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 →]

Heard a good rumor today about the A’s, tell me what you think.

A’s will trade Scott Hatteberg and Eric Byrnes to the Brewers for Junior Spivey, then sign Travis Lee to play first base. Spivey would play second with Mark Ellis shifting over to short as the A’s break Bobby Crosby in.

Click below and I’ll give you my take.

[Read more →]

Now that the dust has settled in Texas and the Rangers are slowly moving forward putting their 2004 team together one has to wonder what happened to the proposed A Rod for Manny etc. trade that was going to shake the baseball world.

Most curious in the whole scenario was the report that on Tuesday the last deadline imposed by Rangers owner Tom Hicks, he dropped his demand for the Sox to kick in any money on the Ramirez contract, but the Sox backed off the trade even with that concession.

It makes me think that the egos of Hicks, Larry Lucchino and others are the biggest factor in this transaction. Someone is always trying to get the upper hand the other, even at the price of killing the deal. The money is absolutley inconsequential to these people, they don’t think like you and I about money, they have loads of it, they just want to brag at the next owners meeting how they hoodwinked their fellow billionaire out of some chump change (see the Eddie Murphy movie “Changing Places” for a good example of how these folks think about money).

Anyway, until I see the Rangers spend some real dough on Sidney Ponson or some other pitchers or the Dodgers trade Odalis Perez to some team other than the White Sox or Rich Aurilia signs with someone other than Texas, I still believe the big boys will come to their senses and make this deal happen.

Click below for more! [Read more →]

The A’s won the West last season in convincing fashion only to suffer another heartbreaking loss in the playoffs.

Fans have to remember that the 2003 A’s played great baseball from August through September winning games with outstanding starting pitching, great infield defense, a sturdy three man bullpen, and some timely hitting.

So, after the moves this weekend has anything changed appreciably that would make one doubt that the A’s can win the West again?

Not really.

Click below for more! [Read more →]

It’s good to be back.

First, I want to thank Alma Chao for upgrading the software and getting us back on line before the holidays. There is still more to do and I appreciate his efforts.

Now baseball!

Will A Rod be a Red Sock before January first?

Maybe, but you can bet he will be Boston’s opening day shortstop in 2004.

Is the deal dead as Larry Lucchino, Boston Prez, says it is. Not exactly.

In “The Priness Bride” Billy Crystal tells Mandy Patankin when asked if Billy can revive Mandy’s apparently dead compatriot, “Your friend is dead, but not completely dead”, and then he goes through elaborate procedures to bring him back to life.

So it is with this deal.

Tom Hicks cannot afford to bring A Rod back under any circumstances not the least of which his manager doesn’t want the bad apple A Rod around messing with his young team’s mind.

Boston has driven Nomar crazy with all the trade talk and he really is sadly through in Boston.

Nomar isn’t Boston’s kind of guy anymore: Too sullen with big advertisers and swings at too many first pitches to satisfy the OB% conscious Sox.

The trade has many other teams waiting before tomorow night’s contract tender deadline.

It’s all about money and you know that won’t stop these guys from pulling the trigger, it’s just a matter of when.

Click below for more! [Read more →]

More players should be making their choices as this weeknd comes to a close Sunday night. The arbitration offering deadline for one’s own free agents looms at 9:00 PM Pacific Sunday.

For example, if the A’s don’t offer Miguel Tejada the chance to come back for one season through an arbitrated salary by the deadline, then they won’t be able to negotiate with him until May 1st.

If they did arbitrate and sign him with the idea of then trading him, they couldn’t make a deal for him until June 15th, when half his salary would already have been paid.

The biggest news of the weekend will be the signing of Kaz Matsui with the Mets. The newest Japanese import will play shortstop for the Mets and bat leadoff. Hot Met rookie Jose Reyes has agreed to move to second base for NY. With Mike Piazza and Cliff Floyd batting third and fourth, the Mets will have some excitement at the top of their order.

I expect the Mets to trade Roger Cedeno quickly and pick up Terrence Long from San Diego to play right field. Long played well for Art Howe in Oakland and is a decent corner fielder. He will be an upgrade from Cedeno and might hit .265 with 18 homers for NY, not all that bad.

So, how does the Matsui signing effect the market?

Click below for more.
[Read more →]

While the Evil Empire fights their own private Star Wars episode with the good folks from Boston, the rest of the baseball world will begin their holiday shopping within the next week or so.

Now that Curt Schilling has chosen Boston as his home for the next three years, the remaining free agent pitchers will quickly fall into place.

No doubt that the Yankees will counter the Boston move by resigning Andy Pettitte one of these days. Houston won’t kick in the necessary 45 million or so to lock Pettitte up, so the Yankees should keep their top lefty.

Next who will it be joining Mike Mussina and Pettitte in the rotation? Most likely Bartolo Colon since he will cost mere dollars instead of first baseman Nick Johnson, the price mentioned for Javier Vasquez of Montreal.

But what about Jeff Weaver, the Yankees forgotten righthanded starter?

Click below for the latest on his possible destination? [Read more →]

Nothing like some 35 degree temperatures to make baseball seem closer than it actually is. As of today, there are 84 days until the pitchers and catchers report for spring training on February 15th. Sounds pretty close.

This morning the question remains will Ramon Hernandez be the Oakland Athletics catcher on February 15th?

Click below for more! [Read more →]

A Rod is the MVP of the American League. I’ve gone on record many times saying he is overrated, mainly because he sold out and went for the dough by signing with Texas, a team with little chance of reaching the postseason.

It’s no secret if you watch A Rod play that he has disappeared at the critical moments during his tenure with the Rangers. Still with the numbers he puts up he is tough to ignore when the MVP vote is taken. This season he won the award because no player from a playoff team had a knock your socks off type year.

Carlos Delgado and A Rod were the favorites because they were going to be named within the top five on more ballots than anyone else.

A Rod has acknowledged that the Rangers are trying to trade him this off season. He gave the go ahead earlier in the summer when he sent out the trial balloon indicating that he wouldn’t oppose a trade if the Rangers were so inclined.

Will he move on?

Click below and let’s talk some hot stove baseball about A Rod and others. [Read more →]