Yanks buy the farm

The Yankees and Red Sox are using their financial power to insure their long-term success. LoHud quotes some figures generated from Baseball Prospect Handbook (from 2003-2007 the Yanks invested 26 million on draft picks.) Peter Abraham writes:"Those numbers must scare the heck out of the rest of baseball. Two high-revenue teams invested $34 million in talent in the last three years. We’re starting to see the results in Chamberlain, Hughes, Pedroia, Ellsbury, etc. Those figures do not include money spent on international signings, another area the Yankees have invested heavily in.
Once Brian Cashman got his much-discussed power, he had the Yankees draft more high-ceiling (and more difficult to sign) college players instead of the toolsy high school kids they used to love. Their approach has changed"


It's easy to understand why the method of operation changed. The Yanks squandered 80-million on Igawa and Pavano. For that money, they can take high-ceiling guys, with injuries (ie. Andrew Brackman) and roll the dice. It's a no brainer. Throw some more seed money in Latin America--Cano and Cabrera sprout up. Brian Cashman and Theo Epstein are playing a game where they hold more cards than anyone else. The result should be long-term dominance, good news in the Big Apple and New England bad news for most of baseball.

Photo: Baseball America

Mets do Yanks a favor

The Mets stole Johan Santana from the Minnesota Twins yesterday and did the Yanks a favor at the same time. It's all good in Gotham. The Mets win the sweepstakes for baseball's premier pitcher for 4 minor league players. The New York Post quotes an AL executive on the quality of the package: "These are prospects who have a good chance to fall by the wayside." Somewhere Omar Minaya is smiling.



Across town the Bronx Bombers should also feel good. The incessant hype is over. Phil Hughes, Melky Cabrera and Ian Kennedy can relax and focus on producing in pinstripes. The Yankee brain trust gave the prospects a vote of confidence by passing on a proven commodity. Now, hopefully, they can start realizing some of their potential.



This transaction will also pay dividends for the large crowd of second-guessers in the audience. If Santana leads the Mets to the series and goes on to the Hall of Fame while Hughes and company flounder the Yankee decision makers will go down in Big Apple infamy. On the other hand, if Hughes is a top of the rotation guy and Santana stumbles they will look like geniuses. It's never boring in this town.

Clemens's next pitch

Representatives for Roger Clemens released a 49 page statistical report, designed to alter the perception that his pitching ability was fading when he left Boston. The La Times reports: Clemens "was far from being in the 'twilight or his career,' or 'washed up,' . . . as some have speculated," the Hendricks report stated."Clemens' longevity was due to his ability to adjust his style of pitching as he got older, incorporating his very effective split-finger fastball to offset the decrease in the speed of his regular fastball caused by aging." The report also analyzes Roger's performance in the context of notable peers Curt Schilling, Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson.



I am not qualified to dissect reams of charts, graphs and statistical analysis but here's someone who is noted Stat Guru, David Pinto from Baseball Musings: "The most interesting graphs to me, however, were the ones showing the yearly fluctuations in Rogers ERA margin compared to Johnson and Schilling. Roger's bounces up and down throughout his career. Both Johnson and Schilling start off below their career averages, have a long steady period above their averages, then fall and don't recover. The fact that Clemens bounces around a lot means he suffers years of unexpected poor performance that Schilling and Johnson don't. Those might be the times Clemens is tempted to use steroids."


The report is the latest salvo in a public relations campaign designed to alter public perception. It started with the 60 minutes interview, presided over by Roger's pal and Yankee fan Mike Wallace. Next was the defamation suit, the disclosure of a taped phone conversation and an agitated press conference. The bottom line is nothing has changed. It's too late to alter public opinion or ease his pain. Roger Clemens has a date with Congress when he is scheduled to take an oath to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The events of that day are the only report that matters.




Photo: Baseball Almanac.com

Cashman's turn

Brian Cashman has been Yankee GM for a decade. He inherited a great young nucleus, a Hall of Fame manager and more financial resources than anyone in the sport's history. Cashman's entire career has been spent moving up the ladder in an organization ruled by an overbearing tyrant. He accepted the job with eyes wide open.

Recent seasons have produced poor results by Yankee standards. Making the playoffs and getting eliminated early isn't good enough. Responsibility for coming up short was given to Joe Torre who was "insulted" out of the dugout. Brian Cashman, the sole architect of the Bomber's roster the last two seasons has remained a revered figure in some circles. Brian has done some noteworthy things--restocking the minors (with the competitive advantage of the organization's financial clout) is one positive development all Yankee fans can agree with. The youth movement mantra has diverted attention away from all the failed moves. Nobody ever said Brian wasn't smart. The focus is on the promising young guns rather than the work in progress starting rotation, the Farnsworth led bridge to Rivera, or the constant casting call at first base. Significant questions, given the 218-million dollar price tag.

Well, it appears that responsibility for the teams results will finally be given to the man that put the team together. The AP quotes Hank Steinbrenner:"I will be patient with the young pitchers and players. There's no question about that because I know how these players develop," he said. "But as far as missing the playoffs -- if we miss the playoffs by the end of this year, I don't know how patient I'll be. But it won't be against the players. It won't be a matter of that. It will be a matter of maybe certain people in the organization could have done something else."

Hank bears a striking physical resemblance to the aforementioned tyrant, his dad George. Hank is an easy target. He arrived with a bluster that brought back unpleasant memories. I would suggest judging him by his actions not his words. He handled the Joe Torre departure poorly--it was time for Joe to go, but he deserved a more respectful exit. The result was the Yanks now have a promising young skipper, Joe Girardi, who is an ideal candidate to mold the rookies (note: this was Cashman's call and he got it right.) Hank than took on super-agent Scott Boras and put A-Rod in pinstripes for the rest of his historic career. He overpaid for stalwarts Posada and Rivera but had no choice as Cashman chose to let these vital players play out their free agent season while having no viable alternatives. Now, Hank Steinbrenner has put the responsibility for the teams success where it belongs, on Brian Cashman's shoulders. Let's hope he delivers.

Questions for a candid Cashman

Yankee GM Brian Cashman and his rival Red Sox GM Theo Epstein shared a stage Friday at William Patterson University. Cashman had some interesting, candid comments and wasn't shy in dishing criticism. The New York Times reports: "While retracing Bernie Williams's unfriendly departure from the Yankees, Cashman said Williams had become more involved in his music and 'that took away from his play' and that Williams had a 'terrible season' in 2005. Cashman added that Joe Torre had played Williams'ahead of guys who could help us win.' " On the subject of the Cleveland bug invasion Brian concludes "I thought our guys weren't mentally tough enough to get through it."
It's refreshing to hear a baseball executive speak his mind on the record. I'm disappointed that Brian didn't take the opportunity to pontificate about his own failures.
Here's a few questions that should have been asked:

• Mr Cashman, you bolstered the Yanks rotation last season with Kei Igawa and managed to only spend 40 million was this a terrible move?
• Brian, you hired a "Director of performance enhancement" that had virtually no experience in baseball. He brought in new workout methods that resulted in a rash of hamstring injuries that decimated the pitching staff. What were you thinking?
• The bullpen you built last season needed a Double-A kid to rescue them. Could you detail what you've done to improve the pen since?
• Carl Pavano was your opening day starter last season (wait for laughter to subside) how's his rehab going?

So many questions;so little time.

Cano gets paid

Robinson Cano, a big piece of the Yankee's future, has agreed to a 4 year 30-million dollar contract. The deal is significant because it demonstrates the willingness of the new Yankee brass to invest long-term in arbitration eligible players. There has been trepidation over the influence Hank and Hal Steinbrenner would have in the decision making. Hal is controlling the purse strings and this is a quality move.
River Ave. Blues, in an article titled, "Give Cano what he wants" did some interesting research that puts Cano's value in historical perspective. The numbers are impressive but don't tell the whole story. There is something to be said for attitude and playing with exuberance. Robbie's positive energy rubs off on teammates, especially Melky Cabrerra. The stability that comes with a long-term deal should benefit everyone involved. Cano is a building block of the youth-movement and he isn't going anywhere--it's all good.

Yankee expectations

The Yankee's vaunted youth movement became real the day Joba Chamberlain took the mound in pinstripes and dominated. We all want to believe that the ever-growing list of hyped prospects will step right in and bring the Bombers back to the promised land.

Spring training is on the horizon, dawn of a new season, maybe it's time to take a realistic look at expectations and tone down the unbridled optimism. Adjusting the mind-set now will make for an easier transition into what figures to be a challenging season.

Joe Girardi will have his hands full, trying to juggle unproven, hyped rookies with faded veterans and a variety of 2ND tier guys. He inherits a flawed roster and is expected to win immediately-- not a good place to be.

Let's focus on the flaws: 1) Starting Rotation-- Wang and Pettitte are known commodities reliable and durable, the rest of the rotation will be anchored by talented potential on a restrictive pitch-count (Hughes, Chamberlain and Kennedy) throw in a faded veteran (Mussina) and support guys (Karstens, Rasner.) A rotation with long-term potential but questionable for an organization with short-term championship aspirations. Tom Verducci of SI.Com, in an article titled: "Starting point: stability" quantifies the vital nature of a durable rotation. Here's the bottom line: " Without Santana, New York must plan for rotation instability in 2008. It can be done, but the odds begin to work against a team the more second-tier starters it has to plug in." Verducci's article highlights the lack of stability in the Yankee rotation the last 4 years and the price the team payed competitively. It is unrealistic to expect a significant improvement in this key area while rookies get on the job training. 2) Bullpen-- The shaky rotation starts to look down right scary when we consider the dubious makeup of the Joba-less bullpen. The Great Rivera is at a stage in his career when a one inning save is the job description. The rookies in the rotation will not be asked to pitch deep into games--their long-term value is too important to subject them to undue risk. The result is Farnsworth, Hawkins and a long list of hopefuls are the bridge to victory (this is viable if the potent offense can score touchdowns.) Ideally, a few step up, but history tells us it's unlikely--there go those pesky odds again.

Competing for a ring without a durable, proven starting rotation supported by a dubious bullpen is a recipe for disaster. The Yank's will have to resort to unconventional methods and hope they stay healthy (for a change.) Yankee fans are not used to being underdogs but this should be a good thing. Enjoy the exuberance of the kids while they learn the ropes. Expect the unexpected as consistency is not a strong-point of young players. Keep the expectations real and don't forget the New Years resolution.

Evolution of a Baseball Blogger

The Baseball Hot Corner blog was launched last spring. My combination of lifetime Yankee zealot and procrastinating writer was a good fit for the blogosphere. As is my custom, I jumped right in. Processing thoughts and converting them to self-published writing provided a level of discipline I lacked. My raw writing skills were combined with a complete lack of knowledge about baseball's place in cyberspace. The term work in progress would have been generous. As time moved on, I found a voice and a comfort level that convinced me that baseball blogging would be a long-term avocation.


The Internet provides a limitless opportunity to read and learn from baseball authorities. One of the highlights is the array of specialists available to put a unique perspective on the sport we obsess over (I mean love.)


Part of my daily routine is spent reading Peter Abraham's Lo Hud Yankees blog. Today provided a perfect sampling of baseball blogging. Three links to divergent sources painted a pretty picture. Leading off was the venerable Peter Gammons, his article "Cyberspace exploration" contrasted old-school and new while reminding me why I enjoyed reading Peter's columns so much in my youth. Next up, Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus provided fresh insight into a Yankee conundrum--how to indoctrinate neophyte pitchers, win and keep them healthy simultaneously. The final piece of the tri-fecta was an article by Todd Drew, author of the Yankees for Justice Blog. Todd's article exemplifies what quality sports writing is all about. Reading these three articles reinforced how good it is to be part of the baseball blogosphere.

Clemens can't win

Roger Clemens has faced many tough challenges in his career but his Jan. 26TH Washington appearance will be his toughest test. The Rocket will testify,under oath, about his alleged PED use. Perjury is a felony, punishable by up to 5yrs. in prison. The New York Times quotes attorney Rusty Hardin, "Roger looks forward to telling the truth under oath...What we are hoping is this puts an end to it." I'm no legal expert but this statement crosses the line from optimistic to delusional.
Clemens's tale of righteousness contradicts the information documented by The Mitchell Report. The author,highly respected former Senator George Mitchell reiterated on the record that he believes the testimony of Clemens's former trainer Brian McNamee. The result should be an investigation by the Judiciary Dept. Roger might want to review the Barry Bonds saga to see what happens when the government gets serious about an investigation.
Rocket's testimony isn't the only issue. Andy Pettitte will also testify. Consider this hypothetical cross examination:
Attorney: Mr. Pettitte you have been close friends and workout partner to Roger Clemens for many years?--Yes
You worked out under the supervision and guidance of Mr. Clemens's long-time personal trainer Mr. McNamee?--Yes
Mr. McNamee is an admitted distibutor of illeagal PED drugs?--Yes
You have acknowledged illegal use of PED drugs administered to you by Mr. McNamee--Yes
Have you ever had discussions with Mr. Clemens about PEDs?--if the answer is affirmative, it contradicts the story Clemens told Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes.
Add this type of information to the logic-bending story about the pain killers in the rear-end and the potential for contradictions is ripe.
Roger Clemens is in the toughest jam of his life. If the allegations against him have merit, he is in a perjury trap and his legend is a myth. On the other hand, if he is innocent, he may never be vindicated and would be a victim of historical proportions. Clemens is used to winning. He finds himself in a situation where victory isn't an option.

Baseball's biggest fear

Baseball Musings reacts to Bud Selig getting an extension:

"My fear is he'll stay commissioner long enough that someone conquers death and we're stuck with Bud for eternity."

I guess I'll take solace in the notion that it could be worse.

Selig gets extension

ESPN is reporting that baseball commissioner Bud Selig has received a 3-year contract extension, that keeps him in office until 2012. Any thought that Bud would have to deal with consequences for his complicity in the PED scandal is out the window. The bottom line is money is all that matters. The owners have raked in the cash while Selig sat in his chair. Ownership's action just confirmed the line from Wall Street, "Greed is good." Baseball's Godfather Bud (Why are you being so obtuse?) Selig is the king, all hail the king.

Baseball and Congress

Members of Congress used 4 hours and 15 minutes of their time Tuesday, to discuss the Mitchell Report with author George Mitchell, baseball commissioner Bud Selig and union leader Donald Fehr. The report was another brick in the wall of the biggest scandal in baseball history. Watching politicians pontificate on television ranks right up there with a trip to the dentist's office in my book but the opportunity to watch Selig squirm was worth the sacrifice. Here's a sampling of what was said:
Congress: "Millions of baseball fans were subjected to fraud for more than a decade while the sport cheated for profit." "The impact of this sport in this country is enormous." "MLB has failed miserably in policing itself." "The leadership part is missing." "A huge failure on part of the commissioner."
Bud Selig: "Nothing is more important to me than the games integrity...we must maintain credibility." "I've thought about it thousands of times...in the last 10 years, I've learned a lot."
Congress: "The scandal happened on your watch, do you accept responsibility?" "Do you feel complicit in the steroid scandal."
Bud Selig: "I accept responsibility for everything that happens in the sport." "The issue goes back 20 yrs. I haven't been commissioner that long." (Selig has been commissioner 15 yrs.)
Congress: "Consequences for people who allowed people to cheat." Oddly enough, the subject of consequences for executives,didn't get much time. The speakers were on time constraints and chose to use much of that time effusively praising each other for showing up.
Bud Selig: "It was my intention to leave a road map for the future." A map to the highway from hell.
When all was said and done, Bud was thanked profusely for dropping by. No one asked him to resign for the good of the sport. He will be the sole judge on punishment handed out to evil doers during baseball's historic Performance Enhancing Drug Scandal.
Congress: "It is what it is."

Yankee memory lane

Steve Lombardi from Was Watching delivers a hit pinch hitting for Peter Abraham at Lo Hud. Steve's chronology of Yankee history from 1973 to present conjures up some distinct memories. His reference to, "Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich swapping families" is a heart warming tale you won't find on the Yes network. The article weaves names of broadcasters and front office decision-makers to provide a nice trip down memory lane.

Baseball scrapes bottom

While the clock ticks down to Spring Training, here's some baseball news from the bottom of the barrel:

• Who's on first? Here's a clip from the NY Post on Brian Cashman's latest acquisition Jason Lane:"he has appeared in four games at first base during his six-year major league career. Shelley Duncan , Jason Giambi and Wilson Betemit also are in the first-base picture." Why is it so hard to get a viable first baseman?
• Bud Selig: "The department of investigations will have critically important responsibility in protecting the integrity of the sport." That's a relief, the last thing we need is baseball's integrity called in to question. It's so comforting to know Bud (why are you being so obtuse) Selig is on the case.
• Clemens saga on the low road: Let's see, the former trainer's attorneys wants access to Toronto's medical records to verify Roger had an abscess on his butt. Rocket's team of investigators are digging up dirt on on a rape allegation to besmirch the image of his accuser. The allegation didn't stop Roger from employing the guy but that's a minor detail. It's business as usual in Texas as Clemens is scheduled to speak to a group of High School Baseball coaches about his famous workouts and career longevity. You can't make this stuff up.
• Yankee finances: A common sentiment expressed by some Bomber fans is concern that the Yanks are spending too much money. Recently, it was reported that it will cost 29$ to park a car at the new stadium. Somehow, I get the feeling the organization will find a way to pay all their bills.
• Jeff Kent: " The Mitchell Report is probably just 1% of those who have cheated in the game. It gives only a small sampling of what's going on." It's a good thing Bud started a new investigative department, perhaps they should start by examining his track record.

Spring Training can't come fast enough.

Gossage an inspiration to Chamberlain?

Last season, rookie Joba Chamberlain led a Yankee resurgence by buttressing a shaky bullpen and dominating in the role as set-up man to the Great Rivera. The next step in the organization's development plan is to shift Chamberlain to the starting rotation, where it is hoped he will blossom into a #1 caliber stopper.
Sounds like a viable concept, unfortunately there are issues. There is no proven entity to fill the void left with Joba's departure from the pen. The front office has done virtually nothing this off season to fortify it's relief corp (losing Vizcaino and replacing him with Hawkins doesn't upgrade anything.) The projected rotation could include 3 neophytes(Hughes,Chamberlain and Kennedy) all three will have restrictive pitch counts placed on them to protect their futures. Problem is if you have 3 guys going 5 or 6 innings that's more work for the dubious pen. It won't help the team's confidence when a 3-2 6TH inning lead blows up on a routine basis.
Tom Verducci of SI.com offers another option that would be custom-made for the Yank's dilemma. He suggests that the antiquated role that Hall of Famer Goose Gossage filled could be viable again: "what Gossage was able to do should be an inspiration to use the best arm in occasional high-leverage spots in the seventh, eight inning or even the 9TH of tie games on the road." Keep Chamberlain in the pen, use him more than the modern day custom of 1 inning. (Gossage had several years where he pitched 100 innings in relief.) The Bomber's potent offense will provide many lopsided games when his elite services won't be required.
More from Verducci: "The game evolves. Some day some team by the way of happen stance or a maverick manager, will use a closer for more than a 100 innings." The Yankees have the opportunity and the means to bring about this evolution and put the team in the best position to win--are they open-minded enough to pull the trigger?

Photo/NY Yankee cards.com

Gossage elected to Hall of Fame

Yankee legend Rich "the Goose" Gossage has been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Goose received 86% of the vote in his 9TH year of eligiblity. Gossage will join Dick Williams at this years induction ceremony in Cooperstown. Yankee fans looking for some good news in this abysmal off season, finally have some.

Clemens hangs pitches

Baseball Hot Corner wants to believe Roger Clemens. It would be reassuring to know the legendary career is genuine. In order to give credence to Roger's tale of innocence, a leap of faith is required. Here are some issues:

• Circumstantial evidence: Clemens achieved unprecedented performance late in his career, at an age when decline is the norm, he dominated against PED enhanced competition. Baseball Musings researched some stats. that track his performance during the time frames his trainer says he gave him extra help.
• The trainer: Brian McNamee is an acknowledged distributor, practitioner of illegal PED drugs. He was Rockets trainer for years and was influential in Roger's fitness, nutritional agenda.
• The workouts: Steroids help a hard-working athlete recover from grueling workouts. When you lift weights, your body needs time to recover. The older the person;the more recovery time needed. Descriptions of Clemens's day and night workouts do not fit the profile of a natural, middle-aged athlete.
• The mindset: A competitive, driven athlete, willing to abuse painkillers (" I was eating Vioxx like Skittles") in order to perform and adhere to grueling, age defying workouts, presided over by a tainted trainer would be an ideal candidate for PED use.
• The interview: Clemens hand-picked 89 year-old, friend and Yankee fan Mike Wallace to do a hard hitting interview. He had weeks to prepare. The result was weak responses to basic questions featuring no follow-up. For example, Wallace suggests a lie detector: "I don't know, would that help?" "I don't know."
• The shots: McNamee says he administered illegal shots to Clemens's butt. Roger says the shots were Lidocaine and B-12. His attorney says: "Roger took his shots like a racehorse (in the posterior.) Here's what a medical expert says : "Clemens's claim that he received injections of lidocaine should probably be viewed as damaging to his credibility. Lidocaine is a local anesthetic and not a systemic pain reliever, like acetaminophen, with body wide effects. If given as an injection in some ones rear end, for example, the likelihood of having any effect on knee pain, as he contends, is practically zero."(Source: NY Times,In-Box,1/06/08--Andrew M. Luks M.D.)

Baseball Hot Corner wants to believe Roger Clemens. Unfortunately, the logic defying leap-of-faith required is beyond my grasp.

Good news for Yankee fans

Rich "Goose" Gossage provides much needed relief for scandal mired Yankee fans. The Goose appears to be a lock for enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Fame and should take his rightful place among the greats of the game. The results will be announced Tuesday.



The media has shined it's light in Gossage's direction and the accolades are piling up. S.I.com quotes Mike Schmidt:" "Fearless, intimidating, hard throwing, and would take the ball every day and go as long as needed."


Baseball Prospectus is next up and crunches some serious numbers that quantify what some of us were fortunate enough to witness: "Rich Gossage, "The Goose," was a standard-setting reliever for a decade, a useful major league pitcher for another decade, and ten years later remains a yardstick for dominance. From 1975-1985, minus a year-long experimental season as a starter, Gossage blew hitters away in both leagues, helped his teams to three pennants, made nine All-Star squads, and kept his ERA well under 3.00 every single year"


"The Goose" earned his accolades the old fashion way-- he earned them. Jay Jaffe's phrase:"a yardstick for dominance" says it all.

Photo/Hall of Fame memorbilia.com

Who cares about Baseball's apathetic fans?

Photo/Baseball Art's Photos-Flickr NYY Fans published an article, by Frank Russo, titled: "Does anyone really care?" The author asks the question: "Now that the Mitchell Report has been released do you the average fan, really care?"

Well, here's a partial list of fans that do care:

• Anyone that takes the history of the game seriously. The record book is forever soiled, the Hall of Fame election process skewed. The bogus numbers put up by the state-of-the-art cheats dwarf the legitimate accomplishments of yesterday's bonafide legends. The team accomplishments garnered with rosters full of alleged cheats are hollow. Is there anyone that believes that the Torre era dynasty can be compared to the great teams in Yankee history?


• Parents that use the game as a vehicle to teach their kids competition and give them a sense of history. Will they look back fondly over the quality time spent witnessing the fraudulent homer race between Big Mac and Sosa? History tells us that athletes are poor role models, but the reality is they still are a major influence on a lot of kids. I worked in the sports nutrition field prior to the PED era, when Big Mac's Andro bottle hit the media we were deluged with requests from kids wanting steroid related products. The long-term health implications are profound.


• Stat. aficionados--the data bases they obsess over are tainted forever.

Mr. Russo notes that "MLB had it's most profitable year in 2007." Pardon the crude analogy, if a cancer patient wins the lottery are they rich? The article concludes that :"Baseball will recover, because in the end it always does." Baseball Hot Corner believes the sport will recover because of the greatness of the game itself and not because rampant, condoned cheating is irrelevant.