MLB FanHouse

Stephen Strasburg's Knee Injury Will Not Require Surgery

Pat Lackey — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:14:00 EST

Filed under: Nationals, NL East, Prospects

The Nationals learned Friday that the knee injury suffered by Stephen Strasburg will not require surgery to repair. It's instead been diagnosed as a dislocated knee cap. As painful as that sounds, there's no ligament damage and the Nats' phenom will only require rest and some rehab to get the knee back up to full strength, though he'll still miss Saturday's Arizona Fall League championship game.

Considering those that witnessed the injury firsthand saw Strasburg crumple while playing long toss on Thursday and reported hearing a popping sound (often a telltale sign of ligament damage), this is obviously great news for the Nats. I can't even fathom following up a 103-loss season with a serious knee injury to the highest-paid draft pick in baseball history.

The injury ends Strasburg's debut in a professional uniform after 19 innings. In those innings, Strasburg was excellent, if not quite as dominant as some expected. He struck out 23 hitters and walked seven, but also allowed three homers and had a 4.26 ERA. The AFL is known to be a hitter's league, though, and given the layoff between Strasburg's last real game for San Diego State during the College World Series, there's not much for the Nats to be concerned about.

In fact, since he made it through the league in relative good health, despite Thursday's scare, they're probably pretty happy.

Stephen Strasburg's Knee Injury Will Not Require Surgery originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Footprints in the Snow: Nationals

Andrew Johnson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Nationals, NL East

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

The Nationals bottomed out in 2009. Their season began with the ouster of general manager Jim Bowden in the beginning of March after he was implicated in a bonus-skimming scandal in the Dominican Republic that drew the attention of the FBI. And it ended with 103 losses, giving them 205 losses in the last two seasons.

In between, they fired manager Manny Acta and watched attendance fall by more than 6,000 fans a night in the second year of Nationals Park.

So no, it's not all sunshine and roses on the banks of the Anacostia River, but, then, it's not all doom and gloom either. After all, the Nats managed to lock up phenom Stephen Strasburg in August, and with a stable front office and a permanent manager now in place, they can get to the task of building around him.

More Footprints in the Snow

Who Might Leave

Austin Kearns, OF; Livan Hernandez, RHP; Josh Bard, C; Ron Villone, LHP; Dmitri Young, 1B

Shopping List

For a lousy team, the Nationals don't have a lot of needs heading into the offseason. The entire outfield and infield corners are set. With Cristian Guzman shifting to second base in 2010, rookie Ian Desmond is in line to take over as the starting shortstop. If general manager Mike Rizzo is looking to add to one area offensively, a more reliable option at short than Desmond could be high on his list.

Of course, Rizzo could look to add an outfielder or first baseman if he decides to move Josh Willingham or Adam Dunn, both of whom might have more value to a contender than to the Nationals. Even if he doesn't decide to move either player, a reserve outfielder besides Willie Harris might be useful considering the injury histories of Willingham and right fielder Elijah Dukes.

Those are minor tweaks next to the work that has to be done on the pitching staff. With Hernandez likely to sign elsewhere, Jordan Zimmermann not due back from Tommy John surgery until the final weeks of next season, Scott Olsen coming off of a shoulder injury and Strasburg still months away from the big leagues, the Nationals are short a starter or two, unless you think John Lannan, Craig Stammen, J.D. Martin, Ross Detwiler and Garrett Mock can each last an entire season in a major league rotation.

There are internal options -- Shairon Martis, who made 15 starts in the majors last year, and Strasburg eventually, to name two -- but the Nationals could sorely use a veteran presence at the front of their rotation to eat innings, if nothing else. Washington hasn't been afraid to think big lately, dabbling in the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes last winter and signaling its intentions to pursue free agent John Lackey this winter, but a lower-tier starter may be a more realistic option.

Like every other team in the known universe, the Nationals could use bullpen help, but there's no reason for them to scour anything but the bargain bin with contention still a few years away.

Money Matters

Other than Ryan Zimmerman, who the club locked up with a five-year extension during the season, the Nationals have no long-term financial commitments. That means Rizzo could have some money to play with, particularly as he looks to beef up the rotation. The beauty here is that Washington need only think in the long-term if they dip into the free-agent or trade market this winter. It will probably have the ability to take on salary, but will only need to do so if the target can help for years to come.

Dunn and Guzman will make a combined $20 million in 2010, swallowing up a significant portion of the club's payroll, but both will be free agents after the season, meaning they'll be attractive to contenders, but the team should feel little pressure to move either.

The Nats have a number of arbitration-eligible players on the roster, but Willingham, who had a terrific first season in Washington, is probably the only one who is in line for a long-term extension. On the flip side, a significant raise in arbitration could make the 30-year-old a trade candidate. Olsen, who like Willingham is in his second year of arbitration eligibility, could be in line for a more modest raise, but it's unlikely the club would want to go beyond year to year deals at this point.

Lannan has been the one reliable pitcher the Nationals have had over the last few seasons, so he could be a candidate to have his arbitration years bought out, but since he's still a year away from arbitration, there's no reason for the club to make it a priority.

Offseason Goals

Rizzo's job is simple: to keep building for the future. As bad as things have seemed in Washington, the Nationals have some very nice pieces, from Zimmerman, who broke out in 2009, to Strasburg, whose arrival is already being anticipated in the nation's capital. As they have almost since the moment they got to D.C., the Nationals need pitching help. Their rumored interest in Lackey, coming on the heels of their pursuit of Teixeira last winter, shows that, if nothing else, the team has grand plans when it comes to the pitching solution. The Nats need elite talent to compete, and they need to assemble it in any way they can, but they must do so with an eye toward 2011-12 and beyond.

Footprints in the Snow: Nationals originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MLB's Economic Rebound Could Be Slow

Jeff Fletcher — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, Dodgers, Nationals, MLB Biz, MLB Inside Scoop

CHICAGO -- On a day this week when the stock market had one of the encouraging spikes investors have enjoyed more frequently over the past few months, Kenny Williams let out a sarcastic cheer for what it meant to baseball.

"Let's go, let's party," he said. "We've got cash again."

Then, the White Sox general manager quickly returned to reality, at least the version of reality that he and his colleagues have been describing this week at the GM Meetings.

"I don't think it works that way," he said. "We might need to see six months of recovery before we buy into that. We need an advertiser or a sponsor or two to come back to us."

Baseball teams have cried poverty before, but last winter turned out to be, financially, one of the coldest in recent years. Dozens of players waited until just a week or two before spring training, eventually settling for cut-rate deals. Although there are indications that the economy is improving, it remains to be seen what type of winter this will be in terms of spending.

"I honestly have no idea," Braves GM Frank Wren said. "Every market has its own life it takes on once we get a little deeper into the winter. I don't know that any of us know."

"We heard a lot last year about the impending doom of the economics of baseball. ... Even in an economy where many many businesses are struggling, ... our industry has been able to keep the revenues at record levels."
-- Scott Boras While owners and GMs may call for fiscal restraint, agents will, as usual, say that it's all a smokescreen intended to help the teams keep their cash out of the hands of their clients.

"We heard a lot last year about the impending doom of the economics of baseball," agent Scott Boras said. "We had another record year this year and the economy is better. ... Even in an economy where many many businesses are struggling, particularly in the last year, our industry has been able to keep the revenues at record levels."

Attendance actually dropped 6.5 percent from last year, which was the biggest decline since 1952. That said, the raw number of fans to come to games -- more than 75 million -- was still the fourth-highest in history.

Everything is relative, from the money clubs are making to the money players are making.

"When you are talking free agency with these guys, the question isn't 'Are you going to be rich?', the question is 'How rich do you want to be?'" Williams said. "No matter the real economics of the world, in a lot of ways this is Fantasy Land. None of these guys are going to starve."

Boras countered by saying that any club that considers itself to be a small- or middle-market also should have some perspective.

"I don't know what a mid-market franchise is," he said. "That's like a mid-sized aircraft carrier. They all have the potential to have an economic bomb. If you are drawing 3.3 million fans and averaging $50 a fan. ... I just don't know that mid-market team."

Free agents may be the first to feel the economic crunch, particularly since this market has few marquee players and dozens who have question marks because of their age or performance. Traditionally, the players hurt most when the money dries up are the ones in the middle. Now the middle expands all the way up to the second tier of free agents and all the way down to arbitration-eligible players.

Jeremy Hermida, J.J. Hardy and Mark Teahen have already been traded this offseason because they were arbitration-eligible players whose potential salaries were already getting out of line with their production. Others like Garrett Atkins, Chad Billingsley, Ryan Church, Jack Cust, Mike Jacobs and Russell Martin all could follow. Each was a valuable asset when he was making the relative pennies of a player with less than three years of service time, but now they have contracts that might need to be moved.

In past years it was easy to move players like that, because most any team could afford a $3-to-$5 million player, but these days, not so much.

"All of the sudden, there is a risk-reward of 'Am I going to go after the second-tier free agent?'" Giants GM Brian Sabean said. "There might be some risk dollar wise, but I'm not sure of the reward vs. a guy that's coming in my system or the guy that a year from now we're going to need to get anyway."

A raft of players may wind up creating a new pool of free agents after Dec. 12, the deadline to tender contracts to those that are eligible for arbitration.

Another recent, economically based, change in baseball's offseason is the reluctance of teams to give up draft picks for free agents. A team that signs a Type-A free agent has to surrender a high draft pick as compensation. With teams lusting after all the cheap players they can find, those draft picks are valued more than they were five years ago.

"There are guys out there I would certainly have interest in if they weren't Type-A's," Williams said.

It is certainly not a recent development to have baseball decisions impacted by money, but there is no doubt that dollars have become more of a driving force in the past couple years.

"I don't think we're out of the woods yet with sports getting slapped in the face of reality," Williams said. "That's just my own personal opinion. It's not just fun and games any more. It's got to be a business. You have to run it as it is supposed to be, as a business."

Here are five other key questions to watch as this offseason unfolds:

Where will the big free agents land?

Jason Bay, Chone Figgins, Matt Holliday and John Lackey are the only premium players on the market. The Yankees, Red Sox, Mets and Angels, four of baseball's big spenders, each are expected to be in on the bidding for at least a couple of those players, so they should end up getting nice contracts.

Look for Holliday to be the last of the bunch to sign, since he's represented by Boras. He probably won't go anywhere until he sees what Bay gets.

Which big names will be traded?

The biggest name on the trade block this winter is Roy Halladay. The Blue Jays shopped him in all-too-public fashion over the summer, but asked for so much in return that they didn't make a deal. The failure to move Halladay may have contributed to GM J.P. Ricciardi's demise in Toronto. Now Alex Anthopolous is running the Blue Jays, and he has not tipped his hand about what the Jays plan to do with Halladay, but he has made it clear he'll listen to anything.

Dan Uggla is another premium player who is almost certain to be traded. The Marlins are always looking to trim payroll and they have Rookie of the Year candidate Chris Coglan ready to move to second.

After that, the next biggest players to watch are Adrian Gonzalez and Felix Hernandez. Both are so good and so cheap that their current teams can keep them. But those current teams are not contenders, so they may also use them for rebuilding, looking for a Mark Teixeira-like four- or five-for-one deal.

Will the Dodgers ownership saga affect the baseball team?

The ugly divorce proceedings between Frank and Jamie McCourt have so far been a story more fitting for TMZ than FanHouse. However, if the McCourts end up having to sell the team in order to liquidate their assets for a split, it could have a dramatic impact on how the Dodgers do business. The model everyone in Los Angeles fears is what happened to the Padres when John Moores got divorced.

For now, though, it's too early in the process to know if the Dodgers will go the same route. GM Ned Colletti said he's conducting business as usual.

Which of the aging star players will be back and which ones will retire?

This past season saw what may have been the end of a lot of great careers, including Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Andy Pettitte, Pudge Rodriguez, John Smoltz and Omar Vizquel. Ken Griffey Jr. would have been on this list, but he re-signed with Seattle on Wednesday.

Of that group, Martinez seems to be the most likely to come back because of what he showed in the second half and the postseason with the Phillies. He also said he wishes to return.

Pettitte certainly performed well enough to warrant another contract, but after winning another ring, he may prefer to stay home.

Who will sign the biggest names on the international market?

Aroldis Chapman is a 21-year-old Cuban left-hander who throws up to 100 mph. Although he's got potential, he is considered very raw and probably won't be able to help a big-league team this year.

Ryota Igarashi is a polished veteran of the NPB, Japan's major league. A 30-year-old right-hander, he has been a setup man and closer in Japan. He'd most likely be considered a late-inning reliever in the majors.

MLB's Economic Rebound Could Be Slow originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reports: Nationals Retain Jim Riggleman

Matt Snyder — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Nationals, NL East

After an abysmal 26-61 start, the Nationals fired manager Manny Acta in the middle of 2009. Bench coach Jim Riggleman was promoted to interim manager for the club and served in that post for the remainder of the season. It appears the much-improved 33-42 record under his watch was enough to impress team officials, because reports are surfacing that Riggleman will officially have the word "interim" dropped from his job title.

After Don Mattingly pulled himself from the job hunt, it appeared Riggleman's main competition was former Mets skipper and current ESPN analyst Bobby Valentine. What set Riggleman apart was what he had already shown general manager Mike Rizzo on the job.

Looking at the current Nationals' roster, there is hope of getting things turned around for Riggleman. There is a young nucleus in place in terms of both pitching and position players. Young veterans Ryan Zimmerman, Nyjer Morgan and Adam Dunn anchor the offense, with a good foundation of youth surrounding them -- both at the minor league and major league level. The pitching staff is still a work in progress, but with John Lannan, Jordan Zimmermann and promising 2009 first-round picks Stephen Strasburg and Drew Storen, there is hope on the horizon. Riggleman's job will be to blend the youth with the veterans and bring everyone along together.

Riggleman has previously managed the Padres, Cubs and Mariners (which was only an interim gig like this past season with the Nats). He has made the playoffs one time in eight full seasons as a manger -- with the Cubs in 1998, when they beat the Giants in a one-game playoff to take the NL wild card. His Cubs were swept by the Braves in the NLDS, though. His career record as a manager is 555-694.

Reports: Nationals Retain Jim Riggleman originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Money Worries Could Force Reds to Move All-Star Phillips, Others

Ed Price — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:48:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Blue Jays, Giants, Nationals, Red Sox, Reds, Tigers, Yankees, MLB Inside Scoop

Editor's Note: FanHouse's Jeff Fletcher contributed to this report

CHICAGO -- The Reds' need to slash payroll, according to a major league source, could lead them to explore trading second baseman Brandon Phillips as well as right-handers Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang.

Cincinnati's 2009 payroll was about $71 million. General manager Walt Jocketty said during a break Tuesday at the GM Meetings that he "might" have to move some high-salaried players to meet the 2010 goal.

"We're going to probably have less to spend this year than we have in the past," Jocketty told FanHouse. "It just depends on how [ticket] sales go this offseason."

Boras: Holliday Can Play in Either League

Cincinnati's total attendance fell from 2.06 million in 2008 to 1.75 million this year, a drop of more than 15 percent.

The source above said the Reds plan to cut back to $65-70 million, which is a challenge in part because of raises due Harang ($11 million to $12.5 million), Arroyo (from $9.5 million to $11 million) and Phillips (from $4.75 million to $5 million).

With their salaries and so-so 2009 seasons, the pitchers would be hard to trade without the Reds taking on some of their pay. So Cincinnati's best bet could be finding a taker for Phillips, who last season hit .276 with 30 doubles, 20 homers, 98 RBI and 25 stolen bases.

The source said the Reds would prefer to keep closer Francisco Cordero, who has two years and $25 million left on his deal. They also need a shortstop and a catcher and have a decision to make at first base, where Joey Votto hit .322 but prospect Yonder Alonso (.838 OPS in the minors last season) seems close to being ready.

o. In a 180-degree turn from predecessor J.P. Ricciardi, new Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos declined any comment on whether he will trade ace Roy Halladay. But baseball sources expect that to happen this winter, with one GM predicting the Dodgers as a landing spot.

o. Detroit is probably content to let second baseman Placido Polanco sign elsewhere as a free agent and replace him with prospect Scott Sizemore, who by spring training is expected to be recovered by from a broken ankle suffered in the Arizona Fall League. It would seem to make sense for the Tigers to re-sign shortstop Adam Everett, a defensive specialist who could help a rookie double-play partner.

o. Washington should name its manager by the end of the week. A source confirmed the FOXSports.com report that Jim Riggleman, who finished out the 2009 season as interim manager, and Bobby Valentine are the finalists. One major league source said the decision will be based on who can help the team develop -- rather than public personality -- which seems to point to Riggleman.

Once that is settled, the Nats may target a veteran starting pitcher to top off and mentor their young rotation. Jon Garland and Randy Wolf are free agents who fit the profile.

Washington seems committed to Adam Dunn at first base with an outfield of Josh Willingham, Nyjer Morgan and Elijah Dukes. And Ian Desmond (.280 as a September call-up) will get a chance to be the everyday shortstop.

o. One official from another team expects the Red Sox to trade for a left fielder to replace Jason Bay, in part because they see Bay's rough two-month stretch from late June to late August -- .214 average with 59 strikeouts in 168 at-bats -- as a red flag. But another major league source said Boston is still engaged with Bay, a free agent. The Giants, in dire need of offense, could also get involved with the slugger.

"Chronological age does not have anything to do with a player of his genetics."
-- Scott Boras on client and free agent Johnny Damon San Francisco general manager Brian Sabean said his team won't be used as a pawn in a bidding war.

"You've got to be realistic," Sabean said. "Do they really want to come to San Francisco versus the people they are going to be talking to, including their own teams? We'll gauge in that way. People who are interested in San Francisco sincerely, we'll be interested in. Are we going to chase people we have no chance of signing?"

The Giants may have a tough time convincing a slugger to play in San Francisco because AT&T Park is so pitcher-friendly.

"If you can hit, you can hit," Sabean said. "The ballpark shouldn't bother you."

o. Johnny Damon just turned 36, but, as you'd expect, that's not going to deter Scott Boras from seeking as long a contract as he can get.

"The thing I'll say about Johnny is his durability is off the charts," Boras said. "It's like when I had Maddux on the market at age 37 and he got a four-year deal. Johnny Damon is at the point he's played 12 years and played 140-plus games and put up this remarkable career. Then you are talking about Pete Rose and all those players who went on to play till they were 40 at very high levels. Chronological age does not have anything to do with a player of his genetics."

Boras also said that Damon would not necessarily want to wait until he goes on the open market to re-sign with the Yankees, even though he conceded that it is customary for Boras clients to test the waters.

"If there is a deal that comes across the table that Johnny is happy with, I'm sure he'd sign quickly," Boras said.

o. The Angels have started a dialogue with all of their free agents, including the two big ones, John Lackey and Chone Figgins. General manager Tony Reagins said it's too early to tell how those negotations will go.

He said neither player has closed the door on re-signing with the Angels before the end of the 15-day exclusive negotiating window.

o. After the main portion of the GM Meetings on Tuesday morning, there was a second meeting just for the assistant GMs. Essentially, that's the meeting where they discuss topics so mundane that MLB officials know that the GMs would leave if they were invited.

"We spent 20 minutes talking about urine samples," one assistant GM said.

Money Worries Could Force Reds to Move All-Star Phillips, Others originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Baseball Brunch: Joe, Albert and the Rest Of the Award Winners

Ed Price — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Cardinals, Nationals, Phillies, Reds, Rockies, Royals, Tigers, Twins, MLB Awards, MLB Inside Scoop, Baseball Brunch

Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

Ron Gardenhire was asked how teams try to pitch Joe Mauer.

"I can't give you all that information," Gardenhire, the Twins manager, said of his No. 3 hitter. "You'll write it and then other people might figure it out."

So you know, Ron, how to get him out?

"Hell, no, I don't! That's why I don't want to say anything.

"You just better have your defense standing in the right place, and that's where he's going to hit the ball hard -- that normally works. Catch the rocket that he's going to hit somewhere."

It's awards time here at Baseball Brunch, and we're casting our lot in the AL MVP race with Mr. Mauer.

Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Kevin Youkilis, Miguel Cabrera, Kendry Morales -- nice years, guys. Very nice.

But come on.

Mauer leads the American League in batting, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. And he's a catcher. Maybe as not as good a catcher as Teixeira is a first baseman, but at least as good a catcher as Jeter is a shortstop.

And better offensively, this year, than both of them.

If Mauer was playing in New York, teammate Michael Cuddyer said, "It would be ridiculous. He'd be everywhere. He would be on every billboard, every magazine cover.

"He's having arguably the best year in the history of the position. Not even arguably, really. It's pretty much the best year in the history of the position."

And that's a pretty good MVP argument.

With one caveat. We had some hesitation on Mauer because he missed the first month because of an inflamed joint in his lower back. So he has fewer total bases than Teixeira and fewer hits than Jeter. And playing time is an explicit criterion for picking the MVP.

But Mauer will end up playing in 137 or 138 games, only eight or nine fewer than last year, and with about 600 plate appearances. That's about 100 fewer than Jeter or Teixeira, but more than Youkilis. He will have been the DH more, with nearly 300 fewer innings caught than in 2008 -- but still sixth- or seventh-most innings caught in the league.

Our conclusion: his overwhelming production, and his near constant playing since returning, make up for the missed month.

Just for icing, Mauer leads the AL in batting average at home, on the road, against right-handers and in night games. He is second in average with runners in scoring position, third in average in day games and fourth in average vs. lefties.

o. NL MVP: Even an easier pick than in the AL. St. Louis' Albert Pujols also leads his league in on-base percentage and slugging percentage -- plus homers, runs scored, total bases, grand slams and extra-base hits. Like Mauer, he's second in batting average with men in scoring position.

Also worthy of being on the ballot: Hanley Ramirez, Chase Utley, Prince Fielder, Derrek Lee, Troy Tulowitzki, Adrian Gonzalez, Andre Ethier and Ryan Howard.

o. AL Cy Young Award: There should not be a debate. The MVP award should -- in our opinion, because that is what it has come to represent -- contain an element of contributing to a contender. But not the Cy Young.

And Kansas City's Zack Greinke is the best pitcher in the AL. Period. Felix Hernandez, Justin Verlander and CC Sabathia are great. And if Greinke wasn't around, it would be a tasty three-way debate.

But this year, that debate is about second place.

o. NL Cy Young Award: A similar three-way choice between San Francisco's Tim Lincecum and St. Louis teammates Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. They're 1-2-3 in ERA and 1-2-4 in wins.

Carpenter has been the most brilliant and dominant, but he's not in the top 10 in the NL in innings pitched because of early-season health issues. Lincecum has the lowest OPS allowed, but he plays in a great pitcher's park. And while we don't want to give wins too much weight, they are significant, and Wainwright leads the league.

So Wainwright, by a hair.

o. AL Rookie of the Year: What a great season for rookie talent, in both leagues. The White Sox are pushing third baseman Gordon Beckham, who has hit well (he has a ways to go defensively) but wasn't called up until June. And if Beckham is a candidate, Baltimore outfielder Nolan Reimold should be as well. Reimold leads Beckham in on-base percentage, slugging percentage and homers.

Texas' Elvis Andrus, meanwhile, has played all season -- excelling at shortstop with acceptable production at the plate for a 20-year-old.

And here we have to compare apples and oranges. How do we judge these position players against a closer (Oakland's Andrew Bailey with his .168 opponents' average) and starters (Detroit's Rick Porcello, Toronto's Ricky Romero, Tampa Bay's Jeff Niemann and Oakland's Brett Anderson)?

Tough call, but we go with Porcello. He's 20, he made 30 starts while pitching in a pennant race to the finish and he went 14-9 with a 4.04 ERA.

o. NL Rookie of the Year: Just as loaded, with Philadelphia's J.A. Happ, Atlanta's Tommy Hanson, Randy Wells of the Cubs, Milwaukee's Casey McGehee, Florida's Chris Coghlan, Colorado's Dexter Fowler and Pittsburgh's Garrett Jones and Andrew McCutchen.

If we whittle it down to one position player and one pitcher, we get Coghlan (229 total bases, 82 runs scored and .319 average) over McCutchen and Jones and a very close call between Happ (12-4, 2.85 ERA) vs. Hanson (11-4, 2.89 ERA).

The cop-out would be to go with Coghlan to avoid the choice between the pitchers. But while Hanson is a terrific prospect, Happ threw 164 innings and the Phillies would have been in big trouble without him.

o. AL Manager of the Year: Great job by Ron Washington to help make the Rangers relevant. Jim Leyland may take the Tigers from worst to first -- their first division title since 1987!

But Mike Scioscia didn't just guide the Angels to another division title. He kept the team from falling apart through a rough first few months, not only because of a rash of pitching injuries but also because of the death of Nick Adenhart. Managing a team is about managing people, and Scioscia did a great job this year.

(Amazingly, Joe Girardi will manage his team to 102 or 103 wins and not get a sniff of this award.)

o. NL Manager of the Year: We have a vote on this award this year, so due to BBWAA rules, we can't reveal our vote before the award is announced in November.

But there are good candidates. Fredi Gonzalez kept the Marlins in contention for 25 weeks. Tony La Russa had little in his lineup other than Pujols for the first three months. Charlie Manuel got the Phillies back on top, as did Joe Torre with the Dodgers. And Colorado has gone 74-41 since Jim Tracy took over for Clint Hurdle -- the equivalent of a 104-win season.

Overheard and Understood

o. The Angels could look a bit different in 2010. Unless owner Arte Moreno puts his foot down, they seem likely to not pick up the option on Vladimir Guerrero. Then, if Bobby Abreu comes back -- no slam dunk -- he could be the DH. Otherwise, it could rotate among a few players. Ace John Lackey is bound to go elsewhere, as mentioned last week in this space, meaning the Angels will probably try to add a mid-rotation pitcher.

Chart of the Week
No team has ever been more efficient at stealing bases than the recent vintage Phillies -- who have three of the seven best seasons ever in stolen-base percentage:
Team	SB%
2007 Phillies	87.9
2008 Phillies	84.5
1994 Orioles	84.1
1995 Blue Jays	82.4
1975 Reds	82.4
2004 Mets	82.3
2009 Phillies	82.3
2007 Diamondbacks	82.0
STATS LLC

The potential free agent the Angels feel the best about keeping, although it isn't a sure thing, is leadoff man Chone Figgins. And if he comes back, he'd likely move to left field, with Juan Rivera going from left to right and Brandon Wood taking over at third.

o. The Reds, whose attendance will drop about 15 percent from 2008, have to cut payroll for 2010. Which could make some pitching available on the trade market.

o. By going 57-24 at home, the Yankees tied the record for most wins in the first year at a new park. The Red Sox went 57-20 at Fenway Park in 1912.

o. We have gone six years without a World Series going to a deciding game, the longest such stretch since 1913-23. In fact, there hasn't been more than one winner-takes-all postseason game in any year since 2004 (the two LCS).

o. Through June 14, Washington had 16 losses in its opponent's final at-bat and just three wins in its final at-bat. But since then, the Nats have 12 last-at-bat wins and eight last-at-bat losses.

o. Jason Bartlett is likely to be the second Tampa Bay player ever to finish in the top 10 in the AL in batting average. The other? Aubrey Huff, when he hit .311 in 2003 to finish ninth in the league.

o. The Rockies are the second team since the 1989 Blue Jays to reach the playoffs after being 12 games under .500 at some point. The other was the 2005 Astros.

o. Pujols has an NL-record 184 assists from first base. He also the big-league record of 184, set by Bill Buckner in 1985. In other words, don't leave Pujols in for the ninth inning of Game 6 of the 2010 World Series.

Baseball Brunch: Joe, Albert and the Rest Of the Award Winners originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Baseball Brunch: Bizarre, Rich Legacy at Metrodome as Twins Depart

Ed Price — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Nationals, Padres, Rangers, Red Sox, Tigers, Twins, Yankees, MLB Inside Scoop, Baseball Brunch

Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Johan Santana had never seen the Metrodome before the Twins took him from Single-A in the Rule 5 draft.

"When I first got there," Santana told FanHouse, "my first impression was, 'How can you play baseball in a place like this?'

"I came from Single-A and from Venezuela, and we don't have any of that stuff. ... I couldn't figure it out. How could this thing [the roof] be up in the air? And then it feels like you're in a bubble. And then you play baseball."

Yes they did. The Twins won two World Series in that bubble, but unless they rally to make the playoffs, they will say goodbye to the Metrodome this week.

Open-air Target Field opens next April.

The Twins say about all they'll miss about the Metrodome is the guarantee of no rainouts (or snowouts).

Kent Hrbek -- who grew up in Bloomington and attended games outdoors at old Metropolitan Stadium -- went 2-for-4 in the April 6, 1982, regular season opener at the dome.

He said he has "so many good memories" there. But, "after playing the game there and becoming a fan again," he said, "it's a horrible place to see a baseball game."

It's not just the artificial turf. Or the noise level. And the seats that don't point the right way for baseball.

"Playing inside is not fun," former Twins center fielder Torii Hunter said. "It's not baseball."

In Minnesota, summer doesn't last very long -- and it's gorgeous. Who wants to spend it indoors?

"I just came back from five days in Canada," Jack Morris, who grew up across the river in St. Paul and pitched one of the most memorable games in Metrodome history (Game 7 of the 1991 World Series), said earlier this month. "I saw over 200 bald eagles. Believe me, what God creates is so much better than anything man can create, it's unbelievable."

Said closer Joe Nathan: "When you walk through the doors when it's a nice day out, it kind of deflates you.

"You get nice days, you see this place like half-empty and you wonder why. It's because it's nice out. People are outside."

But the Twins might lose their home-field advantage when they go outdoors.

Visiting teams, especially those in the AL Central, hated coming to the Metrodome so much they sometimes seemed psyched out.

"This ballpark is an advantage," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said, "just because people hate coming in here so much that maybe it intimidates them a little bit.

"But there's been an advantage in here. I guarantee it. We've had teams that can play on this [turf] and play in here and irritate the crap out of people, so that's been kind of fun."

Plus fly balls lost in the those 10 acres of Teflon-coated fiberglass overhead and the strange bounces off the turf and speakers hanging overhead and the "baggie" in right field.

In 1984, Dave Kingman hit a fly ball so high it went into one of the holes in the roof and stayed there.

Double.

"Especially during day games," said Aaron Rowand, who visited often with the White Sox in 2001-05, "if you try to go back on the ball and take your eye off it to run to a spot, and try to look back up and find it, it's real tough.

"I remember once somebody hit [a fly], it was going foul, it bounced off [a speaker], came back in and one of the infielders caught it."

There have been other subtle advantages. Some accused the Twins of manipulating the air conditioning, but Hunter said that once fans started leaving in the seventh inning, the opening of doors created a swirling wind current that carried balls out to right-center field. A "napkin" -- makeshift weather vane -- near the home on-deck circle would let the Twins know when to hit to right.

In the 1987 and '91 World Series, the Metrodome's advantage was mostly fans, packed houses making noise intensified by the roof.

"It's the most intimidating home field of any team, any sport that I've ever seen or been around," Oakland general manager Billy Beane, who played for the Twins and had A's teams lose in Minneapolis in the playoffs, told FanHouse's Jeff Fletcher. "As a player, as a GM, as a fan of other sports, from what I hear Saturday night in Baton Rouge is supposed to be pretty tough, but I'd put the Metrodome up there. If you had one of those tournaments for most intimidating it would be LSU and the Metrodome in the final, and I'm going with the Metrodome.

"There is nothing like the Metrodome. There is nothing that is even close."

The Twins' winning percentage since 1982 is 100 points higher at home than on the road. Of the teams that have been in existence since 1982, only Houston and Texas have had a larger advantage at home.

Metrodome Mosts
Stat	Twins	Visitors
Hits	K. Puckett (1,269)	C. Ripken (123)
HR	K. Hrbek (138)	J. Thome (28)
Wins	B. Radke (85)	Mussina/Clemens (10)
Saves	J. Nathan (123)	Montgomery/Jones (18)

Even so, the Metrodome won't be missed by the Twins.

"It wasn't really a baseball stadium," said Hrbek, who played more games at the Metrodome than anyone but the late Kirby Puckett. "It was a football stadium, and they decided to put a baseball park in there."

Said Gardenhire: "We can't wait to get outside and have our own field and not share it with anybody."

Twins catcher Joe Mauer, who grew up in St. Paul, played his first football game in the Metrodome, as a fifth-grader, and never saw an outdoor big-league baseball game until he played in one.

"I think it's more a football stadium than anything," he said. "I have a lot of great memories here ... but I'm really looking forward to getting outside and playing outside."

Target Field, not far from the Metrodome in the Warehouse District, will seat 40,000 and cost $412 million (about six times what the Metrodome cost).

"It's typical Minnesota," said Mariners infielder Jack Hannahan, who grew up across the river in St. Paul, attended the University of Minnesota (which plays its home baseball games in the Metrodome) and still has a "Homer Hanky" from the 1991 World Series.

"It took them forever to do it, and once they finally did it, they didn't do it right. If it would have had a retractable dome, like what Safeco [Field in Seattle] has, it would have been perfect. It didn't work out, it didn't work out. But anything they'll build will be successful in Minnestota because the fans are so good."

"It's the most intimidating home field of any team, any sport that I've ever seen or been around. ... There is nothing like the Metrodome"
-- Billy Beane University of Minnesota baseball and the Vikings will continue to play in the Metrodome; Gophers football opened its new on-campus stadium this year.

A large numeral beyond left field in the Metrodome indicates how many Twins games are left there. Then a series of banners reads, "Countdown to outdoor baseball," "Countdown to farmer-tanned vendors," "Countdown to mustard-flavored lip balm," "Countdown to ch-ch-ch-chhhhh (the sound of sprinklers on natural grass), "Countdown to skyline sunsets," "Countdown to real grass stains," "Countdown to starry nights."

The team itself is counting down to when it has a decent-sized clubhouse, it doesn't have to store equipment in the hallway and it won't have to share a weight room and batting cage that are on the other side of the stadium.

"If I play next year," Seattle's Mike Sweeney said, "and it's April and I go to Minnesota and its 25 degrees, I'll miss the Metrodome big time.

"But the stadium is outdated and it's cool to move on to a new place. We just might need to pack some more [long] sleeves."

Overheard and Understood

o. Angels ace John Lackey, an impending free agent, has told people he is seeking a $100 million contract. And a major league source said the Angels have no intention of meeting that demand. Who would -- even despite Lackey's dependability over the years? There have been five nine-figure deals for pitchers; Kevin Brown and Mike Hampton didn't produce over the entire lengths of their deals, Barry Zito looks similar and the jury is still out on CC Sabathia and Santana.

Chart of the Week
Colorado's Seth Smith is 17-for-35 as a pinch hitter. In the past 35 years, just four players have batted .500 in the pinch (minimum 20 at-bats):
Player	Team	Average
Bruce Boisclair	'76 Mets	.571 (12-21)
Kevin Seitzer	'91 Royals	.550 (11-20)
Alex Arias	'99 Phillies	.545 (12-22)
Willie McGee	'92 Giants	.524 (11-21)
Seth Smith	'09 Rockies	.486 (17-35)
Source: STATS LLC

o. Washington plans to talk with Bob Melvin about its managerial position soon after the season ends. Melvin and general manager Mike Rizzo worked together in Arizona. Bobby Valentine's name has also come up as a Nationals candidate, and there is talk that those interviewed for the Washington GM job were asked directly about Valentine, an indication that he has been in the team's sights for a while.

o. Are we in a golden age of second basemen? For the first time ever, five second basemen -- Dan Uggla, Aaron Hill, Chase Utley, Jose Lopez and Ian Kinsler -- have 25-homer seasons in the same year. Then there's Brian Roberts (55 doubles), Robinson Cano ( .321 average and .519 slugging percentage,), Dustin Pedroia (110 runs scored and .297 average) and Brandon Phillips (20 homers, 95 RBI). Only Roberts and Utley are in their 30s.

o. A scout who has examined the Diamondbacks system said it is severely lacking in top prospects, and he cited three factors: some of the top young players in the organization are already in the majors; Arizona gave up prospects in the deal for Dan Haren; and a couple of bad drafts in a row. In contrasting the depth of two systems, the scout said the Giants "have 20 guys like" Diamondbacks lefty Daniel Schlereth.

o. Texas' Elvis Andrus is the fourth-youngest player to steal 30 bases in a season after Rickey Henderson, Ty Cobb and Claudell Washington.

o. The Red Sox face a tough decision on how much to play catcher Jason Varitek in the postseason. He looks terrible at the plate (.167 with 20 RBI in 156 at-bats since June 30) and in the field. About all manager Terry Francona can cite is intangibles: "There was a reason they put that 'C' (for captain) on his chest. And even through disappointment and a little bit of a reduced role, he still exhibits a lot of leadership."

o. With the Angels, Phillies and Cardinals having closer issues, we wondered: how much does a closer matter in the postseason. Conventional wisdom says a lot, since the competition is better, the games are closer, and each loss is so significant. Well, according to STATS LLC, since the three-tiered playoffs began in 1995, there has been an average of one save opportunity every 2.89 postseason games. Over the same span, save opportunities have been MORE frequent in the regular season -- an average of one save opportunity every 2.68 regular-season games. And the save percentage is about the same, 67.0 in the regular season and 67.2 in the postseason.

Still, we suspect that closers do matter, because of the importance of every game and the psychological effect of a blown save.

o. Seattle could be the second team ever to win 85 games the year after losing 100. The 1989 Orioles were 87-75 after going 54-107 the previous season.

o. Arizona vice president for player personnel Jerry DiPoto didn't get the Washington GM job, but if San Diego decides to promote long-time general manager Kevin Towers to a position such as team president, DiPoto would have a shot at becoming Padres GM.

o. The possible Game 1 matchup in one American League Division Series is Sabathia and Justin Verlander. They have faced off six times, their teams splitting the games (two this year between the Yankees and Tigers and the other four between Cleveland and Detroit). In the six games, Sabathia has gone 3-3 with a 5.13 ERA while Verlander has gone 3-2 with a 3.26 ERA.

o. An AL executive who recently saw St. Louis' John Smoltz in person said, "His stuff is really, really good. I guess Boston must be really good not to need that guy." The minuses, according to the executive: Smoltz's "command is not what it used to be" and he "labors," throwing a lot of sliders.

o. Some suspect Chad Billingsley's struggles for the Dodgers -- 3-6 with a 5.40 ERA since the All-Star break -- come from not getting along with catcher Russell Martin.

o. Derek Jeter, 35, is the oldest regular shortstop with a 200-hit season.

o. They aren't the most indicative statistics, but the Dodgers could become the first team since the 1946 Cardinals to lead the NL in club batting average, ERA and fielding percentage.

Baseball Brunch: Bizarre, Rich Legacy at Metrodome as Twins Depart originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Thome Finally Arrives, Helps Dodgers Clinch

Jeff Fletcher — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Athletics, Braves, Cardinals, Dodgers, Nationals, Red Sox, Yankees, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That Jim Thome picked a good time to finally make his first significant contribution since the Dodgers got him to be their star pinch-hitter. Thome's two-run pinch-hit single keyed a four-run inning in a come-from-behind 8-4 victory over the Pirates that locked up a playoff spot for Los Angeles.

Thome had been 2-for-11 pinch-hitting for the Dodgers, with no RBI. He came up just after the Dodgers had taken a 5-4 lead and delivered a two-run single. Just a day earlier, Thome had an injection in a sore foot that has hampered him for a couple weeks.

After the Dodgers won, they had a subdued champagne toast -- no dumping or spraying -- to celebrate the team's third postseason appearance in the past four years. They are holding off on the big party until they close out the Rockies. Their magic number to win the NL West is two. They could do it as soon as Sunday.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

From The Trainer's Room ...
Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina was hit just above his left knee by a foul tip, suffering a bruise that forced him out of the game. Losing their All-Star backstop could have been disastrous, but Molina said after the game -- while doused in champagne from the division-clinching win -- that he was OK, and might just miss "a couple days." Molina probably would have sat out Sunday under any circumstances, and the Cardinals are off on Monday.

Numbers Game ...
The Angels became the last team in baseball to suffer a four-game losing streak, and they did it in particularly ugly fashion. They blew a seven-run lead in a 15-10 loss to the A's. The stunning victory for the A's came against Angels starter John Lackey, who had been 16-4 with a 2.54 ERA against Oakland. The Angels' magic number to win the AL West is still four. They open a series with second-place Texas on Monday.

In Their Own Words ...
"If it could go wrong, it went wrong. Freakish things are happening." -- Nationals manager Jim Riggleman, after his team made three errors in a loss to the Braves. The Nationals lost their 102nd game, allowing the Braves to win for the 13th time in 15 games as they pulled within 2 1/2 games of Colorado in the wild-card race.

Advance Scouting ...
The Yankees have a chance to clinch their first AL East title since 2006 -- can you believe it's been that long? -- if they beat the Red Sox Sunday (1:05 PM ET). Andy Pettitte starts for the Yankees against Boston's Paul Byrd. The Red Sox still have a magic number of three to clinch the wild card.

Starting Five: Thome Finally Arrives, Helps Dodgers Clinch originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Washington Won't Be Only Century City

Ed Price — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, Indians, Mariners, Nationals, Orioles, Pirates, Red Sox, Rockies, Royals, MLB Injuries, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
One team has 100 defeats, two more could follow -- and there could even be a record-tying four 100-loss teams.

The Nationals on Thursday fell to 52-100 with their 7-6 loss to the Dodgers. And the Pirates are 56-95 after a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Reds.

Anyone want to bet Pittsburgh -- 3-23 since Aug. 28 -- goes better than 6-5 in its final three series against Los Angeles, Chicago and Cincinnati?

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

The other two candidates to hit the century mark are Baltimore (60-92) and Cleveland (61-91). The Orioles have lost seven straight while the Indians have dropped 11 in a row, one off the team-record skid set in 1931.

We'd bet on both teams to reach 100 losses but for one small detail: They play each other this weekend.

Which means someone's losing streak ends tonight. And the only way for both teams to lose 100 is if Baltimore wins two of three this weekend and both teams then drop their final seven games.

Which, considering how these teams are going, isn't out of the realm of possibility.

The only time four teams lost 100 games in the same season was 2002 -- Detroit, Milwaukee, Tampa Bay and Kansas City. There have been seven other seasons with three 100-loss teams, but only once (1985) since it happened four times in five years after the 1961 expansion.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez -- who has hit .297 with a .601 slugging percentage since Aug. 7 -- has missed two straight games with a tight left hamstring.

"We are backing off," [manager Jim] Tracy said. "He will be available to hit. But I wouldn't put him out there where he has to run. The injury is near the bottom of the hamstring so we have to be very careful."

Numbers Game ...
Boston's Clay Buchholz allowed fewer than two runs for the fourth straight start, pitching 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a win at Kansas City. Since Sept. 8, Buchholz is 3-0 with a 0.70 ERA, 18 hits allowed (one homer) and 19 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings.

In Their Own Words ...
"I'd vote for Greinke, he's doing a great job. He's tough, he's nasty." -- Seattle ace Felix Hernandez (who improved to 17-5 Thursday with a win in Toronto) on the debate over whether he or Kansas City's Zack Greinke should win the AL Cy Young Award

Advance Scouting ...
If the Braves are going to make a dramatic charge to the playoffs, this is the weekend to gain major ground. Atlanta -- 3 1/2 games behind Colorado -- opens a three-game series in Washington Friday night (7:05 PM ET), while the Rockies host the NL Central-leading Cardinals for three (8:10 PM ET). The Braves passed the Giants, who stayed four back of the Rockies with Thursday's loss to the Cubs.

Starting Five: Washington Won't Be Only Century City originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Dugout: It's Tribe Time Now, Part 7

B. Thompson Stroud — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Dodgers, Indians, Nationals, NL West, The Dugout

The "youth movement" continues in Los Angeles, as Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez continue their countrywide trip to reunite the championship hopeful 1997 Cleveland Indians on the championship hopeful 2009 Dodgers. If you've missed where they've been so far, check out the numbered links below. If you haven't, and you are still somehow entertained by caps lock and typos, continue after the jump to read part seven of our epic special event.

Previously on It's Tribe Time Now

1 2 3 4 5 6

The Dugout

	Online Host Welcome to the Washington Nationals Clubhouse Chatroom!
	WordUpThome: EXQUEEZE ME THE MEAT TREE HAVE YOU SEEN MARQUIS GRISSOM HE IS THE LAST OF OUR MOHICANS
	GripSoda: fa the last time jim i told you i aint dmitri young, I'M marquis grissom
	WordUpThome: ARE YOU SURE -- YOU ARE PUDGY AND STAND ON FIRST BASE FOR THE NATIONALS THE MARQUIS GRISSOM I REMEMBER LOOKED MORE LIKE THE REPLACEMENT ANT VIV VERSION OF WILLIAM "MAYS" HAYES FROM THE FILM MAJOR LEAGUE 2: BOOK OF SHADOWS
	GripSoda: do you see me choking the hell out of a lady cop
	WordUpThome: NO
	GripSoda: do you see me whipping a bat at somebody and then using their skull as a bong
	WordUpThome: WHAT'S A BONG
	GripSoda: i told you, i coach first base now, do you see me... hey hold on a minute, ADAM. ay yo ADAM
	GitErDunn: Yes, coach?
	GripSoda: what you doin
	GitErDunn: Losing to the Phillies, coach. But I was taking tonight's game off to eat my lunch!
	GripSoda: what ya moms pack
	GitErDunn: Bologna with cheese, a mini bag of Fritos, and a tube of Gogurt!
	GripSoda: gimme da gogurt
	GitErDunn: But that's my dessert! I get to eat that if I finish my sandwich!
	GripSoda: lose tha spoon muthaf***a gimme da gogurts
	GitErDunn: /hands over Gogurt
	GripSoda: yee /sucks on tube nah jim i'm marquis grissom, dmitri young ain't even play for the team this year, i don't know where he went, might be retired
	GripSoda: last i heard the busta was tryin ta freebase dippin dots
	WordUpThome: I THINK EVERYONE IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES WOULD ENJOY A FREE BASE
	WordUpThome: THIS RECREATIONAL SWEETS USE IS ALL WELL AND GOOD, BUT WHAT ARE WE TO DO MAYBE MANNY IS HAVING BETTER LUCK
	Online Host Meanwhile, in the Nationals Park Chatroom!
	MannyTheTorpedoes: u member when you were in prank wor w/ vally an zag an slader stoled vally masgot so then they stoal u
	Screech: /makes "oh no" gesture with hands over mouth
	MannyTheTorpedoes: u member when jessy spano did drug an was so scare u member when belding wife got trap insite a elevater an zag had to give birth to babby
	MannyTheTorpedoes: how is babby formed
	Screech: /shrugs shoulders, gives high five
	MannyTheTorpedoes: /is high-fived do u know where morgeese grissom is
	Screech: /wanders off
	MannyTheTorpedoes: u member when zag morras fine out he is inian an then chief henry dies an he can go to the trag meet
	MannyTheTorpedoes: morgeese use to be a inian an we wanna fine him so he gan play for our dotchers an... oh no hole on let me esplain beter
	MannyTheTorpedoes: /searches body for pinned-on note
	Screech: /provides mild amusement
	Online Host Meanwhile, back in the Washintgon Nationals Clubhouse Chat!
	WordUpThome: THANKS FOR HEARING ME OUT, MARQUIS, WITH YOUR EXPRESSED WRITTENED CONSENT WE CAN NOW PLAY MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
	SteakGrowsOnDmitri: yee aight say what you bring fa lunch
	WordUpThome: I PURCHASED A COOLER FROM BIG LOTS! FOR ONLY NINE DOLLARS AND FILLED IT TO THE BRIM WITH VIENNA SAUSAGES
	SteakGrowsOnDmitri: gimme dem lil snausages
	WordUpThome: ALL OUT OF SAUSAGES
	SteakGrowsOnDmitri: ya playin righ how bout you tip that bitch on its side and lemme drink dat sausage water
	Online Host MannyTheTorpedoes has entered the chatroom.
	WordUpThome: WELL SURE GRIP; SHARING IS WHAT SHARON LIKES, BUT CAN WE COUNT ON YOU FOR THE BASEBALL
	SteakGrowsOnDmitri: what da f*** is baseball
	WordUpThome: THE SPORT, THE JOB YOU ARE PAID TO PERFORM
	SteakGrowsOnDmitri: what da f*** is "performing a job"
	Online Host KanyeFeelTheLoveTonight has entered the chatroom and taken Jim Thome's keyboard.
	KanyeFeelTheLoveTonight: yo Jim I know you're doing a Dugout and I'mma let you finish, but Jennie and Jim is the best Dugout special event OF ALL TIME
	KanyeFeelTheLoveTonight: The best Dugout special event of ALL TIME!
	Online Host KanyeFeelTheLoveTonight has left the chatroom.
	WordUpThome: WHAT IN THE WINE WINE WORLD OF SPORTS WAS THAT
	MannyTheTorpedoes: old meam
	WordUpThome: HEY MANNY MAYBE YOU CAN HELP ME OUT WITH THIS, DO YOU KNOW WHAT A "BONG" IS
	MannyTheTorpedoes: bong james bong, like in spies
	WordUpThome: THAT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING WE SHOULD ALL HAVE
	SteakGrowsOnDmitri: aww yee thats what im talkin about, hole up, i aint marquis grissom but i'll play bench for ya team
	SteakGrowsOnDmitri: yall wait right here imma grab my sh** an be righ back
	WordUpThome: LOL BYE

Photos link to player info. (Photo Credit: Getty Images) WordUpThome.com

The Dugout: It's Tribe Time Now, Part 7 originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Baseball Brunch: Meet the Rarest Breed

Ed Price — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Athletics, Cardinals, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Marlins, Mets, Nationals, Orioles, Rays, Royals, Tigers, Twins, Yankees, MLB Awards, MLB Biz, MLB Inside Scoop, Baseball Brunch

Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

Cody Ross blames his mom.

"My dad was a really good athlete (Kenny Ross, who played safety at New Mexico in the late 1960s)," said Ross, the Marlins' right fielder. "My dad was all right[-handed]. My mom's a lefty, so maybe I got that gene from her."

Ross and St. Louis' Ryan Ludwick are the only two active position players who throw left and bat right. Just 14 such players in baseball history have gotten as many as 1,000 at-bats -- and that list now includes a Hall of Famer, Rickey Henderson.

"He kind of put us on the map," Ross said.

Some of the other names are recognizable -- early 20th-century Yankees star Hal Chase, Mets outfielder Cleon Jones, and more recent players Mark Carreon, Brian Hunter and David McCarty.

Some aren't -- Rube Bressler, Johnny Cooney, Al Nixon and Delos Drake.

"I think it's something that's kind of cool, something to be proud of," Ludwick said. "It's kind of an honor to be able to be in such little company."

Why so rare? There have certainly been plenty of players who throw right and bat left (582 with 1,000 or more at-bats), so it can't be that it's hard to be opposite-handed for hitting and throwing.

The simplest explanation is that a left-handed thrower can really play only four of the eight positions -- outfield and first base -- and is even less valuable if he bats right-handed, since lefties are less common and have the advantage against right-handed pitching.

"I think being a left-handed hitter is viewed as having an advantage," Ludwick said, "so you see a lot more people who throw right and are taught to hit left because it's an advantage."

Nether Ross nor Ludwick could explain how they ended up batting right and throwing left.

"It just happened," said Ludwick, who last year joined Henderson and Jones as the only bat-right/throw-left players to make an All-Star Game. "Natural."

Said Ross: "I have no reason why I do it. Nobody ever taught me to do it."

Both tried switch-hitting as kids -- "for a minute," Ludwick said, "but I was so much better right-handed."

Said Ross, "My dad tried to get me to switch-hit when I was younger. I did for a little while. But I realized really quickly that I had a lot more power from the right side and I didn't want to waste an at-bat [left-handed]."

It's not like Ross and Ludwick can't play. Ross, 28, is third on the Marlins with 22 homers and 83 RBI. Ludwick, 31, has 20 home runs and has driven in 87 runs, both second on the Cardinals.

"I feel like you see a lot of left-handed hitters that are right-handed throwers that have a lot of pop because they're right-hand-dominant, so they can really pull that bat through the zone," Ludwick said. "So I feel like being left-hand-dominant, I can [do the same]."

The bottom hand provides the power in a swing, and some recent boppers who throw right and bat left include Jim Thome, Prince Fielder, Larry Walker, Tino Martinez, Carlos Delgado, Adam Dunn, Jason Giambi and Mo Vaughn.

But those guys who throw left and bat right -- they don't get the love.

Ludwick was a second-round draft pick out of UNLV in 1999, so he never felt a bias because of his bat/throw combination. But Ross, a fourth-rounder in the same draft out of high school in New Mexico, said it worked against him. (Louie Medina, who played 51 games in the majors while throwing left and batting right, scouted both players for that '99 draft. Medina, now a special assistant to the GM in Kansas City, was then a scout for Arizona.)

"You have scouts come to watch you," Ross said, "and I was already challenged because of my height and I wasn't your prototypical baseball player, pushing 5-10. And also throwing left and hitting right, that's a lot against you going into pro ball. Or even college. So I think it affected me a little bit when it came to drafting and stuff like that.

"It's one of those things I knew I had to overcome, and I just did. A little bump in the road."

Both Ludwick and Ross didn't get a chance to become regulars in the majors until they had gone through multiple organizations. Ludwick was traded from Oakland to Texas to Cleveland and then had to sign on with Detroit and St. Louis as a minor-league free agent.

Ross was traded from the Tigers to the Dodgers to the Reds to the Marlins, including being traded twice in 33 days in 2006.

But he didn't blame that bouncing around on throwing left-handed and batting right-handed.

"I think once I got into pro ball, I think all of that kind of goes out the window," he said. "If you can play, you can play, and they'll find a spot for you."

Overheard and Understood

-- If you think Derek Jeter's pursuit of the Yankees' franchise hits record was overblown, wait until next spring training. Because the Yankees seem intent on letting Jeter go into 2010 without a contract beyond this year, and it will be a season-long storyline next year: Is this the Captain's last year in pinstripes?

Chart of the Week
Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria became the ninth player to have 40 doubles, 30 homers and 100 RBI in a season before the age of 24:
Player	Year
Hal Trosky	1934/36
Ted Williams	1939
Alex Rodriguez	1996
Scott Rolen	1998
Eric Chavez	2001
Aramis Ramirez	2001
Albert Pujols	2001-03
Miguel Cabrera	2005
Evan Longoria	2009
Source: Rays

While it might seem good public relations and, emotionally, a no-brainer to try to lock up Jeter long-term this winter, that wouldn't be good business for the Yankees. Not that they don't want him, but Jeter will be coming off his best season in at least three years, maybe 10. So in any contract negotiations this winter, Jeter would have the upper hand. The Yankees couldn't tell Jeter they have an alternative in mind, since both sides know he'll be the team's shortstop in 2010.

And it's not like the Yankees have ever gotten any kind of hometown discount from Jeter; the sides went to arbitration in 1999, avoided arbitration in 2000 with a $10 million salary and then worked out his current 10-year, $189 million deal in February 2001. Considering what he means to the franchise -- and its fans -- Jeter now could have every right to ask for more than Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia.

The only way an extension would get done before Jeter's contract is up (or close to up) is if ownership -- the Steinbrenner brothers -- steps in. They did in the fall of 2007, after the Joe Torre fiasco, to bring back Rodriguez (after his ugly opt-out), and with Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera on above-market deals. But the Steinbrenners may realize now they overpaid then and hold firm on Jeter.

Which will make for a fascinating winter of 2010-11, because the next negotiations will determine how much Jeter makes compared to A-Rod, whether he will be signed for the same length of time (through 2017!) and -- as part of the whole equation -- whether he ever moves from shortstop, and when, and where.

-- With a new ballpark opening next year, the Twins plan to spend more this winter than in any recent offseason. They "won't be picking up the scraps" of free agency, as one person put it.

-- Washington (including its Montreal years) is the only franchise never to have had two teammates with 100 RBI in the same season, but that could be corrected this year as Adam Dunn has 99 RBI and Ryan Zimmerman has 94. Tampa Bay got its first 100-RBI duo this year, with Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena.

-- The Angels could be the first team since the 2005 Cardinals to make it through the season without a four-game losing streak.

-- Figure this: Seven of the Dodgers' final 18 games are against the Pirates. Three others are against the Nationals.

-- Arizona's Chris Young last Sunday became the first player to go into a game batting less than .200 and then hit three homers.

-- The Cubs did not gain ground on the Cardinals in any day from Aug. 3 through Thursday.

-- If the A's, who have 85 errors, can finish with fewer than 100, they will set an all-time record by doing that for the sixth straight year. The Phillies had double-digit errors from 2001 to 2005.

-- Attendance at the Mets' new Citi Field on Thursday, for a game against the Marlins, was 37,620. But the Mets estimated 20,000 no-shows and about 17,000 in the stands.

-- The Rays are promoting right-hander Jeff Niemann (12-5, 3.57 ERA) for AL Rookie of the Year. They cite that he is in the top 10 all-time for winning percentage by an AL rookie starter; the first rookie to beat Roy Halladay twice; the first rookie in 55 years to lead the defending AL champs in wins and ERA; and that he could have three more wins but for two blown two-run leads and a blown three-run lead by his bullpen.

-- Since the start of last year, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, just two AL teams have swept four series from the same opponent (three or more games). It figures that the Yankees swept the Orioles five times, but not that the Royals have swept the Tigers four times.

-- Detroit's Brent Dlugach, called up Sept. 1, is the first big-leaguer ever whose name begins with "DL." Unless you count Mike Hampton.

Baseball Brunch: Meet the Rarest Breed originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jim Riggleman: Baseball 'Not a Physically Taxing Sport'

Pat Lackey — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:39:00 EST

Filed under: Nationals, NL East

If I were an interim manager, I would think that my goal would be to try and make the best impression I could in my short period of time at the helm of the team to try and convince the front office that I deserved the job full-time. One of the requirements for that would seem to be making a good impression on the players. Jim Riggleman, who has much more extensive experience as an interim manager than I do, apparently thinks that's hogwash.

When asked about resting players down the stretch, Riggleman gave a long, rambling answer that's aptly summed up by this sentence: "It's a baseball game; it's not a physically taxing sport." Now, I'm not going to get into the debate that I repeatedly do with my non-baseball fan friends here. Baseball is certainly not as physically demanding as hockey or basketball or football. But it's weird to hear a manager say that it's not "physically taxing" in what seems like a derogatory manner.

It's also not exactly crazy to think that most baseball players do get fatigued and dinged up from time to time. Swinging a bat once isn't hard, but doing it a dozen times or more and then doing that every day for six months can certainly lead to some fatigue and some dings that might be helped by a day off here or there. Baseball's not intensely difficult, but to say that players should be "ashamed of themselves" for getting physically tired from playing baseball seems more than a little overboard and I imagine it's a sentiment that won't sit well with a lot of players.

In the end it probably doesn't matter; with Mike Rizzo now installed as the full-time general manager, he'll likely want to put his own manager in place when the season ends anyway. Riggleman certainly hasn't done much to distance himself from the competition either; the Nats are 21-31 since he took over from Manny Acta. That's a vast improvement over Acta's 26-61 record this year, but it doesn't really make it good, either.

Jim Riggleman: Baseball 'Not a Physically Taxing Sport' originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Dodgers Bounce Back

Matt Snyder — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cardinals, Cubs, Dodgers, Giants, Nationals, Rangers, Rockies, MLB Injuries

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
All everyone could talk about earlier this week was the stunning manner in which the Rockies nearly closed the gap on the Dodgers in the NL West. Of course, they still only got within two games of the wire-to-wire Dodgers, and it's now back up to a 4-game deficit for the Rox after consecutive home losses to the boys in blue. Vicente Padilla followed up Randy Wolf's Wednesday gem with a nice outing of his own. It was his Dodgers debut, as he just signed Wednesday.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

From the Trainer's Room ...
Nyjer Morgan broke a bone in his left hand Thursday and will likely miss the remainder of the season. The 28-year-old outfielder was enjoying a breakout season on two of baseball's worst teams. He was traded from the Pirates to the Nationals after 71 games and had a .307 average with 74 runs, 7 triples, 42 stolen bases and a .368 on-base percentage. He especially took off for Washington, as he hit .351 and stole 24 bases in his 49 games for the Nationals.

By the Numbers ...
Apparently Ian Kinsler is content with being a power hitter. The speedy, 27-year-old second baseman, who used to be the Rangers' leadoff hitter, has lost 56 points of his OBP and 72 off his batting average since last season. After his slugging in the Bronx Thursday afternoon, though, he established a new career high with 74 RBI and increased his already-career-high home run total to 28. He's hitting a homer every 15.7 at-bats in 2009.

In Their Own Words ...
When asked if his Cubs still have a chance at the postseason, Alfonso Soriano replied: ''[St. Louis] has to play like we're playing right now, and we've got a chance. But they're playing very good baseball.'' Yeah, good luck with that, Sori. The Cardinals are 21-7 in the past month, while the Cubs have won just five of their last 19. Add it up, and you have a St. Louis 9-game lead in the Central. Translation: Game over.

Advance Scouting ...
The Rockies need to refocus on their wild-card lead, because it is only three games over the Giants -- and the Rockies travel to San Francisco this weekend for a pivotal three-game series. The pitching matchup Friday night is an absolute dandy. You know Tim Lincecum, and he squares off against Ubaldo Jimenez, who is becoming a legitimate ace in his own right. His August ERA -- in five starts -- is a minuscule 1.63, which is more than enough to better Lincecum's 2.95 in the same stretch. This is a must-watch, old school pitcher's duel.

Starting Five: Dodgers Bounce Back originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stephen Strasburg Likely to Make Pro Debut in Arizona Fall League

Pat Lackey — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:08:00 EST

Filed under: Nationals, NL East, Prospects

Anyone hoping to see Stephen Strasburg in a big-league uniform in 2009 got some disappointing news Tuesday. MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo confirmed that Strasburg's first professional appearances will be with the Phoenix Dirt Dogs in the Arizona Fall League. This shouldn't be surprising news (Andrew Johnson reported that possibility here on FanHouse last Friday), but I think a large group of more casual fans expected to see Strasburg in red and blue almost immediately. That will clearly not be the case.

The reality is that even the most advanced pitching prospects in the past few seasons have made at least some minor-league starts before making their big-league debuts. After being drafted by the Giants in 2006, Tim Lincecum made 14 minor-league appearances in 2006 and 2007 before getting an early call to San Francisco. The Orioles drafted Brian Matusz fourth overall last year and he made his debut in the AFL, then made 19 minor-league starts before the O's brought him up a few weeks ago.

The reality of the situation is that even the most advanced pitchers take some time to advance from college to the big leagues and it's unlikely that Strasburg will be an exception. He'll probably take some lumps in the AFL, because that's what happens to most guys that pitch in that league, go to big-league camp next spring, and begin 2010 with the Potomac Nationals (Washington's advanced Single-A affiliate) or maybe the Harrisburg Senators.

He'll probably pitch in D.C. before next season ends, but do we really expect him to progress quicker than Lincecum? I know there's a lot of hype around Strasburg, but that'd be a pretty tall order.

Stephen Strasburg Likely to Make Pro Debut in Arizona Fall League originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mr. Strasburg Comes to Washington

Andrew Johnson — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:20:00 EST

Filed under: Nationals, NL East

WASHINGTON -- Five whole hours before the last-place Nationals opened a series with the reeling Milwaukee Brewers, hundreds of fans packed into the stands on the third base line at Nationals Park.

No. 1 overall pick Stephen Strasburg arrived in the nation's capital Friday afternoon four days after inking a record $15.1 million deal with one of baseball's most downtrodden franchises.

"It's been pretty wild," Strasburg said of the week-long process that began with down-to-the-wire negotiations and ended with an unofficial coronation in Washington. "It's a tremendous feeling. I'm excited to get my career started and hopefully I'll be playing up here with [the Nationals] soon."

The San Diego State right-hander was greeted with the type of fanfare normally reserved for heads of state in this town -- fireworks, $1 tickets, adoring fans, a pair of video montages on the center field scoreboard.

If this is what happens when all he does is sign a contract, what will happen when he pitches his first shutout, asked MASN broadcaster Bob Carpenter.

"Maybe a flyby from Air Force One," Strasburg joked.

Calling this a banner week for the Nationals seems like a gross misrepresentation of just what the last few days have meant to baseball in Washington. On Thursday, Mike Rizzo was installed as the permanent general manager of the club, slamming the door firmly shut on the rocky, and ultimately regrettable, Jim Bowden era.

Twenty-four hours later, Strasburg, a shining beacon of hope to fans who have had little reason to feel any over the past few years, donned a red Nationals cap and No. 37 jersey, bringing a palpable buzz to Nationals Park that hasn't really been felt since the building opened its doors last season.

"We made a pledge ... to build this team what we thought was the right way for the long-term, through scouting, through player development, with an emphasis on young pitching," team president Stan Kasten said. "We think this is one more fulfillment of that pledge. We have assembled ... a cadre of young pitchers in this organization, but we think this might be the most exciting fulfillment of that pledge."

Like it or not, Strasburg, now that he's signed on the dotted line, must bear the weight of enormous expectations on his 6-foot-5 frame.

Some of that comes from the record deal he signed and some from his triple-digit fastball and tilting slider. Much of it comes from all the losses and negative vibes emanating from Nationals Park over the past 18 months or so.

The Nationals, and Strasburg himself, are doing the best they can to tone down those expectations.

"We don't expect Stephen to be the savior of this franchise. He's just another one of our bright, shining young stars that are going to play in Washington for a long time," Rizzo said.

"There are a lot of good things that have happened, and all of it is predicated on young starting pitching ... so this is a continuation of that process. It doesn't begin here," Kasten said.

"I think the big thing is not to rush things and to go up [to Washington] when I'm ready," Strasburg said.

But this entire process has been about anticipation. Before draft day, it was: will the Nationals pick him? Once they did, it became: will he sign? Now, it is: when will he arrive in the major leagues and, to a lesser extent, will he be able to handle all the hype as he climbs the ladder toward Washington?

The Nationals made it sound very unlikely that his major league debut would come in 2009. Rizzo outlined a plan to have him debut in Florida instructional league in the next four or five weeks, and then, if all goes well, to send him to the Arizona Fall League in October.

No one, least of all Strasburg, seems worried about all the other stuff.

"I've always tried to be myself and just because there are a few dollar signs in front of me doesn't mean I'm gonna change who I am as a person," he said.

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BOSTON - AUGUST 21: Derek Jeter #2 of the New York Yankees enjoys a laugh before a game with the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on August 21, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Derek Jeter

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BOSTON - AUGUST 21: Alex Rodriguez #13 of the New York Yankees takes the field during batting practice before a game with the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on August 21, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Alex Rodriguez

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BOSTON - AUGUST 21: Dustin Pedroia #15 of the Boston Red Sox receives a hug by Eric Hinske #14 of the New York Yankees during batting practice at Fenway Park on August 21, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Dustin Pedroia;Eric Hinske

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BOSTON - AUGUST 21: Jorge Posada #20 of the New York Yankees runs the bases during batting practice before a game with the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on August 21, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jorge Posada

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New York Mets pitcher Billy Wagner talks with Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer before the baseball game at Citi Field in New York, Friday, Aug. 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul J. Bereswill)

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Pedro Martinez walks up the dugout steps to take a quick look at the rain before going back in before the baseball game agasint the New York Mets at Citi Field in New York, Friday, Aug. 21, 2009. Martinez formerly played for the Mets. (AP Photo/Paul J. Bereswill)

Scott Boras, Strasburg's agent, said all the hard work his client put in to transform himself into a No. 1 pick should pay enormous dividends. Strasburg went undrafted as a high school senior and was out of shape when he showed up for his first season at San Diego State under coach (and Hall of Famer) Tony Gwynn.

"I kind of created this beast myself," Strasburg said when asked whether he emulated any major league pitchers.

"His historic status and stature is something that was earned, something that was accomplished in his career," Boras said.

"[Rizzo] and I both evaluated Stephen much along the same lines. ... We both realized he had abilities physically, but we also realized that he would have the ability, both intellectually and with what his goals are as an athlete, to handle what comes with those physical talents, and that includes all the elements that come with the association to a contract."

Strasburg's biggest challenge, Rizzo said, would not be dealing with the expectations placed on him, but instead getting physically ready for the everyday nature of professional baseball, a sentiment the right-hander echoed.

"Bottom line is good pitchers get good hitters out," Strasburg said. "The thing I'm going to have to work on is making sure I'm ready ... for a 162-game season plus playoffs and being ready to pitch every five days instead of once a week [like in college].

"The big thing I've been told a lot -- especially at school from Tony Gwynn -- is that the game is the same out there [on the professional level]. All [the attention] is a little bit different, but as long as you go out there and take care of business on the field, you'll be successful."

Strasburg might be playing the same basic game as a pro, but this is a whole new one for the Nationals, who can, for the first time in awhile, actually bask in the glow of optimism.

"The Lerners build things," Boras said, referring to ownership's background in real estate. "That's exactly what they're doing here. They're building a foundation."

Mr. Strasburg Comes to Washington originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rizzo to Get Nats' GM Job After All

Jeff Fletcher — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:52:00 EST

Filed under: Nationals

If nothing else, the Nationals have been good for plenty of headlines over the past few days. Not all of them accurate, though.

The latest have acting GM Mike Rizzo being picked to keep the job indefinitely, with an announcement coming as soon as Thursday. This news broke late Wednesday, just about 24 hours after a report that the Nationals were ready to hire Jerry DiPoto, an executive with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Apparently the Naitonals were impressed by the way that Rizzo handled the Stephen Strasburg negotiations. The fact that the Nats got Strasburg signed for at least $6-7 million less than agent Scott Boras initial asking price bodes well for Rizzo.

Now Rizzo is really responsible for turning the fortunes of the worst team in baseball.

Be careful what you wish for.

Rizzo to Get Nats' GM Job After All originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nationals GM Job May Still Be Undecided

Ed Price — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:15:00 EST

Filed under: Nationals, MLB Inside Scoop

A major league source tells FanHouse "not so fast" on Jerry DiPoto becoming the Nationals' next general manager, as has been reported.

According to the source, acting GM Mike Rizzo -- who has been running the team since Jim Bowden resigned under fire during spring training -- did an impressive enough job in the negotiations to sign No. 1 overall draft pick Stephen Strasburg (who will be introduced Friday at a news conference) that Washington ownership is still considering giving him the job permanently.

The Lerner family and team president Stan Kasten are keeping their intentions very close to the vest. But the Washington Post reported there are signs Rizzo will get the job.

A Nationals source with knowledge of the general manager search went so far as to call the DiPoto report patently false, and even hinted that Rizzo would soon get the job.

The decision has already been made," the source said, "and the best I can tell you -- what's been written is 100-percent wrong."

An additional source familiar with the Washington front office said that the vibe around the organization had shifted, drastically, since the Strasburg signing -- with all signs pointing to Rizzo getting the permanent job.

This being the Nationals, anything could happen. They haven't had a full-time GM for about five months, and the franchise has yet to capitalize on a new stadium in a major market.

Rizzo has made plenty of moves to try to bring Washington up from rock bottom: rebuilding the bullpen, firing manager Manny Acta, trading for Nyjer Morgan and nearly daily transactions to try to make the roster competitive. He has also helped oversee several drafts that have pumped some talent into the lower levels of the organization.

So ownership has to choose whether to promote from within despite being en route to back-to-back 100-loss seasons or looking ungrateful for essentially firing Rizzo after all those efforts just so they could bring in a fresh face to replace him.

Nationals GM Job May Still Be Undecided originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jerry DiPoto Expected to Take Nationals GM Job

Tom Fornelli — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:56:00 EST

Filed under: Nationals, NL East, MLB Rumors

Mike Rizzo was given the Washington Nationals general manager job earlier this season after the team dumped Jim Bowden, but he got it with the interim tag. Well, after Rizzo negotiated to just about the last minute to sign Stephen Strasburg he got one heck of a thank you. Word broke last night from Yahoo!'s Gordon Edes that the Nationals were about to replace Rizzo with Arizona Diamondbacks vice president Jerry DiPoto.

Now, according to CBS' Danny Knobler, DiPoto has been telling his friends that he plans on leaving the Diamondbacks and accepting the Nationals general manager job.

DiPoto has told friends in Arizona that he plans to accept the job, which opened when Jim Bowden resigned under pressure this spring. Mike Rizzo has been serving as acting general manager, and Rizzo was one of three final candidates for the job, along with DiPoto and Red Sox assistant Jed Hoyer, according to sources.

"[DiPoto] will be a heck of a pick, but what hasn't [Rizzo] done to earn the opportunity to stay?" said one National League executive who knows both men.

DiPoto has spent the last four season in the Diamondbacks organization and pitched in the majors for eight seasons. He was also one of the finalists for the Mariners GM job last winter, but apparently lost out when he said he wanted to bring in Pat Gillick as a consultant.

As for what Rizzo did to deserve being replaced, I'm not entirely sure, but a part of me does wonder if this wasn't Washington's plan all along given the timing. It's possible they just didn't want to make the move before the trade deadline and while still negotiating with Strasburg.

Whatever the case is, I'm sure the Nats are just hoping they'll sell 12 million tickets to help pay for Strasburg's contract.

Jerry DiPoto Expected to Take Nationals GM Job originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:56:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Strasburg Signs for Record $15.1 Million

Jeff Fletcher — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:37:00 EST

Filed under: Nationals, MLB Draft

Stephen Strasburg got the record contract that his agent expected, and the Nationals got the pitcher considered to be the finest amateur in the history of the draft.

Strasburg, the No. 1 pick in the June draft, signed a $15.1 million, four-year deal. The previous record was $10.5 million, which the Cubs gave Mark Prior in 2001.

The Nationals reportedly had put a $12.5 million offer on the table more than a week ago, and the offer apparently was increased with some last-minute dealing. The deal was not announced until just after the midnight ET deadline.

More Coverage: M's Hand Ackley $9M | Draft Tracker

"There was back-and-forth throughout the day," Nationals acting GM Mike Rizzo said. "We started early in the morning, the group of us got together at 9 a.m. on Monday, and we've been together throughout the night. It's been a pretty consistent flow of back and forth, and obviously the last couple of hours -- and specifically the last 45 minutes -- the energy level ramps up. And it gets a little exciting."

Strasburg, 21, earned the record deal by dominating during his junior season at San Diego State. A 6-foot-4 right-hander, he was 13-1 with a 1.32 ERA. He had 195 strikeouts in 109 innings. He won the Golden Spikes Award, as the nation's best college player.

If Strasburg had not signed, he would likely have spent next season playing independent baseball or overseas. He would have then gone into next year's draft pool (unless agent Scott Boras figured a way around it) and the Nationals would have received the No. 2 pick in the 2010 draft as compensation.

There was much bluster coming from the Boras camp during the pre-draft buildup and immediately after the draft. Boras said that Strasburg deserved to be treated differently than a normal amateur draft pick, suggesting that Strasburg was actually more comparable to Daisuke Matsuzaka, who got more than $50 million to sign with the Red Sox.

In the end, though, Boras took Strasburg to a higher level, but he did not set a new precedent in the way the draft operates. Strasburg got more than anyone else, because he was arguably the best amateur, but he was not paid as if he were an established big-league free agent.

The deal reportedly includes a $7.5 million bonus and $7.6 million in salary over four years, starting immediately. Because Strasburg signed a major-league deal, he immediately goes on the 40-man roster. He also uses up one of his options unless he is added to the big-league 25-man roster. However, players who sign in this way typically qualify for a rare fourth option.

Because Strasburg is already on the 40-man roster and earning the big-league minimum salary, the Nationals could call him up later this season without much financial risk. He would start accruing service time, pushing him closer to arbitration and free agency, but an extra 30 days or so won't make much difference in that respect.

Rizzo said it's too early to discuss whether Strasburg will be in the big leagues this year.

"We have to figure out where he's at, how in shape his arm is, how much we have to ramp him up before he can start pitching competitively."

There were two legitimate schools of thought about this negotiation as it dragged on for two months. The first was that Strasburg and Boras were going to twist the system in whatever way possible to get maximum dollars, even if that meant doing something as radical as going to Japan in an effort to become a free agent.

Then there were folks who figured that would be way too much of a risk for Strasburg. If he got the record-breaking deal the Nationals were likely to offer, he was likely to take it, even if it was simply record-breaking, and not earth-shattering.

Strasburg, after all, was an amateur pitcher. A college kid in a college conference (the Mountain West) that wasn't all that good. Sure, he could throw 102 mph with a ridiculous slider, but at higher levels, hitters may lay off that slider. If he was forced to pitch with just a fastball, he might get hit, even at such velocity.

There is also a chance that he might get hurt. The Nationals saw first-hand how easily a phenom can turn into a question mark when Jordan Zimmerman had to go in for Tommy John surgery that is likely to have him out at least a year.

Nothing was a sure thing for Strasburg and the Nationals, which is why it made sense for the two parties to reach a reasonable compromise.

"The reason he agreed to a deal -- he wants to be in the big leagues, he wants to be a Washington National," Rizzo said. "He wants to win a Cy Young award and he wants to win championships in D.C. That's the reason he signed with us here. Money was a nice perk and a nice byproduct for him, but he's here to pitch. He's chomping at the bit to get on the mound. He's ultra-ultra competitive, and I think he was getting a little tired of sitting around the house."

Strasburg Signs for Record $15.1 Million originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Dugout: Giant Pile of Money

Jon Bois — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Nationals, MLB Biz, The Dugout

The rumored $15-20 million offer to Stephen Strasburg, of course, isn't anywhere near the largest monetary value thrown around in today's game, but it's a whopper of a salary for a guy who hasn't thrown a single major-league pitch in his life. Perspective is always helpful when discussing huge amounts of money, and the penny serves as a handy visual aid. $20 million, for example, is two billion pennies. That many pennies would weigh over eleven million pounds. That's a lot of pounds! See how easy this is?

Admission to today's Dugout, after the jump, is fifty cents. Just shove it in your CD-ROM drive; it'll get to us.

The Dugout

	ZimmermanTelegram: How much are my bosses offering you?
	StrasburgerSyndrome: Well, the first offer was a handful of rocks that Ted Lerner found in the parking lot.
	StrasburgerSyndrome: And I I was like, "man, this is a gravel parking lot. These aren't special rocks." But he kept yelling, "Rock! Rock!" with this big ear-to-ear grin.
	StrasburgerSyndrome: Then he made up some inane story about how the rock used to be part of a spaceship, but a cowboy rode in on his horse and shot it with his gun, and it blew up into a bunch of little rocks.
	ZimmermanTelegram: I'm not buying it.
	StrasburgerSyndrome: Yeah. Wholly unbelievable. Then for the next half-hour he wildly flailed a Cobra Commander action figure around in the air and made "whoosh" noises. Negotiations have stalled, I'm sad to say.
	ZimmermanTelegram: Lerner's no pushover. How much are you looking for?
	StrasburgerSyndrome: I want to be so full of money that I have to use my d*** as a change purse.
	ZimmermanTelegram: Every can't-miss prospect talks that way, kid. They over-estimate themselves and they get it into their heads that they immediately deserve "d***-as-a-change purse" money.
	StrasburgerSyndrome: Well, let's just say $20 million. I'd be completely content with six years and $20 million.
	ZimmermanTelegram: Let's deconstruct it. Why do you want exactly $20 million?
	StrasburgerSyndrome: Well, are you familiar with that classic thought-experiment? The one that asks, "how much would someone have to pay you to eat dog poop?"
	StrasburgerSyndrome: At first you say, "I don't know. Maybe a thousand bucks?" But then you're asked, "would you do it for $999?"
	StrasburgerSyndrome: And you're like, "well sure, what's a dollar less?" But then you keep being haggled down until you say no. The conclusion of the experiment is that you have to set a firm price and stick with it.
	ZimmermanTelegram: Fair enough. But you have to think. What are you going to do with $20 million?
	StrasburgerSyndrome: Well, ever since I was a little kid, there's something I've always wanted to do...
	StrasburgerSyndrome: Nevermind. It's stupid.
	ZimmermanTelegram: Aw, come on. This should be good.
	StrasburgerSyndrome: sigh Fine.
	StrasburgerSyndrome: I've always wanted to completely cover the exterior of an aircraft carrier in pennies.
	ZimmermanTelegram: Wouldn't it sink?
	StrasburgerSyndrome: I intend to find out.
	ZimmermanTelegram: How many pennies would it take?
	StrasburgerSyndrome: /deep breath
	StrasburgerSyndrome: A U.S. cent is .75 inches in diameter. Do the math, and you'll find that approximately 2,066 pennies would fit in a square meter.
	StrasburgerSyndrome: The deck of a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is about 13,000 square meters. The "wet area" is approximately 40,000 square meters. So that's 53,000 square meters we're dealing with. Multiply that by 2,066 and we arrive at our answer: it will take about $1 million to completely clad an aircraft carrier in pennies.
	StrasburgerSyndrome: I want to sail a fleet of five aircraft carriers around the world -- so that's $5 million. I want to lean over the deck, heckle the poorer peoples of the Earth, and throw pennies at them. I'm reserving another $5 million or so in pennies for that.
	StrasburgerSyndrome: Then, after I've sailed around the Earth to my satisfaction, I'll find a place to throw anchor and build a stack of pennies so high that it crosses the upper reaches of Earth's atmosphere and the pennies just start floating into space.
	ZimmermanTelegram: What the Hell? You can't do that. That would take, like, a trillion pennies.
	StrasburgerSyndrome: sigh
	StrasburgerSyndrome: No it wouldn't.
	StrasburgerSyndrome: I'd have to build the stack of pennies 62 miles high to break Earth's atmosphere. 62 miles = 327,360 feet = 3,928,320 inches.
	StrasburgerSyndrome: A penny is .06 inches thick. So a stack of 17 pennies is about an inch high.
	StrasburgerSyndrome: Multiply the 3,928,320 by the 17, and you have 66,781,440. That's how many pennies I would need. Of course, that equals out to $667,814.40.
	ZimmermanTelegram: wh guh
	StrasburgerSyndrome: I know, I know. "But Stephen, honey, what are you going to do with the other $9 million or so?"
	StrasburgerSyndrome: Well, I'm going to bribe the airlines to ensure that planes don't run into my awesome stack of pennies and knock it over. I'm figuring that it would cost about $2 million? Who knows. That's the only element of this equation I'm unsure of.
	StrasburgerSyndrome: So that leaves me with about $7 million. I'm 21 years old right now. If I sign a 6-year deal, it'll expire when I'm 27.
	StrasburgerSyndrome: Given the trend in life expectancy and my impressive physical health, I figure I'll live until I'm 90. The minute my contract expires, I'll retire, and I'll have 63 years left to live.
	StrasburgerSyndrome: I'll take that $7 million and live on about $111,000 a year until the day I die. So I'll still be living pretty damn comfortably.
	ZimmermanTelegram: i jesus christ
	ZimmermanTelegram: How did you find the time to add all that up?
	StrasburgerSyndrome: I spent my first 18 years in a labaratory, floating in a vat of amino acids. Trust me, I had plenty of time to think.
	StrasburgerSyndrome: Hey, can I borrow a dollar?
	ZimmermanTelegram: uh, sure
	StrasburgerSyndrome: Thanks. Mr. Lerner, I would like to buy your franchise for a dollar.
	SlowLerner: noooooooo
	StrasburgerSyndrome: /folds dollar bill into paper airplane Mr. Lerner, I would like to buy your franchise for this aeroplane.
	SlowLerner: hmmmmmm
	StrasburgerSyndrome: uh WHOOOSH! This is the pilot, requesting to land! ZOOOM!!!
	SlowLerner: AAAAAHH /clap clap clap
	ZimmermanTelegram: OH MY GOD THAT IS SO NOT A REAL AIRPLANE
	SlowLerner: heeehehehehheheeeee!!!
	ZimmermanTelegram: STOP IT STOP LAUGHING

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The Dugout: Giant Pile of Money originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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