Baseball (the talkin' sport)

[hiway29]

JD Drew turned down a 3 year option with the Dodgers worth 33 million (!), to test the free agent waters. Some players are delusional, and this is the delusionist.

If ever there was a non presence by someone hitting 100 rbi, J D was it. Kind of like the guy who hits home runs during 10-0 romps. Drew sat out games regularly for various aches and pains, played like he was bored with it all, and was a non factor in the clubhouse.

Boras convinced him that with his 'awesome numbers' he was worth more than the piddling 33 mil for 3 years.

It will be interesting who offers him more, and even more interesting to see whatever town he goes to gape in amazement at the dog they just picked up.

[johniam]

Hmm. The Cardinals have 2 days to decide whether or not to pick up the $10 million option on Jim Edmonds or buy him out for $3 million. With Juan Pierre a free agent, I can see them letting Edmonds go and signing Juan Pierre if they can.

[Tom Strange]

Well... we know what the Yankees are going to do with their crowded outfield:

From the AP:

2 hours ago

NEW YORK - Gary Sheffield was traded from the New York Yankees to the Detroit Tigers on Friday for three pitching prospects. New York gets right-handers Humberto Sanchez, Kevin Whelan and Anthony Claggett.

[Tom Strange]

From 'The Newberg Report':

Reports out of Japan indicate that the Seibu board of directors was unable to assemble fully on Friday and thus there has been no official announcement on whether they would accept the high bid for Daisuke Matuzaka, communicated to them on Wednesday.

Seibu has until the opening of business on Wednesday, November 15, to accept the bid. They are expected to announce their decision on Monday and one report that I have been working on translating (with some assistance from report readers) states that the meeting on Monday will be mere formality: "'Daisuke major-leaguer Matsuzaka' is born."

ESPN's Buster Olney has published a very squishy report, saying that the Red Sox "may have" won with a bid between $38 - $45 million and that the sources have told him that the Rangers bid $22 million with the intention of offering a five-year, $50 million contract.

Maybe some good news for your boys mstar! ...just keep him away from Dusty Baker...

[hiway29]

That sounds like good news about Sheffield. If they can only move Arod, they'll have gotten rid of the 2 biggest high priced albatrosses, which would be a good step to becoming a real team again.

3 pitching prospects-maybe none of them will pan out, but if even one does it's worth the deal.

[Tom Strange]

c'mon hiway! you know your boys in NY will develop one of them and trade the other two to a team that wants to build for the future and give up a starter!

[Rocky]

JD Drew turned down a 3 year option with the Dodgers worth 33 million (!), to test the free agent waters. Some players are delusional, and this is the delusionist.

If ever there was a non presence by someone hitting 100 rbi, J D was it. Kind of like the guy who hits home runs during 10-0 romps. Drew sat out games regularly for various aches and pains, played like he was bored with it all, and was a non factor in the clubhouse.

It will be interesting who offers him more, and even more interesting to see whatever town he goes to gape in amazement at the dog they just picked up.

I know what ya mean there Hiway... but JDD seems to get it going when he plays the Dbacks... I don't know if it has anything to do with his little bro' having an outstanding rookie season at SS for the snakes... but Stephen Drew was one of the bright spots for the Arizona franchise this year...

[johniam]

Boy, was I wrong about Edmonds; the Cards just signed him for 19 mill over the next 2 years. I guess that means they're not expecting to sign any free agent starting pitchers from other teams.

[Tom Strange]

Will Edmonds hold up for the two years? That'd be my only question. Otherwise, that's what he'd probably get "out there".

I know what you mean hiway... he sounds like A-Rod, Jr. Talk about empty numbers!

[simonzelotes]

Congrats to Brandon Webb of the D-backs on winning the NL Cy Young award...I think he was deserving...He went through a bit of a rocky road when the snakes went on a 2-16 run,but bounced back and outlasted Trevor Hoffman and Chris Carpenter....It was the lowest victory total(16-8) for a Cy Young winner that was a starter in a non-strike season,but I think that's a more telling statement of how starting pitchers are used these days,especially in the NL...

[Tom Strange]

hey Simon... your Cubbies should enjoy DeRosa for years to come... he's a HUGE guy 'in the room'... hopefully he didn't 'career out' last year and can pick right up where he left off... he's a good guy.

now I guess we're talking to Zito and the Big Hurt... we'll see how that goes...

[mstar1]

So who knows what about Daisuke Matsuzaka?

I know he was the MVP of the World baseball Classic, supposedly is the best pitcher in Japan, throws something called a "gyroball" and I know the Red Sox just paid the Seibu Lions 51.1 Million just to talk to him.

If they then sign him at say 5 years/50 million, with the payoff to the Lions, they'll be paying Clemens type money for someone who has never thrown a major league pitch...

Must be pretty damn good---he better be pretty damn good

[Tom Strange]

I had something around here somewhere mstar, but can't find it now... it said that he's got A LOT of milage on his arm... more overused than Kerry Wood when he was younger... pitch counts, when he was young in the 150-180 range... back to backs with those pitch counts...

Like I said before, just keep Dusty Baker away from him...

[Tom Strange]

Wikipedia has some stuff on him...

Daisuke Matzuzaka graduated from Yokohama High School in Japan in 1998. Matsuzaka became a national hero in 1998 when he pitched Yokohama High School into the Koshien Tournament and dominated the competition like no one before or since. In the quarterfinals of that year's Koshien national high school baseball tournament, he threw 250 pitches in 17 innings against traditional powerhouse P.L. Gakuen. In stifling heat, Matsuzaka pitched a game for the ages, emerging victorious. The very next day, he played in the outfield but recorded a save. In the final, he threw a no-hitter—the second ever in a final—to win both the tournament and the admiration of the nation. This performance garnered the attention of a great many scouts. After his graduation, he was taken by the Seibu Lions with the first pick of the 1998 draft.

In his first professional season (1999), he had 16 wins and 5 losses as the team ace, and was voted Rookie of the Year. In 2003, Matsuzaka logged 16 wins and 7 losses. He won the Pacific League ERA title with a 2.83 mark. Matsuzaka also played for Japan's National Baseball Team, and pitched against South Korea.

He participated in the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece and was a key player in Japan's acquisition of the bronze medal. His fastball ranges from 90-96 mph (145-154km/h), with good late movement. He also throws a splitter, changeup and slider with almost the same delivery. He is also the pitcher most associated with the infamous gyroball, although by his own admission he does not throw one, and by most accounts the pitch is a myth. [1]In another article, he said he throws it but hasn't mastered it. [2] People born in the 1980 fiscal year (from April 2, 1980 to the following April 1, 1981) have been called the Matsuzaka generation (松坂世代 Matsuzaka sedai). Matsuzaka pitched for Japan in the inaugural World Baseball Classic. Matsuzaka was named tournament MVP after posting a 3-0 record, including a decisive win over Cuba in the tournament's championship game.

On October 24, Scott Boras was announced as Matsuzaka's agent.

His records and innings pitched are there. What would scare me most about the above quote is the last line.

[Tom Strange]

And here's an article on the GYROBALL

To get an idea of how astronomical the BoSox bid for Matsuzaka was, the previous record for a bid on a player from Japan was something like $13.1 million for Ichiro... so pretty much everyone in the bidding process bid way over the previous record... but the boy brings some skins to the table... he's got some skins.

[mstar1]

People born in the 1980 fiscal year (from April 2, 1980 to the following April 1, 1981) have been called the Matsuzaka generation (松坂世代 Matsuzaka sedai).

I guess you have to be pretty good to havea whole generation named after you.

The Sox seem to be looking at him as the new Pedro Martinez.

Still $51.1mill seems a lot just to talk to someone--then dealing with Bora$ on top of that----this going to be extremely expensive. Aside from the pitching I expect they'll be trying to open up some Japanese or Asian market revenue somehow and capitalize on his fame over there as well. maybe as a lure to draw other Asian players?? who knows?

They have 30 days to sign him----then the 松坂世代 Matsuzaka sedai can start at Fenway

Edited November 16, 2006 by mstar1

[Tom Strange]

yeah... you just know that they're gonna have a "Japanese feed" to the satellite... he'll pay for himself...

[hiway29]

Assuming the Sox sign him, doesn't that 51 million count as part of the payroll ? That puts the Sox up in Steinbrenner country ( or at least in the outskirts). Or does that money not count, just like the billions going to Iraq war don't count in the federal budget.

I am looking forward to seeing the mythic gyroball . I'm sure Arod will be the first to be fanned by it.

[mstar1]

I dont know if it counts as payroll or not, since the money goes to the Lions and not Matsuzaka--maybe payola would be a better name for it. I have no idea if any of these is the gyro but some pitches in this sequence are downright nasty

Edited November 16, 2006 by mstar1

[Tom Strange]

a lot of those did look pretty nasty... and a lot of them just looked like heat that the batter's couldn't catch up with... either way it works!

I don't think any of them were the true Gyro though because, from what I've read, it breaks incredibly from right to left (from a rightie), like a slider on steroids... sometimes starting out behind the batter and cutting across the plate... sure seems like it would be deadly on the elbow though...

and I don't think it counts against the cap... isn't that from "active payroll"? ...if they don't sign him in the allowed 30 days the money is returned...

[simonzelotes]

Cool video,Mstar...I loved the batters' reactions....And listening to the Japanese play-by-play....

[hiway29]

If he pitches like that every day then you've got the next cy young, mvp, rookie of the year, all in one.

I wonder what his pitches look like when he's lit up ?

[hiway29]

Bill Muellar retired, and will become a scout for the Dodgers.

Oh well, I got to see him for 32 games last year before he went down, and now out.

[mstar1]

Thats too bad

Billy Ballgame was definitely one of the good guys and someone that I really enjoyed watching. He played the game the way it is supposed to be played, and hustled and gave 100% through every game and even every injury. Baseball could use more players like Bill Mueller

Thats too bad

Billy Ballgame was definitely one of the good guys and someone that I really enjoyed watching. He played the game the way it is supposed to be played, and hustled and gave 100% through every game and even every injury. Baseball could use more class players like Bill Mueller who played hard everyday with little or no headlines or personal glory

[Tom Strange]

didn't get to see him too much but always heard good things about him... was it his wheels? ...the way people have always talked about him reminds me of Rusty Greer...