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Baseball Today: Wednesday, March 5

BATTLE STATIONS: ''It apparently is fashionable in Major League Baseball to be young, talented and grumpy about your salary,'' writes Tim Lemke of the Washington Times, and that's certainly the case. From the already-examined examples of Prince Fielder and Cole Hamels to new ones, like the Orioles' Nick Markakis (Baltimore Sun), the pre-arb players -- those with not enough experience time to qualify for salary arbitration -- aren't getting what they want. (They certainly aren't. The Yankees, writes Peter Abraham on his LoHud Yankees Blog, even held the line on Joba Chamberlain, giving him ''not one penny of credit for what he did last season.'') And they're not happy about it.

AP Photo

But after Jonathan Papelbon (above) opened his mouth on the topic again yesterday, for the second time in three days, it seems there are bigger forces in play here than mere greed. In a fascinating story by Sean McAdam, Papelbon hinted that this has become the new battleground between the owners and the Major League Baseball Players Association. ''I feel like, with me being at the top of my position, I feel like that [a salary] standard needs to be set and I'm the one to set that standard,'' Papelbon said. And a high standard it is, since Sean writes: ''It's believed that the Sox have offered to make Papelbon the highest-paid reliever in his [non-arbitration eligible] class'' . . . more, even, than the $750,000 the Yankees paid Mariano Rivera when he was at a similar point in his career.

The reasoning behind all this is articulated by Sean:

Fewer and fewer star players have been electing free agency, instead choosing to extend deals with their present teams - such as Josh Beckett - or being dealt as they approach free agency, only to sign new contracts with their new teams, as was the case with Johan Santana and the New York Mets.

But an open market is the best tool to drive up salaries in an era when baseball is experiencing record-setting revenues and this year's free-agent class was one of the least appealing in years. Stars such as Papelbon, Fielder, Hamel and Florida's Hanley Ramirez, then are the Players Association's best bet for the players to cash in and impact future deals.

In the end, Papelbon and the rest of the pre-arbs have no real leverage; they have to take whatever the club offers. But, as union director Donald Fehr told Sean: ''What happens in those negotiations directly affects future negotiations. That's been the case for as long as I can remember . . . [Sooner] or later (when players gain arbitration eligibility), the tables are turned.''

It's may be too much inside baseball for the hits-runs-and-errors crowd, but it's probably the most important topic in the game today.

Click the link. It's worth your time.

MAKE 'EM ALL FREE! That was Charlie Finley's advice 32 years ago, after the reserve clause had been struck down; he, and he alone, among the Neanderthal owners understood that only a truly open market creates an equitable salary structure. As soon as a player's contract is up, suggested Charlie, make him a free agent, regardless of experience time, regardless of anything. Then you're not paying him based on any comparison to any other player, which is what the arbitration system is all about (and the stupidest salary decision by the stupidest owner sets the bar for every team and every player), but would be paying him what he's actually worth. The union couldn't argue against it -- freedom was what they were allegedly fighting for -- but in reality they were trying to create a system in which the very best players, the ones commanding the most money, would become free agents at the height of their powers; the high salaries they earned would lift the boat for everyone,

The owners in 1976 couldn't get their arms around any of that, obviously, and a) their decision to grant free agency to players after six years' of experience, b) coupled with salary arbitration for players not yet eligible to become free agents, c) was embraced by the gleeful union and d) helped to detonate baseball's salary structure. (Not that the old system didn't need detonation, but the new system totally favors the players.) Baseball Musing's David Pinto revisits the topic today and suggests total free agency would keep ''supply high and damp down salaries, but it would also benefit the great young players'' like Papelbon, Fielder, et al. It'll never happen -- the union would never allow it -- but Pinto says if he were Bud Selig, ''I'd be using [the current crop of angry pre-arbs] to push for such a deal.''

ON THE FIELD: Papelbon didn't let all this salary talk affect him, as he pitched a scoreless inning in the Red Sox' 5-3 win over the Pirates. (projo.com) Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched well for the second day in a row, reports McAdam, who also notes Bartolo Colon will have his second bullpen session today.

OFF THE FIELD: A Red Sox scout was arrested for lewd and lascivious behavior. (projo.com)

HAIKU? DOESN'T HE PLAY FOR THE BRUINS? I'll read anything Joe Posnanski writes, even a Haiku preview of the A.L. East. (joeposnanski.com) Especially when he picks the Red Sox.

NEVER TOO EARLY TO BEGIN THIS ARGUMENT: Jim Rice hasn't even been elected yet, and SI.com's Tom Verducci is starting a David Ortiz-for-the-Hall of Fame debate.

BUSY WITH OTHER THINGS: Ortiz himself was too busy consoling his wife over Brett Favre's retirement to worry about such mundane matters yesterday. (Boston Herald) Members of the Brewers weren't quite as broken up as Tiffany Ortiz, but they, too, were sorry to see him call it quits. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

AS FINANCIAL ADVISERS GO . . . Alex Rodriguez would seem to be a strange one. But that's who Manny Ramirez turned to when he was thinking of switching agents. (SI.com)

SUNDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: ESPN has released its Sunday Night Baseball schedule through July, and the Red Sox will make three appearances. (Newsday)

THE DARK SIDE: In contrast to the (mostly) lighthearted byplay between John Henry and Hank Steinbrenner, some Red Sox and Yankee fans were mixing it up in a more traditional way last weekend. (Wicked Local Cambridge)

PATIENCE, PATIENCE: Yankee Universe has already written him off, but Brian Cashman isn't giving up on Kei Igawa. (New York Times)

'PRAY': That's what Darryl Strawberry suggests we do for Dwight Gooden, whose life, say his friends, is in a ''long, downward spiral, relapsing into a web of drugs and alcohol.'' (NorthJersey.com)

END OF AN ERA: Joe Buck informed the Cardinals he will not be the announcer on any of the team's games this year, ending a run of 54 years with a member of the Buck family in the St. Louis broadcast booth. (mlb.com)

BELIEVE IT OR NOT: Those are your choices, says the New York Post's Joel Sherman, about the Mets' public optimism regarding the health, and remaining skill set, of Carlos Delgado.

THE AGE OF WONDER: Would you like a copy of the Seattle Mariners' media guide? Click here and download it.

IT'S HEAVEN! The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Mike Berardino catches up with ex-Marlins Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis in the Tigers' camp, and they're beyond delighted -- just as you'd expect -- as they move from a hopeless situation to a World Series contender. The Tigers, incidentally, would like to sign Cabrera to a long-term contract. (Detroit Free Press)

THE REAL FIGHT: The Nationals' Dmitri Young is still learning how to control diabetes. (Washington Post)

GOOD RIDDANCE: The Red Sox weren't sad to leave Winter Haven 16 years ago, and the Indians are shedding no tears about leaving now. (SI.com)

FAVORITES, SHMAVORITES: The Rockies made one of the greatest late-season/postseason runs in baseball history last fall, not stalling out until they'd made it to the World Series, but they still insist they're underdogs this year. (yahoo.com)

HERE AND THERE: Noah Lowry's spate of wildness on Monday may be the result of tendinitis in his left wrist (San Franciscon Chronicle) . . . The White Sox had been interested in Lowry prior to Monday (Chicago Tribune); no word if they still are . . . The Rangers' Hank Blalock is sore but okay after being rear-ended while driving his family home from Chuck E. Cheese (Dallas Morning News) . . . Problems with his right foot means Orlando Hernandez will no longer be able to lift his knee to his chin as he delivers a pitch (New York Post) . . . The Mets have banned smoking at Shea Stadium (mlb.com) . . . The Cubs say nothing's happening on the Brian Roberts trade front (Chicago Tribune) . . . Kyle Lohse still doesn't have a job and he's starting to get a little worried (delawareonline.com) . . . The San Francisco Chronicle has retracted a report that the A's were interested in Juan Pierre.

OLD FRIENDS: As expected, Matt Mantei has retired (Detroit News) . . . In the A's camp, Keith Foulke threw to batters for the first time (mlb.com) . . . Matt Clement and Joel Piniero each threw a bullpen session for the Cardinals. (mlb.com)

-- ART MARTONE

Posted by Art Martone  at 8:31 AM | Permalink