Postseason Margins Can Be Slim

How close was Torii Hunter to catching @DavidOrtiz's grand slam? This close: pic.twitter.com/RHDAlUXQfx

— MLB (@MLB) October 14, 2013

Dodgers Actually Miss Out On Aging Free Agent Outfielder This Time; Hunter To Tigers

Two years, $26M for the amiable 37-year-old Torii Hunter:

Free-agent outfielder Torii Hunter has reached agreement on a two-year, $26 million deal with the Detroit Tigers pending a physical exam, a baseball source said Wednesday.

Hunter, 37, is a .277 hitter with 297 home runs and nine Gold Gloves in 14 seasons with the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels.

He hit .313 with the Angels in 2012, but his five-year, $90 million contract expired after the season, and the Angels declined to make him a $13.3 million qualifying offer. That means the Tigers are not obligated to give the Angels draft-pick compensation in exchange for signing Hunter.

Mensch of the Day

Torii Hunter returns fan's glasses. And won't even take a tip.

Ex-Dodger Prospect Already Paying Dividends for Mariners

Trayvon Robinson robs Torii Hunter of a home run in yesterday's Mariners-Angels game.

AP photo

Post-Game 83 Thread: Kuroda Finally Gets Some (Run Support)

DODGERS 5, ANGELS 0

Hiroki Kuroda could not believe his eyes. The Dodgers scored single runs in each of the first four innings, then tacked on another In the seventh inning off of the chaos caused by having SpeeDee Gordon and Tony Gwynn Jr on the basepaths at the same time, leaving havoc in their wake (Angels catcher Hank Conger looked like he was going out of his mind). Gwynn went 3-for-3 with a double and reached base five times. Aaron Miles had a good game as well, going 4-for-4. And Kuroda, victim of poor run support all year, was rolling, despite the Dodgers leaving 16 on base and batting 2-for-13 with RISP.

Oh, and James Loney went 0-for-5 and left 5 on base, but Casey Blake (1-for-4) topped that with 6 LOB.

Meanwhile, Kuroda went seven shutout innings and labored at the end but held the Angels to three hits and one walk (with two HBP, including a first-inning pitch that hit Torii Hunter on the hand and knocked him out of the game; hopefully Hnter is okay). Mike MacDougal had a nerves-testing, shaky eighth, and Javy Guerra closed the door in the ninth to secure the shutout. If I heard Charley correctly, that was the eighth shutout of the year and the fifth involving Kuroda. Well done, Hiro!

Harmon Killebrew's Signature Legacy

From "Grace and humility defined the great slugger Harmon Killebrew" by Steve Rushin at SI.com:

In the end, that dignity and humility were what endeared Killebrew to Minnesotans. They will serve as his signature -- along with his actual signature, which was the cleanest in baseball. When he went into hospice care, several Twins and ex-Twins said Killebrew admonished them as young players for the sloppiness of their signatures. The fan that waits for a player's autograph, Killebrew believed, should be able to read it. And so the man with the imperfect name signed that name perfectly. Thanks to him, so do Joe Mauer and Torii Hunter and Justin Morneau. That legacy of class and quiet decency is the true measure of Killebrew's tape-measured life.

Also: The Gentleman Called Killer (Joe Posnanski, SI.com)

My O-Dog Story

The Diamondbacks were visiting Dodger Stadium in June of last year, and it was one of those rare days when batting practice got rained out. The path to the indoor batting cages goes through the hallway by the Dodgers clubhouse, and Orlando Hudson's locker was across from the clubhouse door.

One of Hudson's former Diamondback teammates, who I didn't recognize, walked by the open clubhouse door on his way for some indoor BP. Hudson greeted him from inside the clubhouse and started a friendly conversation across the room, him in front of his locker and the other player standing in the hallway.

If you've heard Orlando Hudson talk, you'll understand it was mostly a one-sided conversation. At some point Hudson proudly displayed his shiny blue cleats. "See these? Custom-made by Nike. You ain't gonna find these at no Dick's."

After ascertaining his former teammate did not possess custom-made cleats of his own, Hudson bade him a cheery farewell and the player went on his way.

And now guess who's guest-starring in a Dick's Sporting Goods commercial featuring Ken Griffey Jr. and Torii Hunter? That's right, Orlando Hudson (along with Ryan Braun and Carl Crawford). You are gonna find the Nike Swingman Collection at a Dick's near you. Guess the O-Dog had an exclusive window.

Game 44 Thread: May 23 vs. Angels, 7p

MANNYWATCH: 36 GAMES

Randy Wolf (2-1, 2.72) vs. John Lackey (1-0, 9.00).

COMMENTS:

Tonight's press box "Blog Spot" occupant is Eric Stephen from True Blue LA. Looking forward to your report, Eric!

original Hunter photo by Chris Carlson/AP

Crasnick's Free-Agent Grades Flunk Jones; Dodger Fans Hope Against Repeat Year

From Jerry Crasnick's latest column, grading last year's free-agent classes on their 2008 seasons to date: Andruw Jones' F grade doesn't mean he has to do the 2008 season over again next year, right?

Andruw Jones, CF, Dodgers
.161 BA, 3 HR, 14 RBI, .514 OPS
Contract: Two years, $36.2 million | Grade: F

The Dodgers knew they had a reclamation project on their hands when they signed Jones. But they were hoping for a little more than a .161 batting average, a .254 slugging percentage and 14 RBIs in 205 at-bats.

"He's a total bust," said a National League scout. "What else can you say?"

A West Coast scout who's watched Jones crush some balls in batting practice this season is convinced he has something left in the tank. But a year this horrid makes you wonder if Jones isn't finished at age 32. Compared to Jones, Roberto Alomar enjoyed a graceful descent into oblivion.

"Andruw is one of those fabulous athletes who never struggled," the scout said. "He would just do things because he could do them. He didn't have to analyze them. Then his mechanics got bad, and he got heavy, and he spent so much time hitting on his back leg that he hurt his knee."

The Dodgers just recalled Jones from Triple-A Las Vegas, where he spent some time at first base. For some reason, we suspect James Loney won't have to worry about losing many at-bats down the stretch.

And look at the other centerfielder who got away, the Angels' Torii Hunter:

Torii Hunter, CF, Angels
.283 BA, 19 HR, 71 RBI, .824 OPS
Contract: Five years, $90 million | Grade: B

Was $90 million a stretch for a player who entered this season with a career .793 OPS? We'll buy that. Hunter, an inveterate free swinger, ranks seventh among big league center fielders in slugging and 12th in on-base percentage this season. If he really were the big bat the Angels needed to complement Vladimir Guerrero, general manager Tony Reagins wouldn't have had to go out and acquire Mark Teixeira before the deadline.

That said, Hunter has done his part to help the Angels salt away the AL West. He played through heartache after the death of his grandmother back home in Arkansas, and stepped forward as the team's resident energizer, media go-to guy and goodwill ambassador. Hunter has already begun working on Teixeira to spurn free agency and sign a long-term deal to stay with the Angels. If he can enlist Scott Boras in the effort, then we'll start paying attention.

Although the defensive metrics show that Hunter has lost a step at age 33, he's still a presence with the glove. After Hunter robbed Texas' Marlon Byrd and Hank Blalock of home runs in consecutive games last weekend, Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times wrote that he's turned center field at Angels Stadium into "the place home runs go to die."

Aaron Rowand, picked up by the Giants this off-season for a staggering 5-year, $60M deal, got a B-. And so did tonight's starting pitcher, the Dodgers' Hiroki Kuroda (which I think is a little low):

Hiroki Kuroda, RHP, Dodgers
7-10, 3.87 ERA, 2 CG, .246 BAA
Contract: Three years, $35.3 million | Grade: B-

You'd probably rank Kuroda higher if you saw his masterful 3-0 complete game against the Cubs on June 6, or his one-hit shutout over Atlanta a month later. If you watched him get pounded by Arizona and San Francisco in July, this grade might be considered generous.

Scouts say the same thing about Kuroda that they said about Daisuke Matsuzaka a year ago: He has so many pitches in his repertoire, sometimes he appears to have trouble winnowing down his options.

"His stuff is real good," said a National League scout, "but once he gets some guys on base, it's kind of like he falls apart. He either gets you out 1-2-3 or gives up a bunch of runs. As somebody once described it, he's one of those guys who 'doesn't struggle well.'"

The statistics bear out that observation: Opponents are batting .212 against Kuroda with the bases empty and .300 with runners on base. He either needs to work on his stuff out of the stretch or concentrate less on the surrounding traffic and more on the catcher's mitt.

Nevertheless, Kuroda has thrown a quality start 62 percent of the time -- the same ratio as Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly and Matt Cain. His 7-10 record won't wow anyone, but the Dodgers have scored a total of 23 runs in his 10 losses.

And keep in mind that Kuroda has had to adjust to a whole new culture and learn new hitters and ballparks on the fly. Matsuzaka has been better his second time around, and the Dodgers have reason to believe it will be the same for Kuroda in 2009.

Torii Hunter Off the Market

So much for the Dodgers' grand Torre! Torii! Tori! scheme. In a surprise move, the Angels snapped up Torii Hunter for $90 million over five years.

And the Angels' rookie GM, Tony Reagins, knows what to do with his garbage. From the ESPN.com article:

With [Vladimir] Guerrero in right and [Garret] Anderson in left, the move leaves no space in the starting outfield for [Gary] Matthews Jr. The Angels said the center fielder, who signed a $50 million, five-year deal as a free agent last offseason, could see time at designated hitter and spell the corner outfielders.

Of course, inheriting the bad Matthews contract (negotiated by Bill Stoneman) makes it easier for Reagins to essentially shelve that $50 million investment. But it's for the betterment of the team—something Ned Colletti will hopefully remember when deciding between his ego and the fate of Juan Pierre.

UPDATE:

AP says $80 million.

Torre! Torii! Tori!

Ned Colletti, I have a simple, catchy, new jack swing catchphrase to guide you in this offseason. And the best news is, you're one-third of the way there already.

May I present to you the off-season's Dodger mandate:

Torre! Torii! Tori!

That's right. Getting Joe Torre was step one. Torre's addition was indeed a coup and we're psyched to have him and be done with Grady ball. But you're not done!

Step two involves getting a center fielder who can actually get on base every once in a while AND stop runners from taking extra bases. Torii Hunter is your man. He's two years older than Pierre, but unlike Pierre, Hunter hit above the league average for OBP the last three years, and he has some sock to his swing (.505 SLG for Hunter, relative to Pierre's anemic .353 SLG average). Pierre had 32 extra base hits last year. Hunter had 28 HR and 45 doubles (and a triple, to boot). Defensively, Pierre had five errors, while Hunter had only two (with more putouts). Adding Torre and shifting Pierre either to left field (or left out) would substantially upgrade our lineup. Andruw Jones would also be a nice catch--a term rarely mentioned in the same sentence as Pierre--but his name obviously doesn't work with our catchphrase.

Step three is wooing Tori Spelling to attend Dodger home games, preferably in the Dugout Club area. Why? Well, unlike resident Dodger nymphomaniac Alyssa Milano Tori Spelling isn't going to go sleep with half of the Dodger squad. She's married (second marriage, but still); she's hard up for cash (having inherited just $800K of her father's $300M estate), so she can't possibly spend all night carousing with the boys; and she is an ordained minister, clearly reflecting her moral righteousness. Plus, with a memoir on the way in the spring of next year, she will be looking for public relations opportunities to "be seen," so why not at Dodger games? If she becomes the (somewhat elongated) face of Dodger fandom, then perhaps we'll have a team that maintains its energy throughout the season and keeps its ballplaying on the field.

So there you have it, Ned and Frank: Torre! Torii! Tori! Get to work! (And no excuses from you Frank; I don't want to hear you mutter alternative contingencies "if I had no loot"--or you can new jack swing on my nuts.)

Ned Colletti Continues To Play "Torre Hunter"

Nah, there's no new news, short of an admission by Colletti that he has talked with Torre. I really just wanted to write that headline in the hopes that it sparks other thoughts for Ned.

But hey, here's the relevant parts of the story:

Colletti would not provide a timetable for an announcement. He said that he first spoke to Torre "in the last two or three days" and called the conversations "informational gathering to get his thoughts and to give him our thoughts and see if there's interest on either side."

Colletti said that financial terms had been discussed only "to get a feel for where people are at."

I've got a feel for where the Dodgers are at. No Grady, no Torre--how do you say, "over a barrel"?

Considering Replacements for Juan Pierre

As I sit here thinking about the relative improvement that would be brought by either Andruw Jones and Torii Hunter, I noticed that both players have oddly-spelled first names.

I hope this doesn't mean, as we consider all outfield options, that Jeromy Burnitz is also a candidate. (Given he is 38 years old and didn't play last year, I'm sure Ned has already contacted him.)

We Warned You Not to Violate Rule 21-b

There's been a lot in the news this week about Torii Hunter, who violated rule 21-b by sending champagne bottles to the Royals, after they beat the Tigers last year to give the Twins the AL Central crown (the AL Wild Card Tigers went on to capture the AL pennant, btw). Violating this rule, according to the rulebook, mandates ineligibility for no less than three years.

Though he didn't fully follow through on his gesture, Hunter had four bottles of champagne sent to Mike Sweeney's stall in the Kansas City clubhouse when the Twins were there over the weekend. The commissioner's office informed the team on Monday of the violation, and general manager Terry Ryan straightened the situation out with the Royals. The unopened bottles were to be sent back to Minnesota. "There isn't any harm done. There's nobody that benefited from anything. I think it's a good reminder about the integrity of the game," Ryan said Tuesday.

MLB has yet to take any action or make any comment on this situation, so Hunter's fate was unknown. And then, today, Hunter was hit in the mouth by a Zack Greinke pitch, and needed a towel to wipe up the blood. Eek.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Twins star Torii Hunter was hit in the mouth by a pitch from Kansas City's Zack Greinke on Thursday and was taken to a hospital for further examination.

Leading off the bottom of the second inning, Hunter took a 2-2 fastball directly to the mouth. After gathering himself, he took a couple of steps toward Greinke.

Hunter then dropped to the turf near home plate as manager Ron Gardenhire and Twins medical staff ran onto the field.

A stunned-looking Hunter needed a towel to clean up the blood, and Greinke and Royals infielders came over to check on him. After a few minutes, Hunter walked off the field on his own power and received a standing ovation.

Hunter began the day with a 12-game hitting streak and was tied for the major league lead with 13 doubles. He was batting .315 and tied for the team leads with four home runs and 16 RBIs.

This just goes to prove the point that Bud Selig has way too much power. What a barbaric punishment.