USA Today: The shortstops: Nomar, Jeter, A-Rod were long on talent

Flaherty: Nudnik of the Northeast.

John Flaherty, former big-league catcher in his fifth season as a broadcaster for the YES Network, came up through the Boston Red Sox system ahead of Garciaparra and now sees Jeter and Rodriguez on a regular basis. He remembers well the discussions in the clubhouse similar to those among fans who debated the merits of the three stars.

“(Players would say) Alex might have the best all-around ability of the three — the fielding, the power, the tools scouts would see,” Flaherty says. “But then you’d go in a different direction: Who would you want on your team? Who would you want up in a big spot? Kind of throw the tools and talent out and the competition starts coming. You’d start thinking about Derek and Nomar.”

Each was different when it came to working them behind the plate.

“Nomar went up there, and you knew the first thing he saw he would let it fly,” Flaherty says. “He could do some damage on the first pitch of an at-bat. There was no trying to set him up. He wasn’t going to give you a strike. He was going to be very aggressive and, in Fenway, create a lot of damage.

“Derek’s the same way — very aggressive. He’s not going to hurt you as much (with power), but in a big spot you really had to be careful.

“Alex was more patient. He would try to work into a hitter’s count, so you could try to jump ahead, get strike one, then go to work.”

Baker: Bill James doesn’t expect Mariners to improve on 2009’s 85-win season

That theory states the Mariners were really more of a 75-win squad last year that overachieved through luck and by winning a ton of close games. There are those who dispute the “luck” contention regarding the Mariners and who espouse other statistical formulas that suggest Seattle was truly an 85-win team.

But James is not one of them.

“Everybody agrees and I agree that the Mariners’ front office has done a fantastic job,” he said. “On the other hand, it remains true that they overperformed last year. I think they gave up more runs than they scored and still won 85 games.”

James then added: “Historically, the great majority of teams that overperform by that margin relapse the next season.”

His new book, “The Bill James Gold Mine 2010”, contains a section on the Mariners, as well as his “Young Talent Inventory” and a review of the Cy Young races. In the book itself, James is noncommittal about whether Hernandez or Greinke was more deserving of the award, but he tipped toward the Mariners pitcher in an interview this week.

“The Mariners scored 149 runs in Felix’s starts and went 25-9,” James said. “The Royals scored 117 for Greinke and went 17-16. There’s a difference in the bullpens of course. But then, the Mariner bullpen was struggling for some of the year and the Royals have (Joakim) Soria, so that’s not the whole thing, either. So, I’m not arguing with anybody else’s numbers and I love Zack Greinke. But I’m not certain that Greinke is better than Felix. I think they were on the same level, or that Felix was an inch ahead.”

And make sure to catch Baker’s extensive Interview with Bill James.

MLB: Mariners pitcher Lee disciplined

Pitcher Cliff Lee of the Seattle Mariners has received a five-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for intentionally throwing a pitch in the head area of Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Chris Snyder during the third inning of Seattle’s Spring Training game on Monday, March 15 at Tucson Electric Park in Tucson, Arizona.

Neyer: ‘Project Jamie’ posited McCourt as Prez

Bloggy Went A-McCourtin’…

My only contact with McCourt came three years ago, when she was one of the keynote speakers (J.P. Ricciardi was the other) at the MIT-Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. McCourt seemed an obvious choice, considering that 1) her husband owned the Los Angeles Dodgers, and 2) she had gotten her MBA at MIT’s Sloan School of Management some decades earlier.

Her speech was a disaster. Speaking to a mostly young, mostly male crowd interested in analytics, McCourt gave a speech that she must have given dozens of times before, to every organization in Southland from the Ladies Auxiliary of the Pasadena Rotary Club to the Watts Civic Improvement Society. If there was any mention of analytics—and I’m not at all sure there was—it was just a few sentences, tucked among the pablum designed to inspire Greater Los Angelenos to purchase tickets. McCourt couldn’t even reasonably fake the bleeding of Dodger blue. She grew up in Baltimore, then worked in New York and Boston before moving to Los Angeles in 2004 after her husband bought the franchise.

Afterward, the general reaction was equal parts shock and annoyance that McCourt would so blatantly disregard her audience.

Most of which I forgot within 30 minutes of the conclusion of her speech. But it all came back in a rush when news of the separation broke last year, and reports suggested that Jamie McCourt wants control of the Dodgers. It all came back again when I read this report suggesting that she recently harbored aspirations of gaining high political office.

Many stranger things have happened. But I will submit that people who don’t know much about baseball probably shouldn’t own baseball teams, and that people who can’t read their audience probably don’t have much of a future in politics.

Megdal: The Case For Signing Elijah Dukes

Hot Grits!

So we all know the drill: anytime a reasonably well-known player is released, a slew of articles appear all over the Internet, calling for Team X to sign him.

But the case for the Mets to sign Elijah Dukes, released this morning by the Nationals, is an especially strong one, I believe.

...And while making the case that an outfielder is better than Gary Matthews Jr. should not be the sole reason to sign someone- the Mets would quickly be overwhelmed by outfielders- the reason Matthews Jr. was acquired to begin with was because of a lack of organizational depth at the position. So the mere presence of Matthews Jr., who likely cannot play, doesn’t eliminate the need for Dukes. It simply masks it.

I’d sure feel more comfortable with a better backup plan in right field as well, considering that Jeff Francoeur is a year removed from posting a 72 OPS+- 55 points lower than Dukes’s 2008 mark- while in 2009, Francoeur put up an OPS+ of, that’s right, 93. The same exact mark as Elijah Dukes, in other words (though to be fair, with significantly better defense).

In short, if Dukes is comparable to a starting outfielder on your team, and pretty clearly a great bet to be better than the backup outfielders on your team, it makes sense to get him.

MLB: Street likely to start season on DL

Yeah, what James Carr sang…

Rockies closer Huston Street is set for an MRI on his ailing right shoulder later Wednesday morning after suffering a setback while playing catch on Tuesday.

Street said he doesn’t believe the problem is serious; nonetheless, the development most likely will delay his throwing enough that it’ll force him to the disabled list when the season opens April 5.

“It’s just a little bump in the road,” Street said. “We don’t think it’s a major thing. We’re pushing the envelope with our bodies, and sometimes you have little flare-ups.”

Tightness in the shoulder flared after his first live batting practice session of the spring. Street, who converted 35 of 37 save opportunities last season, stopped throwing briefly to treat the problem. He progressed to the point of facing teammates in a 25-pitch simulated game on Monday.

But when Street backed off on playing catch Tuesday and reported the problem to head athletic trainer Keith Dugger, the Rockies called for the MRI.

“It was similar tightness to before, stuff that we didn’t want to try to pitch through,” Street said. “We came in today, and the general idea was let’s get a picture that will give us an idea of how aggressive we can or can’t be with it. That’s really all I know at this point.

Schultz: Smoltz sets the odds on him pitching again: 50-1

Mojoverse, no more.

So I phoned John Smoltz — now professional broadcaster and media leech — Wednesday and still couldn’t get him to utter the “r” word. Don’t know why. When a guy tells you that his “desire” to pitch “is not where it was three months ago,” it seems to me the decision has been made.

But if you’re wondering what the odds are of Smoltz actually pitching in a major league game again, think this: long shot.

“Good question,” he said, when asked what the numbers when be in a sports book. “I would say 50-1.”

Kind of long, isn’t it?

“There’s been some 50-1 horses that have won.”

Claiming race?

“Probably harness.”

I’ll say it: Smoltz is done.

Rosecrans: Which Red you got in a fight?

Get a Klu.

And then the topic became which player do you want on your side in a fight? The unanimous choice was Gomes. And then the question became who’s No. 2?

I told Jonny of our discussion today.

He said, “You don’t need a second. I’ll be No. 2, too.”

He noted that he holds the Rays minor league and major league record for being hit by pitches and has never charged the mound.

“Anytime I got in a squabble, it’s having the back of my teammates,” Gomes said. “I don’t need to fight on my own.”

...The all-time guy you didn’t want was Rob Dibble. He may have been big, but Ed Ott got him in a chokehold in Houston and then there’s Lou taking him out. Paul Wilson earned an honorable mention, but at least he went after a much bigger guy in Kyle Farnsworth, not smart, but at least valiant.

Kip Wells suggest an All-Brawl team. All I know is that in my fantasy All-Brawl league, if I’ve got the No. 1 pick, I’m going with the man with the mohawk. If Gomes is taken, I may have to go with Carlos Zambrano, he’s big and crazy. A dark horse could be Homer Bailey, he could be armed.

FANTASYLAND: Francesa, Mushnick and Chass Think You Should Get A Life

For all you Puddin’ Head Jones fans out there!

Jon Heyman: Rangers manager Ron Washington tested positive for cocaine last July

Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington tested positive for cocaine during the 2009 season, SI.com has learned.

Washington, 57, has been subject to increased drug testing since his failed test, which was administered by Major League Baseball last July, and he has passed all of his subsequent tests. In deciding to support Washington and retain him as manager, the Rangers accepted his apology as heartfelt and also his explanation that this was a one-time transgression.

“I did make a mistake and I regret that I did it,” Washington told SI.com by phone from Surprise, Ariz., on Tuesday night. “I am really embarrassed and I am really sorry.”

The Rangers called a team meeting for Wednesday morning at their spring training facility in Surprise, where Washington was to address the incident with the club.

Washington declined to discuss the specific circumstances surrounding his decision to use cocaine because he didn’t want his family to hear about it in the media. “Any attempt to try to explain it is going to sound like excuses,” he said. “There is no right way to explain something wrong, and I did wrong. Was it tension? Maybe. Anxiety?’’

No word if Ron Washington is a Scott Boras client.

Baseball Image of the Day: Cult of Personality

Today’s image is from Cuba, a few weeks before Fidel stepped down.

Creative Commons:

Tomorrow: Less Communism

CC Sabathia’s Public Service Announcement for Gamers

PlayStation Develops Character Modeled After Hans Smith, an Avid Player With Cerebral Palsy

Bound to a wheelchair by cerebral palsy, which makes it impossible for him to grip a bat or throw a ball, Smith has spent hours upon hours playing “MLB: The Game” on his PlayStation while his friends play ball on an actual baseball diamond.

But Smith was so grateful that a game existed that allowed him to experience baseball even a little bit, he wrote a letter to PlayStation thanking the company.

As a result, he’s now experiencing the virtual game more completely than his friends could ever dream. The game’s developers were so moved by Smith’s story that they modeled a character in the game after him—placing his virtual likeness alongside such Major League Baseball superstars as Albert Pujols and Derek Jeter.

“I said that I know this might sound strange, but I’m a 22-year-old college student who is also a baseball fanatic, and I absolutely love your game,” Smith said, quoting the letter he sent to PlayStation in 2008. “I have cerebral palsy, and I’m unable to step foot on a baseball diamond, but you guys have really given me the experience of playing baseball.

*Sniff*

Elijah Dukes released

Come on, baby… kick those Elijahs.

The Nationals this morning granted outfielder Elijah Dukes… his unconditional release. There will be much more later on this story…

MLB: Noble: Francoeur armed with unique skill

Quickly thumbs through Serfati’s The Adaptability of the French Armaments Industry in an Era of Globalization...looking for an answer, any answer.

So it will come as no surprise come April 4 when the Mets stage their only at-home dress rehearsal for their 2010 season that Francoeur will be found in the farthest reaches of Citi Field’s right field, sending baseballs toward the plate. He wants to measure the power of his arm against the Mo Zone area that has frustrated some hitters.

“It’d be cool,” Francoeur said, “to make a throw from there and to throw one farther than some guys can hit ‘em.”

..."I think I have a pretty good rep now,” Francoeur said. “I see some times when I’m sure a guy’s going, and he gets held or they don’t send a guy [on third base] when there’s a fly ball. And yeah, I have seen some times when a guy on second just slows down as he gets to third. He doesn’t make a hard turn. I’d like to think that’s because of my arm. I’m getting fewer chances now.”

Francoeur’s arm might not be put to use more than once in a week now, and so his throwing develops a sense of mystique; like, speaking of arms, reclusive Sandy Koufax. The legend grows even in the absence of additional evidence.

... He acknowledges Ichiro Suzuki is at least as much a force in right field. But Francoeur believes he reigns in the NL. He wants more assists this year to eliminate any doubt that might develop. An occasional spring golfing partner with Tiger Woods and Woods’ good friend, John Smoltz, Francoeur said, “It’s a cool feeling when you can think you’re as good as anyone doing something.”

He believes he has a place in the conversation about the best arms ever in the game. He has seen enough clips of Roberto Clemente to know who the best is. Dave Parker, Dwight Evans, Vladimir Guerrero, Raul Mondesi, Rick Ankiel, Brad Hawpe, Jesse Barfield, Dave Winfield and Ellis Valentine are the arms he has heard about. He knows less about Rusty Staub, Carl Furillo, Rocky Colavito and Tris Speaker. And he remains a tad miffed that Dawson was omitted from the Prime 9 presented by the MLB Network.

Jed Lowrie diagnosed with mono

The Red Sox announced this morning that infielder Jed Lowrie has been diagnosed with mononucleosis.

The Red Sox’ backup infielder had been feeling tired and rundown, and was sent for tests early this week.

More to come . . .

I hope not…

Put Gator in the Hall: The Guidry Decade

Sorta like that pro-Jim Rice/HOF dude...except with a deep hankerin’ for tailgators creole boulette po’boy.

The fact is that most HOF pitchers were truly great for a period of about ten years. Pitchers like Walter Johnson, Maddux, Spahn, Clemens and Seaver who had multiple outstanding seasons outside their peak decade are the exception, not the rule. It is clear that Ron Guidry had a peak decade that is comparable to the peak decades of many Hall of Famers - Bunning, Drysdale, Lemon, Wynn, Sutton, Gomez, Hunter, Jenkins, Ruffing and Roberts, among others. It is also clear that none of these pitchers did anything outside of their peak decade that materially added to their HOF resume.

* * * * * *

I would humbly submit that by any statistical measure Guidry’s HOF qualifications are the equal of Bunning’s, Dyrsdale’s, Lemon’s, Newhouser’s, Vance’s and Gomez’s. To the extent they won more games in their career it is because they pitched in the era of four-man rotations. I would also submit that Guidry’s HOF qualifications are the equal of Ruffing’s, Hunter’s, Sutton’s and Niekro’s. To the extent they won more games than Guidry they did so primarily because they had many more seasons where they were perhaps competent major league pitchers but not HOF quality pitchers.

There will no doubt be those who argue that many of these pitchers don’t meet their particular idea of HOFers. Hunter, Bunning and Drysdale are examples of more recent HOF inductees who are frequently characterized as marginal inductees. Vance, Newhouser, Coveleski, Pennock, Hoyt and Faber are just a few examples of other pitchers who have been deemed by many to be marginal HOFers. I think it is fair to say that Guidry’s HOF qualifications stack up pretty well against the qualifications of all the pitchers I’ve named in this paragraph. If one wants to argue nonetheless that Guidry doesn’t belong in the Hall then they are in effect arguing for a much smaller Hall of Fame and for HOF standards that are radically more restrictive than the standards that have been observed for the last 75 years.

The Book Blog: Tango: The Tom Seaver Rule

Four points:

1. If Strasburg has a MEAN forecast of 67% of the league average in runs allowed, and we have ALOT of uncertainty of this, then his actual true talent assessment is somewhere between 50% and 85% of the league average.

2. To the extent that Strasburg is actually a 67% pitcher, that puts him in the running for 2nd best pitcher over the last 70 years for pitchers aged 25-28, a list that includes Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens, Tom Seaver, and the underappreciated Kevin Appier.  Except those guys did that at the age of 25-28, while Strasburg is going to be 22, and presumably will get better by the time he hits his 25-28 stride.

3. You can’t possibly make that kind of bet can you?  Isn’t it better to say that the maximum potential upside for ANY non-MLB pitcher ever, past, present, or future, is Tom Seaver?  Isn’t it reasonable to say that?  Isn’t it better to say that Strasburg’s runs allowed talent is a 65% - 100% pitcher of league average, with a mean forecast of close to 80%?  Basically, you give me the best college or Japanese performance ever, and I say that the UPSIDE forecast (two standard deviations from his mean forecast) for that pitching line cannot be better than Tom Seaver.

4. Regression, regression, regression.

5. Dick Young, Dick Young, Dick Young.

Cote: Adding Mike Lowell would be smart move by Florida Marlins

Known for his wit and sharp insight, Greg Cote has-been (sorry..couldn’t resist)…

Some things make sense all sorts of ways, weighing in as pragmatic to the rational mind and feeling gut-instinct right to the sentimental heart all at once.

The Marlins have one of those situations this spring and should jump on it.

Bring back Mike Lowell.

For sure, it has to make sense for the Marlins first—has to be a business decision that enhances the team’s playoff chances in 2010—and it passes that essential test.

The rest of it wouldn’t be enough if it didn’t make Florida a bigger, better team, but the rest of it is a nice bonus that bears noting.

Lowell is one of us. Raised in Miami, of Cuban heritage, right off the campus of FIU and, of course, a popular player with the Marlins from 1999 through 2005 and still the club’s all-time leader in home runs.

I always have thought Lowell, even more than Jeff Conine, deserved that ``Mr. Marlin’’ designation (to the degree anyone from a mere 18-year-old franchise can).

MLB: How St. Patrick’s became baseball’s holiday

A Reds Nation once again,
A Reds Nation once again,

On March 17, Al Lopez Field crackled with electricity: The Reds were hosting the team that the previous season had inherited their World Series laurels, the Yankees.

The Reds went through the typical pregame rituals—batting practice, infield—in their regular uniforms. Show business as usual. But while the players were on the field, gremlins—or were they leprechauns?—were busy in the clubhouse.

After workouts, the Reds dragged their perspiring bodies off the field and retreated to the clubhouse—closed, uncharacteristically, to the media—took a look and then did a double-take at their lockers ... green uniforms hanging in front of each.

“Did we get traded to Oakland?” catcher Johnny Bench asked.

Shortstop Davey Concepcion squinted at his green No. 13 uniform and said, “I’m not wearing that. I’m Venezuelan, not Irish.”

But they all giddily changed into the head-to-toe green.

“Everywhere that was usually red had been changed to green—the team name, the logo, the player’s name on the back, socks, all the trimmings,” Tuttle said. “The hats were solid green with a white ‘C.’

“Everyone stayed out of sight until game time ...”

YESNetwork: Goldman: More on Cano

(mmm...) words that never were true
Spoken to help nobody but you
(mmm...) words with lies inside

Steve, I think bbyankees got it exactly right. Cano will be very good in the 5th spot. The history of lineups always had a high batting average hitter as opposed to a good on base average. Hits are more important at that spot then a guy that just walks a lot. I see Cano driving in a lot of runs. Oh and Steve please note it took Hornsby till his 6th year to really find it. And then school was out.

You’re wrong about Hornsby. The Rajah was a monster from his rookie year on, positing a 150 OPS+ at age 20 and a 169 at age 21. The reason it doesn’t look like Hornsby was a force at that time was that we’re talking about 1916 and 1917, years in which the game was played with a dead octopus instead of a ball. The lively ball was introduced in 1920, Hornsby’s fifth year—he was 24, not 27 like Cano—and he picked up his first batting title, hitting .370. At 25, he hit .397, and at 26, he hit .401. His development curve is in no way comparable to Cano’s.

Regarding “hits are more important at that spot than a guy that just walks a lot,” you’d be right if there was no tradeoff for those hits. Robinson Cano made the 13th-most outs in the AL. He created 106 runs, but ate up all the outs of 17.3 games doing it. Nick Swisher created 97 runs, but made only 396 outs, or all the outs for 14.7 games. The most important thing in any lineup spot is to not make outs. It doesn’t matter if you do it by a hit or walk in the end as long as you keep the game going. Cano is a selfish hitter. When he swings early in the count and fails to reach base, he brings the Yankees closer to the end of the game. He spends a precious commodity, outs, like they were AIG bonuses, and that’s why giving him a prime spot in the lineup is foolish. Cano batting more often means Cano makes more outs means the Yankees lose faster. If he hits .350, great, I’ll eat my words. Otherwise, it’s just not a smart thing to do.

CST: Big billboard in left field at Wrigley?

“""""" EAT AT TARZAN JOE’S! “""""”

The Tribune Co.’s 28-year stewardship of the Cubs featured battles with City Hall over everything from lights and the number of night games at Wrigley Field to landmark status, signage and bleacher expansion.

It looks like the Ricketts era could be off to a similarly rocky start.

The Cubs filed a permit application this week for a “projecting, illuminated” billboard rising high above the left-field bleachers that has the potential to rake in big bucks from advertisers at the expense of offending purists.

But, there’s a problem. The 75 foot high, 360 square foot billboard has raised the eyebrows of local Ald. Tom Tunney (44th). And it may not pass muster with the Commission on Historical Landmarks, which must decide whether new signage conforms with Wrigley’s landmark designation.

“There’s been signage allowed in the ballpark under the landmark ordinance. But, this is a different level of advertising that’s a lot less discrete. It’s actually coming out of the left-center bleachers,” Tunney said.

“I’m not sure how well received it’s gonna be. The fact that it’s a free-standing sign is challenging. And I’m concerned if you put up one, you might put up more.”

Fanhouse: MLB FanHouse Q&A: Bill James

Quicky interview with the Atlas of Baseball Men…

FanHouse: What will be the next big breakthrough in sabermetrics?

James: Physiognomy.

FanHouse: Do you still believe pitching/defense to account for roughly 52 percent of team wins and if not where does that number now stand?

James: The 52 percent came from the Win Shares book, and that actually resulted from an accounting error on my part. In the win value schematic that I had set up, I was trying to account for pitcher’s hitting within the framework of pitching. I figured if one pitcher allows five more runs than another but also creates 5 more runs with the bat, they’re even, right? So why not account for pitcher’s hitter as a part of pitching?

But what I didn’t understand until I finished the book was that, by doing this, I was overstuffing the pitching area. Pitcher’s hitting is not an insignificant element of the game. If you figure that hitting is 50% of the game, then pitcher’s hitting is 3-4% of the game. If you account for that 3-4% as pitching when it is really hitting, that causes you to have too much value in pitching and not enough in hitting--in other words, it causes a 50-50 split between offense and defense not to work. I didn’t understand that at the time; I knew that the 50-50 split wasn’t working, but I couldn’t figure out why. Or didn’t figure out why until after I had finished the book.

Jimenez gave up medicine to dispense pills

Despite the headline, this is NOT about steroids!

When Ubaldo Jimenez turned 16 years old, the New York Mets offered him $20,000 to sign. His father, Ubaldo Sr., drove a city bus. His mother, Ramona, worked as a nurse. In the impoverished Dominican Republic, this was life-changing money, the sort nobody turns down.

“My parents said no,” Jimenez said. “They didn’t want me to sign until I finished high school. I always respected my parents, and I knew it was for my own good, so I didn’t sign. I always figured I was going to be a doctor anyway.”

Today, the Colorado Rockies hurler throws a baseball harder than every other starter in the major leagues, and his nonpareil arm isn’t nearly his most intriguing aspect. That would be who Jimenez is in spite of – and perhaps because of – where he grew up.

Rays Stadium Talks Hit Another Bump in the Road

The ABC Coalition is making its first public presentation since concluding its year-long report on how to keep baseball in Tampa Bay long-term, but don’t expect the Rays stadium saga to end anytime soon.

The Coalition presented its findings to the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) in Pinellas Co. on Tuesday, but the board’s comments were limited on the advice of the county attorney.

The City of St. Petersburg, the county’s partner in hosting the Rays, sent a letter to a number of parties threatening potential legal action if they interferred with the current use agreement, which runs through 2027. St. Pete also refused to hear a presentation from the ABC Coalition, a group the city helped charter in 2008.

“I’m going to speak loudly so they can us down there in St. Pete,” said ABC Coalition member Craig Sher at the start of the presentation.  The comment was a light-hearted jab at the city that ex-communicated the Coalition in recent months.

Sher also recapped the well-publicized flaws of Tropicana Field and improvements that the team is looking for in a long-term home.

HOU CHRON: Knoblauch pleads guilty to assaulting wife

The Houston native was accused of choking his wife, Stacey Stelmach on Sept. 25, 2009, after drinking and taking the anti-anxiety prescription drug Xanax, prosecutors said.

We knew he choked when throwing to first; now we learn that Texas has some oddly specific choking laws.

Persistent Carrasco earning his Buc - Once acquired for dollar, Pirates reliever in big league plans

It was one of the odder requests that general manager Neal Huntington had ever received while conducting negotiations with a player.

He had already convinced D.J. Carrasco that Pittsburgh offered the best opportunity to pitch in a meaningful role. In fact, Carrasco was ready to turn down multiple Major League contract offers for the Pirates’ offer of a Minor League one.

First, though, Carrasco needed the Pirates to make good on one promise that they hadn’t 11 years before.

“Neal,” Carrasco said, while the two were on the phone this winter. “I want my 25-cent check.”

The trials and tribulations of D.J. Carrasco.

B/R: The 5 Most Important Home Runs In Giants’ History

The Giants through the years are best known for home runs and heartbreak.
...
Home runs hit on the way to records only remain vivid by virtue of how they influenced big games and pennant races.  (Thus, the No. 1 homer in Giants history here will surprise some and anger many!) That is where the heartbreak comes into play. The Giants are short of home runs that led them to glory that was not followed by heartbreak.

Vin Scully is My Homeboy: Ski Jump at Dodger Stadium

Did the JFK assassination killy this?

A 165-foot ski jump is constructed at Dodger Stadium (from the right field side to the left field side of the field) as part of the Giant International Ski Show and Grindelwald Ski Swap which opens today and runs through October 27. The jump hill is 28 stories high, nearly twice the height of the Dodger Stadium. Manufacturers, retailers and area ski operators all show their wares at the event, while slalom racing, fashion shows and world-famous personalities highlight the attraction.

It does not explain if they did cancel the event. O’Malley’s site says the event was going to run from October 23 to October 27, 1963.

The JFK assassination occured on November 22, 1963.

If it was cancel, it had nothing to do with JFK. Unless it was tape delayed till November 22.

Anyone has more info on this?

Gov. Paterson brushes back ethics charges he lied about free Yankees World Series tickets

Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:
Torricelli to Spitzer to Paterson.

Gov. Paterson lashed back Tuesday at a report claiming he lied about shaking down the Yankees for free tickets to a World Series game - producing e-mails showing he was invited.

The Oct. 7-8 e-mails between members of Paterson’s staff, are called “Yankees Game Tomorrow - GDAP INVITE,” highlighting the governor’s initials. The exchange took place weeks before the Oct. 28 game the governor attended.

They contradict some of the state Public Integrity Commission’s March 3 report charging the governor lied about how he wound up at the game and who paid for it. The commission’s allegations are the subject of two criminal probes.

The e-mails are part of a 10-page letter Paterson’s lawyer, Theodore Wells, sent the commission attacking several aspects of the report as “half-baked.”

“The report was rushed and any deliberations the commissi had were clearly limited. The entire process was flawed. It is not surprising that it led to the wrong result,” Wells wrote.