2010 Baseball Season/Off-Season Discussion

[Falcon]

Holliday remaining a Card..

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/commishs-hot-stove/commishs-hot-stove/2010/01/holliday-coming-back-to-cardinals/

Matt Holliday just confirmed he?ll be coming back to the Cardinals, speaking on ESPN radio this afternoon.

?I?m going back to the Cardinals,? he said. ?I felt like it was a good fit for me and my family. It was very appealing to me. This has been a bit of a long process. There are some emotional ups and downs that go with it. It hasn?t exactly been a walk in the park.

?To go back there. ? To have friends there, not starting off new, we?re excited about it.?

The deal is for seven years and worth at least $119 million, he said, with options that could make it worth $120.

The team confirmed an agreement pending a physical and that a formal announcement would come with 48 hours.

Will be interested to see how the contract is structured, first reaction here is they paid too much for too long..

Like the signing of Beltre for the Red Sox, he's got a shot to regain all star form at Fenway.

Let's hope the Yanks stick to their guns and not overpay/overextend Damon.  He's a fit at their price and terms - not his..

.Hell, go get Jermaine Dye and put the Damon saga to bed...

Just an opinion..

[tim_m]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4799462

Lefty Johnson retires
Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO -- Randy Johnson is retiring after 22 major league seasons.

The Big Unit, an overpowering left-hander who last June became the 24th pitcher to win 300 games, made the expected announcement Tuesday on a conference call.

"I really wanted to go out on my terms," Johnson said. "I just feel like there's not a lot more for me to do in this game. I just think it's a natural progression when you play this long. Eventually you have to say it's time."

A five-time Cy Young Award winner, the 46-year-old Johnson accomplished just about everything in his remarkable career that a player hopes for in baseball.

A Storied Career

At age 46, Randy Johnson has called it quits. In 22 seasons, the Big Unit has celebrated five Cy Young Awards, 10 All-Star nods, one World Series championship and 303 wins. Here's a look at his career by team:
Team    Years    W-L    ERA
SEA    10    130-74    3.42
ARI    8    118-62    2.83
MON    2    3-4    4.69
NYY    2    34-19    4.37
SFG    1    8-6    4.88
HOU    1    10-1    1.28

He owns a World Series ring and co-MVP honors, and was a 10-time All-Star. He threw two no-hitters, including a perfect game, and ranks second on the career strikeout list.

The 6-foot-10 Johnson finishes with a career record of 303-166 and 4,875 strikeouts in 4,135 1/3 innings for Montreal, Seattle, Houston, Arizona, the New York Yankees and San Francisco. His strikeouts are the most by a left-hander and second to Nolan Ryan's 5,714.

"It's all been a bit of a whirlwind. I never really got caught up in what I did," Johnson said. "I never really dwelled on my achievements. They're nice. Maybe now I'll be able to reflect on them."

Johnson overcame several injuries to keep pitching at a high level into his mid-40s. He said before last season ended that he looked forward to going home to Arizona and spending time with his family before making a decision about his future.

"It's taken this long into January because I definitely wanted to just kind of relax from the season being over and make sure I had a clear head when I made this decision, and that I would be making it wholeheartedly and would be sticking to it," he said.

Johnson went 8-6 with a 4.88 ERA in 17 starts and five relief appearances for San Francisco last season despite missing more than two months with a strained left shoulder that also had a tear in the rotator cuff. He returned in late September as a reliever, a role he couldn't see himself embracing in order to keep pitching.

His final strikeout came on the season's final day at San Diego, against Adrian Gonzalez to end the seventh inning. Johnson said he developed a better appreciation for relief pitchers last year.

"My 40s have really been learning years," he said. "The last five years of my career, there's been a lot there to sift through, a lot of ups and downs, some great moments in my career and some moments that got my head scratching."

Johnson came out of a game July 5 against Houston with an injury, the first serious shoulder problem of his career. He felt something in his arm on a swing during that start but initially tried to pitch through it. He then left the game after committing a throwing error in the fourth inning.

He was on the disabled list from July 6 to Sept. 16, marking the 10th DL stint of Johnson's career. He had four knee operations and three back surgeries, but worked his way back each time.

Johnson signed with the Giants to try to help them reach the playoffs, but they missed the postseason for a sixth straight year. San Francisco stayed in the NL wild-card chase well into September.

Pitching in San Francisco, Johnson was only about 40 miles west of where he grew up in Livermore.

He largely stayed to himself in his final season, insisting the 300-win milestone wasn't his top priority. Then on June 4 at Washington, he became the 24th pitcher in big league history to accomplish the feat.

And to think, early in his career Johnson was a shaggy-haired pitcher who lacked control of his blazing fastball.

"This isn't a tall man's sport -- basketball is," he said.

But by the time he was done, he had a Hall of Fame resume.

Johnson pitched his first no-hitter in 1990, won 19 games with 308 strikeouts in 1993 and led the Mariners to their first playoff berth with an 18-2 record in 1995. He finished his 10-year stint in Seattle with a 130-74 record before being traded to Houston in 1998.

He signed as a free agent with the Diamondbacks before the following season, beginning one of the most dominating runs a pitcher has ever had. Johnson won the Cy Young in each of his first four seasons with Arizona, capturing the coveted pitcher's triple crown in 2002 with a 24-5 record, 2.32 ERA and 334 strikeouts.

His most memorable moments were in 2001, when he came out of the bullpen to beat the Yankees in Game 7 of the World Series to give the Diamondbacks the title. He went 3-0 in the Series, sharing the MVP award with Curt Schilling.


Johnson pitched a perfect game at age 40 against Atlanta.

Rickey Henderson certainly felt the heat before that. The Hall of Famer struck out in 30 of 59 at-bats against Johnson, making him the Unit's top victim.

Johnson didn't have as much success after leaving Arizona for the first time following the 2004 season. He won 34 games in two seasons with the Yankees, although the tenure was marred by a run-in with a camera man and postseason struggles.

He returned to Arizona in '07 and won just 15 games in two years while struggling with back problems.

"I never thought I was going to play this long. I'm blessed that I did," Johnson said.

The Big Unit added that he plans to coach someday. He has a one-year service agreement to work in some capacity for the Diamondbacks

Next stop cooperstown

[faldor]

It's a good pickup for them.  Cheap, with a very good upside.  The thing is:  They NEED Beltre to return to form, offensively.  That lineup was actually looking more aenemic than it was LAST YEAR.  They need some punch to that offense.  The loss of Bay really hurts them and Beltre could make up for some of that loss.

He's DEFINITELY an upgrade over Lowell, defensively.   

Rumors are starting to circulate that Damon has lowered his asking price and is speaking to the Yanks again.  I STILL don't know that a deal will get done.....but it sounds like maybe Johnny's being a little more realistic.

Now, watch..someone will come out of the cobwebs and sign him to a big deal.

I like the Beltre signing for what it is.  I'm hoping he returns to his .265/20/90 level.  I'm not expecting him to replace Bay's numbers, just Lowell's.  Their offense isn't going to be as good as it was last year, but it's still pretty solid.  Their offense WAS good last year, they just didn't hit in the post-season and struggled against good pitching for the most part.  Their defense is pretty solid at every position, outside of Victor Martinez at catcher but he more than makes up for any deficiencies at the plate.  We'll see if the old pitching and defense mentality pays off.


I'm sort of surprised Holliday got THAT much money.  It seemed like the Cardinals were the only team in the running.  I thought they might be able to get him a little cheaper.  They needed to keep him though, so whatever it takes I guess.

[sandman]

cardinals are a dangerous team. things didn't go their way in the playoffs this year and they were a little unlucky, but they looked like the team to beat heading in. they are a fun team to watch with those 2 studs in the lineup (except when they're playing my phils, of course). we'll see if their pitching can come through for them again.

[pilferk]

I like the Beltre signing for what it is.  I'm hoping he returns to his .265/20/90 level.  I'm not expecting him to replace Bay's numbers, just Lowell's.  Their offense isn't going to be as good as it was last year, but it's still pretty solid.  Their offense WAS good last year, they just didn't hit in the post-season and struggled against good pitching for the most part.  Their defense is pretty solid at every position, outside of Victor Martinez at catcher but he more than makes up for any deficiencies at the plate.  We'll see if the old pitching and defense mentality pays off.


I'm sort of surprised Holliday got THAT much money.  It seemed like the Cardinals were the only team in the running.  I thought they might be able to get him a little cheaper.  They needed to keep him though, so whatever it takes I guess.

They struggled to score runs, especially in the 2nd half (and down the stretch), against quality teams especially.  They didn't hit well vs good pitching....you got that right.  Admittedly, they beat up on the 2nd tier teams, and bad pitchers.  But they went through LONG stretches where they were losing because they couldn't get men across the plate, especially in the 2nd half, and especially against the better quality teams/pitchers.  They would go stretches in the 2nd half where they'd score 30-35 runs in 10 games...and that including a some DRUBBINGS vs bottom feeders (Baltimore and Oakland) and pounding some horrible relief pitching (Lambert, Miner for Detroit).   Look back at the post all star schedule (which a whole lotta Sox fans were pegging as an easy one).  There are an awful lot of small numbers there...lot of 3-1, 2-0, 4-0 type losses.  Admittedly, they won big against teams like Baltimore, Oakland, Tampa Bay and KC (except against Greinke..but nobody hit him last year).

The lineup they currently are putting out there looks WORSE, in that department.  It looks like they're going to need the rotation, and their defense, to perform at a very high level.....because they are NOT looking like they are going to be able to put big numbers up on the scoreboard against the good teams.  Maybe that's the plan: Win on defense and pitching.  But it's going to be tough to counter line ups like the Yanks and Angels (or the Phillies and Cards) that way.

[faldor]

I'm not arguing the Sox lineup isn't worse.  I believe I openly admitted that.  Their pitching and defense is better than it was last season.  Is it enough to make up the difference for the dropoff in offense?  That remains to be seen.

Personally I don't think they're as good heading into this season as they were last year, but they should still be a contender, which is all you can really ask for.

[Falcon]

I think the Red Sox are more solid this year as opposed to last, starting pitching and defense are better for sure.  They may not score as many runs but they sure as hell won't give up as many either..

As for the Cards...

I really can't put them in the same sentence as the Phils or Yanks lineup wise.  Albert and Holliday are probably the best 3-4 guys around but before and beyond that they don't have near the firepower as the other 2.  They're apparently in the hunt for Miguel Tejada (as a third basemen) which would be a nice addition in the 2 or 5 slot but who knows how that'll shake out..

[MR.BROWNSTONE]

Andre Dawson?s first order of business after donning his new Hall of Fame jersey and cap was to make a confession.

?As I stand here, I?m literally shaking,? Dawson said Thursday. ?I had a knee replacement on one leg that I thought was dead but it?s shaking.?

Dawson?s journey to the Hall was a painful one?and not because he had to endure a nine-year wait to be elected.

Rather, it took 12 knee operations?sounds like a record?for Dawson to complete a 21-year career (1976-96) that finally landed him the coveted title of Hall of Famer on Wednesday, when was the only player for 2010 to receive at least 75 percent of the vote.

And get this, he still stole more than 300 bases to go with his 438 home runs. Along with Willie Mays and Barry Bonds(notes), he?s one of three major leaguers to accomplish the feat.

?The Hawk? played his first 11 seasons on the artificial turf of Montreal?s Olympic Stadium, which he said was as hard as the carpeted floor he was standing on at his news conference. He extended his career with 10 more years on grass, including six with the Chicago Cubs, where he won the 1987 NL MVP.

The Hall of Fame still hasn?t decided whether the eight-time All-Star will have an Expos or Cubs hat?Dawson also played two years each for Boston and Florida?on his bronze plaque.

Despite the near life-sized poster of Dawson in an Expos uniform next to the dais, Hall president Jeff Idelson said no decision has been made.

?At the end of the day you want the logo to represent where this guy made his greatest impact,? Idelson said. ?He was impactful in Montreal. He was impactful in Chicago, and to a much lesser extent Boston and Florida, but it?s more of a case sitting down and collectively make a decision.?

Dawson might have never made it to Chicago, where he said he rejuvenated his career, were it not for the encouragement of his wife, Vanessa. Playing with a high school football injury he never properly rehabilitated, Dawson was in so much pain in his fourth big league season because of a ?fractured knee? that he told her he didn?t know if he could play any longer. Powerful pain killers were barely getting him through games.

?The third (Darvocet) took the pain away but it came back at night. That?s why I didn?t want to do it anymore,? Dawson said. ?And she looked at me and said, `You know you?re hurting now, but just see what the problem is because a year, two years from now you are going to regret walking away.??

Dawson stayed in baseball, hoping that in the best-case he could go 2 1/2 , three years between operations. He said a strict, prolonged pre- and postgame routine and the switch to playing on grass lengthened his career. In 2006, he had two knee replacement operations on his left knee.

The payoff will come July 25, when he will be inducted at Cooperstown along with manager Whitey Herzog and umpire Doug Harvey, elected last month by the Veterans Committee.

One thing Dawson wasn?t keen on doing to extend his career was act as the designated hitter. In his two seasons with the Red Sox he played 171 games at DH and he felt there was an ?element of the game missing.?

Dawson, who won eight Gold Gloves, thinks there?s room for a designated hitter in the Hall, though.

?If he put up phenomenal numbers. If he teared the cover off the ball, I can envision that happening,? Dawson said. ?You know the game is not solely based on offense but if a guy puts up out-of-the-roof numbers I think that it could happen.?

Edgar Martinez(notes), who received 36.2 percent in his first time on the Hall ballot, played just 33 games in the field during the final 10 years of his 18-year career.

Next year, Martinez will be joined on the ballot by more a controversial candidate. Rafael Palmeiro, who tested positive for steroids after telling Congress he never used performance-enhancing drugs, will be a first-timer.

Palmeiro can look to Mark McGwire for an indication of how the vote will go. McGwire received 128 votes (23.7 percent) in his fourth appearance of the ballot. Eighth on the career list with 583 homers, he has been stigmatized since evading questions from Congress in 2005 about steroids use.

Joining them will be Bert Blyleven, who fell five votes short, and Roberto Alomar, who finished eight shy in his first season of eligibility. Other top newcomers include Juan Gonzalez, Larry Walker, Jeff Bagwell(notes), John Franco and Kevin Brown.

Soure Yahoo Sports.

I think  Bert Blyleven should have gotten in by now. Be nice to see Pete Rose in the Hall Of Fame one day.

[faldor]

I think the Red Sox are more solid this year as opposed to last, starting pitching and defense are better for sure.  They may not score as many runs but they sure as hell won't give up as many either..

I'm not sold on the Sox being better.  I'd like to believe it, but it's true that they struggled to score runs against good pitching last year and their offense has taken a step back.  Yes their pitching is better, but their pitching was pretty darn good last year.  They just couldn't score enough runs.  You can't expect to win games scoring 3 runs or less.  Their defense is markedly better, so we'll see how much of a difference that makes.  It'll be interesting to see what they do with Mike Lowell now.  He's obviously not wanted anymore and I doubt he wants to be on a team that clearly doesn't want him.  It's a shame because he could actually be useful as insurance for 1B/3B/DH.  Pretty expensive insurance policy, but they're probably gonna pay him whether he stays or goes.

[Falcon]

I see where you're coming from on the lack of offense concern, for whatever reason I think Beltre is really going to come up big.  Going from Safeco to The Fens could/should really benefit him.  All those balls that died on the vine in Seattle are going to be bouncing off the monster, dude might get 40-50 doubles in Boston..

[faldor]

Yeah, I hope Beltre can duplicate Lowell's numbers.  And I think he should, as long as he stays healthy.  I've just never been a big Mike Cameron guy, at least with the bat.  He's streaky, although he pretty much puts up the same stats every year .250/20/80.  That's not bad, but it's certainly not as good as Jason Bay.  I don't think his defensive prowess will even the playing field, but he was a cheaper alternative.  I think they wanted Bay back, but only on their terms.  When it became pretty clear the 2 sides weren't a match, they went with plan B (Cameron/Lackey).  They do have the resources to make a trade during the season if they find out they're in desparate need of some offensive help.  Either way they have a pretty good squad heading into the season, so I can't complain.  Victor Martinez catching a full year instead of Varitek is a huge upgrade on offense, that can't be denied.

[Falcon]

Big Mac comes clean..

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/commishs-hot-stove/commishs-hot-stove/2010/01/mcgwire-interview-with-post-dispatch/

[tim_m]

Big Mac comes clean..

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/commishs-hot-stove/commishs-hot-stove/2010/01/mcgwire-interview-with-post-dispatch/

Its about time. Way past time actually.

[Falcon]

Basically confirming what we all knew but still a strange day for this lifelong Cardinal fan.

[tim_m]

Basically confirming what we all knew but still a strange day for this lifelong Cardinal fan.

Yeah this comes as no surprise to probably anyone.

[D]

I like mcGwire a lot and i completely forgive him etc but he is a damn fool sitting there saying steroids had no bearing on his HRs and he could've hit 70 without them.

[pilferk]

I agree, D.

"I only took them to heal injuries" is the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

Look, everyone knows what the effects of steroids are on your body.  It's not like you can turn on the effects you want and turn off the ones you don't.  It's like saying I only take asprin for headaches and ignoring the fact it's a blood thinner, too.  Even if I'm TAKING the asprin for a headache, I have to be cognizant of what the other effects are because, like it or not, inconvenient or not, beneficial or not, they're still occurring.

He might very well have taken steroids with the INTENT to keep his body healthy.  But, in addition to that effect, it was going to put muscle mass on him and increase his strength.  Period.  End of story.  Whether he intended it to increase the distance which he could hit a small white ball or not is beside the point.  It obviously DID, and it should have been obvious to him it was going to.  Him rationalizing otherwise doesn't, IMHO, make it any more "right".

Any other conclusion is just absurd.

[D]

The only thing I do give McGwire is, he was def a big time homerun hitter without steroids... so without them maybe they only go 450 and not 500ft

so really, in an era of expansion and shitty pitching, I do believe McGwire could've challenged Maris if he were clean and healthy.

[pilferk]

The only thing I do give McGwire is, he was def a big time homerun hitter without steroids... so without them maybe they only go 450 and not 500ft

so really, in an era of expansion and shitty pitching, I do believe McGwire could've challenged Maris if he were clean and healthy.

But that 50 feet can change things a lot.  Because the 500 foot monsters are still homers, but the ones he hit 400 could be fly ball outs.

He was a power bat...definitely.  But think about it:  If only 10% of his home runs were "steroid aided"...suddenly he's only tied with Maris. 

IMHO (and we'll never know), Big Mac has seasons of 50...maybe 55..without the juice.  He might have had a season where he took a run at Maris..but it would have been a LOT closer than it turned out to be.

And the long and short of it is:  We'll never know.  The players that have used have robbed us of that.

[Falcon]

The whole "just to keep me healthy" thing was a bit goofy but I kind of half expected it.

Hell, I can't think of any known user beyond Canseco that actually said "Ya, it made me a better player". 

All seem to have their rationalized reasons...