2007 Hot Stove League Thread

[WorldB3]

Bloody hell. Now Beckett says that his back worsened over night, he isn't as encouraged as he was yesterday, and while he won't say it, I think its a given that he will not make the trip to Japan. And on top of that, Dice-K's wife is pregnant, her due date is the day that the team is supposed to leave for Japan. They are planning to have the baby in the States and he will be present for the birth. They say that he could still make the trip (and obviously the Red Sox were asked to play in Japan because of him) but who really knows? Right now it looks like Tim Wakefield and Jon Lester to open the season. That's just fucking great.

Y'all should be thankful that I haven't had a drink today or that post might have been a lot more vitriolic.

What about the rule that can't complain about your team the first four years after a championship?

Red Sox fans will never be happy. Jesus, you get four gimme's to open the season against my team that is putting out a triple A team.

Injuries? try having to watch (or not watching) Crosby, Chavez and Harden the last three years.

[Dan Gould]

Bloody hell. Now Beckett says that his back worsened over night, he isn't as encouraged as he was yesterday, and while he won't say it, I think its a given that he will not make the trip to Japan. And on top of that, Dice-K's wife is pregnant, her due date is the day that the team is supposed to leave for Japan. They are planning to have the baby in the States and he will be present for the birth. They say that he could still make the trip (and obviously the Red Sox were asked to play in Japan because of him) but who really knows? Right now it looks like Tim Wakefield and Jon Lester to open the season. That's just fucking great.

Y'all should be thankful that I haven't had a drink today or that post might have been a lot more vitriolic.

What about the rule that can't complain about your team the first four years after a championship?

Red Sox fans will never be happy. Jesus, you get four gimme's to open the season against my team that is putting out a triple A team.

I don't think they are "gimmes" if Harden starts two of them, and Beckett and Dice don't start any.

I'd probably be less concerned if there wasn't all this talk about "dynasties" and being odds on favorites to repeat. That puts more pressure on them, and right now they look awful between anemic bats, bad starters and injuries (Lugo is out now over a week with a 'sore back' and Coco hasn't played since March 2nd with a sore groin, in addition to Beckett.)

[zen archer]

I thought Francona said yesterday that Beckett came to the park and said he felt

better than he thought he would ?

No one is panicking here in Boston , at least in the media ....he should be fine with some rest.

Dan , my Dad told me that Lester looks strong so far , throwing hard is this true ?.......i havent

caught any games yet.

[Dan Gould]

I thought Francona said yesterday that Beckett came to the park and said he felt

better than he thought he would ?

No one is panicking here in Boston , at least in the media ....he should be fine with some rest.

Dan , my Dad told me that Lester looks strong so far , throwing hard is this true ?.......i havent

caught any games yet.

Zen, you're news is out of date. The Globe is reporting this morning that Beckett came to the park feeling much worse than he did the day before. Couldn't get comfortable, didn't sleep much. The blog has his transcribed comments. Unless he gets better real fast, I can't see him getting his pitch count up enough and even then they won't want to put him through a 17 hour flight. The good news though would be that if both Beckett and Dice miss the trip, they can come back to pitch games 3 & 4 in Oakland. Its not as good as having those two pitch the first four games but its something.

As for Lester, I think he had a real good outing against the Mets today. At least, he started and the game was scoreless into the bottom of the eighth. I did hear that he has said that his fastball has a lot more get up on it, that hitters are reacting late to it. He is above his pre-Cancer weight so I think there is good hope that we'll see the guy that we thought we had when he was the top prospect in the system. With a 95 mph fastball and enough command, I think Lester could be a 15 game winner/low 4.00 ERA guy this year. Easily.

Update:

Lester struck out five in four scoreless innings today. Now if Buchholz could regain his missing form, we'd be in better shape.

Edited March 10, 2008 by Dan Gould

[BERIGAN]

Here's Clayton Kershaw's curve....check out the reaction of the always even keeled Vin Scully!

[Dan Gould]

Here's Clayton Kershaw's curve....check out the reaction of the always even keeled Vin Scully!

Yeah, that's a great curveball. But you know what? During his no-hitter, Clay Buchholz threw a curve that looked at least as good. And there's a lefty on the Cubs staff that throws the same kinda curve, last year I saw examples that were even sicker than that one. So, all credit for being 19 years old and having stuff like that but really, let's win a few ball games before we reserve the spot in Cooperstown or start comparing him to Koufax.

[BERIGAN]

Here's Clayton Kershaw's curve....check out the reaction of the always even keeled Vin Scully!

Yeah, that's a great curveball. But you know what? During his no-hitter, Clay Buchholz threw a curve that looked at least as good. And there's a lefty on the Cubs staff that throws the same kinda curve, last year I saw examples that were even sicker than that one. So, all credit for being 19 years old and having stuff like that but really, let's win a few ball games before we reserve the spot in Cooperstown or start comparing him to Koufax.

Yes, let's keep his hype down to the level of Clay Buchholz! And let's see, Clay has 3 more career wins than Clayton, and he's what...almost 4 years older??? Loser! Trade him for a bag of balls before it's too late!!! Kidding, kidding!! He looks great, and I am sure he will have a fine year, and career.

Steve Avery had the best curve from a left hander, I ever saw....didn't have a very long career either(Funny, you never hear how Bobby Cox ruined his arm, do you?)

I do remember a line Mr. Koufax said after Dwight Gooden at the age of 20, went 24-4 with a 1.53 ERA. "I'd rather have his future, than my past" Of course pitching 276 innings at that age, didn't help him long term either. Ever hear people say Davey Johnson ruined his arm????

We really have no idea how these young kids will turn out, but it is fun to wonder how could they can be!

[Dan Gould]

So what does everyone think about the situation brewing between the Yankees and Rays?

To summarize:

In a recent game, a AAA second baseman with little hope of making the team was a dead duck heading for home, decided to put his shoulder down and run over the catcher, who held onto the ball but broke his wrist (he's the Yankees top-ranked catching prospect).

The Yankees bitch and moan about how this isn't the way the game is played in Spring Training. Girardi especially bitches and moans to the extent that his friend and former colleague Don Zimmer said "shut the fuck up - we never got the memo that you don't play the game right in Spring Training, and anyway, what if slides into the catcher and breaks his leg? No one says anything." And Shelley Duncan, who I think is going to piss off a lot of AL opponents this year because of his big mouth and modest skills (kinda like a combination Wally Backman/Lenny Dykstra), ran his mouth about what might happen if he is rounding third and the catcher has the ball.

Well, today was the first game since the earlier contest and it started in the very first inning. A Yankee scrub, filling in for Pettitte, threw across the chest of Rays stud prospect, Evan Longoria, and was immediately tossed.

Then in the second inning, Duncan hits a routine single to left and decides to "try" to stretch it into a double. He's dead to rights and comes in spikes high. What a punk. Johnny Gomes came across from right field and tackled him as he tried to get up. Duncan, Gomes, and two Yankee coaches were ejected.

IMO, MLB should absolutely give Duncan a 3 to 5 game suspension for the start of the year. This is certainly similar, if not quite as bad, as Julian Tavarez in 2006, swinging at a runner after a wild pitch in a spring training game. And iirc, he got suspended 10 games. With Duncan running his mouth ahead of time, and the apparent fact that he tried to stretch the double specifically so that he'd have a clear shot at the catcher, that's easily worth 5 games.

And best of all, as the Sox learned a few years ago, when you get into it with the Rays, they don't forget. I say go head-hunting with A-Rod and Jeter next time. They'll think twice about being pussy whiners about a completely legitimate, if unfortunate, play.

[vajerzy]

Ethan Johnson's (?) play was legit and fine by me. The catcher didn't give him a look at the plate and the runner had no choice other than to knock him down. He's a rookie and out to make a good impression- and if he made a weak slide I'm sure the Mgr would call him out on it- not tough enough- Johnson gave his all on that play.

Duncan's slide was wrong because it was spikes high. I played shortstop and I always got into a guys face when he came in spikes high...mostly by accident. I have some scars on my legs from spikes high.

I played baseball through college and in adult league and when you step across the lines- expect to be hit and have some rough play. I think the Rays are geting a new attitude- dropped "Devil", got rid of the troublemakers like Delmon Young and that nut case Elijah Dukes- and have some good young talent. Heck- Carl Crawford bowled over a catcher last week. They don't want to be dorrmats anymore and what better place to make a stament than against the Evil Empire?

[Dan Gould]

Ethan Johnson's (?) play was legit and fine by me. The catcher didn't give him a look at the plate and the runner had no choice other than to knock him down. He's a rookie and out to make a good impression- and if he made a weak slide I'm sure the Mgr would call him out on it- not tough enough- Johnson gave his all on that play.

Duncan's slide was wrong because it was spikes high. I played shortstop and I always got into a guys face when he came in spikes high...mostly by accident. I have some scars on my legs from spikes high.

I played baseball through college and in adult league and when you step across the lines- expect to be hit and have some rough play. I think the Rays are geting a new attitude- dropped "Devil", got rid of the troublemakers like Delmon Young and that nut case Elijah Dukes- and have some good young talent. Heck- Carl Crawford bowled over a catcher last week. They don't want to be dorrmats anymore and what better place to make a stament than against the Evil Empire?

Exactly, and the way he tried to stretch it into a double so that he'd have the opportunity to come in spikes high made it even more obvious what his intent and malice aforethought was. He really should get a ten game suspension.

[vajerzy]

Can't wait to watch Sports Center for the highlights!!

There's different ways to get back at players......in adult league I had a big 1st baseman who applied hard tags on throwovers with a runner on first....well a guy was mouthing off to me (I'm pitching) and I walked him and I threw over 6 times and my first baseman was nailing him with a tag right in the thigh- same spot each time.....he wasn't a base stealing threat.....runner complained to the ump and the ump just smiled and didn't do anything- I threw a few pitches then did a couple of throwovers- same hard tag...then the runner tried to steal second because he didn't want to get tagged anymore. He was out by a mile. Next time up I threw balls outside- he wised up and swung at everything and struck out. He was a quiet guy whenever we played them again and we played normal baseball from then on.

Edited March 13, 2008 by vajerzy

[Dan Gould]

Can't wait to watch Sports Center for the highlights!!

Yeah but apparently there was only a low, right field camera in use (no TV broadcast), so there's no view of exactly where he hit it - I said it wasn't a double to begin with, but apparently it ticked off Longoria's glove and skipped away from him. He was still out by ten feet and went for the extra base to flash his spikes.

And I find it interesting that his claim about the slide is that he had a choice - go in "weird" to try to get around him or aim your spikes at his glove. Well, how does an infielder slap a tag on a runner? He puts his glove down in front of the base and lets him slide into it (he definitely doesn't reach for the runner because the foot can slip in, and he sure as hell doesn't hold his glove at waist level which is where Duncan's spike came in and hit him.

I'd respect Duncan more if he simply said "I did it to protect a teammate and if they go after another of my teammates in the future, I'll do it again."

[Dan Gould]

There's different ways to get back at players......in adult league I had a big 1st baseman who applied hard tags on throwovers with a runner on first....well a guy was mouthing off to me (I'm pitching) and I walked him and I threw over 6 times and my first baseman was nailing him with a tag right in the thigh- same spot each time.....he wasn't a base stealing threat.....runner complained to the ump and the ump just smiled and didn't do anything- I threw a few pitches then did a couple of throwovers- same hard tag...then the runner tried to steal second because he didn't want to get tagged anymore. He was out by a mile. Next time up I threw balls outside- he wised up and swung at everything and struck out. He was a quiet guy whenever we played them again and we played normal baseball from then on.

[BERIGAN]

Here's a nice story on the best hitter no one knows about....even his manager seems pretty clueless about him!

Persistence Makes Him a Hit

By Dick Scanlon

WINTER HAVEN | Matt Diaz had two strikes on him when he showed up for spring training two years ago. He was almost 28 years old and had spent most of the preceding seven years in the Tampa Bay and Kansas City minor league systems. But from Day One with the Atlanta Braves, his career took an abrupt turn for the better.

"My first spring training in Tampa Bay I was (jersey number) 99. In Kansas City, I was No. 74," he recalled. "When I walked in my first spring training here, No. 23 was hanging in my locker. I said: 'Oh my goodness, I may have a shot.' "

Diaz still wears No. 23 for the Braves. He has a growing young family and a .320 career batting average, and he just signed his first million-dollar contract. Every morning, he leaves from his Winter Haven home at 6:30 and drives to Disney's Wide World of Sports, where the Braves train in the spring.

No wonder it's his favorite time of the year.

"I don't take it for granted, my wife doesn't take it for granted," Diaz said. "Before this started, I was with three teams in two years."

"It's great being around the same group. Now, that's not to say this isn't a business and things couldn't change immediately; I could get traded tomorrow. But just coming to camp with the same group of guys is a refreshing feeling."

At almost every stage of his career, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Diaz has had to overcome the perception that there is nothing exceptional about him as an athlete.

"A lot of people focus too much on the body, or on the athleticism, or on the arm strength," said Mike Martin, his coach at Florida State. "He just doesn't profile as a professional star, but the numbers don't lie. We're playing a game of skill, not necessarily of great athletic ability."

Diaz got his big break at the professional level when Braves manager Bobby Cox watched some video of his swing in December 2005. By then the Devil Rays and Royals had pretty much written Diaz off, and he was having doubts about continuing the pursuit of his dream.

"The week before my first call-up in Tampa (in 2003), we were at a Wal-Mart, and I wanted Mach3 razor blades," he said. "My wife and I looked at each other; we couldn't afford 'em. So I said I'll just shave with the disposable razors and nick my face up. And then three or four days later I get called up to the big leagues, and (in the clubhouse in St. Petersburg) the first thing I notice in the bathroom is Mach3s lined up everywhere.

"It got me to thinking: 'What am I doing to this poor girl? She's a college girl, she's been on the dean's list and I can't afford to buy good razor blades for us.'"

But Cox liked Diaz's swing, and on Dec. 19, 2005, the Braves traded pitcher Ricardo Rodriguez to the Royals for him.

"When we got him, his reputation was he could hit," Cox said. "He got a chance to play a lot more with us, and he hit. Some guys, for one reason or another, don't get a chance to get in there. He's taken advantage of it and made the most of it."

Matthew E. Diaz was born March 3, 1978, in Portland, Ore., the son of parents who had been athletes at the University of Pennsylvania. His father, Ed Diaz, is a nondenominational minister who soon moved the family to Atlanta briefly, then to Lake Wales and to Lakeland.

Matt had the advantages of having a baseball enthusiast as a dad and three brothers who played baseball well. His older brother, Zach, was a left-handed pitcher who preceded Matt to FSU.

Matt was primarily a catcher at Santa Fe Catholic High School in Lakeland. To this day, he is the Braves' emergency catcher and also fills in at first base occasionally. John Carpenter, his coach at Santa Fe, still thinks that is his best position.

"He had instincts at first base, things you can't coach," said Carpenter, now the coach at All Saints' Academy in Winter Haven. "But I think he's become an above-average outfielder without getting credit for it. He's always been the kind of person that if you let him know what he's weak at, he'll do what he has to do to get better."

Diaz hit .384 with 43 home runs in two years at FSU. It was there that he met Leslee, his wife, who had grown up in Winter Haven. They live in southeast Winter Haven with their two children.

The Devil Rays drafted Diaz in the 17th round in 1999. After a couple of years, it became clear he had to get out of their system to succeed.

"It's no knock on them. Look at the outfielders they had - Rocco (Baldelli), (Carl) Crawford, (Delmon) Young," Diaz said. "They had a logjam of good, young outfielders and I was on the older side of that, so I was not going to get a look."

He got four brief looks from the Royals in 2005, but the Braves proved to be the right fit. Cox appreciates Diaz's positional flexibility and Diaz has produced consistently as a hitter. He was rewarded this winter with a $1.225 million, one-year contract, not enormous by major league standards but not bad for a guy who had to buy cheap razor blades not long ago.

So far, the highlight of Diaz's career came in August 2006, when he tied a 109-year-old National League record with hits in 10 consecutive plate appearances. It is the kind of record his father would have expected him to get.

"He's always been streaky, and when he gets on a roll you can't get him out," Ed Diaz said. "The Braves got him when he was healthy and hot."

As much of a kick as the hitting streak was, Matt takes more pride in his .320 career average. "The 10 hits ... people can get hot," he said. "That was fun. It did kind of get me on the national scene for a second, and it was a lot of fun to get a printout of all the people who had that record. I couldn't believe that record had been around that long and I was part of it. But I've always thought a batting average is a measure of consistency, and to me that's more important."

When his playing career is over, Diaz plans to either coach or go into the ministry. He has no way of knowing how long this career will last, but he is enjoying the ride, even the recognition part. He recently overheard a little boy saying: "Mom, that's Matt Diaz!"

"She looked at him and goes: 'No way, he's too short,'" Diaz recalled. "I just kind of smiled and gave the kid a wink, like I understood what he said."

http://www.theledger.com/article/20080310/NEWS/803100364

[vajerzy]

First off- I'm a Phillies fan......with that in mind, I really respect the Braves as an organization top to bottom and particularly like Bobby Cox as a manager. I like Matt Diaz because he genuinely appreciates being in the majors and he really fleshes out the team as a utility player. The Braves have a winning formula that I envy.

This is the last year for the Braves in Richmond (AAA), they leave for Gwynett County next year. It was fun watching the baby Braves before they made it to Atlanta. I'm going to miss them. They're leaving because of the dipsh*t mayor of Richmond who the Braves got fed up with- and I don't blame them.

The Braves are a class organization.

[Dan Gould]

I have to say that there's a chance that the Sox got the steal of the year in signing Bartolo Colon. He pitched briefly in winter ball and apparently topped out around 89, which scared most teams away. But yesterday in his first ST appearance, he topped out at 94, was consistently 92-93 on his fastball. Its not the 100 MPH heat he had in his prime but if he stays healthy and presumably adds arm strength and velocity, he could be 95-96 when he's ready to go, and with his history he ought to be a very effective number 5. And with Buchholz being a little out of whack on his motion, I see no harm in letting him start at Pawtucket, with the message that he needs to dominate and force the issue to get back to the big club. I'd feel better with Colon than Tavarez or Snyder, that's for sure.

Buchholz, Masterson and possibly Schilling waiting in the wings? Me likey.

[Dan Gould]

I have to say that Joe Girardi is proving himself as much of a punk as Shelley Duncan. He claims that he still hasn't watched the video of Duncan's slide and therefore still doesn't know if it was right or wrong. Yeah right - that's why he went ahead and had a little sit-down with Duncan about his play. The tabs are saying that Girardi might miss Opening Day at the Stadium if he is suspended, and I think that should happen.

[Dan Gould]

And here's a perfect column about how fast Girardi was with declaring his opinion of the appropriateness of the play that injured his catcher yet how slow he is to offer an opinion on what Duncan did, and how it all adds up to one word, hypocrisy.

So, Girardi, where's your rush to judgment now?

By John Romano, Times Columnist

Published Thursday, March 13, 2008 8:58 PM

TAMPA

I don't mind that Joe Girardi feels obligated to protect every player in a Yankees uniform. That is what a good manager does.

And I don't mind that Girardi felt Rays infielder Elliot Johnson crossed a line by bowling over Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli in a spring training game last week. No matter what the Rays, or Pete Rose, or anyone else says, baseball has always had unspoken rules about the time and place for aggressive play.

What I do mind is that now Girardi is acting like a hypocrite.

The New York manager continues to tap dance his way around questions concerning Shelley Duncan's spikes-high slide into Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura.

Girardi tried to avoid the topic after Wednesday's game, and then again 24 hours later. He said he still hasn't seen a replay, despite video on ESPN, numerous newspaper Web sites and several YouTube posts.

What's disturbing here is that Girardi didn't feel the need to wait before criticizing Johnson and Rays manager Joe Maddon last week. Back then, he used words like "disheartening" and "scary" and "uncalled for."

Now, Girardi says he was too busy watching American Idol and entertaining Billy Crystal to bother with the small matter of watching a replay.

Look, it's not hard to figure out what's going on here. Girardi does not want to publicly criticize one of his own players, and so he is doing what he can to diffuse the situation. He is trying to show the rest of the clubhouse that his foxhole is large enough for 25 guys to huddle inside.

That would be fine, except Girardi jumped on his moral high horse last week, and now looks silly on this dime-store merry-go-round he is riding.

"It's just the way I'm choosing to do it. I'm sorry if you don't like it," Girardi said. "As I said, I don't like dirty baseball, I don't want to see players get hurt, whether it's spring training or the season. I would be mad at one of my players if he intentionally tried to hurt someone. And I would let him know."

Intelligent people can disagree about the appropriateness of Johnson's play at the plate last week. You can say, as Don Zimmer has, that baseball is meant to be played hard no matter what page of the calendar you are on. You can say, as Girardi has, that spring training has a different sort of etiquette, and Johnson is guilty of violating it.

I can see the merit in both arguments.

Where I see no room for argument is in the intent. No one has suggested Johnson was intentionally trying to harm Cervelli. It's a shame Cervelli was injured, and it's understandable if the Yankees are upset because Johnson might have been overly aggressive, but there was no malice involved.

You would have to be awfully gullible, or dishonest, to say malice was not in Duncan's mind.

You would have to believe it was just a coincidence that Duncan was involved in this play when, days before, he suggested retaliation might be on the way.

You would have to believe Duncan thought it was a wise decision to stretch a single when it was obvious he was going to be thrown out by several yards.

You would have to believe Duncan needs remedial sliding courses because he slid across the bag and with his spikes aimed at Iwamura's midsection.

Frankly, all of that requires more faith than I possess. From this vantage point, Duncan was, at the very least, trying to inflict pain. And now he is hiding behind phony-baloney lines about playing hard.

How about this: If you're tough enough to aim your spikes near someone's groin, then at least have the stones to admit it afterward.

Look, I'm all for old-style retaliation. It is part of baseball's charm that players have always policed themselves on the field. But there are proper ways to retaliate, and then there are cheap shots.

What Duncan did was a cheap shot.

Think of it as a beanball war. Your pitcher hits my cleanup hitter, so one of my pitchers is eventually going to get your cleanup hitter somewhere down the line. But what a pitcher does not do is throw behind a hitter's head. That goes beyond retaliation and flirts with danger.

By the same token, the Yankees would have been within their rights to bowl over a Rays catcher or take out a middle infielder on a double play. But Duncan crossed the line of propriety. And he did it purposefully.

For Girardi to avoid addressing that issue is disappointing. We're not talking about some 20-year-old fueled by testosterone who is too macho to admit a play might have gone too far. Girardi is a smart man, and he has the reputation of being an honorable man.

The problem is, you do not get to choose to turn character on and off. Either you have it, or you do not. Girardi talked a good game last week when he wanted his players to know he was standing up for Cervelli, but now is putting integrity on hold when it becomes inconvenient.

Duncan went over the line. Everyone knows it.

Just say it is so, Joe.

[Dan Gould]

Well, good news for Red Sox Nation: Dice K's wife gave birth five days before her due date, so now there is little doubt that Matsuzaka will make the trip to Japan. And Beckett's back has improved steadily but I am sure they will be smart and not have him go to Japan. So long as he is ready for the third or fourth game in Oakland, that's fine, although it would have been a nice advantage, potentially, if Beckett and Dice started twice in the first four games.

[BERIGAN]

Check out this 1921 Popular Science story on Babe Ruth, and why he was the greatest home run hitter!!!!

http://www.popsci.com/node/9595

[Soulstation1]

Anyone looking for a 60 YO lead off hitter?

If so contact billy crystal

[Tim McG]

Nah.

The only pitch he hit fouled off his bat....then he was rung up two pitches later.

One SO, no sale.

Sorry.

[zen archer]

Check out this 1921 Popular Science story on Babe Ruth, and why he was the greatest home run hitter!!!!

http://www.popsci.com/node/9595

Read this below about the Babe , he either got his superhuman power from the bourbon whiskey , the 18 hot dogs or

gonorrhea .

Babe Ruth’s extraordinary journey from a Catholic reform school in Baltimore to the storied confines of Yankee Stadium in the Bronx made him the idol of a nation. The ballplayer of ballplayers, Babe was also a man who indulged in earthly pleasures, as sportswriter H.G. Salsinger noted, “He could eat more, drink more, smoke more, swear more, and enjoy himself more than any contemporary.” A legendary gourmand, Babe was fond of drinking a quart mixture of bourbon whiskey and ginger ale at breakfast, before attacking a porterhouse steak garnished with half-a-dozen fried eggs and potatoes on the side.

During an eating binge just prior to his collapse on a train ride in April 1925. Babe reportedly gorged himself on a dozen to eighteen hot dogs before blacking out, and a week later he was at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York, undergoing surgery for an intestinal abscess. New York writers termed his illness “The Bellyache Heard Round the World,” but in recent years historians have speculated that Babe actually suffered from gonorrhea and not acute indigestion.

Edited March 16, 2008 by zen archer

[zen archer]

Good for the Players !!!!!

Red Sox End Threatened Boycott Of Japan Trip!

BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox boycott of their final game in Florida and season-opener in Japan ended Wednesday when a pay dispute over compensation for their coaches was resolved.

Wednesday's game started about one hour late. It is the last before the team leaves for Japan, where the Sox are scheduled to open their season on March 25 with two games against Oakland.

Earlier in the day, the team had voted unanimously to boycott the game against the Toronto Blue Jays and their planned trip to Japan unless Major League Baseball agreed to compensate coaches for the season-opener overseas.

"Everyone connected with the trip will be fairly compensated," baseball spokesman Rich Levin said.

Team spokesman John Blake did not say how the dispute was resolved.

The controversy started when manager Terry Francona found out that the teams' players and managers will be paid an extra $40,000 for the trip to the Far East, but the coaching staffs from both Boston and Oakland would not receive the appearance fee.

Francona said that the coaching staffs of all previous MLB teams that made the trip to Japan were paid the same stipend as the players.

"I did not have an off day yesterday. I had the phone glued to my ear because I was promised some answers, and I haven't even received a phone call," Francona said. "So I'm a little bit stuck. What I want to do this morning is get excited to play a baseball game and what I ended up doing is apologizing to the coaches and being humiliated."

The Red Sox had refused to take the field at Wednesday's game, which was scheduled to begin at 12:07 p.m. The team did not take batting practice, but shortly before the game Coco Crisp and Dustin Pedroia stretched for a few minutes before returning to the clubhouse. The team eventually took the field at about 1:15 p.m.

If the issue was not resolved by Wednesday night, Red Sox players said that they would not board the flight to Japan.

Some fans said that they agree with the players for boycotting because the coaching staff deserves the same pay.

"What's $40,000 for Major League Baseball, you know? I mean the coaches make a lot less than the players do," one fan said. "What is fair is fair."

"If a promise was made, you should honor the promise. They obviously were expecting things, and it's respectable for the players to be looking out for the bullpen catches and looking out for what they were promised and what they are going to get. They do a great service to the team. They play an important role, I think," another fan said.

Edited March 19, 2008 by zen archer

[Dan Gould]

I think the players did the right thing sticking up for the trainers and coaches, but from what I've read MLB feels like it was made out to be the bad guy when they didn't make the call to eliminate those folks from the pool of revenue that gets divided. Youkilis made it sound like the conference call was to blame, that nothing was in writing even if the players understood that the coaches would get taken care of ... but in the end they are on their way, the game got played today so I got to see a ST broadcast, and the coaches and trainers are going to get a minimum of $40,000 each (with equal shares, the revenue may allow for a bigger payout, which is even better for guys like the bullpen catcher, who works for $30,000 a season).