Daily Archives: March 6, 2003

NO PEPPER GAMES ALLOWED

According to Lee Sinn’s ATM report today:

1) Orioles owner Peter Angelos has given the team permission to trade for Ken Griffey Jr. According to the Baltimore Sun, “the Orioles remain determined to add a major run producer to their lineup, and Griffey has quietly hovered near the top of their target list, along with Kansas City Royals center fielder Carlos Beltran.” The paper reports the Orioles are willing to include Sidney Ponson and one or two prospects in a deal, with Brian Roberts being a possibility.

2) Yankees P Steve Karsay complained of shoulder soreness and is being shut
down for a few days. He’s coming off back surgery and, while the Yankees
have been insisting that he’ll be ready for Opening Day, Baseball
Prospectus’s injury expert Will Carroll hasn’t been so optimistic.

After 3.76 ERA/11 RSAA and 2.35 ERA/21 RSAA seasons, Karsay had a 3.26
ERA/11 RSAA in 78 games in his first year with the Yankees. He has a 3.88
career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.62, and 47 RSAA in 321 games.

Karsay became the 4th pitcher to have 3 consecutive years with 70+ games,
10+ RSAA and an ERA at least 1.00 better than the league average–

T1 Duane Ward 1991-93 3
T1 Jeff Shaw 1996-98 3
T1 Scott Sullivan 1999-01 3
T1 Steve Karsay 2000-02 3

Sinn’s daily ATM report is essential for any hardcore fan. What’s better, is it’s free, baby. Don’t sleep.

Christian Ruzich, The Cub Reporter, has a great report from the Cubbies training camp in Arizona.

David Pinto has two posts that are worth checking out: one is about how to speed up the game, and the other one is about Derek Jeter.

Finally, Ed Cossette has a fun column today over at Bambino’s Curse. He links articles about Prince Pedro Martinez, and Jurassic Carl Everett. The Everett piece is hilarious. Lord what a putz. As talented as Everett is, the Rangers can have him.

SPRING CHICKEN

Jeff Pearlman has an article on the Ancient Mariner, Jesse Orosco in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated. Will Orosco, now 45, pitch until he’s 50? Uncle Jesse tells Pearlman:

The reason I’m still around is because I feel the ame way I did when I was in Little League, greasing up the mitt before the season. I’m excited for spring training. I love batting practice. The games are thrilling, even if I’m sitting in the bullpen. I’m the little boy who loves baseball. I don’t care what my job is.

THE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW

Will Carroll, over at Baseball Prospectus, has posted his team health report for the New York Mets. Carroll has concerns about the usual suspects—Mo Vaughn, Cliff Floyd and Mike Piazza, and is skeptical about the Mets chances of winning the NL East:

The question going into this season is does removing a Bobby V-shaped tumor from the Mets and plugging in Howe’s soothing salve fix things? Does adding two big signings–both with some questions–push the big-money Mets back into contention? A team with the cash the Mets have should never have an organizational depth problem if they do the necessary due diligence. At the very least, they should fill Norfolk with Quadruple-A players while they’re developing young prospects. Yet somehow, the Mets have found ways to spend money without making themselves appreciably better.

…In the new-look NL East, the Mets once again feel they are contenders. Fueled by an involved owner and a GM trying to hang onto his job, they should be nothing if not interesting. But despite a roster that looks to be healthy, it’s unlikely that the Mets can hang with the Phillies and Braves. One or two unexpected injuries could drop them behind the Expos and Marlins.

SO FAR, SO GOOD

David Cone appeared in his first game this spring, threw 15 pitches and induced two pop outs and a ground out, in a three-up, three-down inning of work. If David Wells’ name is mud right now, Cone is a man who can do no wrong.

HURTS SO GOOD

It’s been a tough week and a half for David Wells. The usually impervious Boomer can’t catch a break, and it seems to be getting to him. (Is there anyone out there who feels even the slightest bit of sympathy for him?) Wells gave up 9 hits and 5 runs in 3 innings against the Braves yesterday. To add insult to injury, Wells was knocked on his ass on a comebacker through the box, he threw a ball into center field on another play, and brought back memories of Hideki Irabu as he failed to cover first base on yet another play.

When it rains it pours. Boss George, who called Irabu a “fat pus-sy toad” for neglecting to cover first base in a 1999 spring training game, has yet to address the Wells issue. The Yankee faithful in Tampa let Wells have it though, showering him with a chorus of boos.

According to John Harper in the Daily News:

To be fair, this was no routine play yesterday, as a hard ground ball caromed off a diving Todd Zeile’s glove, right to second baseman Alfonso Soriano. Still, Wells admitted he shouldn’t have given up on the play.

“It was my fault,” he said. “The way it was going out there, nothing I could do was right. When the ball went right to Soriano, I said, ‘Oh, bleep.'”

Yankee GM Brian Cashman is considering disciplinary action against Wells, but has yet to make a move.

“I’m talking to our personnel internally,” Cashman said. “Other than that, I can’t comment.”

Several club officials said that the Yankees were not considering trading or releasing Wells and that they had not asked him to waive his no-trade clause, which Wells has said he will not do. But there is a growing sense that Cashman will try to discipline Wells in some way.

…Steinbrenner has stayed silent on all things Wells.

“I’m handling it solely,” Cashman said. “It’s in my lap to handle, as it should be.”

ETC.

The Yanks have hired Jimmy Key as a minor league instructor. Key will report to spring training and work with both the minor league and major league pitchers. Key is considered to be a possible replacement for Yankee pitching coach, Mel Stottlemyre.

“I don’t know if it’s something he’d like to do,” General Manager Brian Cashman said. “But with his ability, rZsumZ and demeanor, I’m sure that’s something he would be capable of doing.”

Alfonso Soriano signed a one-year $800,000 deal, insuring that he’ll remain one of the better bargains in the game, at least for one more season (knock on wood).