The St. Louis Cardinals’ ace pitcher, Matt Morris has a letter-to-the-editor today in the St. Louis Dispatch, defending the character of Tino Martinez, who was recently traded to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. There was noise out of St. Louis this past season that Martinez was a disruptive force in the clubhouse. Morris calls out a Novembeer 23rd article written Bryan Burwell–and if anyone has a link to the piece, please send it along–and basically goes on to say what a stand-up guy Martinez is:

I have a hard time believing that anyone who has ever stepped between the white lines with Tino believes his desire is anything less than a champion. He wanted to play every day and was angry when he didn’t. That is and always will be the kind of player I want behind me when it’s my turn to take the ball. We should all have the same attitude. If you can find one player, coach, manager or front office executive who believes Tino’s so-called attitude was part of our problem, then this club isn’t going in a championship direction.

When he played for the Yanks I found Tino to be a high-strung guy, even a bit of a red ass, but not a jerk. It says something about him that one of his former teammates would be willing to defend him in print.

(more…)

Tom Boswell weighs in on the Yankee-Sox rivalry, which seems to get hotter with each passing season.

I hit a couple of used bookstores in Middlebury, Vermont last weekend and came away with a few good items. The first shop must not have recovered from when I was there last spring, because they had zilch in the baseball section. Vexed, I found another shop that had three shelves full of just baseball books. Ohhhh, bacon. I didn’t end up buying much on the count of I didn’t have too much money to spend and I’ve already got a stack of books at home I haven’t read yet.

Of course, I did pick up inexpensive copies of books I already have and love, so I can give them away as gifts. They include, “Here Me Talking to Ya,” an incredible collection of interviews with jazz musicians compiled by Nat Hentoff, and “Life On The Run,” Bill Bradley’s fine account of a year-in-the-life of a professional basketball player.

But I did get a few baseball books of interest, including, “All Those Mornings,” an autobiography by Washington Post scribe Shirely Povich; “Charlie O and The Angry A’s,” by Bill Libby; a nice, first edition copy of Curt Flood’s autobiography (written with Richard Carter), “The Way It Is,” and Maury Wills’ autobiography, “On the Run,” (written with Mike Celizic).

There was a book of letters exchanged by Joe and Phil Neikro during the 1987 season, that looked like fun and a couple of books by Charles Einstein on Willie Mays that I’d like to get to at some point too. But I chose the Wills book because I remember Bill James commenting on it in one of his books. So far, it hasn’t been a disapointment. In the first fifty pages, Wills comes across as a true son-of-a-bitch. He tells the reader that he is a drug addict. One of thirteen children, and went on to have seven of his own. He was married while he was still in high school and he and his wife never got along. (He claims to have never seen his wife naked either.) Wills writes about what a lousy father he was, and how the woman he loved after he left his wife, slept with his son Bump. A loner on the Dodgers, he talks about being a bed-wetter until he was in his early ’30s. Oh yeah, he also mentions that he single-handedly revolutionized the game of baseball. A sombitch, yes. Boring? No.

Gary Sheffield is not a Yankee…yet. The Daily News reports that negoitations have hit a snag, with the two sides divided by…you guessed it, dollars. But Kevin Kernan thinks the deal will eventually happen, and that Sheffield is a perfect fit for the Yankees. Rob Neyer also thinks that signing Sheffield (as well as Boston inking Schilling) is a risk well worth taking:

Sure, Sheffield might pull something or strain something, and wind up playing 120 games instead of 145 (which is roughly his norm). But if not Gary Sheffield, then who? If you can afford to pay him what he’s asking, he’s worth the risk, and the same goes for Schilling. The Yankees and the Red Sox are essentially playing a different game than all the other teams, and spending big money on great players who might be slightly more likely to get hurt is just a part of that different game.

While Yankee fans wait for Sheffield, the Bombers are involved in a series of other moves. There is talk that Kenny Lofton will come to New York to play center field. (If that happens, we can kiss our boy Nick Johnson goodbye, don’t you think?) Yesterday, the much-maligned third baseman, Aaron Boone agreed to a one-year deal; the Yanks resigned weeble-wobble utility infielder Enrique Wilson to a one-year contract too.

The bullpen is also changing. It’s improving, aging and getting more expensive as Tom “Flash” Gordon has reportedly inked a two-year deal worth $7.5 million to set up Mo Rivera. Paul Quantrill, a right-handed sinkerball specialist could join the Yankees soon too. Fianlly, Brian Cashman is close to resigning left handed relievers Felix Heredia and Gabe White.

Whew. If that’s not enough for you, Newsday is reporting that the Yankees and Dodgers are talking about a Jeff Weaver-for-Kevin Brown swap:

The Dodgers haven’t agreed to take Weaver, of course, and they may very well never agree to do so. Yet the trade would bring some positives to Los Angeles, as well. It would give the Dodgers some payroll relief, and they could reinvest the money they saved to improve their ailing offense.

…Money is the primary reason the Dodgers would consider such a trade, but it isn’t the only one. While Brown put together an excellent 2003, it came in the wake of two injury-plagued seasons. He made just 10 starts in 2002, when he sprained his right elbow and underwent lower back surgery, and 19 starts in 2001, when he tore a flexor muscle in his right elbow and required surgery. Including a 17-day stay on the disabled list this past season because of an abdominal strain, he has made 11 trips to the DL since 1990.

Chew on that one. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are still after Keith Foulke, and Pedro Martinez is interesting in working out a contract extension. This just in from the pundits at ESPN: The Yankee-Red Sox rivalry never sleeps.

Rich Lederer has the latest installment of his interview series up. Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus is featured this week, and Will gives a lengthy, highly engaging and entirely enjoyable interview. Surprised? Didn’t think so. Don’t sleep.

Terry Francona is expected to be announced as the next manager of the Boston Red Sox this week. He could have been introduced as early as today, but according to Bob Hohler in The Boston Globe, he will have to wait a bit longer. Meanwhile, Bill Madden–who is not a fan of Theo Epstein and the John Henry regime–thinks that Francona is a poor cherce to lead Boston to the World Serious.

Dennis Eckersley and Paul Molitor are the most impressive new candidates eligible for the Hall of Fame. I would assume that both men will make it in. Hopefully after Eck is selected, the voters will reconsider both Bruce Sutter and Goose Gossage. Maybe someone like Rich Lederer will write an analysis about the great modern closers and illustrate just how deserving Sutter and the Goose really are.

According to Peter Gammons, the Yankees are set to sign free agent outfielder Gary Sheffield to a three-year deal worth somewhere between $36-$38 million. The only question is: when will the deal be announced?

New York may wait until after the Dec. 7 deadline for teams to offer salary arbitration to former players who became free agents to finalize the deal with Sheffield, a baseball official with knowledge of the Yankees’ deliberations said on condition of anonymity.

If the Atlanta Braves don’t offer arbitration to Sheffield, the team that signs him after Dec. 7 would not lose any amateur draft picks as compensation.

The signing of Sheffield is inevitable. The suspicious part of me fears that this is Danny Tartabull all over again, but to be fair, Sheffield is a much better player than Tartabull ever was. Sure, there should be concerns about the health of a 35-year old player, not to mention Sheffield’s history as a malcontent. One the other hand, the optimist in me says, here is a great hitter, coming off his best season. (Since when do the Yankees sign players who are past their prime?) If he can remain healthy, he should continue to produce for the next three years.

Aaron Gleeman thinks it’s a good move for New York:

The immediate reaction from many people seems to be that New York is making a mistake, mostly because Sheffield does nothing to solve their defensive problems up the middle.

I certainly agree that the Yankees middle-infield and middle-outfield situations are pretty bad on the defensive end. That said, Sheffield is one of the best hitters in baseball and adding his bat to the lineup is going to be a massive improvement over the production New York got from their right fielders last year (.256/.317/.465).

And really, what is the difference if you are improving a team by 50 runs on offense or 50 runs on defense? It’s the same 50 runs. Actually, I don’t think that’s completely true, but you get the general idea. And improving the team by 50 runs on defense would probably require more than just signing one player, which is all they had to do to improve the offense that much.

I never used to like watching Sheffield hit. He just had too many tics. He was so hyped up I felt uncomfortable just watching him. He made me nervous. But Sheff doesn’t seem to spit as much during an at-bat as he used to though, and I have to admit I’ve been won over during the past few seasons by just how impressive an offensive player he is. Sheffield’s bat speed is tremendous, and boy, does he ever hit the ball hard.

Yeah, I would have liked to have Vlad, but the Yankees aren’t interested in adding another long-term contract. Sheff wants to play here, and George wants him. Like it or not, here he comes.

The Yankees are also close to inking Tom “Flash” Gordon to a two-year, $7 million pact to serve as Mariano Rivera’s set-up man. Paul Quantrill and LaTroy Hawkins remain options as well.

It’s windy and cold here in Vermont this morning, but there are many happy Red Sox fans in these parts regardless. The Red Sox have pitching! This is a moment that should legitimately make Yankee fans nervous. For the better part of 85 years, Boston is a team that has been defined by its offense. If only they had pitching, if only…Well, adding Curt Schilling sure is a good place to start. Buster Olney sure thinks so:

Throughout the Yankees’ dynasty of 1996-2001, they viewed the Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles as sleeping giants, dangerous franchises that were operated incompetently. But now the Red Sox are being run effectively, efficiently, and they are starting to win some of the battles the Yankees always won in past years. They’ll have their next chance on the field in the 2004 season.

Dan Shaughnessy, a writer who has a lot invested in the Red Sox being good but not champs, says this move makes Boston the favorites in the American League East. He also raises an eyebrow over how the Yankees were squeezed by Arizona:

Truly there is something about this deal that does not make sense. In their talks with the Yankees, the Diamondbacks wanted Alfonso Soriano and Nick Johnson in exchange for the 37-year-old Schilling. Dealing with Boston, Arizona settled for Casey Fossum, Brandon Lyon, Jorge de la Rosa, and a minor leaguer to be named, likely Michael Goss — four players who do not equal one Nick Johnson.

Conspiracy theorists believe the Diamondbacks stuck it to the Yankees in retaliation for New York snatching David Wells last winter after Wells made a handshake agreement with Arizona. Look for the Yankees to go after Bartolo Colon now that the Red Sox have Schilling. And brace yourself for New York’s eventual signing of Gary Sheffield.

“I guess I hate the Yankees now,” said Schilling last night after the deal was announced.

Fortunately for Yankee fans, there are some silver linings here. Let’s talk Turkey. We hope that Schilling starts to break down. We hope that he gets in trouble with the press, and that the antiquated Fenway Clubhouse isn’t big enough for both Pedro and Schilling. (Fat chance.) OK, I’m bitter. These might be flimsy hopes, but you got to start somewhere. Meanwhile, Schilling admits that he hasn’t always been kind to Prince P:

“The one thing I know about being a visiting player is that I hated the fans,” he said. “And I think there’s a lot of disliking players until they’re on your side. A guy like Pedro, I think I was quoted in the middle of the playoffs when that situation occurred [involving Karim Garcia and Don Zimmer] as calling him a `punk.’ I can’t take it back. I felt that way at the time, and I’ve played with guys that have done the same thing and I thought it was pretty sweet as a teammate. It’s going to be different from anything I’ve ever done on a consistent basis and it’s going to be a challenge.”

As Gordon Edes notes, the Red Sox should not pop open the champagne just yet:

Of course, it’s a great deal for the Red Sox. But adding Curt Schilling, as good as he is, guarantees nothing, except an over-the-top response from the Yankees, who are virtually certain to add either Bartolo Colon or Javier Vazquez while returning Andy Pettitte to a rotation that will be missing Roger Clemens and possibly David Wells in 2004. In the euphoria that followed his successful pursuit of Schilling last night, Sox GM Theo Epstein acknowledged as much.

…Before planning on that parade down Boylston Street that Schilling was imagining in his musings during last night’s press conference, remember this: The A’s, with their fabulous threesome of Barry Zito, Tim Hudson, and Mark Mulder, have yet to play in a World Series. The Yankees, despite their rotation of impeccable pedigree, have not won a World Series since 2000.

The Sox led the AL in starters’ ERA by a wide margin over the Bombers in 2002 and didn’t even make the playoffs. Same thing in 2000.

I think it is fitting to end today’s entry with the Red Sox Don, Peter Gammons, who gives the lowdown on the deal, and aptly praises Boston’s GM, Theo Epstein.

Curt Schilling has agreed to waive his no-trade clause, and accepted a trade to the Boston Red Sox. According to ESPN, after making $12 million in 2004, Schilling will earn $12.5 million in 2005 and $13 million in 2006. Boston has a $13 million option for 2007 that could become guarenteed if Schilling meets certain performance levels.

So there you have it. The Red Sox bagged their babe. What? You didn’t actually think Theo and Company were going to come back empty-handed now did you?

Yankee fans, brace yourself for another loud-mouth ace up in Beantown who is sure to agitate us plenty. Yup, he’ll be tough against the Yankee hitters, but he’s likely to be even more irritating when he flaps his yap in the newspapers. All the same, I’m glad the Yanks didn’t overpay to get him. Jay Jaffe thinks it is OK that New York passed on him as well:

…There are still other reasons to like Schilling in a Red Sox uniform from the Yankee point of view. One is that it would appear to limit Boston’s long-term spending options. They already made a desperate move to free themselves from Manny Ramirez’s contract, and they’re in the final year of Nomar Garciaparra’s and Pedro Martinez’s deals. Handing out $25-40 million in extensions to the new kid in town isn’t likely to be a hit with those two, and it’s also unclear whether Boston would assume responsiblity for the deferred money. Additionally, signing him would likely eliminate the Sox as one of Andy Pettitte’s suitors.

Steinbrenner’s admiration to the contrary, Curt Schilling is not Roger Clemens. He’s a pitcher who’s had two excellent seasons and several good ones over the course of his career, but he’s never won a Cy Young award, let alone six, and he’s got a ways to go to win 200 games. He’s a flyball pitcher, not particularly well suited to Fenway Park, where he hasn’t done too well historically (career 6.04 ERA in 25.1 innings). On the other hand, he’s still a fine pitcher who strikes out more than 10 men per nine innings and has pinpoint control, allowing less than two walks per nine in each of the past four seasons. Though he spent a bit of time on the DL last season, that time was due to an appendectomy and a broken hand, not shoulder or elbow trouble. But as the Yanks found out in the World Series, old pitchers have a nasty habit of breaking down at inopportune times. Let Schilling break down on somebody else’s watch.

Still, he’s a great fit for the Sox, and it was a great move on their part. What will the Yankees cook-up in response? Brace yourself: they’ve got a Sheff eager to jump into the kitchen.

Checking in from the heart of Red Sox Country…I’m up in Vermont with Emily visiting her folks for the long weekend. Curt Schilling is still not a member of the Home Nine, but he should be by the end of the day. Schilling has until 5 p.m. on the west coast to make a decision. I thought he might want to give Red Sox fans something to cheer about this morning, but he’s going to make ’em sweat it out just a bit. I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about. Schilling has always had a self-important sense of drama.

I’m going to be scrounging around the used bookshops here in the Middlebury/Burlington area hoping to find some bargains and perhaps even a hidden treasure or two. I’ll be back later once something official comes out regarding Schilling.

Hope everyone had a great Turkey Day.

How about this for an eye-grabber:

It sounds like voodoo economics, but it’s possible that the only way the Red Sox can afford both ace Curt Schilling and closer Keith Foulke and still stay under the luxury-tax threshold of $120.5 million for 2004 is by making another deal — one that nets them Alex Rodriguez and the biggest contract in sports.

Gordon Edes sure knows how to get the reader’s attention. I will continue to play the paranoid patsy until Rodriguez is not a Red Sox. Meanwhile, the Red Sox and Curt Schilling will talk turkey today. Schilling is in the driver’s seat here. At this point, the Sox will look bad if they can’t reel him in. Look for Schilling to ask for the anything he wants, and look for “Theo and the Trio” to give it to him. Boston hopes to satiate Red Sox Nation will dreamy headlines for the holiday tomorrow.

First we’ll use Spahn, then we’ll use Sain.
Then an off day, followed by rain.
Back will come Spahn, followed by Sain,
And followed, we hope, by two days of rain.

—Gerry Hern, sports editor of The Boston Post, 1948.

There are several fitting appreciations of Warren Spahn today: Tom Boswell, Ira Berkow, and Rob Neyer all pay their respects.

The mainstream media has been nothing less than shrill in their coverage of performance-enhancing drugs in sports, especially baseball. Lisa Olson adds her two-cents today with a piece on Barry Bonds’ personal trainer and Jere Longman has a cautionary tale about steroids and a Texas teenager in the New York Times. For a more measured and clear-headed take, check out Rob Neyer’s latest, as well as a lengthy, and exceedingly well-researched piece by Dayn Perry (thanks to Mike Emeigh at Baseball Primer’s Clutch Hits for the link). Perry’s article is almost a year old, but it still holds up and should be required reading for anyone interested in the steroid issue.

After weeks of silly headlines, Mike Piazza attempts to set the record straight: He does not want to be traded and is willing to play some games at first base:

“I don’t want to be traded,” Piazza told The [Newark] Star-Ledger in a casual, matter-of-fact tone by phone yesterday from his L.A. home. “I signed on for seven years. I made a seven-year commitment and I plan to stick to it. I don’t know where all this came from, but it didn’t come from me. What hurts me is that the fans are confused, and they shouldn’t be. It’s kind of embarrassing. It shouldn’t be about me. It should be about making the team better.”

…”I’m just trying to be accommodating, to help the team. I think we should have open lines of communication and we should be adults about it. They shouldn’t be afraid to come talk to me about anything. I’ll do whatever they want me to do. My agent was quoted saying I’m willing to play first base. I’ve said it over and over again. What do I have to do, go to the top of a mountain at high noon and sign it in blood?”

That would be funny. Not necessary, but funny. I’ll settle for watching Mike play the air drums in the outfield during pre-game warm ups.

Travis Nelson has a winning (and funny) critique of the M.V.P. voting process. Travis offers some constructive criticism to Jayson Stark and makes his case for what “value” really means. This piece comes in two-parts (Part I and Part II) and I highly recommend that you stop by The Boy of Summer and give it a look.

The Red Sox high command will be in Arizona today to meet with Curt Schilling. From what I can gather, it is just a matter of time before Arizona’s right-handed ace joins Boston. Here is this morning’s coverage in The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald, New York Times, Daily News and the New York Post. Jayson Stark, who has been close with Schilling since the pitchers’ days with the Phillies, has the scoop at ESPN:

“I’m dealing with this situation exactly how I would if I were a free agent and Boston was a city I was interested in,” Schilling told ESPN.com Monday night. “And I’m going to assess things just the way a free agent would who was thinking about going somewhere.

“I’m concerned about a lot of things — and many of them are not just in the clubhouse and on the field. They’re personal, family issues. And they’re things I have to think about in a very condensed time frame, because by Friday at 5 o’clock, somebody has to have a decision.”

…”In a sense, I’m still standing on the mound with the ball in my hand,” he said, “because nothing has been determined. And nothing will be determined without my wife and I saying yes. That’s just like I’m on the mound. I’m in full control of the situation until the ball leaves my hand. So now, the most important thing to me, in this situation, is to make the right pitch.”

One major selling point for Schilling is the impending hiring of Terry Francona as the next Boston skipper. Schilling played for Francona in Philly.

Before flying out to meet with Schilling today, Boston GM Theo Epstein attended the Celtics-Knicks game last night in Boston with free agent reliever Keith Foulke. Looks like Red Sox Nation is going to have much to be thankful for come Thursday.

Hall of Fame southpaw, Warren Spahn passed away yesterday. He was 82. Spahn was famous for a fluid pitching motion and high leg kick. Oh yeah, he also holds the all-time mark for career wins by a lefty, with 363. He pitched for 21 seasons and won 20 or more games 13 times. He will be missed.

Forget the three-team swap. According to ESPN:

Boston would send left-handed pitcher Casey Fossum, lefty Jorge De La Rosa, righty Brandon Lyon and outfielder Michael Goss to Arizona for Schilling.

Schilling will meet with Theo Epstein and John Henry tomorrow in Arizona to work out the details for a contract extension:

“Money is not going to be the key factor. I already have more money then I am ever going to spend. It will have to be right for me, my wife and family. The Red Sox have some positives, the Yankees have some positives, but we will see after I talk to them.”

…”I’d rather stay here in Arizona, I have said that all along. I am adamant about that,” Schilling said at the news conference. “I realize that it is a payroll decision. They have to move payroll and change payroll. Twelve million dollars is a big chunk of that. You can’t always get what you want.”

Welp, Yankee fans, it looks to me as if Curt Schilling will be wearing a Boston uniform next year. (Do you feel angry or relieved?) That makes for an imposing front three, no? But as scary as it may seem

OF COURSE YOU KNOW, THIS MEANS WAR

This just in. According to Lee Sinins, a major trade is in the works:

The Diamondbacks have traded P Curt Schilling to the Redsox for P Casey
Fossum and a couple of prospects.

However, Schilling has a no trade clause and still has to approve the deal.
So, the deal is being sent to bud’s office in order to officially start the 72 hour window to allow the Redsox to talk to him about a contract extension.

…According to Peter Gammons, the Diamondbacks would send Fossum to the
Brewers for Richie Sexson.

Just a note here–I’m hearing about Gammons’s report through WFAN’s Mike Francesa and I was also distracted by something else while listening to him. So, there may or may not be a detail or two that should also be in the
report.

Wow. Think George will take this one well? If this goes through, Steinbrenner is going to hit the roof. Heads will roll; money will be spent, and maybe A Rod finds his way to the Bronx after all.

Schilling said a few weeks ago that he wasn’t interested in playing in Boston. A right-handed fly-ball pitcher isn’t the ideal fit for the Fens. Still, from my perspective as a Yankee fan, Schilling is the perfect Red Sox. He looks like a Red Sox and is easy to root against. And talk about quotable. Between Schilling and Pedro, it certainly won’t be dull in Boston. They’ll be bashing the Yanks from February through October.

If this trade goes through, it will be the biggest killing of Theo Epstein’s young career. And another memorable chapter in the Yankee-Red Sox rivalry. The Hot Stove just got hotter.