Some argue that if TLR would have just gone about everything as a normal person, that Ankiels mental issues would never have surfaced.

As a rookie, Ankiel had trouble all year throwing the ball to first: there were a ton of plays in which he threw away or nearly threw away pick-off throws or one-hoppers back to the mound. It was weird when it happened, and several of us Cardinal fans noticed it, but it wasn't until he fell apart in October that it became clear that there was something really wrong. Whatever it was, though, it was hanging around Ankiel from the very beginning of the year. I don't think that kind of serious anxiety issue could be avoided by anything that Tony did or didn't do or whether Mike Matheny was catching him or not. Sooner or later, that dam was going to spring a leak.

As a rookie, Ankiel had trouble all year throwing the ball to first: there were a ton of plays in which he threw away or nearly threw away pick-off throws or one-hoppers back to the mound. It was weird when it happened, and several of us Cardinal fans noticed it, but it wasn't until he fell apart in October that it became clear that there was something really wrong. Whatever it was, though, it was hanging around Ankiel from the very beginning of the year. I don't think that kind of serious anxiety issue could be avoided by anything that Tony did or didn't do or whether Mike Matheny was catching him or not. Sooner or later, that dam was going to spring a leak.

I agree, but the TLR haters need to always find something to point at tlr (such as the myth "Pujols wasn't going to make the team out of spring training if it wasn for Bonilla's injury" type of thing). A lot of people do like to point out to Ankiel's personal life wasn't helping things(Dad going to prison), and locally there is very quiet rumors that Ankiel was hitting more than alcohol on his down time and that might not have helped his mental condition.

You ever read "3 Nights in August"? I know that what happened to Ankiel pained TLR, just from his description of the conversations he had about him with the staff. I did think it was interesting that he figured that if Mike Matheny doesn't get a hunting knife for his birthday then Ankiel is still pitching.

Yes, good book (it's not nearly as anti-moneyball as some of the marketing of it made it out to be) , love the fact that Kerry Robinson is almost the hero of the book type of stuff. Again there is nothing in the way that TLR handled Ankiel that indicates he didn't like young players. People could argue he doesn't know how to develop them and point to Ankiel, but they can't point to Ankiel and say Tlr loves veterans more than kids and here is proof.

locally there is very quiet rumors that Ankiel was hitting more than alcohol on his down time and that might not have helped his mental condition.

This is news to me, though 1) I'd imagine most rich, 20-something men enjoy something more than alcohol in their free time and 2) it might have helped the anxiety more than it hurt it. This kind of gossipy rumor-mongering that STL fans got into during the late 90s and on (the hand-wringing over Lankford and his penchant for hookers being way up there) never sat well with me.

This is news to me, though 1) I'd imagine most rich, 20-something men enjoy something more than alcohol in their free time and 2) it might have helped the anxiety more than it hurt it. This kind of gossipy rumor-mongering that STL fans got into during the late 90s and on (the hand-wringing over Lankford and his penchant for hookers being way up there) never sat well with me.

The rumors more or less came from the fact that his dad was caught trafficking. And it wasn't something harmless like pot, but more intense like cocaine. But I agree, I think about half the people I know personally could say they at least "experimented" for a period of time in their late teens, early 20's.

Re: The Onion's famous headline "Yankees Ensure 2003 Pennant By Signing Every Player In Baseball," if you look at this team's roster, it sorta looks like they're trying to win the 2003 pennant. Jeter, A-Rod, Eric Chavez, Andruw Jones, Ichiro Suzuki...

Yankees sure have picked up a ton of players on the cheap who were superstars in the early 2000's. Derek Lowe is the latest example, last year they had the 2005 Cy Young award winner.

Re: The Onion's famous headline "Yankees Ensure 2003 Pennant By Signing Every Player In Baseball," if you look at this team's roster, it sorta looks like they're trying to win the 2003 pennant. Jeter, A-Rod, Eric Chavez, Andruw Jones, Ichiro Suzuki..

Also looks like they're going to win the 2012 pennant. Count Da Ringz!!!

I may be miscounting but I believe the Yankees 25-man roster, plus the DL, accounts for 85 All-Star appearances. The only hitters on the active roster who have never been All-Stars are Jayson Nix, Casey McGehee, Chris Stewart, and Eric Chavez. Yes, Eric Chavez somehow won six straight Gold Gloves and got MVP votes in four straight seasons without ever being an All-Star.

By comparison the Blue Jays have 7. (3 Bautista, 3 Vizquel, 1 Romero). And that's a team whose DL has twelve people on it.

The Yankees have 30 All-Star appearances in 2003 or earlier. Only three people on the Blue Jays 40-man roster were even in the majors in 2003. (Vizquel and Darren Oliver, who were also in the majors in 1993. And Brandon Lyon.)

Count Da Ringz!!!

And you guys wonder why no one likes you.....

The "2003" Yanks WAR:

Tex 2.4
Jeter 3.4
AROD 8.1
Ibanez 2.0
Andruw 4.6
Chavez 4.9
Ichiro 5.3
Wise 0
CC 3.5
Garcia 1.1
Pettitte 2.8
Soriano 1.9
Lowe 2.6
Mo 3.5

That's 46.3 WAR for 14 players. Igarashi and Kuroda are left as an exercise for the reader. Wise didn't play in the majors in 2003 but did in 2002 and 2004 at replacement level so I've kept him. AROD or Chavez will have to move to 2B and they need a C and LF/DH and #5 starter. The Rivera-Soriano bullpen is looking filthy:

Soriano: 53 IP, 68 K, 5 K/BB, .79 WHIP, 1.53 ERA
Mo: 70 IP, 1.66 ERA (standard Mo peripherals)

The actual 2003 Yanks had 52 WAR; the 2012 Yanks are at 37 WAR and counting.

I'm sure the Mariners would trade Hernandez for Cano...oh wait its the Yankees. So it will be a Laker type trade of one superstar for 3-4 "prospects"