2011 Baseball Season/Off-Season Discussion

[COMAMOTIVE]

Bernie Williams is on the HOF ballot for the first time this year. Anyone think he has a legit shot at getting it at some point? I think he's got a chance. His regular season numbers are very good but not great. I think his postseason stats and his 4 championships will help him. I don't know if it'll be enough though.

Yankee Fan, but Bernie is not a Hall of Famer. Solid player, great in the post-season, adored by Yankee fans, but this is not going to happen.

[Falcon]

Bernie Williams is on the HOF ballot for the first time this year. Anyone think he has a legit shot at getting it at some point? I think he's got a chance. His regular season numbers are very good but not great. I think his postseason stats and his 4 championships will help him. I don't know if it'll be enough though.

...but Bernie is not a Hall of Famer. Solid player, great in the post-season, adored by Yankee fans, but this is not going to happen.

Agreed on all points.

Same for Posada.

[tim_m]

I actually think Posada's chances might be slightly better whenever he decides to retire but i don't know if he'll get in either.

[Falcon]

I actually think Posada's chances might be slightly better whenever he decides to retire but i don't know if he'll get in either.

I think you're right, more of a chance than Williams but not enough to make it in the long run.

Seems like a great guy too, never forget his little boy running out in the All Star Game intros - what a cool moment.

[tim_m]

I actually think Posada's chances might be slightly better whenever he decides to retire but i don't know if he'll get in either.

I think you're right, more of a chance than Williams but not enough to make it in the long run.

Seems like a great guy too, never forget his little boy running out in the All Star Game intros - what a cool moment.

Yeah, i mean if you look at Posada's stats he ranks very high among catchers all time so MAYBE that plus the postseason stats and 5 titles gets him in. Its a little early to debate though. We don't even know if his current stats are his final. I could see him playing another year or two.

Yeah, he's been through a lot with his son. He was born with a very rare condition. He and his wife have a wonderful charity that helps families who have kids born with the same condition. He and his wife are great people.

[LongGoneDay]

Bernie Williams is on the HOF ballot for the first time this year. Anyone think he has a legit shot at getting it at some point? I think he's got a chance. His regular season numbers are very good but not great. I think his postseason stats and his 4 championships will help him. I don't know if it'll be enough though.

I think the HOF is a joke, but if I had a vote, Bernie would get one from me.
He had a solid career, and is a class act. He was a big bat during that stretch of championships.
His postseason numbers are what would put him over the top for me, they're unreal.
Postseason statistics seemed to be ignored by baseball in terms of awards, MVP etc.
Whereas it's what they play for, should count for something.

I'm a Red Sox fan, and I approve Bernie for the HOF, haha.

[GeorgeSteele]

Bernie Williams was a very good all-around player, but his postseason numbers were about the same as his regular season numbers -- very good, but not HOF-level.  His career regular season OPS was .858; for the postseason it was .850.    http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willibe02.shtml

[LongGoneDay]

Bernie Williams was a very good all-around player, but his postseason numbers were about the same as his regular season numbers -- very good, but not HOF-level.  His career regular season OPS was .858; for the postseason it was .850.    http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willibe02.shtml

Well you could say he had the luxury of being on great teams, and had multiple opportunities to play in the postseason, but he still produced.
80 RBI, 51 extra base hits are postseason records.

He's certainly not sure fire. He probably won't get in, but it won't bother me if he does.

[tim_m]

He also had the postseason record for homeruns until manny cheater broke it.

[Falcon]

I watched the Bobby V/Red Sox presser, not bad - not bad at all.

Sounded sharp, said all the right things.

[tim_m]

Should be interesting to see if he can change things in that clubhouse. You know he's not gonna take any shit like the players drinking beer etc. He also seems to have issues with Beckett taking so long to deliver a pitch. I wonder if he's gonna get on his case about that.

[Falcon]

Another thing I noticed with the presser, it  was amusing how many media perceive Valentine hire as a tectonic move.

I'll concede "interesting" and "attention-grabbing", definitely took focus off the September collapse.

[LongGoneDay]

Another thing I noticed with the presser, it  was amusing how many media perceive Valentine hire as a tectonic move.

I'll concede "interesting" and "attention-grabbing", definitely took focus off the September collapse.

They beat the collapse into the ground here in Boston, and then kept beating it for months. How much can you talk about chicken and beer? A lot if you are a boston radio talk show host.
Enough to convince a lot of idiots up here that it really was the reason the entire team sucked at baseball in September.

I don't think they hired Valentine to take the focus away though. I think they wanted Farrell, but hired Valentine because he was the best available candidate.
They gave him a 2 year deal, which also happens to be when Farrell's deal is up. I can see this thing going either way, but I'm not sure I'm putting it on Valentine if it goes bad.

Management has made some real bad deals as of late. Brought some horrible personalities in to the clubhouse, like Lackey. The team lacks leadership since they shipped Bay and VMart away.
Gonzalez and Crawford are character guys, but not leaders. Neither was Francona, really, but it didn't matter as much because they had guys like Millar, Timlin, Mueller etc.

Now that they seem to like throwing money at unknowns, a player manager is no longer going to get it done. Valentine will hold guys accountable.
We were spoiled with the idiots of '04 and that era. Teams like that don't come around very often. This is a very boring team in comparison, but it is talented.
Just need someone to run the ship. And a right fielder, catcher, starting pitcher or two and closer...

The list of available closers is dwindling by the day, and I'm not sure I'm too impressed w/what's left. Madson is probably the best option, but Sox weren't willing to give comparable $ to their own guy so... I hope they arent considering K-Rod.

[Falcon]

News from www.hardballtalk.com has Billy Buckner being considered for a position on Valentine's staff - that would be cool.

The new GM Cherington came off very well in the presser as well, much better than Theo did
at his Cubs coronation - that was just so scripted and goofy.

[faldor]

News from www.hardballtalk.com has Billy Buckner being considered for a position on Valentine's staff - that would be cool.

The new GM Cherington came off very well in the presser as well, much better than Theo did
at his Cubs coronation - that was just so scripted and goofy.

I'd love to have Billy Buck onboard, but I'm not sure how much of a chance there is of that happening.  I guess someone asked Bobby about the prospect and he said he's friends with Buckner or something to that effect, so the rumors began that he was being considered.  I heard Bobby's buddy from ESPN, Orel Hersheiser, may be considered for pitching coach.  That would seem to make sense.

As for the closer market, I agree with LongGoneDay, I wouldn't give Madson anywhere what he's reportedly asking for.  If they could get him for cheaper, then alright, but he's not worth 10+ million a year in my mind.  Again, NO closer is, outside of Rivera.  It's looking more and more like Daniel Bard will just slide into the role.

[tim_m]

Espn reporting the Marlins have signed shortstop Jose Reyes to a 6 year deal worth 111 million dollars. WOW.

[faldor]

Espn reporting the Marlins have signed shortstop Jose Reyes to a 6 year deal worth 111 million dollars. WOW.

Yeah and they're still in on Pujols supposedly.  What an off-season THAT would be.

Bad news for the Mets of course.

[tim_m]

If they get him too that would be insane. I won't go as far to say that makes them the favorite in the east but wow definitely a playoff contender.

[faldor]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7317535/albert-pujols-miami-marlins-list-targets

DALLAS -- Now that they've checked Jose Reyes off their to-do list, the Miami Marlins have an even bigger name on their radar screen -- Albert Pujols.

Sources told ESPN.com on Sunday night that the Marlins still plan to make an aggressive run at Pujols, even after committing $106 million to Reyes over the next six years, and plan to meet with Pujols' agent, Dan Lozano, Monday or Tuesday at the winter meetings.

Throughout much of this offseason, Marlins officials have downplayed the possibility that they could afford both Reyes and Pujols. However, one source who spoke with the Marlins' brass said Sunday that Reyes' contract was structured in a way that would enable them to sign one more prominent free agent -- and that Pujols was their No. 1 target.

The source said the Marlins plan to make a major push to sign Pujols over the next two days. The team met with Pujols in Miami before Thanksgiving, just days after a similar session with Reyes, and made the free-agent first baseman a nine-year offer for considerably less than the reported nine-year, $198-million offer from the Cardinals that Pujols turned down last winter.

But just as they increased their original offer to Reyes over the weekend in their attempts to get him signed, the Marlins now will turn their attention to Pujols -- and appear prepared to up their offer to him if they get indications he has sincere interest in coming to Miami.

Lozano is also tentatively scheduled to meet with the Cardinals about Pujols on Monday, sources said.

[pilferk]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7317535/albert-pujols-miami-marlins-list-targets

DALLAS -- Now that they've checked Jose Reyes off their to-do list, the Miami Marlins have an even bigger name on their radar screen -- Albert Pujols.

Sources told ESPN.com on Sunday night that the Marlins still plan to make an aggressive run at Pujols, even after committing $106 million to Reyes over the next six years, and plan to meet with Pujols' agent, Dan Lozano, Monday or Tuesday at the winter meetings.

Throughout much of this offseason, Marlins officials have downplayed the possibility that they could afford both Reyes and Pujols. However, one source who spoke with the Marlins' brass said Sunday that Reyes' contract was structured in a way that would enable them to sign one more prominent free agent -- and that Pujols was their No. 1 target.

The source said the Marlins plan to make a major push to sign Pujols over the next two days. The team met with Pujols in Miami before Thanksgiving, just days after a similar session with Reyes, and made the free-agent first baseman a nine-year offer for considerably less than the reported nine-year, $198-million offer from the Cardinals that Pujols turned down last winter.

But just as they increased their original offer to Reyes over the weekend in their attempts to get him signed, the Marlins now will turn their attention to Pujols -- and appear prepared to up their offer to him if they get indications he has sincere interest in coming to Miami.

Lozano is also tentatively scheduled to meet with the Cardinals about Pujols on Monday, sources said.

I hope they sign them both.

Because everyone knows the Marlins are, at this point, trying to fill their new stadium (and get the union off their back for their perpetually anemic payroll).

Then, in 3 or 4 years, they'll dump the long term, expensive contracts and go back to living off the revenue sharing money.  That's what this owner has done since...forever.

And those guys will get traded somewhere.....

As an aside: If the Yanks did this...people would be leading a revolt.