WSJ: For Yankees, Buying a Contender Means Selling the Farm

Parch meant farm. Crack in the system!

And this winter, whatever visions Steinbrenner had of turning the Yankees into a different kind of winning team have been just about shattered.

Because the Yankees had no top prospects on the horizon, the only way they could reinvigorate their roster to the necessary degree was to turn, once again, to the high end of the free-agent market. And because they have done so, they are making it more difficult to improve the weakness that left them in such a ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 12-11-2013

Toledo News-Bee, December 11, 1913:

With the bids for Joe Tinker, deposed manager of the Cincinnati Reds, being constantly raised, it was suggested Thursday that a good auctioneer mount a chair in peacock alley of the Waldorf hotel, and knock down the crack shortstop to the highest bidder of the National league.

Brooklyn is now prepared to pay $30,000 for Tinker, it was stated Thursday. Charles W. Murphy of the Chicago Cubs, just back from Europe said he “would outbid any other man” for ...

Nationals Journal: Zimmerman will see time at first base in 2014

World gone wrong.

By Zimmerman’s comprehension of the Nationals’ plan, he could spell Adam LaRoche in the starting lineup against tough, left-handed starting pitchers roughly 10 to 15 games. He will also be an option to move across the diamond if a double-switch removes LaRoche from the game. In the Nationals’ current plan, he’s a third baseman who will happen to play some first.

“If that’s best for the team, I’m willing to play over there,” Zimmerman said in a phone ...

Sandberg says healthy lineup, and Howard, key to success

Sandberg: Lean: Phillies, Motivation and the Will to Lead.

Where some see an old, complacent lineup in decline, he sees an experienced group that needs to stay healthy in order to put its best bat forward.

“I think motivation is part of the game,” Sandberg said. “I think you can get the players to get (the others) on board to motivate themselves.

“But I also look at our team as an experienced team. Some guys are still capable of putting together good years, and with the balance that ...

NY Times: Murray Chass: As Miller Is Kept Out, His Fame Only Grows

If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

For the sixth time in 10 years, Marvin Miller was not elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Monday. Depending on your rooting interest, that is bad news or good news.

It is bad news for those who think the Hall of Fame is the proper place for a person who is widely considered one of three or four men who have had the greatest impact on baseball history. Another of the three is Babe Ruth, and the third is ...

Bruce Jenkins: Columnist proud to add to baseball history

Inside the HOF Expansion Era voting room with Bruce Jenkins. (Bosphorus Bridge…I’m on my way!)

Old-school thinking

What I realized in Orlando, both in informal settings and the three-hour meeting, is that everyone in the room spoke the same language, far removed from the complex lingo of new-age stat devotees. At one point, someone asked if it was necessary to bring WAR, a trendy new stat, into any discussion. There was a bit of mumbling, mostly silence, and it never came up again.

No, this ...

Ranking MLB Managers…by Handsomeness

All week I’ve half-jokingly noted that Brad Ausmus is a handsome, handsome man. As a result of that, people have asked me which manager is next handsome. And next handsome. And next handsome after that. And who’s the least handsome manager too. So, inevitably, it has come to this: a list ranking the managerial beefcake…

1. Brad Ausmus:... There are factions of female baseball fans who have been beating the Ausmus drum for years in various places on the Internet. He is probably the best ...

Colorado Rockies acquire pitcher Brett Anderson from A’s | MLB.com

The Rockies acquired left-handed starting pitcher Brett Anderson and cash considerations from the Athletics on Tuesday for lefty starter Drew Pomeranz and Minor League righty Chris Jensen, the teams announced.

Tennessean: Nashville Sounds’ new ballpark on track for final approval

The Metro Council is poised to give the go-ahead to construction of a new ballpark for the Nashville Sounds tonight, setting the stage for the minor league baseball team to start playing in a new home in 16 months.

Pending approval by the council and a final vote by the Metro Sports Authority on Wednesday, the city will go to market and sell $65 million worth of municipal revenue bonds later this week, Metro Finance Director Rich Riebeling said Monday. A construction manager could be on board ...

Calcaterra: Jonah Keri, Dave Brown and David Schoenfield admitted to the BBWAA

The Baseball Writers Association of America held its annual meeting this morning and admitted three new members to its ranks. They are: Grantland/ESPN’s Jonah Keri, Yahoo!’s Dave Brown and ESPN’s David Schoenfield.

All three are deserving, hard-working baseball writers. All three are also top representatives of online baseball media. It’s very good, both for them and, especially, for the BBWAA, that they are now part of its ranks. It will help the organization move forward and, over ...

Former White Sox great Jack McDowell seeks return to baseball

Stick? Figure not likely.

McDowell, 47, is looking for work as a pitching coach or as a broadcaster—two jobs that would best suit his strengths.

“I’m kind of sifting through things,” McDowell said Tuesday morning. “I just moved to Charlotte (from San Diego) about three months ago, so I’m in a bit of a transition and trying to figure out which direction and what the opportunities are.’‘

McDowell, who won the 1993 American League Cy Young Award with the White Sox, said he’s met with a few ...

D-Backs To Acquire Trumbo In Three-Team Trade With Angels, White Sox

The heavily rumored three-team trade between the Angels, Diamondbacks and White Sox has been completed, a source tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Mark Trumbo and a pair of players to be named later will head to the Diamondbacks, Adam Eaton will join the White Sox and Hector Santiago and Tyler Skaggs are headed to the Angels

Olympics in Future For Baseball, Softball?

This summer, it seemed like baseball’s chances to be in the Olympics again had died, when the International Olympic Committee added wrestling over sports such as baseball on its future Olympic program.

Now that the 2020 Games have been awarded to Tokyo, however, it looks like baseball and softball, in a joint bid, are likely to be added, thanks to a strong push from the host country Japan.

International baseball officials attending the Winter Meetings said new IOC president Thomas Bach was ...

Schultz: Bisher deserving but falls short of Spink Award

The Simmer Game…

The late, great Furman Bisher fell just short of a similar honor on Tuesday. Bisher, the long-time former Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist, was edged out by essayist Roger Angell for the J.G. Taylor Spink Award, which is voted on by the Basebabll Writers Association of America and awarded at the Hall of Fame ceremonies.

Angell is a long-time contributor to The New Yorker and has written a number of books on baseball. So I’m not going to write anything here that ...

Wuerz: Albert Pujols makes eye-opening comments about the Cardinals

As was once asked of Albert Fish…“Where are the needles, Albert?”

It’s interesting how former Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols has suddenly become so visible again in St. Louis.

Pujols appeared on local sports radio yesterday to talk about the election of former Redbirds manager Tony La Russa to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and during the conversation the subject changed to newly acquired St. Louis outfielder Peter Bourjos.

His former teammate in Anaheim, Pujols predicted great things ...

Ex-Cubs phenom Prior retires at 33

SI coverage of Prior’s debut. 

” cols=“100” rows=“20”

The Tribune confirmed a Twitter report by Mike Beradino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, who said he ran into Prior in a hotel lobby at the winter meetings in Florida and was told that the 33-year-old right-hander is “officially retired” after his latest setback while with the Cincinnati Reds’ Triple-A team. Beradino reports that Prior is considering a position in the San Diego Padres’ front office.

SI coverage of Prior’s ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 12-10-2013

Pittsburgh Gazette Times, December 10, 1913:

[Pennsylvania] Gov. [John] Tener was elected [National League president] and the National League magnates voted unanimously for the selection of the Keystone State executive as head of the parent baseball organization. [Outgoing president Thomas] Lynch, before leaving the meeting for his home in New Britain, made the following statement to the magnates:

“In choosing your next president, gentlemen, you have gone on record as wanting a man who will ...

Tony Jackson: “I simply have had my fill of covering baseball”

Now about that Deadspin HOF ballot…

And so, I’m just going to tell you — in case you haven’t already figured it out based on the lack of recent posting — that I have decided to shut down this blog. Well, not shut it down completely. It will still exist, and I still will provide occasional content for it. But it won’t be Dodgers content or baseball content or anything of that nature. Unlike four years ago when I was laid off by the Los Angeles Daily News, and unlike a year and a half ...

Redleg Nation: Can we just trade Aroldis Chapman already?

You can’t spell Aroldis without Rid Also.

Assuming you are a non-believer and recognize the Myth of the Closer, Chapman is the one pitcher of value the Reds can move who will bring the most while affecting the team’s fortunes in 2014 least. Another year closing out games—even if the front office holds good on it’s stated desire to utilize a more high-leverage Chapman—isn’t a difference maker in my opinion. The Reds simply have more pressing needs at this juncture. What Chapman can ...

LAT: Magglio Ordonez goes from MLB star to socialist mayor in one year

Ordonez did not indicate whether he planned to redistribute the $133,470,746 he earned in the bigs.

The former player for the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers was elected mayor of Sotillo, an eastern Venezuelan city with approximately 250,000 citizens, this weekend.

Ordonez is a member of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela and a supporter of President Nicolas Maduro, who announced the six-time All Star’s election at a rally Sunday.

Maduro is known to turn to celebrity candidates to ...

Red Sox Reportedly Eye Matt Kemp…

Jacoby who?

The Hardball Times: Leverage Index by inning

Here’s a little something you may not have known: on average, games get less critical as the game progresses. In other words, on average for all games, the ninth inning is actually less critical and tense than the first when measured correctly. [...]

Tom M. Tango asked for some follow-up information, so I’m going to post it here and on his blog. In 90% of all 2013 games, the Leverage Index rose about 2 at least once. Here is the percent of times it rose above two, by half innings:

Baseball America: 2014 New York Yankees Top 10 Prospects

I once assisted rookie Thad Tillotson get coffee for the Yankees. Didn’t help.

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

1. Gary Sanchez, c
2. Slade Heathcott, of
3. Mason Williams, of
4. J.R. Murphy, c
5. Eric Jagielo, 3b
6. Aaron Judge, of
7. Ian Clarkin, lhp
8. Greg Bird, 1b
9. Luis Severino, rhp
10. Gosuke Katoh, 2b

As if that weren’t maddening enough, nearly all of the Yankees’ potential impact prospects took a step back. Outfielder Mason Williams struggled with weight gain and poor performance. Outfielder ...

Randy Levine: Boss omission a ‘mistake’

Lost in the flood…of candidates. (oh-oh…oh-oh…repeat ad nauseam)

“I think it was a mistake,” Levine told ESPN New York by telephone. “I congratulate Joe Torre, Bobby Cox and Tony La Russa. All of them were thoroughly deserving but I think there is no doubt that George Steinbrenner was one of the greatest figures in the history of baseball. He, more than anybody, deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. I fully expect he will be one day.”

Steinbrenner’s credentials will be re-evaluated in three ...

Let go by the Tigers, Toby Harrah deserved better

Just one year ago, the Detroit Tigers were raving about the job that Harrah had done after joining the team in mid-season. In the first month after Harrah joined the staff, the Tigers improved their offensive output by a full run per game. Now, Harrah has been cut loose, as new manager Brad Ausmus decided not to retain him as part of his staff.

Roy Halladay to retire as a Blue Jay

Greatest Blue Jays pitcher: Roy Halladay or Dave Stieb?

Tony La Russa Bobby Cox, Joe Torre all unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame

For the first time in a long time we have living, breathing inductees for the Hall of Fame. The Veteran’s Committee has elected Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa, . They will be inducted next July 27th in Cooperstown.

...Left on the outside looking in: Dave Concepcion, Steve Garvey, Tommy John, Billy Martin, Marvin Miller, Dave Parker, Dan Quisenberry, Ted Simmons and George Steinbrenner, all of whom failed to gain more than six votes. Twelve votes were required for induction.

Thanks to Butch.

Doosan Bears sign ex-MLB slugger Jorge Cantu

Low helmet alert!

The Doosan Bears announced on Monday they’ve acquired former Major League Baseball (MLB) slugger Jorge Cantu.

The Seoul-based Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club said they signed the 31-year-old infielder for US$250,000 for next season, along with a signing bonus of $50,000.

Cantu becomes the first position player from overseas to join a KBO club since 2011. Teams here are allowed two foreign players each—with an exception for the expansion team the NC Dinos, who can ...

Schilling Replaces Hershiser At ESPN

Must check out Just Another ####### #5…to see if “Krucky Bring to the Table” had a no-wave cut on it.

Curt Schilling knows criticism is coming. He expects it.

The former All-Star pitcher and three-time World Series champ (twice with the Boston Red Sox) is replacing Orel Hershiser on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” broadcast crew next season, giving him a wider audience for his opinions.

“No matter how you phrase it, if you don’t compliment a player, that player’s team, that’s ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 12-9-2013

El Paso Herald, December 9, 1913:

Members of the Philadelphia Athletics are said to have refused to subscribe their names to 17 demands made by the Baseball Players’ fraternity which is seeking numerous concessions from major and minor leagues. The Philadelphia players are said to have declared that they had no grievances and that to sign would be unfair to manager Connie Mack.

It’s the Players’ Disunion.