Pinch hitting: Bronx Banter
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- January
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January is traditionally a slow month for baseball news. So for the second year in a row, we are showcasing other blogs with a series of pinch hitters.
Next up is Emma, who will be representing Bronx Banter.
Emma is a regular contributor to the Banter. A web editor and freelance writer living in Brooklyn, she grew up in New Jersey worshipping at the altar of Don Mattingly, and has written about baseball for the Village Voice, the New York Press, and Slate, among others. She’s currently writing a book about New York baseball fandom.
Here is her post:
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(Before I jump into the post, I just wanted to say a quick word about Todd Drew. Alex and Pete Abraham, among many others, have already written very eloquent and moving remembrances of Todd, and I don’t have too much more to add — but I’m glad that I got to meet him, and selfishly, I’m upset that I won’t get to read any more new posts from him. He will be missed; he already is.)
They don’t make corrupt baseball owners like they used to. Sure, the Yankees’ stadium shenanigans have been all over the news lately.
But whatever you think of the team’s questionable financial dealings with New York City, Randy Levine & Co. are a bunch of fluffy kittens compared to the Yankees’ original owners. As my grandfather used to complain: these modern guys playing today, they just don’t stack up with the old greats.
In 1903, American League President Ban Johnson was in such a rush to get a team into New York that he announced the move before securing either a ballpark or owners. This was a tactical error, since the National League Giants and Brooklyn Superbas (the proto-Dodgers) weren’t keen on the competition, and had enough contacts, friends, and paid-off officials in Tammany Hall to make Johnson’s life difficult: every time the AL tried to buy land for a ballpark, the Giants’ friendly politicians acted swiftly to either turn the proposed site into a protected city park or, failing that, put a road through the middle of it. Eventually, Johnson had to purchase a plot in secret from the New York Institute for the Blind, a feat he pulled off only by bribing his very own brace of Tammany officials.
That’s why the Yankees’ first owners were a shadowy group of Gangs of New York-style political insiders that boasted Frank Farrell and William “Big Bill” Devery as its most prominent members, two gentlemen whose criminal adventures make George Steinbrenner’s illegal contributions to Richard Nixon look like donations to the Jimmy Fund. Farrell, “the Pool Hall King of New York,” was the head of New York’s biggest illegal gambling syndicate; as one historian put it, he “owned 250 pool halls and almost as many politicians.” He had a saloon at Sixth Ave and 30th, where he became fast friends with Devery, a police captain at the station down the street.
Known throughout the city for his talent for graft and astonishing ability to wriggle out of well-deserved criminal charges, Big Bill — who at six feet-plus and 350 pounds was not ironically nicknamed — went on to become New York City’s Chief of Police. (Later he would repay the NYPD by stealing the interlocking NY design it had commissioned for a posthumous medal of honor — awarded to an officer shot and killed in the line of duty — for use as his baseball team’s logo.) Devery was, at various points in his career, charged with neglect of duty, failure to proceed against “disorderly houses” in his district, extortion, and blackmail, but was never convicted; little wonder, since he was also known for a cheerful willingness to bribe juries. As the Times put it, rather delicately, in their 1919 obituary, “Mr. Devery had a most picturesque and stormy career.”
Today’s unethical baseball team dealings, while sordid, are dull as dishwater in comparison. Still, at least some things never change. The soon-to-be-Yankees got off to a rough start in 1903, much to the consternation of outfielder Wee Willie Keeler, who told reporters: “With such an aggregation of stars as we have, we ought to do much better.”
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Thanks for the history lesson, Emma. Coming tomorrow: Gary from Yanks And More.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 at 3:43 am by Peter Abraham.
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Chad Jennings
Sam Borden
“dave: you’re really going to write Phil and Joba off after just one season?
And Joba actually did quite well till he got hurt.”
Rebecca,
Who says Im writing them off? Im a huge hughes supporter – no pun intended and I love joba. But the fact is, they are young and cant pitch a full season. And hughes has yet to prove he can be effective for any significant amount of time against major league talent. I have no doubt he will eventually be very good but how can we bank on him to fill in a spot out of ST along with Aceves again this year?
Hughes needs more time in triple A and aceves while good for 30 innings last year is certainly no guarantee to pitch effectively for a full season. Im simply saying that cash made this mistake last year but basically giving up a spot to the young guys out of ST without proving anything and it was a disaster. Mistakes should be learned from as i SAID not repeated. It also quite possibly pushed hughes development back by a significant margin – who knows if he would have gotten hurt in triple A as Im sure he was pushing himself in the majors and was NOT ready?
But the point is we already found out that giving young guys a spot even without them earning it is a mistake. Not to mention, we need innings – a lot of them. Put CC down for 220, wang down for 200 and AJ down for 180 (which may be a stretch) and thas around 600 for the top three spots. If we are being very optimistic with wang and AJ maybe it comes out to 640. Joba is good for 150 we hope so that is around 790 and that is VERY OPTIMISTIC THINKING.
Now, we need a combo of Hughes, Aceves and Kennedy to fill in those last 210 innings – thus, we are guaranteeing one of them a spot at every point throughout the season. Now, we need to consider injuries and ineffectiveness. With CC’s workload, Wang’s surgery and AJ’s risk, we need at least one solid backup – we dont really have anybody except kennedy if Hughes and Aceves can combine for 210 innings in the majors. Two injuries and we are looking at Geise, Coke and Johnson which weakens the pen. And if hughes, aceves or kennedy are not effective in the majors or not ready, we are again in desperate need of depth that we dont have.
Now, add in another starter capable of 200 innings. It drastically improves not only the rotation but the pitching depth and bullpen potentially. The top four can more easily pitch for 800 innings with CC, wang and pettitte all perfectly capable of going 200 innings or more. AJ should be good for 180 we hope. Add Joba’s 150 innings to the top four’s total and we are at 950 which is very good for the five main guys as that is the production most playoff contenders had last year from their main starters.
Now, aceves, hughes and kennedy all become pitching depth with aceves a very capable stand in for injury. This gives hughes the time he needs in triple A and lets aceves go to the pen making it stronger. Kennedy along with the rest of the younger talent becomes third in the pecking order following an injury which is where he should be as we have no idea what kind of production he will give us next year. Geise and Coke remain in the pen without question which also helps the pen and johnson does not even enter the equation which is a very good thing.
And all this for another 2 mil or so or some incentives in the deal. I know pettitte is being ridiculous and does not deserve any more than 10 mil but pitchers and catchers report in about 3 weeks. We cant have our fourth starting spot up for grabs by the start of the spring – the yanks invested too much in this team to leave open a trap door for a measly couple of mil on top of the over 400 million they have spent. It just seems nonsensical to do this.
And name a single season in which we did not have any pitching injuries – last year, almost all of them were injured at some point. Why assume that we wont have injuries this year when it is an obvious reality of the game. First sign of injury without pettitte around and our rotation is two of the top three, Joba, Aceves and Hughes. And of course, we may have more than one injury at any given time – thas when it starts getting real messy without another starter. Signing another starter is not a luxury for this team – it is a necessity IMO.
Interesting column, Emma, and well written too.
But what was that you were saying? That Tammany Hall democrats were crooked?
You’re right, times haven’t changed much.
great post emma, interesting characters.
all this doesnt excuse the public funds ($325M per nyt) going into new yankee stadium.
Nice post Emma – very interesting!!
Well, one thing you can say is Big Bill did know a good logo when he saw it.
(I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to see that logo in quite the same way again.)
For me the jury is still out regarding the funding of the new stadium. I’ve heard such differing reports I tend to think there’s seeds of truth in both sides, at the very least.
Great post Emma – very different from anything previously submitted. A reminder, too, of no matter how bad things seem today, they could always be, and probably were at some time, much worse!
grade a for Emma. She has a nice Chnage up and she’s not afraid to throw it for strikes.
Emma,
The post you wrote has the makings of an interesting book.
You ought to seriously consider it. Most people are unaware of the history of the team pre-Ruth. I for one would like to read more about that period.
Good post, Emma, but too short! I wanted to keep reading.
My favorite post so far. Interesting and very new to me.
Good stuff, Emma.
Thanks Emma. The more things change the more they stay the same.
Great post Emma! it’s a very interesting history lesson on our team
Nice job!
Very interesting post Emma!
Great post Emma. I’d love to read an extended version of it with more info about Johnson, Farrell and Devery. I enjoy history and I love baseball so this post is perfect.
I agree with others…I want to read this as a book. Much more information needed…please let it be known publically if it comes available in a longer version.
Thanks, Emma- great post. Just to echo all the above sentiments, I’d love to read a fuller treatment of these events. Good luck to you, and keep us posted (pathetic pun unintended).
Does anyone understand the bond issue?
I’m under the impression that the city is allowing the yankees to use these low interest/no interest, loan bonds to fund the stadium,,but it WILL be paid back to the city…so whats wrong with it??
Yes, its a low interest/no interest loan that you or i cant get, but we are not contributing entertainment, tax revenue, employment, etc ,as yankee stadium will??
Considering some cities pay completely with tax dollars and no reimbursement…
Am i correct, or have i drank the kool aid?!
Arbitration figures exchanged today. Wouldn’t think there will be any crazy #’s from either side with Nady, Bruney or Melky.
Does Jenks agreeing to $5.6M yesterday hurt/help Papelbon?
Definitely my favorite thus far. Thanks Emma!
“Fluffy kittens”, love the analogy. Yes Emma, the pre Ruth Yankees would make a nice book.
As for other “corrupt” Yankee owners, there was the deal they had with the St. Louis Browns, basically turning the Browns, who were a league rival, into their own AAA team. Now that’s a corrupt bargain.
jd- That is how I understand it.
Pat- I would say it hurts. Yes Paple is better than Jenks, but isn’t he looking for 15 million? I don’t think Johnathon is 3 times better than Jenks.
Very good post. I always enjoy historical perspective on the issues surrounding the game.
Dave,
Let. It. Go. With each dissertation, you are showing what you don’t know, rather than what you do know, about the game and how it operates.
Nice post, Emma.
I hope that the fans will be patient if our own constellation of stars gets off to a slow or rough start.
And that the media guys will write with their pens instead of their swords.
Will I start the season 0-for-2?
Ah, a writer…I always look forward to you posts on BB. This one was fun, too. Thanks, Emma.
Jenks’ deal has no impact on Papelbon because it was settled prior to arbitation. It won’t be a benchmark for the Papelbon case.
Once the hearing gets under way, its a whole different ballgame.
Papelbon’s agents, the Levinson Brothers, probably do a better job in arbitration than any agency in the business.
Their briefs are very, very well done.
That’s going to be an interesting hearing. It doesn’t seem like Papelbon is interested in settling so, its going to be great to see how both sides defend their number.
sj44- Wasn’t Paplebon using Mo as a bench mark? So can’t the soxs use Jenks?
SJ
Surprised Jenks will have no bearing. Same position, similiar service time. Would seem to be a good barometer for where the market is at and at least a guideline for where Papelbon or the Sox set their bar.
Great post, Emma!
Count me in with those who would love to read more on this. Any plans for a book on this subject?
I gotta admit I’m a sucker for a good historical posting. I enjoyed it very much, but it left me with a question– so what caused Farrell and “Big Bill” to sell the team to Ruppert & Huston about 10 years (I think) later?
Is this Papelbon’s first year of arbitration? If so, it’ll be very interesting. He was very vocal about being the forerunner for future closers of America. As much as I dislike Papelbon’s personality, I hate the Sox even more. Here’s to hoping that the Sox have to cut a very fat check. And that Papelbon will promptly struggle.
If Masterson doesn’t start, do they make him the setup guy over Okajima? I would think the main goal in ST is to get their bullpen in order. That is if they want to compete against ours.
Jennifer,
The Red Sox will probably argue the Jenks case helps their cause. Problem is, Papelbon has been better than Janks at a similar service time period in their respective careers.
Once you get into the hearing, its all about the briefs and the arguments put forth by the team and the agent.
The Levinson Brothers are very, very good. They did a great job with Posada (in his FA year) last year and Pedroia this year. They make very compelling arguments and their research staff is as good (or better) than Boras’ staff, long considered to be the benchmarks in the business.
The key will be how far apart they are when they exchange figures. If the Red Sox try to come in at or under Jenks’ number, I believe their case is lost befor they even argue it.
Just based on some preliminary research, I could see Papelbon getting at least $7.5 million.
I can’t wait to see the numbers that are submitted in his case. Its definitely going to be the highest profile arbitration case this year, IMO.
jennifer
Mo money with 3 years service time was $4.25M. Even Papelbon isn’t self involved enough to think he’s getting the same coin as a 13 year veteran in his 4th year in the league.
No live blog for the inauguration?
Speaking of Papelbon- how did his name not come up in WBC conversations for Team USA? Did he decline?
Being aggressive with the IRS in arms-length bargaining is neither unethical nor questionable, unless you are Dick Brodsky and are trying to keep your self in the headlines in case a job opens up after Hilary’s replacement is named. Trust me, the IRS got Al Capone. And if you or anyone you know has ever been audited, you know about what kind of incredible power they have; the IRS never loses. So enough already with the nonsense about the wool being pulled over the IRS’, and thus the taxpayers’, eyes.
pat- If I recall correctly, I remember hearing him say he wants Mo money. That is 15 million or what ever Mo’s salary is now.
This subject is more of what this blog needs….history lessons that go back to the begiining and go forward. How the Yanks were spirited out of Baltimore in 1903, an introduction to Happy Jack Chesbro and on to the first team captain and notorious cheat and crook, Prince Hal Chase, tossed out of baseball for being a go-between for The 1919 White Sox and Arnold Rothstein.
SteveB
January 20th, 2009 at 10:03 am
I gotta admit I’m a sucker for a good historical posting. I enjoyed it very much, but it left me with a question—so what caused Farrell and “Big Bill” to sell the team to Ruppert & Huston about 10 years (I think) later?
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Steve, the reason devaney and Farrell sold the Yanks to Ruppert and Huston in 1915, was two-fold…the origional owners were fighting with each other and they were just about broke and needed the money.
Hey, thanks for reading, everyone — and thanks to Mr. Abraham for posting.
For anyone who wants to read more about this particular era (at least until my book comes out!), I’d recommend checking out “Top of the Heap: A Yankees Collection”, edited by Glenn Stout, and Stout’s “Yankees Century,” plus the NY Times archives (though once you get this far back in time, you do have to pay for their articles).
great stuff. loved it.
great stuff again, emma.
That was very informative. I didn’t know any of it. Thank you.
Cowardly. Sports can be a haven at their best, but a shroud at their worst. Your disclaimer to start this blog was the worst, unfortunately. There are moments in time when events transcend our meathead views of what are and are not venues of refuge. This is one of those. I truly think to not at least offer a word or two on your thoughts regarding the gravity of today and this moment in our shared history- sports and otherwise- is both inappropriate and a willful step to the wrong side of history. And this from a man who reads the blog daily, and loves your work, Peter. I will continue to read. I just hope your negligence can be corrected by an articulate post, which you’ve proven time and again you’re capable of, about YOUR feelings on this, one of the most important days in Americacn history. Don’t be THAT sports guy, despite readership impact.
Emma,thank you.All these years the Yanks have been described as corporate robots.Now I find out their origins and I couldn’t be prouder.Stealing the interlocking NY,how great is that!
Haha ^^ nice, is there a section to follow the RSS feed