I want to thank everyone who stopped by and joined the Curt Schilling-Sons of Sam Horn discussion yesterday. It was lively stuff, and a great way to keep warm as we await the start of spring training. There was also a good thread on Baseball Primer, and Boston Dirt Dogs has a link to the SoSH Schilling chat. (Much of what Schilling has to say is engaging; he’s especially insightful when talking about the nuts and bolts of his profession.) Here is what Schilling said about wanting his comments to be off the record (thanks to Jeter’s #1 fan for the information):

Got no problem with BDD [Boston Dirt Dogs] posting this stuff to his site, but as I have asked before I would ask members of the media to keep this stuff here. If you are in the media and really actually care about this kinda thing then you will have 7 months to actually ask me any of these questions if you want, no problem.

To be sure, there will be plenty more on this issue to come (the Dirt Dogs have already come out swinging). For starters, head over and see the terrific post Edward Cossette has up today at Bambino’s Curse.

Earlier this week, Shawn Bernard likened Yankee minor-leaguer Brian Myrow to Nick Johnson. Today, John Harper gives another Yankee third base prospect–Eric Duncan–the Nick Johnson tag too. You think Albert Pujols would fit the analogy?

A federal judge ruled in favor of Maurice Clarett yesterday, stating that the NFL’s policy prohibiting young players from entering the draft violates anti-trust laws. The NFL will appeal the decision but it’s likely to stand. I’m not especially fond of Mike Lupica’s work anymore–though I grew up on the stuff–but I think he hits the nail on the head this morning. Curt Flood’s name is sure to be mentioned in relation to this case. If anyone catches an especially interesting Flood analogy, I’d appreciate it if you could e-mail the link to me.

A few days ago, David Pinto ran a post covering Curt Schilling’s critique of Rob Neyer, which originally appeared on a Red Sox site, Sons of Sam Horn. Pinto excerpted a good portion of Schilling’s comments. Yesterday, I noticed that Pinto was asked by Sons of Sam Horn to remove Schilling’s quote:

I have been accused of being unethical in using a quote from Schilling that Schilling had declared to be off the record. (See comments below). For the record, the off the record comment was at the beginning of the thread, and I didn’t see it. I have removed the quote at the request of Eric of SoSH.

However, I do not buy Eric’s argument that what Schilling says is off the record. It’s a publicly viewable web site. Schilling does nothing to hide his identity. What Curt has is a forum in which he can criticize and not be criticized. That seems a bit unfair to me.

Apparently, Eric is more invested in protecting his newfound relationship with Schilling than he is in journalistic ethics himself. I think he’s way out of line accusing Pinto–one of the most respected and conscientious bloggers on the Net—of being unethical. But while I certainly don’t agree with him, I understand Eric’s position. I can only imagine how much traffic Schilling brings to Sons of Sam Horn. However, if Curt Schilling believes that what he posts on the Internet should be considered “off-the-record,” well then either he is stunningly naive, or even more arrogant than I previously imagined.

Last night I did a segment for Will Carroll’s BP Radio show with Steven Goldman, Joe Sheehan and Jay Jaffe. (The show will air this weekend.) What do you think we talked about? New York baseball, of course. But when the show was over, we chatted for another couple of minutes and I asked the guys if they thought Ellis Burks’ return to Boston was in part, racially motivated. They all assured me it was strictly a baseball decision. That doesn’t come as a surprise and I think they are correct. Still, I will be curious to know what Burks makes of Boston in 2004.

I’ve been thinking a whole bunch about Ellis Burks returning to the Red Sox today. When I got home this evening, I broke out Howard Bryant’s book, “Shut Out,” and revisited Burks’ formative years in Boston:

[Jim] Rice never spoke out, but he gave Ellis Burks a telling peice of advice that provided important insight into Rice’s feelings about Boston and his years with the Red Sox. They were words Burks would never forget. “Get your six years in, “Rice told Burks, “and then get the hell out of Boston.”

Sure enough, Burks had a difficult time with the Sox. For a black player, that was nothing new. When Rice was let go, Burks felt isolated, and frustrated. Like many a young black center fielder who possessed both speed and power, Burks was expected to be the next Willie Mays. (Bryant explores this phenomenon in further detail.) But he was just Ellis Burks. To make matters worse, his manager Joe Morgan questioned his conditioning and effort. Bryant continues:

Burks could never find comfort with the city’s polarized structure. Some teammates had warned Burks about the city’s social climate. It was Boyd who first told Burks about avoiding South Boston, the busing hot zone. “Oil Can told me to stay out of there, if I valued my life. I didn’t believe it, that you would drive through there and have various names hurled at you and rocks thrown at your car. It never happened to me, because I didn’t go there.” He knew the team had suffered from a poor rapport with black fans and resolved to make inroads with the city’s black community…

He went to Foggie’s Barber Shop on Tremont Street, the epicenter of the Boston black community. Burks recalls frequently appearing on WILD, the city’s lone black radio station, appealing for fan support. He was shrewd in his requests. Instead of creating a possible racial firestorm by asking balck fans directly over the air to come support the team, he knew WILD’s consituency was predominately black. “I used to say, ‘let’s have some WILD listeners come on out to the ballpark.’ I was too mart to say it the other way. But hell, there was no response. I learned that early in my time in Boston. Black people don’t go to Red Sox games. No matter what we did. We tried giving those tickets away. Couldn’t do it.”

The pace and the character of the city at time unnerved Burks. Peter Gammons would drive to Fenway with Burks. One day when the two stopped at a red light, people yelled at each other during the forty-five seconds between light changes. Bostonians gunned their engines as fast as they could in between stop lights.

“You know how in New York people hit the horn the second the light turns green?” Gammons told Burks. “Well, in Boston, they hit the horn while it’s still red.”

I wonder if the current Red Sox ownership is trying to kill two birds with one stone in bringing Burks back to Boston. First, they get a viable right-handed bat off the bench. Next, they prove that the new Red Sox are different from Boston regimes of the past. And they get to prove it by bringing back a clubhouse guy who had it rough as a young player in Boston. The circle is complete. It should be interesting to see what Burks’ impressions of the city and the team will be all these years later.

Managers and general managers have come and gone with regularity during the Steinbrenner Era in New York. But Brian Cashman and Joe Torre are special. If Torre gets fired this season–or if he chooses to leave at the end of the year–there will be much written about what a huge loss it will be for the Yankees. (There will be fantastic wailing for weeks.) And to a large extent, I think it will be a big loss. But instead of moaning about how George could have let it happen, how he could let his ego get in the way of a great thing, we should take that time to stand back in amazement that Torre lasted as long as he has in the first place. (I understand that George didn’t have much of a cherce, what with Torre winning four World Championships, but still, this is Steinbrenner we are talking about.)

Brian Cashman hasn’t been sainted by Yankee fans and the New York media in the same way that Torre has, but he’s been a marvel in his own right. (When he finally does leave New York, he won’t have a tough time finding work.) Cashman was at a Hot Stove event in New York last night and had some candid things to say about where the Yankees stand going into the 2004 season. Tom Singer of mlb.com was there and filed this report.

When asked about the Red Sox being the favorites to win the East, Cashman replied:

“That’s fine with me. That means we have something to prove,” the Yankees’ general manager said, showing a square jaw to his audience. “We plan on selling our players on the fact they’re not getting any respect.

“We’ve tripped and skinned out knees, and now are supposed to fall apart. ‘It’s up to you to show that’s wrong.’ We’re going for the jugular.”

What about the notion that the Yankees can spend money ’til the cows come home?

“Having money to spend can make things more difficult,” he said. “It can be more difficult to handle high expectations. I’ve been in a position of telling George, ‘We don’t need to spend this, it’s too much extra, we’re fine where we are.’

“I’m probably the only general manager that’s ever had that conversation with an owner. But I run more risks. Someone else maybe can’t afford a $3 million mistake, but I’m after bigger game. I can’t afford a $10 million mistake.”

As a self-incriminating case in point, Cashman volunteered Jeff Weaver, who went 12-12 in a season-and-a-half in the Bronx before being dealt on to Los Angeles. Weaver was acquired in the first year of a four-year, $22 million contract he’d signed with the Tigers.

“I thought he had the right mentality to handle pitching in New York, but I was wrong on that one,” Cashman said. “That turned out to be a $10 million mistake.”

From New York, straight talk. Peace to Repoz for the link.

Ellis Burks started his career with the Red Sox, and was another in a long-line of black players who ran into difficulties in Boston. But now Burks is returning to the Sox as a bench-player and clubhouse guy. According to Edward Cossette, this is a sign of how far ownership has come in Boston; at least the current group is conscientious.

The Yankees are collecting decent-hitting third basemen who aren’t any great shakes with the leather like they are going out of style. They have already invited Tyler Houston to spring training and according to the AP, now have a deal in place to land Mike Lamb from the Rangers for minor league pitcher Jose Garcia. Hey, maybe Mattingly can get in a couple of games at the hot corner too.

I’ve heard it through the grapevine that the Yankees have also invited Joe Girardi to camp too. Evidently, if the 39-year old offensively-challenged catcher doesn’t make the team—which is highly likely—he has a job waiting for him the YES Network broadcast booth. I’ve heard this story from several people (including Rob in the comments section of yesterday’s post), but I didn’t find any mention of it in the papers this morning. (If anyone comes across a link, let me know.)

Either way, it’ll be great to have Joe G back. Built like a hockey puck, Girardi is hardly effete, but he seemed to have an almost maternal presence when he was the starting catcher for the Yankees. (I’ll always remember how he protectively pulled David Cone down before the pile-on crashed over them after the final out of Cone’s perfect game.) Girardi looks like a distant cousin of Yogi Berra’s, but for some reason he reminds me of Chico Marx. Attsa fine.

Meanwhile, in the latest chapter of The Pinstriped Bible, Steven Goldman addresses Curt Schilling’s recent critique of Rob Neyer. Schilling is not alone in thinking that performance analysts like Neyer–who are removed from the daily grind of the clubhouse beat–aren’t exactly astute judges of just how good players really are. Goldman thinks this line of thinking is false:

In truth, being a clubhouse scribe does not automatically confer any great wisdom; like any other occupation, the members are a mixed bag. On any trip to the Yankee Stadium locker room, one can observe many writers, some of them quite notable, hustling for interviews, trying to build a rapport with the players, cajoling their reluctant interviewees into giving them something worth passing on to their readers. There is a second, larger group of writers, whose approach to the job seems to be to mill about in the center of the clubhouse hoping that Derek Jeter punches out Alfonso Soriano. Similarly, there are members of the analytical school who have something valuable to say and some who don’t.

Schilling complains that Neyer “talks about the numbers as they pertain to future performance almost as if it’s an absolute

Ben Thacker examines what the Yankees pitching rotation will look like without any lefties this year. Head on over to NYYFans.com and give it a look.

While you are at it, welcome Steve Bonner—longtime reader of Baseball Musings and Bronx Banter—to the blogging universe, and check out his new site, “The Midnight Hour.” He starts things off on the good foot by considering what we can expect from Jason Giambi this year.

DrewHenson is leaving the Yankees to play football. According to Mark Hale in The New York Post:

Henson had three years and $12 million left on his six-year, $17 million pact with the Yankees, and he will reportedly forfeit all $12 million. He was due $2.2 million in 2004, $3.8 million in 2005 and $6 million in 2006.

Henson was a boffo Steinbrenner signing that went bust. I’m sure everybody involved is relieved that it’s over. Like Joe Sheehan and others, David Pinto thinks the Yankees may want to take a chance on minor-leaguer Brian Myrow:

The big question continues to be how the Yankees will fill the gap at third base. As people have pointed out in the comments on this post, Brian Myrow may be the Yankees best option. He’s older (seasonal age 27 in 2004), but he’s a walk machine. Twenty seven is peak age for ballplayers, so if you are going to get a great year out of a career minor leaguer, this would be the year. Let him bat ninth, set the table for Soriano, and see what happens. If nothing else, the Yankees will save a few million dollars.

Myrow? Why not? What have the Yankees got to lose by giving him a shot during spring training?

Dis N Dot

1. The Super Bowl proved to be an entertaining affair yesterday. Congrats to the Pats. (How long before the “Yankees Suck” chant begins, or has it already started?) You think Tom Brady will run for public office when his playing days are over? I think he might be the most suitable-looking Boston star since Carlton Fisk.

2. Speaking of the ol’ pigskin, it appears as if the Yankees and Drew Henson are close to parting ways. According to ESPN:

Henson could reach an agreement with the Yankees as soon as Monday night to settle up on the $12 million he’s guaranteed over the next three years so he can pursue NFL offers.

Let me join the inevitable chorus of Yankee fans when I say, “Well, it’s about time.”

3. Buck O’Neil and Don Zimmer were featured players in Gordon Edes’ “Notes” column yesterday. You’ll like what Popeye had to say about his run-in with Pedro Martinez in Game Three of last year’s ALCS:

“Pedro took some heat that he shouldn’t have taken,” Zimmer told the St. Petersburg Times. “They say, `Well, Pedro beat up an old man.’ Pedro didn’t beat up an old man. An old man was dumb enough to go after him. Pedro didn’t do nothing wrong, as far as I’m concerned, and doesn’t owe me an apology. I went after him, and I apologized to everybody for what I did. And I let it go at that.’ “

4. Peter Gammons previews the AL East in his latest column and argues that the Blue Jays could make things tough for the Yanks and Sox:

The Jays may not be able to duplicate their 2003 offense, but even if they lose Carlos Delgado after this season, Toronto has the core of a consistent contender with a perennial MVP candidate in center in Vernon Wells and a lot of high-ceiling kids that will be in the wings at Syracuse: catcher Francisco Quiroz, outfielders Alexis Rios (Puerto Rican League MVP), Gabe Gross and John-Ford Griffin, infielders Russ Adams and Aaron Hill. They now should be able to be in position to contend for the next four years.

In case anyone missed the comment section from my Sunday Post, here is a tidbit that should please Yankee fans:

Jason Giambi has lost 25 pounds and is clearly focused on coming back from the knee surgery and proving he can play first base.

But Jayson Stark thinks there is reason for concern:

The last time Giambi played 140 games at first base was 1999. But the way the Yankees are now constructed, they work best if he plays close to that number at first this year. Suffice it to say, there is tangible skepticism around baseball about his ability to stay healthy enough to do that, no matter how much weight he has lost or how good he is said to look.

“If he has to play in the field full time, he’s going to get hurt,” says one AL scout. “You can take that to the bank.”

Hmmm. Lots to be worried about with Giambi, but since I love his game so much, I gotta remain hopeful.

5. Finally, Rich Lederer has an good piece on future Hall of Famer Gary Sheffield over at Rich’s Weekend Baseball BEAT.

In all, I hope there is a little something for everyone this morning, whether you are hung-over but have somehow managed to trudge in to work, or if you took the day for yourself and are molding-out at home. Hey y’all: fifteen days ’til pitchers and catchers.

Curt Schilling is going to keep writers and fans entertained, and enraged (and busy) throughout the coming season. That he is an avid Internet surfer

Tim Marchman has a good piece in The New York Sun today about why Yankee fans should be concerned about the coming season:

The lack of depth exposed by Booneís injury has the club seriously considering such third-base options as Tyler Houston and failed prospect Drew Henson. Neither can cover for Derek Jeterís defensive shortcomings with their range and sure-handedness, as Boone was expected to; this is a big problem given the ground-ball tendencies of several of the clubís new pitchers.

All this rightly worries Bronx boosters. Yet even taken together, these problems are little compared to the clubís real, tripartite crisis: huge commitments to declining veterans, a desiccated farm system, and chaos among the best management team the Yankees have had since the 1950s.

Y’uh-oh. But we already know this, right? Marchman concludes:

Whatís to be done? Nothing.The Yankees invested massively in superstar talent, leaving nothing aside for contingencies; that canít be easily fixed, and results from an inflexible organizational approach.This is a team that doesnít have a single adequate reserve on the roster capable of taking over if frontline players go down, and Iíd be shocked if Boone were the only one to go down. Giambi, in particular, is worrisome, as the knee injury that made him incapable of playing in the World Series is the same one that prematurely ended Mark McGwireís career.

If things go well, this team is of course capable of being the best in baseball and winning World Series. But this season could also be the beginning of an ugly and epic collapse.

I think Tim is correct in stating that the Yankees are a high-risk/high-reward proposition. Things could turn sour quickly, or the Yankees could make it to the playoffs, and maybe even the Serious again. One thing is certain: It sure won’t be dull in the BX this summer. But then again, it rarely is.

HOT STOVE EDITION

By Bruce Markusen

(Reprinted at Bronx Banter with the permission of the author.)

Yankee Doodles

In spite of the acquisitions of veteran free agents Gary Sheffield, Kenny Lofton, Tom “Flash” Gordon, and Paul Quantrill, itís been a winter of discontent for many in Yankee fandom. Most Pinstriped diehards have already vented frustration over the failure to aggressively pursue homegrown Bomber Andy Pettitte (which might have served as a preemptive strike against the Astros and their offseason plan to sign the resident Texan), the lukewarm interest in free agent prize Vladimir Guerrero, the continued signings of older players in their mid to late-thirties, and the failure to address the teamís near abysmal defensive scheme. The Yankees, though still talented and ever capable of reaching the World Series for a sixth time in seven years, are a less likeable bunch than most of their predecessors dating back to 1995, which means that many of their fans have placed an even higher premium on winning it all. Otherwise, George Steinbrenner, Brian Cashman, and perhaps even Joe Torre will hear a season-long wrath filled with “I told you soís” and “What were you thinkingís?”

The latest offseason setback canít be blamed on the front office or the owner, however. Aaron Booneís ACL tear, which he suffered while foolishly playing pickup basketball in violation of his contract, leaves the Yankees with a serious hole on the left side of their infield. (The Players Association has stepped in and claimed that Boone didnít violate the contract, but Booneís already admitted to his mistake. The Association is trying to say that Boone didnít breach his contract because he wasnít playing basketball in a professional league, which is a simply laughable argument.) Letís hope the Yankees donít try to kid themselves into thinking that some makeshift platoon of Miguel Cairo and Enrique Wilson will fill the bill in 2004; in a stacked division where the Red Sox may have already established themselves as favorites, the Yankees need a real third baseman, preferably one whose strength is on the defensive side of the field. Cairo and Wilson are middle-infield utility types; neither has a tremendous amount of experience on the corner and neither can hit well enough to play every day.

Whom do the Yankees turn to? In the short term, theyíre ready to take a flyer on ex-Phillie Tyler Houston, who lost his place on Larry Bowaís Christmas card list but has quietly signed a minor league deal with the Pinstripes. Houstonís an intriguing option, but heís a below-average defender at best, doesnít hit left-handers, and is better suited to filling a bench role as a backup infielder and third-string catcher. Coming off an excellent season as a pinch-hitter in Philadelphia, Houston could very well make the Yankeesí 25-man roster, but itís not likely to be as the everyday third baseman.

So whoís the answer to the Yankeesí newly developed hole on the infield? Gary Sheffieldís offer to play third is a noble gesture, but the Yankeesí infield defense is already well below average and canít sustain another position filled with unnecessary hijinx. Drew Henson can barely play at the Triple-A level, so the Yankees shouldnít dare think that he might be anything near adequate in the Bronx. Erick Almonte isnít out of the question, but the fact that he was dumped from the 40-man roster over the winter

For all of the latest on the state of the Los Angeles Dodgers, get yourself over to Dodger Thoughts on the double and check out what Jon Weisman has to say (and it ain’t all pretty).

Frank McCourt has finally bought the Los Angeles Dodgers. The owners approved McCourt’s bid for $430 million today. It is too late for the Dodgers to capitalize on the off-season free agent market. But hopefully, this once-great organization will now have some much-needed direction and stability. David Pinto expects changes.

Like many of us baseball fans, George Vecsey probably doesn’t have much to do these days but dream warm thoughts. Some Yankee fans have been dreaming about pairing Alex Rodriguez with Derek Jeter on the left side of the Yankees’ infield since November (while others are mortally offended by the notion that Jeter would be the one asked to move to third). It is a nice, unrealistic, dream. Today, we can add Vecsey to the list of dreamers who think the Yankees should try and land Rodriguez.

This is a very slow news day in New York, folks. The pressing news is that the Bombers have respectfully declined Gary Sheffield’s offer to play third base (so much for Aaron Gleeman’s “Infield of Doom”), while former-Yankee utility man Todd Zeile has some less than complimentary things to say about his former employers. According to The Daily News:

“I have no desire to play again for that organization,” said Zeile, who appeared in 66 games for the Yanks last season before finishing the year in Montreal. “I don’t know that they’d have a desire to bring me back, so I don’t want to be presumptuous in that regard. (But) I thought I was going to get more playing time – as it turned out, I didn’t. I think some of the things that happen over there are different than in any other organization in baseball.”

… “Every day is potentially the end-all,” he said. “It’s whatever they need that day. It can sometimes be unsettling for people in role positions there. I don’t really have a desire to get back into that mix.”

I can’t muster up the energy to comment. Thanks for the memories Todd. Fortunately, things are a bit more lively down in Tampa and gasp, Detroit. Pudge, say it ain’t so, bro. Talk about playing yourself. Yeesh.

The first time I ever came close to entertaining the notion of rocking a Boston Red Sox jersey was when Mo Vaughn wore number 42 for them in the mid ’90s. Entertaining was as far as it would get, though I have to admit after visiting Fenway Park in the summer of 1999, and browsing through the gear shops across the way from the stadium, the Sox have some great stuff to wear. But let’s be real: Me Hatfield, them McCoy. It’s never going to happen.

But if it were, I’d still probably choose to rock Mo’s number 42. I thought he was a great player up there, and a terrific part of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. He was also the first black player to be truly embraced in Boston without apologies (and I’m not counting Tiant because he was Latin). No small feat, indeed. By the time he arrived in New York to play with the Mets, Vaughn’s career had been unfortunately reduced to a series of fat jokes. I could never get with that, and was sorry to see such a promising career hit the skids so quickly after he left Boston.

I’m sure I linked Ben Jacobs’ appreciation of Vaughn a few weeks ago, but if I didn’t, here it is again. Gordon Edes also had a nice piece on Vaughn in his Notes column in The Globe last weekend. Despite his ugly departure from New England, and his rapid decline, Vaughn remains a fan favorite in Red Sox Nation. And that’s the way it should be.

Rob Neyer and Steven Goldman add their takes on what the Yankees will do to fix the sudden problem at third base. Cliff Corcoran is back for more, and Shawn Bernard rates the defense of some of the possible candidates to replace Aaron Boone.

Meanwhile, Tom Boswell joins the chorus of critics who think the Yankees’ front office have made some suspect decisions this winter:

What odds could you have gotten last fall that Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens, David Wells and Jeff Weaver — four-fifths of the New York rotation last year with 120 starts among them — would all be pitching for other teams? It’s unparalleled and almost incomprehensible.

Losing Pettitte, largely because George Steinbrenner snubbed him with offseason indifference, may haunt New York for years. Pettitte was penciled in for five more fine seasons and a place next to Whitey Ford. The Yankees can talk all they want about their rebuilt staff, but it’s a bluff. This team is gut-shot. You don’t win titles at Yankee Stadium without a quality southpaw starter. Kevin Brown will be 39 in March and missed half his starts in 2001 and ’02. Pitching depth has always been Joe Torre’s hole card. Now he can’t name his fourth or fifth starter.

At the same time, Boswell likes the boys from Boston:

Hard as it is to accept (without smelling salts), the AL favorite is clearly the Red Sox. Curse or no curse, you can’t get around it. The Red Sox are now the overdogs. They’re so loaded and rich that they might as well wear pinstripes this season.

I have a feeling that the Red Sox will be the favorites in many a pre-season prognostication. Don’t you?