Seeing Red

Winston-Salem, NC -- I'm sure many of you are eager for me to plunge the baseball blogs and move forward with my latest rumblings in the football world. Those posts will arrive shortly, but there's plenty of news to still muse over in the baseball world.

The Dodgers have had back-to-back nationally televised games on ESPN this week. For a "large market" team, they don't receive as much publicity as the East Coast teams. However, they've made plenty asplash this season with the hiring of Joe Torre, their reluctance to trade rookies, and their botched free agent signings. Frank McCourt, their over-aggressive team owner was an avid Red Sox fan before buying the Dodgers in 2004. Watching the Dodgers on TV is like watching a Red Sox reunion team. I can't believe how many ex-Soxers have worn a Dodgers' jersey since McCourt has taken over control of this team:

• Manny Ramirez, LF
• Derek Lowe, SP
• Nomar Garciaparra, IF
• Shea Hillenbrand, IF
• Grady Little, Mgr.
• David Wells, SP
• Bill Mueller, 3B
• Hideo Nomo, SP

2006, 2005 and earlier

Note: J.D. Drew and Julio Lugo both fled the Dodgers during the 2006-2007 offseason for the Red Sox. McCourt didn't mind.

The Dodgers are a prime case of why teams should only be sold to local ownership. It doesn't augment the situation either that McCourt is a "hands on" owner, constantly meddling in contract negotiations and trades (nixing a proposed deal for CC Sabathia). His dumbfounded move of firing Paul DePodesta (the unheralded star of the book, Moneyball) after his 2-year stint, and subsequently replacing him with the incompentent, former Giants rival, Asst. GM Ned Coletti, ranks as one of the stupidest moves in the 21st century. It's shown its repercussions already in the free agent world -- Andruw Jones, Juan Pierre, Nomar Garciaparra, etc. McCourt, please don't ruin this storied franchise with your meddlesome ways. If you have to, sell the team and become a minority owner of the Red Sox. Word out of Boston is that Larry Lucchino will be departing (to San Diego?) at season's end because he cannot coexist with GM Theo Epstein. The spot vacated could be yours, Frankie.

Maryland Bound

Winston-Salem, NC -- I'll be taking a few days off from blogging and such to return to "one of my homes" this weekend -- Maryland! Hopefully, I'll be able to hit up the Nats' game tomorrow night against the Rockies. I know that the Nats suck, but it's baseball, and it's a new ballpark. I read today that one MLB scout noted that half of the Nationals' roster shouldn't be in the major leagues right now. We all thought that last year's team was supposed to be this bad. The ground beneath Bowden must be getting warmer by the day. If you're around this weekend, feel free to ping me.

A crab feast on the Chesapeake Bay will ensue on Saturday. Hope to see all of you Maryland readers/fans at some point during the next three days.

In the meantime, answer this:

B's Bistro asks...

What's the best thing that you've ever gotten out of a gum ball machine?
a) Superball
b) Jewelry
c) Puffy Sticker
d) Joy Buzzer

Keeping Score

FROM Thurs., 8.7.2008, Greensboro, NC – Littered behind home plate of Newbridge Bank Ballpark in Greensboro tonight were packs of scouts from different baseball teams clocking and charting the two starting pitchers and subsequent relievers of the Grasshoppers-Sand Gnats game. The scene is nothing new to minor league parks, but sitting next to a rookie baseball fan, Kaylin Murphy, it shed some new light. Not to overwhelm a rookie fan with the metrics that scouts chart and why, I started with the basics; scorekeeping. IMO, I believe that there are standard ways of scoring a game, a la a grounder to short should read “6-3” in the book. But everyone has their own method of scoring beyond the standard 5-4-3 double play.

I’ve seen fans use highlighters, draw diagonal lines, use colored pens, and their own lettering system for recording outs. Some of my personal favorites include a grounder to first, “3U,” as my dad showed me that one two years ago. My other personal favorite is the “backwards K” for a strikeout looking. While working for the Frederick Keys during two summers, the scoreboard operator, Stan the Man, always had the sharpest pencils. But, he wrote the lineup card as such: right-handed batters would be in blue; left-handed batters would be in red. I record a flyout to right as “F9.” Others may write, “FO-9” or “F/9.” Do you distinguish between a lineout and a flyout to the outfield like me? “L7” vs. “F7.”

To the readers: do you have a personal method of scorekeeping or do you do one quirky thing out of the ordinary in your scorekeeping? I’d be interested to find out some new methods.

Sports Talk from last week

FROM 8.5.2008, Greensboro, NC – I had to take a rain check for this past weekend’s NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony and game. I’ve been on the road for the past several weeks and I’ll be in the Delmarva area next weekend, then up to New York/New Jersey for Labor Day weekend. A 7 hour drive to Canton in the span of 24 hours would not have been a good economic choice.

I caught Art Monk’s homily to the Lord, er… Hall of Fame speech. I missed Darrell Green’s words though. Can any of the readers – I’m looking at you closet reader Monty – fill me in on some Canton tidbits that we would not have obtained from reading Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback?

Speaking of Peter King, in his recent postcard from Redskins’ camp, he mentioned that Jason Campbell has looked very sharp in this West Coast offense. He showed just that in the Hall of Fame game by tossing a fluid TD pass to Randle El in the first quarter. King’s prediction for the Redskins… he has no idea; they could finish anywhere from 1st to 4th in the four team division.

Quick thoughts on the baseball trading deadline. Manny Ramirez is a loser. Whoever pays this clown $12M/year this offseason for 2-3 years is a fool. You’re bound to receive one good year out of him at best. Yes, the Sox had to surrender 2 prospects to obtain Jason Bay, but it’s a great move for them. Bay can rake when he’s healthy. Something else that nobody picked up on… the Rays didn’t make a move at the deadline. But, they have ex-Vandy star LHP David Price who’s dominating Double A and former All-Star OF Rocco Baldelli coming off the DL. Now that’s two huge boosts for the team that currently mans 1st place in the tough AL East. I was glad to see the Braves get something (Casey Kotchman and a future relief pitcher) for Tex. You just never know with draft picks these days.

I’ve started Is This A Great Game, Or What? by Bethesda, MD native Tim Kurkjian. It’s been tough to put the book down at night… review to follow soon.

The Chefs Fight Back

Greensboro, NC – I would apologize for the lack of blogs recently, but there’s nothing that I can really do about it. I’ve taken a new position within my company, following our downsize, that requires me to pick up the slack of two other people. Coupled with Kaylin’s parents being out of town, there’s been no time to hit up B’s Bistro.

I did see this hilarious clip last week on You Tube where the visitor chef on some boring talk show actually fights back! Sam The Cooking Guy was a guest on The Today Show and he was demonstrating how to make some gourmet dish. Well, after incessantly peppering chef with worthless questions (no pun intended), Mrs. Regis received a vociferous mouthful from the chef (again, no pun intended). Take a look at this clip and decide for yourself.

Ok, Kathy, if you’re going to interject and be obnoxious, at least be funny. Bringing a chef or some type of cook onto a show, whether it be a talk show, the morning news, or The Food Network is “the new thing” because everyone is trying to eat healthy nowadays. David Letterman even brought food preparers on his show and he would purposely mess up the ingredients and instructions. It’s funny when Letterman does it, but not when you have Kathy dispensing useless fodder while Sam The Cooking Guy is attempting to explain his gourmet dish. I bet all of the television chefs around America stood up and applauded when they saw this clip.

Bravo! Now Show's Over.

Greensboro, NC -- The trading season "madness" has reached its apex this week with the trading deadline set to expire at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, the 31st. For the past couple of weeks, teams have been gaging whether they're "buyers" or "sellers." While my favorite team, the Braves, have trotted along at 0.500 for the first couple of months this season and now they're 49-56 following tonight's game, they should be considered "sellers." However, Manager Bobby Cox, nearing the end of his coaching career, has alternative motives; he believes that the Braves should be buyers. And apparently, GM Frank Wren (former O's GM (1999)) is listening. A purported trade of 4 prospects would have been sent to the Pirates for OF Jason Bay.

Look, there is a copious amount of teams lined up for the Wild Card. Further, if the injuries to ace pitcher Tim Hudson, All-Star catcher Brian McCann, and All-Star 3B Chipper Jones this weekend aren't enough, how do you "mash" your way to the playoffs when the starting pitching is so thin?

Wren should do the following:

• Package Texeira in a deal that yields 3 prospects with 1 being a star, a la the C.C. Sabathia deal. Texeira will sign with the Orioles this offseason, so obtain some developed talent over the 2 compensatory draft picks.
• Trade lefty reliever Will Ohman for a young outfielder.
• With Hampton coming off the books this offseason, sign a outfielder to replace Texeira's production. Manny? Nahhhh. Dunn? Too many K's. Trade for Holliday? A possibility. Revisit the Bay talks? An outfield comprised of Matt Diaz, Mark Kotsay, and Frenchy just isn't very productive.

It's not the Braves' year, again. It's time to re-tool for next year, quite possibly Cox's last.

Analyzing the Washington Trades

Greensboro, NC -- Two Washington professional ballclubs made a trade this week with the Redskins acquiring star defensive end and "Dancing with the Star" Jason Taylor from the Dolphins for a 2nd and a 5th round picks. The Nationals traded their closer Jon Rauch to the Diamondbacks for 2B prospect Emilio Bonifacio. My thoughts...

• Throughout the sports talk history of this blog, I've preached that maintaining consistency and limiting roster turnover is the key to a team's long term success. Yes, the Skins changed coaching staff this offseason with Gibbs retiring. I was a bit displeased that Zorn was hired over Double G because the offense must learn an entire new playbook just when they were able to grapple Al Saunders' 700 page encyclopedia. But, I do like how the Skins used the draft this year, albeit heavy on picking WR's. They were also not a player in the free agent market for once. Trades and free agency should only be used to add the "final piece." And, if the Skins maintained the coaching staff, I believe that Taylor would have been that missing piece. During the past decade, the Skins have desperately needed a pass rusher, almost as much as a coveted franchise QB. I like this move because they didn't give up a 1st round pick and they addressed a dire need of concern on the defensive line. Two question marks that plague me...

1. What type of coach will Jim Zorn be? Can we rely on Greg Blache to be an effective defensive coordinator? Zorn and Blache have never been coordinators before.
2. Taylor is 34, which is getting up there in NFL years. He's also being moved to the right side of the line, not the left side where he played in Miami. He won't be rushing the QB from the QB's blind side, which could make a difference because the TE and RB are usually lined up on the right side as well.

• After commanding a steep price for Rauch and Chad Cordero during last season's trading deadline, the Nats settled for speed utility man Emilio Bonifacio. The ever-optimist GM Jim Bowden has already penciled Bonifacio in as the starter next season. Was this the guy who is supposed to replace Orlando Hudson on the DBacks when he leaves via free agency this offseason? I agree with ESPN's Keith Law's take on the deal:

For Washington, getting just Emilio Bonifacio for Rauch has to be seen as a letdown, although it's better than their trade-deadline results from 2007. The Nationals chose not to make any moves at that deadline, re-signing Dmitri Young and Ronnie Belliard to bizarre contract extensions while asking for so much for Rauch and Chad Cordero that teams were unwilling to even negotiate the prices down. One year later, Cordero's value has evaporated, Young and Belliard have both performed worse since signing their deals (with Young missing time on the DL due to back problems and issues with his weight, both not shocking developments at all), and now Rauch has fetched a utility infielder. Bonifacio can run and has a quick, slashing stroke, but his baseball instincts are poor and he's far too aggressive at the plate. He doesn't project to hit for enough power to play second base every day on a contending club. He's athletic enough to move around the diamond and serve as a pinch-runner, but it's a stretch to see him as a regular.

Meanwhile, learning nothing from the Young/Belliard mistakes, the Nationals re-upped Cristian Guzman for two years and $16 million. Guzman was a cipher in the first year of his four-year deal, then missed 2005 and most of '06 due to injury. His hot start in 2008 has masked the evaporation of his power (he's slugging .360 since June 1), and he has never had a lick of plate discipline. Like Young and Belliard before him, he was a candidate to be moved, not to be re-signed. Bad teams should not be locking up their mediocrities to long-term deals, but rather should be looking to convert them all into any kind of young players.

Could not agree more with that last sentence. Guzman possesses no power. He's the only player in the Nats lineup hitting over .250. I can't see Bowden last until the end of Guzman's new contract with these awful contracts -- Young, Belliard, and now Guzman. Place Bonifacio as Guzman's double play partner and you may have the weakest infield lineup in the majors for the next two seasons. What happened to "The Plan?"

Tom Petty Review

Winston-Salem, NC -- I don't have much time to post an in-depth concert review of the Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers show from last Saturday. I've seen some "ol' timer" bands in my day -- Stevie Nicks, The Allman Brothers, Bruce Springsteen, and U2 (of course) -- but I have never seen an ol' timer play as many of their greatest hits than Tom Petty. Usually, these oldies are trying to promote a new album and they'll mix in some classic tunes into the set list. Anyway, here is the (short) 18-song set list from Saturday night's show in Raleigh:

• You Wreck Me
• Listen to Her Heart
• I Won't Back Down
• Even the Losers
• Free Fallin'
• Mary Jane
• Sweet William
• End of the Line
• Breakdown
• Saving Grace
• Honey Bee
• You Don't Know How It Feels
• Learning to Fly
• Don't Come Around Here No More
• Refugee
• Runnin' Down A Dream*
• Mystic Eyes*
• American Girl*

* = Encore.

As you can see, these are pretty recognizable songs, even for the casual fan. The only ones that I wasn't familiar with were Sweet William and Mystic Eyes. Mystic Eyes, featuring some "talk-singing" (what is the technical name of that?) was unimpressive. Learning to Fly was done acoustically. Don't Come Around Here No More had the signature opening drum beat, which was cool. My favorite song was I Won't Back Down. I'm a big fan of drums and bass together in live acts, and you get just that in this hit. Petty paid a tribute to his Traveling Wilbury days with a cool rendition of End of the Line. And finally, Saving Grace, a neat hit from his most recent album in 2006, was expanded into a 7-minute piece. Great song if you've never heard of it.

My mom mentioned to me that when she saw him two years ago, Petty would leave the stage for several minutes during solo acts to puff on the ol' tobacco. I didn't spot any such sightings on Saturday night. Perhaps he gave it up... on Tobacco Road?

All in all, a fantastic show -- check him out the next time he comes around here.

Friday Fill-in's

Winston-Salem, NC -- Random musings for you to comment on...

• I remember when DC was awarded the Montreal Expos team, they promised to build a $611M ballpark as part of the luring package. DC fulfilled that promise pending some unfinished features around the park that the Lerners are complaining about. However, the park promised to offer "breathtaking views" of the Capitol. Check this out.
• Trivia Tim became the latest member of the blogging world. His new blog, "Useless Things Need Love Too" has some interesting tidbits in it. Double Bonus: you can link back to B's Bistro from his site.
• Viewed the first part of Kissology last night, which takes a hard look at Kiss's early tours from 1974-1976. I didn't realize that drummer Peter Criss was that talented because he doesn't come through on the albums. Kiss has some nice hits; however, I'm not sure if their "costumes" or alter-egos fit their music melodies.
• Enjoyed my 4th of July weekend in the quaint little town of Blacksburg, VA. One of the locals mentioned to me that they don't even lock their doors at night or when they go to the grocery store. I didn't know that towns like that still exist in America. Anyways, we saw the Hokies' football stadium, the 4/16/07 VA Tech Massacre Memorial, and toured the hall where the shootings took place.
• I'll be in Raleigh tomorrow to see the third and final of my summar concert giants: Tom Petty. Review will be out on Monday.
• Couldn't agree any more with Rosie on the Dodgers' front office... Frank McCourt, the Dodgers owner, is trickling into Peter Angelos territory.
• One word: absurd. Brand, not only a traitor to the poor Clippers, is getting paid $82M to play basketball for 5 years. What a joke.
• One more thing... Michael Beasley, 2nd pick in this year's NBA Draft, and college standout at KS State this year is from the DC area. He represents it well here with his new ink on the right sleeve (courtesy of Mr. Irrelevant):

B's Bistro asks...

Winston-Salem, NC -- B's Bistro asks...

Who's the best cereal mascot?

a) Sonny from Coco Puffs.
b) Tony the Tiger.
c) Captain Crunch.
d) Frankenberry.
e) Sugar Bear.

American Music

Winston-Salem, NC -- I was unable to formulate my list of American music in time before departure on Thursday afternoon. I had to be on the road to Blacksburg, VA -- more on that crazy sports town later on this week -- before 6:00 p.m. in order to make an 8:30 dinner reservation. To commemorate Independence Day, here is a list of American bands with "America" or "U.S.A." in their titles. Feel free to add your own.

• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers -- American Girl
• Dave Mathews Band -- American Baby
• Green Day -- American Idiot
• John Cougar Melloncamp -- R.O.C.K. in the USA
• Kim Wilde -- Kids in America
• Lenny Kravitz -- American Woman
• Bruce Springsteen -- Born in the USA
• David Bowie -- Young Americans
• The Steve Miller Band -- Livin' in the USA
• U2 -- 4th of July

Oh Canada...!

Winston-Salem, NC -- I'm a few days behind, but July 1st was not only Kaylin's birthday, it was "Canada Day." I remember back in middle school, and maybe some of this talk spilled into high school, that we should have taken over Canada back in the day. But what for? Coal and timber? Naaaaahhhhh...

Canada helped us in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, so I cannot disrespect them. They didn't run like the French. So to commemorate Canada Day, I tried to come up with a list of great Canadian bands; however, I need your help to lengthen this list:

• Rush -- My favorite Canadian band. After 34 years of great music, the only question is "why aren't these guys in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame?"
• Our Lady Peace -- One of my favorite bands growing up... they played one October at WHFS's "Blocktober Fest" on the streets of DC, displaying a memorable performance worthy of future radio play.
• Alanis Morissette -- She has some catchy songs, but I never got into her because she doesn't write her own lyrics.
• Joni Mitchell -- Western Canada's finest... this artsy fartsy guitar player ruled the folk rock music scene in SoCal in the 1960's.
• Celine Dion -- Best known for that awful song in Titanic, she sings out of the side of her mouth.
• Cowboy Junkies -- A group of siblings... like Hanson! (best siblings group = The Corrs).
• The Band -- This band has been around for awhile, but never really got popular on mainstream radio.
• Bare Naked Ladies -- The craziest of the Canucks... these guys know how to rock.
• Neil Young -- One of Q Magazine's "50 Bands to see before you die."

Who am I forgetting? If I run out of time today, I'll post some American music on Monday.

Great First Licks

Winston-Salem, NC -- Nothing beats a great song other than its opening lick. There are certain songs that when you hear the first chord struck, you immediately crank up the volume on your stereo or radio. Hundreds of rock songs could foot this bill; however, here's my stab at "love at first lick:"

• Collective Soul - "Shine" - This hit could rival its fellow album song, "December."
• Eric Clapton - "Layla" - This song is the epitome of "classic rock."
• The Rolling Stones - "Can't you hear me knocking?" - Not one of the Stones' prominent tunes.
• Goo Goo Dolls - "Slide" - This song hit its peak right at the Milennium.
• Sheryl Crow - "If It Makes You Happy" - That rhythm guitar rocks.
• Violent Femmes - "Blister in the Sun" - A classic acoustic guitar with a double snare drum beat.
• My Morning Jacket - "I'm Amazed" - Listen to this song on itunes if you've never heard of it.
• The Scorpions - "Rock you like a Hurricane" - Germany's best band; however, the song is a bunch of cheese.
• Prince & The Revolution - "When doves cry" - My favorite Prince song.
• The Black Crowes - "Twice As Hard" - ATL's finest.
• Led Zeppelin - "Good Times Bad Times" - There are so many Zeppelin songs to choose from for this blog.
• U2 - "Mysterious Ways" - You know that I couldn't leave my favorite band off of a music list.

Feel free to add your own favorites...

The 90 Day Club

Winston-Salem, NC -- The 90 Day Club is now complete! Yes, I went to Finnigan's Wake Pub & Kitchen in Winston-Salem for 90 consecutive days with a few exceptions when I was in DC (4 days). Here are the final numbers:



If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that image loading on this blog is from the Dark Ages. In summary, I've blown $869.67 on alcohol, food, desserts, and cheap thrills for the past three months at this place. I know that it's ridiculous, but it's all for the price of glory -- my very own, all-inclusive Finnigan's Wake party on Opie (the owner), a Finnigan's Wake 3/4 sleeve softball jersey with my name and number embroidered on the back. And finally, probably the ultimate perk of them all: my name will be forever etched on the wall of Finnigan's Wake is silver (with the evergreen backdrop). Just another award added to my personal cupboard of lifetime achievements. Now not so fast -- here are some notable events that occurred along this arduous journey:

• Sean was present for day 1 and day 90.
• Broke my right pinkie finger on April 8th (Day 15).
• Went to DC for the weekend on April 12th. Had to find an Irish bar that evening.
• Had surgery and took a leave-of-absence on April 15th (Day 22).
• Friends were let go from the job in early May.
• Spent Memorial Day weekend in DC and Baltimore (Days 61-63).
• Made it to Finnigan's at 11:57 p.m. on Day 68.

These events don't account for the number of weekend days where I had to drive solely to Winston-Salem for a sweet tea. I had 50 sweet teas in all, 77 Guinness's, and a handful of other alcoholic beverages. That's a ton of calories in addition to cash and time. People have asked me if I would do another 90 days, and the answer is "yes." However, I rather pocket the $869, save some calories, gasoline, and time, and bask in the glory of my name on the wall when I do return to "The Fins" on occassion. I'll leave the all-time record to Trivia Tim, who is currently in pursuit of a full year (and perhaps decade) of attendance. At the time of this writing, Trivia Tim sits at 296 consecutive days. I'll take the 90, the jersey, and the wall. Fun times.

Friday Meltdown

Winston-Salem, NC -- I'm enduring a slow Friday afternoon, so I'll touch on a couple of points in no particular order.

• Going to check out the Charlotte Knights' park with Schnooks tomorrow night. One thing, the ballpark isn't located in Charlotte; it's in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
• I'll be back here in Winston to attend Sunday afternoon's Warthogs game against the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Nothing like watching a Carolina League game (after working 2 years for Carolina's Frederick Keys).
• Spoke to a representative of the Warthogs' ownership group last night and asked him about the new team name -- The Winston-Salem Warthogs are moving to a brand new ballpark downtown next spring. Check out the progress here. The front runner for the new team name is "The Dash."
• I'm a big fan of J.C. Bradbury's blog, "Sabernomics." After all, it combines the thinking of economics and baseball; my two favorite conversation topics. Bradbury, a fellow Braves' fan, is a huge opponent of Jeff Francoeur, often inferring to Frenchy's three month window of brilliance in the summer of 2005. He hasn't been good ever since, and here are his numbers this season to date: 0.253 BA, 8 HR, 41 RBI, 0 SB, 0.312 OBP, 0.411 SLG. Not good. I placed the stolen bases in there because Frenchy vowed to run a little more this year.
• This offseason could mark the exit of some legendary pitchers: Smoltz, Glavine, Maddux, and now Schilling.
• Andy MacPhail has been on the job as Orioles President of Operations for exactly one year now. The Sun's Rick Maese has his performance review here. I like how Maese examined everything from trades (exceeds expectations) to usher behavior (below expectations). I know Kevin's incident in 2005 (?) has something to do with that uproar.
• The Nats have the worst run differential in MLB; -90. This team can't hit.

The Jack of All Trades

Winston-Salem, NC -- While running on the ol' treadmill on Monday night, I saw Mike Jacobs' (1B, Florida) stats from the last 7 days scroll across ESPN's Bottomline. I can't remember the stats verbatim, but I recalled that the Marlins obtained Jacobs from the Mets in the Carlos Delgado deal. This trade had me thinking just how many lopsided deals that Marlins GM Larry Beinfest has made during his regime. Here are the deals off the top of my head made by Beinfest that directly affect this year's surprising team (37-33 with a $21M payroll -- lowest in the majors):

• Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis for Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin.
• Carlos Delgado for Mike Jacobs and Yusmeiro Petit.
• Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell for Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez.
• Juan Pierre for Ricky Nolasco, Renyel Pinto, and Sergio Mitre.
• Plucked Dan Uggla from the D-Backs in the Rule V draft.

I would have to say that Beinfest absolutely fleeced the opposition in all of these deals except the trade with the Red Sox, which worked out for both sides. The Cabrera and Willis dealing to the Tigers looks like a colossal mistake by Detroit because both players have been ineffective (though Cabrera is heating up, but Willis is pitching in Class A) and both were handed large contracts before the season began. Miller is a work in progress and Maybin has been mashing in the minors. Carlos Delgado apparently can't play anymore and is now being platooned at 1B in New York. Beckett and Lowell both carried the Red Sox in the postseason last year, but Ramirez has been a stud in Florida and Sanchez pitched a no-hitter two years ago. He's currently rehabbing his right shoulder. Nolasco and Mitre have been durable starters, while Pierre left Chicago as a free agent and is currently enduring career lows in all offensive categories. Uggla should start this year's All-Star game at 2B. A masterful job by Beinfest to receive loads of talent in return for giving away aging (and declining) veterans. I'll give him my "Jack of All Trades" award for now. As for "GM of the Year," I don't know about his free agent signings because the Marlins don't spend any money.

R.E.M. Review

Winston-Salem, NC -- Here is the set list of last Tuesday night's show that I attended in Raleigh. As Michael Stipe put it, "Welcome to the R.E.M. weigh loss program" -- the outdoor amphitheatre was a steam bath. The heat didn't slow down R.E.M.'s set, whcih featured a heavy dose of songs from the new album, "Accelerate."

• Harborcoat
• Living Well is the Best Revenge
• Bad Day
• What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?
• 1,000,000
• Man-Sized Wreath
• Welcome to the Occupation
• Accelerate
• 7 Chinese Bros.
• Hollow Man
• Imitation of Life
• Houston
• Electrolite
• Walk Unafraid
• The One I Love
• Final Straw
• Find the River
• Let Me In
• Horse to Water
• Auctioneer
• Orange Crush
• I’m Gonna DJ
• Supernatural Superserious
• Losing My Religion
• Pretty Persuasion
• Fall on Me
• Sitting Still
• Man on the Moon

I was hoping for a few more hits from the 80's and 90's... Superman, Don't Go Back To Rockville, Drive, Crushed with Eyeliner, Driver 8, The Great Beyond, etc. Michael Stipe didn't shed one piece of the black suit that he was sporting. Mike Mills performed his trademark aaaahhhh harmonizing. Peter Buck was fantastic on lead guitar. Mitch Easter, who I met playing at Winston-Salem's The Garage back in October, produced the first two R.E.M. albums. He played during the encore's "Sitting Still." How many people can say, "I've met the person on stage" at a rock concert of 10,000+ fans?

One tidbit before I close, the three spotlights above the stage were aimed at Stipe, Mills, and Buck. The drummer and third guitarist played in the dark and were barely cheered for. When the band took a bow after the closing song, "Man on the Moon," it was only the main three. After learning that Bill Berry would retire from R.E.M. following their 1997 tour, Stipe replied, "I guess a dog is still a dog if you removed one of its four legs."

Digging R.E.M.'s latest

Winston-Salem, NC -- I picked up the newest R.E.M. album last night, Accelerate, (after two unsuccessful attempts around Greensboro) in anticipation of tonight's show at Walnut Creek Amphitheatre in Raleigh.

The reviewers rated this one correctly; 4.5 out of 5 stars. The current radio hits, "Supernatural Superserious" and "Hollow Man" take the band back to its early 90's success. It wouldn't be a R.E.M. song if Mike Mills wasn't aaaahhhhhing in the background harmony.

I've researched the latest set lists to see what they've been playing in their live acts. "Man-Sized Wreath," "Houston," and "Horse to Water," in addition to the two current radio hits have all made the live cut. This 11 song album may be R.E.M.'s best since Monster.

I'll have a review of the show up sometime this week.

Ugly Numbers

Winston-Salem, NC -- Here are the batting averages and on-base percentages of the players in the Nats' Opening Day lineup:

1. Guzman, .309, .330
2. Milledge, .248, .317
3. Zimmerman, .257, .291
4. Johnson, .220, .415
5. Kearns, .187, .295
6. Lo Duca, .200, .298
7. Belliard, .194, .316
8. Dukes, .195, .326

I don't believe that I've ever seen a lineup with so many players hitting below the Mendoza Line. Only Guzman has a RESPECTABLE average and Johnson is the only player with an OBP above the designated .400 plateau. Granted, several players have been hurt and missed playing time, but their replacements aren't exactly lighting up the place.

• Young (for Johnson): .233, .338
• Pena (for Kearns): .206, .255
• Flores (for Lo Duca): .318, .385
• Lopez (for Belliard): .236, .313

Is Jesus Flores the only guy who is hitting above .300 and has a decent on-base percentage? The Nats' run differential is a pathetic -82. Using Bill James' Pythagorean Theory to project their winning percentage, it'll come out to 0.355 (RS^2/(RS^2 + RA^2). Currently, the Nats sit at 0.385 (25-40), so they've actually a little lucky at this point to have 25 wins.

New Park in Tampa?

Winston-Salem, NC -- The Tampa Bay Rays would like to move from the outdated Tropicana Dome to a new waterfront ballpark in downtown St. Petersburg. I've always been a proponent on new ballpark construction, mainly because it stimulates the economy of an otherwise barren section of town. The advent of the "new old" ballparks began in Baltimore with Camden Yards both mirroring parks constructed at the beginning of the 20th century and incorporating shops and restaurants downtown. We've seen new ballparks succeed (Baltimore, Cleveland, Seattle, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Houston, San Diego, Colorado, San Francisco) and some parks fail (Detroit at first, Atlanta a little bit, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh (economically)).

I've attempted to attend as many new parks as possible. After all, one of my life goals is to visit EVERY major AND minor league park in America. Look, you can conduct all of the economic studies and investigations that you want to see if a ballpark will or has failed, but I personally believe that it all has to do with the surroundings of the park. Out of the ballparks I've visited, here's what surrounded the successful ones.

• Baltimore -- Inner Harbor
• Houston -- Downtown area, surrounding Union Station
• Cleveland -- Downtown area
• Colorado -- "LoDo"

Turner Field in Atlanta is too far removed from downtown. As Tom Nickens points out in his St. Petersburg Times article, "The Trop" has failed mostly because of empty lots and little development around the park.

Larger crowds will obviously turn out if the team is winning, but what do they do before and after the game? I believe that the attendance at the Nats' new digs would be higher if the area on South Capitol Street was developed; plenty of bars, restaurants, and other attractions to do. Taking the congested Metro to see a lousy team essentially offsets the honeymoon of the new park, as showed by the pock-marked seats at yesterday's game against the Cardinals.

Change: Thread by Thread

Winston-Salem, NC -- When Andy MacPhail took over the front office reigns of the Orioles last summer, I cackled at the TV screen as the Orioles marked another turn in their efforts to rebuild. However, MacPhail has accomplished more positive tasks in his one year in office than any other VP / GM combined since Pat Gillick was the GM. The trade with Seattle, bringing back Adam Jones, George Sherrill, et al. for Erik Bedard is looking like a steal. While the Tejada has played very well for the 'Stros, the pitching prospects received in return could blossom in the near future. Luke Scott has been steady at the plate and with the glove in left field. There are finally signs of progress in Baltimore. However, there has been one battle that Baltimorians have been fighting for decades, even before AngeLOSE owned the club. "Baltimore" was removed from the road jerseys in 1973 (one season after the Senators moved to Texas) in order to incorporate the Washingtonians as Oriole fans. The jersey switch was no bagatelle to Baltimorians.

As a man who loves jersey designs and the game of baseball, I think this is a great move by the Orioles. Why not? Washington now has its own baseball team. Washington baseball fans will always flock to Camden Yards because they know it's the best ballpark in the majors. AngeLose needs to win back the fans of Baltimore. The city can support the team by itself, as shown in the 1960's and 1970's (when Washington had a team through 1972). The Orioles have a storied tradition and the uniforms were very much a part of it. I scoff at the Phillies, Cardinals, Angels, and Rays for not placing their city's name on their road jerseys. It should be mandatory. If the Orioles aren't going to play like the championship teams of the late 60's and early 70's, at least they'll look like them.

Greed hits the Little Leagues

Winston-Salem, NC -- One of the more ludicrous stories that traveled across the news wire this week involved Major League Baseball (MLB) suing little leagues around the nation for the use of team logos and names. Because the team logos and names are trademarked, companies that produce the shirts, jerseys, and hats for Little League teams must cease production. If MLB is going to negate the use of their team names in Little League, wouldn't that create less enthusiasm and excitement for youngsters interested in watching their product? I know that MLB goes to great lengths protecting their patents and trademarks, and this use by Little Leagues may be a loophole, but c'mon, you're only casting MLB in a negative light; a greedy light for that matter.

One of the most anticipated parts of the Little League season was discovering which "team" you'd be playing for when the coaches would hand out the coveted shirts, hats, and pants before the first game. Growing up in suburban Maryland, every team wanted to be the Orioles. In my three years of Little League, I was the Braves(!), Giants, and Dodgers. I had a knack for the National League, what can I say. If you're going to take away that excitement and anticipation, MLB, then I hope the Supreme Court shoves it right back in your face. Baseball is a multi-billion dollar business. With different sporting options sprouting across the nation, the casual fan may choose to spend their entertainment dollars elsewhere. Not until somebody cuts a hole in that $6.5M revenue pouch will MLB try to "give back" to the fans.

P.S. -- I was always jealous of the Barnard Real Estate Services team jerseys. Not only did they have their names on the back every year, a la MLB style, but they had their first initial AND last name. Big Johnny always had to one-up us.

Financial Caution

Winston-Salem, NC -- As is the new trend in baseball front offices, more teams are locking up their younger players to long term contracts. The benefit to the player is that they achieve financial security without risking an injury. The gain that the club experiences is that the contract buys out the arbitration process (which could get expensive if the player produces in his first three seasons) and usually one or two years of free agency. Mark Shapiro initiated this trend by signing Grady Sizemore to a 6 year-$23.45M in early 2006. Sizemore is set for life with his $23M, and the club is able to save the potential tens of millions of dollars that Sizemore could have earned (by waiting for free agency and re-signing with the Tribe) when he hit the free agent market.

Before this new trend occurred, teams would salivate when eligible free agents hit the market. In the early part of this decade, we saw contracts spiral out of control. Now, teams are using extreme financial caution with free agents. Can you blame them? Let's look at the top 15 largest contracts in the history of baseball (courtesy of Cot's Baseball Contracts):

• Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees, $275,000,000 (2008-17)
• Alex Rodriguez, Texas, $252,000,000 (2001-10)
• Derek Jeter, New York Yankees, $189,000,000 (2001-10)
• Manny Ramirez, Boston, $160,000,000 (2001-08)
• Miguel Cabrera, Detroit, $152,300,000 (2008-15)
• Todd Helton, Colorado, $141,500,000 (2003-11)
• Johan Santana, New York Mets, $137,500,000 (2008-13)
• Alfonso Soriano, Chicago Cubs, $136,000,000 (2007-14)
• Vernon Wells, Toronto, $126,000,000 (2008-14)
• Barry Zito, San Francisco, $126,000,000 (2007-13)
• Mike Hampton, Colorado, $121,000,000 (2001-08)
• Jason Giambi, New York Yankees, $120,000,000 (2002-08)
• Carlos Beltran, New York Mets, $119,000,000 (2005-11)
• Ken Griffey Jr., Cincinnati Reds, $116,500,000 (2000-08)
• Kevin Brown, Los Angeles Dodgers, $105,000,000 (1999-2005)

Out of the 15 contracts above, I can label four of them as "deals." I am going to throw out the new A-Rod deal because it's too early to judge that one. However, do you get the feeling that the new contracts awarded this year to Miguel Cabrera, Vernon Wells, and Johan Santana are already going to be busts? The Tigers have already moved Cabrera to first base. He'll be an expensive DH in a year or two. Vernon Wells stopped hitting after 2006, and now he's injured. I wrote in last week's blog about the declining numbers of Johan Santana. So, which of these contracts have turned out well for the team?

• A-Rod's first whopper netted him 2 MVP's. He'll be the home run king before his new deal expires.
• Manny's deal looked terrible in 2003 when he was placed on waivers. Since then, he's won 2 World Series with the Sox.
• Jeter is the cornerstone of the Yankee franchise. He hasn't let the Steinbrenner's down with that mammoth deal.
• This one is kind of borderline, but Beltran has played well in New York following his first year there in 2005.

Here are the gophers:

Helton, Zito, Hampton, Giambi, Griffey, and Brown.

Soriano's contract grade can be given an "incomplete." When he's healthy, Sori has put up big numbers for the Cubs. I'd say this contract is still too early to judge.

Still, throwing out A-Rod's new deal and Soriano's contract, four out of 13 (31%) of these whopper contracts panned out well. However, when the player is ineffective, it can set a team back for years -- Rockies (Helton, Hampton), Rangers (A-Rod), Giants (Zito), Orioles (Belle), D-Backs (Glaus, Russ Ortiz), Mariners (Sexson, Beltre).

Frugal teams such as the D-Backs, Marlins, and Rays are proving that spending your money in scouting and developing your players can produce better results than a high priced free agent. Mark Teixeira is going to earn big bucks this offseason, but it'll be a few tens of millions of dollars less than he would have received had it been before Sizemore's landmark deal with Cleveland in March 2006.

A Run-In with the Past

Winston-Salem, NC -- Growing up, unless they were the hometown team, I always rooted for a new team to win the championship regardless of the sport. In doing so, teams that built dynasties became my least favorite teams. In hockey, the Red Wings either won the Cup or were eliminated in the Conference Finals. They became public enemy number one when they swept my Capitals in the 1998 Finals. In basketball, when the Lakers won three consecutive championships, I grew weary of them. Seeing Shaq and Kobe winning every year was not only monotonous, but unfair. Nobody could stop Shaq. They quickly became my least favorite team in the NBA. Because the Capitals and Wizards don't have clear-cut rivals, the Red Wings and Lakers were and have been my least favorite teams in hockey and basketball, respectively.

Baseball and football are a tad bit different. Growing up in Maryland and pulling for the Orioles, I have always been a Yankees hater. More fuel was added to the fire when that chode Jeffrey Maier cheated and robbed Tony Tarasco of catching Derek Jeter's "homerun." In all of sports, there is no team that I 'd rather see lose than the Yankees. This year has been fun so far, but they're prone for a second half run so I'm not getting my hopes up. The Redskins-Cowboys rivalry has existed for decades. Since I bleed burgundy and gold, no team will supersede the Cowboys at the top of my hate list.

While the early 2000's saw three of the four teams win a championship (Yankees - 2000; Lakers - 2000, 2001, 2002; Red Wings - 2002), all four have never been good at the same time. Still, with the Red Wings on the brink of winning another Stanley Cup and with the Lakers one game away from reaching the Finals, I'm feeling a bit nostalgic, a la 2002. So, Sidney Crosby, please score some goals and make this a series! Tim Duncan, in last week's blog, I proved that not everyone hates you and your team. Let's win one in LA, send it back to The Alamo, win another, and then it's up for grabs in game 7. If not, I'll be cheering for Boston's Big 3 next week. Yankees, please continue down your current path of awfulness. Tony Romo, please keep dating Jessica Simpson. It's time for new teams to try on a ring!

Eye on Santana

Winston-Salem, NC -- This week has been especially good to the Braves as they just completed a four game sweep of the division rival Mets. The Mets traded four prospects and shelled out $137.5M for Johan Santana, the pitcher who is supposed to insert a plug into prolonged losing streaks. Santana, in his two Cy Young seasons (2004 & 2006), was particularly strong in the second half of those seasons. But, last season marked a strong contrast. Santana faded badly during the last six weeks of the season and ended up going 15-13 with a 3.33 ERA. Those numbers are still pretty good in the hitter savy American League. However, when you begin to grind into the statistics a little bit more -- as in ratios! -- you'll see that those numbers can be misleading. Check out Santana's production for the last three years (courtesy of Buster Olney's blog):

• K's / 9 innings: 9.44 (2006), 9.66 (2007), 7.79 (2008)
• K / BB: 5.21, 4.52, 3.87
• Opponents' OPS: .616, .678, .723

"One AL scout who saw Santana pitch this year: 'His stuff isn't even close to what it was [with the Twins].'"

I'd still take Santana over any starter if I had to win one game. Although, Tim Hudson would be difficult to pass over when he's "on." However, his minor inconsistency plagues me from picking him. Santana has the amazing ability to change speeds, as in using that devastating change-up after throwing a 95 mph heater. He's also a fantastic athlete as proven by his hitting ability this year in the National League. He'll continue to be an "effective" pitcher into his 30's, but how much longer will his dominance last? Scouts and writers believed that by switching to the National League, Santana's numbers would improve more with the lack of hitting talent compared to the American League. As Olney points out, the August 17th game last year where Santana recorded 17 strikeouts has been marked as a turning point. Since that start, Santana has an ERA above 4, allowed 20 HR's in 111 innings with only 102 K's (well below his average per 9 innings). The scarier part of the equation is his contract. Look at the annual totals after this season:

• 2008: $19M
• 2009: $20M
• 2010: $21M
• 2011: $22.5M
• 2012: $24M
• 2013: $25.5M
• 2014: $25M club option ($5.5M buyout).

By 2013, Santana will be 34, hardly a geezer for a pitcher. But if his numbers are already in decline, do you think the Mets front office is a tad bit worried? Glad I'm not a Mets' fan...