Curt Schilling is retiring.
And a quiet end to an above-average career from a loud-mouthed pitcher. Schilling began his career as a RedSock in their farm system (joining the likes of Hanley Ramirez and Jeff Bagwell). The six-time All Star has won 3 World Series and has an amazing Post-Season record of 11-2 with an ERA of 2.23. The most famous incident is, of course, his bloody sock in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS.
Curt Schilling's Hall of Fame Credentials are there, just not stunning. 216-146 make for an impressive win-loss record. His 3.46 career ERA is a little higher than I'd like it to be, and his 3,000 Ks are good as well. Oddly enough, he has never won a Cy Young Award, though he was a co-mvp of the 2001 World Series with Randy Johnson. He won 20 games three times in his career (all past the year 2000). Overall, I would say that he will eventually be enshrined in the Hall, though probably not on the first ballot.
His retirement is undoubtedly good news for the RedSox, who don't have to worry about giving him a chance to win a spot in their rotation; they already have John Smoltz to try and get a spot when he returns this year. His retirement ultimately will give more playing time to the likes of Clay Buchholz and Justin Masterson.
Schilling, now in his retirement, will undoubtedly find work somewhere as a sportscaster or a play-by-play announcer for some network, as everyone likes an announcer with experience in the game to give insights, even if it is Curt Schilling.
My one knock on Curt Schilling is that he is a bit of a blowhard when it comes to politics and PEDs in baseball. I don't think it is his place in the former, and in the latter, I feel like giving more than one soundbyte on the matter is unnecessary from a player.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Aaron Boone, I-Rod, Pedro, More.
Aaron Boone will undergo open-heart surgery.
My heart goes out to him. I hope he makes it through everything and plays again. The one-time All Star is best known for his 2003 ALCS series winning home run off of Tim Wakefield. This will end Boone's season. At age 36, it is not very likely that he will find a starting job after recovery. I think retirement is unlikely, as Boone seems to have the desire to continue to play into his 40s, even if it means taking a minor league job. My prediction for him when he recoveres from surgery is that he finds a job as a backup somewhere.
The Astros signed Ivan Rodriguez.
I like this move for the Astros. I-Rod has always been a good player, and adds valuable experience to any roster. When the Yankees acquired him from the Tigers for Kyle Farnsworth-less last year straight up, I honestly thought that the Tigers got fleeced. This is good for the Astros because they have not had a solid offensive catcher in a while. How Brad Ausmus stayed with them for so long is still a mystery.
The Royals sign Sidney Ponson.
And the world still goes round. This move will ammount to nothing, as Ponson won't be able to find the stuff that earned him a 22.5 million dollar contract at the end of the 2003 season. Additionally, he is on a team that is in baseball purgatory, and will not finish out of the basement until 2012 at the earliest. Ponson found favor after pitching well for the Netherlands in their miracle win against the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic
Pedro still unsigned, Astros have no interest.
Not really surprising, as the Astros have 6 starters already. It is a shame that Pedro can't find work, as there are plenty of teams that could use a starter of his caliber. I think he would be a good fit for the Texas Rangers, as they don't exactly have any stellar starting pitchers. A better fit would be the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have the same problem, and are in the allegedly easier NL. Pedro is undoubtedly a future Hall of Famer. First-ballot is questionable currently.
Josh Bard was released.
And its 2006 all over again. Some of you may remember the RedSox trading Edgar Rentaria and cash to the Braves for Andy Marte, flipping Marte and Kelly Shoppach to the Indians for Bard and Coco Crisp, and then flipping Bard to the Padres for Mirabelli. Bard once again fails to learn to catch the knuckleball of Tim Wakefield, and can't be an adequate backup for All-Star Jason Varitek. I use the term All-Star loosely, as his stats didn't show an All-Star quality. Bard will probably find work backing up someone elsewhere.
My heart goes out to him. I hope he makes it through everything and plays again. The one-time All Star is best known for his 2003 ALCS series winning home run off of Tim Wakefield. This will end Boone's season. At age 36, it is not very likely that he will find a starting job after recovery. I think retirement is unlikely, as Boone seems to have the desire to continue to play into his 40s, even if it means taking a minor league job. My prediction for him when he recoveres from surgery is that he finds a job as a backup somewhere.
The Astros signed Ivan Rodriguez.
I like this move for the Astros. I-Rod has always been a good player, and adds valuable experience to any roster. When the Yankees acquired him from the Tigers for Kyle Farnsworth-less last year straight up, I honestly thought that the Tigers got fleeced. This is good for the Astros because they have not had a solid offensive catcher in a while. How Brad Ausmus stayed with them for so long is still a mystery.
The Royals sign Sidney Ponson.
And the world still goes round. This move will ammount to nothing, as Ponson won't be able to find the stuff that earned him a 22.5 million dollar contract at the end of the 2003 season. Additionally, he is on a team that is in baseball purgatory, and will not finish out of the basement until 2012 at the earliest. Ponson found favor after pitching well for the Netherlands in their miracle win against the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic
Pedro still unsigned, Astros have no interest.
Not really surprising, as the Astros have 6 starters already. It is a shame that Pedro can't find work, as there are plenty of teams that could use a starter of his caliber. I think he would be a good fit for the Texas Rangers, as they don't exactly have any stellar starting pitchers. A better fit would be the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have the same problem, and are in the allegedly easier NL. Pedro is undoubtedly a future Hall of Famer. First-ballot is questionable currently.
Josh Bard was released.
And its 2006 all over again. Some of you may remember the RedSox trading Edgar Rentaria and cash to the Braves for Andy Marte, flipping Marte and Kelly Shoppach to the Indians for Bard and Coco Crisp, and then flipping Bard to the Padres for Mirabelli. Bard once again fails to learn to catch the knuckleball of Tim Wakefield, and can't be an adequate backup for All-Star Jason Varitek. I use the term All-Star loosely, as his stats didn't show an All-Star quality. Bard will probably find work backing up someone elsewhere.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Spring Training: Still Irrelevant
Spring Training is well underway. And one thing is in fashion every single spring training: Over hyping. Many look at Spring training and see it as a sign of things to come. They look at their favorite ballclub's record, and become either excited or disappointed. And for what? I recall one team that finished Spring Training with the best record and went onto the World Series (The Florida Marlins in 1997). If someone wants to correct me and name others, I am more than happy to be proven wrong.
Allen Iverson sums up my view of Spring Training. Many players don't go all out in Spring Training. Why? The season is a marathon, not a sprint. Why do you think that there are so many players are invited to play in spring training? Seeing a position play a full game before March 15 is usually pretty rare. Finding a pitcher that will pitch five innings this early is also rare. The point of spring training is two-fold: to allow regulars to gear up for the season, and to give other players a chance to showcase their stuff infront of the Major League Manager.
However, there is one important rule: Performance in Spring Training =/= Performance in the Regular Season. The best example I can think of is the Atlanta Braves. The team of the 90s had bad Spring Training records, and yet continuously were competitive. Players that perform well early should not be overhyped. And this is why. (Go to 6:45).
While a comedy, it does have a valid point. Many players that are invited to Spring Training are not yet ready to be on the roster, pitchers and hitters. The fact of the matter is that players are not at their peak in Spring Training, and that we, as fans, should not use Spring Training as a means to gauge how well a team or a player will perform in the coming season, good or bad.
Furthermore, many players make adjustments in the offseason, be it put on muscle, lose weight, or adjust their stance/delivery. It takes time to get used to these adjustments. Players will eventually get used to their adjustments, and perform to their abilities. Until then, we can only wait.
Allen Iverson sums up my view of Spring Training. Many players don't go all out in Spring Training. Why? The season is a marathon, not a sprint. Why do you think that there are so many players are invited to play in spring training? Seeing a position play a full game before March 15 is usually pretty rare. Finding a pitcher that will pitch five innings this early is also rare. The point of spring training is two-fold: to allow regulars to gear up for the season, and to give other players a chance to showcase their stuff infront of the Major League Manager.
However, there is one important rule: Performance in Spring Training =/= Performance in the Regular Season. The best example I can think of is the Atlanta Braves. The team of the 90s had bad Spring Training records, and yet continuously were competitive. Players that perform well early should not be overhyped. And this is why. (Go to 6:45).
While a comedy, it does have a valid point. Many players that are invited to Spring Training are not yet ready to be on the roster, pitchers and hitters. The fact of the matter is that players are not at their peak in Spring Training, and that we, as fans, should not use Spring Training as a means to gauge how well a team or a player will perform in the coming season, good or bad.
Furthermore, many players make adjustments in the offseason, be it put on muscle, lose weight, or adjust their stance/delivery. It takes time to get used to these adjustments. Players will eventually get used to their adjustments, and perform to their abilities. Until then, we can only wait.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Johan; Various Free Agent Signings; ManRam
Johan Santana will not have his elbow tested
This is a show of confidence from both the Mets and Johan Santana in this case. The Mets should be concerned, as elbow discomfort is usually a sign of a possible Tommy John surgery. Johan, 30 in March, has pitched over 200 innings and 200 strikeouts each year since 2004. While this is a good sign of consistency, it is also an indicator of a lot of mileage on the arm. It is not out of the question that the lefty may require TJ surgery. The Mets would be well advised to keep a close eye on their ace this year.
Ken Griffey Jr. returns to Seattle
Congratulations. He gets to retire a Mariner without a ring. Honestly, I am very torn on this. I wanted him to be in a Braves uniform so badly because he would have been a perfect fit for a platoon, but oh well. I do think, after taking some time to reflect, that this is a victory for baseball, as a well-known player is going to retire with the team with which he started. It is a rarity in today's day and game for a player to do that, and I can think of none better than Griffey Jr. to do that. Griffey Jr. epitomizes everything good about baseball, and he will deserve the standing ovation when he steps into the batter's box at Safeco Field.
Garret Anderson signs with the Braves
It's not Griffey, but it is something. He will fill a platoon with Matt Diaz in left field. For this price, it is a great deal for the Braves, as he is younger than Griffey, and had better numbers last season than Griffey. His career splits for lefties and righties are both above .290, which means he could win the starting job leaving Matt Diaz to pinch hit (a role in which he has served phenomenally in the past).
Kris Benson signs with the Rangers
And the sales of disposable cameras by the Rangers team will sky-rocket. Kris Benson is a failed number one draft pick who has not lived up to the promise that he once had. He does have an incredibly attractive wife, Anna Benson, who, as you may recall, once said that she would sleep with every member of the New York Mets if Kris cheated on her. All joking aside, this seems like a move that can't really hurt the Rangers. The most Kris can make is 2 million, and that assumes he performs well. It is a minor league contract, so it gives Benson a chance to get back on his feet.
Manny Ramirez, Dodgers 1.5 million apart on a salary
I refuse to devote an entire blog post to that prima donna who is being manipulated by the devil-incarnate. That being said, this is one of the more intriguing stories of the off-season. As teams fill their respective needs, the list for teams that can afford/tolerate ManRam wanes. This is a question of who needs who more. The Dodgers have an incredible need for ManRam, Scott Boras has an incredible need....want, rather, for a huge payday for Manny, and Manny has a need to keep playing to cement his legacy as one of the greatest right hand hitters of all time. ManRam's threats to retire if unsigned are likely just Manny being Manny.
This is a show of confidence from both the Mets and Johan Santana in this case. The Mets should be concerned, as elbow discomfort is usually a sign of a possible Tommy John surgery. Johan, 30 in March, has pitched over 200 innings and 200 strikeouts each year since 2004. While this is a good sign of consistency, it is also an indicator of a lot of mileage on the arm. It is not out of the question that the lefty may require TJ surgery. The Mets would be well advised to keep a close eye on their ace this year.
Ken Griffey Jr. returns to Seattle
Congratulations. He gets to retire a Mariner without a ring. Honestly, I am very torn on this. I wanted him to be in a Braves uniform so badly because he would have been a perfect fit for a platoon, but oh well. I do think, after taking some time to reflect, that this is a victory for baseball, as a well-known player is going to retire with the team with which he started. It is a rarity in today's day and game for a player to do that, and I can think of none better than Griffey Jr. to do that. Griffey Jr. epitomizes everything good about baseball, and he will deserve the standing ovation when he steps into the batter's box at Safeco Field.
Garret Anderson signs with the Braves
It's not Griffey, but it is something. He will fill a platoon with Matt Diaz in left field. For this price, it is a great deal for the Braves, as he is younger than Griffey, and had better numbers last season than Griffey. His career splits for lefties and righties are both above .290, which means he could win the starting job leaving Matt Diaz to pinch hit (a role in which he has served phenomenally in the past).
Kris Benson signs with the Rangers
And the sales of disposable cameras by the Rangers team will sky-rocket. Kris Benson is a failed number one draft pick who has not lived up to the promise that he once had. He does have an incredibly attractive wife, Anna Benson, who, as you may recall, once said that she would sleep with every member of the New York Mets if Kris cheated on her. All joking aside, this seems like a move that can't really hurt the Rangers. The most Kris can make is 2 million, and that assumes he performs well. It is a minor league contract, so it gives Benson a chance to get back on his feet.
Manny Ramirez, Dodgers 1.5 million apart on a salary
I refuse to devote an entire blog post to that prima donna who is being manipulated by the devil-incarnate. That being said, this is one of the more intriguing stories of the off-season. As teams fill their respective needs, the list for teams that can afford/tolerate ManRam wanes. This is a question of who needs who more. The Dodgers have an incredible need for ManRam, Scott Boras has an incredible need....want, rather, for a huge payday for Manny, and Manny has a need to keep playing to cement his legacy as one of the greatest right hand hitters of all time. ManRam's threats to retire if unsigned are likely just Manny being Manny.
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