Arizona Here We Come by Marty Lurie
It sure feels good to be in Arizona, I’m here for the A’s Fantasy Camp. I get to put on the uniform and play ball all week, then at night I facilitate the baseball discussions between the campers (ages 30-60) and the former players.
Shooty Babitt is here and he is the camp coordinator. Greg Cadaret came in yesterday, Tony Phillips too.
Tomorrow Terry Steinbach, Dave Henderson, Billy North, Dave Stewart among others.
Drove past the A’s spring training facility last night and you could just feel how close spring training is to getting started. Then went up tp Scottsdale, had sushi, and breezed past the Giants park, you could sense the difference between the A’s and Giants immediately.
Say what you want, but there is a definite rivalry between the two.
Most of the talk yesterday was about Mark Mulder and how his problems could be in his head and how this has happened to pitchers throughout the history of the game and it’s not that uncommon for careers to take a major downturn.
We’ll see, I still think the A’s moved him too early.
Someone said to me in the restaurant last night that he thought Barry Zito would be traded to Arizona, No way, Zito is the ace of the staff, and as I write this it is a frightening thought just going off last year’s performance. The ace has to give you seven innings with a low pitch count, something he had trouble doing last season.
Cick below for more!So what’s going to happen with Carlos Delgado. The Mets want him and he wants the money.
Florida will drop out because New York is on a roll and will offer him 4 years at 12 million when it is all said and done.
Baltimore can use pitching, didn’t get any and seems content to give Rafael Palmiero the shot at first base.Palmeiro is close to 3000 hits and many other statistical milestones which will get him into the Hall of Fame, but somehow I just don’t feel that he is a Hall of Famer, however, the numbers are tough to deny.
Texas needs a DH and Delgado would fit perfectly. For some reason, probably because they have Mark Teixeira at first they are not going all out to sign Delgado.
Since I wrote my first draft it seems that the Rangers have taken the initiative with Delgado, four guaranteed years, and will move Teixeira to left field to acommodate Delgado.
Speaking of Texas you tell me what they are thinking by not signing one new free agent pitcher?
Delgado to the Mets, I still think it will be a done deal regardless what Texas is throwing at Delgado.
Have a good weekend, I feel like spring training has already started and I must tell you it feels pretty nice being in Arizona.
0 comments
Marty; Isn’t it fun being a baseball maven? The only team you failed to mention in the Delgado sweepstakes was the Marlins. I will keep this in mind when I am tempted, as I am sure to be, to fearlessly predict what the future holds for teams and players. Ed
Marty; One correction. On rereading your column I note you did mention Florida– to the effect that they had dropped out of the picture. Ed
Now where do Sosa and Ordonez end up? Arizona has been terrific, good food, lots of baseball, and mostly sunshine.
Marty
Marty; Sosa stays with the Cubs. He’s damaged goods with an exorbitant price tag. Ordonez had five great years with the White Sox; hit .312, averaged 32 home runs, batted in over 100 runs a season. The problem is a left knee injury, serious enough to make teams such as the Mets question the wisdom of pursuing him. The Mets are having him examined by their own doctors, apparently unwilling to accept the word of Boras that he is healthy. He won’t come cheap, in any event. The Mets have spent multi-bucks already this off season and may be unwilling to throw more money into the effort unless they can persuade some team to take Cameron and his salary off their hands. Ed
The Mets are desperate to move Cliff Floyd too.
Pitched about 15 innings in the camp and I make Stu Miller look like a fastball pitcher.
Weather was great today, be home Sunday!
Big debate last night: is the 88-90 A’s team considered a “great ” team in baseball history, they lost two of three world series, I still say they rank in the top 15 of the 20th century,
What do you think?
Marty
Marty,
WGN Radio is saying that Sosa is gone to the O’s and the Cubs will try to then get Huff…
I have to say that the 88-90 A’s were in the top 15 of the 20th century, but after reading “Champions” by Glenn Dickey and in conjunction with this past world series, I wonder how LaRussa prepares his teams. Any thoughts?
My feeling is that teams managed by Tony LaRussa have disappeard in the series three of four times and it is probably because of his rigid style. When the going gets tough the team has to relax and play better ball, his style does not allow for relaxation, see the Red Sox for example this season against the Yanks in the ALCS.
Marty
Marty; How does one go about rating “great” teams? How much significance attaches to the World Series? If one simply looks at a season’s performance without considering the Series, a team such as the 88-90 A’s is clearly a great team. A “great” team may go on and win the Series thus solidifying their reputation. If they lose the Series this doesn’t necessarily mean that they weren’t a “great” team. Too many things can happen over a seven game stretch which can propel a good but not “great” team into the winner’s circle. Arizona, when they won, were not a “great” team. They brought Johnson in to close out the seventh game. They could do that given the circumstances. They weren’t bringing Johnson in to close out games during the 162 game season. Beltran, last year, and Pepper Martin in 1934, dominated the series. Neither was a dominating player during the regular season. These are aberrant performances, as the Mets may find out to their dismay this year. They don’t define the club. A club’s reputation should be based on what they do throughout the regular season. Under this test, the A’s qualify.
Sosa like A Rod last winter had to go. Dusty Baker and everyone connected to the Cubs made it clear (no pun intended) that Sosa was too much of a disruptive force on the team to justify his continuing to be there in light of his reduced production. In the American League Sosa might hit 45 homers especially in Camden Yards. I like the deal for the Orioles.
Now Magglio to the Cubs and the Mets keep Cliff Floyd and Cameron unless someone like Texas gets interested in Floyd as their DH.
Eric Byrnes, I still think he goes if the right reliever comes along, 2.5 million on the bench doesn’t fit the A’s style. Personally I’m not sold on Swisher, Thomas, and Kielty as the remaining three outfielders if Byrnes does go.
Marty
Marty,
I think Beane should have made a move on this guy; think about who the Cubs are getting here; Harriston who made 3 million last year and is essentially an extra piece in Baltimore, and two minor leaguers who are blocked by Roberts and any middle reliever in their pen.
All of that, for Sosa AND ten million; you can’t beat that price; even Magglio will cost more then Sosa this year. The risk-reward value is very high. And he would have fit very well between Durazo and Chavez. Not to mention he would be here for 1 year and could receive 2 draft picks.
As for Thomas and Kielty, I am very high on both. The fact that Kielty had that rib injury and then changing his swing to compensate has to factor in to any decision on him. His Sept/Oct splits indicate that he was becoming the player Beane envisioned him to be. Thomas is a very good defensive player and does pretty much the same thing Byrnes does with less HR power.
Genaro M.
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