Edgy MD

Ryan Madson signs with Cincy and the Reyes comp pick is locked in at #35.

Why do you wonder that? The Mets gave him a big chunk of money to set aside for college when they signed him.

No, but it's up to the commissioner if the MLB bank comes looking for its money. The Mets are already late on two loans with them, right?

I seem to remember, when Tim Byrdak got resigned late last season, Sandy Alderson making a statement along the lines of having began 2011 without a lefthanded reliever he could trust, and now, with Byrdak and Herrera, he was beginning 2012 with two of them he could trust. I guess his trust faded. Speaking of untrustworthiness, though, check out Kazmar's shifty face. Re-Signed To Minor League Contract And Invited To CampSigned Away From Oakland To Minor League Contract And Invited To Camp Added To Projected Roster Waived Signed Away From Seattle To Minor League ContractStarting PitchersRelief Pitchers Infielders =#0000FF]47 Miguel Batista DoB: 2/19/1971 =#FF8000]53 =#0000FF]Fernando Cabrera DoB: 11/16/1981 =#0000FF]77 D.J. Carrasco DoB: 4/12/1977 =#0000FF]19 Danny Herrera DoB: 10/21/1984 =#FF8000]3 =#0000FF]Sean Kazmar DoB: 8/8/1984 WaivedAdded To Projected RosterOutfielders =#FF8000]26 Fernando Martinez DoB:10/10/1988 =#FF8000]11 Kirk Nieuwenhuis DoB:8/7/1987 Your Projected 2012 Mets (Orange Indicates Players Have Options) Starting Pitchers =#0000FF]43 R.A. Dickey DoB: 10/29/1974 =#FF8000]35 Dillon Gee DoB: 4/28/1986 =#0000FF]49 Jonathon Niese DoB: 10/27/1986 =#0000FF]34 Mike Pelfrey DoB: 1/14/1984 =#0000FF]57 Johan Santana DoB: 3/13/1979Relief Pitchers =#0000FF]46 Manny Acosta DoB: 5/1/1981 =#0000FF]40 Tim Byrdak DoB: 10/31/1973 =#0000FF]77 D.J. Carrasco DoB: 4/12/1977 =#FF8000]50 =#0000FF]Frank Francisco DoB:9/11/1979 =#0000FF]39 Bobby Parnell DoB: 9/8/1984Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders =#FF8000]52 =#0000FF]Ram�n Ram�rez DoB:8/31/1981 =#FF8000]60 =#0000FF]John Rauch DoB:9/27/1978 =#FF8000]13 Mike Nickeas DoB: 2/13/1983 =#0000FF]30 Josh Thole DoB: 4/28/1986 =#0000FF]f Ronny Cedeno DoB: 2/2/1983 Infielders =#FF8000]29 Ike Davis DoB: 3/22/1987 =#0000FF]28 Daniel Murphy DoB: 4/1/1985 =#0000FF]11 Ruben Tejada DoB: 10/27/1989 =#0000FF]2 Justin Turner DoB: 11/23/1984 =#0000FF]5 David Wright DoB: 12/20/1982 Outfielders =#0000FF]44 Jason Bay DoB: 9/20/1978 =#FF8000]21 Lucas Duda DoB: 2/3/1986 =#0000FF]12 Scott Hairston DoB: 5/25/1980 =#FF8000]11 Kirk Nieuwenhuis DoB:8/7/1987 =#FF8000]56 =#0000FF]Andr�s Torres DoB:1/26/1978 Also on 40-Man Roster Starting Pitchers =#FF8000]50 =#0000FF]Robert Carson DoB:1/23/1989 =#FF8000]46 =#0000FF]Jeurys Familia DoB:10/10/1989 =#FF8000]47 =#0000FF]Jeremy Hefner DoB:3/11/1981 =#FF8000]32 Jennry Mejia DoB: 10/11/1989 =#FF8000]66 Armando Rodriguez DoB: 1/28/1988Starting PitchersRelief Pitchers Infielders =#FF8000]63 Chris Schwinden DoB: 9/22/1986 =#FF8000]27 Pedro Beato DoB: 10/27/1986 =#FF8000]64 Josh Stinson DoB: 3/14/1988 =#FF8000]1 =#0000FF]Wilmer Flores DoB:8/6/1991 =#FF8000]12 =#0000FF]Reese Havens DoB:10/20/1986InfieldersOutfielders =#FF8000]65 Zach Lutz DoB: 6/3/1986 =#FF8000]3 Josh Satin DoB: 12/23/1984 =#FF8000]62 Jordany Valdespin DoB: 12/23/1984 =#FF8000]13 =#0000FF]Juan Lagares DoB:3/17/1989 =#FF8000]22 =#0000FF]Cesar Puello DoB:4/1/1991 Also in Camp Starting PitchersRelief Pitchers =#0000FF]47 Miguel Batista DoB: 2/19/1971 =#FF8000]36 =#0000FF]Garrett Olson DoB: 10/18/1983 =#FF8000]53 =#0000FF]Fernando Cabrera DoB: 11/16/1981 =#FF8000]44 =#0000FF]Chuck James DoB: 11/9/1981 =#FF8000]74 =#0000FF]Jeff Stevens DoB: 9/5/1983CatchersInfielders =#0000FF]33 =#0000FF]Rob Johnson DoB: 7/22/1982 =#0000FF]22 =#0000FF]Lucas May DoB: 10/24/1984 =#0000FF]15 Val Pascucci DoB: 11/17/1978 =#FF8000]6 =#0000FF]Omar Quintanilla DoB: 10/24/1981 =#FF8000]77 Corey Wimberly DoB: 10/26/1983Outfielders =#FF8000]23 Mike Baxter DoB: 12/7/1984 =#FF8000]39 =#0000FF]Adam Loewen DoB: 4/9/1984 =#FF8000]44 =#0000FF]Vinny Rottino DoB: 4/7/1980 Free Agents Starting PitchersRelief Pitchers Catchers Outfielders =#0000FF]55 Chris Young DoB: 5/25/1979 =#0000FF]45 Jason Isringhausen DoB: 9/7/1972 =#0000FF]9 Ronny Paulino DoB: 4/21/1988 =#0000FF]22 Willie Harris DoB: 6/22/1978

Ragtag group of Soviet-era Russian musicians --- crushed in spirit and set adrift decades earlier by the Brezhnev-era bureaucracy --- re-form to pass themselves off as the current edition of the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra to play a single concert in Paris and get their mojo back. I'm withholding comment and further rating because my DVD fritzed out at the climax, and I'm waiting on a replacement. But I certainly wouldn't discourage you from seeing it.

I buy both those implications. I just led with the parochial angle.

Good point. James had Stephens ranked number 22 through 2000. I'll let his comments speak for him, the first three paragraphs speaking directly to your question. Speaking of drinking men*... in The Politics of Glory, I compared and contrasted Vern Stephens and Phil Rizzuto at perhaps unconsionable length. I know that a lot people who read that book thought that I was saying that Stephens was a better player and a better Hall of Fame candidate than Phil Rizzuto. Obviously I have to take responsibility for the misunderstanding, but it was never my intention to say that. I was trying to present both sides of the argument. Until I developed the Win Shares method (1997�1999), I didn't have any way of determining, to my own satisfaction, whether Rizzuto or Stephens was a better player. Where I am now... well, I can still see it either way. I've decided to rate Rizzuto higher. Stephens at his best was not as good as Rizzuto in 1950. Stephens has more good years, but only because Rizzuto missed three prime seasons to World War II. Stephens and Rizzuto are similar in value, but very different in type � a speedster against a slugger, a defensive player against a hitter, a leadoff man against a cleanup hitter, a player who played in a pitcher's park against a player who plays in a hitter's park, a player who had a good break on playing time against a player who missed three of his bet seasons. When you try to balance them against one another, you can't be sure that you have it right unless you can be sure that you're placing exactly the right weight on each element. Baseball stats don't support that degree of confidence. Stephens, a straight-A student in high school, never made his high school baseball team in Long Beach because he was too small. Famous American Athletes of Today (115h Series, 1949) says that when he was a senior in high school, he weighted less than a hundred pounds, although frankly I find this difficult to believe. Stephens took to swimming several hours a day, anyway, and had a growth spurt when he was 18, after which, playing for an American Legion post, he began to draw the interest of scouts. As a freshman at Long Beach Junior College, he hit .552. Deferred from military service because of a knee injury, Stevens** during the war established himself as perhaps the best wartime position player in the American League, leading the St. Louis Browns to their only American League pennant. In March, 1946, Stephens was holding out for more money and feuding with the Browns at the time that Jorge Pasquel was attempting to raid the major leagues to upgrade the Mexican League. Stephens accepted a bonus, agreed to jump to the Mexican League, signed with Monterrey, and actually played two games in the Mexican League. Stephens father***, however, realized that his son might be making a terrible mistake. Accompanied by Jacques Fournier, a St. Louis scout, Vern Stephens Sr. headed to Monterrey. He quickly persuaded Vern Jr. to return to the states****, but the Mexican authorities refused him permission to re-enter the United States, and implicitly threatened to have him arrested for jumping his contract. Stephens had to sneak across the border, wearing borrowed clothes as a makeshift disguise, to get back to the United States. He returned the bonus he had taken from the Mexican League, made a deal with the Browns, and was allowed to re-join the team, thus avoiding the fate of Max Lanier, Mickey Owen, Sal Maglie, and others. The Browns traded him to the Red Sox, and he drove in a huge number of runs for the Red Sox; I'm sure you all know that. He had an open stance which pulled the ball naturally to left. Fenway suited him. He faded quickly after 1950, died in 1968, and has not been treated kindly or even fairly by baseball historians; the word "carefree" is one of the more pleasant ones to which his reputation has become accustomed. He was not a superstar but he was a well-liked player who could play shortstop because he had the best shortstop throwing arm of his generation. *This is a reference not only to Stephens but to Bill Dahlen, ranked at number 21. **He actually spells it "Stevens" here. James, who supposedly treats his editors notoriously poorly, has a wonderful book here, but the terrible editing is heartbreaking. ***Note the absence of an apostrophe here for instance. ****He lower-cases "states" here. Seriously. James doesn't mention that his draft deferment didn't keep him from pulling his weight in a shipyard during WWII: Also sucked his share of cigs:

Here you may find the escapades of 2010 and 2011's MLDBs, including the Would-Be Times Square Bomber. When that thread is retired, look for it among threads started in May 2010. We begin 2012 with the tale of this Fairfield joyrider.

Toby Hyde documents the slings and arrows of Martinez's outrageous fortune.

Well, Batista can fail to make the team by breaking down or failing utterly faster than the guys he's backing up. He is, after all, 73 years old.

Yeah, definitely book that reservation. You'll also be present for the first-ballot Metly inductions of Shawn Green, Roberto Hernandez, Sandy Alomar, Jr., Jeff Conine, Mike Stanton, and Aaron Sele.

Yeah, man. Virtually the same time!

Also add Sean Kazmar, who is not an off-brand knock-off of Scott Kazmir, but a journeyman shortstop going directly to minor league camp.

Nu body Fernando Cabrera signed. Old body Miguel Batista re-signed.

Olney reporting that Selig will get an extension ("at least two years") this week at the owners' meetings. Huge implications if your name is Wilpon.

attgig wrote: just some thoughts: NO love for mcgwire... lower than a whole lotta people. who voted for eric young? how does Burnitz, Jordan, Mulholland, Nevin, Sierra, and Womack get even on the ballot, but Olerud not? Olerud apparently was on last year, and received four votes.

Kevin Morgan is turning into one of those guys.

That wasn't really addressed at whole room, but cautious optimism has slipped toward reckless pessimism with our brother ashie, so I'm trying to be encouraging here.

Rizzuto was 16th on the list. He'd probably be 20th or so now (again, not counting Negro Leaguers), with Jeter having passed him, and probably Nomar Garciaparra and Omar Vizquel as well. OE: BB-Ref has them really close in WAR, with Garciaparra at 42.5, Vizquel at 42.3, and Rizzutto at 41.8. Hanley Ram�rez and Jos� Reyes each have 29.3 career WAR.

Even moreso as he was in the fold when the story hit and jumped the day it broke.

Buzz that a couple of St. Lucie assistants have jumped ship or been cut loose or something.

Let's play "Fill in the Blank." You gotta ___________!

Well, the name Fregosi certainly appeared last night, so I assumed any vomit would have happened then. The other thing that helps frame that list is that Alex Rodriguez, assuming he stays at third another two years, will eventually disappear from it, no longer chasing Honus Wagner as the most accomplished player who ever spent the majority of his career at shortstop, but instead chasing (and I imagine he will have exceeded at that point, if not already) Mike Schmidt as the most accomplished player who ever spent the majority of his career at third. That would only bump Larkin (and Trammell) up a notch. If you include Negro Leaguers, Pop Lloyd would certainly be ahead of him. Maybe one or two others.

The 2011 thread can be found here, and afterwards in the archives among threads started in January 2011. Last year's thread began with the outing of MLBS political big shot Chris Christie, so it's only appropriate that this year's starts with the nation's brand new presidential chief o' staff, Jack Lew, MLBS from Forest Hills High School.

George Davis, a turn-of-the-century Giant, White Sock, and Cleveland Spider, too. Played a big chunk of his career at other positions too.