Jermaine Dye increased his speed to first base this winter. Dye who suffered a broken leg in the playoffs 2001 now is slightly above the average major leaguer in his time down the line.

The big improvement in Dye’s speed is noticeable when he runs from first to third, I think it’s the best he’s looked since the injury.

Pitch him up and away and he can hurt you, low and in and he’s got more to worry about.

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Eric Chavez who usually heats up in the second half of the season may get off to a fast start in 2004 and it won’t have anything to do with his off season conditioning.

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Batter up Feb. 28th

You will hear the word “knowingly” all the time as the BALCO case unfolds. The interested parties are choosing their words very carefully lately, saying they never “knowingly” took or distributed illegal substances. What’s up with all these sophisticated trainers and athletes, didn’t anyone ask any questions when the expensive designer supplements were given out. Were blindfolds handed out too?

Click below for my column…Marty [Read more →]

Batter Up Feb 21st, 2004

Alex Rodriguez, a Yankee , what does it mean? The Yankees will crush mediocre pitching. Derek Jeter’s time at short will end either around the all star break or when Jeter suffers his first injury which you know is coming soon to a theater near you.

Jason Giambi will benefit the most hitting behind Rodriguez and in front of Gary Sheffield, who will mean more to the Yankee offense than A Rod. Even with all this offense, I expect pitchers Jose Contreras and Jon Leiber, two weak links, will be replaced in the starting rotation around July 1st?

This is a copy of my “Batter Up” column which appeared in the Oakland Tribune Sports Section on February 21st.

Marty Lurie… Click below for more of the column! [Read more →]

What a difference a year makes. At this time last season, the Marlins were hardly on anyones radar, the Chicago Cubs were expected to be loveable losers once again, the Phillies were hopeful entering their last year at the Vet, Kansas City was known for its BBQ rather than its baseball team, the Padres were dreaming of their new park instead of getting ready to open it, and the Astros didn’t have a single ex-Yankee in its pitching rotation.

Fast forward to spring training 2004.

The Cubs are the favorites to REPEAT as the NL Central champs, The Marlins open spring drills as defending world champions, the Phillies have one of the deepest pitching staffs in the NL and are considered by many the team to beat this year, Kansas City signed everybody in sight and just might win the AL Central, the Padres are scaring the Giants in the West, and the Astros have the core of the Yankees pitching staff ready to open the season in Houston.

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The Red Sox have no one to blame for this mess other than themselves. I wrote two months ago that egos were preventing the deal between Boston and Texas from going down.

The Yankees will simply hammer the bad pitching staffs even more unmercilessly than they have in the past.

A Rod will have motivation to play all out instead of mailing in his at bats when they really mattered for Texas.

I’ve never been a big A Rod fan ever since Roger Clemens brushed him back in the playoffs between Seattle and New York. Ever since then A Rod has been a loser in my mind.

I don’t doubt any of A Rod’s numbers, but it takes more than that to be a difference maker on a championship team, just take one look at Manny Ramirez and all his numbers and tell me how many rings he has?

Click below and let’s look at the Yankees and their prospects with A Rod in the lineup. [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?

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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 →]

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 →]