My goodness! And we shouldnt’ forget that the Yanks beefed up their bullpen too. Wow! What of their starting pitching though? It’s a huge question mark and they certainly can’t compete with the A’s starters. The A’s staff should be able to contain the Yanks offense. The A’s offense will have to do a better job at contributing to beat the Yanks and in order to compete for a playoff spot though.
As far as what it means for baseball economics, I don’t feel bad for the “small market” owners at all. Pony up some dough and be clever with your marketing, if you want to compete. A new stadium is not the answer. A’s need to sign Chavez before the season starts to show some good faith in their players and fans and to keep the distraction from the team.
-Mike E. [Read more →]

a-rod to the yanks -yuk

jerry f

Not a long comment by Jerry, but one shared by many Red Sox fans. I thought I’d post it anyway to get the ball rolling.
Marty [Read more →]

Bobby Crosby is the heir apparent to Miguel Tejada. Everyone and their fungo bats know that, but the question is how secure is his job? According to Billy Beane at the question and answer session at Fan Fest, Crosby has all the time he needs to adjust to the big leagues. Beane said that Crosby may suffer the occasional slump, but the shortstop will be given the time and at-bats to fight through it. Expectations are certainly high after Tejada’s constant production of 30 home runs and 100 RBI’s every year, but rookie phenoms (position players, anyway) haven’t faired too well in Oakland in recent history.

Click below for an excellent discussion of “what is a prospect” from one of our fans.
Thanks, Marty
[Read more →]

To answer the question posed in the headline, I’m not sure, but the Dodgers seem more confused now that Frank McCourt, the new owner of the Dodgers, has taken the reins of this once proud organization.

What changes are forthcoming? New GM? This one seems to be a done deal, but the way they are going about it seems very odd.

Dan Evans is out, yet he remains on the watch.

Not only are the two rumored candidates Billy Beane and Pat Gillick the most qualified out there, but it seems that these two are the most unlikely to replace Evans who is unbelivably part of the process selecting his own successor.

The A’s claim they won’t give Beane permission to interview for the job. OK, not withstanding all the specualtion that the A’s will cave in and give Beane the go ahead, it looks like Beane is here in Oakland, for the 2004 season.

Pat Gillick? He’s not a GM anywhere right now, in fact he is a consultant to the new Mariner GM Bill Bavasi (his successor in Seattle), so there is nothing holding the Dodgers from naming this veteran knowledgeable baseball man right now.

But they haven’t, what’s the delay in naming Gillick?

Click below for more! [Read more →]

It didn’t take long for Ken Macha to declare his opening day lineup for 2004 this week during various media briefings in the Bay Area.

Macha intends to lead off with Mark Kotsay, the second position is in Bobby Kielty’s hands, Eric Chavez will hit third, and then it gets interesting.

Jermaine Dye is slated to hit cleanup. By the way Macha cleared up his reasoning once again for pinch hitting for Dye, the teams highest salaried player, in the most critical at bat of the playoffs in game five against Derek Lowe and the BoSox.

Click below and we’ll put that matter to rest. [Read more →]

For Scott Boras to be successful as an agent he needs two things to happen. One he needs a market that will overpay for his players, and two he needs clients who are not afraid to wait until the last minute before securing a job for the next baseball season.

This year Boras has been frustrated because his premier clients are at the tail end of their illustrious careers and the demand for their services, whether intentionally downplayed by the owners or it’s the market correction the billionaires are talking about, has reduced the teams seeking Greg Maddux and Pudge Rodriguez to a mere few.

Rodriguez has the Tigers hot on his trail which should tell you the depth of the interest for his services.

Boras is supposed to make a counter offer to Detroit momentarily and if he isn’t careful the woeful Tigers will accept on the spot, no matter what terms Boras suggests.

Supposedly Boras will propose an out clause to Detroit similar to the one Mike Sweeney had in Kansas City. Meaning if Detroit doesn’t make it to the .500 mark within a specified period, Pudge would be released from the contract.

Fans in the AL West must watch this situation carefully because the Mariners suddenly enriched by the retirement of Kaz Sasaki have about ten million to spend and they want Pudge among others to beef up their offense.

Click below and I’ll explain. [Read more →]

This season promises to be a continuation of the exciting baseball we saw in the playoffs last fall. I thought that last year’s playoffs would be the most competitive in years because just about every team, perhaps other than the Twins, had a legitimate shot to get the world series.

This year not only does baseball have the usual suspects listed as favorites in the spring, but some other teams will be strong contenders from day one.

Improving clubs are the Phillies, Cubs, Marlins, Padres, Blue Jays, Orioles, Devil Rays, Royals, Tigers, Angels, and the Diamondbacks.

Throw these in with the Braves, Expos, Astros, Cards, Giants, Dodgers, Yanks, Red Sox, Twins, White Sox, A’s, and Mariners and you have 23 of 30 teams that can give you trouble in any series.

The also rans aren’t hopeless either see Cleveland, the Rangers, Mets, Reds, Pirates, Brewers, and Rockies.

There is much more balance throughout baseball and you will see it as the winner in the AL East won’t get over 95 wins.

Had an opportunity to see some of the the A’s and Giants players this week in Phoenix and Scottsdale.

Click below and I’ll bring you up to date. [Read more →]

Marty; There is an article in today’s Chronicle which describes “an abiding sense among fans, fueled by the press and talk radio, that the Giants have not done enough this winter to improve the team and place themselves in position to contend for a championship.” Sabean disagrees, while acknowledging that his optimism is in large part dependent on the return to productive, good health of Nen and Schmidt.

Click “Read More” for Ed’s expert analysis. Look forward to a reading your excellent commentary again this season Ed…thanks,
Marty [Read more →]

It was a foregone conclusion that Vladimir Guerrero did not want to sign with the Baltimore Orioles. The powerful rightfielder continuously looked the other way as the O’s waved 65 million dollars under his nose.

Art Moreno the new owner of the Angels has nerve and vision, and more importantly money.

When I wrote last month that Moreno owned about one million acres of real estate in Goodyear Arizona and he was moving the Angels spring training facility to a soon to be developed new complex in Goodyear, I realized that Moreno was a big time money man who would not be intimidated by the salaries paid to the brightest stars in the game.

Goodyear will be the home to the spring Angels as well as a new burgeoning community in the desert, all of which will make Moreno one of the wealthiest owners in the game.

Now with Tom Hicks in Texas, the Nintendo folks in Seattle, and Moreno in Anaheim, the A’s will be hard pressed to keep up with the Jonses of AL West baseball.

So, just what does the Guerrero signing do to the West?

Click below for more! [Read more →]

I’ve seen the Pete Rose issue bandied about by some of our finest baseball minds this week including the inimitable Peter Gammons, former commissioner Fay Vincent, Bob Costas, and many well known columnists.

I’ve read and listened to enough on Pete Rose to tell you this.

For years many knowledgeable writers, broadcasters, or former teammates of Pete’s have urged that, if Pete would just tell the world that, yes, he did bet on baseball all would be understood and he would then be eligible to join the greats of the game in the Hall of Fame.

So, Pete told the world that he did bet on baseball.

Guess what happened?

Peter Gammons hit the ceiling when Pete somehow besmirched the reputation of former commissioner Bart Giamatti who passed away shortly after suspending Rose in 1989, during his statements this week. Gammons has even gone as far as linking Giamatti’s death to the stress caused by the Rose case, ignoring the fact that Giamatti, a wonderful man, was very much over weight and smoked like a chimney, those factors medically contributing to his death more than Rose’s gambling habits.

This faux pas has convinced Gammons that Pete is no longer worthy in his eyes to be voted into Cooperstown, even though Gammons was the one who urged Pete to make his admissions to clear the air, Gammons then saying he would vote for Pete once he did that.

When Rose said he bet on baseball did it matter where he placed the bets, whether he bet on the Reds, where he got his information for the bets, or how many times he did bet while manager of the Reds?

No, it didn’t. The fact is that he bet on baseball games while a manager, the gory details of how it happened should come as no shock.

Everyone is freaked that Rose bet from the clubhouse. Would it be any better if he bet from his hotel room? Would he be less cuplable if he placed his bets on the internet?

John Q. Public asked him to admit that he gambled on baseball, he has now done that, why is everyone so upset and ready to lynch Rose for confirming the facts we all knew were coming?

His timing? His television interview? Is that what pushed the deserters over the line?

Click below for more! [Read more →]