About Baseball

Red Sox's Lackey deal is a groundbreaker

2010-02-08T12:29:13Z

Every big contract for a pitcher contains big risk.

It's easier to make an argument that a player such as Albert Pujols or Alex Rodriguez are worth their mega-money because they're in the lineup every day, and while both have been injured, it hasn't threatened their careers.

Pitchers are a lot different. One tear in a tiny shoulder or elbow ligament and it could be a two-year process for a return, and there's no guarantee they will ever be the same.

The Boston Red Sox built some protection into their five-year, $82.5 million deal with John Lackey with that in mind. Keep in mind that Lackey has never been seriously injured - he's one of the more durable pitchers in the league. But he'll turn 32 this year, and the arms of 32-year-old pitchers have thrown a lot of baseballs.

From Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe:

The Red Sox found there was enough concern about the wear and tear on Lackey's elbow to warrant contract protection for the elbow. They did it in a very creative manner, which was subject to approval by both Major League Baseball and the Players' Association in that the team can pick up a sixth-year option at the minimum salary if Lackey undergoes Tommy John surgery anytime during the five-year stint.

So if Lackey has the radical elbow surgery at any point, the Red Sox can capitalize on that by having Lackey at a "bargain" rate in an additional year. It's within the context of a story about Josh Beckett and his shoulder (which is a more tricky surgery to come back from).

It's interesting that the players' union was willing to go along with that, although I'm sure having a five-year deal off the top helped that along. They probably wouldn't be happy about that in a short-term deal for the oft-injured Mike Hampton, for instance. But now that the cat's out of the bag, more teams are going to try to be creative to protect themselves.

Red Sox's Lackey deal is a groundbreaker originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 12:29:13.

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Lincecum's pot arrest could put $5 million deal up in smoke

2010-02-06T14:23:22Z

He's 25 years old and looks like a skateboarder, more than a little like one of the lead characters from the 1993 movie "Dazed and Confused." (And he apparently sometimes acts like a character from the film as well.)

But Tim Lincecum's value isn't confusing at all - it's just in dispute heading into an arbitration hearing in which the teams are a whopping $5 million apart. Lincecum asked for $13 million next season. The San Francisco Giants countered with $8 million. And to this point, they haven't come up with anything in the middle, and if it goes to arbitration, it will be one figure or the other.

It's uncharted for a pitcher who has won two Cy Young Awards to be so young, which is the biggest reason why it's been hard to come up with a figure. Lincecum is entering his fourth season.

"At some point. something's going to get figured out," Lincecum said, according to the Associated Press, before a Giants team FanFest on Saturday.� "Either way, I try not to have ill feelings about anything. I just try to come out here and the whole purpose is to try to help the team win. It's not about a grudge match. When it gets finalized, it will be good. I just try to take in what I can in the experience and not be too oblivious to everything but also not getting too involved, either. I let my agent do his job and I'll just do mine."

And Lincecum knows that the Giants might have to bring up those marijuana charges to try to win their case with the arbitrator. That might turn out to be one expensive traffic stop.

"I'm not going to try to take any ill regard to it at all -- try to take it as constructive criticism, I suppose," he said.

Lincecum's pot arrest could put $5 million deal up in smoke originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Saturday, February 6th, 2010 at 14:23:22.

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1994-95 strike effects are still felt, at least on video games

2010-02-03T02:18:40Z

The players' strike 15 years ago was the most devastating in the sport's history, canceling the 1994 World Series and turning off a generation of fans to the game. Cal Ripken's consecutive games streak and the (now tainted) home run chase of 1998 helped bring them back, but the damage is still there.

One strange place it's still felt is the licensing agreement between the players' union and video game makers. And the two major console video game franchise - Sony's MLB The Show series (on PS3 and PSP) and 2K Sports' Major League Baseball 2K series (on virtually all current systems) - still have to abide by a weird rule.

There are five players remaining - Brendan Donnelly, Matt Herges, Ron Mahay, Jamie Walker and Kevin Millar - who are on their real-life teams in these ultra-realistic games under different names, uniform numbers and player images. Why? They crossed the picket line back in 1995 and were almost replacement players. That near-travesty was averted when a deal between the players and owners was finally struck that spring, but those five players above - and several others - were young players who tried accelerate their way into the majors by agreeing to play when the union was still on strike.

As punishment - and this grudge has been held for 15 years now - none of those players are allowed to join the MLBPA, ever. They get big-league pensions and are subject to the same free agency rules as everybody else, but they can't benefit from the deal that the union made to license their names and likenesses.

Both games are scheduled to be released on March 2. Millar, Walker and Mahay are all free agents; Donnelly is with the Pirates and Herges with the Royals. It's been a long time since they were called scabs. But the union never forgets.

1994-95 strike effects are still felt, at least on video games originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 at 02:18:40.

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Negro Leagues museum facing tough times

2010-02-01T12:13:11Z

The African-American influence in baseball has been waning for decades, and now its history is being threatened as well.

Kansas City's Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, like many museums in a troubled economy, is having financial difficulties in its 20th year. It held its annual Legacy Awards banquet on Saturday - honoring the top players of last season, regardless of race - but still is staring at a lot of red ink, according to an Associated Press story.

Attendance is down, and a big reason for that is the fact that the museum's best ambassador, Buck O'Neill, died in 2006 at age 94. The former Negro Leagues great, who became a celebrity in Ken Burns' "Baseball" miniseries in 1994, was a driving force behind the museum. There's also some infighting and controversy among the museum's leadership. Burns says it would be a "cultural tragedy" if the museum - which has plenty of positive reviews - is forced to close.

What Burns' miniseries so accurately recounted was how baseball took a lead role in the civil rights movement. Jackie Robinson's success in the majors was a death blow to the Negro Leagues, but a birth of something much bigger.

Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star writes that baseball's stars of today need to embrace that history, and make an effort to attend the Legacy Awards, or at least come to the museum when they're in town to play the Royals.

Negro Leagues museum facing tough times originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 12:13:11.

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Contracts getting shorter and shorter

2010-01-30T13:10:27Z

Jayson Stark of ESPN.com pointed out a development that's not a popular one among the players and their agents. Contracts for free agents are getting shorter.

Assuming no player remaining a free agent will receive a contract of three years or longer - and that seems reasonable less than three weeks from spring training - only eight players received a deal of that length. That's the fewest long-term deals since 1994-95, a year that doesn't really count because there was a strike going on. The most? Just three years ago, when 26 free agents signed deals of three years or longer before the 2007 season.

The "big eight" this winter, with their 2010 ages in parentheses: Matt Holliday (31), Jason Bay (30), Chone Figgins (32), John Lackey (31), Placido Polanco (34), Marlon Byrd (32), Randy Wolf (33) and Brandon Lyon (30). Note the profile: Young veteran, in his prime, without a major injury history.

Why? The economy is one big reason. One bad long-term contract (think oft-injured DH Travis Hafner of the Indians, who has two years and $24.5 million remaining on a horrible deal) and a team is starting from a money pit. Manny Ramirez, now 37, couldn't even get a three-year deal last winter. Older than 35, a player is looking at two years, max.

Bobby Abreu (36) received good money from the Angels ($19 million), but just two years. So did Mike Cameron (37) from the Red Sox and Mark DeRosa (35) from the Giants.

Collusion? That's what some agents might say. But there's no doubt that the prime earning years of players is skewing younger and younger.

Contracts getting shorter and shorter originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Saturday, January 30th, 2010 at 13:10:27.

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How are these guys still free agents?

2010-01-27T23:44:10Z

The free agent market is picking up with just a few weeks until spring training. Veterans such as Miguel Tejada, Xavier Nady, Randy Winn and Joel Piniero found homes in the past week. But because there were so many free agents to begin with, there are still a lot out there, especially among the ranks of outfielders, first basemen and pitchers. Six players who should be snapped up immediately:

Orlando Cabrera, shortstop: For a shortstop, Cabrera is a surprisingly good run-producer. He drove in 77 last season with Oakland and Minnesota, and is just two years removed from an 86 RBI season with the Angels. He's also sneaky good in the field - he won a Gold Glove in 2007, and had a .965 fielding percentage last season, decent for a shortstop. But the 35-year-old keeps bouncing around the league and has few suitors.

Erik Bedard, starting pitcher: The reason Bedard isn't locked up yet is because of injury - he' s coming off shoulder surgery. But a career ERA of 3.71, a 51-41 record, age 31 on opening day - seems like a lot of upside. Left-handed, too. New A's righty Ben Sheets was in a similar situation, and he somehow wrangled $10 million a year from Oakland. Bedard won't cost nearly as much. Not even half of that, probably.

Chan Ho Park, relief pitcher: He pitched well in the postseason and is a dependable middle reliever late in his career. He's 36. The Rays and Cubs seem to be the most interested.

Hank Blalock, first baseman: The Orioles seemed to be interested, but settled on a Miguel Tejada-Garrett Atkins combo at the corner infield spots instead. Blalock is only 29, and he hit 25 home runs last season (but slumped to .234, 35 points below his career average). He's not a Gold Glove-caliber player anymore, but he's worthy of an incentive-laden deal.

Ryan Garko, first baseman: Similar to Blalock - good bat, so-so in the field, but with an upside at age 29. He's a .279 career hitter with decent pop (15 homers last season in Cleveland and San Francisco). Cleveland used him as a corner outfielder at times, too.

Fernando Tatis, third baseman: It looks like the Mets are trying to bring him back as a utility player. Few are better at the plate (.282 with eight home runs and 48 RBI in 2009). He can play at first and the outfield as well - good insurance everywhere. At 35, he certainly doesn't appear to be done.

Who else is out there? Check out the updated free agent scorecard.

How are these guys still free agents? originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 at 23:44:10.

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Marketing to a "Lawn of Dreams"

2010-01-25T11:56:01Z

One of the things that strikes you when you enter a major-league ballpark - one of the open-air ones, not a dome - is how perfect the grass looks.

The Scotts Co. is marketing to that whim with a new premium grass seed line. Beginning in April, Scotts is selling the seed blends and fertilizers for Fenway Park (Boston), Wrigley Field (Chicago), Great American Ballpark (Cincinnati), Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia) and Busch Stadium (St. Louis). The cost: A lush $21.99 for a three-pound bag. (That's roughly three times the cost of a typical bag. Depending on how big your lawn is, a season-ticket package might be cheaper.)

The seed blend in your market is most likely the one closest to you. If you're in New England, it will be Fenway; in Ohio it's Cincinnati, etc.

According to SI.com, it will be a slightly different blend than the actual park, in order to minimize upkeep. Because you don't have a grounds crew tending to your every blade, that should be welcome.

Marketing to a "Lawn of Dreams" originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 11:56:01.

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How good can Miguel Cabrera be?

2010-01-23T15:30:58Z

Miguel Cabrera's statistics, for age 26, are astounding. His average season, in the past three years: .312, 35 homers, 116 RBI, OPS (on-base plus slugging) of .931.

He's among the elite hitters in baseball, and he's done it with a big crutch. He admitted to the Detroit media this week that he's an alcoholic, and has been in treatment for the past three months.

This came after Cabrera's ill-timed drinking binge during the final weekend of the regular season last year, with the Tigers fighting for a playoff spot.

"This is a wonderful kid, and we're happy because he has a great life ahead of him," said Tigers manager Jim Leyland, to the Detroit News. "But for selfish reasons, we're also happy because there's no telling how good he can be."

Now baseball history is full of players who could hit with a hangover, but getting help now can only bode well. As Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press wrote, Cabrera didn't have a problem with not caring about baseball while he was drinking. He might have cared too much.

Is an MVP-type season coming? Wouldn't be surprising at all.

How good can Miguel Cabrera be? originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Saturday, January 23rd, 2010 at 15:30:58.

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How the Red Sox might have changed the health care system

2010-01-20T13:28:38Z

The NFL might get higher TV ratings, but there are instances in which baseball still shows it's the national pastime.

The political world is abuzz after a Republican upset in the special election for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts. And one of the big reasons Democrat Martha Coakley lost to Scott Brown is because she showed she was out of touch with baseball fans.

How do you make that leap? First, Brown was shown on video shaking hands outside Fenway Park on Jan. 1. When asked about her campaign strategy of staying low-key, Coakley said: "As opposed to standing outside Fenway Park? In the cold? Shaking hands?''

That got the attention of former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, who came out for Brown and against Coakley in his blog. No surprise there - Schilling is an outspoken conservative. Coakley took the bait and labeled Schilling a Yankees fan in an interview.

If there's one thing Schilling isn't, it's a Yankees fan. (The title of Schilling's post: "I've been called a lot of things..."). Schilling is still revered in Massachusetts for pitching hurt in the 2004 playoffs, and he used the spotlight to campaign for Brown.

As much as Brown's victory is seen as a national movement, politics are always local, as the saying goes. The Red Sox sell out every game at Fenway Park and get huge TV ratings. They're as New England as clam chowder. And Coakley painted herself as out of touch by not knowing who Curt Schilling was. Said Schilling at a Brown rally over the weekend:

"It does reflect on an elected official's relationship with her constituents. I don't think that somebody who's lived here their whole life, not understanding the importance of the prominence of the sports teams in this city, it's a big deal to people. I think it's another sign of her aloofness, and just the fact that she's very out of touch, I think, with the people."

Coakley lost, the Democrats' health care plan is wavering because of it, and it indirectly was caused by ... the Boston Red Sox.

How the Red Sox might have changed the health care system originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 at 13:28:38.

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Red Sox, Papelbon at an uneasy truce

2010-01-20T11:57:33Z

The arbitration process for young veteran players (those under six years of experience) is tricky for all involved. The actual process of arbitration is ugly - it's a player you want to keep, but the argument process brings up ugly issues that creates bad blood. It's why there was a flurry of activity on Tuesday throughout baseball with players and teams agreeing to one-year contracts in which the teams and players come to a compromise before even exchanging salary figures.

The Cleveland Indians hate arbitration so much, they haven't used it since 1991. And Boston Red Sox GM Theo Epstein has a perfect record when it comes to arbitration: 0-0.

So while two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum asked for an arbitration-record $13 million from the Giants - $5 million less than the team offered - Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon never got to that point, agreeing to a "bargain" $9.3 million, the biggest deal ever for a closer after his fourth season.

Why is it a bargain? He'll make less than Francisco Cordero, Brad Lidge, Francisco Rodriguez, Joe Nathan and Kerry Wood. Papelbon, statistically has been better than all of them. He's a four-time All-Star with a 1.84 career ERA, 151 saves in four seasons and a postseason reputation that was spotless until the final game of the Division Series against the Angels last October.

So why haven't the Red Sox and Papelbon been able to agree on a longer-term deal? Papelbon seems content to prove himself year after year, pitching with a chip on his shoulder but risking major injury. And the Red Sox, mindful of a flame-out, are playing along.

And there's another variable, too, in the team's favor. The Red Sox are developing Daniel Bard into a closer, and he was solid in middle relief as a rookie in 2009. He throws just as hard as Papelbon, and is the insurance policy.

It's a high-stakes game that both Papelbon and the Red Sox are taking, and one that really won't come to a head for two more years, when Papelbon is eligible for free agency. And it's Papelbon with the most risk. If he gets hurt, or takes a step back, he's the one with a lot more to lose.

Red Sox, Papelbon at an uneasy truce originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 at 11:57:33.

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