Week Three Points and Highlights

Week Three of the 2015 season is in the books and here are a few things I came across.

- Nelson Cruz
The other day I posted the following tweet:

With every homerun Nelson Cruz hits, Robinson Cano's smile gets bigger and bigger. #NelsonCruz #RobinsonCano #SeattleMariners #Mariners
— Baseball Sisco (@BaseballSisco) April 16, 2015

I think I have to amend that tweet. With every homerun Nelson Cruz hits, the entire Seattle Mariners team's smiles get bigger and bigger. What a difference a year makes.

Last season I made mention that while I understood why Robinson Cano signed with the Mariners, I questioned the decision since he would not have much in the way of protection in the lineup. Well, things change this season with the offseason signing of Nelson Cruz. Again, what a difference a year makes.

Last season, Cruz signed for a budget $8-million with the Orioles coming off a 50-games suspension resulting from the Biogenesis scandal and put up an MVP caliber season for the Orioles. Now Cruz is batting after Cano in a lineup that is re-markedly improved along with a solid rotation. For the season Cruz is putting up a slash line of .324/.361/.750 with 9 homers and 20 RBI. So far the M's are sitting tied for 4th place at 7-11 with the surprising Houston Astros sitting pretty a-top the American League West 11-7. I can see the Mariners righting the ship and starting to club the ball. We'll see what happens as the season moves along.

- How About Those New York Mets
I mentioned that last week I would talk about the Metropolitanos. Well, the Mets ripped off an 11-game win streak including a 10-0 homestand against division rivals Philadelphia Phillies, Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves. In doing so, the Mets tied a franchise record set by the 1969, 1972, 1986, and 1990 who all put up 11-game winning streaks. It stopped at 11-games when the Mets lost the first game of the Subway Series against the Yankees.

What I find impressive is that the Mets have done so without a number of players including captain David Wright and starting catch Travis D'Arnaud who both are missing time on the DL. In their place is Eric Campbell and rookie catcher Kevin Plawecki and both are producing. And what can I say about The Dark Knight: Matt Harvey. Its hard to believe that Harvey missed a season to Tommy John surgery. This kid is a total stud.

So far he's gone 4-0 with a 3.04 ERA with 22 hits allowed, 31 strikeouts and only 3 walks for a WHIP of 0.94. His swagger and confidence seems to be slowly seeping into the entire team. As Travis D'Arnaud said during the Mets vs. Yankees telecast on ESPN, the team believes that they can will. Who knows, if they can continue to win as division rivals Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins struggle, the N.L. East might just be their's to lose.

- A brief history of the Mets' eleven-game winning streaks by Chris McShane from Amazin Avenue.com

- Didi Gregorious and Tino Martinez
People fail to realize that it is very difficult to step in the shoes of a Baseball legend. Some might say that it is even harder when the legend plays for the New York Yankees. I notice that Yankee fans are being critical of Didi Gregorious' performance so far with the Yankees at shortstop. Not only is he learning a new league, he's doing it in the long shadow of future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter.

Look at the back page of the New York Daily News the day after the Yankees traded for Gregorious. Just the headline alone shows the expectations that have been placed on Gregorious. And this was before the season started and Gregorious was struggling. The situation reminds me of how Tino Martinez struggled at first base for the New York Yankees at the beginning of the 1996 season.

Martinez was traded from the Seattle Mariners to the Yankees in a December 7, 1995 trade with Jim Mecir and Jeff Nelson for Russ Davis and Sterling Hitchock. Martinez was already a solid first-basemen for the Mariners and similarly to Gregorious, his performance at first was shadowed by recently retired career Yankees legend Don Mattingly. Again, as with Gregorious, Martinez struggled amid great and lofty expectations but as the season progressed, he settled in and was a main player in the 1996 Yankees World Series Championship season.

People need to give Gregorious a chance. I mean a REAL chance. Not a month. Not two months. At the very least give the kid a full season to show his mettle. He's not going to be Derek Jeter. We've already seen him play. We just need to see Didi Gregorious play his game. Maybe he excels. Maybe he becomes the Yankees version of Royce Clayton.
who had the dubious honor of having to replace Ozzie Smith at shortstop for the Cardinals in 1997).

Nearly 20 Years Later, Another Yankees Replacement Is Struggling by Billy Witz from the New York Times dated April 18, 2015

- Waino done for the season?
The news coming out of St. Louis is not good. Reports state that Adam Wainright was placed on the DL with an left ankle/achilles tendon injury. If he tore the achilles tendon, his season is done. The Cardinals always seem to be able to fill spots due to injuries and according to the article Martinez, Wacha and Lynn Allow Cardinals to Absorb Adam Wainwright Injury by Anthony Witrado from Bleacher Report dated April 25, 2015, Witrado believes that:

There might not be a team in Major League Baseball more equipped to absorb the blow of losing their ace right now than the Cardinals. They have a rotation packed with front-line pitchers in their 20s, and all three of them have sub-2.00 ERAs through each of their first three starts this season.

Michael Wacha, Carlos Martinez—both 23 years old—and Lance Lynn, 27, have helped Wainwright pitch the Cardinals to a 12-4 record. Those four are the reasons the rotation led the majors with a 2.06 ERA entering Saturday, a number lowered to 1.97 by Wainwright's four shutout innings before the injury.

It would seem that Cole Hamels would be a suitable replacement for Wainwright in the rotation. The question is, are the Cardinals willing to trade from their surplus of prospects in order to get Hamels. Since in this situation, the Phillies hold the seller's advantage, the Cardinals might have to overpay if they want Hamels services. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Let's see what happens after Wainwright's MRI.

AS OF 7:30PM ON 4/27: Adam Wainwright was diagnosed with a torn left achilles tendon which will cause him to miss 9-12 months. 

- Kansas City Royals are a-fighting
So the Royals have started the 2015 season with three bench clearing incidents. Week one had Yordano Ventura jawing with Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels. Then in week two you had a back and forth plunking matches and three straight days of bench clearing between the Royals and the Oakland A's including Yordano Ventura getting ejected when he hit Brett Lawrie with a pitch after Josh Reddick homered. Week three was capped with a full blown brawl started by words being exchanged between Yordano Ventura and Adam Eaton of the Chicago White Sox which led to the suspension of six players including Ventura who was given a seven day suspension.

You see a pattern here? Like I told my friend Melvin the other day: Ventura is young, full of piss and vinegar. I mean, he's become the ace of the staff after James Shields signed with the San Diego Padres. So he must be on cloud nine and is showing his swagger every start. But he needs to dial it down before someone gets hurt.

This is where old time baseball people bemoan the DH since retribution can't be exacted on the guilty party. I think if this was in the NL, Ventura would be a bit more cautious in his plunking of opposing players and his excitable mannerism. Back in the day, he would have taken one to the ribs. I know the Royals want to show the entire league that their World Series appearance was not a fluke. But someone needs to take Ventura aside and let him know that not only is an opposing player at risk of getting hurt due to his behavior, a fellow teammate can get hurt through Baseball's form of retribution. Whether he learns or not is something we'll have to keep an eye on after he serves his suspension.

Well that's all for this week. I'll be back next week with my POV on the fourth week of the MLB season.

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

The Griffeys Play In The Same Game For First Time August 31, 1990

On this day in Baseball History August 31, 1990: Father and son duo Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr., became the first father and son duo to play in the same game for the Seattle Mariners against the Kansas City Royals at the Seattle Kingdom. Griffey Sr. and Griffey Jr. batted second and third respectively in the lineup. The game also marked the first time that a father and son duo would both get hits, back to back as a matter of fact, in the same game.

The article Griffey Sr. and Jr. first to play together in MLB by Larry Schwartz for ESPN Classic from ESPN.com dated November 19, 2003 describe how Ken Griffey Jr., felt during that fateful game:

Aug. 31, 1990

Signed two days ago by the Seattle Mariners after being released by the Cincinnati Reds, 40-year-old Ken Griffey Sr. is about to make history tonight with his 20-year-old son. They are the first father-and-son tandem to play in a major-league game. Earlier in the day, Griffey Jr. tells family agent Brian Goldberg, "It's really going to be weird tonight, playing with my dad." Later that afternoon, Griffey Sr. tells Goldberg, "It's going to be weird tonight, playing with my son."

As the Griffey's trot to their positions, center-fielder Jr. gives his dad, in left, a quick wave. In the bottom of the first inning, Sr., batting second, singles, the 2,091st hit in his 18-year career. Jr. follows with a single (No. 275). Both score in the Mariners' 5-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

"I wanted to cry or something," Jr. says after going 1-for-4, same as dad. "It just seemed like a father-son game, like we were out playing catch in the backyard. But we were actually playing a real game.

"The weird thing was all the guys are yelling, 'Let's go, Ken,' and I'm yelling, 'Let's go, Dad.'"

The boxscore for that game can be found on the Baseball Reference.com website: August 31, 1990 Kansas City Royals vs. Seattle Mariners

The MLB Network's Remembering Griffey dad and son:

The Griffeys would make more history in the 1990 season becoming the first father and son duo to hit back-to-back home runs off of California Angels starter Kirk McCaskill.

Here's video footage of the Griffeys hitting back-to-back homeruns:

Truly special moments in major league history. Will we ever see another father and son duo playing together in the major leagues? Only time will tell.

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

For Further Reading:
- Click Here to access Ken Griffey Sr.'s career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click Here to access Ken Griffey Jr.'s career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click Here to access the article Griffeys made home run history in '90: Father, son first to go back-to-back in Major Leagues by Patrick Brown from MLB.com dated August 8, 2007

What is the Restricted List

In the last few days there have been a couple of players that have been placed on the Major League Baseball Restricted List. Both Ryan Dempster of the Boston Red Sox and Franklin Gutierrez of the Seattle Mariners have notified their respective teams that they would not be able to play this season. Now, I'm not sure how often players are placed on the Restricted List, but I remember two off the top of my head from last season. The Miami Marlins placed  Miguel Olivo and Austin Kearns on the restricted list last season. Since I'm a little in the dark about what exactly the restricted list is, I've decided to look into it. Here is how the Restriced List is described in Rule 15 of the Major League Rules (from March 2008):

Rule 15
RESTRICTED, DISQUALIFIED AND INELIGIBLE LISTS
(a) RESTRICTED LIST. If, without permission from a player's Major or Minor League Club, a player fails, within 10 days of the opening of the player's Club's championship season, to report to, or contract with, the player's Club, the player may be reported by the Club to the Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee for placement on the "Restricted List." A player on the Restricted List shall not be eligible to play for any Major or Minor League Club.

Before the start of the championship season but not before January 1, a Major or Minor League Club also may report for placement on the Restricted List any player, whether or not under contract for the current season, who has given the Club written or telegraphic notification that the player will not report until 30 days or more after the opening of the championship season. Requests to the Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee shall be accompanied by the notification which the Club received from the player.
The Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee may place a Major or Minor League Reserve List player on the Restricted List if the player's Club certifies that unusual circumstances exist.

In terms of Player Status while on the Restricted List:

(e) PLAYER STATUS. With respect to a player under a Major League Uniform Player's Contract:(3) A player on the Restricted, Disqualified or Ineligible List (A) shall not be unconditionally released, and (B) shall not be entitled to salary while on any such list, nor after reinstatement from any such list, until such date (not exceeding 30 days after reinstatement) as the player is in condition to participate in championship games to the satisfaction of the player's Club.

If a player decided that they they want to be reinstated, the following according to Rule 16 of the Major League Rules (from March 2008) needs to occur:

Rule 16
REINSTATEMENT OF PLAYERS
(a) APPLICATION. Any player on the Voluntarily Retired, Restricted, Disqualified or Ineligible List may apply for reinstatement, or to have the player's status changed, upon the conditions stated in this Rule 16. Any Major or Minor League Club having a player on the Restricted List may apply for the player's reinstatement. Such application shall be filed with the Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee. An application for reinstatement may be granted upon such terms and conditions as the facts may warrant in the judgment of the Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee.

If a player files an application for reinstatement from the Voluntarily Retired, Disqualified or Ineligible Lists after February 1 of any year, the player's Major or Minor League Club shall be entitled to 30 days' written notice prior to the player's reinstatement. No application for reinstatement shall be received from a Voluntarily Retired player within 60 playing days of the player's retirement. No Major League player on the Voluntarily Retired, Disqualified or Ineligible Lists shall be reinstated during the period from August 1 to and including October 31. No Major League player on the Restricted List shall be reinstated during the period from August 1 to and including October 31, unless the Restricted List, placement had followed a Bereavement List placement pursuant to Rule 2(n) (Major League Bereavement List) or had been made pursuant to the Major or Minor League Drug Treatment and Prevention Programs. No Minor League player on the Voluntarily Retired, Restricted, Disqualified or Ineligible Lists shall be reinstated during the period from August 1 until the conclusion of the Minor League championship season and playoffs, unless the Restricted List placement had been made pursuant to the Major or Minor League Drug Treatment and Prevention Programs.

(b) PLAYER ON RESTRICTED LIST. A Restricted List player shall be reinstated immediately upon receipt of written or telegraphic application for reinstatement from the player's Major or Minor League Club.

Jeff Euston in his article Contractual Matters: The Restricted List from Baseball Prospectus dated May 13, 2010 has a historical breakdown of some players that have been placed on the Restricted List for various reasons. It is quite the interesting read.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, how does this impact the situations of Gutierrez and Dempster. In terms of Gutierrez, according to Greg Johns in his article With Gutierrez out, Mariners lack righty outfield bats from MLB.com dated February 14, 2014:

The 2010 American League Gold Glove Award winner became a free agent after his four-year, $19-million contract expired last year, but re-signed with Seattle in December for $1 million with a potential $2 million more in incentives. That contract is now voided by his decision to go on the restricted list.

Gutierrez was diagnosed with an inflammatory condition called ankylosing spondylitis last season and was optimistic that medication was helping him deal better with hip and joint issues, as well as the digestive problems that had hindered him. But with those problems returning, he chose this week to step away from the game for now.

I have no idea what Ankylosing spondylitis is. Here is how the condition is described on the Spondylitis Association of America's website listing for Ankylosing spondylitis:

Ankylosing spondylitis (pronounced ank-kih-low-sing spon-dill-eye-tiss), or AS, is a form of arthritis that primarily affects the spine, although other joints can become involved. It causes inflammation of the spinal joints (vertebrae) that can lead to severe, chronic pain and discomfort. In the most advanced cases (but not in all cases), this inflammation can lead to new bone formation on the spine, causing the spine to fuse in a fixed, immobile position, sometimes creating a forward-stooped posture. This forward curvature of the spine is called kyphosis. More information on kyphosis and fusion can be found in the complications section.

AS can also cause inflammation, pain and stiffness in other areas of the body such as the shoulders, hips, ribs, heels and small joints of the hands and feet. Sometimes the eyes can become involved (known as Iritis or Uveitis), and rarely, the lungs and heart can be affected. See the Complications of Spondylitis: How is a Person Affected? page for more information.

The hallmark feature of ankylosing spondylitis is the involvement of the sacroiliac (SI) joints during the progression of the disease, which are the joints at the base of the spine, where the spine joins the pelvis.

That sounds painful. I hope Gutierrez can recover and come back to play at some point. He was a dynamic player for the Mariners. Dempster is a different story.

Dempster decided to take the 2014 season off and forgo a salary of $13.25 million dollars. In a series of tweets by Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal Twitter feed from February 16, 2014 (as listed in Tyler Conway's article Red Sox SP Ryan Dempster Announces Decision Not to Pitch During 2014 Season from Bleacher Report on February 16, 2014)

BREAKING: Ryan Dempster will not pitch for #RedSox in 2014 due to physical reasons and his desire to spend more time with his kids. Dempster: “I don’t feel like I am capable of performing to the ability and standard that I am accustomed to. I feel it’s in the best interest of both the club but most importantly myself to step away from playing baseball at this time. The time is right. . . .I’m not saying retirement but I definitely won’t be playing this season.

I can appreciate his wanting to spend more time with his family. I feel that way myself in my current position as bartender/bar manager. But to walk away from $13.25 million is something else. I give him tons of props if he does decide not to play the rest of the season and even walking away from his career by retiring. I know some people, like my friend Christopher, wonder if this is a way to not have to deal with the grind of the season and come back in August fresh as a daisy a-la Roy Oswalt. In this case we'll have to wait and see what Dempster does.

I hope this clarifies what exactly the Restricted List is. If you have any more information on the Restricted List, feel free to contact me at my email Baseballsiscokidstyle@gmail.com, my Facebook Page Baseball Sisco Kid Style or at my Google+ page Baseball Sisco.

Sisco Kid

Looking Back at the Robinson Cano Contract Situation

Photo Courtesy @Mariners

Robinson Cano was introduced as the newest member of the Seattle Mariners at a press conference yesterday at Safeco Field and made me think of a few things. First off, as I say with any player who signs a big contract, I never begrudge anyone making their money. We all work hard to make as much as we can to improve our individual situations. If he found a team willing to give him a 10-year $240-million contract then why shouldn't he try and get top dollar. Already you hear the complaints of some fans who are calling Cano "greedy". As if many of those fans wouldn't uproot their lives and their families for doubling or tripling of their yearly salaries. Granted the sums we are talking about in Cano's case are vastly different from ours but the same idea behind it applies. But I digress. Cano made the following statement during his press conference yesterday as reported by Tim Booth in the article 2B Robinson Cano, Mariners finalize huge contract dated December 13, 2013 from the Seattle PI website:

"I was looking for a contract where I would just be able to play and focus on the game and wouldn't wonder when I'm 37, 38 would I have a job one day. Would I be able to play?" Cano said. "The one thing in Seattle is I get the chance. Am I going to keep working hard? Yes. Even harder? Yes. I'm going to do my best and play the same way I was playing in New York and go out there and do my business and win games."

Perhaps the image of Derek Jeter, the Yankees captain, (who became a free agent in 2010 after signing a 10-year deal in 2000) being told by Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman to find a better deal on the free agent market left a mark on Cano. If Derek Jeter could be treated with such disrespect, than anyone could. Right? Speaking of disrespect. Cano also said the following:

Asked if he ever thought he'd leave New York, Cano said, "Honestly, no." Later, Cano said he never felt the Yankees wanted him back.

"I didn't feel respect. I didn't get respect from them and I didn't see any effort," Cano said.

Randy Levine going public with criticism of Cano and his contract demands as being "unrealistic" was disrespectful. I agree with him on this. The discussions and negotiations should have been kept private. Levine needs to learn to keep his big mouth shut. But I hardly believe that a 7-year $175-million dollar offer is disrespectful. Sure, I guess compared to his initial demand of 10-year $301-million dollars or even the $10-year $240-million dollar contract he eventually signed with the Mariners that contract pales in comparison and can be seen as a slight towards Cano by the Yankees. This gets magnified with the signing of a believed lesser player in Jacoby Ellsbury to a 7-year $153-million dollar contract by the Yankees. In the end, the per year average by the Yankees offer was $25 million while the per year average given by Seattle was $24 million. So in that regard, I don't believe that the Yankees disrespected Cano. The Yankees said they were not interested in a 10-year deal and they stuck to their stance.

With the exception of Derek Jeter, the 10-year deal in Baseball has been as maligned as the 7-year $126-million dollar contract in Baseball (Jason Werth, Barry Zito, Vernon Wells among others). I've said all along that Cano and the Yankees would have benefited from a five to six year deal in the $25-$30 million range. If he was still producing after that contract, he would be in line to cash in on another potential windfall. If he wasn't producing, then he wouldn't be stuck in a contract that would lead to bad feelings among both parties. As stated above, Cano didn't want to go through another contract negotiation in his late 30's so this was not an option. And this is easy for me to say since I am not in their situations, but these athletes need to look at more than multiple years and money. Look at the situation of Tim Lincecum.

Since the end of the 2011 season, Lincecum has signed two one-year deals and the recent two-year $35-million dollar deal this offseason. I think this is the ideal way to go. Keep your situation fresh, flexible in terms of contract years AND get paid in doing so. Sure Cano and his representatives are selling themselves based on his current performance. At age 31 he's been quite the consistent and productive player. Cano has played in 159 games or more per season since 2007 and is a career .309 hitter who averages 24 homers and 97 RBIs per season AND makes it look easy in the field. But time has a way of turning on an athlete quickly. Who's to say that the player Cano is today in 2013 will be the same productive player in 2016, let alone 2020. Again, its easy for me to say since I'm not the one offered that massive deal that Seattle signed Cano for. How do I feel about his moving on.

To be honest, I'm not that upset about it. I'm more upset in the direction that the Yankees organization is going in. I've been hopelessly pining for a rebuilding of the team through youth. I went as far to suggest in my two posts The Yankees Should Trade Robinson Cano If... and UPDATE: The Yankees Should Trade Robinson Cano If... that the Yankees should have traded both Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson if they were out of contention to aid the rebuilding. As I felt back then (as I do now) that I don't make my statements through a veneer of dislike for Cano. On the contrary, I've always been a fan of his. I just thought that logically, if they wouldn't resign him they should have cashed in on him for the future of the organization. Now I don't know how realistic the offers were (if there were any) for Cano before the trade deadline last season. Maybe the team thought that they would be able to sign him this offseason.

It just seems to me (and others such as my friend Christopher Mac) that if they weren't going to resign him and knew that they weren't going to do so, why not trade him and get some more pieces for him than just the compensatory pick that they will end up getting from Seattle. In the end, the Yankees are on the losing end in terms of compensation picks since they will get one from Seattle and one from the Mets for Curtis Granderson but will end up losing three for their signing of Beltran, Ellsbury and McCann.

Will the team miss Cano? Absolutely. This will be felt in the next two or three seasons. Heck, they are feeling it right now with that big hole at second, a starting first baseman and a starting shortstop coming back from serious injuries and a starting third baseman who is in limbo due to a potential suspension. I do feel that in the long-term the team made the right decision to not sign Cano to a 10-year deal. I guess the Steinbrenners learned from their resigning of Alex Rodriguez to a 10-year $275-Million dollar deal after the 2007 season.

Here's a little speculation on my part. Perhaps Cano took to heart how the Yankees fan base seemed to turn on Rodriguez and criticize him on every strikeout, pop up and ground out by voicing out "This is what 10-year $275-million buys you" even after Rodriguez had his best postseason performance in the championship season of 2009. Granted, Rodriguez's situation is unique for many reasons, but who knows if Cano truly wanted to feel the same wrath that some Yankees fans heaved on his good friend Rodriguez.

Here's another tangent of speculation. Maybe, just maybe, Cano just didn't want the pressure of being the main man on the New York Yankees. Perhaps the laid back pace of Seattle was something that he was looking for all along. I would think that playing under the lights in Seattle does not match up to the glaring lights of scrutiny in New York. Maybe in Seattle Cano won't be called out for not running hard down the line as he was often while on the Yankees. For the record, I was one who did so. I always thought that Cano's lack of hustle at times was his biggest...I'll use the word weakness for a lack of a better term. Who truly knows.

For now Cano will be all smiles in his new #22 Seattle Mariners jersey (future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. wore #24 for the Mariners). How long that smile will stay on his face remains to be seen. Can Cano survive in Seattle with a potential 10 seasons of not making the postseason? Will he be content to remain in Seattle, especially if the Yankees return to the postseason and even win a few championships in those 10-seasons? Only time will tell. I wish him the best of luck in Seattle. As a Yankees fan I hold no ill will towards him. I want him to succeed. I want him to be the player to break the 10-year contract "curse".

Again, only time will tell if he can.

Sisco Kid

What A Crazy Week In Baseball

My, oh my the flurry of moves this week has been dizzying. Free agent signings and trades galore headlined the week in Baseball and the Winter Meetings where many trades and signings happen loom on the horizon.

You have Billy Beane weaving his magic wand and making trades for numerous players improving the two time American League Champion Oakland A's. You have the Miami Marlins picking up catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and former All-Star shortstop Rafael Furcal. The Los Angeles Dodgers brought back reliever Brian Wilson, who was pretty much lights out for them down the stretch last season. The Houston Astros picked up solid center fielder Dexter Fowler from the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies added Justin Morneau to hopefully fill the hole left with the retirement of Todd Helton.

The White Sox brought back team Captain Paul Konerko in what might be his final season on the South Side of Chicago. The Tampa Bay Rays and their GM Andrew Friedman once again wheel and deal by acquiring reliever Heath Bell and catcher Ryan Hanigan in a three team deal with the Diamondbacks and Reds. The Detroit Tigers believe they have solved their closer issues with the signing of Joe Nathan.

The news from Japan speculate that the Rakutan Golden Eagles might not post their star pitcher Masahiro Tanaka due to the proposed $20 million dollar cap on posting fees that seems to be a part of the new posting contract between the MLB and the NPB. Since they figure that they won't get as much for Tanaka in a posting fee that they would have under the old agreement, they are better off keeping him following this season which was capped by winning the Japan Series against the Yomiuri Giants. This move would put a kink in the plans of many a team in the majors who were looking forward to trying to add Tanaka to their starting rotations.

The World Champion Red Sox took a hit by losing the aforementioned Saltalamacchia and Jacoby Ellsbury but signed Edward Mujica to replace the non-tendered Andrew Bailey in the bullpen. Speaking of Ellsbury, he signed with the division rival New York Yankees who also signed Hiroki Kuroda but lost their best homegrown everyday player (since Derek Jeter) to the Seattle Mariners who signed Robinson Cano to a reported 10-year $240-million dollar contract.

Wow, that was a mouthful. And the Winter Meetings start on Monday. Who knows what surprises we'll have sprung on us from then to now. We'll just have to wait and see.

Sisco Kid.

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

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

Jim Moore Rants on Ken Griffey Jr., and Chone Figgins

For those of you who personally know me have seen me rant and rave about something or another at some point. But today I read an article that I had to sit back and say "Now That's a Rant". Thanks to the fine people at Bleacher Reports for this little nugget of information called Finger of blame in Wak firing pointed right at Junior. Written by Jim Moore on the Seattle Post Intelligencer website, Moore says that they main reasons that former Seattle Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu was fired was due to future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., and current Mariner Chone Figgins.

Here is some of what Moore has to say about Griffey:

Junior struggled and slept in the clubhouse and was ultimately benched and got upset because he thought that Wakamatsu planted the whole Sleep-gate story with Larry LaRue, which is completely preposterous. And then he got even madder when Wakamatsu didn't communicate with him for two weeks after his benching or something like that.

I understand Griffey's place in the game, but was he so clueless that he needed Wakamatsu to continually explain why he was benched? Wakamatsu gave him more than enough time to produce, and when it didn't happen, what was the manager supposed to do? Keep putting him in the lineup? Wakamatsu, if I'm not mistaken, was trying to win games, and he couldn't do it with a powerless, sub-.200 designated hitter.

Griffey could have been a reasonably mature adult and hashed out his differences with Wakamatsu and stuck around as a part-time DH and full-time pinch-hitter who still would have wielded considerable clout in the clubhouse.

But no, Junior had to take his toys and go home. He said he left because he didn't want to be a distraction. Please. He left because he was in a full-on hissy-fit, mistakenly at odds with Wakamatsu.

Wow! That alone puts anything I could have said to shame. Period! But it doesn't end there. Here are a few more words from Moore about Griffey:

Last year, when things were going well, Griffey was a clubhouse enhancer who everyone loved. He was also the congenial conduit between Ichiro and the rest of the team.

Then of course, you know what's happened this year -- everything goes to hell and Griffey goes to Orlando, driving off in a huff in one of the biggest chump moves ever.

This isn't coming from a Ken Griffey Jr., hater. In the beginning of his article Moore describes how he nearly teared up listening to the pre-game ceremony that was held for Griffey upon his return with the Cincinnati Reds during an inter-league series three years ago. Moore acknowledges how the standing ovation that Junior received was well deserved for the man who helped keep the Mariners in Seattle. Now let's shift gears towards Chone Figgins.

Arguably, Figgins has to be the biggest offseason acquisition bust for any team this season. Though the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim miss him dearly, his performance has not been the same in Seattle. Moore gives his two-cents on Figgins and Wakamatsu:

Then we had the Chone Figgins dust-up in the dugout two weeks ago when the second baseman nearly came to blows with Wakamatsu, and I wish he had - I would have thoroughly enjoyed watching that bout, fully expecting Wak, with his size and reach advantage, to floor Figgy with a roundhouse right. That would have been more fun to see than the triple play against the A's Monday night.

Let's see if I have this straight - Figgins makes $9 million a year and dogs it and gets justifiably benched and goes nuts, and Wakamatsu blows it by not suspending him and continuing to put him in the lineup.

Then when approached by Gregg Bell of the Associated Press for a comment on Wakamatsu's firing, Figgins said: "I'm not talking, man, I'm not talking." Figgins is not a stand-up guy and, frankly, neither is Junior, evidenced by his sudden departure. Why Figgins isn't roundly booed every time he steps to the plate is hard to figure.

Enough said? Nope, Moore has more to say about Figgins on his website post called I wish Wakamatsu had decked Figgins. To add insult to injury towards Wakamatsu, he had the misfortune of being fired on the day of the Seattle Mariners Japanese Heritage Night at Safeco Field. In case you didn't already know, Don Wakamatsu was the first Japanese-American manager in the history of Major League Baseball. Ouch.

Whether you agree with Moore or not, I have to give it to him. That is one impressive rant. What do you think.

FH

For Further Reading:
- Click Here for the entire article written by Jim Moore on the Seattle Post Intelligencer website
- Click Here for Jim Moore's Website called Jim Moore: The Go2Guy

Next Stop on the Cliff Lee Express? Texas!

Here is the report straight from Fox Sports:

Updated Jul 9, 2010 5:47 PM ET

Cliff Lee is headed to the Texas Rangers.

As first reported by the New York Post, the Rangers landed the ace left-hander and relief pitcher Mark Lowe from the Mariners in exchange for first-baseman Justin Smoak, right-handed pitchers Blake Beavan and Josh Lueke, and second-baseman/outfielder Matt Lawson.

The Yankees had emerged as the front-runner earlier Friday before a proposed deal stalled due to the Mariners’ concerns over an ankle injury to one of the three players they would have received, Double-A second baseman David Adams, major-league sources said.

The Rangers, identified Thursday as the front-runner by one rival general manager, made another push that was successful. The Mariners had been scouting the Rangers' farm system.

Earlier Friday, the Mariners were set to accept a package of three prospects from the Yankees for Lee — Adams, Triple-A catcher Jesus Montero and Triple-A right-hander Zach McAllister, sources said.

Montero was the centerpiece of the deal. Adams was widely reported to be the second piece.

Lee, a 31-year-old left-hander, is 8-3 with a 2.34 ERA this season. He was scheduled to pitch against the Yankees in Seattle on Friday night.

Includes reporting from the New York Post.

So Nolan Ryan finally gets a stud starter to anchor his rotation. I'm not sure if the team will be able to retain Lee's services past this year since the ownership issue of the team is still up in the air. Basically, this makes Lee a hired gun that the Rangers will utilize in their attempt to win the American League West from the perennial division champions: The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The plot out West thickens.

FH

The Resurgent Seattle Mariners

Arguably this season biggest disappointment has to be the Seattle Mariners. Coming off a 101-loss season (61-101) in 2008, the Mariners went 85-77 in 2009 and entered the 2010 season with high expectations. The free-agent moves made by Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik only added to the high expectations. But as things are in the game of Baseball, often expectations are often unfulfilled. As of today, table setter Chone Figgins is batting .232 with only 32 runs scored and 22 stolen bases, cleanup hitter Milton Bradley is batting .207 with 7 Hrs, 27 RBI and 23 runs scored. These numbers are hardly what the Mariners expected for their investment. Not only that, I doubt anyone in Baseball (including myself) thought that the Seattle Mariners would have a record of 33-44 and be 14 games behind the first place Texas Rangers. But thanks to the team's strength, things are finally looking up for the Mariners.

Thanks to the one-two punch of Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez, the Mariners are currently 10-5 in the last 15 games. In those 15 games, Lee and Hernandez are a combined 6-1 with 6 complete games (Lee is 3-0 in those games and Hernandez is 2-1). In a combined 62.2 innings, Lee and Hernandez have given up a total of 37 hits (6Hrs), 11 runs (10 Earned), 4 Walks and 44K's for an ERA of 1.45 and a WHIP of 0.59. This is what Seattle imagined as their pitching being like when they traded for Cliff Lee in the off-season.

The bats are slowly starting to wake up as well. In those last 15 games the Mariners have scored 52 runs including 7 runs in each of the last two wins against the Yankees. This was the first time this season that the Mariners have scored 7 runs in consecutive games.

Am I saying that here comes the big comeback in the A.L. West? Who knows. Remember in 2002 when the Oakland A's won 20-straight games, causing them to overtake the 1st place Mariners and win the division by 4-games with a 103-59 record? I'm not saying that this year's Seattle Mariners will win 20-straight games, catch the Rangers and win the division. What I am saying is that anything is possible, especially with two studs on the mound pitching in the manner that they are. An interesting question is, can the Mariners right the ship before the trading deadline? Cliff Lee is drawing a tremendous amount of interest throughout Baseball. Guess time will tell.

FH

Big Baseball Day on 12-14-2009

So there was a tremendous amount of activity in the landscape of MLB. Here are my impressions of the important points:

The Philadelphia Phillies
It seems to me that the Phillies trade of Cliff Lee for Roy Halliday doesn't solve a thing for the Phillies. For arguments sake, why trade an ace who pitches superbly in Philadelphia. We see what he brings by how he shut down the Dodgers and the Yankees in the last postseason. Maybe by not including Cliff Lee in the deal it becomes an impossible transaction but if you're the Phillies GM, why not take the chance and spend the money to have 3 studs in your starting rotation. Not that the Phillies take a step back by trading Lee for Halliday. Realistically, it was believed that Lee wanted a contract similar to the amounts signed by C.C. Sabathia last season. The Phillies believe that starting pitching over 30 years of age should not be signed for more that 3 years. At 31 years of age, Lee wanting 5 to 6 years in a new contract would not be acceptable to the Phillies.

According to Jayson Stark on ESPN.com, The Phillies would receive Roy Halliday, who would agree to a 3-year extension through 2013, with a vesting option that could lengthen the deal by another year or two, one source said. The extension is expected to guarantee Halladay in the neighborhood of $60 million, plus the $15.75 million he would make in 2010, the final year of his current contract. In turn, the Phillies would send outfielder Michael Taylor, Phillies catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud and a Phils pitcher -- either Kyle Drabek or J.A. Happ -- to Toronto. To finalize the Lee deal with Seattle, the Phillies would receive they would receive Seattle's top pitching prospect, Phillippe Aumont and one other prospect -- believed to be 21-year-old outfielder Tyson Gillies.

The Seattle Mariners
The Mariners sure are making waves this offseason. By shedding 50 million in expiring contracts from the payroll and a determination to reinvest in the team, they show Felix Hernandez their commitment by trading for Cliff Lee and signing Chone Figgins. My prediction is that they will also sign Jason Bay, whose idol Edgar Martinez's name graces the street where Safeco Field is located. By making these moves, the Mariners with their perennial MVP, Ichiro Suzuki leapfrog the Angels as the favorites in the A.L. West. Maybe Ken Griffey Jr., changes his mind and comes back for one more year and a last chance at a ring.

The Boston Red Sox
Boston improves tremendously by signing John Lackey. By adding Lackey to their already formidable rotation of Josh Beckett, John Lester, Daisuke Matsusake, Clay Buchholz and Tim Wakefield the Red Sox remain in the top 3 of American League teams. The Red Sox also signed OF Mike Cameron to a 2-year deal. The big question for the Bosox is how do you replace Jason Bay. As I predicted, he'll be going to Seattle. By trading Mike Lowell to the Texas Rangers, 3B is opened for free agent Adrian Beltre. I think the best course of action for the Red Sox is to resign Bay, move Youkilis to 3B and sign Nick Johnson to platoon at 1B with Victor Martinez when he gets a breather from behind the plate. By Varitek taking his option, it muddled things up a bit since as Captain he'll get his fair share behind the plate. But Martinez is the catcher of the future for Boston. Depending on how Ortiz plays this year, maybe Varitek can DH more letting Martinez to get his playing time behind the plate.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
I have one thing to say to Arte Moreno, owner of the Angels. Que haces con su equipo hermano (What are you doing with your team brother). So you let Lackey, Figgins and Guerrero walk. You fail to trade for Halliday thereby falling to second best in the A.L. West. Where's the aggressiveness that allowed you to sign free agents in years past like Torii Hunter. I expected more from the Angels, but things are not all negative for the Angelinos. They resigned Bobby Abreu who was pivotal in their run into the ALCS. Also, rumor has it that the Angels will sign Hideki Matsui for 1 year 6.5 million dollars to replace Vlad at DH. At this stage of the game, I believe Matsui is a better hitter than Guerrero since he is a more disciplined batter. Vlad can still scare opposing pitchers but his skills are diminishing and so have the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim...