Due to work constraints, I’m simply going to give you a link to visit. My apologies for the brevity. I hope you find a moment to visit the link below.
Sliding Into Home: A Yankees Blog: Bobby Murcer Update
As we’ve said here before, nothing but the best wishes to Bobby and his family. He’s a wonderful ambassador for the game. I hope to hear and see him back in the booth soon.
Following my interview with agent Matt Sosnick, I asked Matt if it would be OK to interview one of his players. Being in New York and sucker for the low-down from one of the less-heralded players, I checked if the Yanks Darrell Rasner would be amenable. I was able to send Darrell a list of questions and he was kind enough to answer such topics as dealing with adversity, Metallica, his training regimen, Joe Girardi, and providing us with a player’s view inside the lockerroom. Oh yeah, and being appreciative for being paid to play this game.
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Somewhere, Magglio is laughing (we hope) but Goose is stewing over today’s ballplayers (“I can’t stand that – the dancing, the laughing – there’s no place for that in the game”):
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13dUZTSf_lM&hl=en]
Let’s hear it for Todd Jones!
For those of you die-hard Yanks fans, I thoroughly recommend you to check in with Chad Jennings’ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees blog. I don’t usually weigh in too often on the Yanks prospects since I don’t get to, you know, actually SEE them play. Chad does.
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Seriously.
(as reported by Justin Rodriguez from the Times Herald-Record)Earlier today, one of my colleagues, staff writer Mira Wassef, a hard-working and conscientious reporter, went to Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill to interview Davis. Brooklyn, the Mets’ Class A New York-Penn League affiliate, is in town to play the Renegades.
According to Mira, and I totally believe her, once she walked into the Brooklyn clubhouse, several players began whistling at her and making cat calls. She was unnerved to say the very least. You think the Mets look bad on the field? Well, check out this group of chumps. The performance by the Cyclones was pathetic. A disgrace.
Then came Davis, the Mets’ first round pick (18th overall) in the draft earlier this month out of Arizona State. Mira asked for Davis and, sitting in the clubhouse, he raised his hand. Mira asked if Davis had a few minutes to talk for an interview.
His reply?
I’m not playing tonight, sweetheart. We don’t have anything to talk about.”
Sweetheart? Apparently, Davis, who signed for $1.5 million yesterday, thinks he’s still on campus or something. He’s not.
M-E-T-S, Let’s go Me-…blech…
Hard to believe a player actually did this, but this happened last night:
Astros pitcher Shawn Chacon was suspended indefinitely by the team Wednesday for insubordination after reportedly grabbing general manager Ed Wade by the neck and throwing him to the ground.
Now, Chacon’s recounting of the story seems to indicate that Wade was overly aggressive, but he’s the GM, the boss and he has a right to expect a player listen to his requests.
“Maybe it shouldn’t have happened,” Chacon said. “But when you do those things and you’re yelling at somebody and you’re cussing you better know what type of person you’re dealing with. If there’s any regret, I just wish they had just let me alone. I wish they had left me alone.”
Not that I think this is the way to get to a desired outcome, but it’s an interesting approach:
The Brewers will try something new at one affiliate to find the middle ground. Beginning this week at Class A Brevard County, relievers will start games before turning it over to the “starters” in the third or the fourth.By starting the starter later in games, the Brewers hope their young players develop a “nine-inning mindset” by the time they reach the Majors.
The idea of using relievers in the early innings has been pushed for some time by Brewers general manager Doug Melvin, and was also endorsed several years ago when the Brewers gathered their organizational pitching coaches and medical people for a symposium.
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COMING SOON: An interview with a current Yankees pitcher!
Stay tuned, folks!
Yes, it’s clearly a fake, but it’s fun and well, I like it. So there.
Ball Girl Makes Incredible Catch – Watch more free videos
Yet another benefit of Latin American ballplayers being exempt from the Rule IV Draft: It’s open bidding season! No worries about some team drafting the guy you want ahead of you. No pesky “slotting” recommendations. Just straight cash, homie.
Multiple international scouts have told Baseball America in the past week that Inoa will shatter all bonus records for the international signing period by signing a contract worth at least $4 million, with numbers in the $4.2 to $4.5 million range being floated.
“He’s a once-in-a-decade type pitcher,” said one international scout.
Scouts say the Yankees have also been heavily pursuing Inoa, who hails from Puerto Plata, but with one week until Inoa can officially sign, the Athletics appear to be the favorite for his services. Athletics general manager Billy Beane and other top talent evaluators from the organization had been in the Dominican Republic to watch Inoa earlier in the year, and Beane was reportedly back in the Dominican again in recent weeks.
How the Yanks could get out-bid by a relatively measley $1 million (give or take) is beyond me. This is the one area that the Yanks should absolutely exert their financial muscle. The cost of not winning the “auction” far outweighs the incremental costs. The way the Yanks write off bad decisions, what’s another $4-5 million if the kid absolutely flops? And if he develops like the scouts dream he can, you’ve got control of him for years and will save multiples of that signing fee.
Inoa’s fastball sits in the low-90s and has touched 94, which he complements with a curveball that generates generally positive reviews from scouts and a changeup. Aside from his present velocity, what stands out about Inoa is his size – at 6-foot-7, 205 pounds he projects to throw even harder – and his athleticism, which enables to repeat his fluid delivery.
I was recently privileged to spend some time with professional baseball agent Matt Sosnick of Sosnick-Cobbe Sports. Matt Sosnick was the subject of ESPN analyst/writer Jerry Crasnick’s book “License to Deal: A Season on the Run with a Maverick Baseball Agent” (published in 2005). Sosnick’s current roster of MLB players include Dontrelle Willis, Josh Willingham, Darrell Rasner, Freddy Sanchez and the hottest rookie on the planet, Jay Bruce. Sosnick’s name was in the news recently as he was Josh Hamilton’s agent until a few weeks back, a story which I covered here. Matt was kind enough to chat with me about the business of being an agent, the Hamilton situation, Mark Cuban, collusion, integrity and how his mom found my blog.
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OK, it’s likely not real but it’s funny and it’s Friday.
Have a great weekend.
Evidently, Goose Gossage seems to hate everything about baseball today. He probably hates me for having the nerve to post my thoughts without being employed by a newspaper. He probably hates you for daring to read it. New fangled interwebs.
Gossage believes the dancing antics of Jose Reyes are one reason why the Mets have been in a tailspin since last September.“There’s not enough mustard in the city to cover Reyes,” said Gossage, who was at the Stadium to give a pitching clinic to Bronx Little Leaguers and raise money to support inner-city youth baseball leagues in six cities. “He needs to act like a professional.
“I don’t want this sport to turn into football where they dance after every play. I can’t stand that – the dancing, the laughing – there’s no place for that in the game. He’s not the first great player to play – I wouldn’t even say great because he hasn’t won anything yet.”
Gossage also ripped Joba Chamberlain last month for his fist-pumping antics, but later spoke to the rookie to make sure his words weren’t taken out of context.
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