Honestly, the big question re: Pujols and whomever manages the Cardinals is interesting…but in the final analysis the only way they really impact things is if they absolutely fuck things up by hiring someone like Bobby Valentine. If they do the smart thing and promote Jose Oquendo (whom Albert lurves), you could see STL getting a small hometown discount from The Mang.
BTW, Cardinal pitching coach Dave Duncan said on STL radio this afternoon that he fully expects to be with the Cardinals in 2012 (he’s under contract already). What’s funny is that most prospective managers would balk at having to take a coach from a previous regime, but in Dunc’s case, that’s just another selling point for the job. “How would you like to manage a baseball team where the only thing you ever had to do with your pitching staff was to ask the dude sitting next to you in the dugout?”
Tonight on Leno, Jay asked David Freese about his dad being his coach growing up.
“Yeah, it’s great to have that father figure, but you have to listen to your coaches, too. There comes a time when dads should be dads and let the coaches be the coach.”
Colby Rasmus, you just got your pants pulled down on national TV.
Shaikin of the LA Times reported today that a deal between MLB and McCourt that would invovle him selling the team is “close.” A new owner obviously would not be in place in time to have a big impact on free agent spending, but everything I’ve read says MLB is going to make sure they have the ability to spend a reasonable amount on salary next season, so no firesale or anything like that.
The other big news is that Sabathia won’t be opting out, having just signed a contract extension that gives him another guaranteed year and a vesting option year after that. It raises his per season average to just under $25m, ahead of Cliff Lee.
Mets moving the fences in at Citi Field. The data says that the changes would have resulted in +11 home runs to the Mets since 2009 (81 for Mets, 70 for opponents). More importantly is the psychological issue hitters (and possibly free agents) have with playing in such a big park may be put to rest.
MLB Trade Rumors has a list of their top 50 free agents and predictions of where they will end up here. The predictions seem somewhat dubious to me, though.
The Mets also added Tommy Goodwin as their first base coach. He was never a great hitter but he was one hell of a base runner and stealer. Maybe they will move in the fences and try to steal a few more bases.
Quade is, as most expected, out as Cubs manager. It seems Ryno is too:
“The managerial search process begins immediately,” Epstein said. “We are looking for someone with whom and around whom we can build a foundation for sustained success. The next manager must have leadership and communication skills; he must place an emphasis on preparation and accountability; he must establish high standards and a winning culture; he must have integrity and an open mind; and he must have managerial or coaching experience at the major league level.”
The last part of that statement would seem to exclude the candidate who may have generated the most speculation. Ryne Sandberg was a Hall of Fame second baseman for the Cubs who became a highly successful minor league manager in the Cubs organization before managing the Philadelphia Phillies Triple-A team last season.
But Sandberg, who has no experience managing or coaching on the major league level, does not seem to fit Epstein’s list of qualification to be the next Cubs manager. The Chicago Tribune reported that Epstein reached out to Sandberg through the Phillies to inform him that he’s not in their plans.
Buster Olney is saying the same thing, that Sandberg has been told he isn’t a candidate for the job. Interesting, as it seemed the Cubs were trying to repair that relationship.
Like I said when the White Sox announced they were hiring Ventura, I’m not sure I’m in favor of giving ex-players the job just because they were players. But in Ryno’s case he does now have managerial experience, just not at the majors. I’m not sure if that is all that much worse then being an MLB bench coach for a few years, which was Ozzie Guillen’s background before becoming a manager. The Cubs may regret this move, but at this point they have to let Theo do what he wants or what would be the point of hiring him. And if Theo thinks he needs MLB level managerial/coaching experience, then that rules Ryno out.
Interesting to point out that the last three permanent Cardinal managers have been Whitey Herzog, Joe Torre, and LaRussa. Each had some degree of success managing somewhere else before being hired. If they follow that pattern again, then it rules out Rhyno or Oquendo, and seems to point at Francona.
I think Mike Flanagan’s suicide put a pretty big stigma on the position. Even before his death, most of MLB was well-aware that any GM position under Peter Angelos is a nightmare.
MLB needs to figure out a way to make owners try to be competitive. It’s hard when teams like the Yankees can outspend you by $80M or more. But it’s not good for the health of the league when teams don’t even try and instead the owner just milks the team.
Look at the Pirates. They actually had a winning record and were in contention for awhile this year, the first time in years, but they couldn’t hang on. Under the current system they could be a losing team for another 20-30 years and still be profitable for ownership.
MLB is a completely different animal, though. Even setting aside history, the NFL can get away with that because they have so few games. It wouldn’t make as much sense for MLB. And besides, if Tampa can field a competitive team even when their fans don’t care, any team can if they are smart about it and care to try. What MLB needs to do is make sure that money transferred to “small market” teams (which is a joke since its based on team revenue and not the size of the actual market) is used to improve the team and not used by receiving owners to pad their bottom line.
