May 18, 2006

The Rumor Mill

Outfielders and pitchers have moved to the head of the line on contending teams’ want lists, especially for two National League divisional favorites and one American League East co-favorite…

Shannon Stewart and Reggie Sanders are just two of the left fielders the Yankees will explore in the trade market now that Hideki Matsui is slated to miss at least three months of action with a fractured wrist. Other trade candidates for the Yankees include Oakland’s Jay Payton, Aubrey Huff of the Devil Rays, Alfonso Soriano of the Nationals, and Philadelphia’s David Dellucci. But the Yankees will first give an extended look to Melky Cabrera, whose minor league resume indicates that he could be a productive line-drive hitter in the major leagues. His defensive ability, well, that remains another story…

Of the six mentioned trade candidates for the Yankees, Soriano’s name carries the most luster—but would also require the most in terms of trade compensation. At the other end of the scale, Payton and Dellucci can probably be had at the cheapest cost. Dellucci makes the most sense since he hits left-handed (a commodity that is currently in short supply for New York, given Matsui’s prolonged absence) and can also play right field, which would allow the Yankees to comfortably DH Gary Sheffield once or twice a week… Of all the names on the trade list, the versatile Huff’s might be the most intriguing. With a combined 63 home runs in 2003 and 2004, he would give the Yankees another legitimate left-handed power threat at the Stadium, provide another option at first base, and supply the Yankees with an emergency backup for Alex Rodriguez at third base. Huff also won’t turn 30 until December…

Contrary to what has been suggested in some parts, the Yankees have no intention of offering top pitching prospect Philip Hughes in exchange for any of the above six outfielders. The Yankees would only consider including Hughes as part of a package for someone like Dontrelle Willis, and even that’s a debatable proposition.

Here’s a theory as to why Carlos Pena did not opt for free agency on May 2 (when the Yankees failed to bring him to the Bronx) and then sign a contract with the Cubs. Pena might simply view the Yankees as a better long-term alternative. With Andy Phillips struggling at the plate (he simply shows no improvement against breaking pitches) and Jason Giambi simply incompetent at playing first base, the Yankees will need some help at the position for the rest of the season. If Pena were to go to Chicago, he could play every day for two months, but then find himself on the bench when Derrek Lee returns. That would put Pena in an unenviable position of trying to learn to play the outfield—or looking at another tango with unemployment…

Could Mays be coming back to the Mets? Before anyone gets too excited, it’s not Willie Mays I’m talking about, but right-hander Joe Mays, who’s never actually played in New York but could be a band-aid for the back end of the Mets’ weathered rotation. Recently designated for assignment by the Royals, Mays is the kind of sinkerballer who could be aided by New York’s rangy double-play combination of Jose Reyes and Kaz Matsui. Mays wouldn’t cost much, probably no more than a C or D-level prospect in the Mets’ system. The Royals would likely pick up at least half of Mays’ salary for 2006, as well…

As they wait the return of Brian Bannister from the DL, the Mets will look at low-cost, short-term options for their rotation rather than giving up someone like Lastings Milledge for a higher profile starter. (They’ve already signed Jeriome Robertson to a minor league contract, assigning him to Triple-A Norfolk.) Xavier Nady’s hot start in right field could make the Mets more likely to use Victor Diaz as trade bait. If Omar Minaya can acquire a legitimate No. 4 starter for Diaz, he’ll likely make that deal, something he was unwilling to do over the winter…

The Cardinals are keeping one eye on potential left field targets in the trade market, but they plan to give Larry Bigbie, just off the disabled list, the first look in their continuing search for Reggie Sanders’ fulltime successor. If Bigbie hits well, the Cards might settle for a right-handed hitting platoon partner. If Bigbie doesn’t hit, they’ll step up efforts to acquire someone like Shannon Stewart of the Twins, or maybe even Sanders himself (who might be regretting his wintertime decision to sign with the Triple-A Royals)…

The Cardinals might not be restricting their outfield search to left fielders. Jim Edmonds’ slow start and fragile condition has led general manager Walt Jocketty to talk to the Twins about Torii Hunter, who would become a free agent at season’s end if Minnesota chooses not to pick up his option. St. Louis might be willing to offer Triple-A right-hander Anthony Reyes, who is currently an insurance policy in case one of the Cardinals’ starters goes down with injury. The acquisition of Hunter would allow Edmonds to take some time off and rehab; once Edmonds returns, the Cardinals could re-insert him in center field and slide Hunter over to left, giving St. Louis (with Juan Encarnacion in right) arguably the best defensive outfield in the National League…

Since the Cardinals are looking for outfielders and the Mets remain needy for pitchers, why don’t the two teams hook up directly in trade talks? A deal of Anthony Reyes for Victor Diaz makes an awful lot of sense. At one time, the Mets and Cardinals were bitter rivals nestled in the same division. Now they’re in different divisions, which makes a trade between the two teams a logical possibility…

It looks like the Cubs, along with any other team looking to add a power-hitting first baseman to the mix, can forget about Kansas City’s Mike Sweeney as an option. Long plagued with ailments, Sweeney has another bulging cervical disk in his back that will sideline him for the next several weeks. As with most back problems, this appears to be a chronic situation, which explains why Sweeney has discussed the possibility of retiring at the end of this season, or possibly next. Among his many failures as the general manager of the Royals, Allard Baird’s unwillingness to trade Sweeney over the past three years may have to rank as the largest blunder. At the peak of his value, Sweeney could have brought back a package of two to three top prospects. Right now, his value on the trade market is less than zero, given the fragile condition of his 32-year-old body… The Royals don’t plan to replace Sweeney, their No. 1 DH, by making a trade. Instead, they’ve promoted first baseman Justin Huber from Triple-A Omaha and will do no more than platoon him with veteran lefty swinger Matt Stairs. Of course, the Royals should play Huber every day and trade Stairs while he still has some value, but that’s just the latest bone of contention the Kansas City media has had with Baird…

Speaking of Baird, it will be the upset of the new millennium if he lasts the month without getting fired. Earlier this week, a report surfaced that had Baird being replaced by ESPN broadcaster Steve Phillips, the onetime failed general manager of the Mets. That rumor turned out be nothing more than idol gossip…

It won’t happen, but wouldn’t it be fun for Kansas City to hire Lou Piniella, one of the original Royals in 1969, to be their new general manager/head of baseball operations?

While we know that Sweeney won’t be going to the Cubs, the possibility of a trade between Chicago and someone seems to be growing by the day. With a record of 6-17 since Derrek Lee went down, GM Jim Hendry has to make a move—and quickly. The Orioles are willing to trade either Jeff Conine or Kevin Millar to the Cubs for a grade-B or grade-C prospect, but keep in mind that both players have the right to veto a trade until June 15. Conine is the better defensive first baseman and is also a more legitimate outfielder, while Millar has more power and offensive potential, and neither is the answer to what the Cubs really need. That would be a first baseman who can really hit, and preferably one that has the ability to play another position when Lee returns from his wrist injury. The Cubs have already ruled out a trade for Arizona’s Tony Clark—he’s certainly a better hitter than either Conine or Millar right now—on the premise that he can’t play another position in the field when Lee returns. Clark doesn’t run well enough to play the outfield, which is the only other spot the Cubs could even consider as a secondary option. As a result, Clark will continue to waste away on Arizona’s bench—at least until a team like the Angels comes calling…

It’s no secret the Phillies need starting pitching. They’ve already filled one hole in the rotation by promoting Cole Hamels from Triple-A, but they’d like to fill another need with a veteran starter through trade. They’ve talked to the Pirates about Oliver Perez but the left-hander’s mysterious loss of velocity has the Phillies concerned…

The Phillies might also have some interest in Minnesota’s Brad Radke, despite his horrid performance over the first month of the season. If the Twins don’t climb back into the race soon, don’t be surprised if both Radke and Kyle Lohse become prime trade bait…

Also, don’t be shocked if the Phillies make a late-season run for Dontrelle Willis, who will be the No. 1 pitching commodity on the trade market. The Phillies can offer Shane Victorino and Gavin Floyd for starters, and that may give them a leg up on rivals New York and Atlanta, both of whom would love to bring in Willis for the stretch run.

The Baseball Bookshelf

I’m reluctant to do full-scale reviews of baseball books because I believe there is an inherent conflict of interest at work here. If I were to thoroughly pan a book, how could readers trust my opinion, given that I am essentially a rival author? Couldn’t a negative review be interpreted by some as a way to unfairly put down another writer while drawing more attention to myself as a supposedly more accomplished author?

Having said that, I feel that no such conflict exists in giving positive recommendations on books. That’s what I’d like to do in the case of the new tome, Stepping Up, which details the life and times of Curt Flood and his late-career battle against baseball’s reserve clause. First-time author Alex Belth, who’s best known as the lead writer for the internet’s Bronx Banter has done a commendable job of recounting Flood’s life, while placing some of his struggles in the proper racial perspective of the 1950s, sixties, and seventies. Belth tells stories well, mixing in just enough baseball with readable anecdotes from Flood’s tumultuous life, which included bouts with alcohol and recurring financial problems. The book also sheds some clarifying light on what can be complicated issues—baseball’s reserve clause and the sport’s anti-trust exemption. In both cases, Alex explains the legalese in layman’s terms, making the reading relatively quick and easy.

As with any good biography, the book sheds light on some of the lesser-known aspects of Flood’s career, including his early major league days with the Reds and his final days with the Senators. Other than some occasionally faulty copy editing, my only real criticism of the book is that I wish it were longer, which is often a function of the editor and not the writer himself. And that can actually be a good tendency from editors and writers; after all, you always want to leave the audience wanting more.

I’d particularly recommend Stepping Up to younger fans who want to learn more about the economic and social climate involving players and owners in the 1960s. It was much different than today, with owners holding a stiff upper hand and most players left scraping for financial leftovers, as they were led to believe management’s cries of poverty. Readers will also glean some valuable information about the early years of Marvin Miller’s reign as head of the Players’ Association, and how he tried to provide guidance to Flood—without knowing exactly how his fight against baseball’s establishment would turn out.

The Books Are In!

Forgive me for being so excited. I received my first copies of The Team That Changed Baseball late last week. It’s always a time of trepidation for an author—waiting to see what your latest book will look like and whether it will meet your demanding approval. While I’m hardly an unbiased participant, I have to commend publisher Bruce Franklin and his staff at Westholme Publishing for doing such a wonderful job in producing an attractive cover and a pleasing layout, making for a handsome finished product.

The book is now available for pre-order at www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com and will be available in bookstores in the coming days. I’ll also be discussing the book on ESPNews this Wednesday (May 17) at 5:40 p.m. eastern time with the always-astute Brian Kenny. And herein ends the commercial.

While the commercial ends, the trivia begins. The first person to post the correct answer will win three Pirate cards from the 1972 Topps set. Here’s the question:

Which member of the 1971 Pirates was married in August of that season?

Card Corner

Chico Salmon was never more than a utility infielder for those great Baltimore Orioles’ championship teams of the late 1960s and early 1970s, but he was one of the game’s genuinely colorful characters. (He also had a funny name that kids in the 1960s and 70s butchered with regularity. I used to say his name like SAH-Mun, as in the fish, but it was actually pronounced Sahl-MAWN. Little did I know about Spanish accents and pronunciations back then.) Born Ruthford Eduardo Salmon, the native Panamanian forged a nine-year career as a utilityman in the sixties and early seventies, but earned most of his notoriety for his rather extreme fear of ghosts. Salmon was so fearful of otherworldly spirits that he refused to sleep in the dark. Salmon’s trepidation apparently stemmed from his childhood, when his mother and other adults warned him that ghosts could enter rooms at night if the windows were left open or keyholes in the door were left unplugged. “When I was young, I heard talk about evil spirits and I started to believe it,” Salmon once told The Sporting News. “Older people told me that they had seen evil spirits and I don’t believe they’d tell me lies.” A most trusting soul, Salmon maintained his extreme fear of ghosts well into his adult years. It wasn’t until 1964 that Salmon overcame his fear of sleeping in the dark. A stint in the military will do that; the Army wouldn’t let Salmon sleep with the lights on in his barracks.

Having conquered his sleeping “phobia,” Salmon experienced his first major league tour of duty that same year.  As a part-time player with the lowly Indians (with whom he’s depicted in his 1966 Topps card), Salmon earned the nickname “Super Sub,” a tribute to his ability to play seven positions—the four infield spots and all three outfield locations. After the 1968 season, Salmon was drafted by the expansion Seattle Pilots (the team depicted on his 1969 Topps card), but he never did suit up for the Pilots’ team made famous by Jim Bouton in Ball Four. Tommy Harper won Seattle’s second-base battle during spring training, making Salmon expendable and leading to a trade with the Orioles, who acquired him in exchange for journeyman pitcher Gene Brabender. Although Salmon had lost out on a chance to play regularly (what with Boog Powell, Dave Johnson, Mark Belanger, and Brooks Robinson ahead of him), he did become the primary utility infielder on those Orioles teams that won three straight American League pennants from 1969 to 1971, including a World Championship in 1970.

Unlike most utility infielders, Salmon posed more of a threat with his bat and his legs than he did with his glove. As one of his Baltimore teammates said in 1970: “If Chico’s hands get any worse, we’ll have to amputate.” Although Salmon’s fielding and his worries about ghosts often made him a prime target of clubhouse barbs, he did earn respect for his baseball intellect and his commitment toward youth baseball. After his playing days ended in 1972, Salmon worked as a scout and served as a manager of the Panamanian team in the World Amateur Baseball Series. He continued to guide and help amateur teams in his homeland right up until his unexpected death from a heart attack in the year 2000.

Not only did that Chico Salmon have a good name; he was a good man, too.

Pastime Passings

Jim Delsing (Died on May 4 in Chesterfield; age 80; complications of cancer): Arguably the most famous pinch-runner in baseball history, Delsing became a part of one of the game’s oddest events when he pinch-ran for three-foot, six-inch Eddie Gaedel, who had been inserted as a pinch-hitter by St. Louis Browns owner Bill Veeck. The stunt occurred in the second game of a doubleheader on August 19, 1951. When Detroit Tigers pitcher Bob “Sugar” Cain walked Gaedel on four pitches, Browns manager Zack Taylor sent Delsing in to run for Gaedel, who was later banned from baseball. Although Delsing was best known for his footnote role in the publicity stunt, he was considered a good defensive center fielder, hit a career-high 11 home runs in 1953, and lasted 10 years in the major leagues with the Browns, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, and Kansas City Athletics.

Russ Swan (Died on April 26 in Las Vegas, Nevada; age 42; head injuries suffered in a fall): A left-handed pitcher who played six years in the major leagues, Swan died from a blood clot nearly ten days after being found unconscious at the bottom of a stairway. Primarily a reliever, Swan pitched for the San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, and Cleveland Indians, and later became a coach in the Colorado Rockies’ organization. Swan’s best season came with the Mariners in 1991, when he posted an ERA of 3.43 and a won-loss record of 6-2.

Leo “Billy Goat” Rivers Sr. (Died on April 25 in Oakland, California; age 85; natural causes): Rivers was a second baseman in the Negro Leagues during the late 1930s and early 1940s. Known for his modest disposition, Rivers played for three teams during his career, including the New Orleans Black Pelicans and the Algiers (Louisiana) Giants.

Bruce Markusen is the author of the new book, The Team That Changed Baseball: Roberto Clemente and the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates, just released by Westholme Publishing. The book tells the story of the team that featured major league baseball’s first all-black lineup.