - 0.2 Parnell - 0.5

Dickey - 3.0 Parnell - 1.0 Hairston - 2.5 Torres - 0.7 Valdespin - 0.5 Davis - 0.5 Acosta - 0.3 Wright - 1.0 Murphy - 0.3