What can we make of the lack of left-handed starters on the Yankees’ 2004 roster? While our impulse may be to yell like Chicken Little, the reality may not be as harsh as we fear. Shawn Bernard, who recently launched a Yankee-based blog called The Greatest Game, ran a simple but informative study the other day which noted that neither Andy Pettitte nor David Wells were particularly effective vs. right-handed hitting in 2003. At the same time Javier Vazquez (who agreed to a four-year, $45 million contract with New York this afternoon) and Kevin Brown were not killed by lefties either.

Jim Gerard, a reader of Bronx Banter, sent me an e-mail responding to quotes made by unnamed sources in Tyler Kepner’s story in yesterday’s Times:

One source claims Vasquez is going to have to adjust his style and will be sorely taxed by lineups “stacked with lefties.” Just who is he referring to? The Red Sox have four good lefthanded hitters (Varitek, Ortiz, Nixon, Mueller when he hits that way), the Blue Jays about the same. Vasquez hasn’t faced lineups of this stature in the National League? Silly. As is the comment that “teams are going to stack their lineups with lefties against the Yanks.” What are they going to do — import players for the series? The truth is there isn’t a team in the AL that has more than four good left handed hitters, and some teams don’t even have that many good hitters in total. Vasquez has a good BAA lefthanders; if he faces some tough lefties once in a while, well, isn’t that what he’s getting paid for?
And while Vasquez will have to work harder in a league with a DH instead of the pitcher, the Yanks’ newly fortified pen will enable their starters to go a hard six or seven and not worry about getting the ball to Mo.

As Mike Carminati correctly points out:

Yankee lefties have fared better than righties in the Yankee Stadium era (3% better ERA). However, the latest Yankee dynasty didn’t seem to benefit much from southpaws (5.23 ERA in 2000?).

Given the turnover in the Yankee rotation

The last night I was in New Orleans at the winter meetings, Jay Jaffe and I were huddled around some of the guys from Baseball Prospectus when Jack Curry from the Times rolled around. I had introduced myself to Curry the day before and had wanted to introduce Jay to him as well. Curry smiled as he approached and said, “What are you guys doing anyway? Stalking us?” He was busting chops, but it wasn’t until that point that I asked myself: I wonder what the mainstream press makes of guys like Jay and me being here?
Curry chatted with us for a good while. He was friendly and generous with his time, which both Jay and I appreciated. I think he was more curious than bemused. I can’t say for sure, but my assumption is that Jay and I would be associated with Prospectus simply because that’s who we were hanging around. And since it’s Jack Curry’s job to know who is who at these kind of things, I’m sure we stuck out. Of course Prospectus isn’t on the same level as us bloggers—although several of their writers initially had blogs of their own, and some still maintain blogs too—but I don’t know that it would matter to a member of the mainstream media. We would all be lumped together as the Internet Nerds, or The Stat Geeks, or The Sons of Moneyball.

Either way, we were the outsiders. Now, whether or not a blogger cherishes and promotes their status as an outsider, or is merely using their blog as a vehicle to become an insider is a different story. I’m sure there people on both sides of the fence. (After all, one of the Gods of baseball bloggers is Roger Angell, the ultimate outsider on the inside.) But to the mainstream press, we are outsiders.

A few weeks ago I had a conversation with a fellow blogger about the impact of blogs and the Internet on baseball writing. I think it has already had an impact, which is sure to gain momentum over the next couple of years. My friend asked, “What do you think the mainstream writers make of us?” “Not much,” was my answer. I said that some of them clearly read and enjoy our stuff, while others can’t be bothered. But most importantly, until a blogger threatens their paycheck, they won’t be overly concerned.

I don’t know the future for baseball blogs, certainly as a way to make a living. But ever so slowly, Internet baseball writing is making some waves. The most famous example came late last summer when Will Carroll and Derek Zumsteg of Baseball Prospectus wrote that MLB planned to reinstate Pete Rose. MLB denied the story and Carroll and Zumsteg were essentially left hung out to dry. Prospectus had not been in the business of scooping major stories, and suddenly they appeared to be in over their heads.

But as Will Carroll explained to me, he didn’t set out to break the Pete Rose story. “We literally fell into it – it wasn’t something we sought out or something we normally do (how many stories have we broken since?) so there was no gain to just blue-skying it.”

As David Pinto pointed out today, the BP story stated that Rose would not have to admit to betting on baseball in order to be reinstated. That hasn’t turned out to be the case. Playing Devil’s Advocate, I asked Carroll, “If and when Rose does get reinstated by MLB, do you feel you’ll be vindicated? Isn’t it like saying it’s going to rain? Eventually, you’ll be right.”

Carroll answered, “Then why didn’t someone else do it?” That’s a good question. I don’t know the behind-the-scenes relationships between MLB and the mainstream media. But judging by their reaction to the BP story, MLB was furious that the story was leaked so early.

“It’s speculation,” Carroll continued, “but I think they wanted to handle this in their own way on their own time – which is their right – but our publication caused them to go early and because they had no other way to go, they went negative. It’s a symbiotic relationship that MLB has with the media and it’s clear that some have a relationship that allows them more access than others.”

(For an all access take on the Rose story, look no further than Tom Verducci’s latest column.)

I asked Carroll, that for all the trouble it’s caused him, would he break the story again? “Without a doubt. I’d change small things – I’d know to ask for a copy of the memo rather than being shocked into stupidity. I’d know better how to conduct the investigation and confirm sources. Really, I wouldn’t so much change anything as hope to be a better journalist.”

Carroll believes the criticism he’s faced will slow once Rose is resinstated, but he’s not looking for credit or apologies. “I’d like for BP to be taken seriously as a media outlet with the respect due that type of credible, productive enterprise.”

Jon Weisman wrote a compelling article about the BP story when it first broke. When I asked him how he felt about the story now that Pete Rose is on ABC, Weisman replied, “The issue of whether Pete admits guilt is relevant, at least to the widespread discussion if not whether he should be excused. On the other hand, I don’t think this should prevent BP for being credited for being ahead of the pack on the story, however relevant one deems that to be.

“Alex, I don’t want BP and bloggers like us to be dependent on scoops to gain respect. I want us to gain respect because our analysis deserves it and our writing deserves it – before, during or after the fact.”

With that in mind, please head over to Rich’s Weekend Baseball BEAT, and take in Rich Lederer’s latest article, “One Small Step for Blyleven,” which suggests that the influence of Internet-based writers is here to stay. Just as Michael Lewis wrote about the hostilities of baseball’s old gaurd in “Moneyball,” Lederer encounters similar resistance from an old newspaper lion like Bill Conlin. Remember what Satchel said about looking back.

Gordon Edes has a wonderful piece on Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield in The Globe this morning. Edes catches up with Wakefield in Florida a few months after the knuckleballer gave up the pennant-clinching home run to Aaron Boone. Fortunately, Wakefield, who pitched brilliantly during the 2003 off-season, has not become the new Bill Buckner in Boston. Wakefield talks about how he’s dealt with the Game 7 loss to New York, and how the 2003 season was the happiest he’s had in Boston since he joined the club in 1995:

“That was the biggest thing for me, sharing it with our fans,” Wakefield said, “and with the guys on our team who had never been in that position before, like Todd Jones. You could see a look on his face like a little child.

“Mike Timlin, myself and Todd Jones, it was weird, but the three of us ended up in the middle of the field, sitting on the mound. We were just so blessed. I think we all felt the same way. I feel so fortunate putting that uniform on every day. I work, or play a child’s game, for a living. Yes, it’s work, but it’s still a game, something I started playing when I was 5 years old.”

Wakefield has been my favorite Red Sox for years; call it a soft spot for knucklers. This article proves that he’s a real mensch too. Check it out.

The Yankees received some unexpected news as 2003 rolled over into 2004: David Wells, the sole southpaw on their starting staff, is not going to pitch for them at all this coming year; instead, he is returning to his home town to pitch for the Padres. Wells and his agent had a handshake deal with the Yankees, but just as Wells snaked his way out of a similar arrangement in Arizona several years ago, he is now spurning the Yankees.

What goes around comes around, am I right? Wells understands that he’s probably burned his last bridge in the BX. Speaking about his old pal George Steinbrenner the other day, Wells said:

“I’m sure now I won’t hear from him ever again,” Wells told reporters during a conference call reported by The Associated Press. “He’s been good to me in a lot of ways. And in other ways, he’s been very stubborn. That’s George Steinbrenner.”

Along with Wells, Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens are gone too:

“They lost a lot of guys at once, and I think they’re in shock,” [Wells] said.

It’s true that Cashman must be burning over this one, but shocked? That’s a reach because nothing’s shocking when it comes to Wells. The question is why would Wells leave a playoff team

With just one day left in the calendar year of 2003, I’ve been spending some time thinking about how rewarding my first full year of writing Bronx Banter has been. It has become an unbridled passion, and yet for all the work I’ve put in to it, I’ve feel as if I’ve received just as much, if not more, in return. So bear with me as I acknowledge some of the people who have informed, entertained and shared their love of baseball with me in 2003.

First of course, are my contemporaries in the blogging universe. Every page that is linked to the right has been meaningful to me, but I am especially thankful for the relationships I have developed with Edward Cossette, Christian Ruzich, Jay Jaffe, Rich Lederer, Peter Schilling Jr, Tim Marchman, Jon Weisman, and Will Carroll. I also want to shout out some of the writers who have inspired me. They include: David Pinto, Lee Sinins, John Perricone, the Mighty Mike C, Aaron Gleeman, Steve Keane, Cliff Corcoran, Christopher DeRosa, John Bonnes, Travis Nelson, Repoz, Bryan Smith, Avkash Patel, Ben Jacobs, Peter White, Brian Gunn, Derek Zumsteg, Larry Manhken, “Twin Fan Dan,” Seth Stohs and the fellas over at Elephants in Oakland. I’m sure I’m forgetting some names; if I am, please forgive me.

Naturally, there are some fantastic professional writers out there too. Guys like Gordon Edes, Steve Goldman, Rob Neyer, Joe Sheehan, Alan Schwarz, Tom Boswell, Pat Jordan, Roger Angell, Tom Verducci, Peter Gammons, Bruce Markusen, Bill Madden, Doug Pappas, Bob Hohler, Ken Rosenthal, John Harper, Howard Bryant, King Kaufman, Nate Silver, Buster Olney, Joel Sherman, Allen Barra, Jack Curry, Ryan Wilkens, Anthony McCarron, Jim Caple, and Tyler Kepner, just to name some of my favorites.

I don’t know if the level of discourse in the other major sports can compare with what we have in baseball. Baseball Prospectus has certainly raised the level, that’s for sure. And as far as resources go, Retrosheet, Baseball-Reference.com, and Baseball Primer’s “Clutch Hits” have been essential, daily parts of my life.

Naturally, I can’t forget the readers who keep coming back to check out Bronx Banter. Guys like Murray, Harley, Cliff, Rich, Steve, e Double, and my favorite Yankee couple in Boston (who shall remain nameless for their own protection). And they are just the tip of the iceberg.

Not only that, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to show my appreciation to the New York Yankees. To George, Joe Torre, Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera, Mike Mussina, ‘lil Sori, Jeter, Giambi and the boys. They gave us Yankee fans another wild, and rewarding season. Another trip to the Serious, after the thrilling, knock-down battle with the Red Sox in the ALCS, was almmost too good to be true. Sure, many Yankee fans expect to reach the Serious each year, and that’s OK. We’ve been properly spoiled rotten. But I appreciate every time they make the playoffs. Everyone keeps waiting for them to fall off. Hell, I’ve been expecting it since the middle of the 1998 season, and yet, here they are, still winning and giving us plenty to cheer about.

They are a great team to follow as a fan, and an even better team to follow as a writer. And that’s a comforting thought, because no matter what happens in 2004, you can bet your bottom dollar that the Bronx Bombers won’t be dull.

For all of this, I am thankful. I’ve learned more about baseball in the past year than almost any year of my life. The beauty part is that I’ve been saying the same thing for the past seven or eight years. Here is looking forward to another great year in 2004.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year’s Eve.

THE DIRTY DOZEN

I was able to conduct twelve lenghty interviews this past year, and I can only hope to be able to do more of the same in 2004. In case anyone wants to go back and revisit some of them, here is a full list of the Bronx Banter Interviews:

Ken Burns Part One

Ken Burns Part Two
Buck O’Neil

Marvin Miller

Buster Olney

Rob Neyer Part One

Rob Neyer Part Two
Ethan Coen
Allen Barra

Michael Lewis

Jim Bouton

Jane Leavy

Pat Jordan

Tom Verducci

Rich Lederer makes a strong case for why Bert Blyleven should be elected to the Hall of Fame. As is his custom, Lederer examines statistical evidence. But he also adds:

By the way, I would like to bring to your attention, ladies and gentlemen, the little-known fact that you haven’t honored any pitchers born since 1947 (Nolan Ryan), yet you have felt compelled to induct eight hitters (George Brett, Gary Carter, Eddie Murray, Kirby Puckett, Mike Schmidt, Ozzie Smith, Dave Winfield, and Robin Yount) born since then. Furthermore, every pitcher that has been elected since Mr. Blyleven became eligible six years ago, as well as the two immediately preceding his candidacy, has won 300 or more games. In fact, Rollie Fingers in 1992 was the last pitcher that was voted into the Hall of Fame without 300 wins and he, of course, was a reliever.

Based on the above, one can’t help but think that winning 300 games has become the de facto standard for pitchers. As a point of clarification, had you held to that magical mark all along, there would only be 20 pitchers currently in the Hall of Fame with another one on his way (Clemens) and perhaps a second one on the horizon (Greg Maddux). A total of 22 starting pitchers would be comparable to only four or five position players. The fewest number of HOFers at any one position is 11 (3B). As such, holding starting pitchers to a minimum of 300 victories is overly strict and unfair. Focusing exclusively on wins is also a mistake as this stat is as much dependent on the pitcher’s team as it is on the pitcher himself.

It’ll be interesting to see whether the baseball writers agree or not.

Here is a passage from Roger Angell that I quoted last winter. It’s worth putting up once a year, as they are words to live by:

There is a game of baseball that is not to be found in the schedules or the record books. It has no season, but it is best played in the winter, without the distraction of box scores and standings. This is the inner game, baseball in the mind, and there is no real fan who does not know it. It is a game of recollections, recapturings, and visions: Yet this is only the beginning, for baseball in the mind in not a mere yearning and returning. In time, this easy envisioning of restored players, winning hits, and famous rallies gives way to reconsiderations and reflections about the sport itself. By thinking about baseball like this, by playing it over and yet keeping it to ourselves, keeping it warm in a cold season, we begin to make discoveries. With luck, we may even penetrate some of its mysteries and learn once again how richly and variously the game can reward us.

Roger Angell, from “Baseball in the Mind”

As you all must know by now, Yankee owner George Steinbrenner fainted and collapsed at a memorial service for the football legend Otto Graham this past Saturday. It was a scary moment, but Steinbrenner was OK. Actually, he was more embarassed than anything. After a night of observation, Steinbrenner was released from a hospital in Sarasota Florida on Sunday. The news made the front page of both the Daily News and The Post on Sunday and served as a reminder of not only how fragile life is, but how big an impact Steinbrenner’s eventual passing will have on the baseball world. Granted, this is all over a fainting spell; imagine the reaction if it was something grave. But let’s face it, Steinbrenner is 73 years old, so questions about his physical health are going to hover over him for the rest of his days.

I don’t mean to be morbid, but the biggest question the Yankees will face in the near future isn’t how will they deal with life after Joe Torre but how they will deal with life after George. Because love him or hate him, as Selena Roberts opines today in The Times, The Boss is the straw that stirs the drink in the baseball world.

I’ve been wondering about Life After George for a good part of the 2003 season. I’m surprised that I haven’t read more about it in the mainstream media. But if Steinbrenner’s health starts to decline, I’m sure we won’t hear the end of it. Meanwhile, George will likely be his old blustery self before long. With legal troubles at hand, he’ll need all the energy he can muster.

Kenny Lofton and Tom “Flash” Gordon were introduced as the newest members of the Yankees yesterday. In a conference call with reporters, Lofton, who will compete with Bernie Williams for the centerfield job, started his career in New York off on the good foot:

“I’ll play center…I’ll DH, if that’s what will help. I’ll park cars if they ask me to.”

…”At this point I don’t know what’s going to happen and what Bernie’s going to say and what I’m going to say,” Lofton said. “I think we have to hit that road when it comes.”

Lofton has a reputation as a malcontent, but Yankee owner George Steinbrenner has reportedly adored his game for years. Bernie Williams is a soft-spoken star, a great Yankee, and has been a fixture in center for a decade. Joe Torre has a history of being loyal to the players who have helped him win championships. It should be interesting to see how the potentially volatile Williams-Lofton relationship pans out.

The 5:00 deadline came and went yesterday and Alex Rodriguez was still a Texas Ranger. Both teams released statements indicating that the proposed A Rod-for-Ramirez deal is indeed dead…for now. There is speculation that both teams could revisit the trade later this winter, or during spring training. According to Gordon Edes in The Boston Globe:

Even after the deadline had passed, a high-level executive in Major League Baseball had held out the possibility an agreement could be reached. “I think there’s some hope,” he said. “I don’t know how much. Is it over for sure? I would not say that. Is there going to be a deal? I wouldn’t say that, either. I honestly can’t tell you what will happen, but there were a lot of things talked about between the teams [yesterday], and they need to sort those things out.

“Which way is it going to go? I don’t know.”

But a baseball lawyer with direct knowledge of the proceedings was more pessimistic, saying that whatever hope of getting a deal done was damaged perhaps beyond repair when Orza rejected a restructuring of Rodriguez’s contract.

“I don’t think this is going to happen,” the lawyer said. “If I had to write why in one sentence, I’d say, `Everybody thought the other guy should have done more.’ My sense of Tom Hicks right now is he can’t be leaving his best player hanging out there. The only thing worse than everybody going back to their teams is having your best player out there.”

Bob Ryan has a thoughtful piece today and suggests that the Red Sox will somehow survive without Rodriguez:

The simple truth is that the Red Sox already have had a fabulous offseason. Getting Curt Schilling, a veteran pitcher who knows what it’s like to have scaled baseball’s mountaintop, would have been a great enough move. Signing Keith Foulke, the best closer on the market, made it a spectacular winter. Signing Pokey Reese makes the team much better on defense. With Todd Walker, they would haved scored more runs. With Reese, they won’t need as many runs. Nothing in the Great Book of Baseball says a team must score 950-1,000 runs in order to win a pennant or World Series. Preventing runs is still the preferred way to go, and the Red Sox have taken steps to prevent runs — lots and lots of runs.

So Red Sox Nation doesn’t get the Christmas present it was wishing for, and yet their team has improved since they fell to the Yankees in the ALCS–they even added defensive help in signing Pokey Reese yesterday. I know I’m repeating myself here, but I won’t be completely convinced that Rodriguez is staying with the Rangers until, oh, the July 31rst trading deadline passes and he’s still in Arlington. Call me superstitious (I am), but that’s just my feeling.

There are several articles I’ve been meaning to link, so while I have a few moments during my lunch hour, I thought I’d share them with you:

1. Rich Lederer has two excellent pieces (one and two) evaluating Mickey Mantle’s place in history. Top-notch stuff as usual from Mr. Lederer.

2. My label-mate Christain Ruzich conducted an informative interview with Dave Kavel, founder of the Golden Baseball League, an independent minor league that will bring A-level ball to California.

3. A former Yankee clubhouse attendant who sued the Bronx Bombers in 1998, accusing specific members of the team (Mariano Rivera, Bob Wickman and Jeff Nelson) of participating in anti-gay discrimination, saw his case dismissed by the New York State Court of Appeals. In even more bizarre Yankee-related news, Darryl Strawberry is lending emotional support to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Who else will Michael turn to? I hear Rick James is available.

4. Finally, from the heavy-hitters: Rob Neyer evaluates how the A’s pitching staff will be effected by the signing of Mark Redman; Tom Boswell writes about why this Holiday season has been for the Birds in Baltimore; Jerome Holtzman considers the past and present of the “saves” statistic he created; Andrew Zimbalist weighs in on the mess in Milwaukee; and Tom Verducci offers up his Hall of Fame ballot. (Thanks to Baseball Primer’s “Clutch Hits” for help with the links.)

Will Alex Rodriguez be a member of the Boston Red Sox by 5:00 this afternoon? Too, will the latest deadline in fact be the final cut-off for this trade? These are the $64,000 questions. According to reports in The Times, Globe, The Dallas Morning News, The Boston Herald, The Daily News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and ESPN the deal is dead. Then again, it’s also likely to happen. Sources are divided. So, what do you think? Personally, I think it will happen. Even if it doesn’t happen by 5:00 today. But I’m curious to know what you all think. Let me know, and I’ll be back later in the afternoon with an update should anything occur.

Boston Globe veteran Bud Collins contributed an article on Saturday featuring Marvin Miller’s take on the A Rod ordeal:

“This should never have gotten started the way it did because the commissioner broke one of the oldest rules by permitting the Red Sox to talk to Rodriguez. That’s tampering. That was a baseball rule installed by the owners long before the union existed. Selig had no authority to allow that exception. On the other side, the union was slow to pick up on it. That surprised me. There should have been no talks between the Red Sox and a player under contract. Period.

…”The pity is that the union didn’t step up immediately and object to Selig’s approval of what amounted to tampering by the Red Sox with Rodriguez. Rodriguez had no idea, but his quotes I’ve seen [yesterday] tell me he’s honorable and thoughtful. He said he does `understand the principle,’ and respects `the need to protect the rights of his fellow players.’ “

Thanks to loyal Banterite Murray for the link.

The Yankees non-tendered outfielders Karim Garcia and Dave Delluci, while Gabe White accepted arbitration. The Yankees roster is just about complete. The only position they need to fill is a back-up for Jason Giambi at first base.

After a weekend of stalled negotiations, Tom Hicks, the owner of the Texas Rangers, has set another deadline in the potential Alex Rodriguez-for-Manny Ramirez blockbuster trade. The latest in a string of deadlines is 5 p.m. tomorrow. But even if the deal doesn’t get done by then, how do we know that this will be the last deadline we see? The Boston Globe reports:

And so, the next deadline beckons. Will the Sox attempt to re-sign Garciaparra to an extension if the A-Rod deal is indeed DOA? They haven’t contacted his agent, Arn Tellem, about doing so in recent days, according to an industry source. Maybe they’re waiting for the newest deadline to pass.

“If the [A-Rod] deal gets done, then we’ll know it’s over,” one industry source said yesterday. “But if it doesn’t get done, how will we know it’s done? This has been going on nonstop for a month. A whole industry has developed around this. How will we know that it’s really over?”

Peter Gammons reports how the talks screeched to a halt over the weekend:

According to sources, Rodriguez’s passion for this trade has diminished, both because of his relationship with Hicks and his encounters with Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino.

Rodriguez was reportedly incensed when a Lucchino statement Wednesday not only made reference to Alex and his wife — neither of whom Lucchino has ever met — but also tried to drive a stake between A-Rod and the union, portraying Rodriguez as some union-buster who cared little for his fellow players.

“What happens from here on out will depend on whether John Henry steps forward, and undoes some of the damage rendered by his employee Lucchino,” said one source.

Gammons writes that there is plenty of blame to go around, but is especially critical of Gene Orza and Larry Lucchino:

Rodriguez and Theo Epstein did reach an agreement under which A-Rod would restructure his contract by $28 million. But Gene Orza, still fighting the “30-Year War,” nixed it. Then when Larry Lucchino, another cold-war warrior, blasted Orza and made a statement that separated Rodriguez from his fellow players, it blew up any immediate compromise or the hope that someone rational like Michael Weiner and Rob Manfred could be brought into the equation. It should be said that for one man, Orza, to anoint himself with the god-like authority to establish arbitrary valuations of benefits agreed upon by a player and general manager reeks of the height of arrogance. But when Lucchino played his Khrushchev routine there was no chance at an immediate compromise.

Complicating things was Hicks’ hopeless leaking of information in Texas, which clearly disgusted Henry, who does his business where it should be done — in private.

As expected, Mike Lupica jumps all over the union too, but Tim Marchman of The New York Sun wrote last Friday that Orza and the MLBPA did the right—if unpopular—thing:

If the deal is good for Rodriguez, why wouldn’t the union approve it? Because it’s not in the interests of players generally. It would set an ugly precedent, and this is probably the union’s primary concern. Any player trying to force a trade—which is quite common, as Curt Schilling or Roger Clemens could tell you—would be told by the team he wanted to join that he they’d need to renegotiate in order to get the deal done. Also, it would depress the player salary scale significantly. Free agent negotiations and salary arbitrations now use Rodriguez’s contract as a comparison point. Lower it, and you lower the potential income of every union member. The MLBPA would be criminally negligent if it didn’t object. If indeed they are willing to approve a $15 million giveback, as ESPN reported, they’re going far out of their way to get this deal done.

Gary Huckabay of Baseball Prospectus doesn’t understand how Texas would benefit from the trade, and defends the union as well:

It’s going to be interesting to see how things actually shake down. This has the potential of being the biggest trade of my lifetime, and it’s both good and bad that money and intrigue have become such a big part of it. I do know two things: 1) from a tactical perspective, I think the OCB played this much better than I expected, and 2) Gene Orza isn’t paid enough.

If this trade doesn’t eventually go down, it could be Rodriguez’s loyalty to the union that ultimately killed the deal. A Rod didn’t allow Larry Lucchino to seduce him into a scenerio where he’d essentially be setting himself apart from the MLBPA. Marchman concludes:

Moreover, [Rodriguez] has made it clear that he will not waive his no-trade clause to allow the deal to go through unless the terms are approved by the union. IF the trade does not go through, Commissioner Selig cannot bring the issue to an arbitrator, as he has reportedly considered doing, and the union will not be exposed to a potentially dmaging decision. In word and action, Rodriguez has shown an awareness of the history of the game—which could be written as a series of attempts by rich men to steal money rightly belonging to the athletes who generate it—that modern ballplayers are so often criticized for lacking.

Rodriguez should be commended for this awareness, the MLBPA should be commended for protecting the right of its members, the Red Sox should be commmended for trying to improve their team, and Commissioner Selig should be commended for trying to get Rodriguez to a city that will appreciate him.

How often can you say all that?

True enough. Although things are looking dark, I won’t believe that the deal is dead until A Rod is suited up in a Rangers uniform on Opening Day, or the Sox sign Garciaparra to an extension. Perhaps I’m being overly reverential of the Red Sox front office, but I wouldn’t count out a last-minute suprise from Saint Nick. Regardless, even if the trade doesn’t occur, the Red Sox have an improved, and mighty impressive team going into 2004 writes Ben Jacobs. I find it hard to disagree with him.

The distinguished movie-maker Robert Altman once said that you can write a movie just by walking down the street in New York City. By catching a phrase or a sentence from each passing couple, you can invent an entire story around them. You just need to have a good ear, and an even better imagination. With that in mind, head over to Will Carroll’s blog and check out what he overheard at the winter meetings last weekend. When you are done, continue on to Jay Jaffe’s most impressive–not to mention thorough–write-up on his time in New Orleans. You won’t be sorry.

Not to be completey overshadowed by the Yankees and Red Sox, the Baltimore Orioles introduced Miguel Tejada at a press conference yesterday. Tejada’s first assist for the Orioles will be trying to recruit fellow Dominican Vladimir Guerrero, a demure country boy, to play with him in Baltimore:

“I’ve only had a couple of days here, and I can already see how the people here are,” Tejada said. “I’m going to tell him this is a great city, and if you have to make a decision, it’s the right decision for you to come to Baltimore.”

It might not be all that difficult. Oh yeah, it helps that Tejada’s agents also happen to represent Guerrero.

The Yankees traded left-handed relief pitcher Chris Hammond–he of the Bugs Bunny slow pitch–to the Oakland A’s yesterday for two minor leaguers. Hammonds didn’t love pitching in New York, but the move is reportedly motivated by the fact that the Yanks want to re-sign Gabe White, another left-handed reliever. (Incidentally, the A’s also signed southpaw Arthur Rhodes to be their closer.)

Meanwhile, Javier Vasquez spoke with the New York press for the first time as a Yankee via conference call yesterday. His agents and the Bombers are still working on completing a lengthy contract extension. And just to prove that there is never a dull moment in the Yankee-Red Sox season, Karim Garcia and Jeff Nelson were officially charged with assault and battery for their parts in the Game Three bullpen brawl during the ALCS between Boston and New York.

The 5:00 deadline came and went yesterday and Alex Rodriguez was still a member of the Texas Rangers. While the Red Sox proclaimed that the “deal is dead,” Texas GM John Hart, and Rodriguez’s agent Scott Boras said that just isn’t the case. I still believe the trade will get done, oh, just in time for Christmas (hey, timing is everything, right?). For the latest on the story that just won’t quit, check out the professionals: Bob Ryan, Joe Sheehan, Harvey Araton, John Donovan, Buster Olney, David Pinto, Jack Curry, and Tom Boswell.

After I received e-mails from both David Pinto and Edward Cossette this morning urging me to join the Dirt Dogs’ protest outside of the Player’s Union this afternoon, I thought the least I could do was check it out during my lunch hour (the Union offices are just blocks away from where I work). According to the Boston Dirt Dogs website, an informal protest was scheduled to start today at noon. When I got there at a quarter past twelve there were about a dozen Red Sox fans milling around, chatting, trying to keep warm. A couple of reporters from the local papers were asking questions. It was a tepid demonstration for starters, and not yet a full-on protest. There was no sign of the Dirt Dogs, but I assume that’s because they hadn’t made it down from Boston yet. I’m sure once they eventually arrive things will get more festive. Who knows, maybe Bill Lee will fly in and offer his two-and-a-half-cents worth.

Incidentally, the Sox fans I spoke with were all nice, rational guys. The prevailing sentiment was that the A Rod deal should and will get done, if not today, then sometime soon. David Pinto has a link to Mike C’s take on how Bud Selig’s done all he can to help the Red Sox. Pinto concludes:

I think it’s pretty clear what’s going on. In return for letting Henry buy the Red Sox when there was likely a higher bidder, by letting the Red Sox acquire whomever they want, Bud gets a large market team to support his small market socialism. It’s Bud buying power.

Doug Pappas details the language in the Collective Bargaining Agreement with regards to this case, and Jim Caple writes about the nature of Rodriguez’s character, as he publicly politics for Nomar Garciaparra’s job.