Fastball Fans

- image from mlb.com

The Kansas City Royals for the past several seasons have been seen as probably the most moribund organization in all of sports. The team was a consistent winner in the 1980’s and won it all in 1985; however, since 1990, the organization has only had three winning seasons and fans know the team is out of contention for a title before the first pitch is ever thrown. Due to the economic reality of the sport, Kansas City over the years have lost stars like Johnny Damon and Carlos Beltran to free agency, thus never having the chance to see their young talent stick it through for the Royals.

A city with a proud baseball tradition, Kansas City has deserved much better, and owner David Glass this winter finally opened up the checkbook and signed some talent. There’s new found optimism as the team is finally taking steps to improve and had a huge free agent signing; albeit, a controversial one with pitcher Gil Meche.

Though pundits, the media and bloggers all around the internet blasted the organization over the Meche signing, the move did show fans that the team is ready to forge ahead. The Kansas City Royals now want to be respected, and see themselves on the rise, not to be the butt of baseball jokes. If all comes to together, the Royals may surprise the league and perhaps break through in 2007 and finally be on the road to respectability.

Overall, the team is still infused with a lot of youth, but the team recently added veterans Octavio Dotel, David Riske and the aforementioned Gil Meche. As well, the team recently acquired Russ Gload, Jason LaRue and Brian Bannister via trade. The team lost Paul Bako, Mark Redman and Paul Mientkiewicz to free agency, and Donnie Murphy, Ambiorix Burgos, Andrew Sisco and Jeff Keppinger to trades.

The pitching for the Royals is a big question mark going into 2007, and the offense is devoid of power; however, there’s no question that new GM Dayton Moore is taking steps to improve the team.

The starting pitching for the Royals is a mixture of youth & veteran mainstays. The rotation includes Gil Meche as the number one starter, Odalis Perez, Luke Hudson, Jorge De La Rosa and Brian Bannister in the mix.

The wild card in the rotation will be Gil Meche, who will have a lot of pressure on him to deliver and be the ace. He finished 11-8 with a 4.48 ERA with Seattle; however, he’s got a lifetime of ERA 4.65 and will need to step it up with the Royals to justify his contract. Based on this track record, he should be a solid pitcher for the team, but they should not expect to be a Cy Young candidate. Veteran Odalis Perez should be the second starter and he struggled in 2006 with a 6-8 record and an ERA over 6. The team will need him to regain the form he had with the Dodgers if the Royals are going to move up in the win column. Luke Hudson will also be in the rotation as he was 7-6 with an ERA over 5; Jorge DeLaRosa, who as well struggled in ’06 should have a spot, and young Brian Bannister who came from the Mets, should round out the rotation.

Another possibly for the pitching staff may be Zack Greinke. Only 23, he shows a lot of promise to be a good pitcher in the big leagues, and had a good 2004 finished with a 3.97 ERA; however, while he struggled in 2005 where he lost 17 games and finished with an ERA under 6. Sadly, in 2006, he only got into 3 games before he left for the rest of the season due to personal issues. He’s on the 40 man roster, & if he returns to the team, he will be a big factor in the future of the Royals.

Also, Scott Elarton should be a choice to make the starting rotation as he was 4-9 with a 5.34 ERA. He’s a longtime veteran and he’s struggled the past several seasons, but won 11 games in ’05 and 17 in ’01. He may be in the bullpen, work as a spot starter, or perhaps might factor in the rotation if he has a good spring training.

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The O’s and Erik Bedard are gearing up for an arbitration showdown within the next few days. Jeff Zrebiec, Baltimore Sun writer, took a look at the situation at hand in his latest article.

Does he deserve the money? Guess whose record his numbers compare closely to.

Bedard

Zito

Zito. The 126 million dollar-man.

Will Bedard win? Maybe. Bedard has a legitimate for the money he wants, and considering the market is for pitching, he might have a shot to win. To be honest, the Orioles are depending on him for the future, and it might be a good thing to give him the benefit of the doubt when it comes to this argument.

Here’s Bedard’s take:

Bedard, his agent, Mark Pieper, and Orioles officials have not made much progress on settling on a one-year deal for the 2007 season. Bedard, who went 15-11 with a 3.76 ERA last season, is asking for $4 million, while the Orioles offered $2.7 million. If the two sides don’t compromise, the case will be heard by an independent arbitrator Tuesday in Phoenix.

“Whatever happens, happens,” Bedard said. “I don’t know. I think it will go all the way if you ask me.”

and…

Through yesterday, major league owners were 4-0 in arbitration cases. Bedard’s take on that record: “So what?”

Bedard sure has an interesting way of putting things, and I think he wants to get paid what he thinks he’s worth. Could we have another Rodrigo on our hands if he does not win his case? Stay tuned.

More Mariano: Mariano is taking a stand against the Yankees and his contract talks. In a crazy winter in the Bronx, a lot of the drama has now gotten to Florida.

This what Mariano said Tuesday.

From ESPN: Mariano Rivera had this warning for the New York Yankees: If he becomes a free agent, he’ll consider offers from other teams.

“Everybody has the same shot,” he said Wednesday. “The Yankees will not have an advantage.”

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman called the 37-year-old closer Tuesday night, a day after Rivera said he was hoping for a contract extension. Cashman told Rivera his preference is to push back the matter until after the season.

And…

The Yankees always knew that I wanted to be with the Yankees and finish my career with the Yankees,” he said. “If they don’t want to do [anything] with me, I’m not go home crying. I’m going to move on.”

He doesn’t see himself playing in another uniform.

“But if I have to, I have to do it,” he said

Good grief. What’s going on up there? I can see something working out, but right now the drama with that team is beyond ridiculous.

Ball Fight: Well, in baseball’s version of Pleasantville, St. Louis – a fight is ensuing. Cardinals catcher, Yadier Molina kept the World Series-winning ball and doesn’t plan to give it up it is in Puerto Rico. Adam Wainwright wants the ball too, as he struck out Brandon Inge to clinch for the Cardinals.

This is stupid. Both men should just give the ball to team or share it with the people of St. Louis.

Hear their excuses:

(ESPN): Said Wainwright: “Hopefully, he’ll change his mind. The final three outs of a World Series — how often do you get to do that in your career? But then, who’s to say we would have gotten to that point had he not hit the home run against the Mets in the [NLCS] or if he doesn’t [bat] like .4000 in the World Series? He probably does deserve it.”

(ESPN): Said “He was trying to get that ball from me, I know,” Molina told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in Tuesday’s edition. “He deserves it. He does. But that’s the one thing I have from a long season. I hit .216. It was a tough year. I didn’t earn much else, but I have that ball. That’s my reward.”

I love Molina’s excuse. If the two of you had any sense, just let the people enjoy the ball and the memories of 2006.

Indians Add a Reliever: Free agent Cliff Politte signed a minor league contract on Wednesday as the Indians added another experienced right-hander to their revamped bullpen.

No Jail for BALCO Reporters: Two San Francisco Chronicle reporters will avoid jail time under a plea agreement by a criminal defense lawyer who admitted leaking them secret grand jury documents from the BALCO steroids investigation. (CNNSi)

Mariano Rivera: He’s pissed according to CNNsi’s John Heyman. Mariano is not happy at how the Yankees have handled the Bernie Williams situation.

Responding to a question about whether he’s surprised that Williams didn’t receive a guaranteed deal from the Yankees, Rivera responded, “Surprised? Yes … I think Bernie shouldn’t be treated that way. But who am I to say?” … “”Bernie should be here with his bat,” Rivera said, emphatically.â€?He had a great year last year, and he helped us a lot. I guess that’s the business side of baseball.” (CNNsi.com)

Wow. He said a whole lot right there.

The mentality of the Yankees is changing, and it sure isn’t based on sentimentalism. The team is looking to turn over a new leaf, and Bernie obviously is not in the plan. Cashman wants to get the team to get younger, and that’s ruffling a few feather in Yankee-land.

For all you Yankee fans, what do you think?

Carlos Wants to be Paid: Carlos wants a deal before the season or he’s done with the Cubs.

This is what he says:

“Whatever happens, I don’t want to know [anything] about a contract during the season. I want to sign with the Cubs before the season starts,” the Cubs’ pitching ace said in an interview on WGN-TV. “If they don’t sign me, sorry, but I must go. That’s what Carlos Zambrano thinks.”

Geez. The Cubs should just lock him up now. Then again, after you spent $300 million on contracts, and not even assured of a World Series, I’d be hesitant too.

Nevertheless, sign him or the Cubs will pay big time later, and I mean in the win-loss column.

Padres sign a Veteran Marine: I think this story is cool. The San Diego Padres signed Cooper Brannan, a veteran of the War in Iraq who lost a finger (his pinky) in the conflict.

Stieren said Padres general manager Kevin Towers “was adamant that we were doing this because of his potential, not because it was a great story. (CNNsi.com)

I say, if he’s got potential, sign him. In an era of spoiled athletes who commit crimes and lack humility, you only have to root hard for a guy like Cooper Brannan to make the big leagues.

Ron Villone: Ron Villone has agreed to a minor-league deal with the Yankees. He stands to make $2.5 million if he makes the club, which is likely, and an additional $300,000 in incentives based on games pitched.

Goeff Geary: Right-handed pitcher Geoff Geary agreed to a one-year contract worth $837,500 with the Phillies on Tuesday, thus avoiding arbitration.

More Drama in Yankee-Land: This is what CNNsi.com’s Truth and Rumors has in their section about the Yankees.

Mariano Rivera a Red Sox? It could happen. Sitting in his car outside Legends Field yesterday, Rivera was asked by The Post if he could be Boston’s closer next year. You never know,” said Rivera, who is determined to become a free agent.
– New York Post

Yankees GM Brian Cashman has nothing but respect for Mariano Rivera, but that doesn’t mean he’s planning to give the future Hall of Famer a contract extension before the end of the season.
– New York Daily News

It’s interesting what’s going on in NYC and I don’t know the picture of dysfunction and disappointment is being painted by the media, or if it’s true, but if the Yankees don’t change the outward appearance, the Red Sox will use it to their advantage in the Hundred Years’ Plus War. It looks like Cashman is doing things his way now, and it may not be all that good with some of the Yankee brass.

Dmitri Young and Tony Batista Back in the Majors? Well, the Nationals have reached and once again have gone into the bargain bin, this time getting two more veterans looking for a second chance. According to the Washington Post’s Dave Shenin, the team has signed veterans Tony Batista and Dmitri Young to minor league deals. If both men make the Nats’s squad, they will possibly make for a much deeper bench than envisioned initially for the team.

In 2005, the upstart Cleveland Indians were the surprise team of baseball winning 93 games and narrowly missing out on a playoff spot; however, 2006 saw the Tribe regress and finish with only 78 wins. The city of Cleveland and much of baseball saw the Indians as a contender last season, but after a horrible first half, they were far behind the amazing Tigers, the resurgent Twins and the steady Chicago White Sox.

In light of a 2006 that did not live up to expectations, the Indians are a young team on the rise with a great, talented core. This upcoming season, they are looking to make an impact as well as gun for the American League Central crown. All in all, the Indians have nothing but a bright outlook for 2007 and the road beyond.

Much of the team’s core is back, and subtle changes took place in the offseason. In the fold for the Indians are stars Grady Sizemore, big bat Travis Hafner, and imposing ace C.C. Sabathia. During the winter, the team lost Aaron Boone to free agency and Andrew Brown along with Kevin Kouzmanoff to trades. In the offseason, the team acquired second baseman Josh Barfield from the San Diego Padres; pitchers Joe Borowski, Keith Foulke, Aaron Fultz and Roberto Hernandez via free agency, and signed former Red Sox right fielder, Trot Nixon.

The top of the pitching rotation will be led by C.C. Sabathia, the young ace of the staff. He went 12-11 last year with a 3.22 ERA and struggled with an aching knee. His numbers could have been slightly better, but overall he’s been reliable and could move himself into the elite class of pitchers fairly soon. Jake Westbrook will probably be the second starter as he had a solid year in 2006 with a 15-10 record and an ERA of 4.17. Westbrook been a steady, solid pitcher and if he can improve on his 2006, he and Sabathia will be a great pitching tandem for Cleveland.

Cliff Lee should in the middle of the rotation, as he finished with a 14-11 record and with an ERA above 4. He had a down year considering he was 18-5 in 2005, and helped the Indians contended that season. If he can return back to his ’05 form, he’ll help the Indians in a big way. Veteran Paul Byrd will probably be the 4th starter, as he finished 10-9 with an ERA under 5. Over his career, he’s been a solid pitcher, but the Indians will need him to give up fewer runs, as his ERA last season was nearly a run higher than in his previous 2 seasons.

The wild card in the rotation will be Jeremy Sowers. He was 7-4 with a 3.57 ERA last season and the team hopes he can build upon his rookie season. Also possibly factoring in the rotation is Fausto Carmona, though he finished 1-10 and may find himself possibly in the bullpen or the minors in ’07.

The bullpen for Cleveland has been revamped for ‘07 and is stocked with long time veterans. The relief corps has been vastly improved after only after a disastrous 2006 where they could not close out games and often blew game wide open for the opposition. The team added veterans Keith Foulke, Joe Borowski & Roberto Hernandez to compliment Rafael Betancourt, Fernando Cabrera, Aaron Fultz & Jason Davis.

At this point, Borowski may be on deck to be the closer for the Indians in a stacked AL Central. He was 3-3 with an ERA of 3.75 in 2006 (which is a little high for a closer, in my opinion), but he was solid for a young and upstart Marlins team. He’ll be 35 going into the season, and the Indians will rely on him to be as effective as he was in ’06 or better.

The wild cards in the bullpen with are Keith Foulke and Roberto Hernandez. Foulke was 3-1 with an ERA over 4 in Boston last season, and battled back after an injury riddled ’05. In previous years, he has incredible success as closer for both the A’s and Red Sox and the Indians hope he can recapture that magic. If he can bounce back after a subpar ’05, the Indians will have one of the better relief corps in baseball.

Roberto Hernandez is back for another tour of duty in the big leagues, as he’s now 42, but shows no sign of slowing down. After a few so-so years in the National League, he was golden for the Mets in ’05 and ’06 appearing in more than 130 games and compiling an ERA of 3.11 last season, and an ERA of 2.58 in ’05. If he could be as productive as he was in the NL for the Indians, the bullpen will be amazing.

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Mariano Rivera Not a Yankee After the Season? Scanning the World Wide Web this morning, I caught up with what’s going on baseball and it looks like Mariano Rivera has not been given a contract extension yet by the Yankees. Considering his stature with the team and his track record, one would think the team would jump all over the chance to resign him.

Does not seem to be the case, as of yet.

He no doubt wants to finish his career as a Yankee (from the NY Daily News). This is what he said:

“I definitely want to finish my career here, but if they don’t give me the respect I deserve, I have to move on,” Rivera said. Asked if he felt he wasn’t being given that respect, Rivera responded, “The Yankees always give me the respect. When it comes to these times (contracts ending), I don’t like to talk about it. It’s a business.â€?

I think Mariano should finish his career as Yank, and rightly so – even if I am Baltimore Orioles fan. However, considering now that Cashman is in charge, and he seems to want to infuse youth in the team, Rivera may not be a sure thing to return.

However, I cannot see the Yankees getting rid of a closer with such a prolific history such as Rivera. Yes, he may be getting older, is there anyone out there more productive as he, and as well, even at his advanced age, who else get can batters nervous in the box like him?

I see the Yanks and Mariano working things out.

The Most Covered Man in Baseball: Daisuke Matsuzsaka will probably be covered on this blog, and many other as much any other player in the league. He landed in Tampa, Florida for spring training and already got hammered with reporters, especially the Japanese media. It’s going to be an interesting year in Beantown.

The only baseball team left in Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays, have longed for the days of the early 90’s where they won back to back championships; however, with the emergence of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox as beasts in the American League East, they found it hard to compete for the better part of ten years plus.

The organization opened up the purse strings last winter signing a plethora of free agents; therefore, under the guidance of general manager J.P. Riccardi the end result was a second place finish in the American League East and remaining in the playoff hunt until after the All-Star break. Although the team was about 10 games short of winning the division and just as much from the Wild Card last season, the team made a lot of strides.

The Blue Jays played well while mired in controversy with their manager, John Gibbons and run-ins with players. However, the team has given him the sign of approval and he’ll guide the team into the upcoming season.

While the team has a fearsome offense, as well as a deep bullpen, the starting corps is suspect. Back in the fold in the rotation is star Roy Halladay, but after that uncertainty awaits.

Gone from the team are Ted Lilly who went to the Cubs, Shea Hillenbrand who was traded to the Giants mid-season, Bengie Molina, Frank Catalanotto and Justin Speier. New additions to the team include the big addition, masher Frank Thomas, longtime veteran Royce Clayton, and pitchers John Thomson and Tomo Ohka.

In the end, the big question will be do the Jays have enough to be a contender?

Leading the charge in the Blue Jays starting rotation is perennial Cy Young candidate, Roy “Doc� Halladay. Holladay is coming off a season where he went 16-5 with a 3.19 ERA; therefore, it’s needless to say that the Blue Jays will need him to maintain the same level and remain healthy for the team to have a fighting chance as a contender.

After Halladay, things get worrisome in terms of the starting pitching.

The probable second starter A.J. Burnett has loads of potential, and could be an ace in the hole along with Halladay; however, he’s had problems staying healthy for a full season. Given a 5 year, 55 million dollar contract last winter, he missed time with elbow problems, but managed a 10-8 record with a 3.98 ERA. A gifted pitcher, the Blue Jays hope his history of injuries are left behind and he can stay healthy.

Young Gustavo Chacin will be the 3rd starter, as he was 9-4, however with an ERA at 5. He will need to give up fewer runs, & pitch deeper into games in ’07 and beyond. Tomo Ohka will be at the bottom of the rotation, and although he will not ever be a top of heap guy, he’s a solid .500 pitcher who will eat innings. He was 4-5 with an ERA under 5 in ’06 for the Brewers.

The wildcard in the rotation is newly acquired John Thomson. The Blue Jays hope he’s got some stuff left, as he was only 2-7 last year with an ERA near 5. His best year recently was in 2004 where he was 14-8 with a 3.72 for the Atlanta Braves. To be quite honest, for the Blue Jays to have a shot in the AL East, they will need Chacin, Ohka and Thomson to find their way, step up and pitch well if they have any shot at contending in the stacked American League.

The bullpen for the Blue Jays this year will have an assortment of young arms, a lot of depth, but a very dominant closer in the fold. The bullpen was very strong last year, as imposing B.J. Ryan saved 38 games and had a miniscule 1.37 ERA. Although he received a record contract for a closer which brought some scrutiny, he was nothing short of golden for the Blue Jays. Only 31, he’s got many years left in the tank, and is already now one of the best relievers in the game.

Joining B.J. Ryan will be Jeremy Accardo who appeared in 65 games in ’06 in first year, Scott Downs, Brian Tallet, Brandon League who was impressive, Jason Frasor, Dustin McGowan and possible Davis Romero or Francisco Rosario.

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* Joe Mauer’s Contract: Minnesota Twins catcher and AL batting champion Joe Mauer avoided salary arbitration and agreed to a four-year contract on Sunday with the Twins on a four-year contract worth at least $33 million. Good move by the Twins to lock up a young player, a hometown hero and perhaps one of the great catchers in the game today.

* Josh Paul Loses in Arbitration: The Devil Rays won the first arbitration decision of the year Saturday as Josh Paul didn’t get what he wanted – the raise he wanted. Paul sought a raise from $475,000 to $940,000 at Friday’s hearing. The team countered with $625,000 & the arbitrators found it a fair offer.

* Joe Beimel Loses in Arbitration: The Dodgers also won an arbitration case. Joe Beimel lost his case as he settled with the Dodger for $912,500 this year. Beimel asked for a raise from $425,000 to $1.25 million at Friday’s hearing. The Dodgers countered at $912,500, and in turn won.

I found this video on YouTube, and this I think was from 1999. It is actually a Nike commercial featuring infamous and defamed slugger Mark McGwire, future Hall of Fame pitchers along with former Cy Young Award winners, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine who were both in the Braves’ organization at the time.

Good and funny stuff from back in the day…

* Bernie Williams: Yankee mainstay Bernie Williams has rejected the team’s offer of a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training, according to The New York Times. He’ll try to stay in shape, spend time with his family and wait to see if the Yankees change their minds and offer him a guaranteed roster spot. Wow.

* Chan Ho Park Signs with the Mets: Chan Ho Park reached a preliminary agreement with the Mets on a $600,000, one-year contract, giving the team another option for its starting rotation heading into spring training. As we know, Park signed a monster contract with the Rangers several years ago and was a severe bust.

* Happy Trails: Jeff Fassero is retiring from baseball after winning 121 games over 16 major league seasons.

Hank Bauer, who managed the Baltimore Orioles to a World Series win 1966 died at the age 84 due to complications from cancer. A former Marine, he spent his first 12 seasons with the Yankees, and played on seven World Series winning teams. He spent his final two seasons with the Kansas City Athletics.

In 1966, he managed the Orioles to a 97-63 record and a World Series sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Bauer left the Orioles during the 1968 season.

Rest in Peace, Hank.

In 2006, Omar Minaya with the blessing of the Wilpon family went out and built a team constructed for the World Series. The Mets were often looked at as the second team in the Big Apple, but due to their impressive season, they stirred up excitement in the city that never sleeps. However, in the NLCS, but lost out to a St. Louis team that won only 83 games. Although, the Mets have youngsters David Wright and Jose Reyes becoming stars, they are a team pretty much built to win now. With the contract extension recently given to Willie Randolph, he’s now got the security to lead the Mets corps for the near future.

Right now, the pitching situation is one that is of most concern. Ace Pedro Martinez on the shelf until summer, the Mets have two men in middle age in the rotation, and the rest of the pitching staff is unsettled. Although the pitching situation is shaky, the Mets probably have the best offense in the National League and that alone should get the team many wins. The Mets also dealt with a number of injuries last year, but hopefully this offseason gave a chance for some players to rest, relax and come back strong in ’07.

The team let quite a few players go such as pitchers Brian Bannister, Darren Oliver, Chad Bradford, Roberto Hernandez, Steve Trachsel, outfielder Cliff Floyd and infielder Chris Woodward. The offense is pretty much the same from last season, with Moises Alou taking the place of Floyd.

In light of it all, the Mets are favorites to win the NL East, although Philadelphia is also a contender, and the Braves could be a dark horse if things line for up for them.

Let’s start with the pitching rotation. In terms of pitching, 2006 was a great year for the Mets, but however had to struggle with patching together a staff throughout the season due to injuries. Tom Glavine, in his 40’s pitched well and is en route to 300 wins; Orlando Hernandez also near the watershed age of 40 was able to contribute, but got injured in the playoffs. John Maine, a former Oriole broke through and Pirate castoff Oliver Perez was a pleasant surprise in the playoffs.

However, the injury bug hit the Mets as ace Pedro Martinez started off hot, but cooled and then wound up injured and out for the rest of 2006. He’s been out with a torn labrum and will be back in the fold perhaps by summer. Brian Bannister also started out well, but ended up injured and he’s no longer with the team. Considering the events of 2006, the Mets knew they needed pitching, but however, the market was needless to say expensive. Even though the Mets have the funds to spend with anyone, they held off because of some of the questionable talent available. The Mets tried to go after Barry Zito and Jason Schmidt, but were unable to get either.

The ace of the staff right now is Tom Glavine. He was 15-7 with a 3.82 ERA and he bounced back after 2 years of struggling to a sub-par record. He may not be as good as he once was; his curveball and changeup are what get him wins. Considering his age, there’s no reason to believe he cannot duplicate the success of 2006. Although he’s got a great defense behind him along with offense, it’s critical he does well.

Orlando Hernandez will be a starter as well, and he’ll need to be consistent as well. He does not have overpowering stuff, but like Glavine, he’s got an amazing curveball and changeup and as well succeeds with deception and guile. John Maine will be another starter and he’ll need to stay at the level he was at in 2006 or perform better.

The wild cards in the pitching rotation will be Mike Pelfrey and possibly Philip Humber. Pelfrey showed flashes of brilliance in 2006 and will probably be slotted in the rotation. Humber is a youngster and will also be ready at some point to perform at next level. I’d expect these two play a role in the future of the New York Mets.

Oliver Perez may also be in the rotation, but he might end up in the bullpen or perhaps even the minors.

The bullpen for the Mets was a source of strength and helped the Mets to stay and finish up games. With a 3.25 ERA, they shout down teams and for the most part, when the Mets led they won. Led by the amazing Billy Wagner and his 100 mph-plus fastball, he saved 40 games and struck out well over a batter per inning. He’ll be expected to dominate like he did in 2006 for the upcoming season, and although he’s getting up in age, there’s no reason to believe why he still not be anything but effective for the next couple of years.

Aaron Heilman will be the setup guy, and the bullpen will consist of Duaner Sanchez who is coming back from injury, the recently signed Scott Schoenweis, Jorge Sosa, Pedro Feliciano had a sub 2 ERA in ’06, Guillermo Mota who will serve a 50 game suspension at the onset of start of the season, and possibly Dave Williams, Juan Padilla, & Jon Adkins.

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Bronson in Cincy: Right handed pitcher and sometimes rocker, Bronson Arroyo and the Cincinnati Reds agreed Thursday to a $25 million, two-year contract extension through 2010. He was an NL All-Star in 2006, & led the major leagues with an amazing 240 2/3 innings pitched and was 14-11 with an ERA of 3.29.

He’s a personal favorite of mine as he can rock decently, and also you cannot forget his cornrolls he sported a few years ago.

I still wonder why the Red Sox traded him, and it’s a decision that should have never been made.

* Second baseman Jose Castillo and the Pirates avoided arbitration Wednesday, agreeing to a $1.9 million, one-year contract.

* According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, The A’s have reached an agreement with free agent outfielder Shannon Stewart for a one-year deal that could be worth as much as $2.5 million with incentives, pending a physical.

* Happy Trails: Third baseman Vinny Castilla officially retired from baseball on Wednesday. In a solid career, he 320 homers in a 16-season career with Atlanta, Colorado, Tampa Bay, Houston, Washington and San Diego.

photo by Scott Jordan Levy

Since 1991, the Atlanta Braves have won their division 14 years in a row and sooner or later, their amazing run was going to end.

2006 was the year.

For the first time in 2 decades, the Braves and their fans were for a change not atop of the NL East standings, but towards the middle of the pack. Although the Braves were in the wild card hunt for a while, their 79-83 record was a disappointment and in a way surreal to the baseball world.

Since John Schulerholz joined the Braves, he’s always managed to put a competitive team on the field, both at the big league level and the minors, no matter their financial situation and Atlanta being a mid-market franchise. As well, under the tutelage of Bobby Cox, the Braves were able only to muster one World Series win in that run, but he was able to bring all facets of the game together and much like the sun riding, the Braves always ended up atop of the NL East.

The Braves were able to score runs, but the pitching staff struggled. Pitching was usually a source of strength for the team; both the starting rotation & bullpen were subpar due to injuries and a bullpen that was largely inexperienced. As well, pitching impresario, Leo Mazzone left Atlanta for Baltimore, and the staff under the tutelage of Roger McDowell struggled and didn’t match the success the team has had in that department in 14 years.

Going into 2007, the Atlanta Braves have made quite a few changes from last season. Second baseman Marcus Giles was non-tendered and signed with San Diego, Adam LaRoche was traded for pitcher Mike Gonzalez, Horcio Ramirez was traded for Rafael Soriano, and pitchers Danys Baez, Chris Reitsma and John Thomson left the team via free agency. The team signed in turn, pitchers Tanyon Sturtze, first baseman Craig Wilson and second baseman Chris Woodward.

While the bullpen is greatly improved, the lineup and the starting pitching have questions going into 2007.

In light of the starting pitching performance of 2006, this upcoming season does show a lot of promise. At the top of the rotation is John Smoltz, the long time ace of the teamand potential Hall of Famer. As he is heading towards his 40th birthday, he was 16-9 with a 3.49 ERA and there’s no reason to believe that John Smoltz can’t duplicate the success he’s had for the next couple of seasons.

The probable second starter will be Tim Hudson. He will need to regain the form he had with Oakland in order for the Braves to do well. He was 13-12 in ’06, but however, his ERA was 4.86, well above what he’s allowed in his career. The team hopes he can bounce back and compliment John Smoltz.

The wild card in the starting rotation will be Mike Hampton. He missed much of 2005 and 2006, and the Braves are hoping he can bounce back. Before the injury, he was a durable pitcher for the team and you could count on him getting double digits in victories. However, 2007 will be a test for him, as he attempts to return after a long layoff. If he can regain some of his form, it will go a long way to helping the Braves contend.

Battling for spots to round up the rest of the rotation are Chuck James & Kyle Davies. Davies only went 3-7 with an ERA over 8 and he regressed from his rookie campaign in 2005. He’ll need to do better than that obviously in ’07. Chuck James on the other hand, had a great 2006 where was 11-4, with a 3.78 ERA in his rookie season, and he was a pleasant surprise for the team. The Braves are hoping he can parlay his successful season last year into 2007.

The bullpen for the team was an Achilles’ heel last season, and the Braves spent quite a bit of energy to fix it up this winter. New additions to the bullpen are Tanyon Strutze, young electric pitchers Mike Gonzalez, Rafael Soriano. Also, Tyler Yates and Macay McBride will return to the bullpen. The closer will once again be Bob Wickman who came via trade before the All-Star Break and had an ERA a tad above 1 and 18 saves for the team. The Braves will once again count on Wickman to close and hopefully repeat the job he did for the team in 2006 into next season.

Read More Here…

I think A-Rod will be bringing us quality content this season…

Here’s what happened at a big signing he and his publisher conducted for his children book, with a blurb from the New York Post…

“Alex Rodriguez’s appearance at a signing for his children’s book was mishandled by his publicist and bookstore staff members, turning the ballyhooed event into a media circus that included a paparazzi member tossing A-Rod a ball to sign. At one point, a New York policeman grabbed a reporter for the crime of trying to interview the beleaguered superstar.”

Friggin Insane! Only with A-Rod. Good lord.

New York and the Tri-state area can be off the hook, and too bad the event became a total circus.

The clip is from the classic science fiction TV show, the Twilight Zone. The basic premise is that a down and out team, the Hoboken Zephyrs is need of a jolt, and a robot that looks like a man is signed to pitch.

The team climbs in the standings thanks to Casey’s pitching prowess. After he’s beaned by a ball, a doctor discovers Casey has no heart. The rules say nine men make up a team, and without a heart Casey is not a man. His inventor, Dr. Stillman, gives Casey a heart, but he becomes too compassionate to strike out other players.

The Zephyrs lose the pennant, and Casey is washed up in baseball. Anyway, watch the rest and see for yourself. It’s a tad long at 26 minutes, but it’s worth a see.