From The Windup is FanHouse's daily, extended look at a particular portion of America's pastime.

While discussing the Cy Young on Sunday night, Joe Morgan said, predictably, that it was "Brandon Webb's to lose". In fairness, he's probably right. But ... I don't really think he should be. See, the Cy Young is all about perception.

Headshots via Getty Images
Well, not all about perception, but there's a pretty hefty chunk of voting attribution distributed towards the feeling of performance, rather than the strictly statistical discussion of how various pitchers have excelled throughout the season.

If that wasn't the case, then Randy Johnson would have won the Cy Young in 2004, when he very clearly outperformed Roger Clemens on the mound.

In an "ideal" world, there would be someone stuck squarely in the upper left quadrant above -- a pitcher with obviously dominant stats that were publicly recognized (because his team didn't stink). That rarely happens, though, and this year's Cy Young race is, when you really start breaking it down, one of the most intriguing we've seen in a few years.

After all, we have the heavy favorite in Webb, the best pitcher in the National League in Tim Lincecum, the discussion incumbent (Johan Santana), the early season surprise (Edinson Volquez) and a few darkhorses in Danny Haren and Ryan Dempster, the latter which is nothing short of shocking.

See, it's perception that led smart baseball guru types Bill James and Rob Neyer to create a formula entirely devoted to predicting the Cy Young balloting. Not "should win" mind you, but "will win" based entirely on what the voters tend to look for in their winner.

As you can see from the list, Salomon Torres is the eighth most likely pitcher to win the CY. I'm willing to bet he won't get any votes come the end of the year. But a guy who deserves some votes, or at least some Award-worthy buzz, for what he's done since the beginning of July, is CC Sabathia.

Yes, yes and more yes. If you've ever had the opportunity to hear John Smoltz talk to the announcers during the game, or appear in the booth of a baseball game, you know that he is a high quality, on-air type. And that he would be superb if he ever got a permanent job as an announcer.

Well, since he's not retired (and I honestly think he'll be back next year) getting to run color in the TBS announcing booth for the duration of the playoffs is about as good as it will get. And it will get good (via AA/SBD).

TBS is close to signing injured Braves P John Smoltz to be an on-air color analyst during MLB playoff games, sources confirmed. The two sides have been talking, and an agreement is said to be close. The plan is to have Smoltz work the booth at one of the games. It's not known which play-by-play announcer he would be paired with. TBS is expected to announce its broadcasting teams during the playoffs in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, TBS' studio show for the playoffs is expected to be the same as its All-Star selection show, with Ernie Johnson, Cal Ripken Jr., Harold Reynolds and Dennis Eckersley. Frank Thomas is not expected to return.

Quite the craziness that will be going on in the studio, eh? Smoltz is, as you can see above, not officially signed. But this should end up happening -- it's certainly a win for TBS and I would imagine that even Smoltz is tired of playing golf every day at this point.

Any number of things could have started it. "Don't you dare say that 'bout my pappy!" "No one needs a no-hitter for the Hall of Fame!" "Steroids were legal in the 80's!" Or maybe Koby Clemens is just a bit of a steakhead.


I would imagine, though, that being Roger Clemens' son probably had something to do with being involved in a bar fight in Salem, Va., this weekend.

Clemens and Ori were charged with disorderly conduct and Goethals with assault and battery. All three were taken to the Roanoke County-Salem Jail before being released on bond, according to a news release from the Salem police.

[...] According to the news release, police were dispatched to a disturbance in the restaurant's parking lot at 2 a.m. on Sunday and, upon their arrival, found approximately 50 people in the lot.

The release does not describe any of the events leading to the arrests. It states only that Clemens and Ori were arrested on the scene and that Goethals was charged "after an employee of the restaurant obtained a warrant for his arrest" from the Roanoke County/Salem magistrate's office.

Naturally, no one is commenting. But it's odd that Clemens didn't have anything to do with the actual disorderly charge, since it seems pretty likely that he would have been one of the ones throwing down. Especially considering the Times note that he's been "catching catcalls from fans and media as his father contends with allegations of cheating on his wife, Debbie, and using performance-enhancing drugs during his baseball career."

Considering there's a 90% chance that the fight stemmed from someone verbally assaulting Koby, I'll be interested to hear what Roger has to say about this. And pretty surprised if this is the last time something like this happens.

Via SbB

Jose Canseco was born to do reality television shows. His amazing stint on the Surreal Life was proof enough of that. However, a reality show that involves having to pass a polygraph to advance and make more money seems about in his wheelhouse as making a comeback as a relief pitcher.

Yet, David Vassegh of 570 KLAC is reporting that's exactly what he'll be doing sometime over the next two months as a guest on Fox's "Moment of Truth".

Canseco already has taped the episode and according to my source that was in attendance during the taping Canseco was asked if he ever injected Mark McGwire with steroids and if he ever corked his bat amoung other questions that were asked during the taping. The episode of "The Moment of Truth" with Canseco is supposed to air in late September or early October.

Again, Canseco will be asked questions before -- while on a polygraph -- and during the show (I believe I understand this correctly.) He will then answer those same questions on stage. If his answers on stage match the polygraph results, he moves on.

It stinks that we have to get more Jose Canseco in our lives. Lord knows I've been trying to quit. The bright side is that maybe, and I'm pretty skeptical about this, we'll get some truthful answers about what he did or did not do. Or, ideally, he'll keep lying about the first question they ask him, make a fool of himself on national television and win no money.

Via MMP at Deadspin

The stupid thing about the MVP race is that half of it involves perception. Is his team good regardless of how he performed as an individual? Is he a clutch player based on stuff we think we've seen but might not actually know? Is he the type of baseball player worthy of the honor of being selected by us sportswriter types as the best in the game? Is he tall? Is he handsome? Etc, etc.

These ridiculous perceptions are probably why -- despite what the fans think -- Dustin Pedroia will not win the MVP this season. Don't believe me? Just ask Ozzie Guillen, who called the smallish in stature second baseman a "g*dd*mn jockey".

''I never thought I was going to walk a goddamn jockey,'' Guillen said of the 5-7 Pedroia, a player he actually admires. ''Walking a guy who just came from being on top of Big Brown. Right now, he's on a roll. This guy right now is on fire. No matter what you throw up there, he's going to get it. I can't believe you can change professions in one year, go from the Kentucky Derby to the Boston Red Sox ballpark.''

Pedroia has reached base in 10 consecutive plate appearances and became the first Red Sox player with four hits or more in consecutive games since Wade Boggs did it in June 1989.

When he stepped to the plate in the eighth inning, Pedroia was met with cheers of ''MVP, MVP.''

Now, in fairness to Ozzie, he then proceeded to discuss the fact that Pedroia was the heart and soul of Boston's team right now.

Nothing like a set of circumstances -- Orlando Hudson's season ending surgery in this case -- to force a playoff caliber team into acquiring the services of one Mr. Hustle, David Eckstein. And it appears that, based on what Fox's Ken Rosenthal is saying, Eckstein will be traded by Sunday night and most likely to the Snakes.

Eckstein, 33, is almost certain to be traded before the deadline for setting postseason rosters at midnight Sunday. While talks are fluid, the Jays currently are more inclined to trade with the D-backs, sources say.

Now, you may be asking yourself, "Isn't O-Dog a second basemen?" Why, yes, yes he is. So Eck would not actually be playing shortstop, which is certainly a shame given the cannon arm that he possesses.

The biggest downside of this entire theoretical transaction is that we will be subjected to countless columns, pandering in nature, that detail the hustle-y nature of David Eckstein and how his grit, toughness and ability to take control of a game with his sheer determination -- skill does not matter, I say! -- can put a team over the top.

Oh, and if the Diamondbacks actually win the World Series? Night-horse of epic proportions, folks. We already hear about Eckstein's presence as a leader on an Angels and a Cardinals club that won the World Series -- it was not Troy Glaus or Albert Pujols that prevailed triumphantly, mind you -- and how he inspired victory. This would be disastrous.

UPDATE: Eckstein is a Diamondback! Scrappiness will abooooooooooound! Bud Selig's evil plan has come to fruition and the Snakes will be rewarded with eternal hustle. Muhahahahahhaha. No, seriously, they gave up Chad Beck to the Blue Jays for him and MLB.com make sure you know he was once World Series MVP. For depth purposes it's not a bad deal, hitting wise, well, not so much.

Jeff Kent has been in baseball a long time. He has also said that he has zero intention of going out the door like Brett Favre (you know, indecisive whining that tortures a fanbase). And now he may have a touch decision ahead, if he wants to stick to his guns on that call.

See, he's probably going to be out for the season. And it was supposed to be his final season. So, um, yeah.

Kent, 40, has been playing through pain from slightly torn cartilage in his knee for about a month, fully aware that the continued grind of playing baseball on an everyday basis meant there was a strong risk of additional, more painful tearing.

That additional tearing is believed to be what took place during Friday's game. Kent was said to be in "excruciating pain" after leaving the game, and club officials were holding out slim hope of getting him back in what is widely expected to be his final season.

"Knowing him, I can't say (he is done) for sure," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said.

Torre also went on to say that he felt like Kent's goal in sticking around was to help the Dodgers "win a pennant", which seems kind of obvious, but it's pretty indicative that he wouldn't have still been playing if the Dodgers didn't have a shot at winning this year.

Kent's a lockjob for Cooperstown, and it would make sense that the only thing he wants to do before he rolls out of the game is pick up a championship ring. But it also stands to reason that he knows how pathetic chasing one looks. So, he may just call the dogs off, head back home and spend the rest of his days not watching porn.

Ah, Japan baseball. The refuge for the old, the infirmed and the Mr. 3000's of the world. (RIP, Bernie.) And now, it could be the home of Omar Vizquel, should no American team decide to retain his services next year.

"If I cannot find something satisfying here, there is a possibility I might end up in Japan playing ball," Vizquel said Friday. He would not be the first Venezuelan gaijin in the Japan Leagues, but he would be the most famous.

"I've played here long enough in America," Vizquel. "I've seen every team, every ballpark. I think it would be great to experience a new league and something new. I played in Japan in 2000 on the major-league all-star tour and I found it very cool - good baseball, good fans. Why not? It's a new culture."

I back this move, although I don't know how much I believe him when he states that it's because he's "seen everything".

Sure, that's a nice way of saying that he knows he won't get re-signed and it's entirely possible that the Giants will choose to discard him as they attempt to move their average offensive age below 48, but the reality is that going to Japan to play is not something he's choosing to do actively. Of course, he still has plenty of glove left, even if his offense is lacking, so it's hard to see him not contributing overseas.

Diesels and Sevens were the hot ticket metrosexual jeans for dudes when I was in school. I have no clue if they're still hip or if metrosexual is even kosher to say; my jeans are Wrangler. And I swear allegiance to all things Favre.

I don't care for $250 blue jeans and I certainly won't pay for them. But some people will, I suppose, otherwise Barry Zito wouldn't be modeling for True Religion, a designer brand of jeans for dudes. (Gracias to 'Duk for reminding me that I heard this on television the other night.)

The Zito ads will appear on the sides of buses in Japan. In San Francisco, a True Religion billboard is planned for a building near the intersection of Bush Street and Van Ness Avenue.

"It's crazy,'' Zito said. "I got a text message from (former A's teammate) Eric Byrnes that said, 'Dude, my wife just saw you on a billboard in Vegas. You've got to be (kidding) me!' "

Zito did not seek out this second career. He told his publicist, Kathy Jacobson, to refuse any endorsement offers - especially when he had an 0-8 record after nine starts.

"I can't be the `Seiko guy,' none of that," Zito said. "That just looks bad, like I'm not focusing on baseball. But Kathy said, `No, it's not an endorsement. It's not because of who you are or that you play baseball. This is a modeling gig.' "

Wow. What a humble guy. $126 mil is enough; 0-8 doesn't deserve any more money or endorsements. Gosh. Zen, like, really.

I do kind of respect, though, his willingness to take on a second career, even if said career is male modeling. It's pretty similar to what I've got going on right now, what with the office job that pays big bucks and the blogging on the side. Less glamorous, maybe, but similar nonetheless.

If I ever have to go to prison, I don't want it to be for a hateful and/or creepy crime. If that makes any sense. Like tax evasion or something would be fine. But writing hateful letters to a group of celebrities belonging to a particular race? Well, that just seems like the type of thing that would make other people angry.

I suppose we'll find out after David Tuason starts serving the three years and 10 months in prison he received for sending hateful letters to prominent citizens.

David Tuason apologized for his behavior in federal court Tuesday, saying he never meant to hurt anybody. He said he sent the threatening letters because a black man "stole" the girlfriend he planned to marry.

Tuason had faced up to 10 years in prison. He pleaded guilty in May to six counts of mailing threatening communications and two counts of threatening interstate communications.

As LB said, "Dude, get a life." (And I also agree that Ana Ivanovic is an entirely different ballgame as well.) Some of the celebs that Tuason sent letters to include the aforementioned Derek Jeter and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

So to recap: this creepy guy got spurned and he immediately decided to anger as many public figures in as an aggressive a manner as he could possibly pull off. Because, after all, our country isn't sensitive to racism at all. So this should end up working out really well for him in the long run.