Saturday, May 25, 2013
Raissman: Could 2013 be last year for John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on Yankees radio broadcast?
(www.nydailynews.com)
Swan Song for Swingin’ Lovers!?
Read More...The Yankees’ contract with WCBS-AM, another one-year deal, expires following this season. So does Ma and Pa’s one-year contract. While all interested parties are talking about a possible deal, the radio situation is up in the air. CBS wants to remain the Bombers’ radio home and ESPN-98.7 is looking to take those Yankee radio rights away. Some Yankee moles suggest there are other interested outlets, too.
...Last season, we were confident Sterling and ...
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1 2 3 >I look forward to reading Joe's debut in the New York Times June 5.
I remember this as the only time I've ever read a Jayson Stark column where the usually affable, good-natured writer came off as seriously pissed. He was quite upset that A-Rod had won the MVP despite the Rangers' record.
Also, for all of Stark's appearances on ESPN, I only once remember him getting worked up in an angry, confrontational way. It was during a 2006 discussion of possible MVP candidates when Brian Kenny suggested that Travis Hafner, who was having a ferocious season for a crummy Indians team, should be a legit candidate (this was before Hafner suffered his annual season-ending injury).
In other words, Jayson Stark really frigging hated the idea of a player from a losing team winning the MVP.
I don't mind Bonds at the top, so I'm not sure why. I think I just like not having to think about the numbers at the top. There's a whole pack of modern guys just behind Willie and I'd like them to stay there, where it's a different sort of achievement.
Of course, unless A-rod never plays another game because of this surgery it's almost guaranteed he'll pass Mays.
I guess if the Gray Lady is willing to take a chance on a blogger like Pos, there's still hope for bloggers like Murray Chass.
That article makes me want to write A-Rod some fan mail. He was the first player younger than me to make the majors, and I've liked him ever since, regardless of all the crap. He's just a man.
I agree. We haven't seen the last of him.
Thirded. Despite missing a bunch of games in 2012 and playing hurt in many of those he appeared in, A-Rod was a productive player. It's way too early to assume he's done.
Fixed.
FTFY.
But, um, you know, I wish he wasn't old and falling apart like a normal human. (Shrug) He'll always be one of the greatest I've seen play, no matter how long I live, provided Mike Trout isn't the first of a new league of superhumans.
I agree that a 140 OPS+ would be a big surprise, but that's not necessary for him to be productive; that would make him a worthy All Star. A 3B who puts up a 115 OPS+ and plays adequate defense is probably a 2-3 WAR player; that's plenty productive.
Cal Ripken (144 OPS+)
Ron Cey (138)
Chipper Jones (120)
Graig Nettles (119)
Lave Cross (113)
Mike Schmidt (112)
Melvin Mora (98)
Wade Boggs (98)
Jimmy Dykes (98)
Jim Gantner (90)
Al Dark (87)
Gary Gaetti (85)
Ken Caminiti (84)
Sparky Adams (79)
Tim Wallach (74)
Jimmy Collins (65)
Brooks Robinson (58)
Pee Wee Reese (47)
That's it.
Yeah, it's a little odd. Posnanski's blog posts always had a fair number of errors, but that was something people tended to shrug and accept because it was a personal blog he was doing for no pay in his spare time with no editing services. Jokes notwithstanding, NBC Sports is an actual organization. You'd think they could afford to hire an editor or two.
As the article says, he arranged to give up money to go to Boston. Of course, he gave up his position and number in NY, but Jeter's the "leader." (Not that we know they asked Jeter and he refused. We just know that A-Rod agreed to it.)
I don't fully agree with the paragraph that concludes with the above sentence. Reduction in performance in the mid-thirties is the result of a decline in refelexes/athleticism/agility plus the greater likelihood of injury. Thoses injuries could be the result of years of repetetive stress, or they could be because the muscles and joints are less resiliant and flexible with advancing age. In A-Rod's case, I have no idea whether his hip problems are the result of milage, or if its because the torque that the joint could withstand at age 25 is too much to endure at age 35.
Regardless, give me a 34-year old with 2200 games played over a 37-year-old with 1600 games played every time.
Somehow, I don't think people would have taken very well to unretiring Babe Ruth's number for A-Rod.
That would have been off the charts awesome had he demanded it and they done it. Never in a million years of course, but still.
AROD would have been much better served to have gone the AJ Pierogi route than what he tried to do.
Warhorse II: The Baseball Years
True, but Ripken was obviously much healthier than A-Rod. Even if you take that out I would assume that a Ripken like performance is the exception, not the rule. I'm not saying it's impossible but I think he's much more likely to be under 120 than over assuming 400+ plate appearances. Obviously if he plays a shorter schedule due to rest or injury or whatever the likelihood of an extreme (in either direction) OPS+ increases.
What I don't think he'll do is ever again be a good 3Bman. He may have good weeks of near average defensive capability. An ARod on new hips at 3B and Jeter at SS tells me the Yanks had better be pitching righties away.
Wells asked to wear his number AND his uniform that he bought, IIRC, for one game. We still like Boomer.
Anyway, you're right, it wasn't gonna happen. I'm just saying the story of his selfishness doesn't jibe with the facts of the 03-04 offseason.
Well, sure. That's why I said "it wouldn't shock me" rather than "I predict it will happen."
I predicted a 120 OPS+.
Maybe, but I think very limited playing time and overall value is very likely(including very suspect defense), no matter the rate stat he hits.
Ever is a long time, and I don't think he has a chance of eclisping much without a major health resurgeance.
I have changed my mind on one thing though, Bonds atop the HR leaderboards and not in the hall keeps him more to the forefront than just putting him in the hall and moving on would, so right now (as a Bonds fan) him not in the hall the next few years is not the worst thing in the world (and might not be for AROD either).
Is there an equestrian Hall of Fame? (googling - there are a seemingly lot of them, not sure which is the dominant or real one though) Should AROD be in both?
this one sneaked up on me. i'm still chuckling.
I'm a hopeless partisan, so I won't guess. But I could see those two being more productive than, say, the Red Sox at that position.
I think better than average.
I think they'll get good production and lousy value.
None of these players had anything near A-Rod's ability except maybe Schmidt, and he didn't have Alex's athleticism, he was never able to play short stop full time in the majors.
Through age 36 Cal Ripken Jr. had a 115 OPS+, A-Rod's career average is 143.
Wade Boggs is closer at 139, but again wasn't anywhere near A-Rod's class as an athlete. Wade was in the minors for something like 4 years at ages A-Rod was playing in the majors (obviously not totally his fault).
Schmidt's career OPS+ at age 36 was 151, and he's one of the greatest 3B ever.
It's very likely Alex's poor recent years have been caused by that bad hip and if Alex's hip surgery is successful, a 140 OPS+is almost more likely than not.
Cal and Schmidt didn't have A-Rod's ability? I don't know... That feels somewhere in the overstatement range to me.
Schmidt could have played shortstop. (at 3b he was worth 100 defensive runs more than A-Rod, according to bref)
I'll echo Nate's better than average. I'd put them both in the 110 OPS+ as a prediction. I think the likelihood of collapse is greater than the likelihood of a return to stardom for both though.
It is never a 50-50 proposition that a 38-yr-old will match his career average. The vast majority of players will perform below their career average, if they are fortunate enough to play at all. We tend to remember the exceptions to this rule, which leads us to underestimate the punishing power of the aging curve.
I got the impression that he did sorta embrace the "villian" role, finally and got his ring as That Guy, in 2009.
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