'Baseball heaven' nears completion (Dodgers.com)
photo by Jon SooHoo/Dodgers
Friday, January 16, 2009
Jeff Kent: An Appreciation
We've been asked to write a few kind words about Jeff Kent. Keeping in mind what our mothers taught us, this is what we came up with.
Relief pitcher Joe Beimel played for the Dodgers only three seasons, yet in that time he experienced highs and lows most players never see during their whole careers. Wherever he ends up this off-season, we can say we've rooted for a player who's not your typical professional athlete.
First, the numbers: Beimel was a workhorse for the Dodgers, appearing in an average of 72 games per season. In 2007 and 2008 he was especially relied upon as a lefty specialist, logging fewer innings pitched than games played. He had an ERA of 2.02 in 2008, his lowest as a Dodger.
However, it was the 2006 post-season that defined Beimel's tenure as a Dodger. In New York on the eve of the NLDS, Beimel broke curfew and went to a bar, where he accidentally cut his hand on a broken glass. Initially he lied about the incident, saying it had occurred in his hotel room. The truth soon emerged, though—and Beimel was too injured to pitch.
The incident seemed to have affected Beimel dramatically. He spent the next 15 months alcohol-free and now says he drinks only socially. In addition, he has been very open in sharing his thoughts on those troubles—as well as the tattoo he says he got to remind himself about the consequences of that night.
2008 provided a measure of redemption for Beimel. Back in the playoffs, the Dodgers called upon him three times in the NLCS against the Phillies. Beimel surrendered two walks in Game 2 but also recorded one out each in Games 4 and 5. It may not have been a star turn, but for someone waiting to prove himself for two years, it must have been a relief.
photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images
LA Times, In Desperation Move, Emulates SoSG
I know the newspaper business has been reeling, and the LA Times in particular has raised prices and cut content, appearing like a ship without a rudder, devoid of strategic direction. And now, it seems that one of their key online sports blogs is swiping an idea straight out of SoSG Eric Karros' bag of tricks: a weekly online flash-game competition.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right EK? Fanerman, at least we know you're already in mid-season form! Good luck!
We Will Know The Truth
Finally! Bring on that final Cylon!
Of course, yesterday's quickie puzzle post showed pictures of Lee, Galen, "Tory", and "Boomer"--all names of Battlestar Galactica characters.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Russell Martin Changes Agents, His Mind
Good news, everybody! From Bill Shaikin at the LA Times:
Russell Martin, who rebuffed the Dodgers' overtures about a long-term contract last winter, said Thursday he would like to explore such a deal this winter."I'm always interested in a long-term deal," Martin said. "Who wouldn't be?" [...]
He officially filed for salary arbitration Thursday -- as did Jonathan Broxton, Andre Ethier and Jason Repko -- and General Manager Ned Colletti said the Dodgers are "concentrating on a one-year [contract] at the moment."
But Martin, who has changed agents this winter, said he hoped to discuss a long-term extension as well.
"I just want to get treated fairly," he said. "I'm not trying to steal the bank."
Who wouldn't be interested in a long-term deal, Russell? Your old agent, for one. Glad you saw the light and canned his ass.
Not only could the Dodgers save money by signing Martin to a long-term deal, but it would pave the way for locking up other youngsters—James Loney has already indicated he's open to the idea, and Chad Billingsley, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier seem like obvious targets as well.
Although the Dodgers' starting rotation is still unsettled, long-terming Martin would be a great piece of off-season news. Throw in Manny Ramirez and things just might start looking up.
Earlier: A Theory on Russell Martin's Struggles, Russell Martin's Agent: Playing A Little Greed(o)y?
Andruw Jones, and the Team of Geniuses Responsible for this Disaster
Today, Andruw Jones ended his career as a Los Angeles Dodger. Officially, that is.
But before we all get weepy at the ephemeral tenure of Andruw Jones as a Los Angeles Dodger, let's all take a trip back on memory lane, recalling the wisdom of those who had brought him here.
Front and center, of course, is Frank McCourt, who told the LA Times in March 2008 that Jones' addition meant it was "time to win":
“It’s time to win,” McCourt said.VERO BEACH, Fla. – Noting the addition of Joe Torre, the signings of high-priced free agents Andruw Jones and Hiroki Kuroda, and the increased maturity of the young players, Dodgers owner Frank McCourt made clear Tuesday what he expects from his team this year.
Yep, nothing says "winning" like a sub-Mendoza batting average. Good thinking, Frank.
Equally effusive over Jones' signing was McCourt's henchman, Ned Colletti, who thought that Jones' precipitous dropoff in power numbers with the Braves in 2007 merited awarding the largest annual salary in the history of the franchise. Said Colletti:
"Andruw provides a power bat for the middle of our lineup and he is among the best defensive outfielders in all of baseball," said Colletti. "He has a decade of postseason experience and adding him to the core of talented players already in place was one of our top offseason priorities."
Yikes, I am scared to consider what Ned's "top offseason priorities" are for 2009.
Ned and Frank, and the biggest debacle of their tenure. They're definitely to be blamed for this one-year disaster, and they're front and center...
...but guess who else shows up in the Dodgers.com photo gallery from December 12, 2007, during the Jones press conference? Might there be someone else to help Jones with his offensive stroke?
Egads! SoSG's own Eric Karros?!?!?!
Andruw Jones Caught and Released
Normally you have to throw something back because it's too small, but not this time. From Diamond:
It's official. The Dodgers couldn't trade Andruw Jones and released him instead."Obviously this is a disappointing day for both us and Andruw, as we all had high hopes for him when he signed last year given his track record and everything that we had seen from him in the past and heard about him," General Manager Ned Colletti said in a statement. "I know that Andruw is also very disappointed in the way things turned out and the best thing to do at this point is to turn the page and we wish him well."
Fare thee well, Andruw. We'll eat a cupcake in your honor.
L.A.'s Best Radio Station Is Dead
...at least on the radio. Indie 103.1 is apparently off the airwaves but can be streamed online at their official website.
Pants. Definitely pants.
Padres Decide To Get Scrappy in 2009
According to ESPN, the Padres are chasing FJM favorite David Eckstein to add to their infield.
Dodger fans rejoice; it's like seeing Alex Cora all over again, except this time it's thankfully not on our team.
Padres general manager Kevin Towers has told reporters that the team could sign a middle infielder by the end of the week. Several reports have suggested that veteran shortstop Omar Vizquel is a leading candidate to land in San Diego. But the Padres prefer Eckstein, who turns 34 next week and is almost eight years younger than Vizquel.
The Padres also regard Eckstein, who has a .351 on base percentage, as a better fit near the top of their order.
"There's genuine interest from both sides,'' said the source, who added that a deal could be struck sometime in the next day or two.
San Diego is in the middle of a budget crunch because of owner John Moores' divorce, so whichever player the Padres sign might be looking at a base salary no higher than $1 million. The San Diego Padres, in the market for an affordable veteran middle infielder, have stepped up their efforts to sign free agent David Eckstein, said a baseball source.
But Not The Former Red Sock
I read to my kids. It's one of the highlights of my day.
And somewhere, in the early morning hours before the sun rose, I was dutifully reading aloud one of our favorite children's stories, "But Not The Hippopotamus" (third one from the top). And I orated, while letting my mind drift to other random topics, such as the Dodgers' infuriating game of chicken with Manny Ramirez.
Hijinks ensued. And with sincere apologies to Sandra Boynton, out of my half-lucid state emerged a tale like the following.
Sons of Steve Garvey presents: BUT NOT THE FORMER RED SOCK
SoSG Baseball Finals: GSoSG Wins!
GSoSG Wins! Walk-off hero Fanerman blasts a line-drive single off Dr. Geek, bringing Loney Fan home from 2nd to win the Championship Game 1-0. Mad celebration at home plate ensues:
For his 2-for-2 performance which included the Championship-clinching hit, Fanerman is declared Finals MVP.
GSoSG's reward will be a Pop Culture Grid. Thus, in the next week or so, each member will receive an email with a series of questions as well as some simple instructions. The grid will be published shortly thereafter. Congratulations Fanerman and GSoSG!
81 Days to Opening Day...
...but these four guys are psyched for TOMORROW.
Why?
Note: this is not a PCS-league puzzle, just a quickie. Post your answers in the comments. Answer posts at midnight.
HINT (1/15 3p): It mostly involves their names.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Jamie McCourt Flexes Her Power
From Dylan Hernandez at the LA Times:
The Dodgers never made an effort to re-sign [Derek Lowe], even though they lost Brad Penny and Greg Maddux this winter.Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti said many times this off-season that Lowe made it clear to the club that he intended to sign elsewhere.
Lowe's agent, Scott Boras, said the pitcher never told him anything of that nature.
"Derek told me he enjoyed pitching for [Dodgers Manager] Joe [Torre] and would have considered L.A.," Boras said. "But early in the process when I was collecting information from teams, I spoke to the Dodgers and they indicated they were going in a different direction."
Torre and his coaching staff wanted Lowe back but that sentiment wasn't shared by owners Frank and Jamie McCourt, with whom the pitcher had personality conflicts. Lowe's relationship with a Fox Sports West anchor who covered the team -- which resulted in the dissolution of their respective marriages -- did not help in the eyes of ownership.
This week on "Front Office Confidential": Torre wanted Lowe back. Frank & Jamie didn't, because they didn't like him. Stuck in the middle is Ned.
What does it take for a useful player to fall into disfavor with Frank McCourt? Answer: Milton Bradley. That is to say, a great deal of public misbehavior—which Lowe wasn't guilty of. Even if Lowe was a jerk, it's difficult to imagine Frank disapproving of one of his best pitchers, a player who helped make him a lot of money during the Dodgers' 2008 playoff run.
Hernandez mentions Jamie specifically. Perhaps she's the one who decided Lowe didn't fit with the Dodgers' family-friendly mandate. But a major league roster is hardly the first place one goes to seek character, and the gray area of player-media relations presents a slippery slope of judgment.
Why was a still-effective Lowe let go when a past-his-prime Jeff Kent was given $9 million in 2008? Does Kent's work with Jamie's Women's Initiative Network provide a clue? Is TMZ responsible for Brad Penny's 2009 option not being picked up by the Dodgers?
This is not to say Lowe is worth the $60 million for four years the Braves gave him. But Colletti's "Why bother?" attitude, as promulgated by the McCourts, is a reminder that putting the best team on the field isn't always consistent with corporate ideals.
Earlier: Five Reasons the Dodgers Should Re-sign Derek Lowe (SoSG)
Five Thoughts on This Dull, Dull Off-Season
1. Worst. Hot Stove. Ever. While the Dodgers continue to raid the couch cushions to scrimp for seconds and irregulars, the Yankees held a bake sale and sniped, oh, only the top starting pitcher and the top bat from this off-season's free agents—all before Christmas. Yanks fans found a puppy under the tree; the rest of us are waiting with bated breath to learn the fates of Brad Ausmus and Kris Benson. Thank goodness for the Super Bowl and March Madness.
2. How's the leg, Chad Billingsley? If you hadn't heard, our best pitcher broke his leg a-slippin' and a-slidin' on the icy plains of Pennsylvania a few months ago. Although Bills is supposed to be ready for spring training, you just know everybody's going to question the leg if he doesn't come out throwing smoke. Three words for next off-season, Chadley: warm-weather winter. Hawaii is beautiful in December.
3. Need extra cash, Greg Maddux? Randy Johnson got $8 million, and he's 45. You, on the other hand, will be a sprightly 43, and you don't throw like you're trying to boomerang your arm around the peanut vendor in Section 13. Plus, you've got that whole Yoda-type wisdom thing going on ("Some chin music you should throw, hmmm?"). Maybe the Red Sox can lure you out of retirement to call all of Brad Penny's starts.
Seriously, if you don't pull a Favre, then your last pitch will have been for the Dodgers—out of the bullpen, in a playoff loss to the Phillies. Your reaction to not starting? Nothing but class. Thank you, Greg Maddux.
4. Really, Chad—how's the leg? Because without you we're toast. Did I mention you're our best pitcher now? Hiroki Kuroda, Clayton Kershaw and James McDonald will be following your lead. That's right, 2009 is the year you step into the role of staff ace. Break a leg, Chad!
What? What'd I say? Should I not have said that?
5. Manuel Aristides (Onelcida) Ramirez. There's only one piece of suspense left this off-season, and according to our sidebar poll, 63% of you think it will go the Dodgers' way. How long the Manny negotiations will drag out is anyone's guess; both sides need each other, yet each side needs to claim victory. What we got here is a pissing match during a windstorm, and it seems the season won't start without someone's pants leg getting wet.
SoSG Baseball Finals, Day 8
Yesterday's Results: Dusto Magnifico singled off Arrogant Bastard, moving Loney Fan to 2nd. A hit will win the game for GSoSG!
Today's Matchup: And in position to be the hero with the walk-off hit is Fanerman, who faces Dr. Geek in yet another game from onlinegames.net
As always, midnight deadline to send in the scores. Good luck!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Surprising News On Alex Cora, Newest Member of 2009 Mets
And no, we're not talking about the fact that SoSG's own Alex Cora has apparently suckered the Mets into prolonging his major league career. (Rumor has it that Cora was drawn by the snazzy sleeve patches.)
We're talking about the fact that Cora is apparently a Scott Boras client:
Cora played in 75 games with the Red Sox last season, hitting .270 with a .371 on-base percentage. The infielder, who did a stint on the 15-day disabled list with a strained elbow, served as the starting shortstop for the Sox in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.
Cora signed a two-year, $4 million deal with the Red Sox following the 2006 season. The Scott Boras client did make one last call to the Red Sox Tuesday night to gauge the team’s interest, but with the presence of Julio Lugo and Jed Lowrie there didn’t prove to be a fit.Former Red Sox infielder Alex Cora has agreed to a one-year, $2 million deal with the New York Mets. The 33-year-old Cora played with Boston from July 7, 2005 — when he was traded from Cleveland for infielder Ramon Vazquez — through last season.
Braves Grab Lowe and Squeeze Dodgers
Well, so much for that idea. Derek Lowe has just signed a big-time four-year, $60M deal with the Atlanta Braves. Our five reasons don't outweigh the Braves' $60M? Shocker.
The deal is pending a physical exam, a source said. Braves general manager Frank Wren declined comment in an e-mail to ESPN.com.
With their late push for Lowe, the Braves succeeded in beating out the New York Mets, the other principal suitor for Lowe.
The Mets are expected to turn their attention to free agent left-handers Randy Wolf and Oliver Perez.
One other possibility for the Mets is former Milwaukee Brewers ace Ben Sheets, whose price has dropped because of concerns about his health.
Lowe, 35, has a career 126-107 record in 12 seasons with Seattle, Boston and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He's averaged 208 innings the past seven seasons, and consistently has one of the highest ground ball-to-fly ball ratios in the game.The Atlanta Braves and pitcher Derek Lowe have reached preliminary agreement on a four-year, $60 million contract, baseball sources told ESPN.com.
And guess which team is absent from mention? That's right, the Dodgers. I know, I know, "be patient." Big things are to come. Yessiree.
Christmas Shopping With Frank McCourt (aka What I Did Over My Holiday Vacation)
Closing up the SoSG office prior to the vacation break is a lonely, sad task, so you can probably imagine my lack of enthusiasm when I heard the phone ring on the afternoon of December 23. I figured it was a solicitor, or SoSG Pedro Guerrero asking for his logon password again, so imagine my surprise when I picked up the phone and Frank McCourt's melodic voice was on the other end of the line.
“SoSG Steve Sax, is that you?” he asked. “I’m so glad I reached you. It’s the holidays, and I’m in that Christmas spirit, so I’d like to invite you to go shopping with me.”
“Wow, Frank, that’s awful kind of you,” I replied. “But I’m kind of busy between now and Christmas Day, you know how it is. I mean, I don’t expect the malls to be all that busy or anything given this economy, but I still have to shop for...”
“No, you idiot. I’m Frank McCourt. I may drop $46M worth of coin on a new Malibu house, but I don’t go Christmas shopping until after the 25th! Are you nuts? Even with this year’s markdown sales, you’d be crazy to even pay those retail prices! Let’s make a date for the 26th. I’ll see you then.” And he hung up.
With my pre-holiday shopping rush plans intact, it was relatively easy for me to pencil Frank in on my post-Christmas calendar. After all, I for one wasn't planning a lot of posts over the break (as eagle-eye SoSG readers can plainly attest), so I’d be relatively free. All I had to do was make sure I didn’t have too much of a hangover on the 26th from mom’s eggnog.
Strangely, the first place that Frank wanted to go to shop was the local Ralphs grocery store. At first I thought it was because of the double coupons. But as soon as Jamie dropped us off in the parking lot, and Frank and I entered the front door of the supermarket, I realized that Frank McCourt shops differently from the rest of us.
When most people go into a grocery store, they head down the main aisles. You know, produce, meat, milk, beer, chips, etc. Not Frank. He hustled us down the beer aisle rather quickly (probably fearing that I’d notice that MGD goes for about $0.50 a can, not $12 a cup). Instead, I had to hurry to follow McCourt all the way to the back of the store, over by the service door, where there was a small makeshift shelf with a bunch of random items.
Half-stale bread that had gotten crusty and hard around the edges. Boxes of cereal with crushed cardboard packaging, making it look unappealing to the casual shopper. Produce that was well past its normal shelf-life, showing minor signs of spoiling. Even a Pillsbury Poppin’ Fresh Dough package that had already popped open at the center and was busting out of its cylindrical package.
And that’s when it hit me: This isn’t just how Frank McCourt shops for food items. It’s how he shops for Dodger players, as well.
Look at the reclamation projects that McCourt, and his henchmen Paul DePodesta and Ned Colletti, have chased in the last five years. Nomar Garciaparra, coming off an injury-riddled season in Chicago, ended up his Dodger career with some great highlight moments but played fewer than 300 games over three years. The Dodgers ignored widely-known data showing Jason Schmidt’s velocity had fallen off a cliff in San Francisco, and now find themselves in a position to extract a grand total of one measly win out of an entire $45M three-year contract. Andruw Jones reported to work in 2008 literally bursting at the seams; one has to think that while the Braves saw the drop in his power numbers and batting average and concluded he was a danger, McCourt and crew swooped right in and offered the Michelin Man the largest annual salary in the history of the franchise. On the other end of the weight spectrum, powerless Juan Pierre wasn’t just stale; he was toast to begin with.
And with the exception of Manny Ramirez, whose two-month 2008 rental last year was mostly subsidized by the Boston Red Sox, I couldn’t think of a legitimate star that McCourt and his henchmen have bagged in their five years of ownership. Each year, a bevy of big names hits the free agent market, tantalizing a subset of teams lucky enough to have the financial flexibility to step up to the plate. The Dodgers, with a loyal fan base and the second-largest metropolitan market in the country, have the ability to pay for and play with these types of high-impact, marquee players. But the organization has chosen instead to pick its roster from more risky, less financially onerous options. If we're lucky, we've heard some of these lesser-known names, and not just from trolling the disabled lists of other teams. But more often than not, they are players who have an outside shot at playing above-average--if they can over-perform.
It reminded me of something I read in Sports Illustrated by Dan Patrick during the vacation break:
• DESPITE his team's need for pitching, he didn't even bother drawing up a contract offer for CC Sabathia once he heard how many years he wanted.
• NEGOTIATIONS are basically at a stalemate with a popular star player who turned around his team's season: "We're not going to bid against ourselves."
• WHEN the subject of the Yankees' spending came up, he said, "They're living in a different world."
THE AMAZING THING: This was not the GM of Kansas City or Pittsburgh. This was the Dodgers' Ned Colletti. (The star in question was Manny Ramirez THIS WEEK I interviewed a baseball GM who said the following:
[Editor's note: no shit. As if it was Gary Bennett.].) Forget about competitive balance, at least in the off-season. Compared with New York, just about every place else is small market.
Patrick makes a point, but for the Dodgers, the blame can’t be placed on the Yankees. The fact of the matter is that Frank McCourt runs the Dodgers like a small-market team; instead of going for the great players ("why bother?"), he picks up damaged goods and hopes, often in the face of data that would say otherwise, that these goods are poised for a breakout year and hungry to prove everyone wrong. And guess what? The data is often right, and the Dodgers are lucky to sneak into the playoffs amidst a weak NL West which thankfully doesn’t further illuminate the team’s roster weaknesses. We should be dominating our pathetic division each year, with competition like the woeful Padres and punchless Giants. But McCourt will only spend to fill a roster that's good enough. Barely.
So along we plod this offseason, collecting a set of players which, excluding Rafael Furcal, don't elicit any major levels of excitement from faithful Dodger fans. Casey Blake. Mark Loretta. Claudio Vargas. Shawn Estes. Yawn. And, now, we're shopping for we've re-signed former Dodger Guillermo Mota, who has a total of six saves and an ERA of 4+ since we traded him to the Marlins in 2004 (Mota sported a 1.97 to 3.07 ERA with LA). Wow, what a goldmine! Season ticket holders, how psyched are you to see Estes instead of Derek Lowe in 2009? And Mota in the late innings, rather than Takashi Saito?
Assistant GM Kim Ng is preaching with Dodger fans to be patient, but it's hard to deny the frustration when the names acquired are far less exciting--and likely, less impactful--than the names lost (Brad Penny, Greg Maddux, Lowe, and of course, Ramirez).
Meanwhile, we've watched a cornucopia of high-impact free agents rush by us as we sit on the sidelines like a spectator at a parade. CC Sabathia. AJ Burnett. Mark Teixeira (whom I'm glad we didn't sign, as I can never spell his name correctly). Jason Giambi. Trevor Hoffman. Francisco Rodriguez. Randy Mullet Johnson. None of these guys will play for the Dodgers in 2009 (though with our operating strategy, we'll likely be in the running for them in 2012).
Flip the argument on its head, and take the perspective of the free agent. With this off-season arsenal of signings, what big-name player would want to play here with the Dodgers in 2009? Do these front office moves instill confidence that the team wants to build upon all the positive momentum of the 2008 season, in which we vanquished the Chicago Cubs for our first playoff series victory in 20 years? Does the glamour of the Los Angeles lifestyle compensate for playing with, save a handful of overachieving youngsters and Furcal, an island of misfit toys?
I stood there behind McCourt, who was busily filling up his basket with these clearance items, until he had exhausted his perusal of every shelf. He looked at me, and said, “Ready to go? Jamie is probably waiting outside.” We set off back toward the cash registers at the front.
And as we turned the corner of the aisle, we suddenly saw something amazing. There, right in front of us, was a wonderful display of the finest cut filet mignon that you could ever imagine. Succulent, rich, and hearty, it promised to nourish well beyond any of the random goods that Frank had hastily picked off the bargain shelf. Sure, it was pricey. But it was the kind of signature dish that would make everything else in the meal taste better, too. As McCourt looked the filet mignon over, I could tell that even his mouth was watering. I, of course, couldn’t wait to throw this item in our basket, even if it would displace some of the items already in there.
“Well, Frank? Don’t just stand there,” I yelled, trying to drown out the impatient bleats of a car horn sounded by Jamie McCourt outside. “You going to finally step up and fork over some cash for a real player, for a change?”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
