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Tuesday, January 31, 2006

A New Travs Blog

I received an e-mail today from one [removed at his request, 3/26/07] concerning his blog, Travelerocity, about Angels AA Texas League affiliate, the Arkansas Travelers. By way of a kickoff (at least, relative to my knowledge of the site), he's got a good summary post about the Hot Stove open house, which has a number of good bullet points, including All very interesting stuff from a promising new blog. Certainly, I hope it lasts longer than the last dedicated minor-league blog I ran into, Stingers Geek. That blog died sometime between last April, when I mentioned it in passing, and the end of the season, when it became a cobweblog; it's now a come-on for international calling cards. So don't let that happen to you! Welcome to the Halosphere!

A Pair Of Dodger Deals

First, the Denver Post reports that former Giant Ramon Martinez has signed with the Dodgers. Supposedly the Dodgers also signed Kurt Ainsworth to a minor league deal, but I haven't been able to get confirmation on that just yet.

Update: Looks like minor league deals for both, quoth the AP.


Pickoff Moves, Lunchtime Edition

Domain Squatters Make Me Very, Very Angry

Or maybe they make me annoyed, as with all the damn gnats this office building seems to have accumulated lately. Whatever, Bill Shaikin in the Times reports that Terry Notko, speculator and bozo, has decided to try and hold up the Angels by registering http://www.losangelesangelsofanaheim.com/. Well, good luck with that, chumply. Perhaps he didn't read the fine print in which ICANN can force him to surrender his domain if the original registration was "primarily for the purpose of selling, renting, or otherwise transferring the domain name registration to the complainant who is the owner of the trademark or service mark or to a competitor of that complainant, for valuable consideration in excess of your documented out-of-pocket costs directly related to the domain name".

Arte's Bite Of The Apple

Thanks to Joe Florkowski at League Of Angels for dropping the word about this nutty story about Arte, in which it turns out he did screw up with some of the park signage. Some of them don't contain the word Anaheim, and so they will be re-worked, but the fun part that Joe mentions is the fact that the city's expert calculated damages based on the assumption that the club will make six postseason rounds through 2016 and 16 through 2029. Joe writes, tongue planted firmly in cheek, "Now, all I need is for the city of Anaheim to tell me which years specifically the Angels will be in the playoffs so I can make plans to buy tickets." Make sure to clue me in on that one, too, Joe -- I mean, I bought the 20-pack back in 2003 and look what happened then. No sense wasting money...

More Halosphere Happenings


Pickoff Moves

An Indians Scout Likes The Angels Prospects

So, I'm sure, do a lot of other teams' scouts, but it's kinda fun to listen to the praise these kids are generating:
When asked about a few of the bigtime bats in the minor leagues, the former Division I college coach immediately jumped in with the game’s top slugging prospect.

“Wood,” said the scout, referring to Los Angeles Angels’ shortstop Brandon Wood. “What he did this year was pretty amazing. Considering his relatively moderate numbers from last year, you could call that an explosion. A break out season.”

...

“I think he’s the best power prospect in the game,” said the scout. “I would even take his power over Young’s (Delmon, Tampa Bay) and especially since Wood can play shortstop.

...

Do you have a favorite minor league hitter, other than Wood or Hermida, outside of your organization?: “I really like what Kendrick (Howie) can do. Being on this coast and seeing him quite a bit, he’s going to be a very good second baseman for a long time. He looks to hit for some power and nobody has found a way to get him out yet. He’s a few years from Anaheim, but he’s sensational. Kotchman (Casey), too. I think Alex Gordon is going to be an all-star.”

Travs' Hot Stove Report

The Travs' annual hot stove dinner didn't go so well: new manager Ty Boykin couldn't make it thanks to a delayed flight from Connecticut. But we did manage to learn that Brandon Wood will start the year in AA Arkansas, and thanks to the Aybar/Collaspo blockage at Salt Lake, Howie Kendrick may repeat there, too.

Jaffe On The Yankee Stadium III Costs

Normally such stuff puts me to sleep, but Jay Jaffe has a piece up about the fighting between Baseball Prospectus' Neil deMause and professor Andrew Zimbalist, both of whom believe different things about Yankee Stadium III; Zimbalist most publicly has stated the Yanks will end up paying for most of the contruction costs, but deMause has deconstructed his argument and concluded that, thanks to tax breaks, the citizens of New York -- and baseball teams generally, through misguided revenue-sharing -- will end up paying for much more of the park than the Yanks. Normally such stuff puts me to sleep, but it's appalling that revenue sharing is being used in this case to make the rich even richer.

This Must Be Some Definition Of "Shut Down" I Was Previously Unaware Of

When I read that Stephen Smith was going to shut down FutureAngels, I had to wonder just how serious he was; in fact, while I don't expect to see him or his Canon 1D at any minor league games this year, he has announced that he's launching a project to acquire a complete set of Angels minor league stats.
We've already found some fun facts. On May 4, Statesville forfeited a game to Lexington. Why? We don't know, but [local Statesville, North Carolina historian Bill Moose] is researching. The player with the top batting average was Jack Hiatt at .325; Hiatt is now the San Francisco Giants' farm director. Owls' outfielder Dick Simpson led the league with 15 homers. Statesville finished with an overall record of 63-39-2 -- yep, two ties! -- the second-best record in the league.
Heh, this should be interesting, at least.

Monday, January 30, 2006

The Top 40 Dodgers Of All Time: #38, Dusty Baker

One of the problems I've had with this series is that, aside from being a lot of work, the players also mean something to me. This second factor makes it hard for me to idly toss off a thumbnail biography, and so feeds the first in a never-ending cycle. If I don't turn these out as quickly as I had promised, it's because I haven't quite had as much time as I once did, even a few weeks ago; my personal life is getting rather busy (but in a good way). Anyway -- on to today's player...

38. Johnny B. "Dusty" Baker, 1144 H, 144 HR, 586 RBI, .281/.343/.437, 140.3 Career Win Shares

Early Career And The World Series Teams

Johnny B. "Dusty" Baker -- the nickname was given to him by his mother -- was born in Riverside, CA and grew up a Dodgers fan. Despite a low draft position -- he was a 26th round pick by the Braves -- he made the big club rapidly, getting a callup the next year. Hank Aaron said of him, "Dusty Baker has more potential than any outfielder I've seen in all my seasons with the Braves." An eight-year veteran with the Braves, he was traded to the Dodgers in 1975 following a string of mediocre seasons. His 1976 season was a disappointment, a major knee injury limiting his effectiveness and playing time.

Baker turned his career around in 1977 following offseason surgery, blasting 30 home runs on the Dodgers' path to a National League pennant, and setting a team record for RBIs in a single inning in a 18-4 pounding of the Padres on September 13, 1977. By clubbing a home run in the last game of the year, a 6-3 loss to the Astros, the Dodgers became the first team in history to have four players provide 30 or more home runs in a single season. Upon returning to the dugout from that home run, Baker met the outstretched, raised, open hand of on-deck hitter Glenn Burke, and Baker and Burke are often credited with inventing the high five then and there.

Baker's postseason run that year was even better, hitting .357/.438/.857 during the NLCS with a pair of homers, the most memorable being a grand slam in the fourth inning of the NLCS Game 2, a rip that sealed the game for the Dodgers. Dusty Baker also drove in the winning run in Game 4, a two-run shot in the second that starter Tommy John would preserve in a complete game victory against the fearsome Phillies lineup. His fearsome accomplishment netted him an NLCS MVP award.

Though he hit fairly well in the 1977 World Series -- earning a .292 average against Yankee pitching -- Baker had only one memorable home run, in Game 3, which the Dodgers lost anyway as the Yanks chipped away at Tommy John. "We ain't losing," Baker said afterwards, "we're just behind." Though the Dodgers got closer with a 10-4 pounding in Game 5 at Dodger Stadium, the Bronx Bombers ultimately sent the Dodgers home disappointed in six.

Baker's incredible 1977 just made expectations the next year that much harder to meet. He deflected questions about a possible letdown following the World Series defeat by pushing for personal goals, saying "I just want to prove my overall effectiveness. I want to hit the ball hard all the time, hard enough to bat over .300." He didn't do it; his average and power both fell, only getting 11 longballs all year. His NLCS record that year consisted of virtually all singles with only one RBI, though he did manage a 4-4 game in the deciding Game 4, a dramatic victory keyed when Gary Maddox -- known as one of baseball's best centerfielders -- bobbled Baker's routine line drive, setting up a game-winning single by Bill Russell.

From that postseason miracle, the Dodgers once again met the Yankees in the World Series. Baker hit a leadoff homer in the second inning of Game 1 that launched a Dodgers offensive juggernaut, crushing starter Ed Figueroa and the Yanks 11-5. But Dusty's World Series record that year, like his regular season, was principally a disappointment: he hit a mere .238 in the World Series with only a single RBI. He also fielded the Brian Doyle RBI double that started the Yankees' scoring in a 7-2 Game 6 rout that sent the Dodgers home unhappy once more.

Baker had a pair of good years in 1979 and 1980, the interregnum between the great Dodger teams of the 70's and their last hurrah in 1981. He and his teammates were getting old; worse, the front office was getting clumsy. For instance, the team failed to acquire future Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan and Joe Morgan in the 1979/80 offseason when both had been picked by the Dodgers in the peculiar free agent draft then in force; the team made neither an offer. It didn't help when Baker went 2-16 in a crucial three- and then four-game series (the final game was a sudden-death elimination after the two teams tied with the same record) in 1980 against the Astros, who had signed Ryan and were two games up against the Dodgers in the NL West going into the series.

A sore shoulder nagged at him all through his 1981 season, sapping his power: he hit only 9 home runs, and drove in 49. Despite his decreased production, Baker won the 1981 Gold Glove and made an All Star appearance, the first of two (he would repeat in 1982). But with his stroke shortened, he hit for a higher average, and finished the year with a .320 mark, the second best number of his career. But even if he had been well, it's hard to imagine how he could have stood out on that team; as with most of the other Dodgers that year, the tide of Fernandomania washed the rest of the players out to sea with it. Baker, like most of his teammates in that era, lived in the shadow of "Mr. Perfect", Steve Garvey, and Valenzuela provided yet another icon in front of Baker in the public mind. His mediocre postseason numbers did little to change people's perceptions, though he did draw first blood against Houston in the NLDS Game 3 and scored the winning and series-deciding run in Game 4.

One of the most dramatic moments of his career came in the 1981 NLCS, in Game 4. Facing elimination, stranding baserunners all day, the Dodgers put on a late innings show against the Expos, with Baker scoring the go-ahead run in the eighth after a frustrating game in which he was erased at third base on a fielder's choice in the third and tagged out at home in the sixth. But his World Series performance that year was quiet, collecting only four hits for a .167 average, and driving in only a single run in a losing effort in Game 1.

Swan Song

Dusty Baker had one more truly good year with the Dodgers in 1982, collecting 23 homers in 570 at bats with a .300 average, a year where he had a fantastic 5-6 game with 5 RBIs against last year's nemesis, Montreal, on May 8. The game marked the emphatic end of a slow start to his season that had seen him demolish a specially made director's chair that read, "Dr. Smash", a nickname he gave himself until that slump. Another All-Star appearance capped a year that amounted to frustration for the Dodgers, as they narrowly missed the postseason to a surging Atlanta club.

Though 1981 was the last year of the Garvey-Cey-Lopes-Russell infield when the Dodgers traded Davey Lopes to Oakland, it really sank in following 1982 when the front office let Steve Garvey go via free agency. Steve Yeager and Rick Monday were now reserves; the great Dodger players of the 70's were on their way to retirement -- and so was Baker. Hitting 15 home runs all year, his average dropped, too, to .260, along with his plate appearances. Despite his expressed wishes to retire in a Dodgers uniform, on February 10, 1984, the Dodgers put him on waivers. At first, he took it fairly well according to GM Al Campanis, but that was before the Dodgers decided they didn't have to pay him for the final two seasons on his contract -- a $1.6 million figure. Though the Dodgers didn't explain their actions, published speculation repeatedly mentioned innuendo about Baker having some kind of involvement with drugs, something both the club and Baker denied publicly.

The Giants made a waiver claim on him, which he rejected thanks to a no-trade clause, an incredible rarity at the time. He became a free agent, and after fruitless negotiations with the Angels, Padres, and Braves, settled upon the Giants as his next home, where he played principally as a reserve. He played out his last two seasons on a pair of bad Oakland teams, starting in 1984 with a record similar to his last year with the Dodgers, and finally as a reserve in 1985, after which he retired.

Managerial Career

Dusty Baker's career as the manager of the San Francisco Giants began to thunderous applause when he was announced as the club's new skipper on December 16, 1992, receiving bigger cheers than newly signed superstar Barry Bonds. The team had narrowly averted relocation, and Baker had no taint of failure. Friends with longtime Giant Bobby Bonds, whom he hired as his hitting coach, Baker said, "This is the greatest day of my life, so far. The next greatest day is when we win the pennant and the world championship."

That wouldn't happen, at least, it didn't with Baker in a Giants uniform. Powered by Barry Bonds and a simply astonishing season from starter Bill Swift, the Giants' 1993 season came down to the last game of the year, naturally against the Dodgers. With the Giants and Braves tied for first place, Baker put rookie pitcher Salomon Torres on the mound -- with explosive effects. He left the game after only three and a third innings, surrendering three earned runs in a game where Mike Piazza blasted two homers, setting a franchise record for single season home runs by a catcher. Atlanta meanwhile won the division by beating the Rockies 5-3, setting an end to the season for the winningest Giants team in their history.

Though Baker won NL Manager of the Year (and again in 1997 and 2000), he also presided over the Giants' greatest collapse, notably the 2002 World Series Game 6 in which the bullpen exploded, and the Giants had the unfortunate distinction of blowing the largest lead in World Series history. While that wasn't his fault, the decision to start Livan Hernandez in Game 7 was; replaced by Chad Zerbe and junkballer Kirk Reuter, who collectively pitched five scoreless innings, it remains Baker's biggest single gaffe, for which the Angels are eternally grateful. His record -- 840-715, a .540 winning percentage -- will always bear the scars of failing to bring home the rings despite winning a National League pennant and two division titles.

Baker continued his career in a Cubs uniform, again to much applause as he first entered the scene. He coaxed the 2003 squad to within (stop me if you've heard this before) five outs of their first World Series appearance since 1945. But the Cubs couldn't find enough pitching to stop the Marlins in Game 6 of the NLCS (and an uncalled case of fan interference by Steve Bartman), and lost game 7 despite starter Kerry Wood's presence on the mound.

With his starting pitchers constantly on Baseball Prospectus's leaderboard for pitcher abuse, Baker has rapidly worn out his welcome and is questionable to return to Chicago after his contract expires at the end of the year.


Sunday, January 29, 2006

Pads Sign Piazza

The Padres have signed Mike Piazza to a one-year, $2M deal in which it is said the former Dodger can "catch as much as he wants". This is a poor signing to defend; Piazza's health is a concern. Some Padres fans will like this; the Gaslamp Ball chatter regarding the rumors that a deal like this might go down suggested that if the team can nurse him to 400 AB, he might pump out 25 dingers. My guess is a more realistic number is something like 250-300 AB, and 15-20 dingers. If he can stay healthy -- something regular catching duties will interfere with -- he makes the Pads a scosh more dangerous, 37 years old or not.

Pickoff Moves

Historian John Thorn On The Angels Naming Fiasco

Baseball historian John Thorn, who was recently asked to testify before the Superior Court in the Angels' naming case, had a bunch to say in today's Times:
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim appeared to be a new species of naming, not inadvertently redundant: the packing of a term with so much information that editors could be counted on to trim, with the cut coming from the end.

I ran through my whole list of rhetorical devices, from alliteration to zeugma, and could find nothing that quite fit the Moreno Stratagem. Oxymoron came close, but a subterranean level of common sense or humor is discernible in "jumbo shrimp" or "adult male" that is not evident in "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim."

And then I found it. Anesis: a figure of addition that occurs when a concluding sentence, clause or phrase is added to a statement that purposely diminishes the effect of what has been previously stated. A neat example of the device is the 1925 Rodgers and Hart lyric, "We'll have Manhattan … the Bronx and Staten Island too."

Does attaching a new city to a ball club that hasn't moved out of its old one confer a new reality upon it? Abraham Lincoln once was asked, "If we called a dog's tail a leg, how many legs would a dog have?" His reply: "Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg."

He may be in the right geographically, but monetarily and in terms of promotion, it's a fifth leg.

A's Sign Mark Ellis To Two Year, $6M Deal

The Oakland A's have signed second baseman Mark Ellis to a two-year, $6M deal. (MLB.com reports it having a third year club option.) Reaction at Athletics Nation seems to be positive.

Ken Rosenthal On Aybar And Callaspo

In his recent column:
A pair of switch-hitting middle-infield prospects — the Angels' Erick Aybar and Mets' Anderson Hernandez — made a strong impression while playing for Licey, champion of the Dominican winter league.

"They're both live-bodied guys," one scout says. "The more you watch them play, the more you see all the things they can do. Both have a chance to be pretty good big-league players."

Aybar, however, could be traded; the Angels are even higher on shortstop Brandon Wood and second baseman Howie Kendrick. ...


Saturday, January 28, 2006

Dirtbags Alumni, Pro/Am Exhibition Games

Time for baseball! Time for college baseball! The Dirtbags, young and old, took the field today, and I've got pictures. Jered Weaver, trying to swing a bat? Playing outfield, second base, and shortstop, too? Now I've seen everything...

Pickoff Moves

Up way early this morning, so let's get to it --

Scott Boras Is A Soka For Conditioning

Here's a Sporting News article about Scott Boras' offseason conditioning program for his clients, which he maintains at a Soka University facility. Listen to the eight kinds of tedious hell Jered Weaver is putting himself through this winter:
Weaver bounds over hurdles to increase flexibility in his hips. He heaves a medicine ball to gain power. He sprints while strapped to a high-tech contraption called a Vertimax that builds explosiveness in his legs. He does eight sets of crunches for his core. He does one-legged knee bends while standing on a box to improve his balance. He lifts weights to strengthen his back and upper body. He does yoga. Later, after a lunch break, he gets around to actually throwing a baseball.

A year on this program has Weaver in "by far" the best shape of his life. He has gone from 190 to 220 pounds without adding a hint of fat. He once walked with his shoulders slouched, but the 6-7 righthander says he feels and looks taller because of his workouts. By the time he reports to spring training, he figures his right arm will be about 90 percent ready for the season, his conditioning "100 percent."

Well, good to know that Boras is doing something to keep his clients from turning into the next Mike Hampton, Chan Ho Park, or -- perhaps more accurately -- Ryan Mills.

Devil Rays Not So Devilish?

The Tampa Bay major league baseball team -- if you can call it that -- is considering changing their nickname as part of their offseason campaign to improve their image. This is not unlike getting a legal name change in hopes of evading creditors. Generally, it doesn't work, and the "you can call us Rays" line got tired back in the 80's.

Roster Notes

Arte Moreno, Comedian

In yesterday's proceedings:
In 90 minutes of testimony, the Angel owner sparred repeatedly with Anaheim attorney Andy Guilford and cracked several jokes, including one when Guilford asked him to explain why the Dodgers might have sold a cap with the inscription, "Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles."

"Maybe they're changing their name," Moreno said, as the courtroom erupted in laughter.

...

Nonetheless, [Anaheim city attorney Andy] Guilford displayed for the jury a variety of memorabilia on which Anaheim no longer appears. At one point, he showed Moreno an Anaheim Angels license-plate frame and asked where fans might get one now.

"Maybe from you," Moreno said, drawing laughs.

Guilford also displayed a T-shirt available on the team website in October, with the team logo above what he said was the Los Angeles skyline. When Guilford asked whether he approved of the shirt, Moreno said with a chuckle, "I guess, if it's selling."

The city may rest its case as early as Tuesday or Wednesday without calling mayor Curt Pringle.

OT: More Galactica Raves

I've already sounded the klaxon in favor of Battlestar Galactica, the new version that has everything the old 70's show didn't: good writing, solid acting performances, and actual storylines and characters you give a damn about. But because I'm lazy, I postponed watching the shows up through episode 212, "Resurrection Ship: Part 2". I can only wonder how people managed to do that in real time (the show was on a little production vacation between parts 1 and 2 -- in between seasons?) without gnawing their toes off. As it was, Helen's been chomping at the bit all this time to talk to me about the most recent episodes; at this point, I'm only two or three shows behind real time. Really, really good stuff, and even better on DVD.

Friday, January 27, 2006

PECOTA Drubs The Halos

Derek Jacques at Baseball Prospectus -- or maybe I should say PECOTA -- blasts the Angels for their offseason:
Given the current roster composition, PECOTA projects that the Angels would be the second-worst offensive team in the league, after the Royals, in 2006. That’s even with highly-touted Casey Kotchman taking over at first base, and incumbent first baseman Darin Erstad returning to center field. The next wave of Los Angeles of Anaheimian offensive talent--shortstop Brandon Wood, second baseman Howie Kendrick, Cuban refugee Kendry Morales--have played a grand total of four games at the Triple-A level (all by Wood), and are each presently blocked at the major league level. While one has to admire the Angels’ player development system, and their discipline in thinking of the long-term, this season could prove a rude awakening for Angels fans who have grown used to contending over the past few years.
Which is to say, second place may even be a bit ambitious.

Pickoff Moves

OT: Delgadillo Gets A Cup Of Cold Coffee

LA city attorney Rocky Delgadillo, demanding the public needs to know about the so-called (and NSFW) "Hot Coffee" easter egg sequences hidden in Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto video game, has filed suit against the maker and parent Take Two, claiming the firms engaged in a misleading marketing campaign and unfair competition. By this, we assume that he means members of the Valley's largest industry were disappointed at not getting a piece of the, er, action. Delgadillo didn't mention his next step, but I expect he'll demand spoilers on the wrapper of The Crying Game.

Goodyear, AZ Makes Another Pitch For Spring Training

Despite the Angels renewing their commitment to Tempe, Goodyear, Arizona is working a proposal to establish a 10,000 seat stadium on 120 acres in that city, as part of a centerpiece to attract one or two major league clubs to that facility. Good luck with that, then...

Renovations At Tempe Diablo

Here's a bit more on the renovations at Tempe Diablo Stadium, with 3,200 green folding seats replacing the old aluminum ones between first and third bases, and benches with actual backs above the dugouts. Also, four new fields allow minor league spring training to take place within walking distance of the big league stadium.

Another McCourt Casualty

The Dodgers fired 15-year veteran clubhouse manager Dave Dickinson, for reasons unknown, but allegedly related to comments made about the McCourts at a company softball game:
"I was getting ready to hit," Dickinson said. "I was wearing a pair of batting gloves, and a guy walked by and asked me why the McCourt kids didn't have those (gloves). I said, 'They didn't ask me for them, and I don't like them.' I meant it as a joke, and we all started laughing. But apparently, the guy ran upstairs and told them."

...

"I'm confused and shocked," Dickinson said. "And they wait 10 days before I go to spring training to tell me. That's the thing I can't understand. I was excited about this team. It seemed like a decent group of guys. I was looking forward to working with (new GM) Ned Colletti, because I have heard he's a really good guy, and (new manager) Grady (Little).

Add Logan White To The List Of Reds GM Candidates

In that same Daily News article above, Dodgers Scouting Director Logan White is believed to be on the Reds' short list of GM candidates.

Judge Rules City Needs To Show Actual Harm

In an important development (finally!) in the Anaheim Angels name case, Superior Court Judge Peter Polos ruled the city of Anaheim must show actual financial damage caused by the team's name change, disallowing testamony from sports economist Andrew Zimbalist that the city gave up $138.5 million by renovating the stadium rather than demolishing it, selling the land, and collecting property taxes.

Angels Airtime

Despite failing to sign a long-term deal so far, FSN remains interested in extending the contract, though Arte remains more interested in preserving his rights to start a cable network of his own. Fox will only commit to airing 50 games unless the Angels sign a long-term contract.

A Francophone Sea Monster

Eric Gagné pitching? On the beach? In Hawaii? Nah. Must be a speck on my glasses. But at least he likes the team's offseason:
"Frank McCourt has stepped up to the plate, big-time, with money and players, and he deserves praise," Gagne said. "Last year he got crushed in the media. This year, you look at the players we have, what more can he do?"

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Bavasi's A Worried, Hurried Man

"All our nerves are close to the skin right now" says Bill Bavasi of his Seattle charges, and by that I imagine he means the fans have been calling to let him know he's got some kind of nerve to pay Adrian Beltre $60 million over five years of this kind of production.
"As a club still in transition, we certainly like what we've added, but we still have a ways to go to make sure we're doing everything better," he told reporters at the team's Safeco Field media day. "We're optimists at heart and I think we're a better club on paper. But last year I felt we were a better club on paper, too, and we didn't perform at every position like we needed to contend."
So, are there problems in the lineup?
"I can go down the list and give you names of people that need to step it up, but I think we all know who those people are," [Manager Mike] Hargrove said. "But if they do, we feel like our runs scored total is going to increase dramatically."
Well, it's nice to know someone else is paying for Beltre's swing-and-misses...

Pickoff Moves, Lunchtime Edition

Now, This Is Funny

Larry Dobrow at sportsline.com takes a weed whacker to the offseason meanderings of various clubs. The Dodgers:
Let's see ... you take career shortstop Nomar Garciaparra and move him to first base, which is where you were going to move second baseman Jeff Kent, who currently turns double plays with the grit of a high-heeled debutante trying to flag down a cab. Then you add third baseman Bill Mueller, whose knees can no longer accommodate the act of bending, and whose addition to the infield miasma effectively pushes the team's one legit fielder (gimpy-'til-June Cesar Izturis) into positional purgatory. Not unlike an elephant attempting to mate with a ceiling fan, the parts don't fit. On the plus side, new GM Ned Colletti boasts a once-in-a-lifetime baseball mustache; this generation will someday speak of its sturdy magnificence in the hushed, awed tones with which its parents discuss the facial-hair typhoon that was Al Hrabosky.
The A's:
They inked Jay Witasick and Esteban Loaiza before the market exploded for relievers and starters, plus added "personality" in the form of talented Milton Bradley, who is to clubhouse relations what nitroglycerin is to tire fires. Gosh, there's probably a pretty good book waiting to be written about the way these guys go about their business.
Thanks to GoBears in the Dodger Thoughts comments section today for that.

Angels Still Missing Broadcast Agreement

The Angels still don't have a broadcast agreement, and that's not comforting news, but Arte is saying the team will show "150 plus".
"We're very close. We just have to select which way we're going to go," Moreno said Tuesday after another long day in court in Santa Ana, where the Angels are battling the city of Anaheim over the team's name change.

...

This much we know: At least 50 games will appear on Fox Sports Net, with about a dozen more on ESPN and/or Fox/11. That leaves about 100 games. Some could go to FSN, as happened last year. Some could go to a yet-to-be-determined over-the-air partner or partners. KCAL/9 had been the over-the-air home of the Angels until KCAL signed a long-term agreement with the Dodgers that kicks in this season.

Moreno declined to discuss potential over-the-air options. Candidates include KTLA/5 and KCOP/13.

Industry insiders theorize that KCOP is the favorite now that the WB and UPN have merged. Starting in September, KCOP no longer will have UPN programming. (KTLA will be the home of the new CW network.) That creates a need for programming and openings in prime time that KCOP hasn't had. KCOP was the Dodgers' over-the-air affiliate through last season.

Arte wouldn't comment about reports that he would purchase KXME AM 830 and convert it to English as the team's main radio broadcast arm, except to say that earlier reports in the San Diego Union-Tribune that the team would buy out their remaining radio contract were incorrect.

A Slow News Day Means It's Time For Kids Stories

Mike Scioscia at the Boys and Girls Club dinner? Adam Kennedy visits a Temecula school? Thank God CSULB's preseason activities start this weekend...

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

A's Sign The Big Hurt

The A's signed Frank Thomas, according to ESPN, on a one-year, $500,000 deal. He will replace Erubiel Durazo as the team's primary DH; bonus clauses of up to $1.4M could kick in depending on whether his foot injury recurs. Thomas appears to be healthy:
In the last 10 days, the A's put him through a series of stress tests under the supervision of team orthopedist Jerrald Goldman, who Beane said was amazed because Thomas handled more strenuous activity than Goldman expected.

"Frank felt great. Frank believes he'll be ready in spring training," said Beane, acknowledging the A's will be conservative with their new slugger.

Update 1/26: Because I've received feedback in the comments and by e-mail, today's Ray Ratto column in the San Francisco Chronicle pegs the upper limit on Frank Thomas's salary at $3.1 million. I say this because it always seems like the early reports of one figure or another are often changed, and without me knowing about it.

Sharon Robinson: Don't Retire Roberto Clemente's Number Across MLB

Sharon Robinson doesn't want Roberto Clemente's number retired across baseball:
"To my understanding, the purpose of retiring my father's number is that what he did changed all of baseball, not only for African-Americans but also for Latinos, so I think that purpose has been met," Robinson told the newspaper at a birthday celebration for her father in Times Square. "When you start retiring numbers across the board, for all different groups, you're kind of diluting the original purpose."
Frank Robinson made similar comments in September, meaning for the first time in recorded history, I agree with the man.

Mota's Flunked Physical Delays Crisp Mega-Trade

Thanks to The Griddle for alerting me to the story that former Dodger Guillermo Mota failed his physical with the Indians. The hitch put a monkeywrench in a huge trade that would have gone down as

Pickoff Moves, Lunchtime Edition

OT: Don't Get Your Hopes Up, Bill

Microsoft is set to launch a new $120 million advertising campaign to combat the perception that it is a huge American corporation. Perhaps in bizarro universe, a $280 billion market cap is small, but for those of us who live in this one, yow. Good luck with that, then...

Jered Weaver Makes USOC Sports Team Of The Year

I'm not sure how this nomination procedure works -- who does the nomination and based on what criteria -- but anyway Jered Weaver made the USOC's Sportsman of the Year short list, or more correctly, he made it to the Sports Team of the Year. Also making the cut were former Angels pitching prospect Stephen Andrade, Howie Kendrick, Jeff Mathis, and Brandon Wood, all for participating in the US Baseball Regional Olympic Qualifying Team.

Dodgers Announce Minor League Coaching Staff

A fellow named Sisyphus would probably appreciate the responsibilities of new 51's pitching coach Ken Howell as he joins former Dodger Steve Yeager at AAA Las Vegas. Also, former All Stars Mike Easler and Lance Parrish will join the club's minor league ranks. Here's a full list:

 Las Vegas (AAA)Jacksonville (AA) Vero Beach (A)
Manager:Jerry RoysterJohn Shoemaker Luis Salazar
Coach: Steve Yeager Mike EaslerRamon Ortiz
Pitching Coach:Ken HowellDanny DarwinGlenn Dishman
Trainer: Jason Mahnke Tony Cordova Carlos Olivas
Strength Coach:Demathdian TateRob Francis Ed Kohl
    
 Columbus (A)Ogden (R)Gulf Coast (R)
Manager: Travis BarbaryLance ParrishJuan Bustabad
Coach:Garey IngramTBA Mac Singleton/Tarrik Brock
Pitching Coach:Richie Lewis Bob Welch Hector Eduardo
Trainer: Jason RobertsJoe Fox Yosuke Nakajima
Strength Coach: Chris Osmond TBA Landon Brandes

Well, At Least We Know Why He Got Fired Now

Not that there's much going on in the Anaheim/Los Angeles of lawsuit, but the Times' coverage today did have one interesting blurb in it:
The jury also heard testimony Tuesday from Kevin Uhlich, the Angels' former chief of business operations. In the weeks after his purchase of the team, Uhlich said, Moreno informed him of a business plan dropping the Anaheim name from marketing and merchandise at once and "at some point introducing the Los Angeles Angels as a name."

Uhlich said he told Moreno the Dodgers owned the Los Angeles market and asked whether the Angels might become like the Clippers, second fiddle to a more popular Los Angeles team. Moreno fired Uhlich four months later.

Go, Arte...

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Vindication For Steve

Today on Baseball Prospectus we learn that Jason Grabowski was the worst offensive left fielder in the major leagues as rated by VORP in 2005.

And You Thought Derek Lowe Zipper Jokes Were Funny

This Jay Jaffe column (scroll down about a third of the way) about Anna Benson's sexcapades is so worth the 50 seconds it'll take out of your day for the belly laugh you'll get in return. Hi-larious!

Minor League Notes

A couple items from MILB.com...

Pickoff Moves

Nightmare On The Farm

Bryan Smith discusses the worst farm systems in the majors; three of them are in the NL Central. Walt Jocketty's Cardinals come up. I wonder that they aren't on pace to become a truly horrible club by 2008. The Cubs aren't much better off: they've had several players have bad seasons, bringing into question their whole organization. The Reds, despite being horrible for years, don't have much beyond some "raw" young players.

A Chance Encounter

What's former Angels Cy Young winner Dean Chance doing? Why, he's running boxing's "fringe" IBA sanctioning body. Here he shares some tidbits about his playing days:
“[1962] was my rookie season,” Chance recalls fondly. “We were in first place at the All-Star break. Anybody connected with that team will tell you it was the most fun they ever had in baseball. Why? Because we were doing it as a team, and that supersedes any individual achievement you can have in baseball.”
About Bo Belinsky's infamous womanizing:
“Let me tell you, Joe Namath didn’t have nearly the women that Bo had,” Chance says. “People remember Bo for being married Jo Collins (a former Playmate of the Year), but that was only the tip of the iceberg. He was engaged to Mamie Van Doren and dated so many other starlets (Ann-Margret, Connie Stevens, Tina Louise and Juliet Prowse, among others), it was ridiculous.

“The only guy I knew who had more women than Bo, believe it or not, was Mickey Rooney.”

How he became a boxing promoter:
“I was with the Angels, and every Thursday night they would have fights on TV from Los Angeles,” Chance recalls. “We’d usually play afternoon games on Thursday when we were at home because that was getaway day back then. We’d play, and I used to go to that fights that Don Chargin promoted at the Grand Olympic Auditorium.”

One thing led to another, and during the baseball offseason Chance found himself promoting a fight card in Canton, Ohio, headlined by heavyweight Jerry Quarry (who stopped Aaron Eastling in five rounds on Jan. 26, 1969).

“I think Quarry got $5,000,” Chance says. “We did a Sunday show, $10 for ringside, $3 for general admission. We grossed $18,000 and gave all the profits to the Canton police boys’ club.”

Kim Ng Candidate For Reds GM

The Reds having been bought by produce magnate Robert Castellini, immediately fired GM Dan O'Brien and now pursue a new GM. But who? Once again, Dodgers AGM Kim Ng makes the short list, along with former GM Paul DePodesta, interim GM Brad Kullman, former Expos and Orioles GM Jim Beattie (who will be an advisor to the team immediately), and Twins AGM Wayne Krivsky.

Meta: 400k

At some time today or tomorrow, the ticky on the right will kick over past 400,000. Thanks, everybody.

Anaheim Relied On An Unwritten Agreement

Really? This is not news...

Monday, January 23, 2006

Jeff Erickson On The Angels' Peculiar 2006 Lineup

Jeff Erickson has a fantasy spin on the Angels' lineup which is definitely worth reading (assuming you already have a subscription, and why don't you?). Like a lot of guys watching the club from a distance, Erickson wonders how the team's going to improve its slugging percentage, saying
Moving Erstad to center field is a good first step, in that it gets Kotchman in the lineup sooner. After a slow start in 2005, Kotchman's bat came around over the second half, first at Triple-A Salt Lake and later upon his recall by the Angels, where in 126 at-bats he had as many homers as Erstad had all year (seven). A full season of Kotchman in the lineup should at least give the Angels league-average production from the first base slot, something they haven't had in years and now need more than ever. From a defensive perspective, Erstad had an excellent reputation in center field before his move to first base, one that was precipitated by his inability to stay healthy. The questions about Erstad's hamstring linger, so it's a good bet to project a slight reduction in playing time for him due to the demands of the position.
It's a good start as far as it goes, but the assumption is that none of the Angels' rookies or near-rookies (Dallas McPherson, are your ears burning?) won't do reasonably well. With first base essentially settled by the Angels' moving Erstad to center, that leaves third base as the corner infield position with a question mark, and three possible candidates to fill it: Chone Figgins, Edgardo Alfonzo, and Dallas McPherson. Alfonzo, who hit .277/.327/.345 overall but a surprising .314/.364/.400 at home, is unlikely to earn anything but a bench role in 2006. Figgins is the most likely starter, with McPherson providing DH coverage. Erickson thinks playing time will break down thusly:
We increased Kotchman's playing time projection by 10% across the board, increasing his strikeout rate slightly because he'll be facing more left-handers. We decreased Erstad's playing time projection by 10%, out of fear of more injuries by playing center field. Alfonzo's playing time projection decreased by 35%, and McPherson took the biggest hit, dropping his projected playing time in half.
But I sort of doubt that; this is a team that is in desperate need of playing its rookies. D-Mac needs to have a good year, and I can't imagine Scioscia subtracting at bats from Dallas to hand them to a guy who won't be with the team next year and is already in steep decline. Here's how I see this breaking down:
Pos      Opening Day              June 1           July 20
======================================================================== C Jeff Mathis/Jose Molina Mathis/Molina Mathis/Molina 1B Casey Kotchman Kotchman Kotchman 2B Adam Kennedy Kennedy Kennedy/Howie Kendrick SS Orlando Cabrera Cabrera Cabrera 3B Chone Figgins McPherson McPherson LF Garret Anderson Anderson Anderson/Rivera CF Darin Erstad Figgins Figgins RF Vlad Guerrero Guerrero Guerrero DH Dallas McPherson Juan Rivera Edgardo Alfonzo?

That is --

  1. Erstad will blow up in centerfield. The Angels are planning on it. Who cares? He's not under contract next year, he's no longer an offensive force at the plate, and there's a solid defensive CF in line behind him in Figgins. The real question is how to deal with the shift in DH. Planning for this means McPherson gets some knocks in at DH without his defense at 3B being a liability.
  2. If Kendrick gets his callup midseason this year -- and the way he's been hitting, why not? -- Kennedy's playing time could be seriously constrained.
  3. Anderson will almost certainly spend significant time on the DL. This opens the door for one of several possible replacements, one of whom is Nick Gorneault. Privately, one of my co-workers who happens to be Nick's cousin, told me he had a private workout earlier in the month with the club; why, I don't know, and I don't have more details than that just yet, but it's certainly odd that they would do something like that before spring training, especially with him on the 40-man already.
  4. I very much doubt the Angels will cut McPherson's playing time to make room for Edgardo Alfonzo.

Former Angel Shigetoshi Hasegawa Retires

Thanks to the Rev for pointing out that former Angel reliever Shigetoshi Hasegawa has retired from baseball. He was recently featured as the 98th most interesting Angel in the Rev's Top 100 Angels of All Time series. He retires with career marks of 3.71 ERA, a (just-) winning 45-44 record, and 447 strikeouts in 720.1 IP. Sayonara, Shiggy, and hope to find you on the links one of these days, not that I play golf.

The Top 40 Dodgers Of All Time: #39, Don Newcombe

Foreword: I know I've gone back and forth on the subject of how to assess career value. For now, I'm going to stick to my terribly flawed guns and use career Win Shares to figure out who gets on the top 40. It's a list whose residents I'm happy with, but not their order; I'll deal with that problem in a followup post to this series. Noting in passing the nice things Aaron Gleeman has had to say about me, we move on to the next fellow in line...

39. RHP Don Newcombe, 1949-1960, 3.42 ERA, 1628.1 IP, 897 K, 405 BB, 138.3 Win Shares

Don Newcombe was the first black major league pitcher, following Jackie Robinson on the Dodgers' roster after his rookie season in 1948. Newcombe remains the only player to ever win Rookie of the Year (from both the BBWAA and The Sporting News), MVP, and Cy Young (there was only one between the two leagues in those days) awards. A former pitcher for the Newark Eagles of the old Negro Leagues, at 6'4" he was an formidable presence on the mound. Branch Rickey predicted great things for his young fireballer, who collected a pair of no-hitters for Montreal before he was brought up in 1949. He did not disappoint: in his first game, he held the Reds down, 3-0, at Crosley Field, even getting a hit and an RBI. Finishing the season with a 3.17 ERA, he led the league in shutouts with five.

Of course, mere competence in those days wasn't proof against racial epithets, and though Jackie Robinson had taken some of the edge off the hostility toward black players, the scene still was far from settled. Still, Newcombe felt baseball, like everything else, would have to change. "[Integration] had to come about," he said years later. "If a black man pays his taxes, if he can fight and die for his country, he should be able to get a chance to play Major League Baseball." He proved his worth by going 17-8, 19-11, and 20-9 in his first three seasons, leading the league in strikeouts in 1951. As with Don Drysdale who would follow him, Newcombe could hit as well as pitch, and had a .271 career average, the ninth best among pitchers in history.

Military service interrupted his career in 1952 and 1953, and most writers believe that these two years in the service cost him a chance at the Hall of Fame. His return season in 1954 was hardly a thing of beauty, with a 4.55 ERA, but he stormed back in 1955, with a 3.20 ERA and 20-5 record. The next year, he posted a 27-7 record with a 3.06 ERA, both career marks, winning the NL MVP award with 66% of the vote.

Another problem that plagued Newcombe's legacy was a history of late-season collapses. One such occurred on the last day of his 1950 season, when the Dodgers needed to beat the Phillies to stay alive in the pennant. Instead, he surrendered a three-run homer to Dick Sisler, ending the Dodgers' hopes for the postseason. Again in 1951, Newcombe got himself into a jam in the third game of the playoff series against the Giants, getting men on base and requiring the services of Ralph Branca -- who surrendered one of the most dramatic home runs in baseball history.

By 1957, the "Boys of Summer" were fading; his close friend Jackie Robinson had retired, and the rest of the team was aging, finishing third that year. With attendance in Brooklyn declining, Walter O'Malley moved the team to Los Angeles. Roy Campanella, another close friend, was involved in an auto crash, ending his career and further isolating Newcombe. The heavy drinking finally caught up to Newk, and he started his Los Angeles career inauspiciously, going 0-6, precipitating a trade to the Reds. In 1960, the Reds traded him to Cleveland, but by then he had nothing left, posting a 2-3 record over 20 games and 54 innings, used principally as a reliever. Playing briefly in the Japanese leagues -- where he made a very poor show of it -- he chased off his demons and became a vice president with the Dodgers, as well as counseling other ballplayers about alcoholism.


Thanks to Retrosheet, Baseball-Reference, The Diamond Angle, Everything2, AfricanAmericans.com, Wikipedia, SABR's New York Times Historical Archives, and Baseball Library for source materials.

Pickoff Moves

OT: Congratulations, Matt Welch

Though he hasn't posted this in his blog, he did stop by via an e-mail advertising his latest Reason column that he's now an assistant opinion editor at the Times. Now, is that to keep him shut up, or to give him a voice? Congratulations... I think.

Update: Matt expands on this:

I'll be helping shape the section; editing and writing both columns and editorials, hopefully bringing some new voices to paper, and cooking up new schemes in the steamrooms under Spring Street. I'll have the pleasure of working for a smart editor I have a great deal of faith in, Andres Martinez.
What a great piece of news. The Times editorial section has demanded an overhaul lo these many, and while I doubt Matt is going to be in a position to give it the gentle kick in the ass it actully deserves, it's a step in the right direction. Hells yeah, as Richard might say.

Rich Lederer Interviews Ex-Dodger Prospect Chuck Tiffany

And there really aren't too many surprises:

Rich: As a Dodger fan growing up, how did it feel to be drafted by your hometown team?

Chuck: It was a childhood dream. I grew up in the city and had always watched them play. I was really excited about everything and was shocked when they traded me. It's now just a new chapter in my life that I have to open up.

Dodgers End Pursuit Of Bengie Molina, Other Roster Notes


Sunday, January 22, 2006

Pickoff Moves

A Word On The Top 40 Dodgers

After an extended conversation with Rich Lederer Friday night, and more thought on the subject Saturday, I'm going to re-organize the methodology along the lines of that used by Jay Jaffe and his JAWS system. The numbers will almost certainly come out differently, there will still be flaws, but they should be less egregious. The series will continue later today; hopefully I'll have time to knock out a couple, to make up for yesterday's silence.

B-Mo Still A Bridesmaid, Not Yet A Bride

Bengie Molina is upset at the Angels for failing to offer him arbitration:
"(The Angels) just didn't do their part," Molina said of the split. "They were just trying to save my money for the younger kids. People think that the Angels offered me money but they never offered me nothing, nada. I never turned down anything because they never offered me anything.

"I'm hurt by it, but at the same time I'm willing to turn the page and keep going."

...

"I'm not fighting for something I haven't earned," Molina said. "I've just got to be patient."

...

"I think I've done enough to deserve something," Molina said. "And if I don't get that type of deal, I think I'm willing to sit out and wait and see what happens next year. I hope it doesn't come to that."

Dude -- maybe you should have lost more weight last offseason...

Old News Dep't: Baseball Prospectus Wraps The Dodgers Offseason

I should have mentioned this at the time, but it kept slipping my mind -- possibly a sign of early senile dementia coming on -- and so I have to talk briefly about Baseball Prospectus's wrapup of the Dodger offseason. Highlights of the Paul Swydan summary:

Friday, January 20, 2006

US Reverses Stance, Agrees To Allow Cuba In WBC

The U.S., losing its poopyhead adherance to the Cubano delegation from Florida, has decided to allow the Cubans in the WBC after all.

Hey, man you talkin' back to me
Take him out
You gotta keep'em separated
Hey, man you disrespecting me
Take him out
You gotta keep'em separated
Hey, they don't pay no mind
If you're under 18 you won't be doing any time
Hey, come out and play
-- The Offspring

Angels/Anaheim Lawsuit Status: There Is No Status

And tune in again next week, when the judge says, "Hold the mayo, I want to get off!"

Arte To Buy Out KSPN Radio Contract?

Reports from the San Diego Union-Tribune indicate that Arte may dispense with the existing two years of his KSPN contract and go with 50,000 watt AM 830 as his flagship radio station. Thanks to commenter Anto for picking that one out.

The Top 40 Dodgers Of All Time: #40, Jeff Pfeffer

As you may know, I've been irregularly contributing to the Rev's series of the top 100 Angels of all time, and I thought it might be kind of fun to do a similar, albeit shorter, list for the Dodgers. The Dodgers have a lot more history to them, and so it gets a mite more crowded; some of the more well-known recent players fall off the list. Here's number 40.
40. Jeff Pfeffer RHP, 1911-1924, 138.3 career Win Shares -- Not a Hall of Famer nor even an All Star (which they wouldn't have until 1933 anyway), Pfeffer had five phenominal seasons in a Brooklyn uniform, emerging as the ace of the Robins' staff from 1914 through 1919. Arguably the team's most important pitcher until Dazzy Vance, he helped the team win a pennant in 1916 by tossing a (by modern standards) superhuman 328 2/3 innings with a 1.92 ERA, notching 30 complete games out of 37 started, compiling a 25-11 record, and hitting .279 from the other side of the plate! Manager Wilbert Robinson bypassed him to open the World Series, and paid the price as the Red Sox won the first two games. By the time Pfeffer finally started, it was Game 5; his defense failed him, and Boston outpitched him, winning the series four games to one.

With World War I approaching, Pfeffer enlisted in the Navy Auxiliary Reserves, leaving the Dodgers for the most part in 1918, but allowing him to continue his career on a part time basis. Unfortunately for Pfeffer, he accepted a gold watch as a retirement token from his manager, who thought he was enlisting in the regular Navy and got the money to pay for it from a fund for dependents of ballplayers in the military. The incident chafed Robinson, and so despite starting in 30 games upon war's end in 1919, and 30 more in 1920, Pfeffer made no starts in the 1920 World Series.

Pfeffer demanded a trade, which he eventually got in 1921, to the Cardinals. He had one final good season with them the following year, but his skills declined in 1923, when he became essentially league average. Traded to the Pirates, he was out of the majors after 1924, and out of baseball -- after three years pitching for the San Francisco Seals and the Toledo Mud Hens -- after 1927.


Thanks to Retrosheet, Baseball-Reference, and the SABR Biography Project for background materials.

Footnote: I'm using the same methodology to rank the top 40 Dodgers as I used to rank the top 40 Angels previously: a simple addition of Win Shares. Rich dropped a line to let me know that wasn't clear, so I'm stating it explicitly. One problem with this method is it tends to overrate sheer stubbornness in sticking around, a la Tommy John, while perhaps shortchanging sustained but significantly shorter streaks of brilliance, like Sandy Koufax. I confess to my methodology's shortcomings here and now, so you won't have to.

Incidentally, my plan is to publish one or two of these a day, which ought to get me through right about the time spring training starts for real. Amen.


Thursday, January 19, 2006

Pickoff Moves, Bedtime Edition

OT: There's A Party In My iPants

Levi Strauss has developed iPod compatible pants, but before you dare to cast your derriere in one of these babies, know they come with a docking station ("hey, babe, is that a docking station or are you just happy to see me?"), and retractable headphones. However much they cost, it's gotta be too much.

Angels Farm Director Reagins To Speak At Travs Hot Stove

Sick of tedious news about minor-league has-beens and benchwarmers signing with the Angels? Want some real fun? Well, Angels Farm Director Tony Reagins will be speaking at the Travs' hot stove event, January 30. Free hot dogs and cold beverages will be provided. I'm so starved for the real thing I might just fly down...

More Dirtbags Fun

Baseball season starts earlier in the college ranks than it does for the rest of the universe, and thank God... Despite losing five key players from 2005, the coaches' preseason poll has the Dirtbags seeded second in the Big West conference. For only (!) $75, you can participate in the season kickoff dinner, and $40 more you can sponsor a player... season tickets start at $110, and super box seats are sold out at lovely Blair Field. The season begins with a series against USC, and Rich tells me opening day pitcher will be Ian Kennedy for the Trojans. Well, heavens. Cain't hardly wait.

Dodgers Announce Promotional Goodies Schedule

Noticeably, there is no giveaways of alcoholic beverages in the updated Dodger promotional schedule, but I hold out hope. It may be a long year if Kent doesn't come back from his surgery; do they have some slightly used Adrian Beltre bobbleheads to give away? No? A Delino DeShields blow-up doll?

Pickoff Moves

Arte To Buy Spanish-Language 830 AM, May Still Launch Cable Net

The Angels are "close to an agreement" to buying 830 AM, a Spanish-language radio station, for the purposes of providing an outlet for their Spanish-language game broadcasts this season, and may convert it to English in two years after their current deal with KSPN runs out, according to the Times. 830 AM has a 50,000 watt signal that is better received across Southern California than KSPN, which has generated fan complaints about signal quality.

In related news, the dickering between Fox Sports Net and the Angels continues; Arte and the Angels have refused a 10-year extension on FSN West for $340 million. FSN West has countered by scaling back its broadcast schedule to the minimum 50 games required by the current contract, one Arte has previously called "little league". The Angels are trying to patch together a broadcast schedule of 50 games on channels 5, 13, and 30.

Angels, Anaheim Go To Mediation Today

In that same Times story, at Judge Peter Polos' insistance, the Angels and the city of Anaheim will spend the day in arbitration, but it doesn't look too good for the city:
After a day of testimony highlighted lease provisions granting the team "sole control" or "sole discretion" or "exclusive control" over such areas as merchandising, parking, concessions and broadcasting, Polos warned the Angels' removal of a city name from tickets, programs and such might not be improper.

"It may be unusual," Polos said, "but it seems, according to the contract, they have the exclusive right to be unusual."

While it came out yesterday that then-president Tony Tavares promised that the name Anaheim would be in the team name and all marketing and merchandising, there is no such provision in the team's lease.

Colon On Track For Spring Training

Good news for a starting rotation that was looking rather rickety: Bartolo Colon is on schedule to throw off a mound starting February 1. He's already throwing without pain on flat ground.

Maybe I Was Wr-- Wr-- Aw, Heck, Dodgers Really Are Interested In B-Mo

Bengie Molina's price tag has dropped so far that the Dodgers really are interested in picking him up on a one-year deal, according to the Times. Ned Colletti supposedly could have an offer together by the weekend. The Blue Jays have offered him $4M for one year, supposedly, and he had gotten a 3-year, $18M offer from the Mets before they cleared up their catching situation by signing Paul Lo Duca.

More on this from Jon, who's coming down with "shopper's fatigue".

A's Notes

A couple bits about the Angels' principle rivals in the AL West --

More On Petco's Smaller Dimensions

The Padres' new fences would have created about a dozen more homers, according San Diego CEO Sandy Alderson. The longest distance in the park will be 402 feet, down from 411.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Angels Sign Donnelly For One Year, $950,000

Brendan Donnelly signed with the Angels on a one-year deal for $850,000, according to the AP.

Update: Donnelly was thus the last arbitration-eligible player for the Angels this year. The Chronicler made a good point earlier in the day when he said that the team is still beholden to its cheap players. Even after these deals, the club will have many inexpensive players providing most of its value despite grossly overpaying for the likes of Darin Erstad, Orlando Cabrera, and Garret Anderson. Seconding the Chronicler, Bill Stoneman deserves applause for this aspect of managing the club, especially with very talented infielders coming up to replace Erstad, Troy Glaus, Adam Kennedy (who's about to get expensive), and even Cabrera.

Update 2: MLB.com says the contract was for $950,000.


Judge: Get A Mediator

Judge Peter Polos suggested the Angels and the city of Anaheim should get a mediator and the hell out of his courtroom, although he didn't put it in quite those blunt terms. "I think this case is crying out to be resolved," he said, omitting the crucial phrase, "by adults".

Roster Notes

A couple things I missed along the highway... most of these are arbitration cases settled by contract.

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Coincidence?

Did anyone else notice that the Dodgers traded Jackson and Tiffany on Delino DeShields' birthday?

Update 1/18: More on the Jackson/Tiffany trade from Bryan Smith today.

We were wrong about Edwin Jackson, he wasn't a phenom. Let's just hope the Dodgers didn't prevent him from becoming anything at all.
Update 2: Beyond the Boxscore also has their spin on this deal: not good, not bad.

Top 40 Angels

At some point I think I told the Rev that I was going to give him a ballot of the top 40 Angels of all time, but that I wanted to do it sabermetrically. Well, I tarried too long and the list below didn't make it, but for posterity --

RankPlayerWin
Shares
RankPlayerWin
Shares
1.Tim Salmon227.221.Doug Decinces 85.2
2.Brian Downing225.022.Albie Pearson 84.7
3.Jim Fregosi222.823.Clyde Wright 80.7
4.Chuck Finley184.024.Jarrod Washburn 80.5
5.Bobby Grich183.825.Adam Kennedy 79.4
6.Garret Anderson179.426.Bob Boone 78.7
7.Nolan Ryan 147.527.Bobby Knoop 77.9
8.Darin Erstad146.328.Andy Messersmith 74.3
9.Wally Joyner121.029.Bengie Molina 74.1
10.Chili Davis114.630.Rick Reichardt 70.4
11.Frank Tanana113.931.Kirk McCaskill 69.3
12.Mike Witt 110.132.Jack Howell 69.1
13.Troy Percival109.933.Buck Rodgers 68.3
14.Troy Glaus104.734.Reggie Jackson 67.4
15.Rod Carew102.835.Gary DiSarcina 65.1
16.Jim Edmonds 94.536.Fred Lynn 63.7
17.Don Baylor 94.037.Sandy Alomar 62.0
18.Dick Schofield 90.838.Leon Wagner 60.3
19.Mark Langston 90.739.Dave Chalk 58.6
20.Dean Chance 87.740.Mickey Rivers 57.4

A few points to make here and there, some of which will repeat from my post over at HH:

Labels: ,


Angels Agree To One-Year Deals With Shields, K-Rod

The Angels agreed to one-year deals with Francisco Rodriguez and Scot Shields, according to the AP via Sports Illustrated and their painfully slow-to-load, Javascript-heavy site. Frankie will earn $3.775M and Shields will earn $2.1M. Shields has pitched 197 innings over the last two years, the most of any major league relief pitcher. The only remaining Angels pitcher eligible for arbitration is Brendan Donnelly, who seeks about $1.05M.

Also on MLB.com, which, while slow, isn't nearly as painful as SI.


Zoning Out: Mapping Batters' Strike Zones

Albert Pujols' pitch zone

Albert Pujols' pitch zone

Here's something I stumbled across at fangraphs.com: the proprietor has mapped the strike zones of a few sample major leaguers to see what they can do with various pitches. (The raw data apparently comes from Baseball Info Solutions.) None too surprisingly, Albert Pujols is a monster, while Corey Patterson is kinda pathetic. But it's an interesting visual to give you an idea of what Ted Williams was talking about when he was describing his happy zone besides the box of balls image you always see.

Monday, January 16, 2006

Jose Molina Signs Two-Year Deal With Angels

Jose Molina signed a two-year deal with the Angels, for $2.1M. He is guaranteed $850,000 this year and $1.25M the following year; his 2007 salary could double if he starts in 115 games this year.

Also on MLB.com.


Dallas McPherson Vs. Jim Edmonds SO/AB

For Matt, who requested this earlier in the day:

Dallas McPherson vs. Jim Edmonds SO/AB rates
Bear in mind that Edmonds' 1993 rates includes both his AAA Edmonton and (then-) California totals, as do the others in the prior post.

Lackey Inks 1-Year, $3.76M Deal

Angels starter John Lackey signed a one-year, $3.76M deal, to avoid arbitration. It's a big step up from the $440,000 he made last year.

Quote, Unquote

Tim Salmon, on trying to win a job in spring training:
The Angels basically told me there's not a job to win. The team is moving on without Tim Salmon. I understand it. I don't blame them. I look around and, yeah, I'd like to think I fit into their plans, but from their standpoint, I'm probably not the first guy they're going to plug in.
On his surgically repaired knee:
I'm more excited than I've been in many, many years. I can do some things that I haven't been able to do in 4-5 years. In some ways, I feel like a kid. My knee feels great, I'm running great. But I'm not going to blow smoke. You just don't know what it's going to be like over the course of a season.
Salmon also says running for three or four days straight causes him pain, still.

New Dodgers third base coach Rich Donnelly on the limits of his professional career:

It was tough trying to convince people back home that hitting .220 was good. The only time I'm ever in fair territory during a major-league game is if we get in a fight with the other team.
On the difference between coaching in LA and coaching in Milwaukee:
"Look at this," Donnelly said, motioning toward several TV cameras and reporters. "This is a real press conference here. For a press conference in Milwaukee, there'd be two writers and one guy with a Polaroid."
Danys Baez, on the relative merits of Edwin Jackson and Chuck Tiffany and/or the lack of wisdom in the Dodgers front office:
If [the Devil Rays] were not going to spend any more, then they have to trade me. Why would you need a $4-million closer who will be a free agent after next year and not get anything for him?
Chan Ho Park, to an anonymous Korean fan who told him to stay away from Korea if he should continue his slumping in MLB:
Do you mean that I won’t be permitted to return home even when I get too old to play baseball? ... If I have good results with long hair, will you advise me to have longer hair next time?

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