Baseball

[El Zen]

Mets win 6-2!

It's called character. Something the steroid-using Yankees and their tourist, glory-seeking fans know nothing about.

I should have posted this right after the 15-0 thumping we gave you but anyway;

[kurtsimonw]

Mets win 6-2!

It's called character. Something the steroid-using Yankees and their tourist, glory-seeking fans know nothing about.

I should have posted this right after the 15-0 thumping we gave you but anyway;

He's right about the fans though. I watched a video on the net the other day with some guy interviewing people outside of Yankees Stadium before the last ever Yankees/Sox game. He asked all of them what their favourite memory of the place was and they all said the same thing "Well, this is my first time here.."

[leviramsey]

Thanks for that, Levi.

Just curious as to what happens with rain shortened series - like the Cubs/ChiSox this past week - do they just have to fit a one-off game in somewhere down the line or what?

They normally fit in a one-off game somewhere (that's the main reason why Thursdays and Mondays have so few games scheduled. If it's a game earlier in the series, they may just make it a doubleheader (normally of the day-night variety, which means that the stadium gets emptied of fans after the first game, but rarely of the twi-night (or day-evening, I suppose) variety (in which case it becomes a two games for the price of one deal)) later in the series. Alternatively, if one game would not affect either team's fortunes and it's too difficult to get the logistics of a make-up game sorted, they may just elect not to play it.

That actually happens fairly regularly: the Orioles and the A's ended up not making up a game between them (each played only 161 games) last year, and the Marlins, Nationals, Cubs, and Astros likewise each only played 161 games.

[kurtsimonw]

Thanks again Levi, you're better than wikipedia.

Mets lead the Card 3-2, top of the 9th. K-Rod has 7 pitches, 6 strikes, 2 outs. He's the man!

EDIT: Intentional walk to Pujols.. then walks Ludwick, now I'm **** nervous again!

EDIT 2: 3 out, game over, Mets win.. I was never worried..

[leviramsey]

[kurtsimonw]

Fitzy! 8)

Mets are currently 5-2 down after taking a 2-0 lead in the first, we're on a 4 game losing streak an dhave slipped into 3rd in the NLE.. on the plus side, David Wright actually hit a home run tonight, only his 5th of the season..

We need Reyes and co back ASAP.

EDIT: Oh, quick mention for Mo Rivera too. He picked up his 500th (2nd all-time) career save in a win over the Mets a few days back. Well done to him.

[B-dub]

I honestly have nothing positive or optimistic to say about the Mets at this point. Their season has been pretty much wrecked by injuries and--although you might be able to make a move or two--there's no way you can replace these guys or re-invent your team mid-season. And most of the guys who are out have no timetable for returning--and even if they do return it's questionable at best if Delgado, Reyes, et. all will be productive even if they do come back by August.

If the Mets came into the season with the line-up and pitching rotation they have now, you'd have picked them to finish 4th. Beyond Santana (who hasn't been great lately himself) their rotation is awful. Beyond David Wright, they have a AAA-caliber line-up. And aside from K-Rod, their bullpen is mediocre at best.

I guess the best I can say is that I now have zero expectations of this season and can't be disappointed.

[leviramsey]

Any word on Carlos Beltran?

Last I read, there were fears that his career might effectively be over.

[kurtsimonw]

Any word on Carlos Beltran?

Last I read, there were fears that his career might effectively be over.

According to this it could be a possibility. He's going to see Richard Steadman, is that the same guy that did Luke Moores surgery a few years back?

EDIT: No surgery needed according to Mets.com.

[RunRickyRun]

The White Sox on a good tear now.

7 wins in a row and 11 out of 13 to close the gap to 2.5 on Detroit (it's been around the 6 mark for most of the season)

[leviramsey]

ESPN examines Mets highlights

[knoppy1987]

Do we have any Angels fans on here? .....or just me

[leviramsey]

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim fans of the UK?

The trade deadline is a bit over three weeks away: the next few weeks are the closest thing in US sports to a football-style transfer window (there isn't really a formal window as such... trades can be made at any time, but generally aren't made in September and October because a) players are effectively cup-tied for the playoffs and World Series on 1 September and it's considered very poor form to make a signing or trade (or sack a manager, for that matter) during the playoffs/World Series).

But even then, it's not a hard deadline, only the deadline for non-waiver trades. The waiver system in North American sports is one of the more peculiar things that evens the competition. Basically, if a team wants rid of a player who has a guaranteed contract and they don't want anything of note in return, they'll waive their rights to them and announce the waiver to the league office. The league office then gives the other clubs in the league a chance to claim the player, with the club lowest in the standings having priority. However, waivers in August are revocable, meaning that the waiving club can pull back the waiver. If a certain period of time (24 hours in the modern game) passes with no club claiming the player, then the player has cleared waivers.

John Feinstein, writing in Play Ball"]

Every August, as the month winds down, general managers begin playing their games. There is an intensity to the GM games of August that doesn't exist at other times of the year. A trading deadline, a real one that can't be skirted, looms, and the phone lines between [the various] Major League cities are usually scorched by the time midnight (Eastern Daylight Time) arrives on August 31.

Once upon a time, baseball had all sorts of trading deadlines. There was an interleague trading deadline in the offseason, there was the June 15 non-waiver deadline, and there were various times when waiver deals could or could not be made.

The rules have been simplified in recent decades. Now, the only date that really has any meaning is August 31. There is still a July 31 deadline, but that's an artificial barrier, easily worked around. Once that date is passed, no player can be traded unless they clear waivers. Most general managers routinely put their entire squad on waivers during the first week of August. The process takes four days since no more than seven players can be on waivers in any twenty-four hour period.

If a GM sees someone on the waiver wire who he thinks may be traded to someone he's in a race with, he might go ahead and claim him. If he does so, the team that placed him on waivers must withdraw him from waivers or lose him; in either case, the player cannot be traded for the rest of the month.

The tactic is known as blocking, and is generally frowned upon in the fraternity. "You block too many times and you get everyone pissed off at you," one GM said. "If a guy blocks me, you can be sure that I'll get even with him, sooner or later. That's the way it works. It takes an extreme situation for someone to block."

And great prescience. During that first week in August, no one really knows what kind of deals will be done in the last week of August. As names come tumbling down the waiver wire that first week, most GMs pay little attention. After all, even if a superstar shows up -- as almost all of them will -- you know he'll be withdrawn if you make a claim. All you accomplish is upsetting your fraternity brothers.

During that first week, virtually every player in the game clears waivers. Once that's done, the trading deadline has, for all intents and purposes, been extended by thirty-one days. During that last week of August, all hell often breaks loose.

By the last week of August, 1992, the Mets' season, so promising in March, had turned to dust. From the fringes of contention in early August, they had completely fallen apart and were now in the frustrating position of seeking prospects for the future rather than stars for the present.

On the morning of August 25, GM Al Harazin made a maintenance call -- as in "maintaining contact" -- to his Blue Jays counterpart, Pat Gillick. This was part of the routine. GMs of noncontending clubs put in calls to GMs in contention to see if one of them, seeking to fill a hole for the last weeks of the season, might be willing to part with some young players.

Gillick was concerned about his pitching. Although Juan Guzman had returned from the disabled list, he was still on a tight pitch count and didn't look anything like the pitcher he'd been before the injury. The rest of the staff looked shaky, and the Brewers had joined the Orioles in close pursuit.

The Brewers were coming to Toronto that weekend for what was now a key series. Gillick had been in touch with several teams, looking for a starting pitcher. He talked to the Mariners about Randy Johnson and to the Tigers about Bill Gullickson. He had even tried one more time to pry Jim Abbott loose from the Angels. So far he'd gotten absolutely nowhere.

"Have I got anyone you're interested in?" Harazin asked.

"Sure," said Gillick. "David Cone."

Both men laughed. Any GM with money to spend would be interested in Cone. Sandy Alderson of the A's had called a few days before about Cone and been turned down flat. Cone was 29, hadn't missed a start in five years, and was generally thought to have the best pure "stuff" in baseball. Not only could he throw hard, he had a variety of breaking pitches that could make any batter look foolish. He was well on his way to a third consecutive National League strikeout title, and although he had struggled a bit in his last few starts, there was no questioning his talent.

Cone would be a free agent at the end of the season, having rejected a four-year $17 million contract extension from the Mets. Alderson had asked two weeks earlier, with the Mets in free-fall, if he would consider trading Cone and get something in return rather than lose him at the end of the season.

"Absolutely not," Harazin said then and he repeated it to Gillick, who wasn't surprised. He had simply thrown Cone's name out to hear Harazin's reaction.

"Well, if you change your mind, let me know soon. We have the Brewers here this weekend and if we did do something, I'd love to have him here for that."

Gillick's words stuck with Harazin. If getting Cone quickly was that important to Gillick, maybe he could pry something loose from him.

Other factors were at work. In July, Greg Maddux turned down the Cubs' offer of $27.5 million over 5 years. Although Cone was three years older than Maddux, the two were generally rated in the same class of pitchers. In fact, Cone had twice used Maddux's salary in arbitration cases against the Mets [baseball has a system that allows players and clubs to agree to set a salary by having the club and player submit a figure to an arbitrator who decides which is more reasonable --LR]. Both times, the arbitrator agreed that Cone should be paid what Maddux was.

Harazin knew that Mets' co-owners Fred Wilpon and Nelson Doubleday were never going to approve a five-year, $25 million deal with Cone. "I began to think that maybe, if I could get Pat to give me two players who would play every day next season, I had to consider doing it, even though I knew trading David would be traumatic for him, the club, and for me."

Harazin called his scouts. What young players did Toronto have, either in the big leagues or at Triple-A Syracuse, whom the Mets could reasonably ask for and who would be contributors to the Mets in 1993? He needed to know quickly.

By the next morning, Harazin had his answers. Two names stood out: Jeff Kent, a 24-year-old infielder who had played a fair amount for Toronto due to Kelly Gruber's injury problems; and Ryan Thompson, also 24, a center fielder with speed and lots of potential as a hitter. Thompson wasn't likely to get a chance in Toronto any time soon, with Devon White firmly ensconced in center field.

Both players were young, but had enough experience to be full-time big leaguers the next year. Kent, who the scouts figured would be good for 15 home runs a year was already there. There were concerns about Thompson's long, looping swing, but there was no doubt he could give the Mets something they had lacked since they traded Lenny Dykstra in 1989: a center fielder who could run, catch, and throw.

Harazin called Gillick back. He was very direct. "I'm willing to trade David Cone. But there are two guys I want, and I don't want to negotiate."

He threw out the names of Kent and Thompson. Gillick was stunned. He had never expected Harazin to say that he'd be willing to trade Cone, especially for a price so reasonable. He probably would have been less surprised if Harazin had asked for Devon White an Roberto Alomar.

"I'll have to get back to you, Al," Gillick said.

"Fine," Harazin told him. "But remember, you said you wanted Cone for the weekend. I'm not putting him out for bid, if you say yes, fine. If you say no, we'll keep him."

Gillick knew that if he said no, the scenario would change. The Orioles were also looking for a pitcher, although they were less likely to pay Cone's salary -- he would cost just under $1 million for five weeks of regular season work -- than the Blue Jays.

As soon as he hung up with Harazin, Gillick began phoning his scouts. He also called manager Cito Gaston in Chicago and told him that a trade might be made that would bring Cone to the Blue Jays in return for Jeff Kent.

It took Gillick a while to put together a conference call with his scouts that morning; when he did, there was a split. Scouts hate to give up on prospects. This was a trade that would gamble the future against the present. Since Cone would be a free agent, this was basically a rental: Cone would likely not pitch for the Jays after October, 1992. A year earlier, the Jays had made a similar move, acquiring Tom Candiotti from the Indians and losing him to free agency in the offseason.

The player there was concern about was Thompson. Kent was a pure offensive player, not someone we thought would develop into a top-flight all-around player. Thompson was someone we felt had a chance to do that.

Gillick's assistant, Al LaMacchia, suggested trying to substitute Jose De La Rosa for Thompson; everyone agreed that the deal was worth making in that case. Gillick called Harazin and was told Kent and Thompson or no deal. Gillick rounded up the scouts again.

Driving home that evening, Harazin listened to radio reports from Florida on Hurricane Andrew. He walked into the house to find his wife on the phone. "It's Pat Gillick," she said.

"We want to make the deal," Gillick said.

"Kent and Thompson?"

"Kent and Thompson."

Harazin hung up and turned to his wife. "I think there's another hurricane about to hit." He told her what he had just done.

It would take several hours to close the formalities of the deal, but Harazin tried to call the airport in San Francisco to reach Mets Chief Operating Officer (and Harazin's predecessor) Frank Cashen. Too late, the plane had already left.

Not knowing what the status of the trade was, Cashen was left with a dilemma. If he told Cone that the Mets were working on trading him and no trade happened, how would that affect Cone's fragile psyche? Halfway through the flight to New York, he walked to Cone's seat at the back of the plane and sat down.

"I was surprised when I saw him, because he almost never came to the back," Cone said later. "I wondered for a second if something was up. But then he just started talking to me about his favorite golf courses in Scotland and Ireland. We had a nice talk for about an hour and he went back up front."

It was almost 2 AM when the plane landed. As the players wearily deplaned, Cashen took Cone aside, looked him in the eye, and said, "Stay by your phone in the morning."

Cone knew exactly what that meant and was stunned. "I was dazed. I went straight into Manhattan and found a bar. It was probably five or six before I got back to my apartment."

Cone was convinced he'd be traded to Oakland. He knew that Bob Welch had just gone on the disabled list. He tossed and turned, telling himself that being reunited with Ron Darling would be fun and finally dropped off to sleep.

At 11, the phone rang. "I felt like I'd slept for five minutes," Cone said. He reached for the phone, certain that it was Harazin telling him he'd been traded to Oakland. He was half-right.

"David, this is very hard to do," Harazin said. "But I think I've just traded you into the World Series." Then he told him it was Toronto.

Even with the warning from Cashen, Cone was stunned. He'd been with the Mets for almost six years and though of New York as his home. A few minutes later, the phone rang again: it was Gillick and Gaston welcoming him to the Blue Jays.

Harazin's Hurricane began as soon as the trade was announced. No one in New York had ever heard of Kent and Thompson. When reporters contacted other Mets, they were aghast that Cone had been traded for what seemed like so little. The next morning, the New York Post ran a front-page photo of Harazin -- wearing a dunce cap.

(Thompson would play ten years as a journeyman in the major leagues, with a .243 career batting average; Kent would play until 2008, win an MVP award with the Giants in 2000, and hold the career record for home runs by a second baseman)

Blocking is a gamble: in 1998, the Padres claimed relief pitcher Randy Myers from the Blue Jays; they figured that the Braves were interested in the pitcher and that a club below them in the standings would also put in a claim or that the Blue Jays would withdraw the waiver. However, the Blue Jays decided that they were unlikely to be in contention for the next couple of years and weren't interested in paying Myers $13.5 million over that period, and told the Padres they could have him. Myers would be ineffective in 21 appearances before suffering a career-ending injury.

[kurtsimonw]

Reds 0, Mets 4.

Santana pitched 7, gave up 5 hits and 0 runs.

-Yankees were battered 14-8 by the Los Angeles Angels not of Los Angeles.

-Whte Sox lead 8-5, bottom of the 9th in Minnesota.

-Red Sox up 12-8 in the 8th at home to KC.

-Cubs beat the Cards 5-2.

[knoppy1987]

Yes a Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim fan from the UK. Thank Vlad Guerrero who caught my eye a few years back as he destroyed the Texas Rangers in Arlington. I have never looked back.

Good to see the Angels taking it to the Yankee's the past two nights especially without Hunter and Vladdy. Hopefully we can get the sweep today.

[B-dub]

it's considered very poor form to make a signing or trade (or sack a manager, for that matter) during the playoffs/World Series).

It's nothing to do with it being "poor form", you just can't make player moves (trades, free agent signings) in the middle of the playoffs. If someone gets injured during one of the playoff rounds, you can (with approval from the league office) activate another player from your 40-man roster for the following round (if you advance).

[leviramsey]

it's considered very poor form to make a signing or trade (or sack a manager, for that matter) during the playoffs/World Series).

It's nothing to do with it being "poor form", you just can't make player moves (trades, free agent signings) in the middle of the playoffs. If someone gets injured during one of the playoff rounds, you can (with approval from the league office) activate another player from your 40-man roster for the following round (if you advance).

I was referring to the clubs that aren't in the playoffs... as far as I know, there's not a hard rule against them making moves after playoff rosters are set (though there's not really much of a point to it).

[kurtsimonw]

Prince Fielder of the Brewers won the HR derby last night. The All-Star game is on tonight, hopefully the NL can stop this horrible, horrible run!

[kurtsimonw]

President Obama throwing the first pitch to Pujols. He came out in a White Sox top, getting boos from the fans.

Didn't know he was a ChiSox fan.

[leviramsey]

Red Sox waive Julio Lugo

Julio Lugo, who was plagued by injuries and ineffectiveness during his 2 1/2 seasons with the Red Sox, has been designated for assignment.

The designation, which was confirmed by his agent, Sam Levinson, this afternoon, means the team has 10 days to either trade or release the veteran shortstop, who signed a four-year, $36-million deal with the Red Sox as a free agent before the 2007 season.

“When you see a good looking girl, you get married and sometimes things don’t work out,” told the Boston Herald's Steve Buckley, who caught up to him at the airport in Toronto. “I gave it my best and unfortunately things didn’t work out. This is the best for both parties. I wanted it to work out but it didn’t.”

The Lugo deal will go down as one of the poorer personnel decisions of Theo Epstein's tenure -- something the general manager more or less confirmed late this afternoon while discussing the decision.

"This was one of the free agent signings that doesn’t work out. We were paying for past performance, not current performance," Epstein said. "That’s the true definition of a mistake, and as the decision, that’s on me. We’ll just move on and be a better organization having gone through it, and we’ll make better decisions going forward."

A source told the Globe's Amalie Benjamin that a trade of Lugo is still possible and that the Sox have talked to several teams, but thus far there have been no takers for the 33-year-old, who is owed roughly $13.5 million through next season.

If he is not claimed, the Red Sox will be obligated to pay the remainder of his contract, and Benjamin reports that the Sox are prepared to eat a "significant" chuck of his salary, something Epstein indirectly confirmed.

"I think ownership has been consistent that we’ll do what we need to do to keep the best possible team on the field," he said. "A sunk cost is a sunk cost. We’re sorry it didn’t work out better with Julio, obviously. But keeping him on the team wasn’t going to change that. Sometimes the best organizations admit their mistakes and they move on. And that’s what we’re doing here."

Lugo was absent from the team's mandatory workout at Rogers Centre last night, though manager Terry Francona said it was because of a communications mix-up.

The Red Sox needed to open up two roster spots today with third baseman Mike Lowell expected to return to the lineup tonight after a stint on the DL with a hip injury and righthander Clay Buchholz being recalled from Pawtucket to make tonight's start.

First baseman Aaron Bates is expected to be optioned back to Pawtucket to clear one opening. Shortstop Jed Lowrie, who has been out since May after wrist surgery, is expected to return Saturday, with Buchholz heading back to the PawSox.

The writing has appeared to be on the wall regarding the end of Lugo's disappointing time with the Sox for weeks. Nick Green, a journeyman who joined the club as a non-roster invitee to spring training, played well while Lugo was sidelined beginning in March after knee surgery.

Upon returning in late April, Lugo produced adequately at the plate -- he batted .284 in 37 games -- but struggled mightily defensively (seven errors in 97 chances) and seemed hesitant, particularly in turning the double play.

The strong-armed and steadier Green secured the brunt of the playing time at shortstop at Lugo's expense, and with Lowrie's impending return, there was no spot remaining for Lugo. The club is content to go with Lowrie and Green at the position for the foreseeable future.

"I think it’s just a matter of putting our best team on the field," Epstein said. "That’s really the motivation behind [the Lugo move]. Jed Lowrie, ready to be recalled tomorrow. Nick Green playing well and out of options. We felt like those two would be our best combination for the shortstop position at this point."

Signed to a lucrative four-year deal in December 2006 after splitting the previous season between the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers, he struggled from the get-go with the Sox, batting .189 through July 7 in his first season in Boston.

Dropped from the leadoff spot to the bottom of the order, he did rebound enough to finish at .237 with 8 home runs and 73 RBIs as the Red Sox won their second championship in four seasons.

But the problems continued last season. He batted .268 with one homer and 22 RBIs, but made 16 errors before his season ended after 82 games because of a torn quadriceps muscle.

In 10 seasons with Houston, Tampa Bay, the Dodgers, and Red Sox, Lugo is a lifetime .271 hitter.

If I had to compare Lugo to a Villa player, I'd probably go with Zat Knight (except Lugo wasn't brought in as squad cover... he was brought in as a first choice shortstop, and the number of defensive lapses Lugo has made over the years that have cost games...), especially in terms of what the fans/messageboard posters think of him:

The Lugo outcome is now written in stone it seems. They will either release him, be responsible for his full contract, and get nothing in return. Or they will trade him, be responsible for most/all of his contract, and get very little in return.

There are no positive outcomes. Unless they take some really lousy, but ultimately more useful contract in return. That seems unlikely.

I would call never seeing Lugo in a Red Sox uniform again a positive outcome.

It's hard to really articulate how useless Lugo has been this season though. He's got a Rey Sanchez like empty batting average and he's so bad at short the Sox ought to put an overturned trash can between second and third like a Tom Emansky training drill. I'll just be glad to see him move on, and when he does I'll wish him well.

He has been a terrible fielder, but more than that, he has 1) underperformed his contract, and 2) committed a bunch of mental errors/fuckups/episodes of laziness that have contributed to the level of hatred. I don't think it can be denied that the venom being directed at him on this board is out of proportion to his actual level of suckage. He is bad, but not that bad.

I used to be one of his last defenders. I'm not going to defend him anymore. There is plenty evidence of a bad attitude or mindset problem, and I won't be sorry to see him go. But give the Lugo his due: he has not been "useless." He has hit passably well.

What is greater...the amount of cash that held up the A-Rod deal or the amount the Sox ate to get rid of Renteria & Lugo?

I guess it's just funny how things work out some times; another example of how singing averageish players to long term FA deals isn't optimal.

maybe Heskey's a better analogy, but I think you get the idea...

EDIT: oh yeah, the Mets are thought to have some interest in Lugo...