Mlb on The Huffington Post

Steve Buckley: The Myth of Complacency in Boston Sports

2009-12-04T00:34:26Z

When the Boston Red Sox won the World Series in 2004 - the team's first championship since 1918 - one of the follow-up storylines held that New England sports fans, having rid themselves of ghosts, demons and "curses," might lose their passion for baseball.

The premise was simple: Red Sox fans had waited 86 years to see their team win the World Series, and now that their suffering was finally over it would never again be fun to go to Fenway Park. Might as well shut the place down and move the Red Sox to Vegas.

The real fun, went the argument, was to spend the winter grousing over the Red Sox' latest ruinous season and then, come the spring, latch on to the newly-formed belief that this is going to be the year. And, lo, there had been plenty of calamitous endings to once-promising seasons over the years - Enos Slaughter's mad dash to home plate to lift the St. Louis Cardinals to victory in Game 7 of the '46 World Series, gin-blossomy manager Joe McCarthy making the preposterous decision to start journeyman Denny Galehouse in a 1948 playoff game against the Cleveland Indians, Jim Lonborg fighting and losing the good fight on two days of rest in Game 7 of the '67 World Series, Luis Aparicio dooming the Sox to a second-place finish when he tripped rounding third base in the last days of the '72 season, Darrell Johnson sending up Cecil Cooper to bat for Jim Willoughby in Game 7 of the '75 World Series, Bucky Dent's home run off Mike Torrez in the '78 playoff game, the ball going between Bill Buckner's legs in '86, Grady Little leaving Pedro Martinez on the mound to get pounded by the Yankees in Game 7 of the '03 American League Championship Series.

And so on.

In his 1985 book, "Beyond the Sixth Game," ESPN's Peter Gammons, who covered the Red Sox for parts of two decades, tells the story about the fan sitting in a bar three months after the '75 World Series, ". . . drinking fifty-cent shots with twenty-five-cent drafts, blankly staring at the television mounted up in the corner of the bar. He had been there for nearly four hours, watching, when he turned for the first time to a group of three men down the bar. 'Why,' he stammered, 'did Johnson bat for Willoughby?'

"'Where were you,' replied one of the men, 'when you heard Denny Galehouse was pitching against the Indians?'

"'How,' asked another, 'could Slaughter have scored from first?'''

But along came the 2004 Red Sox, staging their historic comeback against the Yankees in the American League Championship Series, winning four straight games after losing the first three, and then sweeping the overwhelmed Cardinals in the World Series. And never again would Sox fans have anything to complain about, thus making it pointless to follow baseball.

Well . . . no. The reality is that Boston sports fans - and we're talking about followers of the Bruins, Celtics and Patriots and Red Sox - are a lot like Audrey II, the man-eating plant in "Little Shop of Horrors."

Once Audrey II had that first taste of blood . . .

Beginning with the Patriots' shocking upset of the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI of February 3, 2002, the Boston sports market has gorged itself on six championship celebrations. The Patriots returned two years later and won Super Bowl XXXVIII, and they were repeat champions in Super Bowl XXXIX. The Red Sox, after winning the World Series in 2004, won it again in 2007. And then the Celtics, after acquiring Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen and joining them with Paul Pierce for a newly-built Big Three, captured the 2007-08 National Basketball Association championship, the team's first since 1986.

And while I may have missed a few places - including the bar in Inman Square in Cambridge, Mass., where Peter Gammons's long-suffering Red Sox fan stewed over Darrell Johnson's decision to pinch-hit for Jim Willoughby in Game 7 of the '75 World Series - I have yet to make the acquaintance of a Boston sports fan who, having witnessed six championship celebrations in a little more than six years, is capable of sitting back and saying, "OK, I'm good."

When I was researching my book "Wicked Good Year: How the Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics Turned the Hub of the Universe into the Capital of Sports," I spent enough time with enough Boston sports fans to confirm what I believed all along: In Boston, as in all rabid sports towns, there is no such thing as too much winning. As for the notion that the demise of the Red Sox' decades-old championship drought was going to empty Fenway Park of its passion, that's a whopper of a miss.

During this past baseball season, the Red Sox won 95 games and qualified for the playoffs as the American League's wild-card. Not only were the Sox were swept in the Division Series by the Los Angeles Angels, the end was horrific: Closer Jonathan Papelbon, who came into the series having pitched 25 scoreless innings in 16 career postseason appearances, gave up three ninth-inning runs.

In the days following the defeat, there was plenty of talk that maybe it's time for the Red Sox to give Jonathan Papelbon the big adios and groom rookie Daniel Bard as the next closer. The Red Sox were criticized for not making a bigger push to sign free-agent slugger Mark Teixeira . . . who signed with the Yankees . . . who wound up winning the World Series. (You can look it up: In Boston, it's illegal to invest in silver linings in any year in which the Yankees win the World Series.) General manager Theo Epstein was especially criticized for some of the free-agent signings he's made in recent years, and for his inability to understand that, gee, shortstop really is an important position.

But here's one topic nobody was talking about: The good old days of 2004 and '07. In fact, a case can be made that the fallout over the '09 season was greater than in seasons in which the Red Sox simply played wire-to-wire, not-good-enough baseball and then simply went away.

It's the same in any discussion of the Celtics and Patriots. As recently as two weeks ago, Patriots coach Bill Belichick had his genius credentials temporarily suspended after his decision to go for first down on fourth-and-two, rather than punt the ball, in the last minutes of New England's nationally-televised game against the undefeated Indianapolis Colts. The Pats didn't get the first down. The Colts got the ball back. The Colts won.

The next day, people were calling Bill Belichick a lot of names. "Genius" was not among them.

Every caller on every talk show was Audrey II. Looking for blood. Same as always.

The Red Sox have sold out every home game since 2003. Since moving into Gillette Stadium in 2002, the Patriots have yet to play in front of an empty seat. The Celtics have sold out every home game for the past two seasons, and will do so again this season.

This is what separates the Bostons, the Phillys, the New Yorks, the Chicagos, from most other towns in America: Folks don't fill the ballparks, areas and stadiums to talk about the good old days. They want the goods.

Michael Weiner, New MLBPA Head, Succeeds Donald Fehr At Baseball Union

2009-12-02T16:00:46Z

NEW YORK — Get ready for more postseason baseball games – and fewer off days.

Players would like to see the first round of playoffs expand to best-of-seven when their next labor contract starts in 2012, Michael Weiner said Wednesday in his first news conference since replacing Donald Fehr as the union head.

Nick Adenhart Estate Given $138,000 Playoff Share

2009-11-30T20:05:26Z

NEW YORK — The Los Angeles Angels voted to give a full postseason share to the estate of Nick Adenhart, the rookie pitcher killed in April in a car accident allegedly caused by a drunken driver.

The Angels' shares were worth $138,039. Los Angeles lost to the New York Yankees in the AL championship series.

Chip Caray, TBS Part Ways

2009-11-30T17:34:52Z

ATLANTA — Chip Caray has called his final baseball game for TBS.

Network spokesman Jeff Pomeroy confirmed Monday that TBS and the announcer have decided to part ways.

Average MLB Salary Nearly $3 Million

2009-11-30T14:43:48Z

NEW YORK — The average baseball salary fell just short of $3 million this year, with the percentage increase slowing to its lowest level since 2004.

The 926 players in the major leagues before rosters expanded in September averaged $2,996,000, according to the annual report of the players' association, which was obtained Monday by The Associated Press.

Grady Sizemore Photos Were Stolen From E-Mail, Club Says

2009-11-30T11:49:04Z

CLEVELAND — Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore has contacted investigators from Major League Baseball to stop publication of steamy photographs that he says were stolen from his girlfriend's e-mail account and then posted online.

A baseball official, speaking on condition of anonymity because no statements had been authorized, told The Associated Press that MLB officials have been contacting the Web sites that posted the photos and have been asking them to take down the pictures. It is not known how many sites are complying with the request.

Bud Selig To Resign After 2012, Report Says

2009-11-29T02:38:15Z

According to sources, a group of five owners approached the 75-year-old Selig about remaining on the job beyond the end of his contract, which expires after the 2012 season.

Hall Of Fame Ballot Includes Alomar, Larkin, Martinez, McGriff

2009-11-27T14:38:13Z

NEW YORK — Roberto Alomar is among 15 first-time candidates of this year's Hall of Fame ballot, joining holdovers Mark McGwire, Andre Dawson and Bert Blyleven.

Edgar Martinez, Barry Larkin and Fred McGriff also are new to the ballot this year. There are 26 candidates, three more than last year when Rickey Henderson was elected in his initial appearance and Jim Rice made it on his 15th and final try. Dawon fell 44 votes shy of the 75 percent needed and Blyleven was 67 short.

Jamie Moyer Hospitalized: Groin Surgery Symptoms Land Moyer In Hospital

2009-11-25T18:54:21Z

PHILADELPHIA — Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer has been hospitalized due to recurring symptoms from groin surgery in September.

The team announced Wednesday that Moyer has been admitted to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital but did not give any more information about his condition.

Andruw Jones Signs With White Sox: Jones, Chicago Agree To One-Year Deal

2009-11-25T16:08:16Z

CHICAGO — Andruw Jones agreed Wednesday to a $500,000, one-year contract with the Chicago White Sox.

Jones hit .214 with 17 homers and 43 RBIs in 82 games with Texas this year while making 53 starts as the designated hitter, 12 in left field, five in right field and four at first base.

Albert Pujols, 2009 NL MVP Winner, Wins Award Unanimously

2009-11-24T14:55:19Z

NEW YORK — Albert Pujols' third National League MVP award put him in select company. Only Barry Bonds has more. "I'm just humbled," Pujols said. Pujols won unanimously Tuesday, becoming the first player to repeat since Bonds won four in a row from 2001-04. Pujols, who also won in 2005, received all 32 first-place votes and 448 points in balloting announced by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. He became the first unanimous MVP since Bonds in 2002.

A big part of the Cardinals' success this year was the acquisition of Matt Holliday in July. Holliday, who hit cleanup behind Pujols, helped St. Louis win the NL Central and then became a free agent.

Joe Mauer, 2009 AL MVP Winner, Wins Award With 27 Of 28 First-Place Votes

2009-11-23T14:14:24Z

NEW YORK — Joe Mauer sat behind a table on a podium in a conference room at the Metrodome when Justin Morneau shouted out the last question of the day. "Are you finally going to buy dinner now?" Morneau said to his teammate from the audience, one MVP to another.

Mauer became only the second catcher in 33 years to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award, finishing first in a near-unanimous vote Monday.

2009 NL Cy Young: Who Deserved It? (PHOTOS)

2009-11-19T14:08:00Z

The votes are in and the AL Cy Young winner has been chosen, but who deserved to win? Take a look at some of the NL's finest pitchers below.

Tim Lincecum, 2009 NL Cy Young Winner, Wins Second Straight Cy Young

2009-11-19T14:03:20Z

Who deserved to win? Take a look at the other candidates HERE.

NEW YORK -- San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum won the NL Cy Young Award on Thursday for the second straight year, emerging from one of the tightest votes in the history of the honor to become the first repeat winner since Randy Johnson.

The wiry right-hander, nicknamed "The Freak" for his giant stride, needed only 15 victories to earn the award - the fewest for a Cy Young starter over a non-shortened season.

Lincecum led the NL with 261 strikeouts and tied for the league lead with four complete games and two shutouts.

Only 10 points separated the top three vote-getters. Chris Carpenter was second and St. Louis teammate Adam Wainwright finished third despite getting the most first-place votes.

The 2009 honors for Lincecum and Kansas City Royals ace Zack Greinke reflect a recent shift in how voters pick baseball's best pitchers. Wins, losses and ERA used to determine the Cy Young Award winner - now it's detailed statistics such as WHIP, FIP and BABIP.

Greinke equaled the previous low of 16 wins for a non-shortened season when he won the AL award on Tuesday.

"It's turned into a game of complete numbers and statistics and what people do with that," Lincecum said. "So I mean just to put more options in the voters' heads about what's supposed to be more important, which takes priority over another, that's all based on opinion."

Lincecum is facing misdemeanor marijuana charges stemming from a traffic stop in his home state of Washington on Oct. 30. No questions were allowed about the incident in his conference call after winning the award but he did acknowledge making a mistake and apologized in a prepared statement.

"I know that as a professional athlete I have a responsibility to conduct myself appropriately both on and off the field," he said. "I certainly have learned a valuable lesson through all of this and I promise to do better in the future.

"I hope and expect that the matter will be resolved soon. In the meantime I am focused on preparing for the 2010 season."

Lincecum received 11 first-place votes, 12 seconds and nine thirds for 100 points in balloting released by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Carpenter had nine firsts, 14 seconds and seven thirds to take second with 94.

Wainwright, who led the NL with 19 wins and 233 innings, had 12 first-place votes, five seconds and 15 thirds for 90 points. Trevor Hoffman, who finished behind Tom Glavine in 1998, is the only other player to get the most firsts and not win the award.

"The guys I was going up against, Wainwright and Carpenter, had tremendous seasons," the 25-year-old Lincecum said. "It was a lucky one for me. I'll take them as I come I guess."

Two voters, Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus and Keith Law of ESPN.com, did not include Carpenter on their ballots. Carroll had Wainwright in the top spot, Lincecum second and Arizona's Dan Haren third. Law voted for Lincecum, Atlanta's Javier Vazquez and Wainwright in third. Those were the only votes in any position for Haren and Vazquez.

The six-point gap between Lincecum and Carpenter is tied for the third-closest in the NL since the ballot expanded to three pitchers in 1970. The 10-point margin from first to third is the second-closest for the NL ballot.

Lincecum, who had a $650,000 salary and is headed for a big raise now that he's eligible for arbitration, did not have any bonus provision for winning the award. Carpenter receives $100,000 for finishing second, Wainwright $100,000 for winding up third and Vazquez $70,000 for being voted fourth.

Lincecum teamed with Matt Cain to give the Giants a strong 1-2 punch at the top of their rotation, helping them stay in contention all year in one of baseball's biggest surprises. He went 15-7 with a 2.48 ERA in 32 starts and 225 1-3 innings.

"I'm excited," Giants infielder Pablo Sandoval told The Associated Press. "I'm very happy for him. He did a great job for the team and he had great numbers."

Johnson, Lincecum's teammate this year in San Francisco, and Sandy Koufax are the only other pitchers to win consecutive NL Cy Young Awards. Johnson won four straight from 1999-2002 with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Koufax was honored in 1965 and 1966 for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

San Francisco selected the 5-foot-11, 170-pound Lincecum with the 10th overall selection in the 2006 draft out of Washington, and he instantly became the organization's top pitching prospect since Hall of Famer Juan Marichal signed with the New York Giants as an amateur free agent in 1957. He made his major league debut in 2007 and is 40-17 with a 2.90 ERA in three seasons.

___

AP Baseball Writer Janie McCauley in San Francisco contributed to this report.

MLB Playoff Schedule Changes: Selig Promises Fewer Off Days

2009-11-19T04:48:55Z

(AP) CHICAGO -- Baseball plans to cut down on off days during the postseason next year.

Commissioner Bud Selig said Wednesday he's working on tightening up the 2010 playoff schedule so there will be fewer gaps between games.

Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia criticized the current format after the Yankees and Angels played only eight times in 20 days going into Game 6 of the AL championship series.

"We're going to change it," Selig said. "I don't disagree with Mike Scioscia. I think he was right, so we're going to try and tighten that up."

Selig also said he would continue to discuss instant replay, but it's not expected to be a major topic when owners have a full meeting Thursday morning even though there were several missed calls by umpires during the postseason.

In the past, Selig has resisted the idea of expanded video replay. Under the current system, it is used only to judge if home runs have cleared the fence or are fair or foul.

"I'm going to talk to a lot of people. I haven't changed my view at all, but I'm always willing to talk to a lot of people and I've talked to a lot of managers and I've talked to a lot of general managers," Selig said. "I haven't heard from anybody about instant replay. The only comments I get are when I call somebody on a bunch of subjects and we talk about it."

Selig said he's still working on details for the new postseason format.

"When you plan the playoff schedule, you don't know how many games the first round would go. So it's difficult," he explained. "There were clubs that sat around. Some were necessary, but some were not."

Starting in 2007, baseball added four extra days off during the postseason at the request of its television partners, shifting the World Series opener to Wednesday from Saturday, usually the lowest-rated night of the week.

The economic disparity between payrolls for some of the large-market teams — such as the New York Yankees — and smaller ones will always be an issue, Selig said.

A salary cap might bridge the disparity between the large-market and small-market teams, but Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said there are other ways to address competitive balance. Or imbalance.

"For example, by changing the draft," he said. "Pretty much in the other sports the best players go to the worst teams. That doesn't always seem to happen in our sport. I think if we can adjust things so that happens that would help."

At a meeting last week, general managers discussed factoring postseason performance into draft position, meaning the World Series winner would pick last. Drafting foreign players could also be a consideration, but that would be subject to collective bargaining.

"I don't know what the mechanics of that would be. Right now, really international is somewhat freeform," Attanasio added.

Under the current system, players outside the United States are not subject to the draft. They are free agents eligible to sign with any team.

Selig favors restructuring the draft, too.

"I've said it: We need a worldwide draft and we need a slotting system. There's no secret about that. It's fair," Selig reiterated.

Revenue sharing was discussed during committee meetings Wednesday.

On another subject, Selig said he's not worried about the ownership situation with the Los Angeles Dodgers that has become messy after Frank McCourt and his wife, Jamie McCourt, separated. After she was fired as the team's chief executive, Jamie McCourt filed for divorce and said she would like to buy the club.

"Look, the Dodgers are in good hands," Selig said. "There's no reason to get into any debate about what's going to happen. The Dodgers are going to be in L.A. for as long as any of us are alive and many generations after."

During a dinner Wednesday night, owners were to welcome Tom Ricketts and his family as new owners of the Chicago Cubs.

"Every franchise is different. Asset values are very important — they're very important to me, they're very important to these 30 people," Selig said. "But the Cubs are a very, very unique franchise. I mean there's no question about it — Wrigley Field and the Cubs and everything about it."

Arn Tellem: After the Flood

2009-11-18T19:21:51Z

It's been 40 years since Curt Flood started the machinery of free agency and inadvertently sabotaged his baseball career. On Christmas Eve in 1969, the 31-year-old centerfielder sent a fateful letter to the commissioner of the big leagues, Bowie Kuhn. A seven-time Gold Glove Award winner who had played for St. Louis in three World Series, Flood had just been traded to Philadelphia. "After 12 years in the major leagues," he wrote, "I do not feel that I am a piece of property to be bought and sold irrespective of my wishes."

After refusing to report to Philly, Flood sued baseball for $1 million. He ultimately lost his case -- at trial and on appeal to the Supreme Court--but set in motion the legal battle that would topple the reserve clause, which bound a player for life to a particular team.

I was in 10th grade when "Rembrandt" defied baseball and challenged the unfairness of the system. As a Phillies fan -- Southwest Philly-born, Penn Valley-bred -- I was infuriated by Flood's chutzpah. Only years later did I realize how courageous and selfless he had been. Flood opened the gates to free agency at great personal cost: A lifetime .293 hitter still in his relative prime, he forfeited a lucrative $100,000 contract to sit out the entire 1970 campaign. Traded to Washington at the end of that year, he appeared in only 13 games for the Senators before retiring. Flood went bankrupt, smoked and drank heavily, and was a largely forgotten figure when he died of throat cancer in 1997.

It's now been 20 years since pitcher Mark Langston -- my first marquee client -- played out his contract with the Montreal Expos and filed for free agency, the most cherished right ballplayers enjoy. After years of indentured servitude in the minors, contract renewal and salary arbitration, free agency is the only opportunity players get to have a real say over their future and realize their true market value. (It also allows a ballclub to improve without having to break up its nucleus). Injury, age and team economics keep many players from ever reaching this hard-won status. Typically, they don't qualify before their late 20s, and often later.

Langston was 28 when he became eligible. Having led the American League in strikeouts three times, the southpaw was, in November of 1989, the most sought-after free agent in the game. In those days, no one was quite sure how much the top free agents would fetch on the open market. Arbitrators had ruled that during the off-seasons of 1985, 1986 and 1987, management had colluded to keep players in their places and their salaries in check by declining to sign the free agents on other teams. The owners agreed to pay the players a $280 million settlement.

As it turned out, the bidding for Langston was brisk. After more than two weeks of cross-country romancing by six teams, the suitors were narrowed to the Chicago Cubs, the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels. But the Cubs balked at giving Langston a five-year deal and the Dodgers resisted a no-trade provision, which left the Yankees and Angels. In the end, Langston, a California kid, decided he would be more comfortable in his home state. The $16 million deal that I negotiated --- briefly, very briefly, the highest outlay ever made for a player -- propelled my career as a sports agent. This month 12 of my clients are testing the waters.

In pro basketball, the labor wars of the last decade have effectively eliminated free agency. The NBA system has been devised to keep great players with their teams, regardless of market size. In baseball, on the other hand, free agency has generally worked to the great advantage of the players. Every so often, the market suddenly -- suspiciously -- evaporates, perhaps never as dramatically as last year. Sluggers Bobby Abreu and Adam Dunn, both coming off huge contracts, signed for a great deal less than anyone had anticipated. Manny Ramirez, one of baseball's best hitters, sought a four-year deal for $100 million, but settled for a two-year, $45 million pact from the Dodgers. In the freewheeling world of baseball free agency, it was a startling concession to what the owners called "changing times." But is this phrase really just a euphemism for a new era of collusion?

The owners were quick to blame the shrinking economy. Sure, they say, baseball generated $6.5 billion in gross revenue last year (up from $3.5 billion in 2001) and marquee franchises like the Yankees, for whom free agency has been a way to flex financial muscle, are still flush, filling seats and, despite the recession, making generous offers to free agents. (During the previous off-season, the Yanks committed $432.5 million alone to C.C. Sabathia, Marx Teixeira and A.J. Burnett). But due in small part to decreased capacity in two new New York ballparks and in large part to economic turbulence, total attendance dipped 6.58 percent. Twenty-two of the 30 clubs had fewer fans at home games. The differential was especially pronounced in Toronto, Washington and San Diego, where attendance declined more than 20 percent. In the battered Rust Belt, Cleveland was down 17.6 percent; Cincinnati, 15.1 percent; and Detroit, where the Tigers nearly won a division title, 19.9 percent.

The Downturn, say the owners, caused even the Bronx Bombers to nosedive slightly. Sales of premium seats in the Yanks' new stadium - which filled to only 87.8 of capacity (4.5 percent lower than in 2008) and saw only two regular-season sellouts -- were so sluggish that a Manhattan real estate brokerage was hired to market unsold club seats and luxury boxes. General Motors-- once baseball's biggest corporate sponsor--declined to renew its deal with the team, while bailout-infused Bank of America pulled out of talks for long-term sponsorship, extending its contract for a single year.

No sport is recession resistant, much less recession-proof. And in every sport, smaller-market teams that were scraping along are now in economic retreat. Pro basketball's Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings are struggling, as are the pro hockey franchises in Phoenix, Nashville, Miami, Atlanta and Tampa. Some owners are so overwhelmed by debt that they say they can no longer afford high player salaries. In April, Tom Hicks, whose company owns baseball's Texas Rangers as well as the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars, defaulted on about $525 million in loans--a move he claimed to have made intentionally to help his negotiations with banks. Other franchises that rely heavily on credit to finance long-term contracts acted much more frugally last off-season; this year, numerous general managers continue to wrestle with payroll restrictions.

No doubt times are tough. On the other hand, the owners have a history of collusive practices. Three years ago, in a settlement over allegations following the 2002 and 2003 seasons, they agreed to pay the players $12 million from so-called "luxury tax" revenue sharing funds. Given past practices, the Major League Players Association has an obligation to scrutinize the behavior of management in the current free agent market. Legitimate financial issues must not be used as a cover to illegally drive down salaries.

As the economy shows signs of improving, I remain optimistic that so too will the bidding for free agents. Now, more than ever, baseball's Rembrandt deserves thanks for opening the Floodgates.

Jim Tracy, Mike Scioscia: 2009 Manager Of The Year Winners

2009-11-18T14:23:27Z

NEW YORK — The Los Angeles Angels could have crumbled when pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed in a car accident in April, overcome by waves of grief and sadness.

Mike Scioscia kept them moving forward.

Jonah Keri: Baseball's New Market Inefficiency

2009-11-18T10:42:43Z

Cross-posted at JonahKeri.com

As expected, the baseball cognoscenti has gone ga-ga for Tyler Kepner's New York Times piece on AL Cy Young winner Zack Greinke. And why not? Here's Greinke telling Kepner how his increased interest in advanced baseball statistics helped him run roughshod over hitters this season.

"That's pretty much how I pitch, to try to keep my FIP as low as possible," Greinke said.

Kepner also notes how Greinke learned about Fielding Independent Pitching and Ultimate Zone Rating from stats-savvy teammate Brian Bannister. So influenced was Greinke from these pow-wows with Bannister that he began purposely trying to induce batters to hit flyballs to left field, knowing that vacuum cleaner David DeJesus would track down almost any ball that wasn't hit over the fence. It's no surprise then that everyone from Dave Cameron to Patrick Sullivan to Rob Neyer (the only one of this trio who hasn't joined me for a meal at epic Boston brunch/lunch spot The Friendly Toast, though hopefully that will change some time soon) was all over the story. (It's doubly interesting because Kepner and Neyer engaged in a playful argument earlier this year over UZR as it pertained to Mark Teixeira, with Kepner taking the position that UZR, especially when viewed through just a few months worth of data, doesn't tell you everything--a position I agree with, by the way.)

All well and good. Except the masses seem to have missed the most interesting and relevant part of the whole article.

The award will raise Greinke's profile, which he does not want. When Oakland's Andrew Bailey won the A.L. rookie of the year award Monday, he said he was happy to be asked for an autograph in a mall. Greinke has the opposite reaction to fame.

"I haven't really gotten a whole lot of attention from people, which has been nice," Greinke said. "I hope it doesn't get that way, where everybody's like, 'Oh, hey, Zack, hi,' and they talk to me a bunch."

As my buddy Ben Kabak of River Avenue Blues (yes, I'm going to name-drop every intelligent writer in the Western Hemisphere by the time this post ends) notes, there's an excellent chance that Greinke might be the rare superstar who chafes at going to New York or Boston when he reaches free agency, or gets close enough to where the Royals will want to trade him. Ben's almost certainly right. Earlier in his career, Greinke took time off from the game to get treated for Social Anxiety Disorder. While he's obviously progressed enough to become a knockout major league pitcher who can take the mound every fifth day without a hiccup, Greinke's never going to be confused with any kind of social butterfly. There's a very real chance that the Royals might be able to retain Greinke for well below market value, since Kansas City is a place that's more comfortable and far less visible for someone who fears the public eye. (In fact, the Royals have already done this, giving Greinke a bargain four-year, $38 million contract last off-season). If Greinke thinks "Oh, hey, Zack, hi" is bad, imagine what would happen in New York if he gained a fraction of the fame and infamy of, say, Alex Rodriguez.

Granted, Greinke is an extreme example, and Social Anxiety Disorder is no laughing matter. Still, you can see where this is going, right? Small-market teams could benefit from performing rigorous personality tests on potential draft picks, screening for signs of introversion. If two pitchers profile as close to identical in talent and smarts, a team like the Royals or Pirates could choose the homebody over the gadfly, wrap him in a Snuggie every day, hand him hot cocoa before every start, and tell him horror stories about the big city and all the dangers that lurk there behind every corner.

With the deck so heavily stacked in favor of teams like the Yankees and Red Sox, it's time for smaller-market teams to exploit an edge of their own. Forget statistical analysis, on-base percentage, defense, new medical technology, advanced training methods or any other edge lower-revenue teams try desperately to find. Shy guys are the new market inefficiency.

2009 AL Cy Young Award: Who Deserved It? (PHOTOS)

2009-11-17T14:09:07Z

The votes are in and the AL Cy Young winner has been chosen, but who deserved to win? Take a look at some of the AL's finest pitchers below.

Get HuffPost Sports on Facebook and Twitter!

Zack Greinke: 2009 AL Cy Young Winner

2009-11-17T14:07:57Z

Who deserved to win? Take a look at the other candidates HERE.

(AP) NEW YORK -- Zack Greinke won the American League Cy Young Award on Tuesday, beating out Felix Hernandez after a spectacular season short on wins but long on domination.

Greinke went 16-8 with a 2.16 ERA for the Kansas City Royals. Hernandez went 19-5 with a 2.49 ERA for the Seattle Mariners.

Greinke received 25 first-place votes and three seconds for 134 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Hernandez drew two firsts, 23 seconds and one third for 80 points.

Detroit's Justin Verlander was third with the remaining first-place vote and nine thirds for 14 points. He was followed by the Yankees' CC Sabathia with 13 points and Toronto's Roy Halladay with 11 points.

The NL winner will be announced Thursday.

Greinke's ERA was the lowest in the AL since Pedro Martinez's 1.74 ERA in 2000 and his 242 strikeouts were second in the league behind Verlander.

It was quite a turnaround for the 26-year-old right-hander, who was the sixth overall pick in the 2002 amateur draft but led the AL in losses in 2005 when he went 5-17.
Story continues below

He left spring training in February 2006 and went home to Florida with what later was diagnosed as a social anxiety disorder. He started working out in the minors about six weeks later and returned to the majors in late September.

Greinke was 7-7 the following year and 13-10 in 2008 before his breakout season.

His victory total matched that of Arizona's Brandon Webb three years ago for the fewest by a starting pitcher to win a Cy Young Award in a non-shortened season and was the fewest by an AL starter to win in a full-length season.

Kansas City, which tied for last place in the AL Central at 65-97, scored just 13 runs in his eight losses and 21 runs in his nine no-decisions. He failed to get a victory in six starts in which he allowed one run or none.

He was particularly sharp at the start and finish, going 5-0 with a 0.50 ERA in April and 5-0 with a 1.29 ERA in his last eight starts. He didn't allow any runs in his first three starts and any earned runs in his first four, and his 0.84 ERA through 10 starts was the first below 1.00 in the major leagues since Juan Marichal's 0.55 in 1966.

He struck out 15 over eight innings against Cleveland on Aug. 25, then followed five days later by pitching a one-hitter at Seattle. After Kenji Johjima's soft second-inning single, Greinke retired his final 22 batters.

Greinke, who agreed to a $38 million, four-year contract last winter, receives a $100,000 bonus for winning.

The first-place votes for Hernandez came from Chris Assenheimer of The Chronicle-Telegram in Elyria, Ohio, and Mark Feinsand of the Daily News In New York. Verlander's first-place vote was cast by Steve Kornacki of Booth Newspapers in Michigan.

2009 NL Rookie Of The Year Candidates (PHOTOS)

2009-11-16T14:32:54Z

The votes are in, and the NL Rookie of the Year has been announced. But who deserved to win the award? Check out the candidates below.

Andrew Bailey, AL ROY Winner: Athletic Wins Rookie Of The Year Award

2009-11-16T14:25:38Z

Andrew Bailey has won the American League Rookie of the Year award, according to MLB.com. Bailey, a right-handed reliever for the Oakland Athletics, won 13 first-place votes and finished with 88 points. Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus placed second with 65 points, followed by Tigers pitcher Rick Porcello with 64 points.

Bailey finished 6-3 with a 1.84 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and a 91:24 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 83 1/3 innings of work. His 2.56 FIP was second in the league among pitchers with at least 80 innings pitched.

Who should have won the award? Look at all the candidates here.

Get HuffPost Sports on Facebook and Twitter!

Chris Coghlan, NL ROY Winner: Marlin Wins Rookie Of The Year Award

2009-11-16T14:22:28Z

Chris Coghlan has won the National League Rookie of the Year award, according to MLB.com. Coghlan, an outfielder for the Florida Marlins, won 17 first-place votes and finished with 105 points, narrowly edging Phillies pitcher J.A. Happ. Braves pitcher Tommy Hanson finished a distant third with 37 points.

Coghlan hit .321 in 128 games with the Marlins, adding nine home runs and 47 RBI. He posted a .850 OPS and, according to FanGraphs.com, was worth 2.3 wins more than a replacement player.

Who should have won the award? Look at all the candidates here.

Get HuffPost Sports on Facebook and Twitter!

Ari Shapiro: Ladies and Gentlemen, Your 2009 NL Manager of the Year, Mr. Jim Tracy

2009-11-16T13:15:39Z

Major League Baseball will announce its 2009 National League Manager of the Year on Wednesday, and the way I see it, the only way Jim Tracy doesn't walk away with the award is if Clint Hurdle gets to cast all 32 votes. Of course, after Tracy is presented with the award, he will probably make some brief remarks to the media in which he will do what every other manager always does in his position -- he'll give all the credit to his players. "I couldn't have done it without them," he'll say. "A manager can only take the team so far," he'll say. "At the end of the day, it's up to the players to execute," he'll say.

But why? Why defer all of the attention to your players? I mean the fact of the matter is that next year, or the year after that, or whenever it is that the Rockies eventually go colder than Denver in January, Jim Tracy is the one that will take the blame, and Jim Tracy is the one that will be fired. So on Wednesday, if Jim Tracy gets the opportunity to bask in the glory of an inexplicably superb managerial season, why shouldn't he take some credit for what he's done? I'd say he's earned it.

To help make this easier for Jim, I decided to draft some remarks for him to use on Wednesday if things go well. After all, Jim Tracy may not be as good at self-promotion as I am (see the previous paragraph where I hyperlinked to one of my own posts), so I thought it would be nice to help him out.

And so, ladies and gentlemen, I give you the 2009 National League Manager of the Year, Mr. Jim Tracy:

Thank you, thank you very much. It's truly an honor to receive this award. On this special occasion, I'd like to say a few words to all of the people that helped make this day possible.

First, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank myself for kicking some serious ass this year. Seriously Jim, congratulations on a job well done. Not a chance LaRussa or Torre could have done what you did this year. You rule.

Next, some words for my team: Guys, when I first took over as your manager six months ago, you were awful. I mean aw-ful. Seriously, you guys couldn't hit water if you fell out of a boat. Even the Nationals were starting to look like an upgrade.

Sure, you were a talented group of guys just two years removed from a World Series appearance, but since that World Series you guys were a collective 24 games under .500, so clearly you weren't that good, right? And it's not like that Hurdle fella was doing you any favors either. I mean, Clint Hurdle was so bad that he literally made me look like the Manager of the Year by comparison. Wow.

But of course, everything changed once Jim Tracy came to town. A 74-42 record, a wild card berth, and an NLDS run that gave the eventual National League Champion Phillies all they could handle. You think you guys could have done all of that without me? Not a chance.

Third, I'd like to send a shout out to the Rockies' General Manager, Mr. Dan O'Dowd. Hey Dan, remember that time I single-handedly resurrected the Rockies' season and totally saved your job in the process? 'Cause I do. I'm not gonna say you owe me one buddy, but let's just say that we've got a long Colorado winter ahead, and my driveway ain't gonna shovel itself. You feel me?

Also, to the Rockies' brass that hired me assuming I would be a complete failure and allow them to start fresh with a new manager and GM in 2010, I'd like to say the following:

2009 MANAGER OF THE YEAR MOTHER F&@%ERS!! HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW?!?

Seriously though, I'm sorry I spoiled that one for you guys. I'm sure it seemed like a good idea at the time, but as it turns out, the ol' Jimster is quite the manager.

And to the fans: thank you for believing. I couldn't have done it without all of your support. Well actually, to be more accurate, I couldn't have done it without all of your money. The gobs of cash you poured into this team over the past few years will eventually go to pay the exorbitant salary I will no doubt receive after the Rockies are forced to give me a contract extension, so I really appreciate the help. Two words fans: Ca. Ching.

And finally, in closing, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge all of the other National League managers that were up for this award. Congrats on a great season you guys. Unfortunately, you were just up against some impossible competition -- namely, me. But hey, there's always next year, right?

Again, thank you all so very much for this humbling award. God bless you, God bless America, and most importantly, God bless Jim Tracy.

Yankees' Payroll Mocked In Faux MasterCard "Priceless" Ad (VIDEO)

2009-11-13T13:54:18Z

The Yankees may have won the world series, but they had a little help along the way. One enterprising video editor detailed the more than 201 million reasons the Yankees were able to field such a talented team by mashing up some of the team's more expensive players with the famous "Priceless" MasterCard ads. Video embedded below.

Matsui's 3 RBI's in the title clinching game: $13,000,000.00

Derek Jeter's .462 World Series batting average: $20,000,000.00

ARod's 19 hits in 15 playoff games: $32,000,000.00

Winning the World Series Championship: $201,449,189.00

There are somethings money can't buy. The World Series isn't one of them.

WATCH:

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.