Off the Mark

I couldn't agree more. Check out my latest post on the issue for even more reasons to vote McGwire in.

http://cardinalblog.mlblogs.com

Technically, he probably should be let into the Hall of Fame on pure numbers alone. Then again, so should Pete Rose as far as I'm concerned. McGuire did nothing that was against the "laws of baseball," but what I remember, what many remember is how Mark disgraced himself and the game by weasling his way around hard questions he could not answer because he had much to hide, and did so behind excuses. If he did in fact not "break any baseball laws," why did he simply not say that at the hearing and be honest? You see, that's the problem. Instead of helping baseball with honest answers, he wiggles his way around it, and is not acting as any ambassador of the Game should. Does that have anything to do with his career numbers. No. But then again, what did Pete Rose's gambling have to do with his Hall of Fame numbers? Let's keep it consistent.

http://baseballspikes.mlblogs.com

With all due respect, baloney. Rule #5 states integrity and character. It's about time that rule gets taken more seriously, and it's about time we stop excusing things in life that are just plain wrong.

I wouldn't put Rose in either.

Just plain wrong?..as if there is no one in the HOF who's character have gone against this almighty Rule #5

apparently the yanks have won the right to kei igawa. although a lot of news articles are saying we only have until midnight tonight to sign him does anybody know anything about this

Love your attitude on life. Instead of correcting your mistakes, just keep making them because that's the way you've always done it. What else do you excuse in life? What we need more of are people who say that is wrong and want to correct it rather than people who make excuses for everyone's missteps.

It reminds me of a lot of parents who keep excusing little Johnny or Joanie's behavior until their precious son or daughter is in jail, arrested for an underage DUI, or as I've seen and read about far too often, have killed themselves or a friend because of their unthinking behavior. How about calling what is wrong wrong for a change instead of making excuses for it? Is that too much too ask?

Yankees win rights to Igawa:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15940596/from/RS.1/

Looks like the Yanks won the Igawa bid.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2678036

I can see both sides of the argument. Character certainly should be a big part of the consideration of the voters. But, it's going to be awful tough to distinguish who's to get in from that era. I think the point that McGwire was hitting against pitchers who were also probably juicing is a solid point. Also probably a majority of the sluggers of that era were probably on some type of performance enhancing substance.

I think it would be awful difficult to leave out all the sluggers from the era with the numbers that they put up. But, anything short of that I think you need to include mcgwire. I don't think he'll get in first ballot, but when a weak class comes along I wouldn't be surprised if he got in.

-Ben

But exactly where is the proof that he took them, there are assumptions and such..but no test was given. How do you weed out the players who may or may not have taken steroids

It is easier to keep someone out now, then to put them in now and regret it later when you'd like to revoke their induction.

I would not put McGwire in the Hall of Fame because he did not get along with ARod.

Shawn,

There probably is no actual "proof" that mcgwire took performance enhancers, but I would say his pathetic performance at the grand jury testimonies in 2005 was all the voters really need to think about when deciding not to vote him in.

-Ben

That's all I'm gonna say about the McGwire issue, but I'd like to hear people's take on winning the igawa big..thoughts?
-Ben

*bid

I said about a month ago I thought Igawa could be a sleeper in this whole posting charade.

If the Yankees did win the posting bid with a $25 million bid, which seems absurdly high, it is still relatively low risk, costing no players, and most importantly no draft choices.

True, Paul. I have mixed feelings...I guess it kinda gives us more depth. But, I was really liking the direction Cashman was going with things. Stockpiling good young arms. Maybe planning on Karstens as a fifth starter and laying off this overpriced mediocre F.A. class.
-Ben

I'm wondering if because the numerical value was low, despite too high for the player, if this is the only starter the yankees will purchase from free agency. There will probably be two starters from the minors by next season, so that makes 2, plus wang, mussina in his last year, pavano if healthy, and igawa. Seven starters already. Do they go after lilly or pettite? I do. Then I trade pavano for something.

Correction: Rose's gambling did not effect his career numbers, mcgwire's roid use DID. Hence why he used them. I do not agree with Mcgwire getting into the hall of fame. Even if you want to come to a happy compromise, you can allow players in on unethical personality but there is no reason you should allow someone in who is all but guaranteed to have cheated.

The law of this country is innocent until proven guilty. But guilty is without a shadow of a doubt, not without any doubt. Mcgwire to me fits the american legal definition of guilty, which means he is not innocent, therefore should not be in the hall of fame. Mike is right, just because we screwed up in the past does that mean we should allow more for the future? Was there a Revolutionary War for a reason? American ideals are based on correcting historical mistakes, not celebrating them.

$25 million dollar bid?!

Is this Igawa guy any good? From numbers alone, he seems decent and he did do fairly well against the US in the WBC so I won't complain if they try to sign him. RJ is going to break down sooner or later so get another lefty. Who knows, he could turn out better than Matsuzaka.

2230 on my SAT, up from 2120, no studying between May and November. I am so proud of myself. Now I have no excuses for waiting on my college apps...

I think they should sign him to a deal for about 3 years and $15 million.

Oh and it's midnight December 28th not the 28th tonight.

My bad, I don't think he pitched in the WBC. I can't remember where I read that.

2230 on your SAT's Andrew? That's pretty cool dude you shouldn't have much of a problem getting into whatever college you want to go to.

Congratulations on the SAT, Andrew, I think.

The high score for the SAT used to be 1600, 800 each on verbal and math. Getting 2230 means to me you have leased storage space somewhere to keep captive all of the test administrators since your basement is full of the NY Giants and other sundry infidels.

lol, unfortunately colleges look at everything from GPA to essays to standardized tests to personal character. So in light of that, I think keeping the basement a secret will have to do.

...It's out of 2400 now Paul...too much Kool-Aid?

HIgh score when I took them was 1600. I know what I was. Not a 1600, that's for sure.

Wow, Andrew. Thats really great, congratulations.

Best not tell them about your Fourbucks excursions either.

;-)

The SATs are really not indicative of anything, especially not intellectual capability. There are people who get perfect grades and are model students, but who absolutely fail at standardized testing. Then there are students who I would never expect to get high standardized test scores who do get them. They really need to get rid of them.

Sounds like an excuse to me, marksman!

:-D

I think all they did was combine the SAT II Writing with the regular Verbal and Math SATs, thus making it out of 2400 instead of 1600. Each test is still out of 800. I could be wrong though.

Then its a good thing that most colleges will take into account GPA, extra curricular activities and character as well then. I think they provide a better overall picture. I always had a pretty good GPA in college and school - I was good at things where I could plan and study for and had time to complete, but I never felt my test scores were indicative of the kind of student I was. I wouldn't say I'm naturally intelligent and could get by on that, I worked very hard at my studies, it didnt come naturally for some subjects (math!!!). So that's a very true statement, Andrew.

Uh-oh, they take into account personal chracter, Andrew? How do you stack up next to McGwire? Ever peeked over at the smart girl's paper? Written a test answer on your hand? Whispered to a buddy?

Wait, don't admit it! Then there's proof.

About Igawa, although I think the amount of the bid was very high, bringing to the Yanks this lefty is a good move. Now, I'm sure we can forget about Lilly, Meche and Zito. We've got Wang, Mussina, Igawa, Pavano, and RJ (maybe that would be the order of the rotation) and Karstens and Rasner to substitute any injured starter (Pavano????). So, this move brings back Scottie to the pen (good news)

:-X

I doubt the Yankees are done. I expect a trade of some sort.

Johnson is not likely to be available until mid-May if then, and Pavano still has 1960 body parts he has not yet injured. To count on either is dangerous and both is folly.

I had a terrible gpa (however, each year it continuously rose, from a 2.3 to 2.7 to 3.1 to 3.4), terrific extra curriculers (editor of newspaper, anchor for tv station, peer leadership, 8 journalism classes, a writing award or two and three years of radio complete with radio license) and a decent SAT of 1230. Colleges just want to know you took something and ran asserted yourself. Plus, if you are a decent writer when you have to be, the essay can go a long way, especially if you were in my gpa situation.

andrew, what is a 2230 = to? It sounds like it is in the 14 or 1500 range of the old sats. I remember I took the final old SAT, and got the 1230. My PSAT was 1120 without writing and 1140 with writing (it was experimental), I think I would have preferred a writing section, though stamina was a big issue for me on the practice tests.

In 2003 Igawa went 23-5 with an era in the mid 2's, last year he was 14-9 with a 2.97 era. I would think he could win 12 or 13 games with a low to mid 4 era and would make a solid 4 starter.

Whatever offense was behind him in japan is not going to stack up to what the Yankees can do for his win/loss record so that does not concern me, the 2.97 era is encouraging

The problem is, Paul, next year when at least Hughes will definitely be in the rotation, besides johnson who do you remove? If you sign say lilly and igawa for arguments sake, that is two. Mussina is a definite next year, so that is three. Wang makes four. I would think either pavano is healthy or traded for a starter, that is five. Hughes makes six. I would think between karstens, rasner and sanchez/clippard/chamberlain etc, that is at least one more starter. Who do you get rid of?

BTW ran asserted yourself is kind of like ran with it and asserted yourself, I'm really tired haha. And those were my gpa's each year, it didn't rise to those numbers, that would mean I had like a 4.0 for the last three years of hs which was far from the truth.

My GPA has stayed consistent at 3.5-3.6.

2230 broken down is 770 math, 770 writing, and 690 reading, so that's a 1460 on the old scale.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLSnX2bB_7I

That is Igawa. I don't know about any of you but he reminds me a lot of Jamie Moyer

ah very smart cookie andrew. Have you narrowed down your choices for schools at all?

Yes, in fact, I just submitted my 3rd app.

I've finished:

-Virginia Tech

-Purdue

-Case Western

Almost finished:

-UMD (Maryland, not that other school in Minnesota)

Sort of finished:

-Vanderbilt

-UMich

Nowhere near finished:

-Northwestern

-UPenn

Agree, Vince. I think thre will be no more moves for the starting rotation. Unless Paul can convince the Twins to trade Johan Santana for Carl Pavano.

http://www.japaneseballplayers.com/en/player.php?id=igawa

Igawa's career. That site has differing numbers, nothing too dramatic, I still think low to mid 4 era and solid four starter. His era was a quarter of a run higher than matsuzaka and he had 184 k to matsuzaka's 198....why do some people think this guy cannot even be a starter in the majors?

Oh and I'm not that smart. My school is full of geniuses so everyone pretty much looks the same and it's hard to stand out.

Andrew, my vote is Michigan. haha clearly I have whatever future you intend on having in mind for me to make that decision without even asking what you want to do with your life.

V tech has an awesome campus. I toured it with my best friend when we were looking, not a bad location either, nice climate, I don't know where that stacks on your list but it has my approval. Michigan obv has a cold climate, but you will never see more spirit or football. Not sure about the women, but I can guarantee V tech has hotter ones.

U Penn is nice too, I am not a big fan of Maryland. U penn has nice ice cream and also decent football and spirit

Andrew that was much like my first hs, (the one with the terrible gpa, i switched high schools midway through). Clearly I wasn't meant to keep up with a school of geniuses. I was never a fan of homework.

V Tech is in the middle of nowhere.

That is correct. The actual campus is very nice though haha. V tech is in a great state for college, but in a bad part of it. I prefer University of Richmond of all the virginian schools.

Thanks for the video. It looks like umpires in Japan aren't any better than umpires in America.

hahaaahha I was thinking the same thing

So the Yankees won the Igawa bid by offering half the money the S*x offered for Matsusaka. I'm okay with that. Especially if their stats are similar. And Igawa is only 1 year older, so no big deal.

Depth never hurt. Compare the last two years. 2005, the Yankees were scrounging for pitchers and just happened to have two pick ups pan out for them. 2006, they really didn't have to look for a jewel off the scrap heap since they had more depth.

So the Yankees made their first largeish free-agent market move, and I think it was a good one. 25 mill on the posting fee seems a bit excessive, but it looks quaint compared to Boston on Matsuzaka. I just hope this wasn't a reactionary move to what the Red Sox did. But I like it. I prefer unknown players with potentially high upsides to known blah players, which comprise most of the US-based FA market this year. Hopefully they can sign him to a smallish contract as well.

A rumor I have heard floated out there is Manny to the Phillies, but I have no credible sources backing it up.

So shocked Andrew is considering U of M-Duluth, lol. A place I'm definitely not going as well. At least I still have another year to go through all the **** I get from colleges and to visit them. It's a bit overwhelming, and I should get my PSAT results sometime in December. That'll help give me an idea of where I'm at, which will certainly be helpful.

It is 2F here right now. Plus subtract a another 20 degrees for the 30mph wind blowing furiously. Have I said before that I HATE freezing rain? Give me snow any day.

What does the P in PSAT stand for? Phony? lol

haha angel - P=Practice, they give them to 9th and 10th graders to start getting them adjusted to the SAT format.

I love all of the college admissions talk, since that is what I do for a living!! Andrew- I said it before, you will be fine - you have great test scores, a good GPA and a wonderful personality!

The SATs are losing merit because the college board can't seem to control them. Mistake in reporting after mistake in reporting and a lot of college, high schools, students and parents are getting frustrated. Many schools, such as mine, offer SAT-Optional admissions... its great for the students!

Enoguh about that - I like the Igawa bid. It's a lot of money, but I think he is really happy to be going to the yanks - possibly - and I love that he is already prepared to duel it out with Matsuzaka.

Is Igawa's first name pronounced "Key"?

McGwire should be in HOF. To make my case I look at three points. 1. He has the numbers to place him there. 2. Do I think he was gassed up, yes. Can anyone prove it, no. 3. As sure as I am McGwire used, I'm sure dozens of other position players AND pitchers used (keeping the playing field level) that were never mentioned by Jose Canseco or asked to appear before Congress.

That argument lacks logic.

1. His numbers to place him there were created from years of cheating.

2. There was proof he took steroids from the interview done when they spotted it in his locker. The deal with it then was those particular roids, which are now illegal, were not illegal at the time, therefore he was not "technically" doing anything wrong, but he was most definitely "gassed up" and there is proof to back that.

3. Just because many other players were "using" at the time, does not make it a level playing field. There were also many players who were not, therefore were at a disadvantage, therefore Mac was still cheating. The fact macgwire held a coveted record and does have HOF credentials is the reason he was asked to appear before congress, where he could not even deny using in the first place. That to me, makes the users with less numbers less important, since their achievements cannot tarnish the game itself. He does not belong in the HOF

Sure there is no way to tell which players used steriods and which didn't during this steriod era, but the cloud of suspicion covering McGwire is to big to ignore. What he said to congress basically shows he did steriods. By not saying "no I didn't use them," he basically admitted guilt. McGwire shouldn't go in to the hall, at least not yet. He'll still be on the ballot for years, so why not let the dust settle and see what happens. I just think if a player like Dale Murhphy is not in the hall, then McGwire shouldn't be either. Imagine if Murphy used roids. Players that cheat shouldn't be allowed in.

I lucked into watching the MILB awards over the Internet today.

Yankees prospects who won awards:

Short season (I think the award was best playoff performance)..21 year old RHP George Kontos of Staten Island. He was 7-3, 2.64 this year. 82 K in 78 1/3 IP

A ball relief pitcher of the year...Anthony Claggett, 22, RHP, 7-2, 0.91, 14 saves---one of the 3 pitchers Yanks got in the Sheffield deal.

A advanced offensive player of the Year---1b Cody Ehlers. Lefty bat. 25, so age worries me. .298-18-106 at Tampa. 38 doubles.

AA single game performance---Ty Clippard's no-hitter.

AA Starter of the Year--Phillip Hughes.

Seems good years are coming soon, Mike

Are you still over here, my dear Stat-O Matic? I've got a trivia for you

I'm on and off Jorge as I do things related to job search.

But shoot.

It was funny. I was talking to a good Yankee-fan friend last night after we found out about the Igawa bid. Both of us were trying to remember the name of a Japanese pitcher the Yanks once had who never got above AA ball. The guy was like a punk star with dyed orange-ish hair.

Then it came to me.

Kaz Maeda.

Mike, I think quite possibly the keys to the Sheffield trade were the lower level players.

Indeed Sanchez has talent, but he is a high risk for injury. But the other two look like solid potential additions to the relief corps in a couple of years.

I have noticed the blog needs cleaning.

OK. having over here both of you, Mike and Paul, here is the trivia:
Who is the pitcher with most wins in a single season withouth throwing any shutouts? Name the pitcher, the year and his number of wins. (If you can). A tip. He was with our beloved New York Yankees

Hmm...I'm gonna have to look that up.

Mel had 15 one year with no shutouts, but I'm thinking it's more than 15 wins....

It's a though one, isn't it?

Yeah, Mike. It's more

You can write this one in your column, Mike. BTW, I haven't told you that I read your last one. It was excellent

ah....I'm starting to believe it was Randy's 17 in 2005 and 2006. Could it be RJ, Jorge?

Thanks for the compliment, Jorge.

Nope. You have to go back many years

Now that I think of it, did Pettitte have any shutouts the years he won 20?

Many? Hmm...Pettitte had 21 wins in 1996 and 2003...and no shutouts in either of those two years, so if it is not him, then it's over 21 wins.

Andy Pettitte won 21 games in 1996 and in 2003. No shutouts both years. But guess what. That's not the correct answer

Wow. More than 21 wins. Wow.

Yeah. It was more than 21 without a shutout

Chesbro had 6 in 1904 when he won 41.

Wow. Everyone I'm thinking of that had more than 21 wins in a year had at least one shutout.

You tell me when you want to know the answer. I've just checked it again. And, yes, it was more than 21

wow. I've gone back to Russ Ford, Bob Shawkey, Carl Mays, Waite Hoyt, Herb Pennock...and it's none of them. I even thought of Ralph Terry in 1962--nope.

Go ahead. I've just about exhausted all I can remember with over 21 wins.

Joe Bush 1922 26 wins

It's not Hunter, 1975.

RIGHT Andy. You're the winner

Wow, I would never have known that answer, Jorge. That was way before my time.

Did you go to any of those games of his, Jorge?

Leslie Ambrose (Joe) Bush. Born Nov 27, 1892. Debut Sept 30, 1912. Final game Sept 30 (can you believe it?), 1928. Died Nov 1, 1974. Right handed pitcher. In 1922, he went 26-7. 3.31 ERA. No shutouts. 255.3 innings pitched. He was with the Yankees from 1922 to 1924

Wow. That is a great one, Jorge. I was thinking of Hoyt, Mays, Shawkey, and never thought of Bush.

Checking out his stats, he was with the Yanks 3 years. 1922-1924.

26-7, 3.31 with no shutouts in 1922. Great stat.

19-15 in 1923, 3.43

and 17-16, 3.57 in 1924. 3 shutouts in 1923 and 1924.

196-183 in career. 3.51.

RHP. Lost Game 1 1922 WS. Had a 2-0 shutout (ironically) in the 8th and gave up 3 runs.

lost Game 5 1922

Lost Game 1 1923

ND, 1 inning of relief game 3 1923

Won Game 5 1923

He also pitched for the A's 1912-1917 (1913 and 1914 WS), Boston 1918-1921 (Red Sox 1918 WS), and also Browns, Washington, Pirates, Giants and ended back with A's.

Great question.

Bullet Joe Bush, one of the first forkball pitchers in baseball. He was traded to the Yankees before the 1922 season by the Red Sox (of course). It was really "The Curse of the Bullet" that kept the Red Sox from winning all those years.

Yeah, Paul. Don't you remember you gave me the tickets because your rheumatism didn't allow you to go those games?

Great job, Andy

It could be a question for your column, Mike

I'll use it for next month's column, Jorge (Christmastime), and I'll be sure to reference you.

Things to do...catch you all later this evening.

My knowledge of older Yankee trivia is sorely lacking.

I've got to share a story. I grew up when collecting baseball cards was for fun, not for profit. I spent endless hours dividing my cards into teams (one team heavily stacked with Yankees)and inventing ways to play out games between the teams (making sure the Yankee team won).

Of course I have shared my love of baseball with my son (9 yrs old now), but not that particular pasttime. Well, a couple of nights ago I got home and he had just gotten the entire 2006 Topps set and had sorted them and laid them out so we could draft teams. We spent a magical 3 hours discussing the merits of players, looking for hidden talent, and devising strategies for building teams. The off-season doesn't seem so long now....

That is a delightful story, Andy.

He is at a great age and probably had a great time spending it with you discussing baseball.

Before you know it he will be a teenager, skipping school for a Starbucks fix, locking enemies in his trunk, and kidnapping entire sports teams. Oh, where did we go wrong?

Does Igawa look like he could be a surfer to anyone else?

You will enjoy it, Andy. I spend much of my time talking with my son (19) and my daughter (16) about baseball and soccer, wich are the sports we really feel passion for. When we went to Tampa last July and had the opportunity to be in three Yankees games, you should have seen their faces. Priceless.
It's great to share those times with our sons, talking about sports.

Did anyone notice this tidbit tucked in the middle of the Post's Igawa story?

"(Yankees) could put together a package headed by Melky Cabrera and Humberto Sanchez to lure the Marlins into moving Dontrelle Willis out of Miami."

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11292006/sports/yankees/yan_kei_yankees_george_king.htm?page=0

Pleeeeaaasssee say it ain't so! I don't want to let Melky go and I definitely don't want another Marlins pitcher! Repeat after me, NO MORE MARLINS PITCHERS!

I noticed it, and disregard it as one writer's wish...

Now if rumors were hot and heavy on it (wish they aren't right now), then I would consider it in more detail and weigh all of the pluses and minuses.

As for now, I'm not even thinking about it.

**which** they aren't right now.

I think on opening day we'll see Melky in pinstripes, and Dontrelle in a fish suit.

Oh Paul, I remember my days kidnapping sports teams to pay for my starbuck fixes...The good old days.

"According to a scout familiar with Igawa, don't expect Igawa to knock anybody's eyes out". Seems like everything I read on Igawa isn't very good, a 4th starter at best. Scratching my head at why Yanks would spend $25 million to "have rights" to him. Almost hate to say this, isn't Lilly just as good? I don't think this was a wise move. I still think Zito is better than Lilly or Schmidt or Igawa and could have used that money to sign him. Oh, just my thoughts.....

Nobody denies Zito is better, he is just a ripoff.

Anybody else think based on the video, that igawa pitches and has the stuff like/of jamie moyer? I think he pitches exactly like him.

Looking at his numbers I see no reason why he can't be a solid 4 starter, which is what we would get from lilly.

I think even Lilly would be cheaper than $25 million, then whatever to sign. I know the $25 mill doesn't go against the cap....ok, done ranting....have to wait and see, Igawa may turn out to be good....

Where'd you get video of Igawa pitching, Vince? Russ, the Yankees figure that while offering about the same as Lilly and all them, Igawa will come much cheaper as far as payroll goes.

Vince, I agree, his motion is similar to Moyer's but I think his fastball will probably break a pane of glass. Moyer's barely rattles one.

Ok nevermind I looked him up on You Tube.

Yeah, I couldn't gauge his fastball because the speed is not in MPH....it looked low to mid 90's, his changeup is nasty though in that video....it looks "heavy"

If he has anything close to Moyer's control on that off-speed stuff, plus a fastball, he'll be good.

Fastball: 142kmh = 88mph
Changeup: 122kmh = 76mph

Curveball: 113kmh = 70mph

Keep in mind this video is from 2001, he could have bulked up since then.

The talk is that Igawa would be a 4 or 5 starter, and make 4.5 mil for 4 years. So $26 mil + 18 mil = 44 mil. Igawa is 27.

The same talk is that Lilly (30)/Schmidt (34)would also be $44 mil for 4 years, especially after the ridiculous Wolf/Eaton deals.

We won't even talk about what Boras thinks Zito is worth.

The difference in giving $44 mil to Igawa as opposed to Lilly/Schmidt is a) the posting fee doesn't count against the revenue sharing and b) no draft picks are lost.

The savings against the cap, the age difference, the fact Igawa is a lefty (and the Yanks are woefully short there as far as replacing RJ in the rotation with another lefty---Sean Henn is NOT the answer)and the fact that the Yanks would not lose any draft picks apparently made Cashman think there was more value in getting Igawa than in going for Lilly/Schmidt (or Zito and Meche) and the losses of money and draft picks that those signings would necessitate.

I can't tell for sure, but it may be more of an anti-Lilly, anti-Schmidt, anti-Zito move than pro-Igawa.

Funny....in the comments of Igawa's velocity...let's remember that Zito isn't known for his FASTBALL. Zito's fastball averaged about 86 last year.

As for lefties, I'd love to see another Jimmy Key-type pitcher. Smart, crafty...I had a lot of respect for Jimmy. He helped give the Yanks respectability after those lean years 1989-1992.

Ok yeah so Igawa has a low 90's fastball, but he is clearly an off speed "crafty" lefty type anyway.

One adavantage Igawa and Matsuzaka too for that matter may have in their first year is that most of the hitters will be unfarmiliar with them.
-Ben

Looks like I better call the exterminators again. Our insect problem is back.

Ohio State 48, North Carolina 44...halftime.....

There once was a writer named Feinsand
Whose blog was a haven for Yanks fans

Whenever a roach

Would try to encroach

Mark simply would pull out his Raid can

There once was a man from Nantucket
Who---wait, I cannot do that one.

Nice limerick, Andy. Very clever.

The Rod Barajas tale is geting more and more weird.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6220538

I would avoid him on those issues alone.

The Yankee site has an involuntary popup video urging you to vote in the This Week in Baseball poll but I cannot find a link for it.

Hey, I forgot...It's still November 29....

Happy 37th to Mariano Rivera!

Glad I got it in before the day was officially over.

Well, I had a rough day. My family had to have our cat euthanized for a brain tumor. not fun. But life goes on. I've suffered greater losses than a cat in my life, and I'm sure I'll see more. Life sure is a crazy thing.

Anyway, happy birthday to Mo, though I'm not all that thrilled to see his age moving into the upper 30s...not long till life w/o Mo now, scary as that may seem. Though, in comparison, that seems pretty trivial right now.

Catch up with you all later.

Don't feel bad about grieving, even if it's "only" a cat. Losing a pet can be like losing a family member, and the euthanasia part can be heart-wrenching. I'm sorry, Karl.

Here you go Paul:

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/awards/y2006/tyib/index.jsp

Be sure to check the blooper section and watch the Presidential Race video.

Get the RAID.

Anyway, here is today's Daily News column...a few interesting things:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/story/475754p-400238c.html

i heard this morning that the yankees are talking with the marlins about trading melky cabrera and a minor league pitcher for dontrelle willis. has anyone else heard about this? if so, tell me the yankees won't let melky go!

I have read about it, but as to how much credence we should put in it, that I can't tell you.

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article_perspectives.jsp?ymd=20061129&content_id=1747800&vkey=perspectives&fext=.jsp

That sums up the japanese situation the best of any article I have read so far

Thanks Vince. An excellent article, written by someone (Fred Claire) who would know all about the wheelings and dealings.

Good article, Vince. He stopped short of mentioning that the Red Sox are bad for baseball, but most know that already.

I read that in negotiations with Siebu Larry Lucchino stayed in a hotel in Tokyo under the assumed name of Bronson Arroyo, stole the bathrobe, bedspread, and drapes, and sold them on the street.

No confirmation on that story yet.

That luxury tax is a beast. 40% is ridiculous? It makes sense to bid on Igawa, with that much of a tax placed on any free agent we sign. I think in 2008 our payrolls gonna look much better than this year.

Thanks, Andy, for that link to the MLB awards. I searched unsuccessfully for it.

Strange, it encouraged me to vote 50 times for one of the awards but the vote now would not pop up for two of them.

Think how much better the payroll would be if the Yanks could shed somehow 4 players who will never contribute to winning a championship.

$27 million

$21.5 million

$14.5 million (1.5 mil deferred)

$10 million

____________

$73 million

I've just read an article here in Mexican Press which indicates the exact amount of the bid on Igawa. It was 26'000,194.00 US Dollars. Why those 3 last numbers? Well, Igawa had 194 K's last season. Brian Cashman said "we wanted to send a signal of respect"
You know what? That is CLASS

...and speaking of class, you rembember Jeter's statement last week?

Contrast that with recent statements made by the NL MVP runnerup.

**remember**

Agree, Mike. The whole organization (officers, manager, coaching staff, players, etc.) are filled with class.
That includes us (Yankee fans) too. You can't say the same of sooooo many teams...

Birthday anniversaries:
Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) (1835)

Winston Churchill (1874)

Death anniversaries:

Oscar Wilde (1900)

Cary Grant (1986)

I'm not sure who shares my birthday (Aug.16), but both Babe Ruth and Elvis Presley died on my birthday....

What do you think about Eric Gagnè? He says he feels his arm as strong as it was (what else can he say?). Maybe he could be a good adition. But I'm not so sure. Any comments?

Andy,

August 16

Hank Robinson 1889

Tiny Bonham 1913

Gene Woodling 1922

Al Holland 1952

Xavier Hernandez 1965

Michael Coleman 1975

Today's Yankee birthdays:

Jimmie DeShong

Steve Hamilton

Barry Evans

Steve Shields

Bob Tewksbury

Weird, Ed Quick is listed as a December 0 birthday in 1881. He was so quick he was born before the date changed to December 1?

For the record, Ed Quick played in one game for the Yankees in 1903 at age 21.

He pitched 2 innings and gave up 5 runs, 2 earned. He faced 13 batters, gave up 5 hits and 1 walk.

Transactions

September, 1903: Drafted by the New York Highlanders from the Salt Lake City (PCL) in the 1903 rule V draft.

January 5, 1904: Traded by the New York Highlanders with Jack Zalusky to the Toledo (American Association) for Red Kleinow.

Somehow, I bet Mike already knew all that.

Jorge, regarding Gagne...

He was a talented pitcher who has lost 2-3 years because of injuries.

Can he come back? Not sure. There is a real risk and I read somewhere that he is looking for starting pitcher money. Not sure how accurate that might be.

The Dotel experiment failed last year so I might be a tad gun shy. I certainly would not want to risk a draft choice on him so I wonder if the Dodgers will offer him arbitration. I am not sure if he is an A or B ranked player.

I do not really know if he can come back and be effective.

Lastly, for now, in responding to above posts, is that Jeter's response to the MVP award, which was clearly his, was gracious and kind.

It really draws a bright line of distinction between Jeter's level of class and that of Albert Pujols. Albert also badmouthed his opponents in the NL playoffs. Great player; big mouth. At one point I was hoping to see him as a Yankee. I am way over that now. Hope he stays in St Louis forever.

Agree, Paul. I also have my doubts about Gagnè. Talking about Octavio Dotel, I read he was going to play in the Dominican Winter League, so he can recover the power in his arm. He said he'd like to return to the Yankees, because Yanks believed in him, but he was awful. So, he's planning to be ready by Spring Training and is hoping to recieve another opportunity, which I believe is going to be hard to happen

Did you notice the exact amount of the bid for Igawa, Paul? And the reason why?

I did Jorge. I saw the reason...a tip of the cap to the 194 Ks he had this year.

The official Matsuzaka bid was $51,111,111.11 for whatever reason.

As for Gagne/Dotel, if someone is going to sign one or the other (definitely not both) I would guess a minor league contract, laden w/incentives. If they don't like that, tough. They are coming off of injuries and although I don't live in Missouri, I'd still say "Show Me"...LOL

for those that want to see what happens when kyle farnsworth gets angry check out the 3rd clip

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7515452494041943049&q=baseball+fights&hl=en

I see we still need the Raid.

Yes, Jorge, I read of that yesterday. Cashman said that Jean Afterman suggested that amount.

The Dotel experiment failed but I read from several sources how he had a great attitude and seemed to be a great teammate.

We will see what winterball shows us. He should dominate since much of winterball is younger players.

For the record, there is no accent over the E in Gagne. The emphasis in on the A, and you don't need an accent there either. That being said, I don't want him on the team. Way too big of an injury risk.

He definitely burned me last year in fantasy baseball. He was on his way back, so I traded Roy Halladay and Ramon Hernandez for Haren and Gagne. Boy did that ****. I guess I'm biased...but I still think Gagne is too much of a risk.

I think I read that Gagne is asking for $10 million a year. No idea where I read it.

It could be one of the bulk posters on Pete's or Jim's blogs. They post anything over and over just to clog up the discussion. Or maybe I dreamed it. But the money is crazy.

Swo, I think it is Êrîç Gägñë.

Swo, didn't Colgate play Vince's Quinnipiac in something last night? Men's Basketball? I thought I saw something scrawl across my screen regarding the two schools.

Could be. I know they beat us in hockey, but that's the only sport that really matters up here, and I personally hate the squeaky feet sport.

Paul, you are correct. I take it you work for L'Academie Francaise?

Swo, more like the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm.

Do not, I repeat, do not get pizza from Mamma Lucia's. I felt nauseous in Spanish class today and ended up chucking into a toilet shortly after. I'm positive that it was the pizza I had at lunch. Those school bathrooms and their toilets are terrible to **** in, but have you ever tried throwing up into one of them? As I discovered rather unpleasantly today, going down on a toilet is about as bad as doing the other thing.

Swo, are you sure about the accent? I thought, beeing a French last name, the final "e" got that accent. I've seen it written that way. But maybe you know for sure.
About Dotel, I read those "good attitude" articles too. Let's see how he goes during Winter.

Regarding the need of Raid®....I think Baygon® would be a much better choice.

Now there is a fake Angel on Pete's blog.

It is bulk posting and even posted its LHP argument with me on another blog.

Whatever works, Alex.

Going home, folks. Catch you later. Before I come back, I'll go to Costco to buy some galloons of Baygon

I noticed the fake Angel on the blog too, Paul. Not too hard to tell. Completely devoid of any knowledge of grammar or sentence structure, quite unlike the Angel we all know and love.

"GAHN yay" according to ESPN.com. I could be wrong about the accent, but I'm 100% positive that the emphasis is on the first syllable. I only know that because of Simon Gagne on the Philly Flyers, and I remembered that he and Eric are both Quebecois.

Yeah you guys beat us 80-71 in basketball. Unfortunately for you, much like over there, hockey is really all that matters for men's sports here, so we're proud of our hockey victory haha. Especially after last season's outcome

Thank You!!

Thanks Swo and Paul for recognizing that wasn't me. Gosh, I dont know whether to be flattered or highly irritated that its pitiful grammar/spelling made me look bad. I guess i'm going to have to use © next to my name until Peter gets registration active on his blog. Ugh.

Yes, Angel, that thing (as named by Mike) seems to have used both of our names in the bulk posting as well as it used a Mike that was not likely our Mike.

Only Rich Little can impersonate me effectively...LOL

but yes, we have good cause to be offended.

I swear there is not enough Baygon® in the word for something so irritating. It even SOUNDS like the Red Sox fan asshat that it is.

Talk about obsessive stalking tendencies.

NEW BLOG>>>>>>>>>>

Had to post the ataustin Feinsand/Raid Can comment over on my community MLBlog. That was a keeper.

Mark N./MLB.com

http://mlblogs.mlblogs.com