Mark Feinsand at mlb.com confirms the story that Gary Sheffield has offered to play third for the Bombers, and offers his suggestions about what the Yankees’ options are. Obviously, Sheffield wouldn’t help the Yankees defensively, but I’m sure management appreciates the offer all the same. It’s the kind of move that you would expect from a team-player like Derek Jeter (though it remains to be seen if Jeter would be any better at third than he is at short). Rich Lederer e-mailed me from the west coast this morning and added, “I was thinking how odd it was that Sheffield, a newcomer, had volunteered to plug the gap but that the team’s leader and captain hadn’t stepped forward with a similar offer.”

Meanwhile, John Heyman reports in Newsday that New York has signed Larry Bowa’s favorite son, Tyler Houston to a minor-league contract, so Sheff and Jeter may not have to worry about moving anywhere anytime soon.

Alan Schwarz has an intriguing piece over at Primer about the future of defensive statistics. Don’t look now, but the future is closer than we think:

This spring, Major League Baseballís Internet portal, mlb.com, will install in select parks a three-camera set-up to measure pitch speeds, locations and breaks

SOMETHING LIKE CRATE DIGGIN’

Over at Baseball Primer’s “Clutch Hits,” my man Repoz searches the Internet and finds choice stories like Lord Finesse and Diamond D dig in the crates and find ill beats. Yesterday, Repoz linked a little gem on Mudcat Grant. The article is about the influence Grant’s mother had on his life:

Grant learned forgiveness from Viola. Thatís also where he learned religious tolerance. Before beginning to play pro ball in Fargo, N.D., his mother had a request. Although a Baptist, she wanted him to attend other services. Episcopalian. Jewish. Catholic. Mormon.

“I was the laughingstock of Fargo,” Grant said. “They said, ‘Did that ballplayer come by your church yet?í ”

After the season, Grant returned home and told his mother about the other churches.

“She said, ‘Do you know why I sent you to do that?í ” Grant said. “I said, ‘No.í She said, ‘When you die and go to heaven, if you think that the only people youíre going to see is Baptist, God is going to slap you upside the head.í “

Mother knows best.

Here is an e-mail I received from reader Adam Birbrower today, listing his Bottom 10 Gay Icons:

10. Pete Rose
9. Al Harbosky
8. Greg Luzinski
7. Billy Martin
6. Yogi Berra
5. Ralph Kiner
4. Chad Curtis
3. Tom Lasorda
2. John Rocker
1. Popeye Zimmer

Speaking of Gay porn and Gay Icons, here is my vote for potential Gay Icon most likely to be be a Gay porn star (or something like that): Pete LaCock.

Alex Ciepley is an openly gay baseball blogger who doesn’t often write about gay issues, regardless of his provocatively titled blog, “Ball Talk.” He follows the Cubs, has a succinct and crisp writing style, and is a shrewd analyst. But today he offers us some fluff: “Baseball’s Top Ten Gay Icons.” You might be surprised at some of the guys who made the list. Anyway, this is a fun article, and Ciepley’s comments are both enlightening (for this straight fan) as well as amusing. I hope to see more of this kind of writing from Ciepley as the season unfolds.

There is a very interesting story coming out of Cleveland today. Dig the AP report:

Indians minor league pitcher Kazuhito Tadano is asking for forgiveness for what he called a one-time mistake — his appearance in a gay porn video in which he engaged in a homosexual act.

Tadano took part in the video three years ago when he was a college student. Sitting in Cleveland’s clubhouse Tuesday, he said he hoped to put his actions in the past.

“All of us have made mistakes in our lives,” Tadano said, reading a statement in English. “Hopefully, you learn from them and move on.”

Shunned by Japanese baseball teams, the 23-year-old Tadano signed with the Indians last March. They think he can make their club this spring.

I likeDavid Pinto’s take on this over at Baseball Musings:

It seems to me an openly gay ballplayer can’t be too far into the future. A team with young players, like Cleveland, may be the right place for the first homosexual ballplayer. After all, these young men have grown up in a much more tolerant society than I did (I was born in 1960), and may not think it’s such a big deal.

Last year, Buster Olney shared his feelings about this subject with me:

It’s interesting cause when I covered the Padres Billy Bean was on the that team…I really believe that if any team would have been able to handle that situation, it would have been that team. Because the best player, Tony Gwynn, is a very tolerant person, he’s very broad-minded. It was a very young team, that had stripped it down and they had all these young players, and Billy was very well liked. Some of the other leaders on the team like [Brad] Ausmus, were very bright guys. Trevor Hoffman, very accepting personality. If it was going to work, it would’ve worked on that team. But there is no doubt veteran teams like the Yankees I covered, or the Mets now: no chance. There is no chance.

The young Indians have more in common with that Padres team than they do with the big market squads in New York:

If he pitches well during spring training, Tadano could win a spot in Cleveland’s bullpen. Whenever he joins the Indians, pitcher C.C. Sabathia says Tadano will be welcomed.

“This is the right team and the right organization for him,” Sabathia said. “We have good guys here. Everybody has done something that they regret in their lives. He’s a person just like everyone else.”

Homosexuality is one of the last great taboos in American team sports. Let’s hope it doesn’t remain that way for too much longer.

YANKS GET THE GAS FACE

Baseball Prospectus offered two stellar articles on the Aaron Boone situation yesterday. The first was written by Andrew Baharlias, a lawyer who worked as staff counsel to the Yankees from 1997-02 (subscription is required). Baharlias reviews the technicalities of the case, and offers an insiders take on what the Yankees will do now. The second piece “Bye, Bye Boonie,” features the kind of irreverent humor and insight that we’ve come to expect from Derek Zumsteg (again, subscription is required).

Zumsteg confirms what Bob Klapisch, Tyler Kepner, Mark Hale, and Sam Borden have written: There is no desirable bodies out there to play third for the Yanks. Nobody. According to Kepner:

“It’s thin,” Cashman said yesterday, referring to the third base market. “This is not the time of year and definitely not the position you want to be looking for. I don’t anticipate finding one externally for quite some time.”

Boone would most likely have been the No. 9 hitter in a loaded lineup. The Yankees can get by without his bat, but they will greatly miss his defense. “The biggest issue for me is defense and support for our pitching staff,” Cashman said. “Boone is a tremendous defensive player with a lot of range. That’s going to hurt more than losing his offense. But we’re not there yet.”

And Bob Klapisch reports:

Of course, no one has yet concluded that Boone’s season is over, at least not until the medical tests are complete. Cashman indicated the third baseman would likely “fly all over the country” to see a number of specialists in the next two weeks. That explains why the Yankees never formally announced Boone’s injury to the public…

Privately, though, executives were startled that Boone was so forthcoming about how he tore his anterior cruciate ligament. Considering he was injured in a pick-up basketball game, a clear violation of his contract, Boone is in danger of being released by the Yankees and having his $5.75 million salary voided. In this case, Boone’s honesty could prove to be expensive.

Said one Yankee executive, “do you know how often GMs hear from a player, “I hurt myself on the treadmill?” And you’re like, “right.” But when a guy says that, there’s nothing you can do.”

After thinking about it some, I have to give Boone some credit for being honest. A cynic will call him a sucker, but it shows that he’s got a conscience. However, as Baharlias surmised, “Unfortunately, New York is the place where contract language trumps contrition every time out; truth is no defense when you’ve signed on the dotted line.”

Looks like the Yankees, and their fans will have to sit on this one for a minute. Unless of course you believe that the Bombers would seriously consider Gary Sheffield’s offer to man the hot corner (hmmm). In the meantime, thanks to Rich Lederer (whose latest piece examines the career of Lefty Grove), here is an excerpt of classic comedy to keep you laughing, or keep you from crying, depending on where you sit…

Costello: What’s the guy’s name on first base?

Abbott: No. What is on second.

Costello: I’m not asking you who’s on second.

Abbott: Who’s on first.

Costello: I don’t know.

Abbott: He’s on third, we’re not talking about him.

Costello: Now how did I get on third base?

Abbott: Why you mentioned his name.

Costello: If I mentioned the third baseman’s name, who did I say is playing third?

Abbott: No. Who’s playing first.

Who is on third? Heck, isn’t that MC Serch I see? Or is it the Prime Minister, Pete Nice?

Although the full details of Aaron Boone’s injury are not available yet, reports in The Daily News and The New York Times elaborate on Tom Verducci’s scoop this morning. According to Tyler Kepner:

Boone told the Yankees last Monday that he had injured himself playing basketball, and the Yankees flinched at the news, even as they appreciated the admission. The injury came at the worst possible time for the Yankees, with virtually every third baseman already signed for the coming season.

“We are currently evaluating the extent of the injury and expect to solicit multiple opinions before providing a complete diagnosis,” Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said in a statement. “Concerning his contract, I can confirm that there are certain prohibited activities which include basketball.”

While the Yankees won’t miss Boone’s offense, he was the best defensive infielder on the team. So again, who will play third for the Bombers in 2004? The options aren’t exactly encouraging right now. Cliff Corcoran, intrepid Yankee blogger, was up late last night asking himself this very question. Perhaps the Yankees will get creative. David Pinto suggests signing Pudge Rodriguez and moving him to the hot corner:

Peter Gammons did a piece on Pudge’s footwork a few years ago in which it was noted that he moved like a second baseman. Pudge could have easily been in fielder. He has the arm for third base, he has a great bat for third base, and no one else seems to want him. Why not give it a try?

Can’t wait to see what Steven Goldman has to say in his Pinstriped Bible column this week.

DOH!

As if Aaron Boone didn’t already have enough of an uphill climb in his effort to win over Yankee fans this year, Tom Verducci is reporting that Boone suffered a serious knee injury (believed to involve the ACL) playing basketball last week. Boone could miss the entire 2004 season. This sure won’t endear him to the Bleacher Creatures. According to Verducci:

The Yankees will seek all or some relief from the $5.75 million they were to pay Boone this season. Boone, whose dramatic home run ended the epic seventh game of the 2003 American League Championship Series against Boston, avoided arbitration Dec. 1 when he agreed to the one-year deal to return to the Yankees. His contract contains a standard clause that prevents the player from engaging in activities considered to pose significant risk of injury. Basketball is specifically mentioned in the clause as a prohibited activity.

Well, at least this gives us something to talk about. (Will Carroll, what do you hear, what do you say?) The burning question is this: Can the Yankees adequately replace Boone at third at this stage in the game? OK, I’m sure some observers will look at this as a chance to upgrade. Who do you think they’ll target? (And I don’t want to hear about Drew Henson, thank you very much.) I know the Rangers just made Alex Rodriguez their captain, but at least now we can still dream Steven Goldman’s dream.

Roy Smalley, Aaron Boone, Mr. Boone, Mr. Smalley. Pedigree doesn’t necessarily mean a thing in pinstripes, huh?

Alex Rodriguez was in New York last night to pick up his American League MVP award, but is making headlines this morning as the Rangers announced that he’s been made team captain. Does this mean the A Rod-to-Boston deal is finally dead? Gordon Edes in The Globe thinks so. So how did the latest twist in A Rod’s off-season come about? The Rangers’ owner provided some answers:

“This was the first time we’ve all been in the same location since the trade fell apart,” said Hicks, noting that Rodriguez and his wife had just returned from a European vacation.

“We spent five hours together and worked through the inevitable issues that build up when you go through something like this. As is often the case, two or three issues are amplified in the process to 10 or 12 issues, but we worked through those issues very quickly and put them behind us.”

One of those issues was the contentious relationship that had developed between Rodriguez and Showalter, who reportedly had made futile attempts to contact Rodriguez since the end of last season.

“It’s taken on a life of its own,” Hicks said of the reported friction between the men. “You see it in business all the time, a lack of communication. But they had a chance yesterday to look each other in the eye, they had a chance to talk, and they both realize they want to win a championship.”

Brooklyn Blogger Adam Dlugacz was on the scene and filed a report over at Zimmer’s Way:

A-Rod told a story about how after the trade failed to go through he had gone to Europe to get away from things. At first he liked that no one knew he was, he didn’t say where he went, but he admitted that after a few days he missed being recognized. (It’s amazing, Babe Ruth had the same experience when he first went to Europe, and complained about his lack of attention bitterly. The players almost need to be reminded of who they are.) Finally, on his last day there were three kids who appeared to recognize A-Rod. He admitted that he was craved the attention and was excited as the kids approached him. However, instead of asking for an autograph all three kids, in broken english, began chanting “Let’s Go Yankees!”

I should note that Cashman and A-Rod were sitting next to each other. And, A-Rod talked about how much he loved New York City. I honestly think that Boston, as a state would commit suicide if he came to the Bronx.

For now, it appears as if Rodriguez isn’t going anywhere soon. But then again, stranger things have happened.

Oh, and just to wrap up my thoughts on “In America,” there is something that I forgot to mention about the rendition of “Desperado.” Fortunately, Larry Abraham sent me an e-mail and hit the nail on the head when he observed:

I thought that the “Desperado” moment was one of the best in the movie. What I picked up on–I missed the knowing quality of her voice–was her pronunciation of the word “desperado”–with that British “a” from “flat” instead of the “ah” that we Americans expect. For me it captured how she was both quintessentially Irish and–as a cowboy–quintessentially American.

I caught that too. Thank you for noting it Larry.

There is a sequence about two-thirds of the way through Jim (“My Left Foot”) Sheridan’s fine new movie, “In America” that will likely remain in my memory for a long time. The film is about a young Irish couple who move to Hell’s Kitchen in New York with their two young daughters (ages ten, and six, I’d guess). They have very little money, and they live in a dilapidated building on Manhattan’s West Side populated with junkies and derilicts. Essentially, the story is about their struggle to get over the accidental death of their young son.

Samantha Morton, who was brilliant as Sean Penn’s silent foil in “Sweet and Lowdown” stars, but all of the actors are terrific. Anyhow, the sequence that stood out for me was when the ten-year old sings the Eagles’ tune “Desperado” on stage at her school’s recital. The choice of the song came as a surprise, especially coming from a young Irish girl. The director shows a montage of images as she sings, and her voice is soft and light, but not exactly innocent (the character has seen too much for that). The sequence is a reminder of just how emotionally powerful pop music can be when used with sensitivity and care.

Some filmmakers, like Stanley Kubrick and recently Q. Tarrantino, are famous for their selection of source music. But these two are overtly clever and ironic in their approach; the songs may stick with you, but often they have a look-at-me-Ma quality to them as well. Martin Scorsese too is revered for his attention to music, and in his early films, like “Mean Streets” and even “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” the songs don’t simply serve as a commentary on the character’s lives, they feel like independent characters themselves.

Perhaps nobody built a reputation for their use of pop music more than the British playwright Dennis Potter did. His two masterworks–both six-part mini-series made for TV–“Pennies From Heaven,” and “The Singing Detective” were fantastic examples of this. When asked, “Why do popular songs have so much power in your work?” Potter replied:

Because I don’t make the mistake that high-culture mongers do of assuming that because people like cheap art, their feelings are cheap, too. When people say, “Oh listen, they’re playing our song,” they don’t mean “Our song, this little cheap, tinkling, syncopated piece of rubbish, is what we felt when we met.” What they’re saying is, “That song reminds us of that tremendous feeling we had when we met.”

Jim Sheridan understand this, and allows the deep emotions that can be associated with a trivial pop song to pour over the audience. I’ve never cared much for The Eagles, but I sure won’t be able to hear “Desperado” without thinking of that little girl again. (I feel the same way about Leonard Cohen’s self-titled record and Robert Altman’s “McCabe and Mrs. Miller” too.)

I think “In America” is well worth your ten bucks, and if you want a real treat, I would also strongly suggest that you rent Potter’s “The Singing Detective”–which was recently released on DVD–as well. With a couple of months of winter left, it’s an ideal way to pass the time.

Here is the second excerpt I promised from Geoffrey Stokes’ “Pinstripe Pandemonium.” This one involves hitting, and there was nobody on those old Yankee teams who thought, taught, talked, and lived hitting like Lou Pinella. (One of the greatest images I have of Pinella–and I don’t remember where I first read this–is of him standing up in his wife’s bed in the middle of the night, looking in the mirror, practicing his stance. I wonder if a cigarette was ever dangling from his lips as he inspected his form.) So without further ado, here is Sweet Lou:

In this league at least, the really successful hitters guess a lot. I know that once I’ve seen a pitcher three or four times–certainly once I’ve seen him for three or four games–I have a pretty good idea what he’s going to do in certain situations. That’s why a batter loves to see the count at two-and-oh or three-and-one. You know the guy out there’s gotta throw it over the plate, so you zone the ball. You decide ahead of time where he’s gonna put it–low, high, inside, outside–and what kind of pitch he’s going to throw, and you narrow your strike zone to that pitch. If it’s somewhere else, let it go by; he’s still gotta give you one or two more chances to hit the ball. But if it’s there, you’re ready for it. That’s when you get your extra-base hits, and that’s when you get pitchers in trouble, because once you’re on base, he’s got to pitch a little differently. He doesn’t want the big inning, so he’s going to pitch a little more cautiously. What you’ve done is you’ve taken some options away, made him a little more predictable, and if he gets behind the next batter, then he’s really in trouble.

There are a lot of good pitchers in the league–there aren’t any bad ones, that’s for sure–but there’s only a handful of great ones. Those are the guys who can either challenge you and get away with it–put it right in your zone and dare you to hit it–or the ones who consisntenly outguess you, who always have you lookin’ at the three-and-one strike. But even with them, you’ve gotta make your own guess and get ready for a ball in your zone, because once or twice a game, even those guys are gonna lose their rhythm or try to do too much with a ball, and if you’re not ready, that’s a real lost opportunity. The only real difference between the good pitchers and the great ones is that the great ones don’t yield to the situation around them. They’re kind of self-contained, and they’re gonna make you hit their pitch, not yours.

End of lesson. Thank you Mr. Stokes and Mr. Lou. Pitchers and catchers in three weeks.

Two years ago I roped my cousin Gabe into an idea I had for a book. He’s a Mets fan and of course, I root for the Yanks. We started to exchange e-mails during the 2001 season and I thought it would be great to compile a book of e-mails exchanged between a Met and Yankee fan over the course of a season. Well, I don’t know how good the book would have been, but by the middle of the summer in 2002, we realized it wasn’t going to fly.

The best thing that came out of the experience–other than being treated to Gabe’s almost daily e-mails–was that I got in the habit of writing about baseball every day. And that set me up to eventually start the blog you are now reading (incidentally, Gabe is editing the Curt Flood book I’m writing for Young Adults).

I really like the idea of a correspondence between a Met and Yankee fan, and now, there is a blog devoted to such an endeavor, called “Yankees, Mets and the Rest.” Head on over and see what Scott and Vinny have in store for us.

I don’t know if you’ve been over to Jay Jaffe’s site, The Futility Infielder this week, but if you haven’t, and are interested in the pending sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers, not to mention other Bud Selig-related items, make some time this weekend and check out the great work Jay has been doing.

Speaking of his Budness, Rob Neyer has an entertaining article that briefly touches on the legacy of all the baseball commisioners, from Landis to Selig.

And to finish off the subject of yesterday’s tryouts by El Duque and Maels Rodriguez, peep this article from The Miami Herald, as well as reports by Will Carroll and Bryan Smith. For what it’s worth, El Duque was one of my favorite Yankees ever. Even if he is broken-down and ornery, I sure would be happy to see him back, for the entertainment value alone. I don’t know if it makes good baseball sense, but since when do I have good baseball sense? I just want to see Posada and Duque drive each other nuts again.

As the sporting world awaits the Super Bowl, baseball news is squarely fixed on the back-burner. That will start to change in a few weeks, but for now, good baseball stories are hard to come by. (I know you are feelin’ my pain.) So I thought I’d share a couple of excerpts with you from a slept-on little gem called “Pinstripe Pandemonium.” Written by Geoffrey Stokes, a reporter from The Villiage Voice, the book follows the Bronx Bombers throughout the 1983 season. It is a slim, but shrewdly observed, and well-written book.

The Hall of Fame voters recently passed Goose Gossage over once again, but many Baseballists—a nifty phrase coined by Jay Jaffe—feel that if any reliever is qualified for induction, it is Gossage. Described by Stokes as “curiously shy,” the Colorado native talked about the stress that accompanies being a closer:

“Sometimes, after a bad loss, I’m amazed that I can go out there the next day and do anything at all. But fortunately,” he grinened, “there’s this gorilla in me that just takes over.

“Of course,” he added, returning to the subject of rhythm, “when it does, somebody’s gotta keep it on a leash. I don’t care how fast you throw; if you throw nothing but fastballs, there are hitters in this league that are gonna catch up to you. Somone’s gotta slow me down.

“But that’s hard for a cather to do. If I’m gonna get beat, I want to get beat on my best pitch, not on some off-speed thing that’s just supposed to set the fastball up. But what happens is, I get out there, and I throw a ball at ninety-five miles an hour easy, so I just gather up my strength and try humming the sombitch at a hundred. I’m out there, and I feel that with just a little more effort, I could throw the sucker right through the catcher–and maybe halfway through the umpire, too.

“The thing is, it doesn’t go as fast, ’cause my asshole’s tight. It’s pretty hard to throw a ball with one hand around your throat. And when that happens, even before everybody’s turning around to watch the fuckin’ home run, it affects the team. It’s like your kids; when they see fear in your face, they get afraid too, even if they don’t know why. In the clubhouse of at the hotel, everbody’s got his own personality. But when I’m out there with runners on second and third, one out, and a one-run lead, I’m responsible for the whole team.”

Gossage has become an arch-type for a certain kind of closer: snarling, physically imposing, flame-throwing. Dennis Eckersley, a control expert, who specialized in taunting and humiliating his opponent, is another. And now, so is Mariano Rivera, master of the single pitch, who is so cool that it barely looks like he’s awake out there sometimes. But no matter the personality, all succesful closers thrive off the responsibility of having the game in their hands. Gossage concludes:

“The only thing about [closing] is you can’t take it home with you. It’s not like I’m a starter and I have to think about it for five days, have to spend my time saying ‘Damn, that was a stupid pitch.’ Except for the playoffs or the Series, there’s always tomorrow. You know, it’s like hunting. ‘Some days you eat the bear, some days the bear eats you.'”

What’s that some sort of Eastern Philosophy? Far from it.

Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez threw 35 pitches in front of a group of scouts yesterday at the University of Miami. The headline in The Times today reads, “Hernandez’s Workout Hard to Rate,” which seems appropriate because so much about El Duque has always been hard to figure. The scouts were divided on what they saw. According to Charlie Nobles in The Times:

[El Duque’s] less-than-inspiring velocity left some teams wondering how to rate him.

“It’s tough to evaluate that performance,” said Mark Wiedemaier, a special assistant to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ general manager. “It looked like he was playing catch.”

Al Goldis, the recently hired talent assessor serving as a high-level assistant to Mets General Manager Jim Duquette, chose his words carefully in describing his reaction to Hern

David Pinto, whose Baseball Musings is one of the most prolific and popular baseball blogs going, is going to work for Baseball Information Solutions–the company behind “The Bill James Handbook”—as a programmer. Pinto has previously worked inside the industry for Stats Inc. as well as ESPN’s Baseball Tonight. Check out David’s post today for the skinny on his new gig. The good news for us is that Baseball Musings isn’t going anywhere.

A well-deserved and hearty Mazel goes out to David. I wish him all the luck in the world with this exciting opportunity.

“Those who come from Brooklyn know just what I’m talking…” MC Lyte

Developer Bruce Ratner has reached a tentative agreement to buy the New Jersey Nets for $300 million. As you have probably heard already, he would like nothing more than to move the team—originaly from Long Island—to Brooklyn. The Nets’ lease in New Jersey doesn’t run out until 2008, and Ratner faces a myriad of obstacles in getting a state-of-the-art facility built in Brooklyn. Still, the news has a lot of New Yorkers excited. The proposed arena would be built near the Brooklyn Academy of Music, which is at the heart of the borough’s recent gentrification, just a stones throw away from Fort Greene, and Park Slope. Mark McClusky links several good articles regarding the pro’s and con’s of the prospective site for Brooklynites. While I think the notion of Brooklyn having its own franchise again is romantic and fitting, the reality is too far off for me to get too amped up yet.

Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci has a column this week about closers and the Hall of Fame. Essentially, Verducci believes that closers are similar to kickers in football, and that it is fitting that is has been difficult for them to reach the Hall:

There is one kicker in the NFL Hall of Fame: Jan Stenerud. There are three closers in the baseball Hall of Fame: Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers and Dennis Eckersley. That sounds about right to me. These guys are specialists and as such deserve a more critical eye when weighing their careers.

Verducci is skeptical about whether Bruce Sutter should make it, and he compares Mariano Rivera’s career to Troy Percival’s. The two have awfully similar regular season numbers, though Rivera still comes out on top:

Of course, Rivera has something else in his favor. He has been knighted as The Greatest Postseason Reliever in History. Rivera has thrown 96 postseason innings (15 percent of his career regular-season total) and allowed only eight earned runs, a 0.75 ERA. Those numbers alone, like Eckersley’s solid years as a starter, could put Rivera over the top when voters consider his career.

Rivera is the specialist’s specialist. Someday he might break through the bias writers have against relievers, a bias that deserves to be in place.

Speaking of specialists, Jesse Orosco, who will turn 47 in April, is finally calling it quits. Mama, pray your babies grown up to be southpaws…

Seth Stohs is running a preview of major league hitters and pitchers for the upcoming fantasy baseball season. But his preview will be of interest to the casual baseball fan as well. Stop by, and check out what Seth makes of your favorites (Stohs is addressing offense first: yesterday was the AL Central, today gives the AL East).