New Article: Family Trees, by Geoff Young
New Series: The Baseball Research Project - Baseball Historians and HRs, by Dave Rouleau
The Return of Facts...Johan-Style, by Craig Brown
Detailed Pitch Analysis: Part II - The Curve Ball, by Jonathan Hale
Round 2: The Roger Clemens Saga Continues, by Gordon Berger
Beyond the Diamond: January 31, 2008, by Pete Toms
The Perfect Organization, by Eric SanInocencio
Out of the Spolight, by Dave Rouleau
The Bloggers Roundtable - Cincinnati Reds (the Cleveland Indians are the next in line)
Visit BDD's Big League Futures, our minor league department, who has been redesigned recently. Original material is produced by Jim Pratt, Koby Schellenger and Dave Rouleau.
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All Baseball Transactions Thursday
- The Santana deal is not really what was previously reported.
"Therefore, based on the revised figures, Santana's average salary drops from the initially reported $22.9 million to $20.5 million over the life of the contract. The club option for 2014 remains with the salary for that year being $25 million. As reported by Rosenthal and FoxSports, if Santana hits any of these incentive clauses, the club picks up the option year:
* He wins the Cy Young Award in any season from 2008 to '13 and finishes second or third in any other year;
* He finishes second or third in the Cy Young voting in any three of the six years during his deal;
* He pitches 215 innings in 2013 and is on the active roster (not including disabled list) throughout the final 30 days of that season.
* He pitches 420 innings combined in 2012 and '13 and is on the active roster throughout the final 30 days of the final season.
* He pitches 630 innings combined in 2011, '12 and '13 and is on the active roster throughout the final 30 days of the final season."
- McNamee gave his deposition yesterday and also presented photos of the evidence against Roger Clemens.
"The evidence that could prove Roger Clemens' use of performance-enhancing drugs is an ugly mess of blood-stained gauze pads, empty vials and used hypodermic needles stored inside a crushed beer can.
This assortment of paraphernalia, stored for seven years by Clemens' former trainer Brian McNamee in a Queens basement, is now the property of the United States government. The results of its examination could prove pivotal in how the 354-game winner is judged historically.
Or, as McNamee's attorney, Earl Ward, put it: "Roger Clemens has put himself in the position where his legacy as the greatest pitcher in baseball will depend less on his ERA than on his DNA."
The excellent J.C. Bradbury argues that the evidemce might be more damaging to McNamee than Clemens.
Former Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Randomski will be sentenced today in a San Francisco courtroom.
- I think Timothy from Cubby-Blue speaks for many of us with the following illustration:
(reproduced with permission)
- Upper Deck has a series of card for the Presidential Race:
See the series here.
- Evan Grant does a 'Q&A on Texas Rangers' Ryan hire'.
"What happens if Ryan and general manager Jon Daniels disagree on a move?
That's where this situation could get sticky. Owner Tom Hicks said that Ryan will oversee baseball, but apparently Ryan and Daniels will report to Hicks.
Ultimate authority would only really be determined by who Hicks sides with in such a disagreement. Ryan, however, said he plans to defer to Daniels' judgment on baseball decisions.
Does this mean Daniels is on shaky ground with the Rangers?
Not when it comes to financial security. Daniels will receive an extension past his current deal, which was set to expire in 2009. Hicks said he has great confidence in Daniels, but what's uncertain is what would happen if Ryan ultimately doesn't share that level of confidence.
While Hicks said he would back out of day-to-day involvement in baseball to an extent, he did leave some aspects of the emerging Ryan-Daniels working relationship vague. Whether Ryan would have firing power is a question the owner hopes he won't have to answer."
- Schilling's season might be compromised by discomfort in his shoulder, according to a Red Sox statement yesterday.
He wrote about it on his blog, 38 Pitches.
- Josh Fields had to clarify retirement statement yesterday, after he talked about it at a luncheon in Tulsa this past Wednesday.
"'When I got my first taste of the big leagues in 2006, it was everything I had dreamed about,'' Fields was quoted as saying. ''But the further I got into my professional career, the more I had to deal with everything else that goes along with being a professional athlete. There were so many things going on in the clubhouse that I really questioned if professional baseball was for me. However, I prayed about it and realized there is nowhere I could have more influence right now than in that clubhouse.''
Fields said his quotes were accurate but were taken out of context from several discussions he had with the audience.
He admitted to questioning his ability in Class A and AA but said he never has contemplated retirement.
''The clubhouse stuff got twisted,'' Fields said. ''I don't have a problem with a coach or a player or anything like that. [The clubhouse comment] was referring to the pressure from the media. I'm a country kid, and I walk out of the shower in a towel and have to answer difficult questions. That may not seem tough, but when you're not used to it ... that was my angle.''
Fields voiced his concerns about the story to the newspaper's sports editor. The World has written a follow-up story for today's edition clarifying Fields' comments.
''Back in Double-A, I was getting outhit by guys that weren't even drafted, and I was like, 'Wow, do I belong here?''' he said. ''[The newspaper] made it seem like I couldn't handle it [at the big-league level] and wanted to quit. I mean, I'm 25 years old and haven't even completed a full major-league season yet.''
- Evan Grant does a 'Q&A on Texas Rangers' Ryan hire'.
"What happens if Ryan and general manager Jon Daniels disagree on a move?
That's where this situation could get sticky. Owner Tom Hicks said that Ryan will oversee baseball, but apparently Ryan and Daniels will report to Hicks.
Ultimate authority would only really be determined by who Hicks sides with in such a disagreement. Ryan, however, said he plans to defer to Daniels' judgment on baseball decisions.
Does this mean Daniels is on shaky ground with the Rangers?
Not when it comes to financial security. Daniels will receive an extension past his current deal, which was set to expire in 2009. Hicks said he has great confidence in Daniels, but what's uncertain is what would happen if Ryan ultimately doesn't share that level of confidence.
While Hicks said he would back out of day-to-day involvement in baseball to an extent, he did leave some aspects of the emerging Ryan-Daniels working relationship vague. Whether Ryan would have firing power is a question the owner hopes he won't have to answer."
- Schilling's season might be compromised by discomfort in his shoulder, according to a Red Sox statement yesterday.
He wrote about it on his blog, 38 Pitches.
- Josh Fields had to clarify retirement statement yesterday, after he talked about it at a luncheon in Tulsa this past Wednesday.
"'When I got my first taste of the big leagues in 2006, it was everything I had dreamed about,'' Fields was quoted as saying. ''But the further I got into my professional career, the more I had to deal with everything else that goes along with being a professional athlete. There were so many things going on in the clubhouse that I really questioned if professional baseball was for me. However, I prayed about it and realized there is nowhere I could have more influence right now than in that clubhouse.''
Fields said his quotes were accurate but were taken out of context from several discussions he had with the audience.
He admitted to questioning his ability in Class A and AA but said he never has contemplated retirement.
''The clubhouse stuff got twisted,'' Fields said. ''I don't have a problem with a coach or a player or anything like that. [The clubhouse comment] was referring to the pressure from the media. I'm a country kid, and I walk out of the shower in a towel and have to answer difficult questions. That may not seem tough, but when you're not used to it ... that was my angle.''
Fields voiced his concerns about the story to the newspaper's sports editor. The World has written a follow-up story for today's edition clarifying Fields' comments.
''Back in Double-A, I was getting outhit by guys that weren't even drafted, and I was like, 'Wow, do I belong here?''' he said. ''[The newspaper] made it seem like I couldn't handle it [at the big-league level] and wanted to quit. I mean, I'm 25 years old and haven't even completed a full major-league season yet.''