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March 19, 2008
AP Photo
PENNY FOOLISH: While you'd think that the billions of dollars in revenue that Major League Baseball generates annually would be enough for everyone to share, that's not the case. Joe McDonald and Sean McAdam report today that the Boston and Oakland coaches -- like pitching coach John Farrell (above) -- will not be receiving the $40,000 stipend that managers and players are getting for making the trip to Japan. The $300,000 it would cost to write checks to the coaches is like you or I having to write a $5 check, yet MLB has chosen to draw the line on the lowest-paid group of people who wear uniforms at the major-league level. Everything is relative, of course -- this isn't a life-and-death, real-world matter, since the coaches are well-compensated in relation to the general public -- but that's no reason for them not to be able to share in the booty . . . especially since the $50,000 would be a significant chunk of their season's salary (unlike the players, who'll barely notice the extra cash). "The only reaction I have is one of bewilderment,'' said Brad Mills, the Red Sox bench coach. I can think of a different reaction.
LET'S GET IT OVER WITH: David Ortiz admits he's not happy about the trip to Japan, but says he's determined not to let it affect his performance. (Boston Globe)
WE'RE GOING: Even though they've been battling injuries, Coco Crisp and Bobby Kielty will accompany the Sox to Japan. Jon Lester, however, won't be joining them until Saturday. McDonald has both reports.
HERE AND THERE Other nuggets from McDonald: Jonathan Papelbon and Hideki Okajima both received the Ted Williams World Series Award last night . . . The PawSox will once again be part of Futures at Fenway, with this year's game slated for Aug. 9.
ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL: Terry Francona knows the physical toll that lies ahead, but says he can't help it; managing the Red Sox is an all-consuming task that affects his health. (Boston Herald)
NOT SO FAST: The Giants selected Jose Capellan from the Red Sox in the Rule 5 draft last winter, but decided he wouldn't make their team. However, when they placed him on waivers to return him to Boston, Capellan was claimed by the Reds (mlb.com) even though, according to the story, "The Red Sox value Capellan and would like very much to have him back in their fold."
IF ONLY HE COULD STILL PLAY: Newsday's Neil Best provides a highlights wrap of a YES Network discussion show hosted by Don Mattingly. The most interesting nugget to me was Mattingly's description of Tony Clark as "a total leader . . . He will stand up, he will say what needs to be said, he’s not afraid to speak up, he does the right thing; this guy’s a leader.'' That's what we heard about Clark during his season with the Red Sox, as well. If he hit as well with Boston or New York as he had earlier in his career with the Tigers, he might still be with either club.
UPS AND DOWNS: As part of an interview he gave to the blog Brock For Broglio, Voros McCracken discusses his time in the Red Sox front office.
JUST TRYIN' TO CAPTURE THE SPIRIT OF THE THING: I know the news of Craig Hansen's demotion is a day old, but if Steve Silva is going to re-post his classic Hansen Brothers photoshop then I'm going to link to it. (Boston Dirt Dogs)
NOT THAT CUCKOO FOR COCO: Toward the ends of a notes column, FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal says the A's remain interested in Coco Crisp but won't "break up their emerging young core program to acquire one player.''
LOOKING GOOD . . . EVENTUALLY: No one expects much this season out of the A's. But scout.com says Oakland's long-range outlook is bright.
TIP OF THE HAT: The Yankees deserve all the credit they're receiving for their exhibition game yesterday at Virginia Tech, which may help ease the healing after a deranged gunman killed 32 people on campus last spring. (New York Post)
FOR THIS, WE SET ASIDE OUR DIFFERENCES: Two long-time Red Sox fans -- Virginia Tech baseball coach Pete Hughes, a Boston native who also coached at Boston College, and Theresa Walsh, a student in one of the classrooms under fire last year -- look at the Yankees a little differently today. (New York Daily News) Hughes also told of a text message he received from Terry Francona before the game: "Good luck. Pound Jeter inside. Go get 'em."
IF I CAN CAST ASIDE THE CLOAK OF MODESTY FOR JUST AN INSTANT: Johnny Damon tells the Boston Herald he still thinks he's a ''pretty tough person to replace.''
HALL OF FAME OWNER: Reggie Jackson thinks George Steinbrenner deserves a spot in Cooperstown. (Newsday)
BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR . . . Peter Abraham lists the 10 types of people he hates to sit near at the ballpark. Anyone who's ever been to a game can relate. (LoHud Yankees Blog)
HE DOESN'T PLAY FOR US: MLB has sent a cease-and-desist order to a Web site offering T-shirts touting the presidential candidacy of Barack Obama that were designed to look like baseball teams' uniforms. (thesmokinggun.com)
LET THE INVESTIGATION BEGIN: The Major League Baseball Players Association plans to examine if collusion charges should be filed over the fact that no one's signed Barry Bonds. (New York Post) Collusion conspiracists will have a field day with the answer A's assistant GM David Forst gave when asked why Oakland wasn't interested in Bonds, since he would seem to fill a very specific need for the A's. (espn.com) (NOTE: After I wrote that piece, I found that Baseball Musing's David Pinto agrees with me.) Bonds himself says he has no intention of retiring and would be willing to sign a contact in midseason. (mlb.com)
ANOTHER CASE? St. Petersburg Times columnist John Romano admits Evan Longoria is ready for the major leagues, but says the Rays should send him back to Triple-A anyway, even if only for a month, so he won't reach free agency until 2014, rather than hitting it in 2013 as he will if he sticks with the team on Opening Day. That could be seen as a form of collusion as well, and the MLBPA may fight it. The Tampa Tribune also thinks Longoria will open the year at Durham.
BESIDES, HE'S THE EARLY FAVORITE FOR ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: That's what FoxSports.com's Dayn Perry thinks. Perry also believes "[as] strange as it sounds, it's time to take the Tampa Bay Rays seriously.''
SORRY, MARK: I have a friend who planned to make Josh Hamilton his sleeper pick in his upcoming fantasy draft, and he was upset I linked to a sportsline.com story last week in which a scout expressed the opinion that Hamilton might be the best player in baseball. But, judging by the report in Jon Heyman's Inside Scoop, it looks like the secret is out. (SI.com)
MOVE OVER, YANKEES-RAYS, HERE COMES BREWERS-ANGELS: The long-simmering spring feud between Milwaukee and Los Angeles of Anaheim -- while not spilling over to the players on the field -- shows no signs of abating. (Los Angeles Times)
NO RELIEF: The Tigers may have a devastating lineup and strong starting pitching, but their depleted bullpen hardly looks championship caliber. (SI.com)
OH: A Japanese doctor explains Ichiro Suzuki's secret for success: "Ichiro has a very fine prefrontal cortex." (Seattle Times)
THE QUEST CONTINUES: Scout.com is the latest site to try and figure out if spring numbers actually mean anything.
WELCOME TO THE BLOGOSPHERE: The newest member is Diamondbacks director of player development A.J. Hinch. I've always admired Hinch for his honesty in addressing baseball's steroids problem in Howard Bryant's excellent book Juicing The Game; you can read the excerpt regarding Hinch here. (espn.com)
WHO SAYS THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A GYROBALL? The Rangers C.J. Wilson says there is, and he plans to start throwing it. (sports.aol.com)
LOCAL BOY: The "gentlemanly" Chris Iannetta -- that's a direct quote from the story -- has been showing more fire in the Rockies' camp, at the team's urging, and the Rox still think he may develop into "a special player." (Denver Post)
HERE AND THERE: The Reds are looking for a catcher (Cincinnati Enquirer) . . . The Cubs plan to drop Alfonso Soriano to the No. 2 spot in the batting order (yahoo.com) . . . Orlando Hernandez' first spring appearances, in a simulated game against minor-leaguers, featured "neither high velocity nor pinpoint location nor great results" (New York Post) . . . Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez thinks Dan Uggla is starting to build a Hall of Fame resume (Miami Herald) . . . A broken fingernail has forced A.J. Burnett to come up with a changeup since the injury is preventing him from throwing his curve (Toronto Star) . . . The Orioles' new closer is George Sherrill. (Baltimore Sun)
OLD FRIENDS: Stop us if you've heard this before: Eric Gagne surrendered a run on three hits in one inning yesterday and has an 11.25 ERA so far this spring for the Brewers (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) . . . Wilfredo Ledezma has only allowed one run in eight innings as he fights for a spot in the Padres' rotation (rotoworld.com) . . . Lenny DiNardo may be headed to Oakland's bullpen (rotoworld.com) . . . Andy Marte's chances of sticking with the Indians are being hampered because, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, "he seems to have forgotten how to play third base.''
-- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone 
at 6:28 AM | Permalink
