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Opening Day Special

Play Ball

I recently had the opportunity to talk with Bill James, the world’s most famous sabermetrician. James is a wonderful writer who is currently employed as a special advisor to the Boston Red Sox. His latest book, “The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers,” written with Rob Neyer is due out later this spring. I thought our discussion would make ideal banter on the first full day of the season. Hope you enjoy.

Bronx Banter: Where did you grow up and when did you become a baseball fan?

Bill James: I grew up in Mayetta, Kansas, a town of about 200 people. I became a baseball fan in the spring of 1961, when POST cereals put baseball cards on the back of their cereal boxes. I was just completely captured by them.

BB: Who were your favorite writers, and players growing up?

BJ: Among my first favorite players were Tito Francona, Minnie Minoso, Warren Spahn, Ron Santo, Norm Siebern, Jerry Lumpe and Dick Howser. Among my favorite writers were Jim Murray, whose column was syndicated in the Topeka paper, which I saw every day, and a couple of local guys. . .Jim Hentzen and Dev Nelson.

BB: Can you talk about the influence that Jim Murray and Leonard Koppett had on you.

BJ: Jim Murray was somebody that I read every day in the time when I was learning to write. Murray was a very talented man, able to make almost any subject entertaining by swinging wildly through an unusual mix of figures of speech. From this I learned a) How to construct a figure of speech, and b) The value of not letting an article get too linear, too straight. But what I do is, in a sense, almost the opposite of what Murray did. Murray picked a position on an issue and honed in on it like a laser, logic be damned. I’m the exact opposite; I start with the issue itself and dance all around it before I approach a conclusion. What I do is more like what Koppett did.

BB: Were you a fan of “Sport” magazine during the 1960s and 70s? In particular, did you enjoy Ed Linn and Ray Robinson? Also, who were your favorite radio and TV announcers growing up?

BJ: I’m a huge fan of Ed Linn. Greatest baseball books ever written–“Nice Guys Finish Last,” “Veeck as in Wreck,” “Thirty Tons a Day.” I read Sport magazine religiously from 1961 to 1967, which contained a lot of Ed Linn and Arnold Hano. These guys weren’t looking for a quick hit; they wanted to really take on the subject.

BB: I read Maury Willsí biography “On the Run” this winter because you made mention of it in one of your books. He claims to have revolutionized the game stealing all those bases. Is that accurate? Do you think Lou Brock rode on Wills’ coattails?

BJ: It is not accurate in my opinion. The stolen base revolution started more with Aparicio than with Wills, and was driven mostly by the conditions of the game. Runs were scarce; therefore it made sense to try to manufacture them. Brock was always generous in crediting Wills, and it is impossible to step between them in this way, and say that Brock did NOT owe to Wills what he was so willing to pay to him. But I always thought he had overstated his debt to Wills, frankly. Wills made a huge deal out of getting the biggest possible lead, and he would lecture anyone who would listen about how to get the biggest possible lead. Brock, as a young player, tried to copy that; he tried to study pitchers, as Wills had, and figure out how to get the biggest possible lead. But eventually Brock realized that this was a mistake, that getting a big lead was delaying his break from first base, and that it was much more productive to “time” the pitcher and get an early jump from first than it was to get a big lead. Suppose that two guys are sitting at an intersection, trying to get away quickly when the light turns green. One guys sticks his bumper as far as possible into the intersection and revs his engine. The other guy lays back, waits for the cross streetlight to turn yellow, then gets a rolling start. Who gets away quicker? Of course, the guy who lays back and gets a rolling start gets away much quicker. Same thing; Wills was the guy who tried to get as far into the intersection as he could, never realizing that this was nailing him down in terms of getting an early getaway. Brock finally realized he could steal more

BB: I only remember Brock in his last year, but I grew up watching Rickey Henderson, Rock Raines and Vince Coleman. Do you think baseball will return to the stylistic balance of the 70s and 80s, or will it indefinitely remain a power game?

BJ: I am absolutely certain that neither of those will happen.

BB: Speaking of small ball, do you think Negro League stats will ever be collated in a way that would allow a good analyst to filter the noise out and compare them in some meaningful way to major league stats? Is this project worthwhile or does it just ask a false question?

BJ: I doubt that it can be done. The problem is not simply missing events. The gaps are more profound than that. The schedule was never very regular. You simply don’t have 150-game samples against relatively balanced competition. The games were never played that way. One can never guess what the people of the future will know, and certainly much progress has been made, and certainly more progress will be made. But I don’t see how these stats could ever be pulled up to something approximating the level of American or National League stats from that era.

BB: What do you make of the wealth of baseball writing on the Internet? Does it hold any interest for you?

BJ: I can’t keep up. Reading stuff on the Internet is not natural to me, as it is to younger people. There are zero web sites that I check every day. Also–and this is one of the most critical differences between myself and regular journalists–I can’t keep current on what could be called the general baseball discussion, and I make very little effort to do so. I never have. Why? Limited brain cells. I’m not that smart; I have a limited number of synapses. I always figure if you fill them up with stuff that’s going to change in 24 hours, you have less capacity to really think about the problems you are trying to puzzle through. I know what the BIG stories in the game are, but the little stories that come and go. . .I can’t keep track of them, and I don’t try to.

BB: The amount of baseball writing on the net is overwhelming. I follow the Yankees, and yet there is so much about the team–like their minor league system–that I very little about. It amazes me that some guys can write with authority about more than one team, let alone an entire league. Do you follow of all the stories–large and small–with the Red Sox however? Do you know what’s going on with the team through your relationship with the front office, or do you read the Boston press to find out the scoop?

BJ: Well, I communicate with the front office every day, usually many times a day. But even with the Red Sox, sometimes I miss stuff. Following up on the earlier question. . .you were close to something worth talking about there. It is the instinct of all young writers to walk toward the game, to get as close as possible to the game, to immerse themselves in it. This instinctive behavior then becomes a commandment of sports journalism: they assume, because they’re all doing it, that this must be the right thing to do. I’m sure it is the right thing to do–for them. But I made the decision, 25 years ago or more, to do the opposite: to walk AWAY from the game. I study the game passionately and thoroughly and without end–but from a distance. My decision was to try to see the game as an astronaut would see the planet earth–that is, with a different perspective. Try to see the big picture. Constantly immersing yourself in the details of day-to-day news coverage interferes with your ability to see the bigger picture of the game, at least for me.

BB: During the 2003 season, was your experience working with the Red Sox front office different from what you expected it to be?

BJ: This question requires me to think in ways that I simply don’t think.

BB: After all those years as a baseball “outsider” what’s it like to be on the inside?

BJ: Different.

BB: How many Red Sox games did you watch/attend?

BJ: I saw 23 Red Sox games in person, I believe–3 in Kansas City, 1 in Oakland, and 19 in Boston. I watched all or virtually all of the Red Sox games on TV, taped them and studied them.

BB: Are you enjoying your work with the Red Sox?

BJ: Very, very much. I love Boston. I hate traveling, but I love being in Boston once I get there. And the people I work with there, from John Henry and Theo down to the shoelaces of the organization, have just been fantastic.

BB: Have you met any of the players on the Red Sox personally? Does meeting and talking with ballplayers interest you?

BJ: Ballplayers are simply people. They are as interesting as your neighbors, as interesting as the people you work with–no more and no less.

BB: Other than when Derek Lowe is on the hill, there has been a good deal of debate as to whether second baseman Pokey Reese is as valuable to the Red Sox as he might be to another team. Will his defense be all that valuable behind pitchers such as Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling, neither of whom relies on keeping the ball on the ground to retire the opposition?

BJ: Well, certainly it is going to be MORE of a priority to maximize the infield defense when Lowe is on the mound. But every pitcher appreciates (and needs) defensive support, and we do have other ground ball pitchers, such as Kim and Mendoza. We get an average or above-average number of ground balls. We’re going to go into the bottom of the ninth with a one-run lead sometimes, and we’ll want the best defense out there no matter who is on the mound.

BB: You’ve always championed players like Brain Downing, who was great with the Angels in the eighties. Are there any players like that on the current Sox team? Which Red Sox players are you especially fond of watching?

BJ: My favorite player to watch on the Red Sox is Jason Varitek. Jason has a lot of hustle and a lot of leadership, plus he has a lot of subtle skills that you don’t see unless you focus on him.

BB: What subtle skills does Varitek possess?

BJ: I don’t know if I can describe it. He’s very interactive with the other parts of the game. He interacts with the umpire. He interacts with the other infielders. He interacts with the dugout. He interacts with the pitcher. Of course, much of this is the nature of the catcher’s position, but there are catchers who just go through the motions. Jason’s very alert to how all of those other parts of the game are moving, always looking for ways to contribute.

BB: You have a book that youíve written with Rob Neyer coming out this spring called the Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers. What does this book give us that we’ve never had before?

BJ: A source for specific information about pitchers–who threw a curve ball, who threw a slider, who threw a change. Not on a hit-and-miss, catch-as-catch-can basis, but systematically and thoroughly.

BB: What can we do with it? Will it be a useful tool for further understanding of the game?

BJ: Well, we would certainly hope so. Suppose that you want to study the question of whether the screwball is hard on the arm, or the question of whether pitchers whose best pitch is a sinker reach their peak later than pitchers who best pitch is a curve. This book gives you a starting place to research those questions, or any of a thousand others.

BB: In view of the Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers book soon to be published, do you think that a deception pitch like Rip Sewell’s eephus ball could ever be effective in today’s game?

BJ: Oh, absolutely. Beyond any question it could.

BB: I wanted to ask one Yankee question. In Ben McGrathís New Yorker profile on you which appeared last summer, you said something about how people in Kansas City root against New York more than they do in Boston. Or something to that effect. Have you hated either the Yankees or New York City since you were a kid?

BJ: Well, I love New York City, to begin with, and I wouldn’t exactly say that I hate the Yankees. I root passionately against the Yankees, and I have since I was a small child. It’s like, if you’re watching a car race. . .if you hate somebody you root for them to have an accident. I’ve never rooted for the Yankees to have a car accident. I just want them to lose.

BB: Like Downing, I know youíve always liked Bernie Williams. Do you think heíll be a hall of famer?

BJ: Well, I try to stay out of Hall of Fame arguments. Bernie Williams is one of my favorite players, but I think it is clear that he is not a Hall of Famer based on what he has accomplished yet. He starts the 2004 season with 1,950 career hits. That’s not a Hall of Fame number. Maybe it is if you’re Sam Thompson and you drive in a fantastic number of runs; maybe it is if you’re Earle Combs and the Hall of Fame voters don’t know any better. But in general, Bernie’s numbers are nowhere near Hall of Fame standards.

Gordon Edes has a nice, long column today about the Yankee-Red Sox rivalry. Dan Shaughnessy, Michael Holley, and Jackie MacMullen chime in as well. Meanwhile in New York, John Harper takes a look at Pedro Martinez. Lock and load folks, here we go again: All the Hype you have to hate. (And just luuuvv too.)

By Bruce Markusen
Spring Training Edition

From Madness To A Miracle?

After the stench of last yearís odious mess at Shea Stadium, fans of the New York Mets should be excused for excessive hyperventilation this spring. For the first time since the pennant-winning season of 2000, the Mets have a team that borders on the likeable. More importantly, they may have the makings of a club that can set a reasonable goal of competing for the National Leagueís wild card berth. Yes, itís amazing what can happen when a new front office adds one of the gameís three best defensive center fielders, finds a powerful rookie shortstop who resembles nothing close to the feeble limitations of Rey Ordonez, and fortifies a shredded bullpen with a playoff-tested veteran and a group of hardball-humming youngsters.

At the very least, the Mets will be a much improved defensive team in 2004. Mike Cameron, whoís used to playing spacious outfields, should have little trouble making the transition to the tricky winds and mind-numbing airplane noise of Shea Stadium; the Mets can point to pages of statistical analysis that declare Cameron as the gameís best defensive center fielder. With Japanese sensation Kaz Matsui and sophomore stud Jose Reyes (assuming his hamstring problems donít become chronic) manning the middle infield, the Mets may have the kind of athleticism and range that the rival Yankees can only dream about at second and short. (Letís just hope that Super Joe McEwing receives a minimum of playing time this summer.) The decision to flip-flop Mike Piazza and Jason Phillips is long overdue, improving the teamís catching while doing minimal damage to first base. And if Shane Spencer and Karim Garcia end up platooning in right field, theyíll be more than adequate (and better than wrong-way Roger Cedeno); both are limited in range, but are surehanded and can throw, with Garcia possessing one of the gameís most underrated outfield arms.

All of the past transactions aside, the Mets may have some options on the trading block for future improvements. Several teams have called to inquire about the availability of Vance Wilson, one of the National Leagueís better backup catchers. The Mets are saying no for now, but theyíll change their minds for the right price, knowing that they have both Phillips and Piazza available to catch immediately, with top prospect Justin Huber primed for arrival in 2005. The Mets also have depth in their bullpen, thanks in part to the luring of ex-Marlin Braden Looper, which is always a nice springtime commodity. Some members of the Metsí brass would like to make room for 26-year-old Orber Moreno, who has resuscitated his career after suffering a torn labrum during his days with the Royals. (And no, heís no relation to “Omar the Outmaker,” the original O. Moreno.) The much improved Grant Roberts is one pitcher who has drawn interest from other teams; he could end up as the Metsí fifth starter, in the bullpen, or in some other major league market during the season. Tyler Yates is another attractive commodity to rival clubs, but the Mets have no intention of trading the hard-throwing right-hander, who will probably start the season at Triple-A Norfolk.

With catching and pitching to spare, what do the Mets want in return? Theyíre still on the lookout for outfield help and have talked to the Blue Jays about Jayson Werth, whoís out of options but is still only 24, and to the Pirates about Sabermetric favorite Craig Wilson, who just canít seem to win the favor of manager Lloyd McClendon. Both Werth and the underrated Wilson would make sense in right field, either as everyday players or in a platoon with Garcia. Another possibility is Baltimoreís Jay Gibbons, who can be had for the right package of young pitching. A left-handed swinger, Gibbons could platoon with Spencer, who has never mastered right-handed pitching (a .313 OBP and a .371 slugging mark over the past three years)

Don Malcolm has an interesting analysis of the 2004 Red Sox over at Baseball Primer. He isn’t convinced that Boston is as good as many people think they are. Sadly–and I’m not being facetious—Nomar Garciaparra was placed on the DL (joining Trot Nixon) with Achilles’ tendinitis:

“It will be three weeks without playing in games, for sure,” Epstein said. “It’s similar to Trot’s situation. The whole point of an aggressive rest and rehab routine like this is to knock the injury out. It’s a long season. It’s a long career. We want to make sure we put this behind us so it doesn’t become more chronic.”

…”The doctor ordered a lot of rest and sitting on my couch,” Garciaparra said. “He says he’ll talk to me once a week. I’m sure it’ll be more to make sure I am sitting on my couch, which I will be. It’ll definitely be hard, but I’ll be cheering them on.”

Pedro Martinez was smacked around in his last outing of the spring. Michael Holley has a good piece on the mercurial Dominican in the Boston Globe this morning. Jayson Stark reports:

Behind the plate, a section full of scouts scratched their heads. Martinez had touched 90 mph on just a couple of fastballs. He delivered them from an arm slot noticeably lower than the Pedro of old.

“I could never give that guy a three-year contract,” said one scout. “He’s got two years left in him. Tops.”

…Pitching coach Dave Wallace chalked it all up to a case of the “spring-training yips.”

“He’s just anxious to get going and get through spring training,” Wallace said. “I’ve seen a lot of strange stuff happen this time of year.”

But this was, in reality, as strange as it gets. And Martinez’s body language had communicated real frustration — such as the time he got so irritated over not getting a low strike call from plate ump Marty Foster that he caught Varitek’s toss back to the mound with his bare hand.

Never a dull moment with Martinez and the Red Sox, huh? Yankee fans should resist the temptation to feel smug here. I suspect that Boston and New York will go back-and-forth sending players to the DL during the season. Like Boss George says, it’s how you finish that counts.

I went back and re-read Robert Ward’s infamous “Reggie Jackson in No-Man’s Land” article last night (it is in Glenn Stout’s collection of Yankee writing, “Top of the Heap”). Man, it’s still funny. They sure don’t make ’em like Jackson–or Billy the Kid, for that matter–anymore. Ward spoke with Jackson during the slugger’s first spring training with the Yankees, but the article didn’t appear until June (in Sport magazine), by which time tensions had eased considerably between Jackson and Thurman Munson. When the piece came out, the feud was fired up all over again. It would continue throughout the 1977 season, ending of course when Jackson hit four home runs on four consecutive pitches (with a base on balls inbetween) as the Yankees beat the Dodgers in the World Serious.

Anyhow, here are some of Reggie’s finest moments from the article:

“I’ve got problems other guys don’t have. I’ve go this big image that comes before me, and I’ve got to adjust to it. Or what it has been projected to be. That’s not ‘me’ really, but I’ve got to deal with it. Also, I used to be known as a black athlete, now I’m respected as a tremendoous intellect.

…You know…this team…it flows from me. I’ve got to keep it all going. I’m the straw that stirs the drink. It all comes back to me. Maybe I should say me and Munson…but really he doesn’t enter into it. He’s being so damned insecure about the whole thing. I’ve overheard him talking about me…I’ll hear him telling some other writer tha he wants it to be known that he’s the captain of the team, that he knows what’s best. Stuff like that. And when anybody knocks me, he’ll laugh real loud so that I can hear it…

You see, that is the way I am. I’m a leader, and I can’t lie down…but ‘leader’ isn’t the right word…it’s a matter of PRESENCE…Let me put it this way: No team I am on will ever be humilated the way the Yankees were by the Reds in the World Series! That’s why Munson can’t intimidate me. Nobody can. you can’t psyche me. You take me one-on-one in the pit, and I’ll whip you…It’s an attitude, really…It’s the way the manager looks at you when you come into the room…It’s the way the coaches and the batboy look at you…The way your name trickles through the crowd when you wait in the batter’s box…It’s all that…The way the Yankees were humilated by the Reds? You think that doesn’t bother Billy Martin. He’s no fool. He’s smart. Very smart. And he’s a winner. Munson’s tough, too. He is a winner, but there is just nobody who can do for a club what I can do…There is nobody who can put meat in the seats [fans in the stands] the way I can. That’s just the way it is…Munson thinks he can be the straw that stirs the drink, but he can only stir bad.”

Catfish Hunter, who had played with Jackson in Oakland years before, told Ward, “The thing you have to understand about Reggie is that he wants everyone to love him.”

Alex Rodriguez is no Reggie Jackson, but I get the feeling that he wants everybody to love him too. I don’t think Rodriguez is capable to making any “straw that stirs the drink” comments, but I wouldn’t put it past him for his mouth (insecurities) to get him in trouble sooner or later.

The Sports Illustrated Baseball Preview issue is out today. Kerry Wood is on the cover and the headline reads: “Hell Freezes Over: The Cubs Will Win the World Series.” Ah, the SI jinx. The boys at The Cub Reporter are going to love this. Then again, considering how jinxed the Cubs have been, how could this really hurt?

There is an entertaining two-part preview of the 2004 Mets over at The Shea Hot Corner (part one and part two). Met fans, head on over and check it out.

Alex Rodriguez has an article about coming to play for the Yankees written with Dan LeBatard for ESPN the magazine. It is a far cry from Reggie Jackson’s “I’m the straw that stirs the drink” 1977 article in Sport magazine, but there is something needy about the tone of the piece all the same. Rodriguez come across more like Sally Field, as somebody who desperately wants to be liked. It’s as if Rodriguez is trying to convince us what a good guy he is.

It speaks to Rodriguez’s insecurities that he felt the need to come out with an article like this. But he does make some interesting comments. One particularly struck me:

Fear of failure is what fuels me, keeps me on edge and sharp. I’m not as good when I’m comfortable.

This reminded me of a Lou Piniella quote that I read in Michael Lewis’ fine piece in last Sunday’s New York Times Magazine:

HE WILL NEVER BE A TOUGH COMPETITOR. HE DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH BEING UNCOMFORTABLE.

I think that is what Rodriguez is talking about. Considering how much failure is inherent in the life of a baseball player, it makes perfect sense. You could say the same applies to being a great comic or rock star too. Once you get too comfortable, you are sunk. After all, Sir Lawrence Olivier threw up before almost every performance he ever gave on the stage. I doubt if Rodriguez gets physically ill before every game, but I’m sure he’s not overly confident on the days he goes 4-4 either.

p.s. The Lewis article is really terrific. It’s long, but a must-read.

Yankees 12, D-Rays, 1

Ah, just what the Yankees needed to avoid a full-scale disaster. The Yankees blasted the Devil Rays in the second game of the season, leaving New York sports writers with nothing much to write about for the next five days. Pity for them, but good for us fans. Jorge Posada homered twice and collected six RBI. Fittingly, Hideki Matsui also homered. Jason Giambi, Kenny Lofton and Gary Sheffield also had good offensive games. Kevin Brown allowed a run in the first, but was his usual stingy self. He threw seven innings, allowed six hits and struck out five. Tom Gordon pitched a scoreless eighth, and Mariano Rivera whiffed two in a scoreless ninth.

I didn’t see any of the game. If you did, whatta ya here, whatta ya say?

Tampa 8, New York 3

I only caught the second and third innings. Mussina didn’t look sharp, and I guess the Rays eventually got to him. Giambi homered. For those who did watch it, how ugly was it? Discuss.

Hideki Matsui gave the people what they paid to see when he hit a home run in his return to Japan on Sunday. The Yankees beat Godzillaís former club, the Giants, 6-2. (Donovan Osborne was rocked in the Yankeesí second exhibition game, against the Hanshin Tigers )

It may have been Matsuiís moment, but as Joel Sherman writes, this is really the about the beginning of the Alex Rodriguez era in New York.
Joe Torre has announced the Opening Day line-up. The most notable decision was that Kenny Lofton will bat ninth. Derek Jeter will lead off, followed by Matsui. (How do you like them apples? Who says Torre isnít capable of a surprise here and there?) Of course, the heart of the order will be Rodriguez-Giambi-Sheffield, with Posada, Sierra (DH), Wilson and Lofton making up the bottom half of the line-up.

Lofton isn’t happy about batting ninth, but quite frankly, who cares? I’m sure there will be plenty of things that upset Mr. Lofton in 2004. But hey, it could be worse: he could be playing in Pittsburgh.

The Daily News has its 2004 season preview today. Naturally, there is much about the Yankees-Sox continuing rivalry. Always the realist, Mike Mussina offers his pragmatic take on the situation:

“You write a great book, you make a great movie, you write a great song, an album, how do you follow it up?” says Mike Mussina. “You have to, but I don’t know how you beat last season. You can add all the people you want, but you can’t make the stakes any higher.”

Here Come the Smart Guys

The Baseball Prospectus book signing at Barnes and Noble in downtown Brooklyn was a lot of fun last night. It started promptly at seven. I don’t think I got there until a quarter past. Of course Jay Jaffe was the first guy I saw, just as he was about to walk into the store. Same thing happened a few weeks ago at the pizza feed in Times Square. I saw Jay, with his pal Nick Stone, just as I was arriving at the restaurant. My man Jay. We walked in and could hear Joe Sheehan’s voice muffled through a microphone from upstairs. So up we went.

There was a nice turn out. I don’t know, 30-35 people? Maybe more. Mostly men, but a couple of women too. Standing and sitting. There was pizza (the Dude abides). Basically it was a was a cluster of baseball nerds all huddled together talking about PECOTA and steroids and why some teams are luckier than others in the playoffs, and good stuff like that. I think it’s a completely enjoyable experience. Being a nerd and being proud of it. Other people stopped by to listen as well and Jay and I stood in the back next to the pizza, with our friend, Cliff Corcoran.

As we settled in, Doug Pappas, who is an all-of-a-piece-baseball-nut -I mean really a classic was talking about performance-inhancing drugs when this round, bearded man with a funny, blue baseball hat, helped himself to a slice of pizza and stood next to Jay. Pappas was the oldest writer in the group, and though he’s not what I expected him to look like, he was perfect. And very bright.

I don’t know that Jay was aware of the funny bearded guy next to him, but I was. This guy was a too much. Looked like a combination of John Belushi and Danny Devito, full, thick black beard. Think about the illustration of the Brooklyn Bum on the pack page of the Daily News when the Dodgers finally beat the Yanks in ’55, OK. He had the plastic shopping bag, and the rumpled suit. Staring straight ahead, listening to Pappas, chomping on his free pizza. What kind of quirky Paul Mazursky bit is this?

By the time Dayn Perry was up to talk, the fat guy had had enough and moved on to better things in the self-improvement section. Dayn was a nice surprise. Not that I expected him to be a putz. I have followed his work for a while, and enjoyed it very much but I had no conecption of what he looked like or sounded like. As Alex Ciepley told me later, “I didn’t realize just how southern he was.” Dayn is very southern, in the best possible way I suppose. I don’t know too many southerners, but Dayn has a slow, easy, and direct way about him, that I would associate with a cool southerner is like.

Prospectus had five guys at the signing. Doug and Dayn were joined by Steven Goldman, Nate Silver and one of BP’s founding members, Joe Sheehan. Each guy took a turn fielding questions. Sheehan acted as the emcee of sorts. Joe is polished, and composed in front of an crowd. He could be on TV. He is precise, self-aware and smart. He’s like an old pro with the audience communication skills. But let’s face it: the guy is from New York. Respect due. Why shouldn’t he be good on his feet, talking in front of people?

Ah, it’s an assumption on my part, I know. But I have rucchmones with Sheehan. Joe and I were born within five months of each other, and it’s likely that we were born in the same hospital (Columbia Pres). How old do you have to get before discovering you were in the same grade with a someone instantly bonds you somehow? Joe grew up in Inwood, and I originally lived on the upper west side. Sheehan may have been residing in southern California for the last dozen or so years, but everthing about him says New Yorker. And that’s what it so appealing about him. Get Sheehan to go on TBS and talk hoops with Kenny “the Jet” Smith, and he’d be a cinch. The guy is a natural sports talker.

I didn’t get a chance to hear Steven, but Goldman was there anyway, standing behind Nate and Pappas (who were seated at a table), with his hands resting on chest, holding the edges of his jacket. He looked like an Orson Welles publicity still circa “The Magnificient Ambersons.” All he needed was a pipe, and some slippers.

It was a comically studied, self-aware posture. You know slightly self-depricating; one that looked completely comfortable as well. Goldman is a big guy, with a great shock of black hair and black rimmed glasses. He has these terrific, expressive eyebrows and an easy smile. He’s entirely sympathetic. One of those dudes you look at and say, “Man, isn’t he such a good guy?” And I’m telling you, looking at him, all I could think was what Al Hirshfield could do with him in that pose, next to the charactures of the other guys. He would make a fine Al Hirshfield drawing.

Nate Silver would too, and he was a very good with the audience. Nate looks like a kid, but he comes across with the confidence of an adult. He was not rattled talking in front of people and he made eye-contact with the people who asked the questions. I got the sense that he tried to answer each one to the best of his ability. He wasn’t overly concerned with having the “right” answer.

The great thing about Nate is that he doesn’t look like a baseball guy. He looks like a numbers whiz or a record nerd or some kind of nerdy guy. But he’s completely comfortable in his nerdiness, which makes him less nerdy. He was actually assertive and confident in a way that some of the other speakers were not. (He later told me he had been on the debate team, and it shows.) Nate doesn’t come across like an awkward dork, he comes across as someone who is extremely comfortable with his intelligence.

Silver doesn’t project any insecurities about being as smart and I always find that to be an inviting and welcoming quality. I love that in people. He’s humble. Silver is more interested in sharing his knowledge and having a dialogue than being right all the time, or superior in any way. He’s completely impressive. No two ways about it: Nate projects well.

After the signing, their was mingling and then a gangle of us headed west on Atlantic avenue and settled in a neighborhood bar. It was a bar for local locals in their twenties and thirties. The place was still pretty much empty when we arrived which means that we staked out a good spot in and around a slightly elevated area that had tables and booths. Later in the night, the place filled up and a this mo mo who looked like Kenneth Branaugh spun records. He played eighties music and had his shirt open half way down his chest. Jeez what a stroker.

But the vibe was good, and a good bunch of guys were there, including Alex Ciepley, Derek Jacques, and Pete Fornitell. Must have been about a dozen of us or so. And it was a fine night, hanging out with dudes, talking about baseball. What more could you ask for to keep you grounded as a guy?

Thanks to Baseball Primer’s “Clutch Hits,” I found a short interview with Michael Lewis, author of “Moneyball,” as well as an especially good longer one with author Bill James. They are both worth checking out.

Alex Rodriguez had to leave last night’s Yankee-Red Sox game earlier after getting smacked in the kisser by the ball. A throw from Hideki Matsui bounced off of Brian Daubach’s foot and proceeded to bite Rodriguez right in the face. Ouch. The ball landed just under Rodriguez’s eye. He left the game, but x-rays were negative and he should be OK. The Yankees won the game, 8-6.

Speaking of the Sox, I’ve got a two-part interview with Howard Bryant, columnist at the Boston Herald, and author of “Shut Out: A Story of Race and Baseball in Boston,” over at The Hardball Times (Part One and Part Two). If you get the chance, let me know what you think of ’em.

The Mariano extension became official yesterday, and all was well in Yankeeland. Chicken soup for the soul. According to the Daily News:

“I think I was born to be a Yankee,” Rivera said. “I could’ve gone and tried to test the market after the season, but I wanted to remain a Yankee. It’s priceless, the pinstripes. Putting on that uniform every day in and out is priceless. If I have a chance to go in the Hall of Fame in the pinstripes, that’s big for me.”

Next up: Joe Torre.

Part two of T.J. Quinn’s profile of Alex Rodriguez is up today. It is worth taking a peek at because Quinn concentrates on Rodriguez’s skills on the field.

The Yankees host the Red Sox tonight in Tampa, but trainer Gene Monahan is more concerned with preparing his players for their long trip to Japan.

And You Can Quote This

I remember on one of my first days working for the Coen brothers, DVD copies of “Fargo” arrived at their office. This was in the fall of 1996, and the movie

The Daily News has the first of a three-part series profiling the career of Alex Rodriguez today, if you like that sort of thing. Rodriguez turned a nifty double play against the Tigers yesterday. John Haper called it Rodriguez’s first Graig Nettles play:

“I guess you’d say it was like the birth of me being a third baseman,” A-Rod said afterward. “That was the first one where I got a pretty good rush out of it, I’ll tell you that.”

It was a beauty, all right, A-Rod’s first truly sensational play with the glove as a Yankee. He robbed Ivan Rodriguez of a double with a backhand dive, and with runners at first and second, turned the stab into a double play by scrambling to third and making an off-the-wrong-foot throw across the diamond.

Meanwhile, Bubba Crosby could make the big club coming out of spring training. With all of the high-priced studs on this team, Crosby, the Dodgers number one draft pick in 1998, is a welcome breath of air. He is often compared with Lenny Dykstra, as a hustling, scrappy kind of player. Hey, if Clay Bellinger made the team, so can Bubber.

Mariano Rivera will be in New York for at least another three seasons. A two-year extension, with an option for a third, could be announced later today. According to the New York Times:

The Yankees and Rivera agreed to terms on a two-year, $21 million contract extension that will keep Rivera with the team through 2006, several club officials said Monday. The deal includes an option year for 2007 that will be triggered by games finished. Rivera will earn $10.5 million each season, making the total value of the deal $31.5 million if the third year vests.

A lot of money for a closer? Yup. Is Rivera worth the risk? I’d say so. I know I’ll sleep well at night knowing that the Sandman is around to close games out for the Yankees. If he holds up for the next few years, I think it’s safe to say: Next stop, Cooperstown.

I watched most of the Yankee game against Tampa Bay yesterday and all I can say is that the middle of the Bomber line up is rough, man. Each time 3-4-5 came up again, the only word that came to mind was, rough. Rodriguez is terrific of course, but he is prone to striking out. Giambi has an even better eye, though he too, whiffs a good deal. But then you come to Sheffield, who doesn’t strike out much, and who hits the ball extremely hard virtually every time he’s up. The dude is vicious. Oh yeah, Godziller went 3-3 yesterday. Matsui is part of the second-tier Yankee hitters along with Bernie Williams and Jorge Posada. There is no doubt that the Bronx Bombers are back.

Jorge DePaula pitched well, and is battling Scott Proctor for the last spot in the bullpen. Big Tony Clark is likely to stick around a bit longer as well, as Travis Lee will start the season on the DL with an inflammed left shoulder. Enrique Wilson and Miguel Cairo are also banged up. Could our man Homer actually make the squad? We shall see.

Meanwhile, Brian Cashman made Mariano Rivera an offer on Sunday night: two years, $21 million, with an option for a third season. Acccording to reports, Rivera could accept the contract extension as early as today.

Here’s a couple of cherce cuts for you before I break for the weekend…

Congrats go out to fans of the Oakland A’s, after Eric Chavez signed a six-year extension the other day. Christian Ruzich and Aaron Gleeman cover the story well.

Tyler Kepner has a puff piece on Joe Girardi this morning that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

The Yankees are meeting with Mariano Rivera’s agent today. Rivera would like to sign an extension before the season starts.

Gordon Edes reports on MLB’s reaction to critical comments made about their drug-testing policy by Curt Schilling and Johnny Damon. (Meanwhile, Nomie and Trot are hurt and both could miss the season opener.)

Finally, Scott Miller has a good piece on one of my favorite pitchers, Greg Maddux, who has always been an interesting quote:

“I still believe if you do everything mechanically correct, it’s impossible for the ball to not go where you want it to,” Maddux says. “Like in golf. If your swing is mechanically correct, the ball is going to go where it should — or, at least, where you’re aiming.

“Things will change, and your mind will do things funky that you don’t want it to do.”

…”Coaches, if they tell you 10 things, one or two maybe will work,” Maddux says. “Very rarely will all 10 things work for everybody. I see it. I’ve worked with kids before. You tell one kid the same thing you told another kid yesterday, and the kid yesterday didn’t get it but the kid today does.

“I do it with my own kids with their math homework. I tell them one way, and they have no clue. I tell them another way, and they get it. Pitching is no different.”

I’m headed to the Transit Museum in Brooklyn with Emily tomorrow. We both love the New York Subway system and its history, plus Em’s never been to the Museum, which recently reopened after a long over haul. The two of us will be sitting on our fat asses watching the Yankees exhibition game on Sunday. I’ll be talking trash at the TV, she’ll be knitting. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

I love quoting movies. Doesn’t everyone to some extent or another? OK, I shouldn’t speak for everyone, but even my girlfriend, who doesn’t get off on that kind of thing, loves to quote lines from her favorite movie, “What About Bob?” (Believe it.) I’ve formed relationships based around a mutual love of movie-quoting. It’s an addicting, compulsive activity, and one that I thoroughly enjoy. I don’t think I’ve sent Mike Carminati an e-mail yet that didn’t contain a reference to “Stripes.”

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that loving to quote movies is what got me a job working for Joel and Ethan Coen, but it didn’t hurt. (I had previously worked for Woody Allen, and did my impression of the Wood man talking about the Knicks went over well with the guys.) The Coen brothers make extremely quotable movies themselves, and I think that is because they love to quote movies. When I first went to work for them I would pepper every day conversation with lines from “Raising Arizona”-which may be their most quotable movie. (Since I worked on “The Big Lebowski” I’m partial to that one, which is chock full of good lines too.) They would laugh, repeat the line, and quote another one. Or they would correct how I misquoted a line. (Don’t some people just hate when you get the words/lyrics wrong?)

During the production of “The Big Lebowski,” I recall driving Ethan to the bowling alley set in East Hollywood one day, and we went back-and-forth quoting from “Raging Bull.” It was a great treat to work in the editing room with them. As they put the movie together, we inevitably would quote our favorite lines. Ethan and I especially were fond of the Dude groaning, “Mmíaaww, man,” when he wakes up from getting cracked on the jaw by Julianne Mooreís goons. On some days, thatís all Ethan and I would say to each other. (Our other favorite was when the Dude is riding in the back of Maudeís limo and he tells the driver, “Yeah, I got a rash, man.”)

I mention the Coen brothers because they were brought up in the All-Baseball American League East Roundtable earlier this week. Jon Weisman wondered what kind of movie they would make about the Yankees-Red Sox feud. I responded in an e-mail:

I don’t think the Coen brothers would have much to say about the Yankees and Sox at all. Both teams are way too stuck up for the likes of the Coens. Coppola, Scorsese, DePalma, Speilberg: These are the kind of directors who have enough inherent hype in their styles to do the Yanks-Sox justice. The Coen brothers could do the Pirates vs. the Padres, though MLB is probably way too sophisticated and boring for Joel and Eth. Those guys love losers. Not self-satisfied, pompous losers like the Sox. The Cubs come close. But if they ever made a baseball movie–which I doubt would ever happen–it would be set in some minor league some time in the past. Don’t you think?
 

So what are some of your favorite Coen brother quotables? (Actually, a better question is: What are some of your favorite quotable movies of all-time?) Here are some that jump to mind:

“The important thing is we wall want it to have that Barton Fink feeling. I guess we all have that Barton Fink feeling, but since you’re Barton Fink I’m assuming you have it spades.” 

“‘Lo Tom, what’s the rumpus?”

“Well, we could start for instance with the Schmatte, like where’s the Schmatte? You could maybe tell us that.”

“Repeat offender.”

“You ate sand?”

“We’re set to pop here honey.”

“Mind you don’t cut yourself, Mordicai.”

Jon added two good ones:

“Her insides were a rocky place where my seed could find no purchase.” 

“You know – for kids!”

Here are two more than are not from the Coen brothers, but very well could be:

“Nice boy, but about as sharp as a sack of wet mice.” Foghorn Leghorn 

“It’s as hot as two rats fucking in a sock in August in Kansas City.” Ichiro’s favorite American expression, as told to Bob Costas.

And Will Carroll noted that:

“The Ladykillers” looks to be one of those eminently quotable movies, along the lines of “The Big Lebowski.” I find myself saying “We need waffles, forthwith” already and that’s just the trailer.
 

I’m looking forward to seeing how Tom Hanks fares with Joel and Eth. I suspect it will be a lot of fun. Do yourself a favor though and see the original “Ladykillers.” The 1955 Eailing comedy stared Alec Guinness and featured Peter Sellers– a big radio star in England at the time on “The Goon Show”–in a supporting role.