Pete Rose is Banned From Baseball August 23, 1989

It seems that I am stuck in my Junior year of High School, 1989 with the last two posts. On this day in Baseball History August 23, 1989: The All-Time hits leader Peter Edward Rose is banned for life by MLB Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti for his role on breaking cardinal rule number one: Gambling on Baseball.

Here is the text of the agreement between Rose and Giamatti and witnessed by Reuven K. Katz, Esquire of
Katz, Teller, Brant & Hild and Fay Vincent Jr., August 25, 1989:

_______________________________
In the Matter of: Peter Edward Rose, Manager
Cincinnati Reds Baseball Club
_______________________________

AGREEMENT AND RESOLUTION

On March 6, 1989, the Commissioner of Baseball instituted an investigation of Peter Edward Rose, the field manager of the Cincinnati Reds Baseball Club, concerning allegations that Peter Edward Rose engaged in conduct not in the best interests of baseball in violation of Major League Rule 21, including but not limited to betting on Major League Baseball games in connection with which he had a duty to perform.

The Commissioner engaged a special counsel to conduct a full, fair and confidential inquiry of the allegations against Peter Edward Rose. Peter Edward Rose was given notice of the allegations and he and his counsel were generally apprised of the nature and progress of the investigation. During the inquiry, Peter Edward Rose produced documents, gave handwriting exemplars and responded to questions under oath upon oral deposition. During the deposition, the special counsel revealed key evidence gathered in the inquiry to Peter Edward Rose and his counsel.

On May 9, 1989, the special counsel provided a 225-page report, accompanied by seven volumes of exhibits, to the Commissioner. On May 11, 1989, the Commissioner provided a copy of the Report to Peter Edward Rose and his counsel, and scheduled a hearing on May 25, 1989 to give Peter Edward Rose an opportunity to respond formally to the information in the report. Peter Edward Rose received, read and is aware of the contents of the Report. On May 19, 1989, Peter Edward Rose requested, and subsequently received, an extension of the hearing date until June 26, 1989. Peter Edward Rose acknowledges that the Commissioner has treated him fairly in this Agreement and has acted in good faith throughout the course of the investigation and proceedings.

Peter Edward Rose will conclude these proceedings before the Commissioner without a hearing and the Commissioner will not make any formal findings or determinations on any matter including without limitation the allegation that Peter Edward Rose bet on any Major League Baseball game. The Commissioner has determined that the best interests of Baseball are served by a resolution of this matter on the following agreed upon terms and conditions:

1. Peter Edward Rose recognizes, agrees and submits to the sole and exclusive jurisdiction of the Commissioner:

A. To investigate, either upon complain or upon his own initiative, any act, transaction or practice charged, alleged or suspected to be not in the best interests of the national game of Baseball; and

B. To determine, after investigation, what preventive, remedial, or punitive action is appropriate in the premises, and to take such action as the case may be.

2. Counsel for Peter Edward Rose, upon his authority, have executed a stipulation dismissing with prejudice the civil action that was originally filed in the Court of Common Pleas, Hamitlon County, Ohio, captioned Peter Edward Rose v. A. Bartlett Giamatti, No. A8905178, and subsequently removed to the United States District Court from the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, Docket No. C-2-89-577.

3. Peter Edward Rose will not avail himself of the opportunity to participate in a hearing concerning the allegations against him, or otherwise offer any defense to those allegations.

4. Peter Edward Rose acknowledges that the Commissioner has a factual basis to impose the penalty provided herein, and hereby accepts the penalty imposed on him by the Commissioner and agrees not to challenge that penalty in court or otherwise. He also agrees he will not institute any legal proceedings of any nature against the Commissioner of any of his representatives, either Major League or any Major League Club.

5. The commissioner recognizes and agrees that it is in the best interests of the national game of Baseball that this matter be resolved pursuant to his sole and exclusive authority under the Major League Agreement.

THEREFORE, the Commissioner, recognizing the benefits to Baseball from a resolution of this matter, orders and directs that Peter Edward Rose be subject to the following disciplinary sanctions, and Peter Edward Rose, recognizing the sole and exclusive authority of the Commissioner and that it is in his interest to resolve this matter without further proceedings, agrees to accept the following disciplinary sanctions imposed by the Commissioner.

a. Peter Edward Rose is hereby declared permanently ineligible in accordance with Major League Rule 21 and placed on the Ineligible List.

b. Nothing in this Agreement shall deprive Peter Edward Rose of the rights under Major League Rule 15(c) to apply for reinstatement. Peter Edward Rose agrees not to challenge, appeal or otherwise contest the decision of, or the procedure employed by, the Commissioner or any future Commissioner in the evaluation of any application for reinstatement.

c. Nothing in this agreement shall be deemed either an admission or a denial by Peter Edward Rose of the allegation that he bet on any Major League Baseball game.

Neither the Commissioner nor Peter Edward Rose shall be prevented by this agreement from making any public statement relating to this matter so long as no such public statement contradicts the terms of this agreement and resolution.

This document contains the entire agreement of the parties and represents the entire resolution of the matter of Peter Edward Rose before the Commissioner.

Agreed to and resolved this 23rd day of August 1989,

(Signature)
Peter Edward Rose

(Signature)
A. Bartlett Giamatti
Commissioner of Baseball

Witnessed by:

(Signature)
Reuven K. Katz, Esquire
Katz, Teller, Brant & Hild

Witnessed by:

(Signature)
(Fay Vincent, Jr.)

Following that, Commissioner Giamatti has a press conference on August 24, 1989 and gave the following statement:

OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

AUGUST 24, 1989

STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER A. BARTLETT GIAMATTI

The banishment for life of Pete Rose from baseball is the sad end of a sorry episode. One of the game's greatest players has engaged in a variety of acts which have stained the game, and he must now live with the consequences of those acts. By choosing not to come to a hearing before me, and by choosing not to proffer any testimony or evidence contrary to the evidence and information contained in the report of the Special Counsel to the Commissioner, Mr. Rose has accepted baseball's ultimate sanction, lifetime ineligibility.

This sorry episode began last February when baseball received firm allegations that Mr. Rose bet on baseball games and on the Reds' games. Such grave charges could not and must never be ignored. Accordingly, I engaged and Mr. Ueberroth appointed John Dowd as Special Counsel to investigate these and other allegations that might arise and to pursue the truth wherever it took him. I believed then and believe now that such a process, whereby an experienced professional inquires on behalf of the Commissioner as the Commissioner's agent, is fair and appropriate. To pretend that serious charges of any kind can be responsibly examined by a Commissioner alone fails to recognize the necessity to bring professionalism and fairness to any examination and the complexity a private entity encounters when, without judicial or legal powers, it pursues allegations in the complex, real world.

Baseball had never before undertaken such a process because there had not been such grave allegations since the time of Landis. If one is responsible for protecting the integrity of the game of baseball - that is, the game's authenticity, honesty and coherence - then the process one uses to protect the integrity of baseball must itself embody that integrity. I sought by means of a Special Counsel of proven professionalism and integrity, who was obliged to keep the subject of the investigation and his representatives informed about key information, to create a mechanism whereby the integrity we sought to protect was itself never violated. Similarly, in writing to Mr. Rose on May 11, I designed, as is my responsibility, a set of procedures for a hearing that would have afforded him every opportunity to present statements or testimony of witnesses or any other evidence he saw fit to answer the information and evidence presented in the Report of the Special Counsel and its accompanying materials.

That Mr. Rose and his counsel chose to pursue a course in the courts rather than appear at hearings scheduled for May 25 and then June 26, and then choose to come forward with a stated desire to settle this matter is now well known to all. My purpose in recounting the process and the procedures animating that process is to make two points that the American public deserves to know:

First, that the integrity of the game cannot be defended except by a process that itself embodies integrity and fairness;

Second, should any other occasion arise where charges are made or acts are said to be committed that are contrary to the interests of the game or that undermine the integrity of baseball, I fully intend to use such a process and procedure to get to the truth and, if need bem to root out offending behavior. I intend to use, in short, every lawful and ethical means to defend and protect the game.

I say this so that there may be no doubt about where I stand or why I stand there. I believe baseball is a beautiful and exciting game, loved by millions - I among them - and I believe baseball is an important, enduring American institution. It must assert and aspire to the highest principles - of integrity, of professionalism of performance, of fair play within its rules. It will come as no surprise that like any institution composed of human beings, this institution will not always fulfill its highest aspirations. I know of no earthly institution that does. But this one, because it is so much a part of our history as a people and because it has such a purchase on our national soul, has an obligation to the people for whom it is played - to its fans and well-wishers - to strive for excellence in all things and to promote the highest ideals.

I will be told that I am an idealist. I hope so. I will continue to locate ideals I hold for myself and for my country in the national game as well as in other of our national institutions. And while there will be debate and dissent about this or that or another occurrence on or off the field, and while the game's nobler parts will always be enmeshed in the human frailties of those who, whatever their role, have stewardship of this game, let there be no doubt or dissent about our goals for baseball or our dedication to it. Nor about our vigilance and vigor - and patience - in protecting the game from blemish or stain or disgrace.

The matter of Mr. Rose is now closed. It will be debated and discussed. Let no one think that it did not hurt baseball. That hurt will pass, however, as the great glory of the game asserts itself and a resilient institution goes forward. Let it also be clear that no individual is superior to the game.

In his book (with author Rick Hill) "My Prison Without Bars" that came out in 2004, Rose makes a full confession on his betting on Baseball. He also confims that admission in an interview with Charles Gibson on January 5, 2004.

I can't seem to find a transcript of that interview online, so I am going to post a few quotes of Rose's comments that are found in the article Pete Rose admits placing bets on baseball games as manager by Peter Schmuck from the Baltimore Sun website dated January 06, 2004:

In the book and the interview, Rose said he admitted during a meeting with Selig in 2002 that he bet on baseball games "four or five times a week," but never against the Reds and never from the Reds clubhouse.

"I was wrong," Rose told Gibson. "I [was] just stupid, the worst thing I did in my life.

"It's time to clean the slate. It's time to take responsibility. I'm 14 years late."

He said in the book that he denied the charges because he felt the admission would be used against him rather than be treated as a cry for the help he needed to overcome a gambling addiction. Baseball has long had programs in place to help employees who suffer from alcoholism and drug addiction, but gambling has been viewed as the sport's mortal sin since Chicago White Sox players allegedly conspired to fix the 1919 World Series.

"I should have had the opportunity to get help, but baseball had no fancy rehab for gamblers like they do for drug addicts," Rose wrote. "If I had admitted my guilt, it would have been the same as putting my head on the chopping block - lifetime ban. Death penalty. I spent my entire life on the baseball fields of America, and I was not going to give up my profession without first seeing some hard evidence ... right or wrong, the punishment didn't fit the crime, so I denied the crime."

Rose recounts his 2002 conversation with Selig in the book.

"Yes, sir, I did bet on baseball," Rose told Selig.

"How often?" Selig asked.

"Four or five times a week," Rose replied. "But I never bet against my own team, and I never made any bets from the clubhouse."

"Why?" Selig asked.

"I didn't think I'd get caught."

So it has been 25 years since that fateful day in Baseball History. What do I think about this whole matter? I attempt to answer this in the following questions to myself.

1. Does Pete Rose deserve to be in the Hall of Fame? 

Yes, I think that Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame. There was probably no other player in the game that left so much of himself (and opponents) on the field of play.

2. Was his punishment fair? 

Rose broke cardinal sin number one in Baseball which is listed in the Major League Rules, Section 21(d):

(d) BETTING ON BALL GAMES. Any player, umpire, or club official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has no duty to perform shall be declared ineligible for one year.

Any player, umpire, or club or league official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform shall be declared permanently ineligible.

Based on that rule, if the league doesn't enforce the rule Baseball loses all its credibility. Considering that it was one of Baseball's greatest players the rule needed to be enforced, hence the punishment befitting the crime.

3. Should Pete Rose be reinstated by either outgoing Commissioner Selig or incoming Commissioner Manfred?

I don't know which of the two should do it, but I do think that Rose should be reinstated. Rose should be given the opportunity to be elected into the Hall of Fame. The man has been banned longer than he played the game. His playing record alone is reason enough for him to be reinstated.

4. Is Rose innocent of a "witch-hunt"?

No, Rose has been his worse enemy post-ban. Instead of just admitting to the gambling from the beginning and disappearing, his ego hasn't allowed him to do that. Every Hall of Fame weekend he signs autographs at a shop on Main Street in Cooperstown where it is customary for all Hall of Famers who are attending Induction Weekend to do so. I'm not saying that he doesn't belong with them, he does but just not on that weekend and not on Main Street in Cooperstown while he is banned from the game.

In addition, Rose hasn't helped his situation by continuing to be involved with casinos. I don't begrudge a person trying to make money to support themselves and their family, but if you know your situation was caused by your gambling problem AND you want to be reinstated, then stay away from the casinos. Period.

5. If you were the Commissioner of Baseball what would you do?

If I was Commissioner of Baseball I would reinstate Pete Rose on the condition that he cannot manage a Baseball team at any level from MLB to affiliated A-Ball ever again. You can't trust (or take the chance) that he will not bet on the game again. I do believe that he should be involved with the game. I believe Rose should be allowed to be an instructor at Spring Training. I believe that he should be allowed to participate at all events that commemorate the game.

It is under these (and only these) conditions that I would reinstate Pete Rose.

There you have it folks. This issue is as hot now as it was 25-years ago and until Rose gets reinstated it will remain a hot topic.

Until Then Keep Playing Ball,
Baseball Sisco
#baseballsisco
#baseballsiscokidstyle

For Further Reading:
- Click Here to access Pete Rose's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com

Two Pitchers Hurl Tonight While Making History

Tonight there are two pitchers who are starting while having historic 2014 seasons. Let's see who they are.

- Johnny Cueto

Cueto faces the Washington Nationals in Washington D.C. with his current streak of seven innings pitched and two runs or fewer allowed over his first nine starts. This feat had not been done since Harry Krause of the Philadelphia Athletics set the mark in 1909. Opposing hitters batting .135 with an on-base percentage of .194. Lack of run support is the reason Cueto sits at 4-2 in 9 starts with a 1.25 ERA with 76 K's, 18 walks with 33 hits for a WHIP of 0.71. Cueto has three complete games with two of them being shutouts.

David Schoenfield of the in his article Johnny Cueto a thoroughly dominant force of the SweetSpot Baseball Blog on ESPN.com states that:

Only three pitchers have ever had an ERA below 1.50 and an opponents' batting average below .150 through nine starts -- Cueto, Don Sutton in 1972 and … Luis Tiant in 1968. 

That's some pretty impressive company Cueto is standing with. If Cueto keeps on with this kind of pitching performance for his next two starts, he will tie the mark set by Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown who in 1908 had his first 11 straight starts with at least seven innings pitched and two runs or fewer allowed for the Chicago Cubs.

- Masahiro Tanaka

Tanaka is proving his doubters wrong with an amazing start to his rookie 2014 campaign. Picking up from where he left off as ace of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, Tanaka has established himself as the most reliable starter in the Yankees rotation. Coming off his first complete game shutout in the Majors, Tanaka is 6-0 in 8 starts with a 2.15 ERA with 66 strikeouts with only 7 walks and 46 hits for a WHIP of 0.91. According to MLB.com, Tanaka is the first starter since 1900 to earn 6 wins and at least 60 strikeouts in his first eight major league starts.

In total since August of 2012, Tanaka has not lost a game at any professional level going 33-0 in both Japan with Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball regular season games. While going 24-0 in 28 games with a 1.27 ERA with 183 strikeouts with 32 walks and 168 for a WHIP of 0.94 in 2013, Tanaka won 21-consecutive games establishing a new NPB record.

According to Jason Coskrey in his article Eagles’ Tanaka sets NPB record by winning 21st straight decision from the Japan Times website dated August 16, 2013:

The victory gave Tanaka (17-0) sole possession of the longest winning streak in Japanese baseball history, moving him past former Yomiuri Giants pitcher Kiyoshi Matsuda, who had a 20-game streak over the 1951 and 1952 seasons, and Kazuhisa Inao, who won 20 straight in 1957 for the Nishitetsu Lions.

In total Tanaka had 8 complete games with two shutouts and a "cherry-on-the-top" 1 save in 2014.

Let's see if both Cueto and Tanaka can continue of their successful march in the history books tonight against the Nationals and Cubs respectively.

Until Then Play Ball,
Baseball Sisco
#baseballsisco
#baseballsiscokidstyle

For Further Reading
- Click Here to access Johnny Cueto's career statistics from the Cincinnati Reds page on MLB.com
- Click Here to access Masahiro Tanaka's career MLB statistics from the New York Yankees page on MLB.com
- Click Here to access Masahiro Tanaka's career NPB statistics from the NPB website 

Hank Aaron Ties The Babe April 4, 1974

From the NYTimes Front Page
April 5, 1974

On April 4, 1974, 40 years ago at Riverfront Stadium in the National League city of Cincinnati, Ohio Henry "Hammering Hank" Aaron launched a pitch by Reds starter Jack Billingham during the first inning over the left-center field fence that would tie him with the man who simply went by the nickname of: The Babe.

The 400-foot line drive, 3-run home run tied Aaron at 714 career home runs with Ruth in front of a sellout crowd of 52,154 spectators. Aaron's 714th home run came in his 11,289th major league at-bat compared to Ruth reaching 714 in 8,399 major league at-bats.

What I never knew until reading the Dave Anderson article (whose PDF you can access on the link below) is that this was Opening Day, 1974.

Here is video footage of Aaron's home run from MLB's Youtube Channel:


The Braves would end up losing the game 7-6 in extra innings. Aaron would eventually pass Ruth three days later against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium.

Here is the box score for the April 4th game from the New York Times, April 5, 1974:

On April 8th, I will honor Aaron with a post on his passing Babe Ruth on the All-Time career Home Run List with his 715th career home run.

Until Then Play Ball,

Baseball Sisco

For Further Reading
- Click Here to access the PDF of April 5, 1974 NYTimes article by Dave Anderson entitled Aaron Ties Babe Ruth With 714th Homer: 

Ken Griffey Jr...One of the Best

With the recent induction to the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame of Ken Griffey Jr., talk about where he stands all-time has started generating speed. This is no different on Facebook. My friend Mike tagged me in the following post related to Ken Griffey Jr.:

I love hearing people argue how A-Rod could have been the greatest baseball player ever or how Albert Pujols might become that. People of today's generation need to YouTube or Google Ken Griffey Jr. and see what the greatest baseball player ever actually looked like.

Now this got me thinking on Ken Griffey Jr. As I have mentioned in the past, his dad Ken Griffey Sr., was one of my (and my mom's favorite players) growing up. His son hit the scene in 1989 and took the Baseball world by storm in an era where we still hadn't had 24/7 sports coverage (I still remembering catching up on late nights on the weekends with the George Michael Sports Machine). Surprsingly now, Junior finished third in the 1989 American League Rookie of the Year award behind Gregg Olsen and Tom "Flash" Gordon. Junior would continue to develop into a helluva player that I found was pissing me off more and more as a Yankees fan.

Its well known that Junior has a dislike of the New York Yankees going back to his childhood days when he was yelled at by former Yankees Manager Billy Martin while his dad played for the Yankees and it seemed to be his motivating factor when playing against my team. That all came to a head (at least for me) in Game Five of the 1995 ALDS when he came around and scored the winning run to advance the Mariners in their first ever playoff series win. His big toothy grin under the pile of Mariners teammates pissed me off to no end but as history states the Yankees got the last laugh since they won three World Series in the years that Griffey finished playing in Seattle. So there Junior, take that. LOL.

Personal feelings aside, there's no denying that Junior is one of the best players of all-time. I won't say greatest but he's up there. Similar to how people say about Ted Williams in regard to his time missed due to his service to his country, imagine the numbers that Junior could have finished with if he had not missed a considerable time to injury. Where Junior averaged 140 games from 1989-1999 with Seattle, he averaged 110 games while in Cincinnati from 2000-2008. That's a decent amount of time lost per season. At first his injuries were due to playing with reckless abandon as we see Bryce Harper do with the Washington Nationals. Later it seemed that his injuries in Cincinnati had to do with a lack of conditioning. Still a line like the following is amazing (Courtesy of Baseball Reference.com):

Add to that one AL MVP (1997), six top-ten finishes in MVP voting, thirteen All-Star appearances, ten Gold Glove awards and seven Silver Sluggers awards. Definitely not shabby and good for a first-ballot entry to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown as a Hall of Famer in 2016.

Congrats Junior and thank you for everything you gave the game...even that big toothy grin under that pile in 1995. The game is better because of it.

Sisco Kid

Pete Rose Played With 11 Hall of Famers

In an interview yesterday with Dan Patrick, Pete Rose spoke on a number of subjects. Once subject that piqued my interest was based in a comment that he made. Here is the quote:

“I know nobody that played with me took steroids,” he said. “I played with 11 Hall of Famers and played against 52 Hall of Famers, and I don’t know any of them linked to steroids.”

Now that got my wheels a-turning. Who are these 11 Hall of Famers that Rose played with. Consider this, Rose played from 1963-1986 (ironically the same number of years that he has been suspended).  In thinking about which teams he played with I came up with 7 definite answers. Here are the ones I got off the bat (in that order):

Johnny Bench
Joe Morgan
Tony Perez
Mike Schmidt
Steve Carlton
Tom Seaver
Frank Robinson

When I asked Pete for his input, aside from my first five answers, he gave me this one:

Barry Larkin

Now that makes 8. So I decided to think about who he played with on Montreal while with the Expos that became Hall of Famers. Andre Dawson came immediately to mind but I was unsure if Dawson signed with the Chicago Cubs before or after 1984. After checking the trusty Baseball Reference.com Dawson did in face play with Rose in Montreal as well as Gary Carter. That put us at 10.

Here is where it gets tricky. We were absolutely stumped. I went and checked every year that Rose played and looked to see who his teammates were and found a player who had a cup of coffee with the Philadelphia Phillies in the form of 6-at bats during the 1981 season. Any guesses? It was an 18-year old Ryne Sandberg. Bringing the list to 11.

Now I'm going to sound like an infomerical: Wait!!!! There's more. I'm going to add a 12th Hall of Famer. Now Pete didn't play with him but played for him: Sparky Anderson was the manager of the Big Red Machine.

So there you have the list. Maybe if I'm feeling up to it I'll try to deduce who were the 52 Hall of Famers that Pete Rose played against....Maybe ;)

Until Then, enjoy the clip of the interview Pete Rose did with Dan Patrick on July 25, 2013:

Sisco Kid

What Is Up With The National League Central

I know that it is hard sometimes to look closely at all the other division races when your team is in the middle of a four team battle royal in the American League East. But I was astounded when I noticed that the top two records in the entire league were in the National League Central. Leading the pack are the St. Louis Cardinals with a 37-19 record, followed closely by the Cincinnati Reds AND surprisingly the Pittsburgh Pirates with identical 35-22 records. The only American League team in the mix (record-wise) are the Boston Red Sox with a 35-23 record. I'll get to the Pirates in a few sentences but first the Cardinals and the Reds.

The Cardinals might be the best built organization in Baseball. Consider that in 2011 they lost Adam Wainright for the season and went on to win the World Series. Last year they lose Albert Pujols to free-agency and Chris Carpenter to injury for almost the whole season and finished with a 88-74, 2nd in NL Central. The would upset the #1 ranked National League team in the Washington Nationals in the five-game NLDS and lost to the eventual World Series Champion San Francisco Giants in seven games in the NLCS. This season they again lose their number two pitcher Carpenter to injury, have Kyle Lohse leave via free-agency and lose closer Jason Motte to season ending surgery AND have the best record in Baseball. Simply amazing. And with players such as Michael Wacha and Oscar Tavares as the future building blocks, the future is indeed bright for the Cardinals.

I picked the Reds as the team to win the National League Central and their loss to the San Francisco Giants after being up 2-0 in the NLDS only serves as the fuel to their proverbial fire. Led by Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips, the Reds are a solid team from top to bottom. They don't have the standard ace that most rotations have. What they do have is three pitchers in Arroyo, Latos and Leake each with 5 wins a piece and a bullpen that is anchored by the intimidating fireballer Aroldis Chapman. I am definitely not surprised to see the Reds in the position that they are in.

Speaking of surprising. I know the Pirates have been slowly been improving year after year but who would have thought (except for Pirates fans) that after 57 games the Pirates would be tied for the second best record in Baseball. I'll be quite honest with you, aside from Andrew McCutchen, 2nd Baseman Neil Walker, starter Wandy Rodriguez, closer Jason Grilli and the former Yankees that are on the Pirates (AJ Burnett and Russell Martin), I couldn't tell you who the rest of the starters are on the Pirates. And that is sad on my part. I need to pay more attention to them. The Pirates are a dynamic and fun team to watch who because they play in Pittsburgh don't get much national air-time. If they continue playing the manner that they are and don't drop off like last season, we'll be seeing more of the Pirates on prime-time TV.

So we'll see how the next month or so plays out for three lead teams in the National League Central compared to the rest of the league.

Sisco Kid

Beasts of the National League

Here's Part II of who I think the best team in each division in the National League.

National League East

 If yesterday's performance of Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg is any indication, the Washington Nationals and their fans are having dreams of October World Series baseball in Washington D.C. This team was loaded last season and as hard as it is to believe they actually improved themselves. Gone is Michael Morse in a trade with the Oakland A's right-hander A.J. Cole (who was the pitching prospect of the trade that brought Gio Gonzalez from the Oakland A’s to the Nationals). Added is Denard Span who will give veteran support to an outfield that is made up by phenom Bryce Harper and the bearded wonder Jason Werth. The Infield is anchored by Adam LaRoche who resigned with the Nationals after a career season along with Ryan Zimmerman, Danny Espinoza and Ian Desmond. Mid Season acquisition Kurt Suzuki will be manning the rotation from behind the plate.

If the starting rotation was good last season behind Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmerman it will only get better with the addition of Dan Haren. Haren comes over from the American League with something to prove. If he can stay healthy, this gives the Nats a formidable four man front. Ross Detwiller seems to be the fifth starter for now.

Where the Nats seemed to improve the most was with the signing of Rafael Soriano to be the closer. Soriano shined in his opportunity to close for the New York Yankees last season and will be backed up by 8th inning man Tyler Clippard and former closer Drew Storen.

With the innings cap removed from Strasburg and with Bryce Harper continuing to mature into the dominant player that many think he will be, the only real opponent the Nationals might have is themselves.

- 2013 Washington Nationals Projected Lineup

National League Central

The Reds will try to rebound from last season's collapse in the NLDS by once again winning the National League Central division. The team led by franchise player Joey Votto will be a dominant force in the NL. Backed up by Brandon Phillips, Shin Soo Choo, Jay Bruce and Todd Frazer, the Reds lineup is able to quickly pile up runs on opposing pitching. Ryan Ludwick is also a part of the force but after yesterday's injury to his shoulder while sliding into 3rd base, it remains to see if they lose him for a significant amount of time.

The rotation is headed by Johnny Cueto with Mat Latos, Bronson Arroyo and Homer Bailey. The team finally ended the experiment of Aroldis Chapman becoming a starter by definitively stating that he will be the closer. Enough is enough. Leave him in the pen where he belongs. He will be backed up by free agent signing Jonathan Broxton, Sean Marshall and Jose Arredondo.

Dusty Baker has himself a well rounded squad that barring injury should make quick work of the National League Central

- 2013 Cincinnati Reds Projected Lineup

National League West

The San Francisco Giants have quietly put together what you might call a dynasty for today's modern game with two World Series titles in the last three seasons with a young group of players who seem to be destined to play together for years to come. Led by NL MVP Buster Posey the Giants are the team to beat in the NL West. The youth of this team can be seen with their infield of Brandon Belt and Pablo Sandoval on the corners and Brandon Crawford at short. Veteran Marco Scutaro will be the everyday 2nd baseman for the Giants this season after having injury prone disappointment Freddy Sanchez at 2nd.

The outfield is led by Angel Pagan, who I have stated in my post Angel Pagan Esta Encendido (from my other  Baseball blogpage Latinoball) will have a breakout season based on the way he played last season and in this year's World Baseball Classic. Joining him is Hunter Pence, Gregor Blanco and the returning Andres Torres who spent a disappointing season with the New York Mets.

The rotation is the backbone that this team is built on. Led by Matt Cain, the rotation is made up of Ryan Vogelsong, Madison Baumgarner and the rejuvinated Barry Zito. I mean no disrespect whatsoever to two time NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum by not listing in above or next to Cain. But it seems that his troubles from last season (post season domination notwithstanding) seem to have carried over into this season. Coming into his final year of 2-year $40.5-million dollar deal there have been some rumors that he might not be with the Giants after this season. Though I would say losing Lincecum would be a mistake, if he doesn't pitch up to the standard that he established in the past his days in San Francisco might be numbered.

The closer role is Sergio Romo's with the seemingly upset Brian Wilson out of the picture. Wilson was not offered a contract by the Giants after only pitching one game for the Giants last season and season ending Tommy John surgery. Wilson rejected the team's minor league contract overture and remains a free agent. Backing up Romo is last year's bullpen group of Santiago Casilla, Ramon Ramirez, Jeremy Affeldt and Javier Lopez.

As I have told many people in the last few weeks, the San Francisco Giants (and the Tampa Bay Rays to a lesser degree due to a lack of financial resources that the Giants have) are building the team in the proper way. They are building from within, locking in those homegrown players and filling the blanks with timely trades and budget free agent signings. This method will prove to be main reason the Giants keep winning titles.

- 2013 San Francisco Giants Projected Lineup

Just a few points on the rest of the National League. In the East, there is only one real threat to the Nationals and that's the Atlanta Braves. Though the addition of the Upton brothers will definitely help ease the loss of Chipper Jones to retirement I'm not sure that is enough to match up toe to toe with the Nats. They need Dan Uggla to have a rebound season in order to have a chance. The Phillies are slowing down as the seasons go by falling into the same kind of pattern as the Yankees have with the reliance on primarily older veteran players. The Mets are in a positive rebuilding mode and their young players will get considerate playing time this season that will help separate those who are ready for the big leagues from those who aren't. The Marlins? Let's just say that Giancarlo Stanton can't do it all on his own.

In the Central, the St. Louis Cardinals are always a threat. The injury to David Freese and the loss of Chris Carpenter might loom large, as well as the loss of Kyle Loshe to division rival Milwaukee Brewers. Speaking of the Brewers, they seem to be stuck in a homing pattern of sorts. I'm not sure they are ready to make the next step. The Pittsburgh Pirates are still taking their baby steps to respectability and I think this season is the year they finally finish over .500. The Chicago Cubs are starting from the bottom up and Theo Epstein has his hands full but does have shining stars in Starlin Castro, Anthony Rizzo and Jeff Samardzija.

In the West, the cash flush Los Angeles Dodgers are spending to win now with a flurry of free agent signings in addition to last season's blockbuster trade with the Red Sox. Is it enough to displace the World Series champs as NL West Champions? Time will dictate that. The Arizona Diamondbacks will try to play for the Wild Card while the Colorado Rockies will rest their hopes on the health of franchise players Troy Tulowitzski and Carlos Gonzalez. The San Diego Padres continue to rebuild and hope that 3rd baseman Chase Hedley doesn't miss more time to his thumb injury than is already expected.

So there you go folks. What do you think. Agree? Disagree? Drop me a line to my email.

Sisco Kid.

Cain and Votto to Stay Put

On the cusp of the beginning of the 2012 season, there are cheers of joy from the cities of San Francisco and Cincinnati. It was reported today that San Francisco starter Matt Cain would be signed to a 6-year $127 Million dollar contract to remain with the San Francisco Giants. There was grumblings that Cain might have tested the free agent market if he wasn't extended this season. In doing so, Cain becomes the highest paid right-handed starter in the majors. According to sources of Bob Nightingale of USA Today, Cain will also will have a full no-trade clause and there is a vesting option for 2018 that could bring the deal to $141 million. This is impressive since the Giants have seemed a bit hesitant (and with good reason)to spend big money and a long contract on a starter since they signed Barry Zito to a free-agent contract.

Moving East to Cincinnati, rumors have it that the Reds will sign their first-baseman and 2010 NL MVP Joey Votto to a contract extension. With the defections of Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols to the American League this past offseason, Votto arguably becomes the premier first-baseman in the National League.

So what do I think about these moves? Its good for the game of Baseball. I have no issue with players choosing to exercise their right to explore free-agency. Look at the example of Pujols, I believed that he had nothing to prove in staying in St. Louis. He did everything a player could have done there and in moving to Anaheim, he keeps his proverbial Baseball juices flowing. A move to the American League means new challenges in a virtual unconquered venue.

I also have no issue with players choosing to stay their whole career with one team. There is something romantic of the notion of players like Tony Gwynn, Craig Biggio and Derek Jeter starting as kids with their respective teams and retiring as elder statesmen in the same uniform. It harkens back to yesteryear when players basically played for one team (though there is nothing romantic with the reasons why since there was no free agency and could not leave the team unless facilitated by the owners, but that's a conversation for another post).

I've always said it that teams like the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox shouldn't always sign the best players on the market. Teams should be able to keep their best players so that their fans can have connections with players on their teams instead of asking like the guys at the coffee shop in the movie Major League: Who the "F" are these guys. More talent that is distributed around the league, the better the league is. Bravo San Francisco and Cincinnati in looking out for the best interest of your respective teams and fanbases.

FH

For Further Reading:

- Click Here for Bob Nightengale's article from USA Today entitled Matt Cain signs $127 million deal; Joey Votto close, too dated April 2, 2012
- Click Here to Access Matt Cain's career statistics from Baseball-Reference.com
- Click Here to Access Joey Votto's career statistics from Baseball-Reference.com

Paul O'Neill #21

I get asked all the time as to who are my favorite New York Yankees players. I mean, that’s a hard question to ask. Put that question up to my dad and he’ll tell you that it was Lou Piniella. Back in the day he’d tease me by saying "Ese es tu papa" (That’s your dad) whenever Piniella came up to bat. I have to admit, I was partial to those Yankees teams of the mid to late 1970’s since I was a child watching those teams play ball. Who wouldn’t want to count players like Mickey Rivers, Goose Gossage, Willie Randolph, Ron Guidry and the forever missed Yankee Captain Thurman Munson among their favorite players.

Add to that such Yankees players from the 1980’s such as Dave Winfield, Don Mattingly, Don Baylor and from the 1990’s such as Jimmy Key, Graeme Lloyd (his actions in that fight against the Baltimore Orioles in 1996 are unforgettable), David Cone, Cecil Fielder and not to overlook the core four (Jeter, Rivera, Posada and Pettitte) with Bernie Williams. I can go on and on and on. But for the sake of the post I want to focus on one player who I’ll always say is on the top of my list of favorite Yankees players. This player came to the team in a trade for the future heir apparent to the fabled Center-field position of Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle. Remembering that I sat there dumbfounded as to who the hell this player was when reading about it in the paper, watching him play year after year reinforced that the team had made a steal of a deal. The player I am talking about is #21, the player George Steinbrenner dubbed "The Warrior" Paul O'Neill.

Up to the point when O'Neill was traded to the Yankees, all I really knew about him was that he played on the 1990 World Series Champion Cincinnati Reds and that he basically was shipped out of Cincinnati due to some bad blood with Reds manager Lou Piniella. So after hearing that Roberto Kelly was untouchable in trade talks, I found it hard to believe that they had traded him to Cincinnati for Paul O’Neill and minor league first baseman Joe DeBerry on November 3, 1992. Looking back on it now the trade made sense. Here is how New York Times writer and current YES Network analyst Jack Curry described the trade in his November 3, 1992 article Yankees Trade Roberto Kelly to Reds for O'Neill:

Joe DeBerry, a minor league first baseman, also came to New York in the deal, which essentially centered on the 29-year-old O'Neill, a .259 career hitter with 96 home runs and a contract through 1994, being swapped for the 28-year-old Kelly, a .280 career hitter with 56 home runs and an opportunity to become a free agent after next season.

According to Curry, the team had gotten tired of waiting for Kelly’s potential to become reality. His career never developed as was expected though he did play mainly as a platoon player for 14-seasons retiring after playing with the Yankees during the 2000 season. O'Neill on the other hand, became the heart and soul of the late 1990’s Yankees dynasty.

After showing flashes of what was to come with the Reds, O'Neill was solid for the Yankees. From 1993-1995 O'Neill averaged a .321 batting average with 142 hits (30 2B/2 3B/21 HR), 85 RBI, 3SB, 62 BB and 67 Ks. His average OPS was .940 (.401 OBP/.539 SLG). Keep in mind the numbers are a bit skewed since the year O'Neill won the AL Batting Title in 1994 with a .359 batting average that season was shortened due to the players strike and the 1995 was shortened as well. He seemed to rev it up a few notches in 1996.

From 1996-2000 his numbers and production for the Yankees are amazing. Consider this, that during those years, O'Neill averaged a .302 batting average with 173 hits (36 2B/1 3B/20 HR), 107 RBI, 10 SB, 70 BB and 90 Ks. His average OPS was .850 (.374 OBP/.476 SLG). His intensity on the field (and against Gatorade buckets in the dugout) labeled him a cry-baby on the field by many including former manager Lou Piniella but who can forget O’Neill’s break neck hustling on a two-out double in the top of the 9th of Game Five of the 1997 ALCS against the Cleveland Indians. Ask A-Rod on how hard it can be to get the respect and adoration of the New York Yankees fans. Paul O'Neill had it and still does. The memory of the chanting of Paul O’Neill’s name after his last at-bat in the major leagues during the 2001 World Series and his emotional curtain call still gives me goosebumps.

It’s a shame that O’Neill only got 2.2% of the Hall of Fame vote in 2007 losing his eligibility for the Hall. I’m not saying that he was a Hall of Famer, but it would have been nice to see him get a few more years of eligibility. I guess I’ll take with the memory of watching Paul O’Neill on top of the celebration pile after the Yankees won the 1996 World Series. Thanks for the memories Paul. (PHOTO CREDIT Linda Cataffo/New York Daily News)


As per the Paul O’Neill website, here is a list of his career highlights:

- Six World Series appearances, five World Series rings.

- Winning twenty-three of the thirty World Series games he has appeared in. Paul is the only player to ever play in a World Series sweep in both the National and American leagues.

- Five All-Star games.

- 1994 American League Batting Title - .359 average.

- Shares record for for most games in a season with four or more extra base hits (2): May 11 and September 13, 1991.

- Paul played 235 consecutive games in right field without making an error, part of 1995, all of 1996 and part of 1997.

- Led American League in hitting with men on base 1997 - .429.

- Relentlessly gunning guys out over the years with an arm designed like a Howitzer for the battlefield.

- 15 of 17 steal attempts in 1998. Who says 6'4" guys can't steal?

- The only player in Major League Baseball history to play on the winning side of three perfect games (Browning, Wells and Cone).

- August 25, 2001 - Paul becomes the oldest major leaguer to steal twenty bases and hit twenty homeruns in the same season.

- As a full time, non-designated hitter, Paul was on the winning side of 16 of 19 post-season series.

- Paul is the first Yankee since Mickey Mantle from 1952-62 to hit at least 18 homeruns in nine consecutive seasons.

- Paul batted .474 in the 2000 Subway Series, tying a five-game record with nine hits.

- Had 24 hits and 16 walks in 27 World Series games.

- Led Reds in HRs, RBI, doubles and walks in 1991.

For Further Reading:
- Click Here to access Paul O"Neill's career statistics from BaseballReference.com

- Click Here to access Jack Curry's article Piniella Takes Advantage of Another Chance to Taunt the Yanks' O'Neill dated August 30, 1996 from the New York Times website.

- Click Here to access Jack Curry's article Yankees Trade Roberto Kelly to Reds for O'Neill dated November 4, 1992 from the New York Times website.

- Click Here to access Paul O'Neill's official website PaulONeill21.com

Why Do Teams Keep Passing on Orlando Cabrera

I've had this conversation numerous times with friends of mine and I finally decided to something. My friend Barry, who is a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan, says he wishes Orlando Cabrera would have stayed in Boston post-2004. There is no denying that Cabrera was an important part of the magical 2004 Boston Red Sox team. After coming up with the Montreal Expos in 1997, Cabrera played in Montreal for almost eight seasons, coming to the Red Sox in a pivotal four team trade.

In case there are you who aren't familiar with the trade, the Boston Red Sox sent Nomar Garciaparra and Matt Murton to the Chicago Cubs. The Minnesota Twins sent Doug Mientkiewicz to the Boston Red Sox. The Chicago Cubs sent Francis Beltran, Alex Gonzalez and Brendan Harris to the Montreal Expos. The Chicago Cubs sent Justin Jones (minors) to the Minnesota Twins. The Montreal Expos sent Orlando Cabrera to the Boston Red Sox and into the history books as being a member of the 1st Boston Red Sox team to win a World Series since the 1918 team.

So why was he not resigned? Why did the Red Sox let an important cog to their team sign a three-year deal with league rival the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim? The same can be asked about later teams who either traded Cabrera (to the Chicago White Sox for Jon Garland and to the Minnesota Twins for minor leaguer Tyler Ladendorf) or let him walk in free-agency (Chicago, Minnesota and Cincinnati). It seems to me that a player with a career .274 batting average and since 2001 has played in 160 or more five times and in 150 or more games eight times can be a productive member of any team. So why does he keep moving around.

It seems that the issues comes from management. I found a forum page from the Royal Rooters of the Red Sox Nation page. On this forum page, a few of the comments weigh in on a some points that could have led to the Boston Red Sox passing on signing Cabrera after the 2004 season. Many have to do with his extra-curricular activities. I won't go into some of them since they seem to be somewhat out there and somewhat salacious. Here is the link to the forum page What caused the Sox to walk away from Orlando Cabrera. Now I am not advocating this point of view in any way, shape or form. I'm just passing along what I've found and I'll let you make any judgments.

Maybe it was a case of going after a better shortstop in Edgar Renteria (which as we know had a horrible 2005 in Boston and was traded to the Atlanta Braves after the season). Looking back now, the move proved valuable to the Red Sox since they received two draft picks from the Angels for signing Cabrera which are now in the form of Jed Lowrie and Jacoby Ellsbury. In Chicago, Cabrera had arguments with official scorers, managers and calling out of teammates in radio interviews which I can see rubbing people the wrong way both on the bench and in the front office. But it still doesn't answer the question. Why can't Cabrera stay on from more than a year or two with a single team.

Maybe I'm reading too much into this. Maybe it is just a case of Orlando Cabrera being the kind of player that gets traded to a contender for the playoff push and/or he's a player that gets signed to play shortstop for one year until a prospect is ready to take his position. Will he play out the entire season with the Cleveland Indians or will he be traded mid-season to a contender. Anyone out there have a differing point of view on why this is the situation with Cabrera? Any ideas?

FH

For Further Reading:
- Click Here to access What caused the Sox to walk away from Orlando Cabrera from the redsoxnation.net webpage
- Click Here to access Tom Fornelli's article Orlando Cabrera Feels Neglected from MLB.Fanhouse.com's webpage dated May 28, 2008
- Click Here to access Mark Potash's article Orlando Cabrera Isn't The Sox' Problem from the Chicago Herald-American weblog dated September 8, 2008

Reds, Rockies and Brewers Invest in Their Futures

With 27 days to go the Baseball juices are flowing within me at a strong pace. Sorry football fans, but I wish I can fast forward to February 14, 2011 (and no it is not for the corporate "holiday" Valentine's Day) which is the voluntary Spring Training reporting date for pitchers, catchers and injured players. Hurry up and get here already, LOL. Ok, enough of that. Let's get to business.

In recent weeks the Cincinnati Reds, the Colorado Rockies and the Milwaukee Brewers have done right by both their teams and their fans by locking up some of their young talent and trading for important pieces to help them compete in 2011. Let's look at the Reds first.

- Cincinnati Reds
The 2010 National League Central Champions have been busy this offseason in signing integral pieces of their team to multi-year deals. Reported earlier today on MLB.com the Reds and the 2010 National League MVP Joey Votto have agreed to a 3-year $38 Million dollar deal. This signing ensures that Votto will be reading Cincinnati Red through the 2013 season. Add the 6-year $51 million dollar contract extension to outfielder Jay Bruce, the 3-year $35 million dollar contract extension to starter Bronson Arroyo with the core group of Scott Rolen, Brandon Phillips, Edison Volquez and Aroldis Chapman make the Reds a team to contend against in a NL Central division that has become a tougher place to play in with the recent improvement of the Milwaukee Brewers. I'll get to the improved Brew Crew in a few.

- Colorado Rockies
One of the most exciting teams in the National League made plans to stay that way for a few more years. Last week the Rockies announced that they have signed outfielder Carlos Gonzalez to a 7-year $80 million dollar contract extension which keeps him in Colorado through the 2017 season. Add the signings of shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to a 7-year $134 million extension through 2020, pitcher Jorge de la Rosa to a 3-year $32.5 million dollar contract to the core group of rotation ace Ubaldo Jimenez (signed through 2012 with club options for 2013 and 2014), Todd Helton, Eric Young Jr., Ryan Spilbourghs and Huston Street and we see a team that is poised to contend with the World Series Champion San Francisco Giants.

My only reservation with the Rockies' moves is that they have invested heavily in Gonzalez who only has two years of experience at the Major League level and in Tulowitzki who has only played in over 150 games twice in his five years in the league. Don't let me rain on their parade, the potential for the Rockies in unlimited with their young studs, hopefully the investment in these players pays off in a big return.

- Milwaukee Brewers
I believe that the Brewers are hoping to go for broke with the moves they made this offseason. Out of the three teams I've profiled here, the Brewers have the most cloudiest of futures. There is no guarantee that superstar players Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder will play together after this season. Management made moves, especially on the pitching front, to make sure that the team is in the best position to compete with the division champion Cincinnati Reds.

The biggest move was the trade for former Kansas City Royals ace Zach Grienke. The Brewers also traded for Toronto Blue Jays starter Shawn Marcum adding him and Grienke to a rotation that already included Yovani Gallardo and Randy Wolf. The Brewers have Braun signed until the 2015 season, outfielder Corey Hart until 2013, third baseman Casey McGehee and second baseman Richie Weeks are both signed for a more years before arbitration kicks in ensuring that the Brewers will have a good core nucleus together for a number of years even if Prince Fielder is traded or decides to leave Milwaukee after this season.

It is good to see some of the teams that people would refer to as being "small market" teams making the effort to invest in their future. Baseball needs more owners who are willing to take the chance and lock up their players ensuring the their teams remain competitive and their fanbases remain interested in their team. Now if the owners of Pittsburgh and Kansas City can take notes as see how it can be done from the small market perspective.

FH

For Further Reading
- Click Here to read Mark Sheldon's article Reds reward MVP Votto with three-year deal from MLB.com dated January 16, 2011
- Click Here to read Thomas Harding's article CarGo hold: Rox ink Gonzalez to $80M deal from MLB.com dated January 11, 2011
- Click Here to read Adam McCalvy's article Greinke trade caps Milwaukee makeover from MLB.com dated December 19, 2010

More Signings to Report

Since the end of the Winter Meetings down in Orlando, a bunch of new signings have been announced. Here goes:

- Scott Downs to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
According to Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim signed relief pitcher Scott Downs to a 3-year $15 million dollar deal. in 2010 Downs, formerly of the Toronto Blue Jays, compiled a 5-5 record with a 2.64 ERA in 61.1 innings pitched. In 67 appearances for the Blue Jays, Downs struck out 48, while walking 14 and giving up 47 hits for a WHIP of 0.995.

Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times describes the signing as being one that:

adds balance and depth to the bullpen and probably ends speculation the Angels are pursuing free-agent closer Rafael Soriano...Downs has been one of baseball's most dependable relievers over the last four seasons, compiling a 2.36 ERA, the fifth-lowest mark among relievers, and 84 holds in 262 appearances.

Consider now that the Angels have a good left right combination in the bullpen with Downs and Takahashi. This gives them an advantage leading up to the 8th without a real closer to finish off the game. Maybe they will make a move for Rafael Soriano for that role.

- Click Here for Scott Downs' career statistics from Baseball Reference.com

- Jay Bruce signs an extension with the Cincinnati Reds
According to Jerry Krasnick of ESPN.com, the Cinicinnati Reds have signed OF Jay Bruce to a 6-year $51 million dollar extension with a club option for a 7th year.

In 2010, Bruce hit .281 with 25 HRs and 70 RBI. In 509 at-bats, Bruce had 143 hits (23 2B/5 3B/25 HR) with 136 strikeouts, 58 walks and 5 stolen bases. His OPS was .846 (.353 OBP%/.493 SLG%). Defensively, Bruce made only 3 errors in the outfield with 7 assists for a fielding percentage of .992.

In three seasons with the Reds, Bruce has improved in each year and at the age of 23, teamed up with NL MVP Joey Votto, the Reds' fortunes seem to be very bright.

- Click Here to access Jay Bruce's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com

- Miguel Olivo Returns to the Seattle Mariners
According to Goeff Baker on his Twitter feed:

Olivo confirms 2-yr, $7 million with M's. Says he's been told he's No. 1 catcher.

In 2010, Miguel Olivo, formerly of the Colorado Rockies, batted .269 with 14 Hrs and 58 RBI. In 394 at-bats Olivo had 106 Hits (17 2B/6 3B/14 HR) with 117 strikeouts and 27 walks. His OPS was .765 (.315 OBP%/.449 SLG%). Defensively, Olivo had 9 errors behind the plate for a .990 fielding percentage and he threw out 42% of runners who tried to steal on him (33 of 45).

Having previously played for Seattle for parts of the 2004 and 2005 seasons, it is believed by Goeff Baker that:

(Seattle Catching prospect Adam)Moore's status remains a mystery. He does have minor-league options left, and the team could -- in theory -- trade Olivo at midseason if Moore suddenly breaks out.

But team officials, while not saying so publicly, are clearly concerned about the ability of Moore to lead the team behind the plate going forward.

Will we see a scenario reminiscent of the Bengie Molina/Buster Posey dynamic in San Francisco? We'll have to wait and see.

- Click Here to access Miguel Olivo's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com

- Melky Cabrera signs with the Kansas City Royals
Dick Kaegel of MLB.com reports that Melky Cabrera has signed a 1-year $1.25 million dollar deal with the Kansas City Royals. With Cabrera's signing with the Royals, he was immediately made the team's center fielder to play alongside Jeff Francouer, the team's other free-agent signing.

During the 2010 season with the Atlanta Braves, Cabrera hit .255 with 4 HRs and 42 RBI. In 458 at-bats Cabrera had 117 hits (27 2B/3 3B/4 HR) with an impressive 64 strikeouts to 42 walks with 7 stolen bases (out of 8 attempts). His OPS was .671 (.317 OBP%/.354 SLG%). Defensively, Melky made only 4 errors while playing all three outfield positions with 8 assists for a fielding percentage of .982.

I'm not sure why Cabrera was let go by the Braves. Maybe he just didn't live up to the numbers that he put up while playing for the New York Yankees from 2005-2009. Its possible that a return to the American League will help his numbers return to form. Melky is a dynamic player who I believe will only aid the Royals.

- Click Here for access to Melky Cabrera's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com

Ok folks, that's all for now. I believe that I'll have a post possibly tomorrow concerning one of my favorite players of all-time: Hideki Matsui. Looks like Godzilla will find a new city to destroy.

FH

Winter Meetings Day One Part Two

Here are some more baeball transactions that occured (or didn't in some cases) during Day One of the Winter Meetings:

- J.J. Putz signs with the Arizona Diamondbacks
Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal on his Twitter feed announced that the Arizona Diamondbacks have just signed reliever J.J. Putz to a 2-yr deal with club option, pending physical. Prorumors.com says the deal breaks down in the following manner:

Ken Rosenthal says that Putz will be paid $4 million in 2011, $4.5 million 2012, and there's a $6.5 million club option or $1.5 million buyout in 2013.

After having a horrible 2009 with the New York Mets, Putz returned to form with his 2010 campaign with the Chicago White Sox. Putz compiled a 7-5 record with a 2.83 ERA in 60 appearances. In 54 innings pitched, Putz struck out 65 batters while walking only 15 and giving up 41 hits for a WHIP of 1.037. Putz saved 3 games for the White Sox. The signing of Putz will bring a stable arm to a bullpen that was very ineffective for the Diamondbacks this past season.

- Click Here for J.J. Putz' career statistics from Baseball Reference.com

- Aaron Harang signs with Padres
Follow the Padres on their Twitter feed announces that Aaron Harang, formerly of the Cincinnati Reds, has signed: a One year, $3.5 million plus a mutual option. Working to get terms of option. During the 2010 season for the Reds, Harang compiled a 6-7 record 5.32 ERA in 22 games. He struck out 82 batters and walked 38 while giving up 139 hits for a WHIP of 1.585. Harang seems to have fallen off from his successful years of 2006 and 2007 when he went 16-11 and 16-6 respectively. I seem to be repeating myself but as with Mark Reynolds and the pitchers traded for him in that deal earlier today, maybe the change of scenery and some hometown cooking will do him good.

- Click Here for Aaron Harang's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com

- Dan Johnson re-signs with the Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Tribune has reported on their Twitter feed that the depleted Tampa Bay Rays have re-signed 1B/DH Dan Johnson to a one-year contract. I believe this is an important move for the Rays since their first baseman of the last few years, Carlos Peña, is a free-agent and not seen as returning to the Rays. After spending the 2009 season with the Yokohama Bay Stars of the Nippon Professional Baseball League, Johnson returned to the Rays for the 2010 season. Spending the majority of the 2010 season playing for the Durham Bulls of the International League before being called up. (PHOTO CREDIT: Steve Nesius/Associated Press)

In very limited but important action for the Rays, Johnson batted .198 with 7HRs and 23 RBI. Though the numbers don't seem very impressive, Johnson played four positions for the Rays last year (1B/3B/LF/RF) and his versatility is needed and respected on a team such as Tampa's. I saw this kid hit two homers in a pivotal division game against the Yankees which was overshadowed by the now infamous Derek Jeter faked hit by a ball trick. This game propelled the Rays back into first place and I daresay it may have cost the Yankees the division title. I believe that we'll see more of Johnson this upcoming season in a much more expanded capacity.

- Click Here for Dan Johnson's career statistics from BaseballCube.com

- The Athletics/Iwakuma Negotiations Fall Through
In what comes to no surprise, the A's were not able to come to terms with Japanese pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma. The rights to Iwakuma go back to the Rakuten Golden Eagles and the $19.1 million dollar posting fee is returned to the Oakland Athletics.(PHOTO CREDIT http://cardsandgraphs.blogspot.com)

The story was reported by both Susan Sussler of the San Francisco Chronicle and Jane Lee of the MLBlogs network. Lee states the following as being the position of both Iwakuma and the Athletics during the negotiations:

Iwakuma and his agent, Don Nomura, were reportedly asking for a contract that would average $12 million per season over three years -- numbers that reflect the earnings of fellow Japanese pitchers Hiroki Kuroda (three years, $35.3 million) and Daisuke Matsuzaka (six years, $52 million).

However, the A's were said to have offered $15.25 million over four years -- factoring in the posting fee cost -- as a "take it or leave it" approach. By leaving it, Iwakuma will stay in Japan and become a free agent at the end of the 2011 season.

Sussler also reports in her Twitter feed that:

#Athletics made it clear to Iwakuma that they'll have interest in him next year when he is a free agent.

Whether or not Iwakuma would be interested in playing for the Athletics next season when he becomes a free agent is unknown. Without burning any bridges I would imagine that he would not want to after being quoted as saying "the Athletics really didn't want me." . This leaves a hole in the Athletics' rotation since they traded starter Vin Mazzaro to the Kansas City Royals for Jose DeJesus earlier in the offseason. We'll see where they go from here.

- Click Here for my prior post A's Win Bidding for Iwakuma. Why Bid? from November 8, 2010

- Kevin Correia signs with the Pittsburgh Pirates
According to ESPN's Jerry Krasnick on his Twitter feed, starting pitcher Kevin Correia, formerly of the San Diego Padres, has reached agreement with Pittsburgh Pirates on a 2-year, $8 million deal, pending a physical. Correia compiled a 10-10 record with a 5.40 ERA. In 26 games for the Padres, Correia struck out 115 while walking 64 and allowing 152 hits for a WHIP of 1.490.

In joining the Pirates, he joins a young rotation that is already made up of Paul Maholm, James McDonald and Ross Ohlendorf.

- Click Here for Kevin Correia's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com

That's all that I am posting on the first day of the Winter Meetings. If anything happens from now into tomorrow, I'll post it later.

FH