Thursday Night Open Thread

January 16, 2014 by Mike Axisa 58 Comments

You might have seen this by now, but Mark Teixeira and (a noticeably slimmer) CC Sabathia appeared on Jimmy Fallon’s show last night to perform a scene from August: Osage County. I haven’t seen the film, but from what I understand Teixeira was playing Meryl Streep’s character while Sabathia was Julia Roberts’ character. They both did pretty well and the bit is kinda funny. Teixeira is still the whitest guy on Earth though.

Here is your nightly open thread. All five of the local hockey and basketball teams are playing, so talk about those games, Sabathia and Teixeira, or anything else right here. Have at it.

Anthony

JulieDiCaro: #Cubs are “major players” for Tanaka. One source would be “surprised if they DON’T get him.”

JulieDiCaro: I’ve also been told the #Cubs have “scouted Tanaka to death” and are “all in.”
- Mykey
  
  LA LA LA not listening!
  - Kenny
    
    You’re right. LA’s not listening, and they’re going to get him.
- Bo Knows
  
  Welcome to the club Cubs, You’re the 3rd team who someone has said they would be “surprised” if they don’t get him. Also probably the smallest threat because they suck, and Tanaka has made it clear there are 3 cities he’s wants to play in and Chicago ain’t one of them
Pinkie Pie

That was actually pretty damn funny. The bit could have gone on a bit longer, though.
nsalem

Dodgers tweeted they have a special announcement Friday morning 10am. BoSox Injection sight claims it’s to sign Tanaha 6/120 . Can’t find reports anywhere else though.
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
  
  They’re announcing the Kershaw deal.
  - nsalem
    
    Hope that’s true. This is where I read it.
    
    http://bosoxinjection.com/2014/01/16/tanaka-a-dodger/
    - RetroRob
      
      I won’t even click on a site named BosoxInjection, unless it chronicles the PED usage of their players.
      
      It’s not Tanaka. Even if they had a deal they wouldn’t announce it that way and that quickly.
- nsalem
  
  Tanaka
http://www.flickr.com/photos/roadgeek Roadgeek Adam

Mark Reynolds likely to MIL.
- Tom
  
  We can only hope.
  
  Still don’t get people’s interest in the guy (and that’s even with the current motley crew of IF’s on the team).
- CashmanNinja
  
  I found that a bit surprising because it’s apparently a minor league deal. That’s the same thing the Yankees (and probably a lot of others teams) offered him. I think he had a legit chance to at least see a lot of playing time as a platoon, but maybe he’s hoping that he’ll get a full time role with the Brewers — if he even makes the team.
  - forensic
    
    One report says it’s likely a MiLB deal while another says he’s expected to be their everyday 1B. That’s why you don’t both reading much into the reports on the mediocre (or worse) players until it’s more announced by the team.
    
    Either way, I agree with Tom. I had zero interest in him too. The only thing that sucks is that since he’s in the NL the Yankees won’t have much chance to duplicate the .043/.179/.087 line he put up against them last season.
    - Tom
      
      Careful what you wish for – he also had that span where he smoked the Yankees too (I want to say 2nd half of 2011?).
      
      I think that memory might be why there are may be a lot of people perceive him as a serviceable/decent option.
      - Tom
        
        Who that last sentence is some real solid English!
        
        Tom
        
        “Whoo”
        (I’m just going to stop now)
      - vicki
        
        he feasted on us in 2012; sox too for that matter. before the 20-odd plate appearances the first half of 2013 he always got it up for the yankees.
        
        nsalem
        
        vicki I predict someone may soon respond to the last 8 words of your comment.
        
        Jorge Steinbrenner
        
        That’s the way it should always be, vicki.
        
        #lasteightwords
        
        nsalem
        
        or #lastatewords
      - forensic
        
        I know, 2012 he really hit them, and 2011 was a bit too. But, that was largely fueled by guys who aren’t Yankees anymore: Colon, Garcia, Burnett, Chamberlain, and Hughes.
        
        He did a little work against Sabathia and Kuroda, but not enough that it would really concern me too much, especially with his overall drop in production over the last couple of seasons.
ropeadope

Teixeira is still the whitest guy on Earth though.

My vote goes to Edgar Winter.

http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/71182640/Edgar%2BWinter%2Bedgarwinter.jpg
Anthony

jaysonst: In non-replay news, amazing how many owners in Ariz. were convinced #Cubs are ready to blow away the field & sign Tanaka to a monster deal.
- CashmanNinja
  
  The only way I feel they would “blow” teams out of the water is if they offered Tanaka something like $190-200 mil. If they can’t go that high then I feel there’s literally no incentive for Tanaka to sign with them since they most likely won’t be contenders. Yankees and Dodgers represent the best places in terms of getting money AND winning. Why choose 1 when you can have both?
  - Anthony
    
    Maybe the idea of being the star of a “rising team” is really appealing to Tanaka…oh, and probably the MASSIVE contract they’re offering. It’s very possible the Cubs have blown everyone away.
    - Havok9120
      
      Do you have any convictions about him and his destination besides that the Yankees won’t get him?
    - Jorge Steinbrenner
      
      The Cubs have been on the rise for about half a century.
      - nsalem
        
        According to the ad they should have sought medical attention after 4 hours.
        
        Havok9120
        
        Always interesting when the Open Thread goes in this direction.
        
        Klemy
        
        Rimshot required here.
sevrox

What’s a bit disconcerting is how skinny CC is. Ain’t no fastball in that body, no more.
- Havok9120
  
  Yeah, because no one under 300 pounds has ever broken 91.
  - Macho Man “Randy Levine”
    
    So what you’re saying is that I’m probably able to throw 98 consistently?
Dale Mohorcic

Well, when you put it like that. . . .

Rodriguez used the opt-out after the 2007 season, and used the leverage to negotiate a new 10 year, $275 million contract that now looks like maybe the worst contract in sports history. By opting out, Rodriguez replaced the remaining $81 million over three years with that $275 million over 10 years, so essentially, he used the opt-out to negotiate an extra seven year, $194 million extension, and he’s only produced +6.4 WAR since the new money kicked in. Even if you subtract out the $25 million that he won’t be paid due to his 2014 suspension, the new money part of the extension will have cost the Yankees about $26 million per win, assuming he doesn’t produce any more value for them going forward.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/clayton-kershaw-and-the-rise-of-the-opt-out-clause/

How is Randy Levine still employed? He’s kind of like Isaiah Thomas was to the Knicks.
- vicki
  
  i’m no randy levine fan, but he’s not even in isiah’s league of management failure.
TopChuckie

Something to think about while bemoaning the current 3B candidates, how excited would you be if the Yanks just brought in Scott Brosius circa 1997 to start at 3B? Would he be a whole lot more glamorous? Turned out pretty well.

How excited were you about Paul O’Neill when he arrived?

These were not big name free agents or trade targets. Sure they might have been joining a better nucleus then than they would be today, but still, they went on to be very productive and valuable in their own right.

There’s been a lot of talk about emulating the Red Sox from last year, by adding middle of the road free agents to an existing and largely homegrown nucleus, but the Red Sox were more or less emulating the Yankees of the ’90s. Hope it doesn’t continue to turn out as well.
- forensic
  
  Well, let’s not overstate things. Brosius coming in wasn’t exactly a nothing. He was horrible in 1997, but in 1995 and 1996 he was good (he was actually better in 1996 than 1998 or 2001 with the Yankees). So, the ability had at least been shown before. And in 2 of his 4 Yankees seasons he wasn’t very good. Kelly Johnson could be a similar type of situation to Brosius. He’s had good seasons before, and if a few extra hits/homers fall in/go out, I could see him being a productive player. He’s not quite at Brosius’ level defensively though.
  
  O’Neill had 6 straight above average to good seasons offensively with the Reds before the Yankees traded for him. He certainly wasn’t a nobody, and given he was still in his prime and going to YS, a boost for him as a lefty wasn’t totally shocking.
  
  And, as you said, the surrouding parts on those teams were better (far better in several cases) than what the Yankees have now.
- Tom
  
  Scott Brosious was one year removed from a near 6 WAR season when the Yankees got him. I would be ecstatic if the Yankees had someone like that…can you point me to that IF’r on the roster you are comparing him to? Because I’ll get excited about the signing of that player.
  
  Paul O’Neill in the 3 years before he came to the Yankees posted 8.4 WAR. I would love a guy who put up just under 3 WAR/yr. When the Yankees trade for that, I think it will be a great step.
  
  It’s not about emulating the Red Sox, it’s about finding some solid players and not always getting the shiny object/big name at risk of filling out a roster with a lot of scrap. Brosious and O’Neill are great examples of that strategy.
  - Tom
    
    Or basically – “what Forensic said”
    (should have refreshed)
- Jorge Steinbrenner
  
  This crop wishes they were Scotty Brosius on his worst day.
Kevin G.

I used to think CC struggling because he lost weight was a load of bull, but now I’m not so sure.
- vicki
  
  same here. i figure it’s something akin to puberty, when your body changes rapidly and it takes a bit to get used to it.
JGYank

CC signs with Roc Nation according to MLB trade rumors. Its on his and Roc Nation’s twitter as well.
Jorge Steinbrenner

I think I’ve officially reached my saturation point with Tanaka rumors. I really just want to fast-forward to the endgame at this point.
- Havok9120
  
  I got there about a month ago.
- nsalem
  
  Close is doing a really great job of keeping these negotiations a private affair. I’m starting to think that we will be shocked by how high the bidding winds up. It’s quite possible that Seattle and the Cubs are for more deperate than the Yankees for Tanaka and the Dodgers seem obsessed. It may be that it will take more than 20 millon a year and six years to make this acquisiton. As it stands now at 20 million for 6 years it would cost the Yankees more than it cost the Dodgers to sign Kershaw if you include the posting fees and the luxury tax hit. I wouldn’t kill the Yankees if they found it prudent to walk away from this and found it more prudent to spend their money elsewhere.
  - Jorge Steinbrenner
    
    STOP PLEASE STOP I’LL GIVE YOU ALL MY MONEY
    - nsalem
      
      Only if you can tell me why the French only eats one egg at a time.
Mr. Roth

So apparently CC has signed on with Jay-Z’s agency.

https://twitter.com/CC_Sabathia/status/423981744031674369/photo/1
OldYanksFan

Jesus… a boldfaced, outright lie from Manfred visa-vi the ARod case.

“Among them was Manfred’s assertion that Rodriguez tried to bribe Bosch by wiring money to Bosch’s criminal attorney, Susy Ribero-Ayala. 60 Minutes showed a paper with the wired sum: $49,901.51. It was a bizarrely precise figure for an unsolicited bribe, but Manfred claimed it convinced him that Rodriguez had tried to buy Bosch’s testimony.”

Now read the article and tell me there’s even a 0.01% chance it was a bribe.
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/01/did-a-rod-really-try-to-bribe-tony-bosch.html

Man…. MLB is sooooooooooooooooo dirty in this.
- Pinkie Pie
  
  Too bad that the court of public opinion, and more importantly Fredric Horowitz, have already made up their minds.
- nsalem
  
  60 Minutes also claimed that Bosch refunded the money, but we did not see proof of that. Manfred and MLB looks worse to me than Bosch and A-Rod. I also have yet to see any evidence to the claim that A-Rod was a ringleader in recruiting players to do steroids which is something MLB has been tryong to convince the pulic of for many months.
- Farewell Mo
  
  Even If the $49,901 was sent to Bosch’s attorney in error, what do you call the $25,000 previously sent to her, a charitable donation?
JB Early

Only way I’d ever watch that awful flick is if Tex & CC were playing those roles. That movie is a must to avoid. Meanwhile – Tanaka’s wife wants to do a Mrs. Maddux/Mrs. Lee on NYC. And if she wouldn’t live there, she won’t like Chi. Sadly, LA does have that edge. It will be down to the old Yankee Dollar(s)…
- Macho Man “Randy Levine”
  
  I’ll force myself to watch it because Streep and Roberts were nominated for Oscars. I watch all the Oscar nominated films, so…yea, I’m stuck. I’m not looking forward to it, I really wanted to skip it.
  - Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead
    
    Oscar nominations:film::Golden Gloves:MLB
    - Macho Man “Randy Levine”
      
      What are “Golden Gloves?” :)
      
      Also, you’re only half right.