Some Tuesday night notes and links
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Oct 18, 2011 
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
Brian Cashman still seems perfectly unconcerned about his expiring contract. He said yesterday that the team isn’t likely to make any significant moves until the end of this week’s pro scouting meetings, and today he told Brian Hoch that he’s still focused on those meetings, without much worry about his own deal.
“It’ll get done between now and Oct. 31st, I’m sure,” Cashman said. “I can’t promise, but I think that’s what everybody expects. I know it’s something that everybody has to follow. But that’s not a pressing circumstance, as far as something I’m worried about right now.”
Yesterday Cashman said only that the pro scouting meetings would take place this week. He told Hoch that the specifically begin tomorrow.
• From the Yankees media relations department: Yankees Stadium has begun it’s winter transition to a football field.
• Buster Olney tweeted about Damon Oppenheimer’s resume this afternoon. Oppenheimer is interviewing to be the Angels general manager.
• A story you never knew you wanted to read: A history of the World Series programs. It’s pretty cool; off the wall and interesting.
• It’s a few days old, but check out this Times profile of former Yankees second-round draft pick Brandon Weeden, who’s now the quarterback at Oklahoma State, having falling back into football after his baseball career never took off.
• I was never much of an autograph guy myself, but here’s a story about the guy who has the world record for autographed baseballs. His collection started with a Mickey Mantle signature.
• MLB announced the umpire crew for the World Series: Jerry Layne will serve as the crew chief with Gary Cederstrom, Ted Barrett, Greg Gibson, Ron Kulpa and Alfonso Marquez rounding out the group. This is the second World Series assignment for all but Kulpa and Gibson, who will be umpiring their first Fall Classic.
• From another MLB press release: Major League Baseball will dedicate Games One through Four of the 2011 World Series to important community causes, highlighting year-long MLB partners and initiatives including veterans and their families with Welcome Back Veterans during Game One, community service with the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet during Game Two, youth in underserved communities with Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) and Boys & Girls Clubs of America during Game Three and advancing the fight against cancer with Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) during Game Four.
Photo from the Yankees media relations department
Chad,
is there any word on when the team will start finalizing the winter 40 man roster and who will be on the list of eligible Rule 5 players?
http://espn.go.com/mlb/playoff.....Today_Team
No surprise here. I expect Seinfeld re runs to bring higher ratings then the W.S. this week.
Also, surprised to see Ted Barret with an assignment. His strike zone in Game 5 of the ALDS was really bad.
Evan (Auburn, Ala.)
Jerry: Any news on who might be the new Red Sox manager?
Jerry Crasnick
(1:16 PM)
Evan, I wish I had some insight. I haven’t weighed in on this yet, but I think it was a terrible mistake for the Red Sox to let Terry Francona go. That job is next to impossible, given the demands of juggling the media, ownership instrusion, big egos in the clubhouse and a demanding fan base. I don’t think the Red Sox are going to find anybody who could do it as deftly as Terry Francona. He just needed to recharge his batteries and get more support from above
I know the world series starts 2morrow but I miss Yankee baseball so bad…..the day to dayness spoils me during the season…I cannot wait until the hotstove gets going….
I was driving to work today getting so mad at myself for not getting into game 5 of the ALDS more…It felt like the 3-2 margain was so overwhelming and it was 1 RUN…weird to actually look back…guess the fear of losing…
“He just needed to recharge his batteries and get more support from above”
actually francona would have stayed , but red sox ownership refused to get him the breathalyzers he asked for.
How about Cubs and Sox can’t come to an agreement on compensation for Theo so he stays in Boston and decides to re-hire Tito who then gets to confront all those who threw him under a bus. A girl can dream.
I like that idea, pat, but how about the Cubs then demand compensation for their wasted time and take Ben Cherrybomb?
Talk is now that Epstein will not be the GM, but, President of Baseball Operations for the cubs and then try to bring hoyer in as GM. If San Diego wants compensation, will they send Soriano to San Diego? Talk agout having a mess. That would be 5 organizations totally screwed up. San Diego, Cubs, Boston, Houston and the Dodgers.
Talk is now that Epstein will not be the GM, but, President of Baseball Operations for the cubs and then try to bring hoyer in as GM.
——
Link?
Link?
Ken_RosenthalKen Rosenthal
Theo: Looking for a GM. http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/s.....ger-101811 #RedSox #Cubs #MLB
Joshy says “enough is enough”
PeteAbePete Abraham
#RedSox pitchers deny dugout drinking: http://bo.st/qaWcYZ
pat
Thanks. Can’t see that happening. Why would Hoyer leave his GM job in San Diego to be Theo’s puppet in Chicago?
http://www.boston.com/sports/b.....ny_re.html
Beckett, Lackey, Lester, and Francona all deny drinking occurred in the dugout.
So that’s what teamwork and solidarity looks like!
“Why would Hoyer leave his GM job in San Diego to be Theo’s puppet in Chicago?”
The Spy Who Came In From The Cold?
A Burnt-Out Case?
This drinking in the dugout thing is gold for people with some photoshop skills.
So Francona and the JO triplets have vehemently denied the beer in the dugout accusations. So I guess we can put this one rumor to rest.
I’m so loving this whole thing
“It is time to look forward and move forward, rather than allow a reckless, unsubstantiated accusation from ‘anonymous sources’ to mislead the public.”
Lucchino is only ok with anonymous sources when him or Henry are doing the smearing.
LockDown,
That’s the thing that stood out.
They didn’t deny the other allegations!
What’s almost as much fun is reading that part of the Boston media is trying to backpedal, excuse and bury this story and the more they do, the more the players continue talking.
Just hours earlier, Pete posted this:
Red Sox pitchers Josh Beckett, John Lackey and Jon Lester would drink beer in the dugout during games according to a report by Channel 7.
The story cites two unidentified team employees who witnessed the drinking.
The Globe has confirmed the report via a team source.
—————————————————————
Who was the team source? Curiouser and curiouser.
People in the comments section keep saying, “Let’s focus on truck day and ST” What is “truck day”?
I think what Selig and Congress need to do is have a joint investigation and get to the bottom of this and save the integrity of baseball.
Truck Day is the day the tractor trailors back up to the loading docks and start packing up equipment to move to Florida for ST
***trailers***
So, Yankee fans look forward to pitchers & catchers and Sox fans look forward to “truck day”?
I thought Truck Day was when they make the beer deliveries to the clubhouse. Maybe that’s just during the season?
m October 18th, 2011 at 11:50 pm
So, Yankee fans look forward to pitchers & catchers and Sox fans look forward to “truck day”?
—
Very weird.
Players that the White Sox may try to move this winter as they attempt to retool:
“It appears the White Sox will consider trading Carlos Quentin, John Danks and Gavin Floyd. They could use an infusion of talent. The White Sox, who opened the 2011 season with the 27th-ranked farm system in the game, according to Baseball America, spent less on this summer’s amateur draft than any other team.”
Difference between NY and Boston media….. if this happened in NY,
- it would have a cutesy name for the backpage headlines- Cluck and Chuck? Picnicgate?
- the Daily News I-team, Page 6 or someone from the Times would have had someone at every Popeyes within 20 miles of the Stadium to see how many times anyone from the team came in to buy chicken and someone else watching video of every game played to see who was in the dugout, when they left and if they were holding cups when they were there.
- calling it a “witch hunt” and saying “enough is enough” would be mocked in print and from every beat writer on twitter.
-Lupica would think it was Christmas and make sure the payroll was mentioned often.
-Wally Matthews would report Alex had KFC delivered to the clubhouse while the rest of the players ate Popeyes
Difference between NY and Boston…This wouldn’t happen in NY.
Somebody said that when Epstein said that he needed to get some pitchers in the draft, Beckett, Lester and Lackey misunderstood him and got pitchers of draft.
no Gerry Davis??!
btw truck day is when all the redsox stuff goes down to FL for spring training
Is this CC Sabathia situation really going to get ugly?? I don’t really see the issue from the Yankees standpoint, they absolutely cannot afford to lose him and I feel like he’s not exactly going to command $40mil per year…so what is the potential problem? I thought he loved NY…
Love to hear about this Red Sox crap, the franchise is in turmoil on the field and off it.
If Sabathia opts out, the Yanks should let him go then do this in this order:
Re-sign Chien Mien Wang to a one year $2M contract (double his 2011 salary with the lowly Nats.) I’d offer him $2M plus $100K per start for his 21st through 30th starts and a mil for every start after his 30th start (he makes $4M, $5M, $6M, $7M, and $8M, on 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34 starts respectively.) If he’s healthy he’ll make at least $2.1M ($2M plus $100K for his 21st start) and as much as $8M (assuming he makes 34 starts tops.)
Start 2012 with a rotation of Burnett/Nova/Hughes/Wang/Noesi (4/5ths homegrown, cheap, and under 33 years old as Wang turns only 32 on 3/31.) Everyone would say the Yanks don’t have a chance with this rotation moreover with Burnett as the ace. Good. Let them write off the Yanks. These guys could pitch pressure-free. Nova, Wang, and Noesi are already calm, quiet guys, so they could easily go into that “care about nothing” mode.
Call up Banuelos to replace the worst starter even if it’s Burnett and if it is, the Yanks would have an all-homegrown, cheap, and under 33 rotation and a 4/5ths (whatever Hughes’s age is) and under rotation.
Acquire Chris Carpenter via midseason trade (the Yanks would have him through 2013.)
Cross the bridge called 2013 when they get to it.
Remember the new wildcard playoff begins in 2013 so the 2013 Yanks could theoretically be an 87-win team and still make the postseason.
The Yanks should ask Sabathia to stay a Yankee and promise him they’ll get Carpenter for 2012 and Matt Cain for 2013 for a Sabathia/Cain/Carpenter/Burnett/TBD (Nova if he turns out a nice 2012) rotation for 2013. If Sabathia cares about winning, he’ll take the Yanks word for it and stay. If they can’t get either guy, there’s other guys. Sabathia still makes $23M a year the next three years with the greatest sports franchise on Earth and most likely makes the postseason all three years.
Sabathia opting out is him saying he doesn’t think he’ll be good enough to get a new two to four year contract, because if he thinks he’s good enough to be a Yankee past his current contract, he’ll cross the bridge called 2016 when he gets to it. And should he really be thinking about getting another two to four years from the Yanks after this year’s debacle especially his chokejob vs. the Tigers? Spare me “He pitched on short rest” when Justin Verlander did, too, pitched eight innings, and outdueled Sabathia.
Oh yeah, hasn’t Burnett saved his ass twice in the postseason (Game 2 of the 2009 World Series and Game 3 of this year’s ALDS)? Yep. Burnett has been more money than him as a Yankee in October!!! Sabathia opting out would be the sequel to A-Rod opting out and you know how that turned out. The Yanks are most likely stuck with A-Rod for another six years unless they could trade him and half his remaining salary to Seattle (money I’d consider a buyout more than a loss) which I think they should try to do because it’s $71.5M off the books and Seattle who has absolutely no offense outside of Smoak and fading Ichiro pays only that for a guaranteed gate draw.
Sabathia has 4 years at $23M per on the table right now. He’d still make wayyy more than C.J. Wilson assuming Wilson got 4 years from the Rangers or whoever. He’d still make more than double Carpenter’s salary the next two years ($23M per year to Carpenter’s $10.5M.) Two guys who are starting Game 1 of the 2011 World Series tonight.
Another thing:
The Yanks gave Sabathia a record $161M. They’ve commited $92M to him over the next four years. Name me another pitcher besides Cliff Lee making anywhere close to that money over the next four years, I can’t. I could be wrong but wouldn’t Sabathia still be the highest paid pitcher in MLB over the next four years? If not he has to be second to Lee. So eff him if he opts out. ‘Say C.J. Wilson receives a four-year deal from the Rangers or whoever at $15M per for $60M total. You know he’s getting that only cuz this offseason’s crop of free-agent starting pitchers is quite frankly, blah. Edwin Jackson? Chris Carpenter would be the best of the lot if the Cardinals declined to pick up his pithy $10.5M club option for 2012 which I doubt they would decline to pick up. If they declined it (again I doubt they would), the Yanks should immediately offer Carpenter two years at $15M per ($9M raise from if the Cards kept him) and tell Sabathia $23M for 2016, $23M vested option for 2017 if he pitches 200 innings in ’16 or 400 innings 2015-16.
‘Say Matt Cain and Cole Hamels, hands down the best free agent starting pitchers without options available after next year, got 6 years at $20M per each. That’s still $41M short of what the Yanks gave Sabathia, $3M short of Sabathia’s salary every year 2013-15 (Sabathia’s $23M per vs. Cain’s/Hamel’s $20M), and only $28M more than what Sabathia is due over the next four years.
The Cardinals already extended Chris Carpenter some time ago.
In what world are Cain and Hamels $20 mil a year pitchers?
Two years $21 million – announced 9/23.
****
So, surprise, surprise, it’s raining today in NY……
Carpenter is also dealing with elbow soreness, and has been since August, apparently, which they are saying should not be a problem for him pitching tonight.
GB7
Aren’t you to old to pull an allnighter?
When I saw the title of the smokeless tobacco post I knew where that was going to take the conversasion.
My BiL got Bullwinkle a couple of weeks ago. A little over 900lbs.
Wouldn’t it be more beneficial to Theo to have Hoyer strategically placed in SD so that he could trade him his good players and so Theo could dump his trash on him?
MaineYankee October 19th, 2011 at 7:22 am
GB7
Aren’t you to old to pull an allnighter?
When I saw the title of the smokeless tobacco post I knew where that was going to take the conversasion.
My BiL got Bullwinkle a couple of weeks ago. A little over 900lbs.
————————————————————————————————————————-
KILLER!!!!!!1
You killed my boyhood idol.
No….not an all nighter, but, close. Slept off and on, then watched a movie. “Guns Of Navarone”. Still a great movie. Great nickname for a Yankee pitching staff of Sabathia, Betances, Banuelos, Hughes, Nova and Noesi, huh?
Congrats on bagging a big one, Maine. Yeah, that tobacco post didn’t end well, as things like that don’t.
“In what world are Cain and Hamels $20 mil a year pitchers?”
Same one that AJ Burnett and John Lackey are 17 million dollar pitchers ….it all depends on the market and who wants them.
good morning all
Blake
Thanks for your description of Lester, lackey, Beckett throwing chicken bones at each other. Every time I see another article I think of that image and it gives me a chuckle.
Kate,
Your welcome….a good cartoonist has to draw it.
LGY October 19th, 2011 at 12:07 am
-Wally Matthews would report Alex had KFC delivered to the clubhouse while the rest of the players ate Popeyes
**********************
Wow…slow morning on the LoHud.
New Post: Best 25-man roster in baseball?