ByWhen we heard about the Rookie of the Year award results yesterday, we also found out that three writers voted for the Reds’ Edinson Volquez despite his ineligibility. He had 80 innings of ML ball heading into 2008, thus disqualifying him as a rookie. I could make some sweeping generalization about how this exemplifies the state of mainstream baseball coverage, but I’d like to keep the criticism focused on the guilty party. Thankfully, Keith Law outs the guilty parties.
To Jeremy Cothran of the Newark Star Ledger, John Klima of the Los Angeles Daily News, and Jay Paris of the North County Times (San Diego), please inform us why you should continue to serve as a baseball writer. After all — and this applies especially to Cothran, who graduated college just three years ago — there are plenty of people who want your job, and would actually bother to do the requisite research. · (30) ·
Why the Yanks aren’t prioritizing center field
By · CommentsWe’ve heard from Brian Cashman that center field is not a priority this off-season. The Yanks have three immediate options in Johnny Damon, Brett Gardner, and Melky Cabrera, though question marks certainly surround each. With Austin Jackson waiting in the wings as the team’s number one prospect, they likely don’t want to make a long-term commitment. Basically, there are enough options in the short and long term that the team doesn’t necessarily need to make a move.
That’s not the only factor, though. As MLB.com’s Jim Molony points out, the center field market isn’t exactly inspiring. He notes the heads of the class are Ken Griffey and Milton Bradley, neither of whom plays center field in an ideal environment. Griffey’s range doesn’t permit his play there, and Bradley is too fragile to trot out every day. You can add Rocco Baldelli to this group, though he faces fragility issues as well.
This doesn’t bode well for the rest of the class, which includes Jim Edmonds, Willie Bloomquist, Mark Kotsay, Corey Patterson, and Scott Podsednik. Yuck. Apparently, Molony thinks that Jay Payton can play center and that the Mets would shop Endy Chavez, who is signed for just north of $2 million for 2009. None of these should even be in consideration.
So the Yankees might be planning to make Brett Gardner their Opening Day center fielder not out of want, but out of necessity. Let’s hope he can handle it.
Cisco to bring wired experience to new Yankee Stadium
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The Yankees and Cisco have announced the details of their impending partnership. The new stadium will now be chock full o’ technology goodies including:
Yankees Fan Amenities: For all Yankees fans who don’t want to miss a moment of on-field action, Cisco will provide the live game broadcast on HD video monitors displayed throughout the stadium, including concession areas, the Great Hall, the Yankees Museum and other in-stadium restaurant and bar locations. Along with the live game broadcast, monitors will be capable of simultaneously providing up-to-date sports scores, Yankees trivia, news and weather from a single viewing screen. At the conclusions of games, these monitors will allow the Yankees the ability to direct patrons to the nearest exits and provide up-to-the-moment traffic information. In the event of an emergency, all stadium monitors can be immediately and uniformly mobilized to display evacuation instructions. On non-game days, these same monitors can be used to display customized content and information for special events such as conferences, weddings and other group activities.
Premium Luxury Fan: Premium luxury suites will be outfitted with touch- screen Internet Protocol (IP) phones that will allow fans to order concessions and Yankees merchandise for delivery to the suite.
Fans of the Future: Cisco and the New York Yankees have also kept an eye toward the future to ensure that the stadium remains state-of-the-art for years to come. For example, the new stadium is equipped to support future fan use of mobile devices for ordering concessions from their seat, viewing instant replays or chatting in real time with friends inside and outside the stadium. In addition, the stadium has the capability to allow fans to communicate with players before or after the game using interactive video-based technology.
According to another report, the Yanks are paying Cisco between $15 and $16 million to wire the stadium and install approximately 1100 monitors through the new ballpark. Basically, the Yanks are serving as the test run for the StadiumVision technology Cisco would love to install everywhere.
And in the end, isn’t this what the new ballpark is all about? It’s supposed to be a showcase of modern stadium technology and a money-making machine for the Yanks. The suites will be equipped with touch-screen concessions ordering capabilities, and technology will pervade a baseball game. Call me a traditionalist, but when I’m at the stadium, I like the game to unfold in front of me. While we’ll probably be able update RAB from the stadium, I’ll save the blogging for home. Now get off my lawn while you’re at it too.
Holliday’s dad wants to see son in Pinstripes
By · CommentsI’ll start by noting that this means little, if anything, to the Yankees Hot Stove pursuits. It’s just an interesting article by RAB-fave Tyler Kepner about Matt Holliday’s father Tom, pitching coach at North Carolina State University. When he heard his son would likely be traded this off-season, he hoped it would be to an eastern team. Specifically, the New York Yankees.
“If someone would have called me today and said Matt had gotten traded to the Yankees, I’d have been hunting for a place to celebrate.”
Since it’s unlikely the A’s will sign Holliday once he reaches free agency after the 2009 season, there’s a chance Tom could realize his dream. It’s not that great a chance, though. Matt will be 30 for the 2010 season and employs Scott Boras as an agent. This does not bode well for his prospects. Boras will fill a binder full of stretched truths and try to eke out every last penny for his client.
The Yanks will be losing two outfielders/DHs next winter in Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui. Will they spend a portion of that money, $26 million combined, on Holliday? It’s a possibility, certainly, especially with Xavier Nady hitting free agency for the first time. The Yanks could therefore be in the market for a corner outfielder. Will they pony up the dough and the years to land Holliday? I suppose we’ll find out in a year.
On an interesting note, Tom Holliday was pitching coach at the University of Texas in 2004 when they were the College World Series runners up. He coached Huston Street that year, who is said to be headed to Colorado in the deal.
ByLater this morning, the Yankees and technology giant Cisco will announce a partnership involving the new Yankee Stadium. While we’ll have more on this announcement after the 11 a.m. press conference, the MLB.com Ballparks of the Future tie-in with Cicso provides a glimpse at what this announcement might feature: electronic sales kiosks, wireless broadband access, video-on-demand. I’m sure some of this will be on display when the new ballpark opens in April. · (6) ·
Musings on Bobby Abreu
By · CommentsWe keep coming back to Bobby Abreu. He’s that free agent with whom no one knows know what to do.
On Sunday night, in our open thread, a mini-discussion broke out about Bobby Abreu’s declining walk rate. Some saw it as a sign that Bobby is nearing that Bernie Williams circa 2003/2004 point of no returns. Others — as Jeff Passan wrote in his absurdly comprehensive free agent tracker — still see Abreu as a potent offensive force and are seduced by his career .300/.400/.500 offensive line.
I go back and forth on Abreu. On the one hand, I see him as a much better choice than Xavier Nady, but I recognize that this reaction is based on Nady’s bad month and the two players’ prior records. Considering Bobby will be 35 while Nady will be 30 come opening day, the possibility exists that Nady could outperform Abreu in either or both of the next two seasons despite the fact that Bobby Abreu is a far, far superior player.
So while we’ve already debated Abreu, I’d like to offer up some observations that serve as something as a counterpoint to my own previous belief that the Yanks will let Abreu walk. With Matt Holliday heading to Oakland and the Yanks seemingly not that interested in Manny, Abreu may very well be the best choice whether we like it or not.
Now, despite this predicament, there are some warning signs. Since arriving in New York, past his peak, at age 32, Abreu’s walk rate has dropped, while on the Yanks, from a walk every 7.5 BB in his first two months in the Bronx in 2006 to once every 8.3 PAs in 2007 to once every 9.4 PAs in 2008. That is a fairly dramatic slide. But on the other hand, we have his K rates. This went from 4.8 PA/K in 2006 to 6.1 PA/K to 6.3 PA/K. While he’s walking less, he’s also striking out less. All of this means that Bobby Abreu is putting the ball in play more often. But why?
According to ESPN’s stats page, Abreu is still seeing an impressive 4.29 pitches per plate appearance. This total is right in line with his career average and is down from the 4.39 mark in 2007 and the 4.44 mark he put up during his first few months in the Bronx. The 2006 totals, by the way, were a career high for Bobby in that department.
Now, I’m thinking these changes are due to the lineup. In Philadelphia, Abreu hit third in front of Pat Burrell. In New York, he hits third in front of Alex Rodriguez. Pitchers are much more likely to go after Abreu if they have A-Rod up next. Why pitch around Abreu to face Alex with a runner on base? Objectively, that doesn’t make sense. So perhaps the AL pitchers are more inclined to attack the zone. Who knows? That’s just my theory.
While these numbers offer us a glimpse at what’s going on, we can’t escape the fact that Abreu is getting old, and he’s slowing down. It’s unavoidable. But perhaps his declining walk rate isn’t as much of a concern as we all think.
He’s not a steady outfielder; he’s 35. Those are two good reasons to replace him with some younger. But that option might not exist. The Yankees may just need Bobby Abreu after all.
Monday night Hot Stove open thread
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We still have another 72 hours or so to wait before free agents can sign with new teams, but that hasn’t stopped the hot stove from burnin’. You may have heard about today’s small, under-the-radar trade that sent Matt Holliday to Oaktown for a package of young players that may or may not include Carlos Gonzalez, Huston Street and Greg Smith. Is Jake Peavy next? Who knows.
Use this thread to express any hot stove thoughts or talk about tonight’s riveting Monday Night Football matchup. If the Cards-Niners game does nothing for you, check out the Rangers taking on the Oilers at the Garden on the same night ex-Ranger & ex-Oiler Glenn Anderson gets inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Play nice.
Update (8:08pm): Josh Willingham & Scott Olsen are headed to DC for three prospects. Ladies and gents, the hot stove season has begun.
ByPreacher Roe, a name familiar to Brooklynites slightly older than my parents, passed away this weekend at the age of 91. Roe was one of the more colorful characters on the Dodger teams of the early 1950s and retired one year before the Bums captured their only World Series championship. In 1949, he was the winning pitcher in one of the World Series’ better pitching duels. · (7) ·
ByNo surprise here, these two were clearly the head of the rookie class in their respective leagues. Here’s where it gets ridiculous though: Edinson Volquez received three second place votes despite NOT EVEN BEING ELIGIBLE FOR THE FREAKING AWARD!!! He passed the rookie limit of 50 IP last September, yet some esteemed members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America decided he was so awesome that his eligiblity should be prolonged.
These people are paid to write about baseball. What a joke. · (21) ·
ByAccording to Jon Heyman, the A’s have emerged the winners in the Matt Holliday sweepstakes. While we’re still awaiting word on the A’s side of the trade, this is a fairly surprising result. One thing is for sure: The A’s really need the offense.
Update 3:46 p.m.: Tim Brown at Yahoo! Sports reports that the A’s are sending Huston Street, Greg Smith and Carlos Gonzalez to the Rockies. That’s quite a haul for a one-year rental of a player moving from Coors Field to the vast reaches of the McAfee Coliseum. · (78) ·
